Daily Inspiration: Meet Vanessa Urena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Urena

Hi Vanessa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started in the world of balloons in 2020 during Covid. Since I was bored at home and unable to go out, I started watching tutorial videos on YouTube about balloon arches and balloon bouquets as a hobby. Then I started ordering balloons and started decorating all the birthdays in the house, even if it was just to celebrate it in family, since no one could be invited due to the virus. Time passed and everything in the world was returning to normal.

When my sister’s 40th birthday was approaching, I made her the proposal to celebrate it with families and closest friends and I would be the one to make the decorations. It was then at that celebration where one of my sister friends asked me “how much do you charge for your decorations?” and I told her “oh, I don’t have a business, I only decorate for the family”, so she told me, “then you are wasting the opportunity to have your own business, because I see that you have a lot of talent.”

This happened in July and in September her daughter had her birthday and she told me “research the prices and tell me how much you charge for a decoration like this (she show me a picture in her phone), because I want you to decorate my daughter’s birthday” so I did that and sent her the quote. She accepted the price and from there it all started.

I thought about the name of my company, designed the logo, created an Instagram account and started sharing everything I had done. I also started taking more professional courses, for example, I did a Professional Balloon Designer Diploma at the Decolovers Institute, which is the most complete that I have done and is endorsed by the Florida Department of Education. So now I can say this is my profession. A Balloon Designer.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Well, I would say that the biggest obstacles I have had in this race has been fear. And although I’ve gotten over it, at first it did affect me a little.

The fear of setting prices too high or too low. (which by the way, I charged very cheap for my work at the beginning). fear of being asked for very elaborate decorations, fear of a balloon bouquet coming loose in the middle of a delivery. (which happened to me several times and I was dying of shame).

But after graduating from the PBD diploma, I learned to charge appropriately for my work, I learned new techniques that make me feel confident in what I do, and, although I have not yet had a large corporate event, but if I am contacted for one tomorrow, I feel prepared for whatever comes, because everything I need to know I already learned.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a balloon designer. I make balloon decorations for all types of events and celebrations. Birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, corporate events, Quinceañeras, weddings, even for divorces and any occasion that a person wants to celebrate.

I consider myself an artist, since balloon designers make art with balloons.

For example, we make balloon bouquets, but not the traditional bunch of balloons, no, we make artistic compositions with numbers, letters, figures, characters, balloons Flowers etc. With balloons, according to the theme that the client chooses.

We can create figures, characters, structures with balloons in a way that not many people know about.

I put a lot of love and effort into every composition I make, and I always try to make sure everything is perfect, and the client always likes that.

When a client asks for something specific, I do it, but almost always I try to add something extra when decorating, to exceed the client’s expectations, and also because people like it when they are given a little more than what they ask for.

I always ask a lot of questions about the person who is going to receive a balloon bouquet or the decoration they ask me for, because the more I know about that person, the more personalized the composition will be.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I learned to get out of my comfort zone.

Before Covid 19 I worked as a Banquet server at private events. The truth is that I was doing well and although I had thought about starting my own business, I didn’t know what exactly, and I hadn’t put much interest in it. Then Covid happened, and it made many people, because it wasn’t just me, get out of our comfort zone, and we started exploring new things. As in my case, having enough time at home I started decorating, learning more and more with YouTube tutorials, then with professional courses, diplomas, etc., until I got to the point where I am now, that I have my own business, every day making myself more known, and also every day educating myself more in this art that has new trends every day.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanballoonsdecor