Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Osakwe.
Hi Christine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Starting Coco Cabana began with a childhood dream to be a wedding planner and interestingly I had my business name picked out while still in high school. But even though I knew I wanted to work in event planning/décor industry, I allowed fear drive me into studying accounting in college. While there though, the itch and flair for event planning/décor did not leave me and I often found myself decorating abandoned furniture, organizing birthdays without any formal training. I soon became the go-to person for planning and decorating events in college. You would expect that these experiences helped me overcome my fear of starting my event planning business, unfortunately, it didn’t. It took months of interning at a few public accounting firms coupled with misery and depression before I took the plunge and solely focused on Coco Cabana! I initially started it on the side however, within a few months it grew so much so that it now sustains me.
I did not hold back from investing and reinvesting almost all my money and resources on inventory and marketing to kick start my business. Ever since its inception, I have been reinvesting all the profit I have made for months. I have had to make a lot of sacrifices, but I love it, it has and will be worth it.
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?
This industry is debatably one of the most stressful careers to be in. Things can always go wrong when you are working with so many moving parts on very tight schedules for very important events. So the nature of the business simple means, challenges will come with the terrain. However, one of the biggest challenges I have faced is finding the right people to work with. The right team is crucial in any sort of business, and it is very hard to find reliable, responsible people that are adept at the work I do. This has often made me have to work long hours into the night, doing things I would much rather pay someone to do. When I do find someone that is hardworking, reliable and consistent, I hold on to them! I currently have someone who handles my deliveries and large equipment set ups. And he has been a life saver. I hope as I grow I come across more people like him!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Coco Cabana Events offers Event planning and decorating services, for social and corporate events. We will provide our clients with assistance curating their design theme, sourcing all the needed vendors, decorating and setting up, and coordinating on the day of their events. We will also provide a large variety of the rentals our clients will need, such as backdrops, flower walls, centerpieces, Photobooths, etc.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
My next large project is to really expand my business by opening up multiple event venues, expand my rental catalogue and start to service events in Nigeria. I also hope to start to attract more and more of my dream clients. Brides who want over the top luxurious weddings that are Pinterest worthy.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cococabana.htx/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cococabana.htx
