Today we’d like to introduce you to I’yana Houston.
Hi I’yana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Oooo well, I would absolutely like to start with — I had no idea that creating experiences and being an event planner would be a part of what I would do with my life. At all.
I moved to Atlanta about six years ago with the intention of expanding my life and experiences beyond my hometown. When I first arrived, I connected mostly with family and focused on finding work that could support my livelihood.
I realized very quickly that roles with the potential for stagnancy weren’t meant for me. Desk jobs and repetitive work never felt aligned. What truly energized me was creativity. Don’t get me wrong, creativity can exist in corporate spaces, the environments I encountered just simply weren’t for me.
Now as we really get into it — My introduction to the event world began with a simple role—cleaning up after guests and making sure people were enjoying themselves. But moving through an event space and witnessing people smile, laugh, dance, and connect sparked something in me. I became curious and asked to be placed on another event.
From there, I only wanted to be in spaces where there was something different going on and with events there’s always something new. I applied to be an assistant to an event planner in the Atlanta area and I’d say I was very persistent in contacting this individual. I really wanted to know more about the behind the scenes of the event world and how everything came to be. From there, I didn’t stop. I was hired by this planner and they were how I learned so much about the industry — working with clients, setting up meetings, managing budgets, and recognizing what it truly takes to bring an event together. (This was the REAL spark) I knew I wanted to do this for people everywhere but in my way.
As of today, I have experienced many ups, downs, lefts and rights but every step, every moment, every idea and thought brought me to having my own event planning company and planning events all over the U.S and beyond. I am thankful to say the least.
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?
Absolutely. Why? Because I have learned so much. Beyond what I thought I could and would learn as an individual experiencing life on this Earth.
I would definitely say I encountered obstacles on my journey to becoming a business owner but nothing that I would consider life-shaking. Maybe when I initially began and experienced a setback (or so I thought) that I believed my road wasn’t smooth but in my experience one of the greatest things I’ve learned is that it’s all about how you look at it.
I learned to embrace moments where a potential client didn’t call back or respond, when I doubted almost all of my ideas or when I had no one to talk to about my feelings and beliefs. Those things can be discouraging but I didn’t allow that to happen because it would’ve set me into an unhealthy space. Which would not have been helpful. I decided to believe in myself more than anything else.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Event Experience Producer (or event planner as many call it). I have my own business ‘The Event Collective’. I specialize in all things connection. I believe that in any event space or during any event, we can connect. Events to me are great breeders of connection. Whether it is a birthday party or a wedding or a gala or corporate soirée — connecting to others is available.
I do many private dining experiences, as well as soirée’s for groups up to 200. I really enjoy intimate settings. However, over the past two years I’ve been fond of larger settings. I feel that a lot of the time during a larger scale event(200+), it can be a challenge to bring the connection that you would find in a more intimate event so it inspires me to be that bridge to bring people together by doing unique activities or having unique entertainment to get people to connect with one another.
I am most proud of myself for believing in myself and making this happen. Especially during slower moments or seasons, to continue to trust and believe that I am capable. So many times people compare themselves to others and things that they see online or social media and as soon as you do that, you halt your journey because someone else’s journey isn’t yours. I taught myself that no matter what happens in my life experience, it’s my journey and I’m thankful for however that looks.
I believe what sets me apart is my energy and the way that I choose myself and choose to show up for myself and others. I’m a big believer in alignment and balance — when a client comes to me, my first thought is if it’s aligned for both of us. “We’re clearly meant to cross each other’s paths but are we meant to continue here?” I share that with not only my clients but everyone that I meet. I believe my energy stands above everything else.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
As showing up and doing your best.
Success to me can only be measured and defined by the self, not by what we hear or see outside of ourselves. My success can look different every single day and following that for example recognizing that my success can look different every day and being okay with that is success to me.
Pricing:
- Private Dining Experiences — $750+
- Day of Coordination — $850+
- Partial Planning — $1100+
- Full Service Planning — $1600+
- Creative Consulting — Inquire
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eventcollective.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lady.iyana and https://www.instagram.com/_theeventcollective
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lady.iyana and https://www.tiktok.com/@_theeventcollective
Image Credits
Shanna Gregory
Kaylin Smith
John Cassey
