Are you longing to attend an awesome event that you want to relive over and over again? Or dreaming of hosting an impromptu dinner party with friends? Well, you are not alone. Today, we chat with Sterling Social, a full-service event, design and production company based in Los Angeles, California. From vision to execution, they plan and produce high profile entertainment and lifestyle events, product launches, luxury weddings and social celebrations and red-carpet occasions. Angela and Erin will discuss the process of rolling out the red carpet and why it's not always red. You'll learn how they design an event from vision to execution and what makes Sterling Social so successful. They will also share simple tips on how you can bring creativity into your home for milestone celebrations during quarantine.
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Episode #16: Rolling out the red carpet with Sterling Social
Angela [00:00Angela [00:00:01] As you keep going, you're seeing the same repetition of logos that all need representation for those press moments. But, with some of these clients, we get to get really creative with how we build out those backdrops. And so, oftentimes that's what they are. You know, we're building dimensional art pieces, installations where, you know, they're visually beautiful versus just the standard, you know, step and repeat. Step and repeats have come a long way. So that's definitely one area of the event, you know, whether you're getting to walk down the carpet or walk past it. That's really the first moment of drawing people's eyes and attention into what's this color palette? What's this feel of the event? You know, we get to lure them in with those cool, you know, colors, patterns, textures or just like materials that we're using.
Madeline & Becca [00:01:03] Welcome to The Madeline and Becca Podcast. The mission of our podcast is simple, to inspire professional self-confidence in women everywhere. I'm Madeline. And I'm Becca. On our podcast you will hear stories from real world influencers, women who have experienced tremendous success in their careers by building self-confidence. Thanks for joining us.
Becca [00:01:43] Are you longing to attend an awesome event that you want to relive over and over again? Or dreaming of hosting an impromptu dinner party with friends? Well, you are not alone. Today, we chat with Sterling Social, a full-service event design and production company based in Los Angeles, California. From vision to execution, they plan and produce high profile entertainment and lifestyle events, product launches, luxury weddings and social celebrations and red-carpet occasions. Sterling Social was co-founded by event experts and powerhouse entrepreneurs, Angela Margolis and Erin Sprinkel, who joined forces and opened their doors in 2010. Angela and Aaron grew up on the same street in Orange County, California. They both had a natural love and talent for planning events and started early from proms to sorority functions. After graduating from USC, Erin went back to speak on campus for an alumni event panel at the Annenberg School of Communication. Angela, still a student at the time, was in the audience. This connection materialized into Angela interning and eventually working at the same firm as Erin. After rising through the ranks of the event production company together, they found themselves working in freelance at the same time and began collaborating. This was the start of Sterling Social. Sterling Social works with publication powerhouses such as Variety and Women's Wear Daily, global media brands and studios such as Netflix, Amazon and Searchlight Pictures. And Beauty, Fashion and luxury brands Murad, Saks Fifth Avenue and Mercedes Benz. On today's episode, Angela and Erin will discuss the process of rolling out the red carpet and why it's not always red. You'll learn how they design an event from vision to execution and what makes Sterling Social so successful. They will also share simple tips on how you can bring creativity into your home for milestone celebrations during quarantine. Here's Madeline.
Madeline [00:04:10] Can you tell us what are your individual skill sets that you guys bring to the business?
Angela [00:04:15] Yeah, absolutely. I think I definitely lean a little more to the creative side of things and are drawn to more of the visual aspects of what we do. Erin is like logistical. Like, we're very like right brain, left brain. You know, she is super organized and, you know, can kind of break down the timeline of how we're supposed to pursue something. So, it's like, Erin, makes sure all of like the hard build elements are coming together. You know, a lot of the technical aspects as well. Whereas I you know, I always describe it like if Erin and I walk into the same space, I'm immediately starting to think about layout or what can visually fill it. And then Erin's going to like, how is this going to logistically flow? You know, how will people arrive? Where are the best points for things to function? So right off the bat, we tackle things from different angles. But what's really unique and special about what we do when we work with our clients, we don't split it up in that way. And we're constantly juggling things, bouncing things off of each other. So, we are able to do both sides of those things. That's been what's really so great about how we've come up in this business for how many years now Erin? Like 15, 16 years. We've worked in this industry.
Erin [00:05:47] Yeah. I think like...
Angela [00:05:49] I'm losing track.
Erin [00:05:51] 17, 18.
Angela [00:05:52] But we've been able to work from all angles on things verses ... And because we've always worked in small company environments, you kind of, all you know, you have to wear many hats. Do you know what I mean? Because you're not just in one department or focused on one specific aspect of working with a client or an event. So, we've been able to learn every aspect of, you know, budgets and timelines and dealing with insurance and permits, but also the design aspect and all of those things. But what's been beautiful about our experience together, because we kind of divide and conquer, we're able to nurture what we're most passionate about too and kind of, you know, run in those two directions with things. But when the time comes, we're always circling back to each other on, you know, both of our eyes are on a budget and how we're building that or both of our eyes are on a design deck, you know, to make sure, like I've looked at this too long, how does it look to you? And so, we do that with our team inclusively as well before we're presenting things to a client. And then when everyone's working with us, our whole team is in direct communication with our clients two verses oh, you just call one of us for a certain aspect.
Madeline [00:07:22] So I think as we're all surviving this pandemic and we're quarantined at home and we are missing social events and social interaction, and I think it is brought so acutely to everybody's worlds, like we're never gonna say no to another invite ever. Becca and I have talked about this. I was like, never say no again, ever, never going to be too busy. I'm going to everything for the rest of my life. And, you know, of course, wanting to get dressed up and, you know, have that creative experience and all of that, like your beautiful Instagram, which we've been dreaming about. We just want to walk right into all of those scenes. They're so enticing. And for our listeners, I think it would be wonderful if we could just walk through the process, the actual creative process of doing an event. So, Erin, you had mentioned, you guys do red carpet. Can you just, like let's walk through the process, starting with like when a client comes in and they have a red-carpet event, how do you guys start to build a vision and a brand at the beginning of the creative process?
Erin [00:08:25] Yeah, oftentimes, you know, our clients come to us. Sometimes they have a venue, sometimes they don't. Sometimes there's already through their marketing graphic design department, there's already like, you know, a color palette and a logo or, you know, whatever their kind of mission is that they're looking to accomplish for the event. So, we then come in from the aspect of, of course, figuring out logistically how is the red carpet premiere event going to set up, figure out the necessary steps to figure out the right venue. And then, yes, we then work in conjunction with the client to build out the different design visuals based on, most the times on their preexisting, you know, color palette or logo or, you know, taking a look at their, you know, overall brand and vision and analyzing their website and their Instagram and their product X and all of those sorts of things.
Madeline [00:09:21] So tell us about all the elements that go into that process, like texture and floral. And, you know, how do you set the ambiance and make all of those things cohesive?
