Today we’d like to introduce you to Tarrian Grant.
Hi Tarrian, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to entrepreneurship started back in 2006. I moved to Atlanta with hopes of giving my then 8-year-old son a different scenery and a better chance at a long-lived life. After spending about six months in Atlanta, I noticed there were lots of people with my skin tone running their own businesses. That was pretty much unheard of in my circle of influence back in Baltimore. People I knew worked for small or large companies, and others worked for the city or state government. Reaching supervisor, manager, and high ranking positions with these agencies was our main goal. Therefore, seeing people in Atlanta being the owner of these companies was very intriguing to me.
I started paying more attention to my skills and what I was good at. What could I do with what I already had?? Well, I had graduated with 3 degrees in human services by the time I moved to Georgia, so opening some sort of social service agency would be ideal. Naw…not interested. I searched and searched until I realized that I am naturally organized and like things to be in order. Then I thought about the times that I planned birthday parties, holiday parties for my job, baby showers, bridal showers and so on. I did those things without a dime of pay, and I actually love it!
BINGO, that’s it, I’ll start an event planning company. However, I wanted to narrow that down because though I can plan all those things, my brain does not allow me to plan all things at once. I needed to pick one. Started doing some research and came across Ashford University’s Wedding Planning Certification Course. That sounds amazing!! I am a true hopeless romantic, and I love planning events. Let’s do it…. become a Wedding Planner.
In the midst of completing that course, I introduced my brother who was in the Air Force and stationed in another country, to a lady on my job. To be honest, I don’t know why I introduced them, except that I wanted a niece. I had very selfish reasoning for putting this relationship together. HOWEVER! Job Well Done, a couple of years later they asked me (little old me), to plan their wedding. YEEEAAAAA!!!! And we are off! My little business was about to be in full bloom, certification was complete, I was all the way ready to start a huge wedding planning company in the big city of Atlanta, Georgia!
I quickly realized, however, that business was not as easy as it appeared. How did all these wonderful people of Atlanta, whom I didn’t know, somehow encourage me that I can do this. I was clueless. I went to network meetings. I met amazing people in the industry. I was invited to events, conferences, trips, and formal red-carpet events. You name it, I was there trying to get my name out there and meet the right people. I did it all while I was still working my full-time job and taking care of my little son. It was tough. It was really tough.
The move from my hometown was not an easy decision to make. Remember I had graduated with a master’s degree in Social Work before I left. My last job was a Program Manager for the city government. I made it in Baltimore! All I had to do next was land a job with the State, then the Feds. Life would have been a breeze. However, all I could think about was having to get my son out of that city, one way or another. So, when I moved to Georgia, I had to start all over again as a regular CPS worker. Nothing against CPS workers! However, they are typically for people who are just starting out in the field. If you can work the streets of Child Protective Services, you can do just about anything. Fortunately, I moved up again pretty quickly. After a few short years, I landed a nice position at the state level doing something similar to what I was doing back in Baltimore. Then my supervisor, who I absolutely adored, retired. The woman who replaced her came in and started cleaning out (if you know what I mean). At the same time, I kept hearing messages that Georgia is an “at-will” state and you better build your own company. So that’s what I kept doing. I remember this new boss kept calling me into the office for things that didn’t make sense. I knew what I was doing, but she made it seem like I didn’t, and she did. So I quit. I quit my “good government job”, went to work as a contractor while I continued to build my business. WELP! Little did I know….as a contractor, you can easily get released as well. Quickly, that’s exactly what happened. I got released! For no good rhyme or reason.
Unfortunately, my business wasn’t quite ready to stand alone. It was growing. I had added the travel entity to it, but it definitely wasn’t ready to jump out there by itself just yet. When I lost my job, I lost everything. I lost my marriage (which was very short-lived). I lost my home. All I had was my little son that I came to the big city of Atlanta with, and my little wedding, travel and event planning business. I had to deliver food during the day, work as a hotel receptionist overnight and work my business somewhere in between.
Something inside of me wouldn’t give up. I had mentors on the travel side of my business but none on the wedding side, which was the part I loved the most. I did my best. My clients loved me, but it was rough. I cried many, many nights. I then landed a job back in my field working 4PM to 2AM, Sunday to Thursday. Between inadequate sleep and fighting traffic every afternoon, I was done with all of it. In October 2019, I QUIT. Never again will I work for anybody. I went really hard for my business, even started to touch on some real estate projects. I was doing pretty well, for about three months. Then 2020 came in like a storm, and the world shut down. My business of weddings, travel and real estate was pretty much demolished. All I could think was, “But I just quit my job, this cannot be happening”.
Through it all, I am a true believer in God and though the road hasn’t been easy, I never gave up on the dream that my son would live his best life, all his life; and I would be a highly successful entrepreneur like all these other African American people I watch in this big city of Atlanta. As well as, I will leave a legacy for my great, great-grandchildren.
Finally, I was introduced to a business mentor who is absolutely amazing! Though he had his own struggles, probably around the same time I had mine, he learned how to break through and shared all that he knew. It’s rare that you find someone like that, but when you do, grab hold and never let go. Though he is over a decade younger than me, I humble myself (still to this day) to his leadership, guidance, and expertise. The last two years (during COVID-19) out of 15 years of business have been the most successful for me. I have learned so much, I have accomplished so much, I have made the most income, and I have grown mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and socially. He taught me how to focus on what I really love, weddings. My now Destination Wedding certification and expertise has landed me some of the most amazing couples in the world. As well as my former wedding couples come back to me over and over again to plan their vow renewals, anniversary celebrations, milestone birthdays, and more, on Caribbean Islands and beyond. I love what I do, and I do it with lots passion, integrity, and commitment.
