Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahzahdeh Neshat.
Hi Ahzahdeh, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I had been working in retail management for over eight years, feeling like I needed/wanted to do something more creative with my life, even though I considered myself to not be very artistic. After going on maternity leave in 2016, a series of unfortunate events (that I later found out were silver linings) led me to become a stay-at-home mom; but I still needed some sort of creative outlet. So I threw myself completely into throwing a Pinterest-worthy first birthday fiesta-themed party for my little one. Literally poured my blood, sweat, and tears into a massive paper flower display, cutting every single petal on every flower by hand, gluing them together, and filling up an 8’x6′ wall of my apartment over the course of two months. I even piped the icing on piñata-shaped cookies, purchased color-coordinating flowers and salsa bowls, the works. All of my friends and family insisted I should go into party-planning, but I honestly had no idea where to start and felt intimated by the pros that had years and years of experience with Los Angeles parties.
A year later, I was beginning to look up part-time jobs that would also allow me time with my daughter, as I still hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I was scrolling through Facebook one day when I noticed a mom in a mommy group asked for ideas for a fiesta-themed party — so I commented with photos from my daughter’s party. A slew of moms asked me if I was a party planner, but one mom reached out to me and asked if I could recreate the paper flower wall for her gender reveal party, just with different colors. I severely undercharged her, as I’m pretty sure I ended up spending more than she paid me just on supplies, but said yes, and had my first real customer. After she told me she was so happy with my work, and with the encouragement of a glass or two of wine, I posted my work on Facebook Marketplace and advertised my services for Custom Party Backdrops. Soon enough, I had a few more customers placing orders for custom backdrops, which I still happily made all by hand. Then a mom asked if I could do a balloon garland, and after looking up how to create them, I said yes, even though I had never made one and still wasn’t 100% sure I could. This was still at a time when balloon garlands were just becoming a “thing”, so photos and DIY videos weren’t as readily available as they are now.
I blew up every balloon in that garland by mouth, enlisting the help of my family as we sat around in our small two-bedroom apartment the night before, blowing up balloons and wondering why I said yes to something that seemed way out of my league. But taking that courageous leap was worth it — after posting that I could now offer balloons with my work, I was being contacted by moms every week. I constantly scoured mom groups asking for party decorations and offered my services. When I had a mom reach out and say she had been referred to by a friend of hers who’s party I had decorated, I knew I had reached a significant milestone in my business. I filled up our space every weekend with balloons, sometimes to the point where we couldn’t walk through our living room. My family put up with the constant sound of my balloon pump, and they even helped me prep for large events.
When the pandemic hit, I was set to have my biggest month ever with my business. I felt defeated, especially hearing how no one could gather when your business model is pretty dependent on people gathering for celebrations. I was about to just close up shop when I tested out small Easter balloon bouquets that could be easily delivered on people’s doorsteps with zero-contact. It was SUCH a hit, I spent the entire Easter weekend driving all around LA, circling up to the Valley, heading down the coast to South Bay, veering east into Orange County, and back to LA. It was exhausting, but it gave me the hope and confidence that I could figure out a way to make my business work. I received an onslaught of videos of kids, having been suddenly cooped up in their houses for over a month, opening their doors to a balloon surprise– and their faces were priceless. So, I began offering garlands on people’s houses as a way to bring some fun and joy to neighborhoods during a time when we all needed a bit of color in our lives. I was soon having even better months than I was before the pandemic, and word of mouth grew so much I was having to turn people down because I was just SO booked.
Now that restrictions are lifted, each month my business grows more than the last. I officially became an LLC last month and am booked up through the summer. I’m currently planning and prepping for my daughter’s fifth birthday party, and it’s very humbling to look back and see where I started to where I am today. I am able to shower my loved ones and friends with balloons for every milestone, birthday, and event and still work doing what I love with a business that I created myself.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I used to joke that my business is fueled by tears and wine. I have lost track of the amount of times I’ve considered just calling it quits and shutting down my business. It has definitely not been easy, and during the midst of a crisis, I feel like I can never seen a way out. But once the dust settles, I take a look back and see where I’ve made mistakes, where I can improve, and use the experience to make myself even better.
I went into the balloon world not knowing a single thing, so of course I’ve made mistakes. I’ve tried to take shortcuts to save money and ended up having to refund my customer because they were so unhappy. I’ve accepted too many orders for one day and found myself having a panic attack in the middle of the 405 on a Saturday afternoon. I’ve said yes to projects that I shouldn’t have, and as a result, had a grass wall display fall directly onto a dessert table, ruining everything in the process.
Even now, when my business is at an all-time high, I’m struggling since there is a severe balloon shortage. Most colors aren’t in stock, and I’m scrambling to make already-ordered balloon installs magically happen. It’s definitely frustrating, but I’m also using this process to learn how fun it is to create custom colors with balloons and as a result, it’s made several projects even better than I imagined.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I bring your party to the next level with extravagant balloon and party decorations. While I started out creating custom party backdrops, I now specialize mainly in balloon decor — the more color, the better. I love making things bright, colorful, and big! My goal for every install is making someone walk in and say, “Wow” when they see my work.
I am most proud of The Liane Neshat Small Business Balloon Initiative, which I created as a way to pour the grief from the sudden loss of my mom into something good. My mom was a huge supporter of small businesses, constantly sharing their products on social media, attending pop-up markets, and buying whatever she could, whether for herself or to give to friends. When she passed away, so many of her friends commented on her ability to make small businesses feel so supported, and I knew I had to do something with that. So, I created the initiative as a way to use my business to carry on her legacy. Even though my mom was never able to see my balloons in person (she lived in another state), she was always so proud to share every single project of mine. With this initiative, each week I gift a small business in the LA area with either a doorway balloon garland or two 6′ balloon columns, and each business can select their own color scheme. Hopefully this helps generate more business to the people that need it most and brightens up the neighborhood at the same time. I may have lost my biggest cheerleader, but her ability to support small businesses will always live on.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think most people would be surprised that I don’t always know what I’m doing! There is no “right” way to do balloons, and I think that’s why I love doing it so much — each artist can put their own unique touch on each project. But that also means there’s a lot of trial-and-error, especially when I’m confronted with a new style that I haven’t done before. So many customers tell me they love my work, and I’m so great at what I do, but it just makes me laugh because I still feel like an imposter at times. I am constantly learning, growing, and figuring out ways to become even better at what I do.
I never imagined myself doing balloons as a living; I actually majored in theatre in college and always thought I’d have a career in the arts. A lot of the things I learned in theatre have actually made me become an even better business person. It’s probably why I’m able to appear so confident, even at times when I’m sure I’m destined for failure on the inside.
Pricing:
- Balloon Garlands start at $22 per foot
- Balloon Columns start at $90 each
- Balloon Arches start at $375 each
- Balloon Walls start at $600
- Balloon Mosaics are $225 each
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.confettiandsprinkles.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/confettiandsprinklesparties
- Facebook: facebook.com/confettiandsprinklesparties
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/confetti-and-sprinkles-los-angeles