Angela [00:09:34] So, I think that's where we start with mood board designs, you know, just anything with, you know, and sometimes that's a mixture of actual elements we're planning to bring in the space in terms of furnishings. But, yes, so much of it is color palette, textures, just like an overall feel and mood that will enhance an existing environment and portray the feeling they want people to experience when they step into that space. So, we lead with so many visuals. Our approach to a lot of these events are to kind of create a residential feel and environment. We want you to feel, you know, at home when you walk into a space. We want you to sit. We want you to stay a while. We want you to mix and mingle. That's the whole point from you know, from the brand side or the entertainment side. Why are they doing these tangible events? They want people to experience, like, the lifestyle of their brand. So, it's our job to create a setting that people just get immersed right away. They're so happy to be there. They have good association with the experience they had. So, you know, for us, it's about right off the bat getting a client excited about those visuals, you know, and just having a feeling jump off the page. So, whether we're luring them in with a bold color palette or just kind of a serene, soft feel of something neutral, we're kind of painting a picture right off the bat. Then we get into the layers of, OK, what are these furnishings look like? Are we creating a standing room only environment where there is a lot more, you know, high cocktail tables or console tables with bar stools? Is there lounge seating? Is there a stage element? You know, what is the feeling that people are supposed to get when they're in the space? And then we go so, you know, so far as to pulling actual fabric samples or doing mockups for clients. You know, oftentimes if there's a dinner environment, for example, we'll do a full tabletop mockup with those florals, with the actual, you know, china glassware, napkins, what are the menus? What's the texture of that? So, we will bring actual, you know, prototypes and samples of things so that people can see on a smaller scale. What is this going to look and feel like? And then for things that are on a larger scale fabric drapery, if we're building hard walls, if we're building out an actual tent structure, you know, we're at least just showing them the materials of those bigger build elements that will go into it to paint the overall picture.
Madeline [00:12:18] And what elements go into creating good social interaction? How do you capture that and make sure that it's going to be spaces for people to talk as the client wants them to talk and facilitate that, you know whatever the event might be?
Angela [00:12:36] I think it's, it's creating, you know, an environment where people are comfortable and that they don't need to wait too long for the event to happen. So, it depends on the scope and scale of what that event is. If it's on an intimate scale, if it's a nice dinner. You know, creating little icebreaker moments or something interesting for people to talk about or creating, you know, a personal experience with the setting. So, people right off the bat feel warm, invited. It will encourage conversation. People want to sit down at that table and they immediately have a good feeling about it. On a larger scale, it's about making the event environment, just flow properly. You don't want to walk in the door and get bottlenecked at a bar, you know, and not be able to grab your drink, so then you can go sit comfortably with someone. So, we want to make sure that tray passing is taking place, that maybe there are branded moments or icebreaker things that encourage people to interact with the brand right off the bat. Are there, you know, great photo backdrop experiences, just different things for people to experience throughout the event, to keep exploring, to not just get stuck in one spot, you know, to know that there's a lot of different layers to explore within the event versus just walking in and what you see is what you get.
Madeline [00:14:10] And on the back end, Erin, how do you keep track of all of these things? It's just obviously you've got so many different vendors and moving pieces and making sure that things flow as they're supposed to flow and come at certain times and all of that. How does that happen behind the scenes?
Erin [00:14:25] Well, we develop, you know, production schedules and timelines. And that's outlining, you know, the very first moment that we have access to a venue. Then it outlines each of the different deliveries and, you know, trucks that are rolling up to loading docks, who's delivering when and where? OK, you know, the tables and furnishings and chairs are coming in at this time. The stage is then being built at this time, you know, lighting is then being installed at this time. We're then doing a lighting check at nine o'clock at night. You know, sometimes with events we set up, you know, the day or multiple days before. So, we obviously then have a very, very large and long production schedule. And then, you know, we kind of just keep, keep all of our details and reminders and timeline there, so that both then the venue and the vendors and everyone knows who's coming when. And we also then have to strategically stagger everyone so that there are, you know, not toppling over one another. And you have to kind of create a good, you know, flow to it so that, you know, everything comes in in the right order as well. So, that production schedule becomes, you know, super important for our team. And then obviously we create run of shows, which is then, you know, outlining the flow from the guests perspective from the first moment that guests arrive through any sort of, you know, speaker moments and sees, musical performances, video moments, any sort of important cues are outlined in that run of show. And then obviously, once the event's over, everything comes out of the event much, much, much quicker than it does coming in. It's like we can, you know, build an event for, you know, two or three days and then it comes out within, you know, a handful of hours after the event. So, it's, it's always crazy to see. But, for me on the logistics side, you know, once we kind of are getting towards the end of the event, that's when my mind kicks into okay, you know, reviewing over who's coming when to pick, you know, pick back up different elements and making sure everything gets loaded out on time. So, it really, really does come down to the schedule and, you know, our master contact lists and those sorts of things.
Angela [00:16:46] And our goal is always, we know all the moving parts behind the scenes. We know how it's down to the minute, like when certain things are supposed to take place, that we want everyone experiencing it to just have it be organic. We don't, you know, we want to make that feel as least structured as possible, so people aren't thinking about it. So, oftentimes we're sharing these timelines, you know, to the client's comfort level, like in terms of everything going on behind the scenes. That's also what builds the trust factor of, OK, I know it's on paper. I know it's in your hands. I know you guys are taking care of this aspect, but we really want the client to walk into that setting as well. And, like, forget all the behind the scenes, you know, so that's our job. The more organically an event flows, we've done our job properly because we just want people to feel like there's no dead time. You know, things are seguewaying naturally and it doesn't feel like a forced event experience.
Madeline [00:17:52] And do I guess either one of you? Do you have a favorite event that you've planned together that really stands out in your mind as something that was just amazing to plan, and it just went off like beautifully and was incredibly memorable?
Erin [00:18:07] I'd say, one of my most favorite events we did a couple years ago was with Netflix. We did, they had a new series coming out called Girl Boss, and we did the premiere and afterparty for that event. And, I just loved everything about that event because we got to watch the series in advance and then obviously build our design deck and concepts off of the show. And it just had, you know, a color palette, the textures, the florals, the creativity with it. You know, we obviously built the red carpet out for that and had some fun little details at the premiere. But then after the premiere, everyone transitioned over to an adjacent, you know, event space where the afterparty took place. And, you know, everyone walked in to, you know, all these neon lights and like, we built out a full closet with all kinds of vintage clothes and shoes and accessories. And that was like the entrance moment. And we had, you know, a bar front that had high heels and shoes all over it and, you know, a patch making station and different things like that. So, I just think the, you know, kitschyness and, you know, eclectic vibe and the creativity that we got to have on that event was, you know, super fun and loved seeing that one come to life.
Angela [00:19:37] That was a good one. A really good one. Gosh, I mean, I would say a milestone moment for us as a company was when we did the first Mercedes Benz Oscar viewing party. That was kind of a wow. Like, you know, already awards season in L.A. is such a coveted time for so many event producers and on the creative side. And it's just a really exciting time in the city. So, to be kind of behind the scenes on something big like that, it was an exciting time for our company as well, because, you know, the growth we were, we were gaining just in terms of new clients we were working with. So that was really exciting. And you know that I mean, we're going into our fifth year now of viewing that event, which, you know, it's gone from ... and it's still a pinch me moment every year to get to do something like that over again. We absolutely love our clients and the creative process that we get to collaborate with them on and build upon that event to make sure the repeat guests that are attending every year, like how do we start over, rethink, you know, the layout and flow, rethink, you know, the visuals, other exciting things that happen to keep that event fresh and exciting. And people, press wanting to come, and guests wanting to come and keep it talked about each year. Especially when you're in the same space every year. So, it's definitely one of our more challenging events, but in such an exciting way, because we kind of start all over with a fresh project that can kind of build on the branding and experiential aspects for the same client each year and kind of go over, you know, any key wins and learnings and how that goes. But that's really every year we get so excited. Once it happens, it's like, all right. OK, what's the next one going to be? And so, we're already talking about that next event. And so, we feel so lucky, especially with clients like that, where we do have an ongoing relationship, where we know those continued events get to keep happening. That's for sure I think for Erin and I, we talk about it all the time that that's the most rewarding aspect of what we do, is being able to have those ongoing relationships and, you know, impress our clients and blow them away each time, you know, because we have the chance to work on, you know, the same or similar events with them each time.
