The Trunk Show with RW Elephant: Recent Episodes
Allison Howell
Join RW Elephant co-founder Allison Howell as she connects with leaders in the event rental industry about their rental adventures.
Christie Zangrilli is the Co-Founder and CEO of Party at the Moontower, an Austin based boutique event rental company specializing in modern-eclectic furniture and custom build backdrops and decor. Christie holds a BA in Communication Design from New York University and a MFA in Design from The University of Texas.
What’s in this episode:
- Studying design, and moving to Austin
- The seed idea, fundraising, and launching with 3 partners
- The five factors in setting your brand apart from the pack
- Discovering your core values with frameworks for operational guidance
- Navigating relationships and buying out partners
- Managing growth from the post COVID boom and customizable builds
- The importance of Lend & Gather Conference in the business’s growth
Quotations:
“Another thread that I see through the people who have that sticktoitiveness, that longevity, are really just people who can see the bigger picture. They see, oh, I'm not just dropping off stuff at a wedding or not just renting tables and chairs. You recognize hey I'm creating culture here. This is the stuff of celebrations. This is what makes up these milestones and memories for people. ” – Allison Howell
“And so I think what I learned from you, Allison, which you've always said is like more inventory doesn't mean more money. And so we've really taken that to heart and that we don't just buy things that we think are cool. There are exceptions. I would like to say we're more intentional and focused and super planned out on what our collections are, but they are largely driven by what the market is asking for and what also feels on brand to us.” – Christie Zangrilli
“Tomorrow, this big box company could literally go buy every single thing that you have. So inventory is never going to be your unique differentiator and so I was like, oh man, like that's super scary but made us realize how important all of the brand pieces were and how that goes into operations. So again, what are the things that you are winning?” – Christie Zangrilli
“We are going to reevaluate once a year, it is planned. Let's stick it on the calendar. We will hire somebody to do it. It becomes less uncomfortable because it was pre planned versus a reaction to something happening that seems more confrontational.” – Christie Zangrilli
“You're liable for them as the business owner. I personally am liable for their well being. And I'm also personally liable for keeping them paid. I was at the point where I was like, if I'm going to shoulder all the additional stress of having all these employees and also the business was growing and doing really well, I want to be responsible for all of its successes.” – Christie Zangrilli
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Christie Zangrilli of Party at the Moontower
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest| TikTok
Holly and Charlie are owner/operators of Locate to Create. Their mission is to “Locate” items to “Create” bespoke events and experiences. They use props, furniture and styling to tell people’s stories with an underlying theme of sustainability. Their diverse portfolio features an eclectic array of items and furniture pieces curated to cater to various personalities and styles.
Partners Holly and Charlie couldn’t be more different but that’s what makes them work so well. Charlie loves logistics and operational efficiency while Holly is the creative mind and driving force that clients can’t get enough of. Their combined strengths and work ethic earned them the national award for Venue Stylist of the Year in 2024. They operate just outside of London, England.
What’s in this episode:
- How Holly got started right out of Uni with the help of mentors
- Charlie joins the business and roles are defined
- Using Instagram and styled shoots to increase social media reach
- Winning Venue Stylist of the Year Award and leveraging it for growth
- Sourcing inspiration and finding creative options for storage
- Can you believe this is our job?
Quotations:
“How can we take that and display it creatively? Or come up with a prop that is useful for that, but also looks great. It creates a photo opportunity and then all the guests are taking pictures. That is what couples love. Practical and pretty I always say, and that's why we really try and focus on that as a company.” – Holly
“One of the benefits and beauties of working with your partner, business partner, romantic partner. She's at one end of the desk. I'm at the other one. It's not a particularly difficult task for me to say, “Oh, Holly, I think she might want styling.” – Charlie
“We know now that actually seeing couples on our Instagram page, for example, real couples is fantastic, but actually styled shoot couples like models doesn't work as well. People just want to really see our products. So we don't post that much of our couples as much as we love them. But it's the products that we're trying to sell and the service.” – Holly
“Sometimes when we get an award or we achieve something in our business, we say, okay, check that off onto the next thing. But it can be so valuable for us to say, okay, I got this thing, or I achieved this thing or I have this thing in front of me, how can I squeeze more out of it so that I can get all of the benefit or value out of this thing that I already have before I move on to the next marketing opportunity or before I move on to the next thing or before I invest in the next phase, right?”
