Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Pyles.
Hi Kayla, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My story, which is a long one considering it starts all the way back to 1997 where a little girl who was told she had cancer and the odds were not in her favor. A little girl who had no idea what that 6-letter word meant, but it was flying around the hospital room like confetti at Times Square on New Year’s Eve when the clock struck midnight. That little girl was me.
My world changed from there and as much as it was awful and scary, that part of my story is why I am here today. 26 years ago, that brave but scared little girl would be so proud to know that the person she turned into today is amazing, powerful, motivational, wise, and one courageous woman. Back to the hospital, since most would say that it is silly that something that happened 26 years ago would be the start of something so beautiful, but it was. It was a hard battle but I fought, I fought every single day through all the testing, surgeries, and treatments, living in the hospital for months, missing holidays and birthday celebrations, couldn’t go out and play like a normal kid, none of that. When other patients would have birthdays or something to celebrate on the pediatric floor, as much as the hospital tried, I never felt it was good enough. That is where this bossy little 7-year old who demanded more came out to play. I demanded balloons, fun decorations, anything colorful to celebrate even the tiniest things to celebrate. My bald headed, toothless, tired from the chemo self, was so pushy for more that I truly believe my love for celebrations started in those moments.
Many things came after I was officially in remission and continued growing up and moving on to middle school, then high-school and college. I participated in multiple events raising well over $10,000 on my own numerous times for events like relay for life, St. Jude’s Foundation, and Breast Cancer Research. I hosted through my various jobs I had numerous events to raise money. Everyone said I was so good at it and needed to do this as a career, but looking back to then, the timing was never right, and my young adult self never saw how good I actually was because it all just came natural to me. I didn’t see then how I could make a career out of that.
I finished high school and went off to college. In 2009 I found out I was pregnant, which through my years of checks up with having had cancer, I was told that I would not have children, that it was not in the books for me. I was not ready to be a mom, and I wanted to be the first in my family to graduate from college, and this is where I had to make the difficult and selfless decision to place my son up for adoption. In those moments of me holding my first-born son, I told him moments before placing him in his new families’ arms, that I was going to make him proud one day, I was going to make this difficult decision worth it in the long run. I finished college like I promised my son, where I really didn’t know what I was going to do with a Marketing and Business degree, but to me having a degree was my ultimate goal. What to do with that degree was the million-dollar question.
I got married in 2016 and became a mom to another son and life started to really make sense. I kept my promises to my first son, so now it was time to really make him proud and show my son that I raise what hard work looks like. Timing finally felt right when I got asked to put together a huge baby shower for my sister-in-law and her very large 100-person guest list and to plan it from invites to set up to clean up. I will never forget the comments that people made stating “what is she waiting for this is her calling” or my now bosses husband who walked into my home and stated “Kayla really missed her calling on this, she puts together an amazing party” and from there it hit me right in the chest, I went back to that 7-year-old in the hospital bed being told the odds were against me, but I beat those odds, and I never wanted to ever feel like I missed out on something again. A few weeks later I got all the information I needed on starting my own business, I played around with names, filed for my LLC, even took courses on being a Certified Party Planner and in 2022 I officially announced my business and knew it was FINALLY the right time.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I have only been in business for almost a year, the road I would has been smooth, but the biggest struggle is the market. Everyone can put a party or event together, but my goal with my business is to allow you to be a guest at your own event. Hosting an event means you are all over the place, which in return means you are not enjoying your time because you are so busy worrying about your guest and if they are enjoying their time. I focus on the little details, I can read the room and see if there is dead space in your agenda, and can move the party to the next thing, or get people talking, or even get people on the dance floor. I love making things flow, and really thinking about how to make someone’s party or event flow properly. Another huge struggle would be social media. Everyone is on social media, and as much as I love it, I can honestly say I hate it at the same time. Something I can honestly say I am working on as my 2023 goal for KP Events & Planning.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am an event and party planner. Like I said I started this business officially in 2022 and have never been more proud of myself for following a passion and dream. I help plan events and put them together for my clients, with the option of adding day of coordinator to it to help your event flow and to allow my clients to walk in and be present and be guest at their own events. I am most proud of meeting new people all the time whether it is my clients and their families, or new vendors to work with in the future, people truly make me happy, and I think that is something to be super proud of. I believe what sets me apart from others is, I am not a one-stop shop, I am no balloon artist, I am not a baker by no means, but I get to coordinate parties with so many different people and keep things local with so many other small businesses. The collaboration of these small businesses is what I think sets me apart from others who are just a one-stop shop. I love being able to showcase other people’s work and to be able to use the parties I am hired for to help get their businesses some recognition too. I hope in the future to add additional services, such as weddings, but right now I am focusing on the smaller events like baby showers, birthday, bachelorette, Christmas, or any holiday party at that. I am always up for a challenge and love doing community events as well. I also am a cofounder of a non-profit to help children and teachers in our community, and I think that is what separates me from others. I have a passion for helping, and the strength to move mountains, and I won’t let the fear of failure, keep me from trying my absolute hardest.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memory would have to be back when I was 7 and had cancer and was just told I could go home for Christmas after being in the hospital for what felt like forever. Granted I had all the machines still hooked up to me and had to walk around with my IV stand stuck to my side, but I was home and that was all that mattered. We didn’t come from much and my mother worked hard for everything we had, but due to having one very sick child and missing so much work Christmas was bare. Do not get me wrong, I know Christmas is not about presents, but as a mom now, I know that seeing a tree with presents under it is everything for your child. We didn’t have much under the tree that year, medical bills piling up, my father just passed away, and my mom did everything she could just to have the very little we even had under the tree. We opened those presents and we were so grateful for them of course, but we walked outside to play with our toys and the neighbors, and on our front porch was what felt like castles of presents. There were presents EVERYWHERE, and when I say everywhere, I mean mountains of presents for me and my sister and even my mother. The community, we think, but to this day do not know for sure, came together and gave us a Christmas we forever will remember. It was truly a moment that we felt like Santa Claus was real, and the look on my mother’s face was one that is tattooed in my brain forever and that is and will forever be my favorite childhood memory.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KP_eventsandplanning/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KPeventsandplanning/
Image Credits
Tamara Jaye Photography
