Alyssa Gallion, the Founder & CEO of Celebrate For Good, started her business after her mother passed away from Breast Cancer. At that moment, she realized that the most important thing in life wasn’t about collecting “stuff” but about collecting the moments you share with those you love. That is why experiences are so important to her and why she and her team strive to make a world where people give experiences instead of material possessions. Founded in 2016, Celebrate For Good has hosted over 45 events that both engage employees and give back to local causes.
In this episode, Alyssa and I talk about everything from how she’s leveraging technology to take her business to the next level, why in a DIY culture we still need professionals and the roller coaster of emotions that is leaving your corporate job to go full time in your own business.
I was so drawn Alyssa’s passion for helping others, her impeccable taste as well as her sense of humor when it comes to the daunting task of starting your own business in your 20’s. I was lucky enough to meet and hang out with Alyssa as well as work with her a bit and if you’re around her for just a little bit you will be able to tell that she is really doing something revolutionary and unique.
Alyssa’s down to earth honesty is so refreshing and relatable so I know y’ all are going to really enjoy listening to her story and learning from her experiences.
Provide A Solution To An Existing Problem:
One of the things that Alyssa said the really stuck out to me was that you should ask your customers what their problems are. From their build a solution to that problem instead of just building a business to see who comes. This is so important and can be a huge factor in how successful you are as a business owner. People who really look at the problems everyday people have and then provide a solution are the ones that end up resonating with customers.
Think about Steve Jobs. He created a solution (or multiple solutions) for people who wanted to communicate easier, faster and better. Think about Facebook. It was a solution to the problem of staying connected online. Whether you’re tackling a problem that affects millions of people or one that only affects a small niche. If you provide a solution to that problem act will make people’s lives easier, then you’re on the right path.
Help Your Clients Understand Why They Want A Professional:
I mentioned in the episode that there are tons of business these days that offer services that people tend to think they can do themselves. With the internet and Youtube University, more and more people are tackling jobs that used to be strictly handled by professionals.
So, how do you compete with that DIY mentality? Alyssa shared that when it comes to event planning, three thing always happen: something will go wrong ( make sure to tune in for her hilarious bride vs. llama story), the event turns out to be underwhelming or someone gets assigned the job of planning an event and they have no choice or feel like they have no choice) other than to say yes. When it comes to corporate, that’s usually marginalized groups like women who get assigned the task of party planning. (See Alyssa’s recommended listening on emotional labor below).
Emotional Labor Is Labor! | Stuff Mom Never Told You
IT’s OK To Drop The Facade:
Anybody feel like throwing your computer across the room when you see those Facebook ads or emails that read “I just had my first six-figure day and you can too!” Yea me too. I mean sure earning six figures in a day is the dream but when you’re in the thick of a down slump, those messages can make you feel like shit.
Look, we all want people to think we’re successful. Especially when you’ve taken a leap to do something different and the whole entire venture is riding on you. But at some point, we have to be honest with ourselves and with others. Alyssa shared that when the slow season hit she really started freaking out. She had $20 in her bank account and she was feeling like a failure. She by no means felt like her business had failed but that facade of being a “successful entrepreneur” was weighing heavy on her.
So she decided to just say screw it and asked for help. To her surprise, no one threw tomatoes, no one laughed and no one assumed that her business was a failure. Actually, they just wanted to check in to make sure she was ok AND they let her know that they were referring her to their friends and family. If she hadn’t reached out to say “HEY! I need some business over here!” then no one would have thought she needed the referral. So moral of the story…
1. Forget the shiny, perfect facade that you feel like you have to put up when you start your own business. It’s not worth the sleep you’ll lose at night and it’s way to F*cking hard to keep up anyway.
2. Ask for help when you need it.
3. There’s no shame in picking up another side hustle when things are tight. Drive Uber. Walk dogs. Babysit. Do whatever you need to do to keep your sanity and the lights on. Things will pick up again; you just have to keep at it long enough to get there.
Resource List:
How I Built This with Guy Raz : NPR
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