Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Edwards Smith.
Tamara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My life journey starts in South Florida, just outside of Homestead Air Force Base, which is where my parents met and still live to this day. My dad was in the military for 21 years and was stationed there when he met and married my mom. A year after, they were married while stationed at George Air Force Base, I was born in Victorville, California. As a military child, I was raised by the United States Air Force, the many places I lived and the experiences I had across the country and the world formed me. However, my roots are deep in Florida and no matter where the Air Force took us we always returned home to Miami, which I call my hometown. After college, I married back into the Air Force and soon afterward traveled to Okinawa, Japan where my husband and I were stationed for three years. It was there that my interest in Event Management & Planning started. I’ve always loved throwing together a brunch, birthday party, private dinner or a charitable event. It’s something about getting a group of people together for some great conversation, healthy debates, and of course, cocktails and food that ignited my passion for creating a social environment where all are welcome to enjoy. Being a part of the military whether you’re an active duty member, spouse or dependent child you get to meet some amazing people along the way. Most of those people become your lifelong friends. It’s how my dear friend Felicia Fencl and I became business partners. After I planned her retirement party from the Air Force in 2016, we combined our 20+ years of experience in public relations, marketing, hospitality & event planning and formed our company, The Collective Shine Agency.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Life is never a smooth road. It comes with speed bumps, detours, U-turns, potholes, and roadblocks. The “Chaos Coordinator” in me, kind of likes to maneuver that way. Encountering challenges and overcoming obstacles allows me to grow personally and professionally. You have to learn to navigate the road with a plan in mind to deal with life’s bumps and trust that along the way there will be a few good stretches of smooth riding. I’ll say the biggest challenge in my journey with event management has been securing venues for events. Our company and clientele host events all across the world in places such as L.A., NYC, The Bahamas, and Dubai. While we live in a technologically advanced digital age where video and 3D tours of potential meeting spaces are easily accessible from a laptop or smartphone, nothing is more frustrating than not being on the ground in a city to really view all that an event space has to offer in-person. A lot of my time is committed to phone calls, emails, pictures and video conferencing to truly get a sense of a location that will help bring a vision for an event to life. This journey has taught me patience, resilience, and gratitude. Personally, it hasn’t been easy being a Mompreneur. In addition to working with clients, I am responsible for the demands of raising three sons and helping them grow & develop into great men. Work-Life Balance is a major struggle, trying to manage everyone’s individual schedules within my family and be a successful entrepreneur has been quite a challenge. My oldest son Ivan is a collegiate Track & Field Jumper, my middle son Keith is entering his senior year in high school and my youngest son KJ is a travel basketball athlete. As our clientele grows and work sometimes takes priority, I’ve finally learned to not have Mom-Guilt when missing a basketball game, awards ceremony or huge track meet. It does help to have an extended network of family members and friends that I can depend on to give that extra support when I can’t be there.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Collective Shine Agency story. Tell us more about it.
Our company, The Collective Shine Agency is a full-service public relations and event management firm that represents talent in the beauty, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle industries. We operate two offices; one in Phoenix and the other in Atlanta. As the Senior Event Manager, I execute special events for our company and with our clients. Those may include Launch Parties, Book Signings, Empowerment Brunches, Grand Openings, Conferences and Charitable Events. I identify your target audience, formulate the event concept, plan the overall logistics of the event and conduct full project management of the event. We also align clients to strategic partnership opportunities such as co-branding events or participation & affiliation in existing events to establish and increase awareness in our client’s brand. Our mission is simple, make our clients SHINE!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in God. I put my faith and trust in Him and I always know he makes a way, even when things seem impossible. My faith helps me stay grounded, when others may say that I was lucky or unlucky because I know that all that he does for me both personally and professionally is always right on time. I’m blessed, no matter what!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thecollectiveshine.com
- Phone: 602-601-2502
- Email: tamara@thecollectiveshine.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/shineonmara
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thecollectiveshine
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/thecs_agency
- Other: www.instagram.com/thecollectiveshine
Image Credit:
Cindy Maiyer Photography, Fiesta Ban Photo, Ryan Rickets Photography, Shannon Gilpin Photography, Hair by: Alexia Brown
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