Madeline [00:22:20] It's great to hear what it is like behind the scenes, because from this side as a listener and for our guests, you know, watching a red carpet event is such an exciting moment. You know, you're sitting on your couch, you know you're comfortable, you've got a drink and you're watching all the style and the fashion and how it looks and the aura, you know, just, you know, the red carpet. And so, for your red carpet events, is the carpet always red, is there always like that red runner? Is that standard or tell us what that means?
Angela [00:22:48] It will always be called, it’s so funny. We always call it the red carpet. But actually, our challenge is, how can we do anything but a red carpet? You know, because it's what you said, like that's what you see. I mean, there are the situations where that's just the classic iconic moment. You know, and so especially with some of these bigger ongoing awards, like, you know, look at these people for their careers, that moment of stepping onto the red carpet. You want to step onto a red carpet, you know, but so much of what we do is how can we take that outside the box? And, you know, use a different color, an interesting material, you know, it doesn't even have to be a carpet. But how do we re-brand these step and repeats, you know, and that's taking it back to something like a Girl Boss or a Mercedes Benz. Like, you know, oftentimes you're just seeing, you know, it's why we call it, a step and repeat, like you just, as you keep going, you're seeing the same repetition of logos that all need representation for those press moments. But with some of these clients, we get to get really creative with how we build out those backdrops. And so, oftentimes that's what they are. You know, we're building dimensional art pieces, installations where, you know, they're visually beautiful versus just the standard, you know, step and repeat. Step and repeats have come a long way. So that's definitely one area of the event, you know, whether you're getting to walk down the carpet or walk past it. That's really the first moment of drawing people's eyes and attention into what's this color palette? What's this feel of the event? You know, we get to lure them in with those cool, you know, colors, patterns, textures or just like materials that we're using.
Erin [00:24:42] And we work, we work hand in hand with the PR, you know, team, because they're the ones that are arranging all of the press that are going to be, you know, on the carpet. So, I think the length of the carpet obviously is determined by guest count and celebrity or VIP that are going to be showing up and then also just the number of press that are involved, you know, because you could just have, you know, a 20-foot, you know, step and repeat or you could end up having a 50 or 100 foot pending on, you know, the size and scope of the event. So, you know, we set the rope expansions and build the, you know, press wall and put the carpet down. And then the PR team comes in and, you know, they're the ones that place all the different press outlets that are gonna be interviewing everyone that's going down the carpet.
Madeline [00:25:32] And I guess I have kind of a novice question, but do you guys think about, like with I think about high stiletto, high heels. Like, do you think about how people are going to be able to walk through a space like that? Because sometimes you look at these heels and Becca and I, oh, my gosh, we love them. They look so fabulous, but how do you get the down the red carpet without, you know, without tripping?
Angela [00:25:48] That's talent in itself? Right? We don't call it talent for nothing. Yeah, of course. I mean, we have to think about just you know, this is what we say too, you know, a space can't just look good. It has to feel good. Do you know what I mean? And so, oftentimes that's where sometimes Erin's talking me off a ledge when I'm going down a design tangent. She's like, well, OK, we really have to think about how this is going to function too. So, it's not just about, you know, something can look good and photograph beautifully. But if the guest experience is totally off and does not sync up with that, that's a failed event, you know, so we have to marry those two worlds. So, yes, you know, you're thinking about comfort. You know, if you're on, you know, a field, for example, and you're doing a hard build, you know, are you making sure that, you know, you're able to put a subfloor down. Are you going to be dealing with inclement weather? You know, but then it's also how do we disguise all those elements? You know, we're running cables and hard build things underneath that to make sure that you're not tripping over cords and seeing those logistical elements, you know? We're thinking about, you know, heat and, you know, warmth and making sure people are temperature comfortable, you know, things like that. So, there's a lot of those comfort things that go into play just in terms of determining, you know, how we build out a situation, whether or not a space already has that kind of nice infrastructure or if we have to kind of create it from the ground up. So, yes, it's not just how it looks. It has to feel functional as well.
Madeline [00:27:44] And can you just speak to I mean, I think we all think when we host events, what happens if something goes wrong and how do I not panic? And I'm sure in your business, you've had things that have been snafus along the way. For our listeners, can you describe how do you handle something when you know, when it doesn't go quite as planned? And do a you know, on the ground, triage.
Erin [00:28:06] I mean, we're in the, we're in the business to have the Plan B and C backup plan. So, in the planning and preproduction process, we're obviously identifying, you know, OK, well, if this happens, what are we going to do? And coming up with those backup options. But then, of course, when you're on site, you know, you could have measured something and then your bar arrives. And if it's like half an inch too big and it doesn't fit on the space, like sometimes there's tools that are coming out to make sure something fits, you know, where it's supposed to go. So, any event we have ever done, whether it's an intimate dinner for 10 people or we're at the Rose Bowl for five-thousand people, you know, you have to think of those backup plans. You know, we've, you know had, we had a wedding once a few years ago where the generator went out during the middle of the wedding. And thank goodness we had that backup generator sitting right next to the generator that went out because it was a pretty swift transition with the cabling to, you know, the backup generator and the power came back on and, you know, guests were OK with it. And I don't even know if anyone ever been at this point. But for us, in that moment, it was like, "no, the generator just went out." But again, that's where it was like, yes. You know, that, that is the reason why we have a backup generator. And, you know, moving forward, if a client ever tells us, no, we don't need a backup, we tell them that story.
Angela [00:29:47] And that's why, also it's making sure your client is onboard with the backup plans, because from the get-go, we can see some of those things that could be challenging with a space or where we are. But, you know, backup plans costs money. They eat into a budget. And so, it's all about how we're able to lay that out for a client from the beginning too versus towards the very end railroading them, with actually too, now that you've planned this entire incredible and beautiful event. Now, just to make sure it goes off without a hitch, you should make sure that you're throwing in these backup options. You know, we try to make sure that those have a place and a budget from the beginning as well, because, you know, we don't want them to feel railroaded into that in the very end. So, you know, our job is to kind of assess, you know, an event as a whole and from the beginning come up with, you know, what some of those challenges might be. Obviously, you get curveballs thrown at you, sometimes unexpectedly. So, you might have to decide on these things last minute. But for the most part, if we already know, you know, we're in a place with spotty service, for example, and we're doing a brand event. And it's all about social media and connectivity. You know, we're going to make sure that, you know, we have teams in place to bring the right routers, the right, you know, all the things that we need to make sure it functions properly. We're planning on that from the get-go. You know, so everything kind of functions properly. So, it's all about. I mean, it's funny. It's kind of the blessing and a curse of what we do because you're always thinking about what could go wrong, which drives you crazy and so, but it's also very comforting because our brains work that way. By the time the event happens, we're kind of at ease because we know, OK, any which way something randomly could come up, we've thought of a way to tackle it very quickly.
Madeline [00:31:55] So far. Audience who was sitting at home again during this pandemic. Do you have any advice about, you know, creating their own events in an intimate setting? And like, I saw that you have Amazon back to school shop. Maybe you could tell us a little bit about that and things that are making people happy, even if it's on a much scaled down version.
Angela [00:32:20] Yeah, I think, gosh, this has even been an interesting reset for us as a team, you know, to look at events on more of a micro level and realizing there's so many special things you can do within your own home just to make things special and memorable. You know, it's not about spending a lot of money. It's not about having access to the best resources or having a phenomenal team come in and do something. You know, it's just about being thoughtful and just creating unique experiences. So, we've actually spent some more time because we don't have new event content to be sharing with people. You know, we've tasked ourselves with, hey, leading up to a holiday weekend or, you know, something special going on just the kickoff of summer. We've tackled, we've tasked ourselves with how can we share with, you know, our following little ways they can implement entertaining at home in an exciting way. So, part of that for us has been diving down you know, Amazon or diving through other brands and products that we absolutely love and being able to kind of share that and say, hey, you just want to have a fun pool day at home? Here's a bunch of different games and activities you can do that won't cost you anything but how you can just rethink being in your own backyard. But also, here's some cool products that have a nice esthetic that kind of feel, you know, on the same level of the types of events we do. Here's some fun things that you could buy and just kind of spice up a fun dinner or create a really cool date night, or if you're finally social distancing with a couple girlfriends and they weren't able to have a bachelorette party, you know. How can you do a couple things in your own backyard to make everyone feel special and use things in a creative way that you already have, that you didn't think about using them in that way. , So, it's kind of been fun for us to rethink events on that smaller scale because we are used to doing things, you know, in a bigger way.
