Today we’d like to introduce you to Notoya James.
Notoya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
For the past 10 years, I have decorated events mostly for family and friends. My busy life with a full-time job, a kid in college and working on my second Master degree made it impossible to really venture outside of my circle. In 2015 while planning my wedding, I had a difficult time finding a venue that would allow outside catering, outside vendors for decorations and was price friendly. Once our venue was finally secured, I planned our whole wedding including decorations with the help of a few family and friends. The day after the wedding as my husband and I drove our Pastor to the airport, Pastor Murray convinced me to start Gleaming Events as he was impressed with the level of professionalism and how stress-free the wedding was.
Gleaming Event Hall was a future dream until I was driving one day and found a laser tag location close to my house that also had a party room. You might wonder what that has to do with Gleaming Event Hall. Well, three months later, laser tag was replaced with Gleaming Event Hall. I remember speaking to a real estate agent and mentioning that I am interested in opening an event hall in the future and the agent mentioning the perfect location located at 2569 Peachtree Pkwy in Johns Creek. When I googled the address, the laser tag business popped up and I could not believe my luck. The next day, I viewed the building and although it was beautiful I was not ready to jump. The realtor convinced me that it would be perfect and after speaking to my husband, we decided to go for it.
This is our 3rd year with the event hall and the decorating and planning business has taken off quickly. Being able to provide decorating services at the Hall has been a huge plus for our clients. We recently added a bridal prep area and a catering prep kitchen. As we continue to grow and improve on the current location, the dream is to open more Gleaming Event Halls in Atlanta.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As a married mother of five kids of varying ages from as young as 8 to as old as 21 who is also a Ph.D. candidate, the main struggle has been juggling family life, school life, and work life. I was blessed to be able to open in a location where there was a real need for an event hall that offers the services Gleaming Event Hall offers. The previous business that occupied the space left the perfect shell for an event space, which made it easy for me to go in, make a few cosmetic changes and open the doors for business.
The support of my husband, family, and friends helps to make the struggles minimum. Word of mouth is very important in this business. When I get calls that mention a referral from Facebook or Instagram friend that I may not have spoken to in 16 years, I know that I am doing something right and people are noticing.
Gleaming Events and Gleaming Event Hall – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Gleaming Events is a full event planning, coordination and decorating business. The Gleaming Event Hall is a full-service event venue that gives the clients the option of using as much or as little of our services as they would like. Many venues require the use of their preferred vendors which may not work financially, traditionally or personally for potential clients. As a Jamaican, it is important when I have an event to incorporate food from my country and its difficult to find a venue that can provide catered authentic Jamaican food. I wanted to take the stress out of planning your event.
Although the venue is a beautiful blank canvas, it isn’t always feasible for possible clients due to location or size, therefore, we provide services outside of the Gleaming Event Hall. We are known for our decorating services. We are able to take any theme or concept and bring it to life. The biggest accomplishment is being featured in the B Collective magazine among some of the top event planners/decorators.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is not monetary. Success is what you bring to the world. If I can motivate someone to not give up on their dreams regardless of adversity, then I can say I am successful. When my kids look at me with love in their eyes and tell me how proud they are of me or when I overhear my husband on the phone telling his friends that his wife is the hardest working woman he knows and he wouldn’t change that for anything in the world, I know that I am successful.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2569 Peachtree Pkwy
Cumming, GA 30041 - Website: www.gleamingeventsatlanta.com
- Phone: 678-900-9948
- Email: gleamingeventsbynj@outlook.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gleamingeventsllc
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/gleamingeventsllc
- Other: Gleaming Event Hall
Image Credit:
Rico Vibes Photography
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