Meet Liana Lauterbach | M.Ed.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liana Lauterbach and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liana, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I went to school to earn my Bachelors degree in Education and later, my Masters degree in Math Curriculum and Instruction. I had full intentions on being on the education route for my career. During my last summer before returning to teach my 4th year, the Lord had my heart troubled and spoke to me. My entire identity was based on the teacher that I was. He needed me alone. He needed to be Lord of my life. He needed me to glorify Him with my talents, not myself or the students in my school.

Back in April of 2022, I had invested in a Photo Booth so I could make passive income while I taught. Little did I know, that would end up being the platform He would launch my business from months later when I left the classroom. Leaving the classroom was a huge leap of blind faith for me because quite frankly, I had no plan. I just knew, the Lord had a hold of my heart, backed in a corner and I had no other choice other than to simply follow His direction.

Being in the classroom, I found myself crippled at the idea of (one day) managing being the best teacher I could be while being a wife, mother and taking care of myself. I watched fellow educators drown and be miserable while sacrificing for everyone in their lives. I did not want that. So many had told me they wish they chose something else to do career wise and me being so young, with no family depending on me, I knew this was the best time for me to just figure it out because education would, ultimately, always have my heart.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
QUESTIONS

What was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I went to school to earn my Bachelors degree in Education and later, my Masters degree in Math Curriculum and Instruction. I had full intentions on being on the education route for my career. During my last summer before returning to teach my 4th year, the Lord had my heart troubled and spoke to me. My entire identity was based on the teacher that I was. He needed me alone. He needed to be Lord of my life. He needed me to glorify Him with my talents, not myself or the students in my school.

Back in April of 2022, I had invested in a Photo Booth so I could make passive income while I taught. Little did I know, that would end up being the platform He would launch my business from months later when I left the classroom. Leaving the classroom was a huge leap of blind faith for me because quite frankly, I had no plan. I just knew, the Lord had a hold of my heart, backed in a corner and I had no other choice other than to simply follow His direction.

Being in the classroom, I found myself crippled at the idea of (one day) managing being the best teacher I could be while being a wife, mother and taking care of myself. I watched fellow educators drown and be miserable while sacrificing for everyone in their lives. I did not want that. So many had told me they wish they chose something else to do career wise and me being so young, with no family depending on me, I knew this was the best time for me to just figure it out because education would, ultimately, always have my heart.

What’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“There’s a right time for everything”. While I do agree with this in most situations, I also believe that some times, you have to take the leap even when things do not make sense. Perspective is everything. I have missed so many opportunities because I felt like I wasn’t ready enough, I felt incapable or unqualified or was intimidated by my lack of experience. I had to find confidence in the obvious fact that everyone has to start somewhere. All of the things that I planned and waited to be ready for, I still wasn’t ever ready. I had to adapt and just- figure it out. Life is full of changes and we have to change as it does.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/ career?
Before starting my own business, I took zero risks. I stayed in the straight and narrow, I was comfortable and content. It was not until I left everything I had worked so hard for to start this new path that I realized what it looked like to risk it all. I was either going to be successful or I was going to fall straight on my face, but I’d never know until I tried. I looked at my life and thoughts looked like.. “this day last year, I wish I would have done x, y or z. I don’t want to be on this day next year and wish I would have done x, y or z”. So rather just wishing my life into existence, I started jumping, making taking risks a fabric of my decision making in my professional and personal life. As a teacher, I taught my students to always dream. I could see them and see the impacts they would have on the world one day. I found that I had limited myself to this box and ultimately, I wanted to be an inspiration to my students that they have permission to dream and chase them.

What habits do you feel helped you succeed?
The biggest habit/ mindset that has helped me succeed has been to be a life longer. Learning does not have to be confined to being a traditional student. I love to learn more about anything I can and from anyone I can. Even if their lessons were “not good”, wisdom is offered in each experience. In addition to this, putting first things first has been a habit of highly effective people that I have adopted into my every day life. It is easy to drown with priorities, trying to check off all of the boxes on the never ending to-do lists. I have made a list of priorities and when making decisions, if those people/ situations do not align on the list of my priorities for me, it helps me in making decisions and managing my time and efforts.

What is the most important factor behind your success/ the success of your brand?
Before we had the name ‘Honey Events’, our name was ‘XOXO Fancy Photos’. The idea was a a great marketing strategy, but I found business to be slow. Ultimately, I was trying to create my name and brand alone. I felt the Lord speaking Peace, Joy, Hope and Love over my life. I wanted a new business name that encompassed these fruits of the Spirit. Each of these come from Him, sweet like honey- which is what birthed ‘Honey Events’. With this name as our name that the world would see, I wanted all of our work to point back to Him because no matter how good we may do, we would not be able to do anything without Him and His Provisions. Since changing our name, our business has exponentially grown and touched a wide variety of events that we never would have been able to orchestrate ourselves. Pointing to Him through our work has been the biggest success in Honey Events.

