Meet Stephanie White | Author, Event Specialist , Motivational Speaker & Blogger

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

Hi Stephanie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think that any important life decision you will have to make, whether it be a career decision, a personal life decision or a decision that will affect your family, will involve some type of risk. Success, growth and/or failures all involve taking a risk. There is not one without the other! Taking a risk with anything you do, involves stepping out of your comfort zone into an area that is uncomfortable.

Taking “Risks” has played a major role in both my career and in my life. I would not be 15 years in business or at a place with 2 degrees under my belt if I didn’t take the necessary risks, it took to get here.

In College my Freshman year, I took a risk and changed my major from Social Work to Business Administration. I was not sure of the outcome but I knew that business would take me further in life and it wouldn’t require me to get so involved in one’s life to the point of where I would begin to take my work home with me.

I took another “Risk” in starting a business at the age of 23. I had not landed my “DREAM JOB” yet after College and I was working Temp Jobs while working part time at a Catering Company. I had no idea what it was to start a business. I just took a leap of faith and jumped in! That involved taking a risk.

I took a “Risk” in 2013 when I accepted a lower paying job, to get a job, because at the time I had no full time permanent job. I was once again working a temp position every few days and drawing unemployment. I figured I had no where else to go but up!

I would not be where I am in life and in my career if I didn’t take risk. Over the years I made some mistakes, learned a lot of lessons, but never once did I stray from my goals and objectives in life. For me if something does not work, I try something different, eventually something will work!

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is called Stephanie White Events and its an Event Planning business. I started this business in August 2006 in Washington, DC. I was 23 years old and working at a Catering Company called Martin’s Crosswind, as a Bridal Hostess, when I realized that I enjoyed catering to Brides and Grooms on their wedding day! I planned my first Wedding in 2006.

What I feel sets me apart from other Event Planners is my ability to work hard for my clients after hours and after the event is over. I always tell my clients, “even though my office hours say this, contact me anytime you have a question or a concern”. There are so many things that can go wrong when planning a client’s event, I want to give my clients the attention they need when they need it, opposed to having them wait.

What I am most proud of when it comes to my business is the fact that within the 15 years that I have been in business, I have diversified my business portfolio to include, my own signature Bridal Shows, which I call “The Spring Wedding Extravaganza” Bridal Expo and Fashion Show and another signature event, which I call “A Night to Remember” Fundraiser Gala to benefit a local hospital in support of their Brain Injury Team. I put this event on in Memory of my Sister Brittany N. White, who was a Brain Injury patient back in 1987.

Some other great achievements that I am proud of include Ad advertisement I’ve done with Premier Bride Magazine for 7 years, 2013-2019, I have also advertised with Wedding Wire, Wedding.com and Thumbtack.com, I’ve had TV appearances on the “Let’s Talk Live” show with Julie Wright in Washington, DC and I coordinated a LIVE Fashion Show on the Great Day Washington Show in Washington, DC. I have done many Radio shows that I am proud of as well.

Hard work, goals, determination, faith, perseverance and support from my circle has helped me get too where I am today in my career. It was not always easy, but one thing for sure its been worth it! My business is like my baby! I fight for it, I nurture it and I make changes to it where I see fit. I overcame some of the challenges I’ve had with my business, by at times going back to the drawing board, taking a look at what went wrong, how can I do better and what do I need to change.

Some of the lessons that I’ve learned over the years is to always protect your brand. Register your business and copyright what belongs to you. Another lesson I’ve learned from watching others, is always get it in writing! Another great and final lesson I learned that I will share with you is, have your client’s put down a deposit for your services. This is an important lesson for me because in the beginning I would get so excited about helping people, I would begin work on their event, before they paid me a deposit to book me and then all of a sudden they would change their minds and I was then left with services unpaid!

I want the world to know that I, Stephanie White work hard to deliver the best possible services one can receive by booking with Stephanie White Events. My motto is “We Work Hard to Make Every Event Memorable for Our Clients”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had friends visiting I would definitely set up an itinerary that included, food, sight seeing, shopping, fun and of course some relaxation!

Day 1: Sleep in, breakfast and then a relaxing boat ride in the evening in Georgetown, DC
Day 2: Shopping at the National Harbor & Tangier Outlets, DC/MD
Day 3: Local Beach Day and lunch at North Beach in North Beach MD
Day 4: Site Seeing at Baltimore Aquarium in Baltimore, MD then lunch at Rusty Supper at the Baltimore Harbor
Day 5: Metro Ride Downtown Washington DC for Museums and Sight Seeing and then dinner at The Wharf in Washington DC
Day 6: A Lounge Day with a Seafood Dinner later at Seaside Restaurant in Glen Burnie, MD
Day 7: Massages & a Salt Cave Experience at The Bethesda Salt Cave in Bethesda, MD

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
WOW! There are so many people and organizations who have supported me over the years! OMGOSH there are so many to name! Lets start with my Family and Friends who supported me and helped worked the registration tables when I put on my first Bridal Expo in 2013! You know who you are, my church family, both in my home town and where I live now, my work family, my past work family from other jobs, my friends in the Fashion Industry, designers, models, etc. my business owner friends, book club friends, the many sponsors, that have sponsored my bridal shows and fundraiser galas over the years, photographers, musicians, my mentees in my business that became family, and of course my teachers and professors from grade school and college.

I am forever grateful to each of you for your love and support over the years!

Website: www.stephaniewhiteevents.com

Instagram: @stephaniewhiteevents

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-c-white-m-s-003355a/

Twitter: @Eventsbysteph

Facebook: Stephanie White Events

Youtube: The Savvy Event Guru

Other: www.thesavvyeventguru.com My event blog.

Image Credits
Head Shot (Blue Dress with big hair) Jackie Hicks with Fond Memories All other photos except TV picture & blue gown done by Don Napoleon with The Napoleon Complex Project (Blue Gown) Evelyn Alas Photography