Today we’d like to introduce you to Keely Thorne.
Keely, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in a small town in Louisiana but always had the mentality of a big-city girl! Throughout my childhood and even through college, I always had a passion for events and entertaining, logistics and planning, and likely one of my best and worst qualities – being in charge! My parents hosted many parties at our home growing up and I loved being a part of the hustle and bustle of set-up, seeing all of the fun details come together, and the electric energy while the event was underway!
While studying at Louisiana State University, I gained a degree in Fashion and Apparel Merchandising with a minor in Business Administration. While my first love was fashion, I quickly found that I also loved planning events and there was a great creative overlap between the two fields. Owning and running a business had also been a long desire for me as well. I remember playing ‘shop’ so many times growing up and I guess it just never left me.
No matter if it was pretending to sell clothing from my closet, running a drive-thru restaurant or setting up my own makeup counter (to the detriment of my mother’s makeup!) I was ready to sell, manage my employees and curate my store! Even while studying merchandising I always knew my end goal was to be a business owner at some point in my career.
In August of 2005, I moved to Houston and was ready to start a career in a creative field as I knew Houston had so much to offer! After many failed attempts to find an event planner willing to take on someone with little experience, I landed an internship in January with a top planning firm and that is where my story in events began. I was eager and ready to learn the ropes, from the bottom up, but the firm I was hired to work with shortly had other plans for me!
Within a few short weeks of starting my internship, I landed a very large, quick turnaround wedding. It was truly a sink or swim situation, but one I am forever grateful for as well! The wedding turned out to be a smashing success and I knew I had found my niche! After quickly establishing myself under my employer’s umbrella the time had come in 2008 to take a leap of faith and see if my dream of owning my own business could come to life!
Opening a business during a recession may not have been the wisest decision, however, I knew with hard work and determination I could continue to grow the brand I had started. Within a few short months, I had two additional employees working for me and was fortunate that so many past clients championed my work and referred me time and time again to their family and friends. Each year since opening, my team has continued to grow and so has our experience with many unique opportunities that have challenged us and ultimately continued to further our knowledge and expertise in the field.
Today, as we enter 2018 and our 10th year in business, I am forever grateful for the firm that gave me my start and that leap of faith! Our firm continues to thrive and we are starting this tenth year focused on continuing the highest level of customer service offered by a planning firm but also excited to dive into other realms of the industry to broaden our brand.
Has it been a smooth road?
Owning a business is NEVER a smooth road! Anyone who says otherwise is likely lying to you or themselves. There have been many obstacles to overcome along the way and here are just a few examples.
I was only 25 years old when I started my firm and it was extremely difficult to sell myself, and my young staff, to clientele often older than the planner they were hiring. For many years people would be shocked when they met me as they often thought I was Keely’s daughter! There were numerous occasions where clients apologized for their initial reactions to me and my age after working alongside me and my team for a while and realizing the professionalism and passion we brought to our job. While many of my team members no longer have to worry about proving themselves or their experience, it is something I continuously work with my team on so they go into every meeting with confidence knowing they are the right fit for the job!
There were also many times in the early years where mistakes were made in hiring the right team members as we continued to grow. When you are young and hiring your peers as colleagues, it can be a slippery slope. And letting the weak links go can feel almost impossible at times. As hard as those bumps in the road where they make me deeply appreciate how strong our team is today. I have learned to refine my hiring process much more and have no problem making the division between professional and personal emotions when dealing with tough situations within our team.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Keely Thorne Events is a boutique event planning and design firm that specializes in branded weddings and events. We have a team of 8 planners, including myself, in our firm who each manage their own set of clients. Even though each event is assigned their own lead planner, we also collaborate as a team so each event is essentially getting the experience and knowledge of all of us combined!
We are best known for our attention to detail, the highest level of customer service, unique branding details specific to each client, and our ability to truly listen to each client to ensure their event is distinctly planned to perfection! Even though we manage our events individually, I am so proud of our team for truly embracing every aspect of working as a team and supporting everyone during their highs and lows.
As the owner of our business, who still manages clients of my own, I also rely on my team often for inspiration and support and they are there for me just as much as I am for them! I am also proud of my team for never feeling like we know it all. Each event and every client experience helps us learn and grow. We will never stop educating ourselves on our process and stay up-to-date on industry trends… or even creating our own!
I believe what sets us apart is also what I am most proud of our team for as well. We truly work as a team to bring each vision to life! That quality coupled with the fact that we leave NO. DETAIL. LEFT. BEHIND! It can be easy to plan and pull a wedding together, but it is finding those unique ways to brand and personalize an event for each client that set it apart from the rest!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is a wonderful place for anyone looking to establish themselves in the events industry. As the fourth largest city in the nation, there are ample opportunities to find your place within this market. My best piece of advice is to find your niche.
What sets you apart from the crowd or what is our city lacking that you feel you could fill that void with? I learned early on in business that we were not going to be a mainstay for corporate events, but could easily filter in a few events here and there with our wedding clientele. Weddings will always be our bread and butter and where we excel!
I would also suggest to not be afraid to start from the bottom either. I hear from so many eager and passionate applicants weekly that want to get their foot in the doors in the industry but aren’t willing to start in a learning role even if they have no previous experience. To me, the best and most successful employees are the ones that come in hungry for knowledge, are self-starters, and don’t mind doing the necessary work to prove themselves worthy of a bigger role.
Contact Info:
- Address: 805 Rhode Place suite 300
Houston, TX 77019 - Website: www.keelythorne.com
- Phone: 713.807.8188
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: keely.thorne.events
- Facebook: Keely Thorne Events
Image Credit:
Chris Bailey Photography, J. Cogliandro Photography, M. Wang Photography
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