Surprisingly, I still use my higher education degrees. As mental health became so apparent through the pandemic, I am able to help that population from the comfort of my home. It works perfectly for me as my calendars are synced and my two career fields are on fire! Lastly, remember the little 8-year-old love of my life that came attached to my hip from our little town of Baltimore. He graduated on full scholarship, debt free with his bachelor’s degree in Architecture. Now working at an architect firm and pursuing his master’s degree in Architectural Engineering. I must say that we are both doing “The Dag on Thang”, and have our Heavenly Father to thank for it all!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were so many obstacles along the way. However, I think my biggest obstacle was my own emotional health. I cried many nights because I had lots of other people’s dreams in the palm of my hand. I was a wedding planner who had no idea what I was doing! I remember going through my own relationship battles while I was working with very emotional ladies. I remember going through a divorce while I was planning a wedding for one of my favorite brides. They would share very sensitive things with me about their relationships. I had to pull out my social work skills to counsel and encourage on many days, at the same time, go home where my own marriage was in shambles. When I say I cried many nights. I mean that from the pit of my soul. Other obstacles were finances during the times that I did not have a steady-paying job. The last huge obstacle was being a one-person company. One of the things I now know is that you must have a team in business. I had a very difficult time building a team. The 6 months to 1 year of planning a wedding was fine for me to do alone. However, the wedding day would be a disaster without a team. I hired interns a few times. Two out of the three started their own businesses, and though it hurt me to lose them, I could not ask for a better thank you. It feels really amazing to know that businesses were birthed under my teaching. However, it left me alone a lot. Every wedding day came through without a flinch, but it was definitely a struggle, and again lots of tear-filled nights.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
With all that I have learned over the years, I now title myself as a Destination Wedding Specialist. There are so many entities when it comes to wedding professionals. There are also so many entities when it comes to Travel Advisors. When we hear the term wedding planner, there are 3 parts – the planner, the designer and the coordinator. My expertise and love are with the planning portion. I love to make the phone calls, send the emails, negotiate the contracts, develop the timelines, and create the day. The designer likes to create the flowers, and the coordinator is the boss on the wedding day. In the travel industry, there are ships, planes, buses, resorts, villas, bungalows, countries, islands, states, you name it. I love the beach and I love clear blue water. When you put my love for planning and beaches together, you have the perfect Destination Wedding Specialist.
When couples decide they want to get married on a Caribbean Island and some other countries as well, they reach out to me for a complimentary consultation. I give them 1 free hour of my time, helping them understand the difference between having a wedding in the states and having a wedding on an island. I explain the process, what they should do, how to research, what questions to ask, why a destination wedding is so much less expensive than a wedding in the states, the best places to get married outside of their hometown, the logistics of the wedding day, how I help their guest have an amazing vacation, and how I work with the island’s resort coordinators to make their dreams come true. Whatever questions they have, they get answered on our consultation calls. There is no pressure to hire me as their destination wedding specialist, yet they always leave the call empowered and ready to start planning the wedding they dreamed of all of their lives.
I am set apart from other wedding planners because “I have professional certifications in wedding planning, travel advising, and coordination of destination weddings”. I have invested thousands of dollars into what I love doing. I have invested hundreds of hours into my niche. I have a particular bride avatar that I target. I am very focused in my efforts to learn this small (but large) portion of the wedding industry. I have developed many relationships with the Caribbean wedding industry, which in turn gives my clients lots and lots of benefits. There are times, with certain repeat clients, that I plan other types of events outside of weddings, however I am absolutely known for my wedding expertise. I am set apart from other travel advisors because again, I specialize in beach weddings in Caribbean countries. I leave the other types of travel to my colleagues. You can actually put me in the category of Romance Travel. If I am not planning a wedding, I am planning a vow renewal, a honeymoon, an anniversary or even a baecation. Anything “LOVE”, I’m all for it.
I am most proud of my logo!! Such a small thing, but I really am proud. I would say I pretty much created it myself. I did have a designer, Papered Wonders, LLC, who designed it for me many years ago. However, even they say that by the time I finished giving them my idea, the design was already done. Once, I was at an event and the announcer pulled my business card out of a basket. His first words were, “I know this logo!” I was almost in tears. I am very proud that my logo has been around for the last 15 years and still stands out. It sure would be nice to get up there in stats with the big yellow “M”, that you can see from every exit off the highway.
I want everyone to know that I absolutely love what I do. I love working with people, I have a heart of empathy. I have been through “all good” and “all bad”. I work hard to serve my clients with professionalism, honesty and integrity. I do all the upfront work. I do all the research and share with them in lame terms. I review all contracts and make sure they understand every word. I use my experience to give them the best options for their specific desires. I make all the contacts with wedding and travel vendors. I honestly try to make destination wedding planning fun and easy, as well as your wedding day gorgeous and relaxing. I am definitely known to take the load off.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
My favorite podcasts are motivational speeches and “I AM” motivations. I believe that everything we want is already within us. We just have to adapt to that thought, and activate. I love to listen to people who motivate me to never give up because “I AM” who God says I am!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tarriweddings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarriweddings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarriweddings
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarriweddings
Image Credits
Jason “JSN” Washington, Jr., George Street Photo & Video, Hard Rock Resorts, Palace Resorts, Casa de Campo, and The Biltmore Ballrooms