– Allison Howell
“We never want to be the sort of company where we're doing thousands of events every year. So it's very important to us to identify very strategic venues to try and penetrate into a high proportion of their yearly total events. And as you say, having that leverage to get in there and actually capture those for us, that's a far more valuable way of doing business and expanding business.” – Charlie
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guests:
Holly and Charlie of Locate to Create
Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest| TikTok
Holly and Amanda are the Greenhouse Picker Sisters. They’re fifth generation pickers with a love for all things vintage and unique. Greenhouse Lane is their family’s street name and hosts some of their dearest memories; ones of love and southern tradition. When they’re not on the hunt for their next amazing piece, you can find them spending time with their husbands and children.
What’s in this episode:
- Why and how the sisters were lead to the industry
- Growing the business, running the family and enriching the community
- The separation of roles and resolving conflicts between founders
- Curating and pricing an eclectic, customer driven collection
- The rule of 3 wow factors guaranteed to make clients happy
- Carving out their market and maximizing margins
Quotations:
“We would get money, we would pour it back in. We would get money, we would pour it back in. We were very passionate about not going into some crazy debt for this business where we couldn't walk away. So we would load, we would unload the trucks. We were everything. We were marketing. We were labor. We did that for years. We got your software, which was amazing.” – Holly Barton
“...this is just a little plug for Lend & Gather. We have to go to that this year because we have gotten as far as we have by the grace of God, by hard work, sweat, blood, tears, and a great industry. Our industry is awesome, but we still have so much to learn on the business side.” – Amanda Cox
“There's always more to learn. There are always ways that you can improve. There's always lessons that you can learn and things that you can do differently next time. Because that’s what entrepreneurship is about, right? Recognizing and celebrating our successes and then saying, ‘Okay, what's next?.’” – Allison Howell
“When I had a baby three years ago and obviously that pulled me a little bit away from the business. She stepped up. She's had personal things where I've had to step up and that did create conflict. But I think we have worked through it and ultimately when we started this business, we knew and it still stands true. If she's ever out of it, I'm done. If I'm ever out of it, she's done. If it's coming between us, then we're done. ” – Amanda Cox
“The term in our marriage is fight fair. And my husband is my business partner. So similarly to you being sisters and business partners, the relationship is super complicated because you develop a dynamic and then there's a pattern that happens, right? And whether the pattern’s in your kitchen or the pattern's in your office, that happens whether you're intending for it to or not, because that's what you practiced and it's the roles you've gotten into.” – Allison Howell
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Holly Barton and Amanda Cox of Greenhouse Picker Sisters
Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Over the last 18 years, Mandy Majerik has turned her mom and pop flower shop into a key player for floral production in the southeast. She also founded and operates PropHouse which offers boutique prop rental to her clientele. Mandy has both her AIFD and PFCI certifications. She has a custom build shop, a custom paint shop and is opening a custom print shop. She’s got the heart, the hustle, the history and the headspace to successfully operate her growing businesses of 30 employees.
What’s in this episode:
- What Mandy does after taking over her family’s flower shop
- Breaking into the rental market with PropHouse
- How she manages multiple businesses and dozens of employees
- The logic behind her collection and approach to purchasing
- The importance of safety nets and icebreakers when hiring
- Milestones and giving back!
Quotations:
“I think when I made the decision that I would raise the minimum for floral and really push towards the props. I wanted to be a leader in that market in our area. Being able to do the whole event design and incorporate or push new ideas on people. That was the avenue that I saw as an opportunity because I was really doing it anyway.” – Mandy Majerik
“I was very driven to make it something that was distinct and different. And I think I've just been riding the wave going in that direction.” – Mandy Majerik
“There's some things that I buy just because I personally think this will do well in the market. Or someone doesn't have it to offer where we are. And so that gives us a leg up sometimes of something different that we have that can be that little pivot point tipping the scale to rent from us versus someone else.” – Mandy Majerik
“I think you have to be organized and have a plan. I think you have to be a person who sets goals. Because if you don't set them, you're not going to be able to reach them. ” – Mandy Majerik
“Bringing me joy is being able to give back to the people who I think dedicate themselves so much to the business, the crazy business that we're in. ” – Mandy Majerik
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Mandy Majerik of HotHouse Design Studio + PropHouse Rentals and Styling
HotHouse | Facebook | Instagram
PropHouse | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Ann started Borrow out of her garage in 2012 with the belief that people need local art and design in their lives. Borrow provides modern, made + antique furniture for the events and homes of the community she lives in. She has a BA in Creative Writing and a childhood history in theatre. When she's not at Borrow, you'll find her at home with the people she loves.