What’s the most important lesson your business/ career has taught you?
The biggest life lesson that I have learned through my business has been that life is short. Cultivate the life you want to live. If you do not want to be constrained by an 8-5 job that keeps you at a desk, but want to travel and see the world- do not confine yourself to the box that the world tells you is correct to stay in. Build the life you want. Find your strengths, find your weaknesses, find needs in the world that you are gifted to meet and elaborate from there. As kids, we are taught to dream and then as adults, we are expected to stay in these safe boxes so that we can pay our bills and then before we know it- we’re miserable. If you’re miserable, how much more uncomfortable can you get other than to just dream and figure it out. Each day we wake up, it’s a gift from God. Honor Him, honor yourself, honor your life with that day.

Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
As a teacher, I was taught to say yes to everything. There was no room for no because ultimately, the task had to get done. As I started my own business, the lack of boundaries bled into this new world. The same way I was drowning in the classroom, I found myself drowning as a business owner. When I looked in the mirror, I was the common denominator in each situation. I had to learn how to set boundaries with my time and my customers. This has helped me with my list of priorities, keeping me focused on what my goals in my personal and professional worlds are.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Again, this business was not something I had sat on for a while. I really wanted to create a means of passive income while I helped my sister be a stay at home mom, where she ran the Photo Booth for me. I bought a peacock chair off of Facebook Marketplace and the woman I bought it from was selling $1,200 worth of balloons for $100. I told her I would buy them, not knowing a single thing about balloons. My sister had worked in a party store during high school, shoutout to the OG Party Station Marrs Fam, so I knew she could help some. I went home and started my “Tik-Tok Balloon University” education. I learned how to do that and built from there. After being at different events, I began to learn what different needs there were like backdrop walls, marquee letters and so I began adding inventory and services from there. This plays into the lifelong learner mindset- I never settle, but am always open to growth.

Why did you pursue and artistic/ creative career?
Since I was a little girl, I have been creative and used to say I wanted to be an artist. I thought this was limited to painting or pottery- the traditional idea of artistry. I never knew that I could dream of taking my crafty skills and creating my own dreamland. In the classroom, I was always creative with curriculum and how it was presented to my students. While earning my Masters degree, I paid for my tuition by decorating custom sugar cookies. While earning my Bachelors degree, I made money by making handmade wooden signs. In 2016, there was a tornado that knocked my house down. In rebuilding it, my dad had told me that I should restore the wooden fence panels and make signs from it. I did just that and called my little business ‘Letters by Liana’. This did not make a substantial amount of money, but as a college student, it helped me make ends meet and helped me create a schedule for myself that was not corporate confinements. My dad taught me think outside the box, taking those needs others have and meeting them with my skills.

What are you inspired by?
Knowing the life that I do not want inspires me to create the life that I do want. The boxes I put myself in, the boxes the world put me in- I strive to break out of those boxes, never reaching a glass ceiling but to just- keep going. To always have a sense of uncomfortable air that I live in so that I know I am always challenging myself. Thinking about the ways I could so easily speak life into my students and others around me, I started to speak life into myself and my capabilities.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While I love traveling, seeing new places, and experiencing different cultures- I love all things Dallas!! First and foremost, I love my church- Watermark. Some of my favorite places in Dallas are: Trader Joe’s, Bishop Arts, HG Supply Co, Tribl Cafe, Pressed Juice Bar, running at White Rock Lake, shopping at North Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A heartfelt shoutout to the incredible individuals who played a pivotal role in shaping my journey and bringing me to where I stand today. As a teacher at heart, I owe my deepest gratitude to those who taught me, starting with Mrs. Tungett – my high school Algebra II teacher. Her ability to recognize the hidden struggles within me and illuminate them with boundless compassion transformed the course of my life.

Professor Ambreen Das- the teacher who has truly nurtured me in countless ways. From being my first education professor to becoming my mentor and best friend, she has played an invaluable role in my life. Her guidance and support have helped me build confidence in everything I do, professionally and personally. Not only does she constantly remind me to stay connected with the Lord, but she also exudes transparency, vulnerability, love, kindness, and joy. If there’s anyone I aspire to become when I grow up, it’s Das!

And of course, a heartfelt shoutout to Lexie and Matt for their unwavering support, guidance, and dedication in helping me bring all of my visions to life. And all of my parents- for teaching me to be an honest, hard-working entrepreneur that shares the Lord’s love through my work and gifts.

Website: https://www.honeyevents.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hehoneyevents/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xoxofancyphotos/

Image Credits
Optical Kind