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Jeannine Kennedy is the owner of Favor Events based out of Atlanta. She also is the Editor of The Stylish Planner blog. The blog is full of fun for all event planners: fashion ideas, health tips, wellness advice, branding education, and style profiles. I love how it marries business and personal. As entrepreneurs our businesses are a reflection of us as people. Who I am is what my business is about. The Stylish Planner is fantastic at making that connection. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jeannine and I have to say that she is kind and genuine… just a really good person. Thanks Jeannine!
Jeannine Kennedy
Atlanta, GA
Owner, FAVOR Events
www.favoratlanta.com
Established 1997
Editor, The Stylish Planner
www.thestylishplanner.com
Established 1999
Why did you start your business?
I started FAVOR Events when my only child was entering elementary school. I knew I needed a way to fill my days without him around or I would go nuts. I also wanted to contribute to the family income, but I didn’t want to go back to the corporate world or work for anyone else. Wedding planning was one of about 5 work at home jobs that I was considering, but I was very skeptical whether I would like it or not. I did a friend’s wedding for free, working with her for 6 months and I knew when she walked the aisle that I wanted to make wedding planning my career.
I started The Stylish Planner after a 6-week hiatus from wedding planning last year for personal reasons. Within about two weeks of stepping away from my business, my creative brain was exploding with ideas. The Stylish Planner was the one idea I could not let go. I couldn’t NOT do it; I had to see it through. The Stylish Planner was really just a creative outlet for me, but I’m so grateful that other professionals seem to enjoy it.
What book do you recommend to new business owners?
Business books I recommend include:
Start, Run & Grow a Successful Small Business from the Editors of CCH Consumer Media Group. Not incredibly exciting, but extremely practical – I still refer to it often and wouldn’t have known how to begin with a business start up without it.
Make a Name for Yourself – 8 Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand Strategy for Success by Robin Fisher Roffer. This book helped me to see the importance of having what I say, what I do, my logo, company colors, website, and my personal appearance – everything about my brand sending the same message. It contains a wealth of information delivered in a motivating format from a woman’s perspective.
Soul-searching book I recommend include:
I’m currently reading Release Your Brilliance by Simon T. Bailey and I really wish I would have read it sooner. I think it will result in lots of changes, both personally and professionally.
Do you have any cool goal-setting tips?
I don’t know if this is a cool tip or not, but I work really well with a rewards system of some kind. I keep a wish list in my iPhone notes app of things I want, ranging from a $10 book to a pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes. Big goals get big rewards, little goals get little rewards. The big goals/rewards are financially driven, of course! A good book is a “two-fer” reward because I treat myself to the purchase, but I also schedule the quiet time to enjoy the book. I just think, what good is working hard if you can’t step away from the work and reward yourself?!
I also give myself at least two deadlines for big projects. Deadline #1 is the time frame that I would like to complete the project in and can realistically complete it in if everything goes well. Deadline #2 allows me more time in case something comes up in home/family life or I’m killing myself trying to make Deadline #1. Thinking the second deadline through in advance keeps me from panicking when/if I can’t meet Deadline #1 and keeps me from beating myself up and feeling like a failure. I suppose it is sort of a self-forgiveness – women can be extremely hard on themselves.
What do you find to be the biggest challenge as a business owner?
Balancing work with home and family life. One or the other always seems to demand my full attention.
If you were starting your business all over again, what would you have done differently?
I would have spent my start up money very differently, and I would not have pursued growth so aggressively so soon. I’ve learned that it is ok to be small, especially while my son is still young. There will be a time and opportunity for me to grow, but it isn’t right now and that is ok.
Thank you, Jeannine!
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by Michelle Loretta
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