We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Arena and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Heather, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have a background in music and performing arts and as such, I am used to seeing the big picture production and making sure all the pieces to come together. When I was selling skincare and cosmetics, I started to see the vision for an event planning business with my sisters; I could do sales and bookings, the second sister, Brittney, has a background in communication, admin and business and she could do contracts and timelines, and the third sister, Courtney, was training as a supermarket florist. It felt like a perfect fit!
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started out hoping to pursue a career in music and theatre, but after graduating college in 2007, it seemed best to just find a job that paid the rent and work on music as a passion. I became a music and theatre teacher in 2008 which was a total gift and over the 7 years I worked at that school, I learned SO much about myself and what I was truly passionate about. It was clear to me that any job working with people was going to be a WIN for me. I started selling skincare and cosmetics and earned awards and accolades but it wasn’t quite a perfect fit. Once I found wedding planning it combined all the things I love: people, sales, production and design. It wasn’t necessarily easy to get here. I made mistakes, charged too little, worked too many hours on some tasks and not enough on others, I communicated poorly, but learned how to communicate effectively. My sisters and I fought and still fight but we work through it and we continue to come out better business owners and friends. We are proud of all we have accomplished in 7 years together and the future of our business.
Our brand is very much about being a family owned and operated business, we also employ 90% female staff and vendors and we are LGBTQ owned and affirming. We tell our clients, when you are a Three Sisters client, you are family forever.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I absolutely LOVE my city of Ventura, but I know this is for Shoutout LA so I’ll do both!
I would love to start with a show at the Pantages and a meal at my all time favorite LA restaurant, Wood & Vine. The manager, Wally, has become a friend of ours in the industry and we have thrown parties at the restaurant. Next I would take them to the LACMA, which is my favorite art museum in LA and on to Lawry’s the Prime Rib, a classic! We would need a couple days in Ventura, to visit downtown and the Main Street Moves, which is a promenade down main street to visit shops and restaurants. Two of my favorites are The Bank of Italy Cocktail Trust for the most fabulous cocktails and small bites and then on to Cafe Fiore or Lure for dinner. Favorite shops downtown are Iron and Resin for California cool clothing and accessories and Brooklyn Charm for custom made jewelry and vintage clothing.
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?
For me, it has to be my sisters. They are my best friends and I couldn’t do this business without them. Their creativity and partnership challenges me to be a better business owner and friend. We also were super blessed to be supported early in our business by “Something Borrowed, Something New” which is a FB group that connects vendors to brides and it has been huge in our success as a California wedding planning business.
Website: www.threesistersevents.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threesisterseventplanning
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/three-sisters-events-ventura
Image Credits
The Shalom Imaginative, Michelle Sobel, Vanessa Canaveral, Burgundy Blue, Gipe Photography, The Lover’s Passport, Ryanne Bee Photography, and Shumanev Production