We had the good fortune of connecting with Carol Keiner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carol, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started out as the co-owner of a dessert business. I oversaw the implementation, operation, catering, and planning of all the major fundraisers, galas, weddings, and other social events. Soon after my own wedding—and five years into the business—my partners and I admitted that we weren’t passionate enough about the business anymore, so we decided to part ways. I knew I needed to explore more deeply the ways in which I could express my creative outlets, so I decided to start writing a wedding blog. I had always loved the extravagancy of wedding planning and enjoyed doing it on my own so much that I wanted to share the work I had done. My hard work managed to rake in quite the exposure, and soon enough, friends were reaching out to me asking me if I was an available wedding planner. I felt writing a blog wasn’t enough of a career path for me, so I had a deep conversation with myself about how I could balance creativity and structure in a career, while also incorporating what I had learned from my previous experience in the event industry. After all, I had managed to combine my knowledge of the fashion industry and experience with the dessert catering business to plan my own wedding—and had so much fun doing so. I created a budget worksheet, designed a moodboard, constructed the floorplan, and researched, curated, and recruited vendors based on my own aesthetic and style. One of my florists told me she thought that I was a wedding planner due to how knowledgeable, resourceful, and highly organized I was. I have been passionate about both the creative aspect of decorating and the organized nature of planning from a very young age. That was when I realized that I could turn the activity I loved most into my career. Thus, I was able to leverage off the knowledge of my fashion involvement, passion, and previous business experience to start my own Event Planning and Design business, The Blushing Details.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Blushing Details is focused on creating an elegant, romantic, and whimsical wedding for modern day couples. Our goal is to offer quality service and guide couples in creating a fun-filled, stress-free environment with flawless creativity and focused attention to even the smallest of details. As an owner, my role is the Principal Planner and Creative Director of The Blushing Details. I oversee the implementation and execution of the clients’ design aesthetic and planning. I take pride in my ability to make their vision a reality. What sets my company apart is my unique approach to our planning and design process and the realization of it for my clients. By Implementing detailed visual elements and systems, we fully bring our clients into the design process from inception to fruition. This can include digital sketching, modeling, and vision board. We feel it’s helps out couple to be more invented in the overall outcome and experience. I am very proud of the relationships I’ve developed with my couples over time, and my goal is to create an event that encapsulates the personality and uniqueness of our couples? The proud moment when we were Honor and Awarded the Winner of Pasadena Wedding Planner of 2019, The Knot Best of Wedding 2018, 2019, & 2020. Wedding Wire Couples’ Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020. And Best-Rated Pasadena Wedding Planner of 2019 & 2020 by Three Best Rated. I always feel there is a learning curve to just about every wedding & event I plan or design. Every new learning experience has supported me in molding and developing my skills along with the further expansion of my company. Based on that experiences over the years, I continued to learn more and more what it took to be successful. It has also helped grow my team’s knowledge and preparation for future wedding events. Whatever challenges each experience brings, I’ve been able to maneuver, pivot, and generally adjust so the outcome is beneficial to my clients. Generally speaking, nothing is every totally easy. I can’t change the motion of the ocean, but I can adjust my sails to better navigate so let’s just say that I try to make the path as easy as possible for the team while feeling we’ve done everything to deliver above and beyond expectations. The Blushing Detail are passionate about our work and commitment to deliver an experience that surpasses our client’s expectations.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love taking road trips to various cities around California—we have so many beautiful places to explore! I would rent a topless car for the weekend, and we would drive up the coast of the 101 Hwy to breathe the amazing free air. We would stop by some local businesses, like Solvang to try their amazing Danishes, and then make our way to Santa Barbara, where we could lie on the beach and go shopping for cute souvenirs. We would stay the night in Santa Barbara. The very next day, we’d head to Hearst Castle—a break from beach life to enjoy the landmark’s rich history. We could explore the Monterey Bay Area for their sea life and stay over Half Moon Bay for their bed and breakfast. Our last pit stop would be San Jose, where we would visit the Winchester Mystery House and learn about the history behind the architectural wonder and historic landmark. As we made our way back home, there would be a couple more small places we would visit. One place we would stop by is the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. We will experience the strange natural phenomena at this mysterious where we get to see a demonstrations that appear to defy gravity and a short but steep uphill walk. Lastly, we would head to Big Sur to take in California’s best scenic view. Road Trip would be the type of adventure I would take with my best friend.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe the small business communities to the city of Los Angeles County so much of my gratitude. I am the co-leader of the organization called Tuesday Together (Rising Tide Society) in the City of Pasadena. Being part of this group of leaders has allowed me to become a better leader for my community. As an organization, we collaborated and helped lift up each other’s small businesses to reach success together. I am truly inspired by all the leaders I have met in the industry. I also want to acknowledge all of the Los Angeles vendors & venues that I have collaborated with and the sponsors with that have entrusted me to lead, design, and plan many amazing events, editorial shoots, open houses, and fashion shows. I have been blessed to be part of an industry that supports and offers learning opportunities to help further my knowledge. All of these people have helped me establish my place as a business owner, but the most prevalent impact on my role as a business owner and as a kind human being was—and still is—my family. Most Importantly, I definitely want to give a BIG thank you to my parents, my husband, my sister, and my brother. All of their love, advice, help, and support has been astounding—especially from my parents, who immigrated from Vietnam to America 40 years ago. With very little English, they worked low-paying jobs and shared an apartment with other family members. My mother was a seamstress for a clothing manufacturer and my dad was a butcher in a supermarket. They managed to adapt to their situation and went to school to learn English. While working full-time jobs, they also went to school to obtain technical skills while taking care of three kids. My mom went to school to become a nail technician and my dad a dental technician. With minimal job opportunities out there, my parents decided to start their own business and were successful at it! But don’t get me wrong, they have gone through their ups and downs in the business world. Even so, I never once heard my parents complain about their situation or ask for any financial help from the government. They worked hard every day of their life to provide a better life for their kids. The primary thing I have learned from my parents is to always give back to my community, whether it’s though volunteering, working, or donating. My parents showed me what hard work, dedication, integrity, and kindness look like. Their “you are what you do, and not what you say you will do” mindsets shaped me into the business owner and human being I am today.

Website: https://www.theblushingdetails.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblushingdetails/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-banh-32768a51/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theblushingdetails/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/blushingdetails/

Image Credits
#1 Images: Monica Linda Photography #2 Images: Sarkis Studios