Erin [00:34:42] I think also, you know, we surround ourselves by amazing vendors and creative partners that we have worked with, like some of the people that we still work with to this day I've known since, you know, 2003, 2004, which is so crazy. And they are still our tried and true creative partners that we work with to bring an event together, whether it be someone that's laying carpet or a catering team or the lighting vendor. But I think people that are, you know, planning their own event or even just starting out planning events. I think it's important to surround yourselves and bring on the right vendors, the right people that are going to help bring your event to life. So, you know, again, relying on referrals that you might get from a friend or referrals that you get from, you know, someone you follow on Instagram that's planning an event because, you know, it's always that, well, you know, my friend had so and so catering company, you know, do their entire backyard barbecue party for the family. Okay, I'm going to know and trust them, you know, asking those questions. Did you have a good experience? You know, did they forget anything? Did anything go wrong? Asking those questions so that when that team then comes and shows up at your event, you can either tackle some of those issues that might have happened or make sure that, you know, all the, you know, T's are crossed and I's are dotted. All the details are taking care of because then, you know, those people that are helping and working alongside of you to bring the event to life are going to only help to make you, you know, shine and make you have a more successful event.
Madeline [00:36:41] So, you two are both successful female entrepreneurs and for our audience members who are maybe at the beginning of their journeys thinking about leaving a more established or corporate role and going out on their own, what is your best advice in terms of taking that leap and landing on your feet and partnering with someone or starting your own business?
Angela [00:37:06] I mean, I think in the beginning, it's just like take whatever business kind of comes your way. You know, you'll build up to where you eventually want to be. But, you kind of in the beginning, have to say yes to a lot of opportunities to just know if you even like it or don't like it, you know what I mean? And I think for Erin and I starting, you know, we always look at starting our business as next chapter because we were able to gain so much experience both working for another company before that. I mean, it was invaluable because, you know, I started from doing everything. Coffee runs, making press kits like, you know, just no task is too small. You have to really, like, appreciate just absorbing being in an environment, you know? And just if you want to show up every day and love what you're doing, you know you're in the right space, you know? So, I think, you know, speaking specifically to the event world, kind of what, you said about looking at the red carpet. You know, it's so glamorous. It looks like so much fun. And what you know, what a cool environment to be around. And I think sometimes that's a smoke and mirrors of certain industries is it looks so glamorous. It looks so exciting. But when you kind of take a step back and look at the behind the scenes, like, do you love the long hours? You know, do you love the grind, the stressful environment, the fast paced, you know, environment? Do you love all those moving parts? And you don't have to, you know, love budgets as much, as much as you love design decks for example. But like, just so you know, like you want to be in that environment handling all the moving parts. So, I think, you know, one of the most valuable things for me was just being patient enough to work my way up through the process and follow something that I had a passion for, but also know that it was going to take work. And there's good days and bad days and it's a grind. But if you keep finding yourself coming back to the root of what you're passionate about, new opportunities will always come your way. And, you know, you just have to, you just have to be in the environment of what you're interested in. Like, take the leap. If it is a career change, you know, just take a leap. And even if you have to start from the ground up, oftentimes in those entry positions, you get to see more of the moving parts. So, you really get to see what direction you want to go with that new career path.
Erin [00:39:50] I think it's important to, you know, for female entrepreneurs to find and align themselves with, you know, a mentor and, you know, do those informational interviews. You know, if you're interested in the event industry, get that onsite experience. But, being able to have that mentor or business coach to help guide you through the process and answer those questions and point you in the right direction and give you advice and tips and refer you to other people in their network is super valuable and important. I just got to, through USC, the Annenberg Communication Program. I just got to be a mentor to three different mentees for the past three months. And they all graduated virtually in May. And now, you know, one's a marketing consultant, one's in PR and the other's interested in events, but they all just landed themselves in the midst of this pandemic. And the job search is really, really tough. And so, you know, I was, you know, really happy that I got to be a mentor to them and help answer their questions and just share my expertise and my experience and also just talk about life and everything that we're going through, because it all is really heavy right now and it's unprecedented. And, you know, we're all kind of in this together. And so, I think, you know, just aligning yourselves and, you know, doing any sort of outreach, even if it's like e-mailing someone, hey, can I do an information quick, 15, 20 minute informational interview with you? We get those requests all the time and we, you know, do them, you know, and like to, you know, take advantage and help, you know, share our knowledge and advice to, you know, students or other entrepreneurs that are looking to get into the event industry.
Madeline [00:41:46] And, to dovetail on what both of you just said. What is your best advice, I guess, applicable to all professions about how to develop self-confidence?
Angela [00:42:02] I think so much of the self-confidence comes through doing. And just the experience of it all. Doing things over and over and over again. You know, not being afraid of making mistakes in certain ways because you can grow from those experiences, you know. And I think that's where just, it's also confidence comes by surrounding yourself with other encouraging people, you know, whether you're in a profession where you are collaborating with others or you are doing something on your own. Like the networking aspect of surrounding yourself with people that, will, you know, give you constructive criticism and give you insight to their experiences in terms of what worked and didn't work for them. You know, so much of that just helps you go through the day to day with more confidence. You know, just feeling like you have a network or a support system. And so much of that was our careers, you know, just getting to know other vendors in the industry that were coming at, you know, the same way we were. And, you know, just developing those relationships that are going to support you along the way. And so, I think part of that, too, is just also, you know, confidence comes from just having good relationships with other people, being kind to other people. You never know where their careers are going to take them, how they're going to refer you, lift you up. So much of this through Erin and I, too is you know, we get to work with people we really love and admire and respect. And so, I think that's given us confidence over the years just in terms of, you know, knowing that how we collaborate with other people or what we're able to do for others, you know, makes them happy. They have a good experience working with us. That gives us the confidence that we're doing things, you know, right. And you always have to be learning. You know, it's just, even though we've done this for so long and we can be, quote on quote, experts in this field, like we learn with each event, we don't want to learn at the expense of our client. You know, sometimes there's too much at stake for that. But we're always learning, like, how to work with people differently. You know, what clients are expecting from us. And, you know how to reinvent how we approach business and things like that. So just the learning curve gives us confidence each time when we learn something new. But I really just think it's all about an encouraging network and environment that's invested in what you're doing. And, you know, and helps kind of carry you along the way to give you that confidence.
Erin [00:45:04] I think also stepping just outside of your box, doing something that scares you that you might not want to do. Obviously, these past, you know, six plus months, we've had a lot of at home time and lots of virtual aspects and, you know, have missed out on that human interaction. There aren't these like networking events that you can go to and there aren't you know; you're missing out on coffee dates and dinners and all that kind of stuff. So, you know, joining some virtual, you know, networking group that you might be scared to join, but just do it because you don't know who you're going to meet. And I think the other side will, you know, surprise you and then give you that extra confidence that you're going to need to kind of, you know, keep doing something different each day that'll scare you. And it will help to build your confidence.
