in December of last year, I held my very first business-related party to celebrate the last 3 years of Silkish Beauty's successes and accomplishments. it's hard to think that I'll be hitting my 4 year anniversary in less than 6 months - it went by insanely fast! it's also hard to think about everything that Silkish has become in the time that it has been open, and I could not be more grateful for all of the support and accolades that it has received.
but I won't lie to you. this party was way more than just a business anniversary for me. it was 2 other things: 1. to get all of my friends and important people together and express to them how much I appreciate all of their support and friendship, and 2. to celebrate myself and everything that I've accomplished on a personal level. rarely do I feel like I deserve to celebrate myself. it feels like I'm constantly behind where I should be, like everyone else is light years ahead of me and I can never catch up. the celebration was a reminder to myself that I definitely did not get to any of this success on my own, but also that all of my hard work and dedication to my craft is the biggest contributing factor to all of my success. it was also just a way for me to officially tell myself that I have had success, regardless of the poison of comparison that tries to rob me of my joy or my pride.
here are 3 key takeaways that I wanted to mention in this blog post about my anniversary party:
1. planning a party is HARD, so I'm really thankful I did not have to do it completely on my own! the amount of support and sponsorships and volunteers that helped me put this together are truly the reason why the event was such a huge success. it's a really long list full of amazing people so buckle up!
- Beautiful Restoration Inc. provided their stunning mansion for the party! it was not sponsored - I did have to pay for it - but the price for a 3 hour party and 7 hour total rental so that we could set up and breakdown was incredibly affordable! it was also gorgeously decorated for Christmas, so we really didn't have to provide a whole lot of decor for the event, which was a huge bonus! very kind staff, amazing experience, and would 1000% host another event there in the future.
- the venue staff provided us a recommendation for a pianist - his name was Tom Nix. he was also not sponsored, but oh my gosh, the talent! he played the most gorgeous selection of Christmas music, stayed the entire party, was very friendly and reasonably priced, and was just such a magical addition to the party. never would have dreamed I would host a party with a professional pianist, so now I can cross that off the bucket list.
- all of the stunning, high-quality photography was graciously provided through the sponsorship of Dennise Toews (StudioD Photography), who kindly stepped in after another photographer failed to show up. she was amazing to work with, provided timely photos, and took so so so many stunning shots of the entire party!
- my hair and makeup was sponsored by Ash Cook (Creative Countess), and she did an incredible job! she made me feel like a princess, extremely pampered and cared for. she also did a fantastic job on giving me a stunning glam that lasted through the entire night. she even helped me with doing live swatches of my new products during the event and performing swatches on my guests, since I am not a licensed cosmetologist. the fact that she came through for my event and donated her precious time to help me is something that I am eternally grateful for. and I am happy to say that this sponsorship blossomed into the most amazing friendship afterwards!
- we had Bloons come in and provide gorgeous balloon decor for the event! she did a fantastic job with putting the balloons together quickly and efficiently. they fit the theme of the party and the rest of the venue's decor perfectly! I was really grateful to have this sponsorship contribution to the event as well - I feel like it just really elevated the entire experience.
- we also had Mary Hale (Firefly Permanent Jewelry) come in with her permanent jewelry table and provide all of my guests with the option to purchase a custom Silkish Beauty themed bracelet (green and gold with pearls!). Mary is a wonderful friend of mine and I am really thankful that she provided her time to add an extra touch of glamour to the event.
- stunning floral arrangements on all of the tables was graciously sponsored and provided by Lil's Florals!
- charcuterie and sweet treats were sponsored and provided by Lunch Lady Les LLC, Tiff's Delectable Delights, Kali's Cookie Shop and Jasmine Ross Events. the guests especially loved the cupcakes and cake pops from Tiff - she did a FANTASTIC job!
- goodie bag gifts and giveaway prizes were sponsored and provided by Grace and Glamour LLC, The Beard & Skin Spa, and Red Dirt Freshies.
2. this event celebrated everything that Silkish Beauty has started out from, everything that it has accomplished since its' beginnings, and everything that I have planned for the future of Silkish. I got to share all of it, not only with my friends and family in-person, but also live on Facebook! I got to share my why behind starting Silkish Beauty, the brand's purpose, and how it has elevated my life on a personal level, not just a professional one. one of my biggest missions with Silkish is to craft beauty products both minimally and intentionally completely by hand, for the purpose of helping others feel beautiful and confident. I'm proud to say that in the last 3 years (since December 2024), we have achieved the following milestones in aiming for that mission:
- shipping to 39/50 US states, Puerto Rico, and 5 international countries
- expanded our product line, including working with an overseas supplier to produce 100% customized packaging, creating our handcrafted perfume collection, and creating a complete skincare line.
- hitting 400+ website sales, 500+ local vendor event sales, 15+ wholesale and consignment partnerships, and over $20k in total sales.
in between all of those milestones, I had also gotten married, moved to Oklahoma from Northwest Florida, gave birth to my daughter, worked other side jobs, started a secondary business, and graduated with my bachelor's degree in Digital Marketing. needless to say, the last 3 years have been BUSY. but so so so humbling, rewarding, and filled with love.
3. this is not the last you'll be seeing of Silkish Beauty, or of me. I've got bigger, better things in the works! mind you, a lot of the growth will be quiet and slow, because my devotion to motherhood and being a military spouse keeps me pretty busy. but it is happening. if there's one thing that the last 3 years has taught me, it's that growth is still growth, no matter how loud or fast it is. my business' and my personal growth is on no one else's timeline but my own - it can be overwhelming to think about, but also means that it's filled to the brim with so many possibilities and so much untapped potential, and I think that's pretty amazing honestly.
one of my biggest goals is to someday partner with an overseas distributor so that we can start selling Silkish Beauty to more international clients and customers. the international shipping fees can be a big deterrent (and an understandable one) for a lot of people, and I'd like to bridge that gap at some point. I'd also like to increase my social media presence / following so that we can reach even more beautiful faces, to sign on with more wholesale and consignment partnerships so that we are not as reliant on online sales, and to take on a huge recycling initiative - biodegradable packaging, glass and recyclable product vessels, and a customer recycling program so that you can send in your empties for us to recycle for you! these goals and more are being quietly shifted and planned behind the scenes, so be on the lookout for those announcements in the future.
this was a particularly long blog post, so thank you for reading it all the way through if you did! I really didn't want to leave anything or anyone out. from the bottom of my heart, I could not have done ANY of what you see with my business, with this party, or even with my life without the love and support of my friends, my family, and my business connections that I have gathered over the last several years. thank you a million times over for all of that.
knowing that I've been able to not only accomplish my missions and my passions, but to also see so many gorgeous faces around the world using products that I have made with my own two hands... is such a surreal, otherworldly feeling that I don't think anything else can ever match. I am honored for the last 3 years of getting to provide that and share my love of self-care and beauty with so so many of you. and I hope to continue doing it for many more anniversaries to come.
