Bringing Clients' Visions to Life: Q&A With Karen Hartline of Reinventing Events

First of all, how is business these days?

Business is great! Fall is our busiest season of the year, and we are currently producing multiple conferences. Things will calm down a bit over the holidays, then ramp back up for a huge event in February 2016.

What led you to start your own business?

I was laid off, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I was able to take some time to think about what I wanted my next step to be. It came down to wanting to be in a position that allowed me the freedom to travel and work remotely, as well as enjoy my prime workout time (2:00 - 4:00 p.m.) without having to use that time as my lunch hour. Essentially, I decided being my own boss was really the way to go and I have no regrets!

What sources did you use for startup capital?

My business partner and I each put up $2K to get things started and that was it! The capital essentially covered the cost to file business licenses, hire a designer to create our logo and website, and employ the services of a lawyer to review client and contractor agreements.

What do you think is your biggest business strength?

Realizing the value of what we bring to the table. Understanding this helps when deciding which clients to work with, as well as backing our expert advice that the client has hired us for. I tell clients, “We don’t just execute. We’re a partner with you on the event.” I don’t like telling the client they shouldn’t do something, but I also know that we’ve been hired because we are experts at what we do. I recently had a former client confirm I was right to suggest that they not use the second floor of a large venue space because we wanted to make the event feel more intimate. When the client understands why we suggest something, I know we’ve done our job.

What do you enjoy most about owning your own business?

Setting the standard for what I expect from my team. We work under a "get sh*t done" method, meaning if you need to schedule an appointment during the day (doctor, hair, massage), that’s totally fine, just put it on your calendar so we know you’re not available and make sure anything needed from you is finished before you’re offline so others can keep chugging along. I also don’t allow my team to send emails after hours and on the weekends, as I need everyone to have a break and be in a good place, mentally and emotionally. Working nonstop is not the way to do that. They can work and get caught up after hours and on the weekends if they feel like it, but I don’t allow emails to be sent to clients, venues, or vendors. We use Boomerang so they can schedule emails to be sent during business hours.

What’s your least favorite part of running a business?

Operations stuff. I’ve been running the business solo since early 2014 and I get sucked into doing operations things instead of the biz dev, design, and strategy items I should be focused on.

What do you think are important entrepreneurial skills to have?

Being able to strategize is huge! Whether that’s in marketing, business development, or even conference production planning, it's important to have the ability to see how it all comes together. Start at the end result and work backwards to figure out how to get there. You should also be able to step away from work—you can’t do everything at all times. Know what you can have others do and when you need to take a break. Finally, trust your team. I try to get out of the way of my team so they can do what they need to do, which in turn enables them to own their work and thrive. Trust they know what to do and can do it. Like I tell new team members, I don’t hire incompetent people.

What are some challenges you’ve faced in business and how did you overcome them?

It’s tough having hard conversations, whether that’s with your business partner, a client, or someone on your team, but it’s better to have them than to avoid them, which causes stress. Don’t take things personally—it’s just business. Do what’s right to keep the company on track and think about the best way to move forward.

What do you wish you’d known before you started out?

Don’t be afraid to say “no.” If something is not right for you and your business, you need to do what is right. There were times I didn’t listen to my gut and after all was said and done, I wish I had. Next, always get things in writing—always! Finally, don’t start work for anyone until after the agreement has been signed, even if it’s someone you know or have worked with before, or if you have emails saying everything is good to go. If there’s no agreement signed, no work should be done.

What is the smartest move you have made with your business so far?

My company is set up to hire for talent, not location. We all work remotely, which allows people to work from wherever they want and enjoy their life while working via laptop. It cuts down on my overhead costs and, honestly, there are days I don’t want to be face-to-face with people. I find great people who love the work they do and we have great systems in place for working together virtually.

How do you find new customers? What do you do to make sure they become return customers?

Most of our business is word-of-mouth or via attendees who were present at an event we produced and saw our work firsthand. Because of the events we do, mostly conferences, we work with clients to think about announcing their next event at the close of the event we’re currently working on. If we can get them to understand the strategy in doing this, it’s usually a no-brainer and we can get an agreement in place to start on the following event before the first one has even ended.

What’s your management style with employees?

As I mentioned before, I try to get out of their way as much as possible. I do swoop in from time to time, but the entire team has permission to tell me "we got this" or to go away if I’m disrupting things. I regularly check in with each person to see how their workload is and how things are going. They know they can come to me at any time to discuss things and I make it very clear that I want each person to be happy with what they’re doing. Is our work stressful? Absolutely! But we also love what we do.

What are some other companies or entrepreneurs you admire, and why?

I’ve admired Sara Blakely, Spanx’s founder and CEO, for years after seeing a story on her while flying from San Francisco to New York. Her drive and determination remind me that it won’t always be easy. I love that she felt that every woman should feel good about the way they look, which drove her to develop a less expensive option, making Spanx available to more women.

Do you have an inspirational quote?

"Get sh*t done!"

What new initiatives are you working on?

I have some things brewing, but can’t share just yet!

What advice would you give to someone hoping to start a business similar to yours?

Ask yourself these three things: What do I like doing? What do I not like doing? What do I want to learn more about? Make it a goal to eventually find people to do the things you don’t want to do so that you can focus more on the things you do want to do. Make sure you also work in those things you want to learn more about, maybe via a mentor or educational classes. Starting a company is hard work, but think about what makes you happy and try to do as much of that as you can!

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Photos courtesy of Reinventing Events