What’s in this episode:
- How Ann started borrow with only $7,000
- A tragic event that destroyed nearly everything
- An efficient and effective system for furniture repair
- Her method for keeping herself and her team accountable
- Learning how to “chill” as a boss and fostering culture
- Being a role model, reaching milestones, and more!
Quotations:
“You're not starting over. You're gonna go in and rebuild as an absolute expert. When you first started this business, you were not an expert. You didn't know what the hell you were doing. ” – Ann King
“We always have kept good records. So I was literally able to just press that button on RW Elephant and spit out exactly how much stuff we had.” – Ann King
“I'm way less attached to the collection. It's stuff. And probably the biggest takeaway is, you think it's about the furniture. It is not about the furniture. Not at all. It is about the people. It is about the people that you work for, that you work with. It's about your community.” – Ann King
“When you call OSHA in and you say, I want to do this the right way, can you show me how to do it? They love you for that. They understand that you're just trying to do things the right way. So it's not scary at all. It's very, very informative and helpful.” – Ann King
“One thing we did invest in, and actually it was a company that we found at Lend & Gather. We hired Upright Labs to come in and give us a 150 page deck of how to reset the warehouse for primal efficiency. So that was massive and a big investment, but totally worth it.” – Ann King
“I didn't realize that like management was about empowering and supporting. It's not about telling and teaching.” – Ann King
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Ann King of Borrow Curated Furniture + Design
Borrow | Instagram | Facebook
Brazil native Pablo Oliveira founded Nüage Designs in 2004. Based in Miami, the company has become a leader in couture linen and furniture rentals for events, renowned for its quality and service. Oliveira's innovative, hands-on approach and commitment to sustainability and community drive Nüage's success and reputation globally.
What’s in this episode:
- How Pablo got started in the industry
- Discovering a niche and growing organically
- Expanding the sales team to different locations
- Finding the right talent and empowering them
- The freedom in learning to let go
Quotes:
“I just took it day by day and just grabbed every opportunity that was presented to me and met every single designer that referred me to another one. It was just like one thing leading to the other. And before I knew it we weren't just doing business here in Miami, we started shipping.” – Pablo Oliveira
“I think that referrals have been the best way for us to find the right talent, especially because I think that someone that is already working with us, they want to have the best people joining the company.” – Pablo Oliveira
“I think the magic really happens when other people believe in your passion and become as passionate as you are for the business and they take ownership in everything that they do and every day that they come to work.” – Pablo Oliveira
“You have to start and risk failing and then after you've worked so hard, you have to let go in order for it to grow. I don't know, which is harder, but that part takes a lot of courage too.” – Allison Howell
“When I realized the potential that I had with placing salespeople across the country, that obviously allowed us to grow exponentially compared to just doing business locally.” – Pablo Oliveira
“I am freaking essential. Or we are freaking essential because, what is life if we don't make memories, right?” – Pablo Oliveira
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Pablo Oliviera of Nüage Designs
Nüage Designs | Instagram | Pinterest
Alice Sip joined the event rentals industry in North America. Then she took her expertise back to her homeland of New Zealand to build Flock Events. Today, it’s one of the top rental, styling, and event planning businesses in that country.
What’s in this episode:
- How Alice discovered a gap in the market... and filled it effectively
- What it’s like to manage multiple locations under one business
- How Flock Events schedules and pays staff in a mutually beneficial way (and avoids seasonal hires)
- How Alice is building a brick-and-mortar shop which ties into her larger business
Quotes:
“I guess whenever there's a gap in the market, you say “Is the gap there because there's no demand? Or is the gap there because the demand's not filled?’” - Alice Sip
“I’ve learnt to be very very specific about every single detail [...] I think the more specific you can be, the better.” - Alice Sip
“I always look at demand before I just buy. I would never look at a piece of furniture and say ‘Oh, that’s nice. We’ll add that to the collection.’ We’ll always say, ‘Well who have we got that that’s going out for?’” - Alice Sip
“I also don't believe in money over relationship in terms of what we take on in our business.” - Alice Sip
“I’ve realized the importance of delegating and realized the importance of my time and that paying someone an hourly wage to do something actually is worth it because it frees up me.“ - Alice Sip
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Alice Sip of Flock Events & Kindred Road
Flock Events Website | Instagram
Kindred Road Website | Instagram
Before starting her event rental business, Sherine Iskandar was a marketing professional. Now, with years of experience and a personal rebrand under her belt, she’s the perfect pro to talk to about the nuts and bolts of branding and marketing an event rental business.
