The Bright Balloon

This week's guest works with creative businesses to make sure their branding is consistent across all platforms. From logo, to website, to email and social media, Courtney helps you bring your brand presence across all platforms in a cohesive way. And don't miss your chance to win a VIP day with her - further down the show notes!

In the episode we hear about her own background in the event industry and how your branding can affect the trust your customers have with you. She urges us to think not only about our ideal clients as we consider branding, but our own preferences at the same time.

She helps clients find their own personal branding style instead of trying to fit into the mold of the latest trend so that your branding always looks and feels authentic. She's also got a great tip for using Chat GPT to help polish your "About us" and other website language!

Courtney definitely knows her stuff when it comes to branding and has several ways to work with her so that you can nail down the visuals and voice you display to your customers.

In the UGlu Hotline this week, I share my own tip about planning meals at conventions!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

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Balloon Suite

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Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

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ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

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Brand Consistency Checklist

Giveaway - VIP Branding Day ($1250 value) which includes:

• New Brand Board including: logo trio (main logo, secondary logo, submark, fresh font pairings, color palette & mood board)

• 4 Social Media Canva templates using new branding + Instagram Highlight covers

• Updating branding on social media where needed (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc)

• Email Signature with new branding

• One marketing material (thank you card, business card, one sheet, etc)

• Logo, color and font updates on current website

To enter the giveaway, following both @thebrightballoon and @courtneylynette on Instagram and enter here!

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In this episode I'm telling you all about where I spent my money in 2023... including which category I spent more in than my entire eight-year history! I'm talking about where I overspent, where I underspent and what I'm paying for to make my business run smoothly.

Listen in as I take you through how my spending landed in these categories:

• courses
• technology
• paid apps & software
• balloon-specific subscriptions
• paid services
• automation tools
• insurance
• upgrades
• rental products

I'll also share how this reflection has motivated me to create a budget for the year ahead - something I've never taken the time to do before! I hope by listening in, you'll be able to identify areas that could use improvement or upgrades in your business.

In the UGlu Hotline, I share my thoughts on when and how to implement bulk pricing.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

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ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

The Balloon Guild (save 20% with code WeLoveSara20)

My Balloon Toolbox

Balloonpro.co Design Tool

Fiore Accounting & Tax Services

Flodesk (get 50% off your 1st year)

Later.com

Ep. 162 - Protecting yourself and your business | Erin from Country Financial

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This episode will feature two different conversations! First, we'll hear from Katie and Kristen about how they run their businesses independently, but help each other out as needed. It's a really interesting strategy that I think we can all learn from!

Then I'm also chatting with Yonnie, who shares what she's loved about her journey in the balloon industry so far. Both of the conversations felt really refreshing - I hope you enjoy them!

Key points from the chat with Katie and Kristen include:

• the boundary conversations they had when first getting to know each other
• how they continue to navigate the big jobs when more than one artist is needed
• how great it is to find your own "coworkers" when you're otherwise running your business by yourself
• what their favorite parts of Balloon Boss Summit are

Then Yonnie shares:

• the mind-blowing way she was introduced to balloons
• her process for officially registering her business
• what it was like to take the CBA
• how the size of Summit is beneficial
• her local "competitor" and how they've created their relationship

And in the UGlu Hotline this week, we get some ideas for making your sticky things even stickier!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

PremiumConwin

2024 Bright Balloon Business Planner

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

The Balloon Guild (save 20% with code WeLoveSara20)

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The Bright Balloon on YouTube

I've heard the reasons that you're not sending newsletters to your customers... why you don't think it works... how you're afraid of the unsubscribes... and how you're not even sure where to start, so in this episode I'm aiming to eliminate those objections so that you can experience the kinds of benefits I've had from email marketing.

First, a little tough love for the objection that "it doesn't work, because I always delete all the emails I get". I disagree! Sure, some emails might be an automatic delete, but I know there are some you click into. Think about why and this will help you think about how you can become the company that is an automatic open.

Next I'll talk about the fear of getting unsubscribes. The thing is, not doing something because you're afraid of people not liking the thing that you're not doing... it just doesn't make sense. Isn't it better to connect with those who would love to hear from you? Listen in to hear how I've changed my mindset around getting unsubscribes.

