Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Doherty.
Kathy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My background is clothing design. I graduated from the school in Boston, MA. and worked in the design departments of several companies in the Boston area for about 7 years. I started my own clothing business when my children were born and designed from my home.
Through the years, I had always been in charge of events, some small and some big, for the schools that my children attended. I made lots of contacts and learned a lot from my daily experiences. When we relocated to Florida in 1991, I continued in that vein, heading up fundraising committees and planning.
I branched out further into the event planning business working side by side with one of the biggest floral designers in the area. Thus the beginning of “It’s My Party” My design background allowed me the opportunity to run the entire art department there and expand even further.
Eventually, I decided to scale down my commitments and use my creative background for something a little more controllable, I opened my first showroom in 2003 at a prestigious Bridal salon located in Boca Raton. In there I began my business selling invitations/ favors/ gift and accessory items. I have since had showrooms in Deerfield, another in Boca Raton and currently just re-located to Pompano Beach.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a horrible struggle for the most part BUT it has been a slow and steady climb. There is a lot of competition, and now with the internet, you really need to make an impression to keep new clients coming in. We have earned the respect of venues/ planners and past clients and enjoy referrals each day. There is, however, a constant struggle to keep your name out there.
We did go through some dark periods when the bottom fell out on the economy, but have been able to pull it all back together, keep up the standard we are known for, and maintain fabulous reviews from our clients.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about It’s My Party – what should we know?
I am most proud of our customer service. I truly believe we try to work with our clients on a level not offered by everyone. We ask our clients about their “vision” and pull from all areas to put it all together.
We respect their budgets and honestly try to give them the best product we can for the price they want to pay. We have a very good sense of design and are also proud of the pieces that go out of our showroom. It results in many happy clients. We have taught ourselves graphics programs and offer such a wide variety of different styles/ colors/ shapes and themes. Our focus is trying to keep up with current times and designs.
I also am proud of our showrooms. They are designed and set-up to give our clients an overall view of what we do and what we can offer them.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Along the way, I have always had the endless support of my husband and family. I have developed and maintained a high respect and support from the companies that I was lucky enough to be associated with as I was growing and developing.
Most importantly, the last nine years have been a great growth spurt for my business, working alongside a most wonderful assistant, Jania Mcgee. Her desire to learn and grow allowed us to stay ahead of the game. The working relationship was perfect and we constantly were bouncing ideas back and forth. I also have been very lucky to develop trust from Venues and planners that keep coming back.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2179 North Powerline Road suite #2
Pompano Beach, Florida - Website: www.itsmypartybykd.com
- Phone: 561-447-6953
- Email: info@invitationsbyimp.com
- Instagram: itsmypartybykd
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ItsMyPartyByKD
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