Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Drake.
Hi Courtney, 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 graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in interior design. This was in 2008; jobs were scarce everywhere, but especially in my field of study. I pivoted toward financial services and landed a job as a teller at Delta Community Credit Union. This surprised everyone, including me, because Math had never been my passion.
However, I always give 100% and I love a challenge, so I committed myself to the career path and felt grateful to have one during a recession. After 11 years at 3 financial institutions, I earned a role as VP of Underwriting for an exciting finance start-up.
While I was in a promising career, I always had an internal pull to get back into a creative field, so I decided to go back to school. While working to acquire a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in construction management, I freelanced with a local wedding planner for fun. After two years of wedding planning, I realized it tapped on all my natural and acquired skill sets.
Interior design honed my skills to transform any empty space into a beautiful landscape. Construction management prepared me to successfully partner with and manage vendors and contractors. Finance perfected my budgeting skills and formed a solid business foundation. So, in 2016 Drake Social hit the map in Atlanta, GA.
I always keep a student posture to continue growing creatively, personally, and professionally. I’m always refining our planning and design process to create a seamless program that provides my clients with confidence and ease while planning their big day. Over the past 7 years, I’ve taken a grow-slow approach with Drake Social and just 18 months ago added a full-service planner, Cait Madden. She’s a powerhouse and can be my right hand when we’re on the job together or deliver as a lead planner on her own.
In 2018, I set a goal to expand to the west coast. I took an entire month to travel the coast of California to see where Drake Social would thrive. I started in San Diego, then ventured to Orange County, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Napa. After several months of due diligence, I decided to grow in Santa Barbara, CA. Then in 2020, Drake Social officially became bi-coastal. As an Atlanta native, my heart will always be in the south, but my soul thrives on the west coast. I love mixing traditions and trends across both markets, and that translates to one-of-a-kind events for my clients across the country.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been many obstacles and challenges over the last seven years, especially during the recent pandemic. However, I always try to keep a student posture when it comes to my business. The event industry is ever-changing so I try to attend networking events, conferences and meet with industry professionals to continue refining my skills. When I hit bumps in the road, I try to evaluate what I could have done differently or how I could work to improve my process or communication.
At the beginning, I would always say “yes” to client’s needs or wants. Not to say that has changed but I’ve learned to establish boundaries that allow me to have a personal life while also running a successful business. I’ve now implemented office hours and try to take 1-2 days off a week. This ensures I can offer my best self to my clients versus the run-down “yes” version.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Drake Social?
Drake Social focuses on four key elements that compromise our white-glove service; planning, design, production and event management. At the start of planning, we identify your priorities and complete a strategic budget analysis. From there, we’ll book your VIP vendors, using our preferred vendors to pair you with the best industry professionals.
The foundation of our design process is your own unique style and taste. We want to know what your interests are and what inspires you as a couple, then create an authentic design. With our creative team, we’ll develop a design plan that will guide all visual elements of your event. Your design plan will include a comprehensive décor proposal including a visual statement, color story, customized design elements along with floor plan(s).
Our production phase is where we bring the vision to life. We correspond with your vendor team to craft a detailed production schedule outlining specifics related to back of house production, delivery, and set-up completion.
Our event management team will oversee vendors and provide site management on the day of your event. We also serve as the creative director for your event, leading your team of décor vendors through the design plan to ensure execution is in line with your vision.
We ensure every event is authentically designed, perfectly planned, and beautifully executed. Our firm is built on a full-service experience, so we take a limited number of clients each year to focus on the quality of execution.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We value our preferred vendors and are always looking for new talent to continue to offer the best for our clients. With that said, we love to grab a coffee or schedule a Zoom call to get to know more about you and your company. It’s important to us that our goals and ideal clients align.
If you’re interested in learning more about our service offerings, check out our website to submit an inquiry form. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drakesocial.com
- Instagram: @drakesocialevents
Image Credits
Anna Shackleford Willett Photo Jessica Gold Victor Villatoro Rever