Now when we think about the cost associated with email marketing, I have some more friendly pushback and share what kind of response I got from my last newsletter... including sales numbers. It's very easy to see how a small investment in a platform makes you your money back.

Then, the only objection that I can get behind: "I don't know what to send". I get it! But I'm confident that with 30 focused minutes thinking about what kind of value you could give your customers through email, you could have an entire year planned out. I share a few ways to jumpstart this planning session in the episode.

Next I chat about the objection of who to send newsletters to. I promise you that you have previous customers who are cheering you on and want to see you succeed. Start there! Then work towards getting new leads excited to join your email list by offering some kind of free download.

The last piece of the email marketing puzzle is the tech. If you're ready to reap the benefits of email marketing but feel overwhelmed by the tech, join me for a webinar March 6, 2024, simply by grabbing the 50 email marketing ideas download below. That will get you on my email list where I'll be sharing the registration link.

As you'll hear, I'm pretty passionate about email marketing and I'd love to help you finally tackle this thing that's probably been on your to-do list for quite a while!

And in the UGlu Hotline this week, I share how I decided to make the switch from face painting to balloon decor and why I may go back to it one day.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

PremiumConwin

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

The Balloon Guild (save 20% with code WeLoveSara20)

Flodesk (get 50% off your 1st year)

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It was so nice to meet Stephany and hear about her journey to becoming a product creator! From jumping into the balloon industry after doing her child's first birthday party, to serving high-end clients internationally, she's done things few people get to do because she decided to give herself a chance.

We hear what it's like to work mostly with event planners in New York City, and how she's fortunate enough to have professional photographers at almost all of her installations. Then she shares how those event planners often request a custom color palette... which led to the creation of her Balloon Stuffer. There's no doubt that product creation is not for the faint of heart, so I give so many props to Stephany and all of those who do it!

I also ask a pretty raw question about how fellow balloon artists might feel following her Instagram, and Stephany shares some encouragement and what it was like for her to start and grow this business that has helped her find a new, powerful and unapologetic version of herself. She also shares a few great tips for getting started with Instagram reels while out on the job!

Wow, you're going to feel so encouraged after listening to this conversation - I know I sure was. Thanks, Stephany!

In the UGlu Hotline, I share my thoughts on how to prepare a booth for a wedding expo and some ideas for the actual wedding decor!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

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ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

The Balloon Guild (save 20% with code WeLoveSara20)

@paperandfringe

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Last time Ali was on the podcast, she was still operating as a home-based business with very little help in terms of employees. Now, she's rocking her business out of a warehouse with a fleet of vehicles, but unfortunately has experienced some difficulties in hiring the right staff. We'll hear about some of those difficulties she's faced, and also:

• how her vehicles and warehouse have dramatically changed the way they can do business
• how the warehouse shifted the entire mindset about their operation
• what it's meant to her to have balloon friends lend a helping hand when needed
• how her past work experiences have contributed to her success as a balloon artist
• how teaching impacts her business plan
• whether she does any classic decor
• what's in the future for Charming Garlands!

I really appreciated Ali's openness and honesty in this conversation and wish her the best in finding the staff she needs to accomplish her business dreams!

In the UGlu Hotline, I answer a question about using adhesives on outdoor surfaces.

Thank you to PremiumConwin for sponsoring our monthly "throwback" episode!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

PremiumConwin

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

The Balloon Guild (save 20% with code WeLoveSara20)

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Matteo is the Marketing Manager for Gemar USA and when we met at Balloon Boss Summit I learned so much about their long history and how they've created such a global brand. We covered a lot in our conversation, but two big things you won't want to miss are the new colors they have coming out and their very cool software that helps with design and production planning!

You'll also hear about:

• the cute way the company name came to be
• how they brought the business over to North and South America
• the fascinating difference in trends and styles that exist across cultures
• how Gemar contributes to and invests in balloon artist education through classes, conventions and their design software.

It was such a pleasure to have Matteo on to represent a brand that has definitely made a huge mark in the industry!