Becca [00:46:00] We hope you enjoyed our interview with Angela and Erin of Sterling Social. You can shop Sterling Social's curated collection of at home party items inspired by their events on their web site, sterlingsocial.com, also linked in our show notes. Be sure to follow their beautiful Instagram @Sterling_Social. Thanks for tuning in. If you enjoyed our podcast, hit subscribe and leave us a review. Thank you to Nico Vettese for composing our original music. And thank you always to our home team of friends and family for supporting us in our mission. This episode was produced and edited by Madeline and Becca. Thanks for tuning in. And remember, you are somebody.
01] As you keep going, you're seeing the same repetition of logos that all need representation for those press moments. But, with some of these clients, we get to get really creative with how we build out those backdrops. And so, oftentimes that's what they are. You know, we're building dimensional art pieces, installations where, you know, they're visually beautiful versus just the standard, you know, step and repeat. Step and repeats have come a long way. So that's definitely one area of the event, you know, whether you're getting to walk down the carpet or walk past it. That's really the first moment of drawing people's eyes and attention into what's this color palette? What's this feel of the event? You know, we get to lure them in with those cool, you know, colors, patterns, textures or just like materials that we're using.
Madeline & Becca [00:01:03] Welcome to the Madeline and Becca podcast. The mission of our podcast is simple, to inspire professional self-confidence in women everywhere. I'm Madeline. And I'm Becca. On our podcast you will hear stories from real world influencers, women who have experienced tremendous success in their careers by building self-confidence. Thanks for joining us.
Becca [00:01:43] Are you longing to attend an awesome event that you want to relive over and over again? Or dreaming of hosting an impromptu dinner party with friends? Well, you are not alone. Today, we chat with Sterling Social. A full-service event, design and production company based in Los Angeles, California. From vision to execution, they plan and produce high profile entertainment and lifestyle events, product launches, luxury weddings and social celebrations and red-carpet occasions. Sterling Social was co-founded by event experts and powerhouse entrepreneurs, Angela Margolis and Erin Sprinkel, who joined forces and opened their doors in 2010. Angela and Aaron grew up on the same street in Orange County, California. They both had a natural love and talent for planning events and started early from proms to sorority functions. After graduating from USC, Erin went back to speak on campus for an alumni event panel at the Annenberg School of Communication. Angela, still a student at the time, was in the audience. This connection materialized into Angela interning and eventually working at the same firm as Erin. After rising through the ranks of the event production company together, they found themselves working in freelance at the same time and began collaborating. This was the start of Sterling Social. Sterling Social works with publication powerhouses such as Variety and Women's Wear Daily, global media brands and studios such as Netflix, Amazon and Searchlight Pictures. And Beauty, Fashion and luxury brands Murad, Saks Fifth Avenue and Mercedes Benz. On today's episode, Angela and Erin will discuss the process of rolling out the red carpet and why it's not always red. You'll learn how they design an event from vision to execution and what makes Sterling Social so successful. They will also share simple tips on how you can bring creativity into your home for milestone celebrations during quarantine. Here's Madeline.
Madeline [00:04:10] Can you tell us what are your individual skill sets that you guys bring to the business?
Angela [00:04:15] Yeah, absolutely. I think I definitely lean a little more to the creative side of things and are drawn to more of the visual aspects of what we do. Erin is like logistical. Like, we're very like right brain, left brain. You know, she is super organized and, you know, can kind of break down the timeline of how we're supposed to pursue something. So, it's like, Erin, makes sure all of like the hard build elements are coming together. You know, a lot of the technical aspects as well. Whereas I you know, I always describe it like if Erin and I walk into the same space, I'm immediately starting to think about layout or what can visually fill it. And then Erin's going to like, how is this going to logistically flow? You know, how will people arrive? Where are the best points for things to function? So right off the bat, we tackle things from different angles. But what's really unique and special about what we do when we work with our clients, we don't split it up in that way. And we're constantly juggling things, bouncing things off of each other. So, we are able to do both sides of those things. That's been what's really so great about how we've come up in this business for how many years now Erin? Like 15, 16 years. We've worked in this industry.
Erin [00:05:47] Yeah. I think like...
Angela [00:05:49] I'm losing track.
Erin [00:05:51] 17, 18.
Angela [00:05:52] But we've been able to work from all angles on things verses ... And because we've always worked in small company environments, you kind of, all you know, you have to wear many hats. Do you know what I mean? Because you're not just in one department or focused on one specific aspect of working with a client or an event. So, we've been able to learn every aspect of, you know, budgets and timelines and dealing with insurance and permits, but also the design aspect and all of those things. But what's been beautiful about our experience together, because we kind of divide and conquer, we're able to nurture what we're most passionate about too and kind of, you know, run in those two directions with things. But when the time comes, we're always circling back to each other on, you know, both of our eyes are on a budget and how we're building that or both of our eyes are on a design deck, you know, to make sure, like I've looked at this too long, how does it look to you? And so, we do that with our team inclusively as well before we're presenting things to a client. And then when everyone's working with us, our whole team is in direct communication with our clients two verses oh, you just call one of us for a certain aspect.
Madeline [00:07:22] So I think as we're all surviving this pandemic and we're quarantined at home and we are missing social events and social interaction, and I think it is brought so acutely to everybody's worlds, like we're never gonna say no to another invite ever. Becca and I have talked about this. I was like, never say no again, ever, never going to be too busy. I'm going to everything for the rest of my life. And, you know, of course, wanting to get dressed up and, you know, have that creative experience and all of that, like your beautiful Instagram, which we've been dreaming about. We just want to walk right into all of those scenes. They're so enticing. And for our listeners, I think it would be wonderful if we could just walk through the process, the actual creative process of doing an event. So, Erin, you had mentioned, you guys do red carpet. Can you just, like let's walk through the process, starting with like when a client comes in and they have a red-carpet event, how do you guys start to build a vision and a brand at the beginning of the creative process?
Erin [00:08:25] Yeah, oftentimes, you know, our clients come to us. Sometimes they have a venue, sometimes they don't. Sometimes there's already through their marketing graphic design department, there's already like, you know, a color palette and a logo or, you know, whatever their kind of mission is that they're looking to accomplish for the event. So, we then come in from the aspect of, of course, figuring out logistically how is the red carpet premiere event going to set up, figure out the necessary steps to figure out the right venue. And then, yes, we then work in conjunction with the client to build out the different design visuals based on, most the times on their preexisting, you know, color palette or logo or, you know, taking a look at their, you know, overall brand and vision and analyzing their website and their Instagram and their product X and all of those sorts of things.
Madeline [00:09:21] So tell us about all the elements that go into that process, like texture and floral. And, you know, how do you set the ambiance and make all of those things cohesive?
Angela [00:09:34] So, I think that's where we start with mood board designs, you know, just anything with, you know, and sometimes that's a mixture of actual elements we're planning to bring in the space in terms of furnishings. But, yes, so much of it is color palette, textures, just like an overall feel and mood that will enhance an existing environment and portray the feeling they want people to experience when they step into that space. So, we lead with so many visuals. Our approach to a lot of these events are to kind of create a residential feel and environment. We want you to feel, you know, at home when you walk into a space. We want you to sit. We want you to stay a while. We want you to mix and mingle. That's the whole point from you know, from the brand side or the entertainment side. Why are they doing these tangible events? They want people to experience, like, the lifestyle of their brand. So, it's our job to create a setting that people just get immersed right away. They're so happy to be there. They have good association with the experience they had. So, you know, for us, it's about right off the bat getting a client excited about those visuals, you know, and just having a feeling jump off the page. So, whether we're luring them in with a bold color palette or just kind of a serene, soft feel of something neutral, we're kind of painting a picture right off the bat. Then we get into the layers of, OK, what are these furnishings look like? Are we creating a standing room only environment where there is a lot more, you know, high cocktail tables or console tables with bar stools? Is there lounge seating? Is there a stage element? You know, what is the feeling that people are supposed to get when they're in the space? And then we go so, you know, so far as to pulling actual fabric samples or doing mockups for clients. You know, oftentimes if there's a dinner environment, for example, we'll do a full tabletop mockup with those florals, with the actual, you know, china glassware, napkins, what are the menus? What's the texture of that? So, we will bring actual, you know, prototypes and samples of things so that people can see on a smaller scale. What is this going to look and feel like? And then for things that are on a larger scale fabric drapery, if we're building hard walls, if we're building out an actual tent structure, you know, we're at least just showing them the materials of those bigger build elements that will go into it to paint the overall picture.
