Today we’d like to introduce you to Greta McNebb.
Hi Greta, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hello, and thank you so much for having me.
I grew up in a small town in Bulgaria where my father was a self-taught chef and my mother an engineer. I have such fond memories helping my dad in the kitchen, and that is where my love for cooking and entertaining was born. I always dreamt of moving the US and jumped at the chance when I was accepted into a “work and travel” program to the US in Beach Heaven, NJ. I flew in at the age of 20 with $500 and a suitcase, and as they say, “The rest is history.” I moved a lot throughout the East Coast but spent most of my time in NYC building a name for myself in the events industry. I attended Baruch College and landed an internship as an assistant to the owner of a restaurant, event planning and catering company (Sage Events) in NYC. This opportunity led to me being hired full time and eventually became a partner, with the promise to run the entire company one day.
During that time, I spent seven years learning everything about the event planning and catering world from how to sell, plan, and execute an event ranging in size from 20 to 2000 to all the details, operations, and menu planning that takes place prior to every event. Despite how much I loved my career, I was exposed to a lot of stress and uncertainty, leading me to a place of extreme burnout. It was one of the most heart-wrenching decisions, but I decided to leave my career behind to take a year off for some soul searching.
I spent three months in Bali, healing my mind, body and heart. Slowly, I started to rediscover my purpose again, signed up for an Ayurvedic Culinary training and became a certified Ayurvedic Chef. During this time, my passion for the events industry reemerged and I launched Nova Events by Greta McNebb. The name Nova was born from my maiden name GeNova, but I also felt drawn to the meaning behind a SuperNova, which is a brand new bright shining star.
As Nova was building momentum, Covid-19 hit, and the events industry came to a screeching halt. NYC was hit hard, and all of us living there felt the weight of it. My husband and I (including our 10 months old baby) made the decision that it was the perfect time for a change, and Miami checked all our boxes. We have been in Miami for almost a year now and while it has been a challenging one, it has also been full of love, hope, and perseverance. My business grew and evolved in the most unlikely of times, and I continued offering my services in NY while putting down roots here in Miami. Slowly but surely, I made connections, built new friendships, learned about the Miami industry, and now Nova Events by Greta McNebb has taken off and is shooting for the stars.
Who I am today can be summed up as: A fun-loving wife and a momma of the Maximilian Jagger. I believe daydreaming is a form of medicine and find inspiration through anything Boho: décor, lifestyle, wisdom. I consider myself a spiritual gangster and show up every day as authentically “me” as I can be. I am an Ayurvedic chef and a passionate foodie. I love nothing more than a good Negroni and to dance around my home office at the end of a long day. Palm trees are my spirit plant, but Proteas and Pampas make my soul sing. And of course, I believe in happy endings and LIVE for a good love story.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I wish I could say it was a smooth road, but if I am honest, it just wasn’t. Being a partner or an owner of your own business comes with a lot of uncertainty. Uncertainty of when your next lead or booking will come. Uncertainty around finding the right people to be part of your team and share your vision. Uncertainty with what next steps to take and how to best execute to make your dreams a reality. To lead by example has been my main objective during my years in the industry. I believe in treating people with kindness and respect and make it a priority to show up for my business and myself. Even still, sometimes you are faced with decisions that are hard to make, but the ability to keep going and persevere is the most important lesson I have learned.
Challenges will come but how we respond to them is what matters most. I love working with people who are solution-oriented brainstormers and am proud to say that I am building a team that shares those values. A struggle I often battle is the ability to find balance between being authentic and staying relevant in the industry at the same time. New trends or platforms are always emerging and the pressure to “keep up” can be daunting. Many times, I have actively chosen to not follow the newest hype but instead stay true to who I am, and as they say, just “do you.” While it can be scary to forge my own path, I find the strongest connections and desired results happen when my company is a true reflection of me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The name of my company is Nova Events by Greta McNebb and I am the Founder and Creative Director. It was founded in 2018 in NYC where we still operate and produce beautiful celebrations. Nova Events by Greta McNebb is a full-service boutique wedding + event planning company. We create, plan and execute unique events (weddings, birthday celebrations, engagement parties, corporate galas, private family celebrations to name a few) that are a true reflection of our clients, their dreams, and their values.
We are thrilled to work with authentic, fun loving couples and individuals looking for someone to guide them through the entire process of event planning and design. Our clients aspire to host an event that echoes who they are, while allowing them to genuinely enjoy the celebration in the moment. And that is exactly what we strive to provide.
Our signature process and overall goal is to produce an authentic event that is personable, designed and curated with intention and detail. We believe in providing high-quality customer service that is based on more than 17 years of experience. Our clients rest assured knowing that our extensive expertise and our collaborative planning process will guide them to their dream result.
Our wedding and events specialty style is everything rustic, boho chic and industrial with a modern and elegant twist. We believe that it takes the beautiful combination of authenticity, inclusivity, and sustainability to achieve our clients desired results, and we weave those values into the fabric of everything we do.
Our services include Design and Full-service Planning, Partial Planning/Event Management, as well as Month of Coordination. We’ve recently expanded and now offer Destination Wedding Planning, as well as hourly Consulting for those clients who need guidance to the process but are not ready to fully commit.
I am most proud of my brand as it represents who I am as a person, what I value, and the celebration of authentic, beautiful love. After the humbling year that was 2020, we are especially grateful we get to do what we love. It is time for people to gather and connect again, and we are more than ready for it!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My business coach Megan Parsons (Megan Parson Projects) will love seeing my answer here. I am a big fan of having a mentor and asking for help when you need it. As someone who tried to do it all, I can say that as only one person, it just isn’t possible to do it all and do it well. We all have our own magic and abilities that we need to share with the world, but when we try to do it all, we dilute our focus and don’t spend our time developing our own unique skills.
So, if you are struggling to figure out what is next for your business or personal growth, find someone who specializes in it and allow them to help you. I am where I am today because I asked for help and guidance when I needed it. For me, in the event planning industry, networking is huge. I used to be very scared of it, but again (with the help of my mentor, Megan), I can now say I am flourishing networker. I have made some strong connections with like-minded individuals, and we offer support and collaboration when needed. So yes, I am a huge believer in the power of both mentorship and networking.
Contact Info:
- Email: greta@novaeventsinc.com
- Website: www.novaeventsinc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novaeventsinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novaeventsbygretamcnebb
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/novaeventsinc
Image Credits
CLY by Matthew Nolan Conway Chellise Michael Photography Qué Bonita Photography Maggie Margueritte Unique Lapin Photography Maggie Marguerite Blue Spark Photography