In the UGlu Hotline this week, I share how I use adhesives only between my balloons and avoid using them on customer surfaces if at all possible. Instead, I use a few common rigging products instead.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

PremiumConwin

2024 Bright Balloon Business Planner

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

Gemar Creator

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@thebrightballoon

The Bright Balloon on YouTube

The rebooking workflow that I'm going to share with you in this episode has made me more money than any advertising, networking or updates to my website. It's one of the most critical updates I've made to my business in the last year and I'm sharing all the details about it!

But first, what is a rebooking workflow and why is it important?

For many years, I used to complete my service, archive the project and then hope that those customers would reach out to me again... leaving the ball entirely in their court. This is a problem for a couple of reasons:

1. they may forget they used my services
2. in the case of corporate clients, contacts may leave their role and the new contact may not even know I exist!

Taking more of an offensive approach to rebooking your jobs means you're less likely to fall through the cracks. And, I'd say it makes you look really professional and protects you against a recession much more than working without a rebooking process ever could. (Plus, we all know that working with repeat customers is much easier than onboarding new customers.)

Now, it's no surprise that my workflow runs through 17hats, but it could likely be implemented in other ways, too. Listen in for the exact steps, exact timing and exact language I use to make this all happen!

I hope you'll take action and implement these steps today so that you can take advantage of the jobs and money waiting for you.

And from the UGlu Hotline, we get a friendly reminder about an easy networking action, and I give my take on the various ways you can bring help into your business.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

PremiumConwin

2024 Bright Balloon Business Planner

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

The Balloon Guild (save 20% with code WeLoveSara20)

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@thebrightballoon

The Bright Balloon on YouTube

For this episode, we're going to go back in time and I'll share how I would have started my balloon business knowing what I know now. After about 8 years in business, I've seen how I've gotten lucky, what I've screwed up and where I overthought. And while I don't think there's any one "right" way to start a business, I do think the order in which I'm going to go through things is probably the easiest.

• plan your business name
• get a free email account
• set up your own photo shoots
• get your Instagram and Facebook profiles set up
• create a form so that people can contact you
• get networking and seek out your customers
• seek out groups and education
• create a website
• register your business and get insurance
• set up your business finances
• set some long-term goals

So there you have it! The basic building blocks for a very solid business foundation if you're starting from scratch or are fairly new. I hope this episode has helped you learn what to focus on, and what things can wait.

And in the UGlu Hotline, we get some ideas for warming up your UGlus so that they can properly stick in the cold!

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

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2024 Bright Balloon Business Planner

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

Ep. 162 - Protecting yourself and your business | Erin from Country Financial

Ep. 90 - One year after two big changes

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@thebrightballoon

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Tabitha and I met randomly at FLOAT years ago when each of us were brand new to the balloon decor industry and both currently working as face painters. It's been so neat to see our businesses grow in their own ways (and in similar ways) since then. In this interview, Tabitha talks about some of that growth, but also the logistics of her legendary sorority install.

First, we talk about how we both relocated our families to give room for our booming balloon businesses, and the inspiration that got us there. Then we move on to talk about her staff and the roles they play. She's set up a super impressive production system that gives each of them clear roles in the process.

When we move on to chat about her sorority builds, you'll hear about the level of planning and surprise that's involved! Tabitha shares with us a big lesson she learned about pricing in the process because sometimes these huge jobs don't just multiply the level of work, they can actually exponentially increase it.

Tabitha rented a storage space specifically for these sorority builds and tells us how that relationship has since benefitted her business, too. Huge kudos to her, her team and those who came in to help for this event! If you're interested in joining the experience this year, stay tuned to their Instagram as the details are worked out.

And in the UGlu Hotline this week, there's a tip for creating free-standing arches when you're otherwise working with a difficult installation surface.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

17hats (get 50% off your 1st year)

Balloon Suite

Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% with code BRIGHT)

UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% at Havin' A Party with code BRIGHT)

Call into the UGlu Hotline to ask a question or leave advice! (262) 221-8514

‬Balloon Boss Mastermind & Summit

PremiumConwin

2024 Bright Balloon Business Planner

ALOFT (save $10 with code BRIGHT)

@animatedartballoon

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Join the book club

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@thebrightballoon

The Bright Balloon on YouTube