Madeline [00:12:18] And what elements go into creating good social interaction? How do you capture that and make sure that it's going to be spaces for people to talk as the client wants them to talk and facilitate that, you know whatever the event might be?
Angela [00:12:36] I think it's, it's creating, you know, an environment where people are comfortable and that they don't need to wait too long for the event to happen. So, it depends on the scope and scale of what that event is. If it's on an intimate scale, if it's a nice dinner. You know, creating little icebreaker moments or something interesting for people to talk about or creating, you know, a personal experience with the setting. So, people right off the bat feel warm, invited. It will encourage conversation. People want to sit down at that table and they immediately have a good feeling about it. On a larger scale, it's about making the event environment, just flow properly. You don't want to walk in the door and get bottlenecked at a bar, you know, and not be able to grab your drink, so then you can go sit comfortably with someone. So, we want to make sure that tray passing is taking place, that maybe there are branded moments or icebreaker things that encourage people to interact with the brand right off the bat. Are there, you know, great photo backdrop experiences, just different things for people to experience throughout the event, to keep exploring, to not just get stuck in one spot, you know, to know that there's a lot of different layers to explore within the event versus just walking in and what you see is what you get.
Madeline [00:14:10] And on the back end, Erin, how do you keep track of all of these things? It's just obviously you've got so many different vendors and moving pieces and making sure that things flow as they're supposed to flow and come at certain times and all of that. How does that happen behind the scenes?
Erin [00:14:25] Well, we develop, you know, production schedules and timelines. And that's outlining, you know, the very first moment that we have access to a venue. Then it outlines each of the different deliveries and, you know, trucks that are rolling up to loading docks, who's delivering when and where? OK, you know, the tables and furnishings and chairs are coming in at this time. The stage is then being built at this time, you know, lighting is then being installed at this time. We're then doing a lighting check at nine o'clock at night. You know, sometimes with events we set up, you know, the day or multiple days before. So, we obviously then have a very, very large and long production schedule. And then, you know, we kind of just keep, keep all of our details and reminders and timeline there, so that both then the venue and the vendors and everyone knows who's coming when. And we also then have to strategically stagger everyone so that there are, you know, not toppling over one another. And you have to kind of create a good, you know, flow to it so that, you know, everything comes in in the right order as well. So, that production schedule becomes, you know, super important for our team. And then obviously we create run of shows, which is then, you know, outlining the flow from the guests perspective from the first moment that guests arrive through any sort of, you know, speaker moments and sees, musical performances, video moments, any sort of important cues are outlined in that run of show. And then obviously, once the event's over, everything comes out of the event much, much, much quicker than it does coming in. It's like we can, you know, build an event for, you know, two or three days and then it comes out within, you know, a handful of hours after the event. So, it's, it's always crazy to see. But, for me on the logistics side, you know, once we kind of are getting towards the end of the event, that's when my mind kicks into okay, you know, reviewing over who's coming when to pick, you know, pick back up different elements and making sure everything gets loaded out on time. So, it really, really does come down to the schedule and, you know, our master contact lists and those sorts of things.
Angela [00:16:46] And our goal is always, we know all the moving parts behind the scenes. We know how it's down to the minute, like when certain things are supposed to take place, that we want everyone experiencing it to just have it be organic. We don't, you know, we want to make that feel as least structured as possible, so people aren't thinking about it. So, oftentimes we're sharing these timelines, you know, to the client's comfort level, like in terms of everything going on behind the scenes. That's also what builds the trust factor of, OK, I know it's on paper. I know it's in your hands. I know you guys are taking care of this aspect, but we really want the client to walk into that setting as well. And, like, forget all the behind the scenes, you know, so that's our job. The more organically an event flows, we've done our job properly because we just want people to feel like there's no dead time. You know, things are seguewaying naturally and it doesn't feel like a forced event experience.
Madeline [00:17:52] And do I guess either one of you? Do you have a favorite event that you've planned together that really stands out in your mind as something that was just amazing to plan, and it just went off like beautifully and was incredibly memorable?
Erin [00:18:07] I'd say, one of my most favorite events we did a couple years ago was with Netflix. We did, they had a new series coming out called Girl Boss, and we did the premiere and afterparty for that event. And, I just loved everything about that event because we got to watch the series in advance and then obviously build our design deck and concepts off of the show. And it just had, you know, a color palette, the textures, the florals, the creativity with it. You know, we obviously built the red carpet out for that and had some fun little details at the premiere. But then after the premiere, everyone transitioned over to an adjacent, you know, event space where the afterparty took place. And, you know, everyone walked in to, you know, all these neon lights and like, we built out a full closet with all kinds of vintage clothes and shoes and accessories. And that was like the entrance moment. And we had, you know, a bar front that had high heels and shoes all over it and, you know, a patch making station and different things like that. So, I just think the, you know, kitschyness and, you know, eclectic vibe and the creativity that we got to have on that event was, you know, super fun and loved seeing that one come to life.
Angela [00:19:37] That was a good one. A really good one. Gosh, I mean, I would say a milestone moment for us as a company was when we did the first Mercedes Benz Oscar viewing party. That was kind of a wow. Like, you know, already awards season in L.A. is such a coveted time for so many event producers and on the creative side. And it's just a really exciting time in the city. So, to be kind of behind the scenes on something big like that, it was an exciting time for our company as well, because, you know, the growth we were, we were gaining just in terms of new clients we were working with. So that was really exciting. And you know that I mean, we're going into our fifth year now of viewing that event, which, you know, it's gone from ... and it's still a pinch me moment every year to get to do something like that over again. We absolutely love our clients and the creative process that we get to collaborate with them on and build upon that event to make sure the repeat guests that are attending every year, like how do we start over, rethink, you know, the layout and flow, rethink, you know, the visuals, other exciting things that happen to keep that event fresh and exciting. And people, press wanting to come, and guests wanting to come and keep it talked about each year. Especially when you're in the same space every year. So, it's definitely one of our more challenging events, but in such an exciting way, because we kind of start all over with a fresh project that can kind of build on the branding and experiential aspects for the same client each year and kind of go over, you know, any key wins and learnings and how that goes. But that's really every year we get so excited. Once it happens, it's like, all right. OK, what's the next one going to be? And so, we're already talking about that next event. And so, we feel so lucky, especially with clients like that, where we do have an ongoing relationship, where we know those continued events get to keep happening. That's for sure I think for Erin and I, we talk about it all the time that that's the most rewarding aspect of what we do, is being able to have those ongoing relationships and, you know, impress our clients and blow them away each time, you know, because we have the chance to work on, you know, the same or similar events with them each time.
Madeline [00:22:20] It's great to hear what it is like behind the scenes, because from this side as a listener and for our guests, you know, watching a red carpet event is such an exciting moment. You know, you're sitting on your couch, you know you're comfortable, you've got a drink and you're watching all the style and the fashion and how it looks and the aura, you know, just, you know, the red carpet. And so, for your red carpet events, is the carpet always red, is there always like that red runner? Is that standard or tell us what that means?
