Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Helm.
Laura, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m originally from Indiana- raised in the Midwest along with my two older brothers. Growing up, I was always the person gathering people. I loved being behind the scenes- organizing get-togethers, creating an atmosphere or a reason for a party. It came naturally to me- and discovering how people want to be celebrated as a fun puzzle.
I also grew up playing a variety of sports and loved having a team dynamic and developing rhythm within a group. The combinations of those two passions lead me into event planning through an opportunity in college to help my dad. He was an entrepreneur and his company needed someone to come in and help plan a grand opening event. I was very young, had no idea what I was doing, and loved every minute of it. There was so much of the behind the scenes that (seemingly) just came naturally and I thought, “No way. This is not work! It’s way too fun.”
I switched my major to Public Relations with an emphasis in Event Planning and a minor in Business. Throughout college, I tried as many areas of event planning as I could (sports event management, non-profit, weddings, corporate- you name it). I followed my oldest brother to Florida for a summer internship after my junior year- and once I graduated, I decided to pack up my belongings and move to the sunshine state to see if I could find a job. I ended up working in corporate and non-profit event planning as my first career, but it took less than six months for me to start to crave something a bit more creative. My boss at the time was incredibly supportive and encouraged me to start an event planning and design company on the side.
Ashton Events, over the last nine years, has transformed into a full-service planning, design and floral company. The longer time I spent developing the company, the more it exposed my passion for creativity. We work with roughly ten clients a year, designing hyper-personalized events that tell our clients’ stories. Adding a floral design to our services awakened an entirely different part of my brain- and allowed us to expand into a team which is well suited in both talent and personality for our clients’ experience.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh my. Anyone who believes in the possibility of a smooth road hasn’t set foot on the path yet. Obstacles shouldn’t be seen as the exception, rather the expectation.
More than any struggle I’ve faced in starting and running companies- the biggest struggle to me has been the internal transformation that I’ve needed to undergo. Every day I’m faced with something new- something I’ve never encountered. The patience and the grit to tackle that challenge can be exhausting. There have been construction delays. There have been difficult clients. There have been growing pains on our staff. Creating new systems and evaluating processes can be exhausting. I’ve learned that all of those struggles are easiest tackled when I can own up to my own inadequacy and ask for help.
Please tell us about Ashton Events & Haus 820.
It’s interesting for me to answer this question. With the two companies, they sometimes feel like they couldn’t be more opposite. However, when I really think about it- both Ashton Events and Haus 820 are centered around allowing people to celebrate their story- both starting with a blank canvas. That makes my heart sing!
For Ashton Events, I’m most proud of our ability to be intentional with each client. With so few a year, we are able to invest in not only the client- but their family or company as a whole. And translating that knowledge into a unique, well-crafted design is easily my favorite part of my job. We spend a lot of time getting to know our clients and want to be the best advocates on their big day- and I would say our clients are consistently grateful for the way our process allows us to serve them. Oh, and the blooms we get to play with. That’s another highlight. 🙂
For Haus 820, we strive to offer our guests hospitality and ease. We love allowing guests to fully customize their day utilizing any licensed vendor they choose. This freedom means we often get to recommend several of our favorite local vendors and companies to assist them- its a joy to be spurring on our city’s economy and also highlight the immense wealth of talent our city has.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We love that Miami is home to our favorite floral wholesaler: Mayesh Miami! We’re able to get some of the best variety and quality blooms for our clients. We also love that we have an Amtrak that connects our city to Miami- it makes for a fun weekend adventure.
Easily our least favorite part is the traffic, but we’re awfully spoiled living in a small(er) town.
Pricing:
- For Ashton Events, our full service planning and design services begin at $5k.
- For Haus 820, our venue rates differ by the day of the week. Contact us for details!
Contact Info:
- Address: Ashton Events
830 N. Massachusetts Ave.
Suite 210 Lakeland, Florida 33801 - Haus 820
820 N. Massachusetts Ave.
Lakeland, Fl 33801 - Website: ashtonevents.com | haus820.com
- Phone: 863-940-9639
- Email: laura@ashtonevents.com | inquiry@haus820.com
- Instagram: @ashtonevents | @haus820
- Facebook: facebook.com/ashtonevents | facebook.com/haus820
Image Credit:
Jordan Weiland Photography
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