What’s in this episode:
- Building a new brand in a new market
- How Sherine plans her purchases around pieces that fit and further her brand
- The strategy behind rebranding Modern Vintage Rentals as Lily & Cane
- Lessons learned commissioning custom pieces
- The endless battle for work-life balance
Quotes:
“A brand embodies so much more than just the look and feel. The client experience is a huge thing.” - Sherine Iskander
“Some people give up after attending once or twice at one of these networking groups and then they say, ‘ph, that doesn’t work for me.’ But what I’ve found is that you really have to stick with it for six to nine months before anybody with any kind of great reputation will give you a chance because if they recommend you, then their reputation is on the line.” - Allison Howell
“This was important for me to explain to myself or to keep repeating to myself: ‘I can’t be all things to all people.’” -Sherine Iskandar
“I decided I’m not going to wait for perfection to start promoting a product.” -Sherine Iskandar
“My name was doing a disservice to the brand, and I had to change it.” - Sherine Iskandar
“It was a big goal when I quit the corporate world. My goal was to be a healthier person – mind and body. And I am a healthier person now because I’ve allowed myself the balance of work and life.” - Sherine Iskandar
Resources:
SITU Creative Agency
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Sherine Iskandar of Lily & Cane
Website | Instagram
CeCe Champion is the founder of Little Celebrations, a specialty rentals business in Boston that focuses on the kiddos. Hear how she found her unique passion and place in the industry. Plus, we discuss all things miniature and adorable from tables to sofas to chiavari chairs!
What’s in this episode:
- How mentorship helped grow Little Celebrations
- CeCe’s business strategy for surviving the pandemic
- How embracing the power and freedom of delegation has helped CeCe grow
- Behind the scenes of one of Boston’s biggest collections of little furniture
Quotes:
“When kids go to events, they're sitting at these adult tables. It’s not as fun for them or parents are telling them to stop touching the silverware… So why not create a space... for them?” - CeCe Champion
“It seems like that kind of thirst for knowledge also goes hand-in-hand with some humility– the ability to acknowledge that you don’t know everything yet but also coupled with the confidence to say, ‘I can do this.’” -Allison Howell
“And, you know, starting this business has allowed me to really build a backbone to like say no, creating boundaries, respecting, or protecting my own peace.” - CeCe Champion
“I learned early on that delegation is key. I am not the control freak. [...] For me initially, it was very important for me to invest in a bookkeeper and make sure I had all my numbers together so I could understand the growth of my business.” - CeCe Champion
“When I look around at the industry, the people who are continuing to do [their own] deliveries, and especially late night pick-ups, are the ones that burn out the fastest.” - Allison Howell
“The opportunity for scale in a business like yours is really different than a business that really requires the main principal to be the one doing the hands-on work on the day of the event.” - Allison Howell
Resources:
How Successful People Lead by John Maxwell
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
CeCe Champion of Little Celebrations
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Purchasing an existing business and making it your own comes with its own set of challenges. Jacqueline Johannesson is here to walk us through the process. After buying Collected & Co. from a close friend, she and her husband have taken the business to new heights...and learned plenty along the way!