Angela [00:22:48] It will always be called, it’s so funny. We always call it the red carpet. But actually, our challenge is, how can we do anything but a red carpet? You know, because it's what you said, like that's what you see. I mean, there are the situations where that's just the classic iconic moment. You know, and so especially with some of these bigger ongoing awards, like, you know, look at these people for their careers, that moment of stepping onto the red carpet. You want to step onto a red carpet, you know, but so much of what we do is how can we take that outside the box? And, you know, use a different color, an interesting material, you know, it doesn't even have to be a carpet. But how do we re-brand these step and repeats, you know, and that's taking it back to something like a Girl Boss or a Mercedes Benz. Like, you know, oftentimes you're just seeing, you know, it's why we call it, a step and repeat, like you just, as you keep going, you're seeing the same repetition of logos that all need representation for those press moments. But with some of these clients, we get to get really creative with how we build out those backdrops. And so, oftentimes that's what they are. You know, we're building dimensional art pieces, installations where, you know, they're visually beautiful versus just the standard, you know, step and repeat. Step and repeats have come a long way. So that's definitely one area of the event, you know, whether you're getting to walk down the carpet or walk past it. That's really the first moment of drawing people's eyes and attention into what's this color palette? What's this feel of the event? You know, we get to lure them in with those cool, you know, colors, patterns, textures or just like materials that we're using.
Erin [00:24:42] And we work, we work hand in hand with the PR, you know, team, because they're the ones that are arranging all of the press that are going to be, you know, on the carpet. So, I think the length of the carpet obviously is determined by guest count and celebrity or VIP that are going to be showing up and then also just the number of press that are involved, you know, because you could just have, you know, a 20-foot, you know, step and repeat or you could end up having a 50 or 100 foot pending on, you know, the size and scope of the event. So, you know, we set the rope expansions and build the, you know, press wall and put the carpet down. And then the PR team comes in and, you know, they're the ones that place all the different press outlets that are gonna be interviewing everyone that's going down the carpet.
Madeline [00:25:32] And I guess I have kind of a novice question, but do you guys think about, like with I think about high stiletto, high heels. Like, do you think about how people are going to be able to walk through a space like that? Because sometimes you look at these heels and Becca and I, oh, my gosh, we love them. They look so fabulous, but how do you get the down the red carpet without, you know, without tripping?
Angela [00:25:48] That's talent in itself? Right? We don't call it talent for nothing. Yeah, of course. I mean, we have to think about just you know, this is what we say too, you know, a space can't just look good. It has to feel good. Do you know what I mean? And so, oftentimes that's where sometimes Erin's talking me off a ledge when I'm going down a design tangent. She's like, well, OK, we really have to think about how this is going to function too. So, it's not just about, you know, something can look good and photograph beautifully. But if the guest experience is totally off and does not sync up with that, that's a failed event, you know, so we have to marry those two worlds. So, yes, you know, you're thinking about comfort. You know, if you're on, you know, a field, for example, and you're doing a hard build, you know, are you making sure that, you know, you're able to put a subfloor down. Are you going to be dealing with inclement weather? You know, but then it's also how do we disguise all those elements? You know, we're running cables and hard build things underneath that to make sure that you're not tripping over cords and seeing those logistical elements, you know? We're thinking about, you know, heat and, you know, warmth and making sure people are temperature comfortable, you know, things like that. So, there's a lot of those comfort things that go into play just in terms of determining, you know, how we build out a situation, whether or not a space already has that kind of nice infrastructure or if we have to kind of create it from the ground up. So, yes, it's not just how it looks. It has to feel functional as well.
Madeline [00:27:44] And can you just speak to I mean, I think we all think when we host events, what happens if something goes wrong and how do I not panic? And I'm sure in your business, you've had things that have been snafus along the way. For our listeners, can you describe how do you handle something when you know, when it doesn't go quite as planned? And do a you know, on the ground, triage.
Erin [00:28:06] I mean, we're in the, we're in the business to have the Plan B and C backup plan. So, in the planning and preproduction process, we're obviously identifying, you know, OK, well, if this happens, what are we going to do? And coming up with those backup options. But then, of course, when you're on site, you know, you could have measured something and then your bar arrives. And if it's like half an inch too big and it doesn't fit on the space, like sometimes there's tools that are coming out to make sure something fits, you know, where it's supposed to go. So, any event we have ever done, whether it's an intimate dinner for 10 people or we're at the Rose Bowl for five-thousand people, you know, you have to think of those backup plans. You know, we've, you know had, we had a wedding once a few years ago where the generator went out during the middle of the wedding. And thank goodness we had that backup generator sitting right next to the generator that went out because it was a pretty swift transition with the cabling to, you know, the backup generator and the power came back on and, you know, guests were OK with it. And I don't even know if anyone ever been at this point. But for us, in that moment, it was like, "no, the generator just went out." But again, that's where it was like, yes. You know, that, that is the reason why we have a backup generator. And, you know, moving forward, if a client ever tells us, no, we don't need a backup, we tell them that story.
Angela [00:29:47] And that's why, also it's making sure your client is onboard with the backup plans, because from the get-go, we can see some of those things that could be challenging with a space or where we are. But, you know, backup plans costs money. They eat into a budget. And so, it's all about how we're able to lay that out for a client from the beginning too versus towards the very end railroading them, with actually too, now that you've planned this entire incredible and beautiful event. Now, just to make sure it goes off without a hitch, you should make sure that you're throwing in these backup options. You know, we try to make sure that those have a place and a budget from the beginning as well, because, you know, we don't want them to feel railroaded into that in the very end. So, you know, our job is to kind of assess, you know, an event as a whole and from the beginning come up with, you know, what some of those challenges might be. Obviously, you get curveballs thrown at you, sometimes unexpectedly. So, you might have to decide on these things last minute. But for the most part, if we already know, you know, we're in a place with spotty service, for example, and we're doing a brand event. And it's all about social media and connectivity. You know, we're going to make sure that, you know, we have teams in place to bring the right routers, the right, you know, all the things that we need to make sure it functions properly. We're planning on that from the get-go. You know, so everything kind of functions properly. So, it's all about. I mean, it's funny. It's kind of the blessing and a curse of what we do because you're always thinking about what could go wrong, which drives you crazy and so, but it's also very comforting because our brains work that way. By the time the event happens, we're kind of at ease because we know, OK, any which way something randomly could come up, we've thought of a way to tackle it very quickly.
Madeline [00:31:55] So for our audience who is sitting at home during this pandemic, do you have any advice about, you know, creating their own events in an intimate setting? And like, I saw that you have Amazon back to school shop. Maybe you could tell us a little bit about that and things that are making people happy, even if it's on a much scaled down version.
Angela [00:32:20] Yeah, I think, gosh, this has even been an interesting reset for us as a team, you know, to look at events on more of a micro level and realizing there's so many special things you can do within your own home just to make things special and memorable. You know, it's not about spending a lot of money. It's not about having access to the best resources or having a phenomenal team come in and do something. You know, it's just about being thoughtful and just creating unique experiences. So, we've actually spent some more time because we don't have new event content to be sharing with people. You know, we've tasked ourselves with, hey, leading up to a holiday weekend or, you know, something special going on just the kickoff of summer. We've tackled, we've tasked ourselves with how can we share with, you know, our following little ways they can implement entertaining at home in an exciting way. So, part of that for us has been diving down you know, Amazon or diving through other brands and products that we absolutely love and being able to kind of share that and say, hey, you just want to have a fun pool day at home? Here's a bunch of different games and activities you can do that won't cost you anything but how you can just rethink being in your own backyard. But also, here's some cool products that have a nice esthetic that kind of feel, you know, on the same level of the types of events we do. Here's some fun things that you could buy and just kind of spice up a fun dinner or create a really cool date night, or if you're finally social distancing with a couple girlfriends and they weren't able to have a bachelorette party, you know. How can you do a couple things in your own backyard to make everyone feel special and use things in a creative way that you already have, that you didn't think about using them in that way. , So, it's kind of been fun for us to rethink events on that smaller scale because we are used to doing things, you know, in a bigger way.
