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

Hi Alisha, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I am someone that always has a new creative idea I want to try out and balloons was no different! I saw some amazing balloon creations on TikTok and thought how cool it would be to do that for events! When I was younger I thought it would be fun to be a party planner but I never went through with it, now the idea has come back around in smaller form… for now! I would love to go into event planning eventually. At first I wanted to try out the balloons and watch videos to learn and practice to see if I liked it or was good at it, before I took it any further as a business. It was a learning curve in the beginning but I realized how much I enjoyed it and that I was getting better quickly and thought why not try to make this a small business! Work was slow from my usual job in production so it was the perfect time to go all in and focus on balloons! I also decided that I wanted to give back with it and give partial proceeds from every order to cat rescues in need! I am a huge cat lover and regularly donate but can help even more when I receive orders!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have experienced so many different creative outlets throughout the years from being a dancer my whole childhood until moving to LA in my early 20s, then modeling for a few years, transitioning to live show production and talent coordinating, and lastly, adding balloon artist to my resume!

I think what sets me apart from others is the ability to try new things and ask for what I want! I’ve booked so many jobs by reaching out to people directly and making myself known that I’m interested to work for them! I also am always open to learning and trying new things to be as well rounded as possible in everything I do!

It was NOT easy to get to where I am but it has definitely been worth it and there’s many things I’ve accomplished that I am so proud of including working production for JLo, Machine Gun Kelly, Paris Hilton and many more artists!
My next goals are to create amazing balloon art for celebs parties!

Some lessons Ive learnt along the way sound cliche but not giving up! There are so many times it will get hard and stressful and exhausting but keeping at it and pushing through will make you stand out amongst others. Learning to admit when you’re wrong, not internalize it, fix it and move on, is a huge lesson to learn to help you not feel defeated.

I want the world to know that I am a hard worker who goes for what she wants and will always continue to work towards her goals while helping others learn and grow along the way!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmmm this is a tough one! I don’t go out often, I’m a home body and love to hang out with my cats whenever I’m not working!

If I had a friend with me, we’d head to Kale Me Crazy for lunch, Carrera Cafe for a coffee and Pink Taco for dinner! I love concerts so we could find a band playing, and then head to Saddle Ranch for a drink after! Malibu is always fun for a hike, great views and a lunch date on the Pier and Glendale Galleria is great for shopping!

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 have some really great friends and mentors that have supported my many career paths and side hustles along the way! I would love to give a shout out to my bosses and mentors, Tabitha Dumo and Robin Antin! When I started to switched my career path from dancer to production, they took me in and taught me everything I know and gave me so many amazing experiences! They’ve been along for the ride every time I tell them about a new hustle I want to start, and are so excited for me and supportive of the balloon art!

Website: https://bakesy.shop/b/sugar-lily-events

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugarlilyevents?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisha-tallarico-3372682a0?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/sugar-lily-events-west-hollywood

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