What’s in this episode:
- A look at buying a business from a friend
- How Jacqueline and her husband made Collected & Co. their own
- How to build on someone else’s collection
- Growing your core services, like, adding event planning to the mix
- How to handle client disappointment, both before and after it happens
Quotes:
“What can we do to really stay ahead of the market and just push Minneapolis to be something that you just don't see all the time?” - Jacqueline Johannesson
“Would that be easy? Yes. But we’re never about the easy.” - Jacqueline Johannesson
“It sounds like you don't want to just fulfill the vision; you want to cast the vision.“ - Allison Howell
“So for our lounge furniture, we try to, on the third time it's going out, it's got to make some sort of return, whether it's three dollars, it has to bring something in. We know that there are some pieces, like our dining chairs, that's going to take more rentals to bring that back in. We want our pieces to, you know, hopefully last a couple to three seasons before we have to retire something out.” -Jacqueline Johannesson
“We've worked really hard to build great relationships with the other vendor partners in the city to be trusted, to say, ‘they're the people who are willing to take a little bit of a risk sometimes.’” -Jacqueline Johannesson
“We learn something new every single day, every single event. There's always something that we are learning, whether it's from a client, an experience, an event professional who knows more than us because we are not naive to say we don't know half of it. Like, we're always learning and growing, which is what you need to do in order to continue to grow and have a successful business.” Jacqueline Johannesson
“When you start out, you're thinking of all the beautiful things you're going to create, and that's sort of the primary stuff of your vision and your dreams. But, a big chunk of what you do is actually move furniture around.” -Allison Howell
“There's always room for growth. There's always room for growth in your business. There's room for growth personally, always. Like we always need to strive to be better the next day. We can always wake up and do better.” -Jacqueline Johannesson
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Jacqueline Johannesson of Collected & Co.
Website | Instagram
A live podcast recording from the 2020 Lend & Gather conference with Allison Howell and Meathead Movers founder, Aaron Steed. Aaron is passionate about building a company which benefits his employees just as much as his customers and has lots of great insights into staffing, delivery planning, and living up to the purpose behind your business.
What’s in this episode:
- Keeping purpose at the core of your business
- Literally keeping the companies core values in your back pocket
- How to price your delivery process
- Tips for partnering with moving companies
- How to (really) load and unload a truck
Quotes:
It’s hard to create value for your employees in order to keep them enthusiastic and wanting to continue to work doing entry level work.” - Aaron Steed
“There's a lot of meaning as to why we do what we do. And I feel like we've been able to harness that grit and get through the hard times.” - Aaron Steed
“I believe the owner’s job is to create clarity, strategy, and accountability for the team.” - Aaron Steed
“Number one, I do not care what my competitors charge. At all.” - Aaron Steed
“Most businesses get clear on their values and their mission statement but that’s really for the executives and the business owners to guide their decisions and whatnot. But our employees, what they have is their service pillars. And their service pillars are what they live and breathe and what they get judged on.” - Aaron Steed
“[Entrepreneurship] forces you to take a good, hard look at yourself. You know, I've been I've been arrogant. I've been humbled. I've been on top of the world. I've been crying to bankers. You know, you're signing up to bet on yourself.” - Aaron Steed
Resources:
Aaron Steed’s perspective on employee turnover: Should your company encourage employees to quit?
Inc.com features Meathead Mover’s Encouraged Employee Turnover
The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Aaron Steed of Meathead Movers and Mini Storage
Website | Instagram
Nearly a decade after Corrin Arasa started NYC’s Patina Rentals, we hear how she built a business that has not only lasted but flourished. Enjoy an inside look into one of the country’s most talked-about event rental businesses.
