EP 159: BALLOONING TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH ASHLEY SODIPO

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Ashley Sodipo is the owner of Pink Flamingo Party Co., a luxury party supply, event rental and "over-the-top" balloon installation company. She said she’s been tested and learned a lot about herself, including the importance of following your instincts – which is what she did when she made a spontaneous, career-altering decision six years ago.

Ashley also always loved event planning, so for the get-togethers she liked to order unique party favors and supplies—plates and napkins, maybe an embroidered banner or headbands, things like that. There was clearly a need, she knew, for a centralized, curated source of classy, cute, personalized party supplies, and so she created just that. The Pink Flamingo Party Company was born, starting as an Etsy shop out of her Brooklyn apartment.

Her business got traction, and she created a company website. All was well, but then came COVID. Masks and social distancing put the kibosh on the parties that fueled Ashley’s business, with one critical exception: balloons. She’d always had balloons in her inventory, and with people locked down, demand for extravagant balloon displays soared.

A team of eight now staffs the store while also keeping up with online orders, and balloons

are still a core product. No job is too big, as they do enormous garlands and columns and more while also offering everything a party planner could want, with special themes including featured seasonal inventory. From business meetings to baby showers to bar and bat mitzvahs, Pink Flamingo is ready.

Here, Ashley shares all about how she started Pink Flamingo and her plans to evolve the business going forward. Michelle and Ashley also discuss her transition from e-commerce to brick and mortar, how she developed her impressive balloon installation skills, and much more.

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