Monthly Archives: June 2010

A Little Note on Becoming Successful (Hint: anyone can do it!)

June 23, 2010

Me at a recent event I designed. Photo by Oetomo

I, like all of you, am still in the process of learning. I am an author, a boss, and for the first time ever I’m happy to inform you that I have been given a shot at teaching. In my journey, I have designed: flowers, bedding, clothing, linen, tableware, light fixtures, events, public art Installations, interior designs, even built Pavilions… For me, any design is about freedom: you think it and you DO it.

My main goal as a teacher is to inspire you to use this simple formula to be successful. I also want to guide you in avoiding all the mistakes and pitfalls I made along my journey. I’ll be teaching an event design course online and within many accredited colleges in the USA.

This course will be covering every single aspect of the event design process with hundreds of images to back it up. My ultimate goal is to stimulate your already existing power to become a success. I have joined forces with the extraordinary and innovative folks at the Wedding Planning Institute to make this course available to all.

For more information you can visit http://www.weddingplanninginstitute.com/prestonbailey/ or take a tour through the design course by clicking here. To enroll in these courses, click here or call 1 888-221-9988 x.9000.

I am convinced that every single one of us has the ability to succeed. It’s not a secret that I was not fortunate enough to graduate from high school. If I managed to get this far, so can every single one of you. The big secret to my success is that for 30 years I have learned this simple lesson: continue to be inspired–even from my failures. This, I think, is the only key to any success.

What would you want to learn if you took my course? I’d love to get any feedback you have to possibly incorporate into my lesson plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions: I want to start writing a blog, but I don’t know how. Help!

June 22, 2010

(Photo via)

This is a great question, and something that’s dear to me because I wondered the same thing (as I’m sure many of us did) when I first started this blog. So many people were out there telling me, “You have to start a blog,” but when I finally did there was no one to say what to do next. So, I’m going to answer your question with a few of my own:

Who are you? (Your blogging persona)
What do you know? (Your area of expertise)
How is your experience different from others? (Your unique experience is what will differentiate you from others.)

Your first blog post should, ideally, answer all three questions above. Of course, life and personalities are more complicated than what can be expressed through just one entry, but this will be a good introduction to the blogosphere and your potential readers. From there, to understand what to write next, think about what you can say that’s different from what everyone else is saying (spend some time thinking about this, it’s important).

Take your top 5 or 10 favorite blogs and spend a good day (or night) reading through them. You’ll notice trends. Maybe there are a lot of Top 10s, Trend Reports or Mood Boards. Those are great, and there’s nothing wrong with that information, but why would you go to one blog versus the other to read it?

Now, think about what’s missing from these blogs. Are they focusing only on bridal gowns and not flowers? Are they talking only about the city of New York and not Chicago?

Take what’s missing and see how you can fill in the gaps.

This part is both difficult and easy because only you can know what you have to offer to others. Don’t stress yourself out if your blog isn’t as “perfect” as you want it to be. Like you, it’s an ever evolving and growing thing, and the more you blog the better you will get.

Please share the link to your first ever blog post, and tell me what you want people to get out of your blog. Here is mine from 2007: http://www.prestonbailey.com/2007/08/welcome/!

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To Do: Become a Cross Dresser

June 21, 2010

Bailey and Blum

Yes folks, I admit it: I am a cross dresser. I read this wonderful expression in the book I recommended on Friday, Tom Kelley’s The Art of Innovation.

He describes a business cross dresser as having the following attributes:

Someone who, for example, was a lawyer or engineer and fell in love with design and switched
Someone self-educated (I fall under this category)
Someone self-motivated and enthusiastic
Or anyone whose energy, motivation and personality are their main qualifications to get the job done.

In our To do list this week, I’d like us to work on exploring our inner “cross dresser.”

If you are a designer, how can you become a planner?
Exercise:

Start helping a close friend or family plan an upcoming event.
Make a list of what you enjoyed most and what drove you crazy, or you found boring.

If you are a planner how can you become a designer?
Exercise:

Design (from start to finish) a close friend’s or family member’s event. (Make this a small event.)
Make a list of what you enjoyed most and also what you enjoyed less.

This To Do list task can apply to any artistic profession that intrigues you. (Of course, we do not want our doctors to be “cross dressers.” ) The beauty of being a “cross dresser” is that it allows us to to move forward in practicing any art form without fear. Like the Nike commercial says, “Just do it” and learn from your mistakes.

I’m wondering…are you a “cross dresser”? What other profession or art form intrigues you enough to want to try it? Also, what were you doing before your present occupation?

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Your Turn: Summer Reading

June 18, 2010

I’ve received such great book recommendations through all of you before that I thought I’d ask again for some much needed summer reading.

Since I’m starting to plan what I’ll be packing for my summer getaway, I’d appreciate hearing about any books you thought were fabulous.

I love reading fiction (for example, on a previous blog post, Eve recommended The Forty Rules of Love and I LOVED it), and non-fiction books about business or self-help.

Currently, I’m reading The Art of Innovation written by the folks from Ideo. It has some great ideas and stories about creativity and being inventive. Thanks to my Creative Director Merv for recommending it to me!

So, please tell me: what are your must-reads for this summer? And why did you love this book?

(Image: Cover of The Art of Innovation)

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Common Mistakes: Not Getting the Right People for the Job

June 17, 2010

I have employed folks with amazing resumes and education; I have even called their old jobs to get references–but these folks turned out to be a big disappointment as workers.

Last week I talked about the importance of taking care of those who work for you, this week I’d like to address what I think makes a great employee. Here are a few important qualities I look for:

I love folks who are rule breakers, even those who challenge me to break my own rules.

If you were a fly on our office wall, you’d hear a lot of very heated discussions (including yelling at times) of my staff defending their points of view. I LOVE THIS. I encourage my folks to teach me things I do not know.
I need to feel an instinctive connection with my employees. I have met some people for the first time and offered them jobs almost immediately. When I first met my Executive Director Vivia Costalas I knew she was someone I needed on my team. I call her “my secret weapon.” She is a force to be reckoned with and always has the ability to go the extra mile to do a great job.
Commitment: They need to live, breathe and love the event industry. One of my most committed folks is my CEO Xoua Vang. Since many of our businesses are in different time zones (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Europe, the Middle East), Xoua will be in the office until 2am working most days. That is what I call commitment.
Fun: I tend to be very laid back with my life in general, and I love folks around me who are not afraid to stop and make a fool of themselves and have a good laugh. I have had the biggest laugh with Karell (my online Goddess), Jee, Camille, Rae, Merv, Nikita, Sanaw, Luiz, Duda, Junior, Anne and Iqbal.

The event business can be rather stressful at times, but we can survive anything with a good laugh. So, for me, no college degree or suits are required–just good ol’ fun creative folks.

If you were applying for a job in our company, what attributes do you think you could add to our group? Let me know.

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