Meet Ella Blake | Event Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ella Blake and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ella, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
The Plaid Picnic Company was founded on an idea to express creativity and do something in life that I love. I have always been very creative and artistic and just needed an outlet to express it. I never wanted a job that was 9 to 5 at an office. I always dreamed of doing something more and getting to show others what I can do with my artistic side. I was never someone who wanted to do something simple. I always strived to do something different than the normal path. The Plaid Picnic Company is the perfect balance and allows my creativity to shine.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Plaid Picnic Company is still a fairly new business as it has only been a little over a year. I am extremely proud of how far The Plaid Picnic Company has come in its first year and I’m so excited about where it’s going. I already have so many picnics and events scheduled for this year including bridal showers and elopements. It was not an easy road to get here. There were many struggles along the way. I took a lot of the time to market our business and also took the time to get in contact with other local businesses in the area who had a strong footing it in the community and partnered with them to allow myself to get in better touch with the community. I spent hours every day marketing online and on social media to get our business out there. I have definitely learned that social media can make or break a business and is one of the key factors in starting something in this time of tik tok, insagram, etc. It is all worth it though as The Plaid Picnic Company is thriving and doing better than ever. I am doing this all as a mom and not only a mom but a mom to a newborn and I’m extremely thrilled with the response that I have gotten from people who have hired The Plaid Picnic Company for one of their events.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my friend were visiting I would absolutely take them to some of the wineries up in Jasper and Ellijay as there are so many to see there is also a great cidery there. Fainting Goat winery is one of my favorites. I would also take them downtown to my favorite restaurants Ruby Chows. It is such a fun and eclectic spot and you can never go wrong. I would also take her up to Blue Ridge to walk around and shop a bit. Then I would take her to Ponce City Market to grab some food and explore. Another one of my favorite spots that I would take her to is Marietta Square market which has so many food vendors and I’ve still yet to try them all. Finally I will take her to Alpine bakery which is my favorite bakery that serves hundreds of desserts.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give credit to my mom, my mentor. She has been with me from the very beginning even helping me come up with the name for The Plaid Picnic Company. She has also been a large creative influence in this business, helping to come up with new ideas. She pushed me to get an LLC for the business as well. She has been a huge part of our more custom themed events such as an Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday. On the other side of things she has been an amazing grandmother to my kids helping me when I have large events that I need to attend. I could not have started this business without her help and support. To this day she helps with events and comes up with new ideas.

Website: Plaidpicniccompany.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplaidpicniccompany/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/theplaidpicniccompany/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theplaidpicniccompany

Image Credits
Alexis Abbott