Erin [00:34:42] I think also, you know, we surround ourselves by amazing vendors and creative partners that we have worked with, like some of the people that we still work with to this day I've known since, you know, 2003, 2004, which is so crazy. And they are still our tried and true creative partners that we work with to bring an event together, whether it be someone that's laying carpet or a catering team or the lighting vendor. But I think people that are, you know, planning their own event or even just starting out planning events. I think it's important to surround yourselves and bring on the right vendors, the right people that are going to help bring your event to life. So, you know, again, relying on referrals that you might get from a friend or referrals that you get from, you know, someone you follow on Instagram that's planning an event because, you know, it's always that, well, you know, my friend had so and so catering company, you know, do their entire backyard barbecue party for the family. Okay, I'm going to know and trust them, you know, asking those questions. Did you have a good experience? You know, did they forget anything? Did anything go wrong? Asking those questions so that when that team then comes and shows up at your event, you can either tackle some of those issues that might have happened or make sure that, you know, all the, you know, T's are crossed and I's are dotted. All the details are taking care of because then, you know, those people that are helping and working alongside of you to bring the event to life are going to only help to make you, you know, shine and make you have a more successful event.
Madeline [00:36:41] So, you two are both successful female entrepreneurs and for our audience members who are maybe at the beginning of their journeys thinking about leaving a more established or corporate role and going out on their own, what is your best advice in terms of taking that leap and landing on your feet and partnering with someone or starting your own business?
Angela [00:37:06] I mean, I think in the beginning, it's just like take whatever business kind of comes your way. You know, you'll build up to where you eventually want to be. But, you kind of in the beginning, have to say yes to a lot of opportunities to just know if you even like it or don't like it, you know what I mean? And I think for Erin and I starting, you know, we always look at starting our business as next chapter because we were able to gain so much experience both working for another company before that. I mean, it was invaluable because, you know, I started from doing everything. Coffee runs, making press kits like, you know, just no task is too small. You have to really, like, appreciate just absorbing being in an environment, you know? And just if you want to show up every day and love what you're doing, you know you're in the right space, you know? So, I think, you know, speaking specifically to the event world, kind of what, you said about looking at the red carpet. You know, it's so glamorous. It looks like so much fun. And what you know, what a cool environment to be around. And I think sometimes that's a smoke and mirrors of certain industries is it looks so glamorous. It looks so exciting. But when you kind of take a step back and look at the behind the scenes, like, do you love the long hours? You know, do you love the grind, the stressful environment, the fast paced, you know, environment? Do you love all those moving parts? And you don't have to, you know, love budgets as much, as much as you love design decks for example. But like, just so you know, like you want to be in that environment handling all the moving parts. So, I think, you know, one of the most valuable things for me was just being patient enough to work my way up through the process and follow something that I had a passion for, but also know that it was going to take work. And there's good days and bad days and it's a grind. But if you keep finding yourself coming back to the root of what you're passionate about, new opportunities will always come your way. And, you know, you just have to, you just have to be in the environment of what you're interested in. Like, take the leap. If it is a career change, you know, just take a leap. And even if you have to start from the ground up, oftentimes in those entry positions, you get to see more of the moving parts. So, you really get to see what direction you want to go with that new career path.
Erin [00:39:50] I think it's important to, you know, for female entrepreneurs to find and align themselves with, you know, a mentor and, you know, do those informational interviews. You know, if you're interested in the event industry, get that onsite experience. But, being able to have that mentor or business coach to help guide you through the process and answer those questions and point you in the right direction and give you advice and tips and refer you to other people in their network is super valuable and important. I just got to, through USC, the Annenberg Communication Program. I just got to be a mentor to three different mentees for the past three months. And they all graduated virtually in May. And now, you know, one's a marketing consultant, one's in PR and the other's interested in events, but they all just landed themselves in the midst of this pandemic. And the job search is really, really tough. And so, you know, I was, you know, really happy that I got to be a mentor to them and help answer their questions and just share my expertise and my experience and also just talk about life and everything that we're going through, because it all is really heavy right now and it's unprecedented. And, you know, we're all kind of in this together. And so, I think, you know, just aligning yourselves and, you know, doing any sort of outreach, even if it's like e-mailing someone, hey, can I do an information quick, 15, 20 minute informational interview with you? We get those requests all the time and we, you know, do them, you know, and like to, you know, take advantage and help, you know, share our knowledge and advice to, you know, students or other entrepreneurs that are looking to get into the event industry.
Madeline [00:41:46] And, to dovetail on what both of you just said. What is your best advice, I guess, applicable to all professions about how to develop self-confidence?
Angela [00:42:02] I think so much of the self-confidence comes through doing. And just the experience of it all. Doing things over and over and over again. You know, not being afraid of making mistakes in certain ways because you can grow from those experiences, you know. And I think that's where just, it's also confidence comes by surrounding yourself with other encouraging people, you know, whether you're in a profession where you are collaborating with others or you are doing something on your own. Like the networking aspect of surrounding yourself with people that, will, you know, give you constructive criticism and give you insight to their experiences in terms of what worked and didn't work for them. You know, so much of that just helps you go through the day to day with more confidence. You know, just feeling like you have a network or a support system. And so much of that was our careers, you know, just getting to know other vendors in the industry that were coming at, you know, the same way we were. And, you know, just developing those relationships that are going to support you along the way. And so, I think part of that, too, is just also, you know, confidence comes from just having good relationships with other people, being kind to other people. You never know where their careers are going to take them, how they're going to refer you, lift you up. So much of this through Erin and I, too is you know, we get to work with people we really love and admire and respect. And so, I think that's given us confidence over the years just in terms of, you know, knowing that how we collaborate with other people or what we're able to do for others, you know, makes them happy. They have a good experience working with us. That gives us the confidence that we're doing things, you know, right. And you always have to be learning. You know, it's just, even though we've done this for so long and we can be, quote on quote, experts in this field, like we learn with each event, we don't want to learn at the expense of our client. You know, sometimes there's too much at stake for that. But we're always learning, like, how to work with people differently. You know, what clients are expecting from us. And, you know how to reinvent how we approach business and things like that. So just the learning curve gives us confidence each time when we learn something new. But I really just think it's all about an encouraging network and environment that's invested in what you're doing. And, you know, and helps kind of carry you along the way to give you that confidence.
Erin [00:45:04] I think also stepping just outside of your box, doing something that scares you that you might not want to do. Obviously, these past, you know, six plus months, we've had a lot of at home time and lots of virtual aspects and, you know, have missed out on that human interaction. There aren't these like networking events that you can go to and there aren't you know; you're missing out on coffee dates and dinners and all that kind of stuff. So, you know, joining some virtual, you know, networking group that you might be scared to join, but just do it because you don't know who you're going to meet. And I think the other side will, you know, surprise you and then give you that extra confidence that you're going to need to kind of, you know, keep doing something different each day that'll scare you. And it will help to build your confidence.
Becca [00:46:00] We hope you enjoyed our interview with Angela and Erin of Sterling Social. You can shop Sterling Social's curated collection of at home party items inspired by their events on their web site, sterlingsocial.com, also linked in our show notes. Be sure to follow their beautiful Instagram @Sterling_Social. Thanks for tuning in. If you enjoyed our podcast, hit subscribe and leave us a review. Thank you to Nico Vettese for composing our original music. And thank you always to our home team of friends and family for supporting us in our mission. This episode was produced and edited by Madeline and Becca. Thanks for tuning in. And remember, you are somebody.