What’s in this episode:
- How to build a work culture that empowers your staff long-term
- Patina’s famous roller skating parties, and how those started
- The rent-ready guidelines Patina uses for their vintage furniture
- Pricing your work in a way that builds self-respect and client acclaim
- Selecting and organizing a warehouse in the Big Apple
- Getting creative with business marketing
Quotes:
“I had this house filled with cool vintage things, and I said - ‘Oh, I can rent! I can use those chairs!’” - Corrin Arasa
“Everything that we have today is built up on those relationships we made early on.” - Corrin Arasa
“What I realized was that those were going to be the early adopters… corporate. Although there are so many interesting things that you can do experientially and activation-wise, the wedding market was ready to adopt what we were doing and was really excited about it.” - Corrin Arasa
“It is a very lonely thing being an entrepreneur sometimes, and so it’s nice to have a community of people to bounce your ideas around with.” - Corrin Arasa
“I built a business plan and a business model and a mantra and values... and everything that was really based on scaling and having work-life balance and bringing other people in.” - Corrin Arasa
“While we eventually got to where I wanted to be, and we’re still going, there were so many starts and stops along the way.” - Corrin Arasa
“It was really intentional letting go to grow and realizing my skill set and my time is going to be far, far better spent on mentoring other people and working on the business rather than doing it myself. Because they’re going to come with new ideas. They might not have done it exactly the same way that I do it-- they might do it better. They might come up with a new way to do it. And there are so many smart and talented people out there who can bring so much to the table. Maybe if it doesn’t go off exactly well, we’ll lose a client but it’s not about that. It’s really about building bigger so that we can all be better and learn and experience these things and improve the company overall.” -Corrin Arasa
“I was pricing for me and now we’re pricing to help the client understand their budgets a little better.” -Corrin Arasa
“They needed content, and we needed content. And so we kind of gave them a cocktail and blasted the music, and sent them around the warehouse, and then told them to come back and create this design in an hour.” - Corrin Arasa
Resources:
The E Myth by Michael E. Gerber
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Corrin Arasa of Patina Rentals
Website | Instagram
Welcome back to the Trunk Show, hosted by Allison Howell and brought to you by RW Elephant. We’re kicking off our second season with Matiana Gregory of Dang! Fine Rentals & Designs, talking about building and maintaining a creative life (in Phoenix, AZ!).
What’s in this episode:
- How Dang! Fine Rentals & Designs leveraged its expertise with custom bars to get “on the map”
- Behind the scenes of the Phoenix business climate, where “the busy season” runs all year long
- The fun and nitty-gritty of designing big budget events
- Pricing your work so you and your clients take your business seriously
- Work-life balance as a mother, business owner, and creative force
Quotes:
“I just thought, let's bring a little bit of LA to the desert.” - Matiana Gregory
“It’s always better to be on the same page especially when it comes to budget. Price is a tough topic.” - Allison Howell
“From day one, even when I started this business in my garage, I wasn’t the cheapest provider. I was always at a good price point because I knew I wanted it to grow.” - Matiana Gregory
“If I'm giving you a discount, you're going to have an entire contract of what you owe me.” - Matiana Gregory
“I think whether you start your business first or you have a family first, that juggling act is real.” - Allison Howell
“I was alone for so long building this dream, and so now that I look around and I’m just surrounded by people... it’s just like the best. This is better than anything it could have been because now I like literally am people’s job. And that’s pretty special to be able to have been able to have created something that makes enough money to invest in people.” - Matiana Gregory
Resources:
The Lend & Gather Conference
The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!
Thank you to our sponsor:
RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!
Website | Instagram
And our guest:
Matiana Gregory of Dang! Fine Rentals & Designs
Website | Instagram
Matiana’s Personal Instagram
Martha Sanabanda dives into how she started her business, Martha My Dear Rentals, as a hobby before realizing it was everything she wanted in a full-time job. You’ll hear how she dealt with internal and external skepticism about becoming an entrepreneur and how she’s found her place in the industry along the way.
What’s in this episode:
- Martha’s path from social work to event rentals.
- Turning a hobby into a business.
- Protecting your business dream from the skepticism of others.
- Having family members as co-workers.
- How to make space for creative work.
- Policies and processes which have fueled business growth.
Quotes:
“Well, I actually find that most of the clients that come to us, they appreciate that our farm tables are made with real wood. [...] It just has so much character to it. And so our target bride loves that.” —Martha Sanabanda
“Well, and it also gives you a point of view, right. This is not just any old table. It's a table created here from the point of view of this place. It's unique in that way, too. I think it's really a beautiful way to add to your collection to be hyper local.” —Allison Howell
“We don't have a business background. We've never done this before...It was an idea I just couldn't stop thinking about.” —Martha Sanabanda
“Whenever I felt like I wanted to give up, I just told myself: ‘This is the course.This is how it is when you start a business.’” —Martha Sanabanda
“So in the beginning, it was really tough for me to not be at every delivery and every pick up. And even though physically I couldn't because I was pregnant, I think I realized that he can handle that. And it allowed me time to kind of dream a little bit about our business. And it gave me energy to do that.” —Martha Sanabanda
“We used to deliver two chairs all over town for an event. We definitely put in place some rental minimums. And that was a bit scary at first. We thought we would lose business. But if anything, I think it's helped us gain more business.” —Martha Sanabanda
For full show notes and resources, head to https://rwelephant.com/podcast/episode-6-martha-my-dear-rentals
Anna Crelia and Rhoda Brimberry share their story of establishing Loot Rentals, with two locations, in Austin and Fort Worth, Texas. After sourcing specialty pieces for Anna’s own wedding, the pair found themselves with a collection of rental inventory on their hands. You’ll hear these women look back on those early years and explain how they develop their influential rental collections now.
