Today we’d like to introduce you to Joanie Teaken.
Hi Joanie, 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 backstories with our readers.
My name is Joanie Teaken, but I go by JoJo. I am currently a full-time HR Manager for Hilton Grand Vacations. I am a mother of three handsome boys. I am a Christian and attend the Experience Christian Center where I am an active member. I am also the Director of our Christian Development Institute. My plate is full, but God has given me grace and strength to be able to balance it all.
Event planning has always been my passion. I have been doing event planning for over seven years. I love the idea of looking at an empty space and turning it into something magical. I get the satisfaction of seeing the smile on my family and friends’ faces when they see how I transformed their vision into reality. I usually plan and host all my friends and family events such as their baby shower, wedding shower, gender reveal, bridal shower, wedding reception, birthday parties for all age groups, anniversary parties, etc.
I lost my corporate job during the pandemic and that was the push I needed to officially launch my event planning business. I was scared and nervous and questioned if I was good enough. I struggled tenaciously with my mind on whether I should open my business for months. I wanted to wait for the perfect time or for things to align but then I realized there’s no perfect time and I needed to take a leap of faith and trust God to guide me along the way. I knew if I just took the first step God would do the rest and provide me with the resources, the right connections, the funds, vendors, and the favor I needed to start my business. I officially filed for my LLC just about two months ago.
JoJo’s Glitz & Glam Event Planning focuses on top-of-the-line, luxury, elegant event planning, and design. When God blesses me with my venue, my venue will mainly focus on wedding ceremony and reception planning. I will still have the option for my clients to rent out my venue for any type of events such as social events and corporate events.
My passion and my purpose are to be a servant leader, be an example of Jesus Christ Love and do kingdom work for God. I believe as a Christian that when you put God’s kingdom work first, everything else will follow. I don’t need to pray for the fancy house, fancy cars, or any other materialistic things, because those things will come organically when I am walking in my purpose and putting God’s work first. JoJo’s Glitz & Glam is bigger than me. My business revenue will not just be for my own personal needs and desires. The revenue will be used to further God’s kingdom by being a change agent in my Country Haiti and in my community.
The revenue that comes from JoJo’s Glitz & Glam will also be able to provide the funds to sponsor my foundation: “LYNN- Love Your Neighbor Non-stop.” The Bible teaches us the second most important command is to love your neighbor the same as you love yourself (Mark 12:31). What better way to spread the love of Jesus Christ than to serve his people who are in need? This is what the LYNN foundation is all about. Love everyone, be a servant leader, no matter what, and continue to share grace, mercy, kindness, and goodness with everyone, because Jesus is Love. The LYNN foundation will focus on giving back to Haiti (L’Asile) and our local community. After many earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, and our president being assassinated, Haiti needs help. There are a lot of foundations that take away from the people and pretend that they are doing good for the people and the money is going directly into their pockets. L’ Asile, Haiti is a very poor province in the countryside of Haiti where my family is from. After this last storm, it destroyed everything. The people are left with nothing. I want the LYNN foundation to start there.
The second half of my foundation will focus on providing small business grants to upcoming black business owners. Having gone through the process of trying to set up my business and requesting loans to start me off, it was a difficult and challenging process. I got rejected a few times, but I refused to be defeated. The only two requirements are, provide me with a business plan and to pay it forward. I need to know that you are serious, and you put effort into wanting to open a business (I had to provide a business plan/proposal as well to lenders). I also need to know how you will pay it forward to the community or to someone else. If God blesses me enough to help someone else, the least they can do is pay it forward in the community or help someone else. Keep the blessing going.
You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok @jojosglitzandglam
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?
It has not been a smooth road. When you are first opening a business, you realize you don’t know anything. There’s so much to learn. The information can be overwhelming. You have to figure out your LLC, Tax ID, logo design, and business card, manage and maintain different social media pages, followers, and advertising/promoting your business. Order supplies you need for your business. Finding the right vendors to work with to get supplies, dealing with oversea shipping charges. Learning all the business acumen, trying to find lenders who are willing to fund your business, and getting rejected by different lenders. Balancing personal life, career, family/friends, and church. Keeping up with the latest trends/topics/clients within your business community.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about JoJo’s Glitz & Glam Event Planning, LLC?
JoJo’s Glitz & Glam Event Planning focuses on elegant event planning, and design. I am not for everyone. I always say balloon arrangement decor is not a necessity, it’s a luxury. I specialize in creating beautiful, elegant, and upscale balloon backdrops.
Why am I different? As I was doing research within the event planning business, I noticed the majority of the event planning venues are outdated with the type of décor services they offer their clients. As Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram are becoming the most popular ways to find party inspiration, the pressure is on to host a bigger event with more unique themes, decorations, and venues than anyone else so your party can stand out. Balloon backdrops are taking the event planning industry by storm, and if you are an event planner, you need to be able to tap into this fast-growing market to service a variety of client groups. For example, Mothers-to-be are going all out to ensure their baby showers and gender reveal parties have incredible eye-popping décor. Women are spending as much as $10,000 on the events so they are on trend and “Instagram-worthy.” It’s all about social media. People are willing to spend a lot of money to ensure their event is the best, most extravagant, and upscale for social media. As a result, these events are becoming more lavish than ever before putting a need in the market to offer my kind of service.
I plan on having my own venue. I will not have to rely on a client finding me to book, clients will come to me because I have a venue. My clients will have the option of renting out my event space for social events or corporate events (weddings will have to be JoJo’s Glitz & Glam directly) if they wish to do their own DIY décor or hire someone else to do it if they can not afford my decor services.
Our client is our priority, what is important to our client is important to us. We pride ourselves on transforming our client’s visions into a reality. With a collaborative approach, we focus on providing elegant and luxury events to our clients. “You bring the vision, I bring creativity, execution, and results!”
When someone books an event with JoJo’s Glitz & Glam Event Planning, you are not just investing in my business, but you are doing something bigger than yourself. You are sharing in the kingdom work vision that I have to give back to my country Haiti and our local community.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I’ve learned that your corporate job is not promised, no matter how loyal you are or how good you are. You are replaceable. I’ve learned that sometimes, we are complacent in our jobs, and oftentimes it will take us losing something to get us out of our comfort zone and walk into our purpose. I would have never had such a burning passion and desire to start my own business if I was never laid off. I promised myself that I will never allow anyone to have that much power over my future/career ever again. I will be my own CEO.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @Jojosglitzandglam
- Facebook: @Jojosglitzandglam
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRr3ehph/
