Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Hough.
Hi Shannon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband and I are high school sweethearts, both born and raised in Central Florida. We moved to AL for a few years for him to complete his masters degree and in 2017, we moved back to FL to be closer to family when we were pregnant with our first child. I chose to put my nursing career on hold to be a stay-at-home mom while we were starting our family. We now have 3 beautiful children. Over the years I have tried a few different creative outlets that I hoped would make a little supplemental income while staying at home with the kids, such as selling handmade items like crocheted baby blankets and herbal heat packs on Etsy. All of those ideas eventually fizzled out though. Years passed and many birthday parties later, I found so much joy in planning and implementing the decor for my kid’s parties. I especially enjoyed learning how to improve my balloon creations through various youtube tutorials and subscriptions and began offering to make balloon garlands for school/neighborhood events because I enjoyed it so much. After hearing increasingly more compliments on my balloons, and people encouraging me to start my own balloon business, I decided to give it my best and see how it goes! I’ve been in business for a little over a year now, and I can’t think of a time where I was dreading the work and honestly, I just love it! I love that I finally have a creative outlet that I enjoy, that spreads joy to others, that allows me the flexibility of choosing my own schedule and being available for my kids and family, and the opportunity to interact with a variety of people, all while making some income at the same time. I love the creative freedom and the infinite possibilities of balloon creations. I love that no two balloon creations are the same, how unique each installation is, and being invited into other people’s special life events and celebrations. I chose a career in nursing, working many years in Labor & Delivery and Mother/Baby Postpartum Care, because I loved helping and serving others and being a part of one of the biggest celebrations this life has to offer… NEW LIFE! Now I get to continue that work as a balloon artist, celebrating all of life’s continuous celebrations from birthdays, to graduations, to anniversaries, business grand openings, dance recitals, and beyond. We have all heard the saying by Confucius, “Choose a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This saying pops into my head often and I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be able to do something I enjoy so much that it doesn’t feel like work at all. That’s not to say that it’s always EASY, but it’s WORTH IT, and I find joy in using the creative gift God has given me to bring other’s joy and be a small part of their own celebrations and events. Every time I get a new inquiry, it’s an opportunity to create something new, unique, and exciting. It’s truly an honor to be invited into other people’s celebrations or events and get to create something that visually enhances and fills empty space with vibrancy, color, beauty, and art.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any new business would describe the process as smooth, and it certainly has not been the case for me. I have zero background or education in business so it was a HUGE learning curve for me. There is SO much more that goes into a balloon decor business than simply creating and doing the actual work of making balloon decor. I had to educate myself on how to start a small business, what the legal requirements are, how to collect and pay sales tax, how to keep track of all the bookkeeping and improve customer relations, as well as how to advertise and create a social media presence that promotes and displays my work. It’s been a year of enormous growth for me as a small business owner. I’d be lying if I said I never questioned if it was really worth the hassle and hoops I have to jump through to make this business a success, but I will continue in business as long as the answer remains yes. So far, it’s been beyond worth it, and while I haven’t necessarily enjoyed EVERY step along the way, the pros continue to far outweigh the cons. I never would have imagined myself going into business or creating my own small business, but it’s been a very humbling, yet fulfilling process that I have learned so much from. I know that God is in control and from the very beginning I have felt like He was orchestrating every step of the way and I’m just along for the ride.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a balloon artist/stylist and I would say I specialize in organic balloon decor, unique themed jumbo number stacks and crazy towers, but I love the variety of balloon decor and enjoy the opportunity to make all sorts of different balloon decorations. The majority of orders I have coming in are for custom organic balloon installations where I deliver and install balloons on site. I do offer a more budget friendly option of grab & go balloon garlands where I fully create the garland, provide all the necessary hanging materials and instructions, and the client comes to me to pick those up and take them home to hang/style it as they wish. I truly enjoy the variety of balloon decor and not boxing myself into one specific type of balloon decor. One day I’m making a Bluey jumbo stack for a 1st birthday party, and the next day i’m making a custom Grand Opening balloon installation for Jeff’s Bagel Run. The type of balloon decor requested changes on a daily basis and that’s what I love! It’s never monotonous or the same, as no two creations will ever be exactly alike, and I’m always learning and implementing new techniques to make balloon decor that fit’s the unique needs of my clients.
I’m proud that I have overcome such a steep learning curve in the business aspects of starting a new business and how much the business has grown in just one year. I feel like my attentive emphasis on timely and professional communication with my clients, in addition to my (almost obsessive) attention to detail, is what sets me apart from others. I am a perfectionist, to say the least, and that carries over into my balloon decor – making sure that each and every item ordered is carefully designed and implemented to where no detail is overlooked and every order or installation is something I can stand back and feel proud of.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
First and foremost, I thank Jesus, my Lord and Savior, for orchestrating every detail along this small business journey and allowing this dream to become a reality for me.
I thank my husband, Tyler, for his encouragement and support, whether it be providing emotional support, scheduling work and plans around my events, taking care of the kids while I go set up an installation, or joining me as my assistant on bigger installations. When I started this business, he got a job he never knew he wanted or needed in addition to his full time job – haha! Seriously though, I would never have considered starting this business if it weren’t for his support and confidence in me.
My husband and I have been blessed to live near both of our parents and their support has been truly invaluable. My parents, Keith & Phyllis Smith, and my in-laws, Hank & Kathy Hough, are always willing to help with the kids while I prep for upcoming events or do on-site installations, even on short notice for last minute events. They have even been my assistants on some of my bigger installations or helped me tear down after events on occasion. I absolutely could not run a successful business at this stage in life, with young children, without their help! I am beyond thankful for their support and encouragement.
I have had a couple of other balloon artists who have come along side me and mentored me and answered thousands of questions over the last year that I am MORE than thankful for! Sara Saxon, owner of LuxAeir in Rome, GA and Brooke Collier owner of Balloons by Brooke, in Birmingham, AL. Both of these women have been an incredible resource for me over the last year and have had so much patience with answering any questions I have come up with, and have been such a huge encouragement to me. I have learned so much from each of them! I owe them so much credit for the success of my own business and I look up to them as role models in the balloon decor world but also how they so gracefully balance their family lives with their businesses.
I thank all my clients and friends and family who have believed in me, trusted in my ability, and supported me over the last year. I wouldn’t be writing this if it weren’t for y’all!
And last, but certainly not least, I thank my babies, who think the absolute world of me and all my balloon creations, and who rarely complain about the very loud noises that result from inflating, and occasionally popping, balloons in our house on a weekly basis. They are certainly one of the main reasons why I continue to strive to make this business a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/houghandpuffballoons
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/HoughAndPuffBalloons
Image Credits
Ashley Danielle Photos (Ashley Warmstein)
Jeane Boast