What’s in this episode:
- How one of the founder’s own engagement started everything
- Gathering a vision for the Loot collection
- Working with family members
- The importance of the Austin community in Loot’s success
- Investing in artisan and local makers.
- Honing fresh styles and sharing them in regular company lookbooks
- Screening future team members and cultivating a company culture
- Managing a business with multiple locations
Quotes:
“You’ve always heard ‘Don’t go into business with your family or friends.’ I think we knew that was a risk but we were willing to take it.” - Rhoda Brimberry
“I joke sometimes how it’s like a hoarding problem that has turned into a successful business.” - Rhoda Brimberry
“Austin is full of a lot of early adopters...they’ll try something unusual and aren’t fearful about what that is.” - Rhoda Brimberry
“What is lacking in the market? What do you need? What are you not seeing?...That feedback is going to guide my purchasing decisions.” - Anna Crelia
For full show notes and resources, head to https://rwelephant.com/podcast/episode-5-loot-rentals
Annette Stepanian is a lawyer and the founder of Your Legal BFF. She helps creative entrepreneurs get the legal back-end of their businesses in order while making the process as fun and simple as possible. For example, did you know that every business is like a burrito? You’ll get to hear more about her burrito analogy plus common legal conflicts that arise in the wedding and events industry.
What’s in this episode:
Leaving a career as a lawyer to start a jewelry business
The “burrito” checklist for taking care of “the legal stuff” in a business
Your Legal BFF offers legal templates and resources for small business owners and entrepreneurs
Common legal issues in the wedding and events industry
The problems with using any old legal contract template from the internet
How to communicate expectations and contractual terms with clients
How to part ways with a client when it’s not working out
Quotes:
“I felt like I could speak creative but I could also speak legal and so I thought it was a really nice way to marry the two skillsets.” - Annette Stepanian
“Contracts are evolving documents. It’s not a set-it-and-forget-it type of thing. You know, you don't just do it once and then never touch it again for the next like 10 years. I do recommend that people revisit them at least once a year to make sure that it reflects their current policies and procedures.” - Annette Stepanian
“I think you need to walk into every client relationship assuming that nobody is going to read your contract because most people aren't going to, unfortunately.” --Annette Stepanian
“If you’re relying solely on your contract to communicate your policies, your procedures… It is a vehicle to communicate them but it shouldn’t be your sole vehicle.” - Annette Stepanian
“We’re all wronged in a lot of different ways. But sometimes you just have to look the other way because the cost of proving yourself right is taking your energy away from things that are more constructive.” - Annette Stepanian
For full show notes and resources, head to https://rwelephant.com/podcast/episode-4-annette-stepanian
Maggie Farrell tells the story of starting Maggpie Rentals near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Among other things, Maggpie is known for offering beautiful custom furniture pieces made in-house. You’ll hear how Maggie managed to develop a winning business model and keep her young enterprise alive while fighting for her own life.
What’s in this episode:
The situation that led Maggpie to custom-build a portion of their rental inventory.
The factors that define Maggpie’s aesthetic and collection now.
How Maggie and her young business survived a shocking cancer diagnosis and years-long treatment program
Getting married while working in the wedding events rentals industry
Advice for business owners on carving time out for yourself
Running your business rather than your business running you
Quotes:
“I did really love to always be at the warehouse with my parents, but I loved the team that he had. And that was always super appealing to me to have this group of people that worked so well together and admired you so much. But they were just such a team. It was never like you work for me. It was like we work together. And, you know, I just loved the environment.” —Maggie Farrell
“When you get money in your hands, you know, you don’t want to give it back. So, I said to Jason ‘We have to figure out how to make these tables.’” —Maggie Farrell
You get to be involved in creating the environment for the event and for this special celebration that then becomes incorporated in the environment of their lives.” —Allison Howell
“I think we used to buy because we knew what people were going to rent. But now, over time, we're able to set it ourselves and it's like, ‘oh, well, Maggpie has that so that's what we should get because they have that.’ So that was always a goal where I want to buy what I like. I want to be proud of my collection.” —Maggie Farrell
“The day after my 26th birthday I had my first day of chemotherapy.” —Maggie Farrell
“I started to really allow myself to just take time and think about what was going on. Just trying to dig a little deeper. And I think I started to feel, I don't know, I just started to get these feelings of like when I was sick, I wish I gave myself more attention and I paid more attention to like my body and my mind but [...] I was just so focused on the business and nothing else and I feel I completely lost myself.” —Maggie Farrell
“It was after I wasn't sick anymore. After we didn't want to sell our business anymore. We moved out of the warehouse and we were like, ‘Alight, it's time. Let's do something for ourselves.’” —Maggie Farrell
For full show notes and resources, head to https://rwelephant.com/podcast/episode-3-maggpie-rentals
Morgan Montgomery and Perkins Morgan tell the story of founding Paisley & Jade Rentals in Richmond, Virgina. You’ll hear about the surprise encounters and rookie mistakes they made which paved the way for their eventual leadership in the event rental industry.
What’s in this episode:
How Morgan and Perkins got started—through the catering business.
Early missteps in vetting professional partners.
Rules for expanding a rental collection.
The relationship between personal growth and business growth.
Traits that have contributed to the Paisley & Jade team’s success.
Moments of celebration in Morgan and Perkins’ rental adventure.
Quotes:
“She pulled together an incredible business plan as if to reassure me before I made that leap.” - Perkins Morgan
“We were smart enough to be successful but dumb enough to not really know what was coming at us.” - Morgan Montgomery
“[Smaller rental companies buy] inventory because it's cheap, but not because it fits a particular style or aesthetic that they're grooming into a collection. And we suffered that same mistake.” - Morgan Montgomery
"I think it's interesting when an outsider's point of view recommends something that you never thought of, but instantly clicks.” - Perkins Morgan
“As our business evolved we evolved who we were working with and who was the best fit as we continued to learn and grow.” - Morgan Montgomery
“Why it's worked is definitely a yin and yang dynamic...we are super, super different. But have a lot of respect for why we're different.” - Perkins Morgan
“You have to make the right choices for you and for your team...and sometimes that requires being uncomfortable, which we're not necessarily good at.” - Morgan Montgomery
For full show notes and resources, head to https://rwelephant.com/podcast/episode-2-paisley-and-jade
Welcome to the first-ever episode of the Trunk Show hosted by Allison Howell and brought to you by RW Elephant. On this podcast, you’ll hear from founders of leading event rental companies about their rental adventures. To celebrate our first episode, we bring together a handful of the marvelous people you’ll meet in the industry and discuss their true-life, down-to-the-wire, oh-my-gosh-no-way rental nightmares.
What’s in this episode:
How a dream event for Coral Lane Event Rentals turned into a nightmare.
How Borrowed Charm Event Rentals & Styling recovered when their most popular sofa got damaged right before an event.
How it helps to be upfront and transparent with clients about their expectations.
How Paisley & Jade turned a stranded delivery truck into event magic.
Quotes:
“Our crew is lugging these huge vintage sofas and things down a cliff, over a little bridge over a pond to the ceremony space in the heat of Texas summer, mind you.” - Lindsey Abell
“If you didn’t Instagram it, it didn’t happen.” - Allison Howell
“I learned being in the wedding business and doing as many weddings as we do [that] no one reads contracts and so by being upfront and transparent with what they can expect, it makes us safer on the back end if something does happen and people are less quick to jump on social media or just jump online.” -- Angie Martin
“You have one chance to get it right in a very short time period with no option for mistakes or things to go wrong. You have to be able to think on your feet.” -- Allison Howell
“They looked at it and they were like, ‘You got 600 bucks? We could get this guy moving.’ I’m like, ‘Take my money. Take my money.’” - Morgan Montgomery
For full show notes and resources, head to https://rwelephant.com/podcast/episode-1-event-industry-pros
Be sure to join our mailing list so you’ll be able to hear about all of the exciting things going on at RW Elephant. Also, I’d love for you to subscribe so you can be notified whenever we drop a new episode.
Join RW Elephant co-founder Allison Howell as she connects with leaders in the event rental industry about their rental adventures.