Meet Jeannine Kennedy of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeannine Kennedy.

Hi Jeannine, 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 started my first business in 2007, when my only child started kindergarten. I had loved being a stay at home mom, but knew that I wanted to keep busy while he was in school. I made a short list of criteria I wanted in a job, and considered my options from a list of work at home jobs.

Wedding planning kept rising to the top of the list, so when a friend’s daughter got engaged, I asked to coordinate her wedding for free. They kindly let me participate in vendor meetings, review all the contracts, and work closely with them for several months. I learned a lot and quickly knew I wanted to give planning a try.

When the economy took a turn in 2008-2009, people stopped contracting full service planning and the DIY movement took off, with many brides choosing “Day of Coordination” services, which greatly affected my income. I began to consider offering another service to bridge the gap and settled on floral design. I took courses at Hall’s Floral Design School in Atlanta for about 18 months and received a Journeyman Floral Designer certification. Over time, my love for flowers led to a love of gardening in my home garden, but with limited space for growing, this wasn’t much more than a hobby.

In 2023, after both my in-law’s passed away, my husband inherited their 3 acre homestead in Acworth, Georgia. That spring, I suggested to my husband that we plow the field and plant a lot of flowers and some vegetables like his parents used to do. The absolute thrill of growing on a bigger scale and experimenting with new flower and vegetable varieties was something I did not expect. We are now in season 3 and have doubled our little “hobby” income year over year. We open the farm to our community about 6 Saturdays each summer from July – October for U-Pick Days, in which our guests get a bucket and some snips to walk the field and pick flowers to take home. We sell a few vegetables as well, and I make preserves and pickles to sell, along with seeds and bulbs from the property. We also sell flowers by the bucket to florists and clients who want to DIY an event or wedding, and I often sometimes get to use our flowers for my own wedding clients.

My wedding season earnings for planning and floral design largely funds the seed and supply purchases for the farm. I’ve been very fortunate to book weddings this year from February to June, with no bookings in July, August and September (it is often too hot in Georgia to be outdoors during these months) which will allow me ample time on the farm when I’m needed there the most.

I think perhaps the most important thing I can take from all these years is to never stop learning. Learning something new or trying a new approach keeps the work exciting and helps you to improve the client experience overall.

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?
No, the life of self-employment, regardless of the field is definitely not for everyone! I’ve been so fortunate that my husband is the primary breadwinner, which really takes the pressure off me. He carries our health insurance and pays the household bills. Not every business owner has that kind of support, so I try to never take him for granted. He is also my day of assistant on almost every wedding, and after almost 30 years of being married, I can honestly say that together, we are a force!

Early on, the struggle was funding things I thought I needed for the business. Now, we have a basement and a garage full of rarely used items I thought I had to add to my offerings. Truly, I could have made it with a smartphone, laptop, printer and a good, reliable vehicle. Once I realized that I did not want to be in debt, that the business had to fund itself, saying no to purchases became a lot easier.

Work/life balance is hard for every working woman, but when our only child was in school, it was especially hard for me, and I wrestled with priorities every day. Now, I really try to protect the weekends when I am not under contract, and I have a strict policy of returning calls/texts/emails within 24 hours or on the next business day.

I also struggled early on with thinking I had to be at every wedding industry function in Atlanta, and that networking and expensive advertising was going to be the key to success. It took me years to realize that my best advertising is a happy client and vendor partners who feel like part of a team. Fast forward to today, and most of my contracts are for venues in NE Georgia, and 85% of my clients come to be on referral and word of mouth. I rarely go into Atlanta anymore, which is wonderful because the traffic is such a beast!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think that vendors and venues enjoy working with me because the heart of what I do is serve others. I will gladly take out the trash or clean up a spill and I never see anything a task like that as “not my job”. I feel that as the planner, the success of the event as a whole is my responsibility.

I also take good care of my vendors. I will ask them if they need a water or if I can make a dinner plate for them. They work hard, are on their feet for long hours, work in excrutiating heat and are still incredible in their abilities. I see them as a friend first, and as a vendor second.

Clients appreciate my attention to detail and calm demeanor. Those are the two things that are mentioned over and over in my client testimonials. I am usually the first to arrive and the last to leave, always asking the venue if everything is in order so our client is not penalized in anyway.

I am starting to think my pricing is about 25% less than local competitors. I’ve recently had a declination for a contract, only to have the client come back after a few days and sign the contract as is. I’ve also had some incredibly gracious gratuities in the last few years. This makes me wonder if my pricing is too low, or if the client saw the true value after the services were completed. Either way, the client is happy, and I have the great satisfaction of a job well done.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
You may not have years of experience. You may be the new kid on the block, whatever industry you are in. You may be a one-person company, like I am, competing against competitors that have multiple employees and have been around forever. How do you compete with those kind of challenges? Always overdeliver. It may be the end of the night and your feet are killing you. Even so, help pack the decor in your client’s car. Help the caterer take out the trash, Help the venue lock up and turn out the lights. Throw in a small, extra floral design for the restroom or the bar. Include a premium flower in the bridal bouquet that she loved but opted out of. Get the parents of the bride a drink from the bar whenever you see their glass get low. Always overdeliver and outwork others when you can. That kind of service stands out starkly in today’s society, and will set you apart from the competition every time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kinshipandvine.com
• Instagram: @kinshipandvine
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeannine.kennedy