Meet Joenesha Hardman | Event Stylist

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

Hi Joenesha, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’d consider myself somewhat adventurous and I don’t mind taking risks as long as it is something I really want to do. I’m also very analytical and logical thinking so even if I do take a risk, chances are I’ve given it a lot of thought. I think that risks are a very necessary thing and very little progress or growth happens without them. This year I’ve taken a lot of risks with my career, interests, and personal life and it has stretched me in so many ways. But it has also allowed me to go after the things I want with much more confidence and drive. The more risks I take, the more I grow, and the closer I get to fulfilling my desires. This is the first year where I’ve really advertised my event styling business. Previously, I received most of my clients through referrals but I decided this year I would invest in marketing my business to a larger audience and it’s been great so far. I’ve even decided to invest in more training to continue to strengthen my skills.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think what sets me apart from other event stylists is my ability to be versatile. As an event stylist, I have styled for birthdays, baby showers, business launch parties, weddings, themed events, etc. There really is no event that I’ve turned down. I love stretching my creative capabilities and bringing the client’s vision to fruition. I am most proud of my wedding florals. I started doing wedding florals for free when some of my friends were getting married right out of college and needed to save money. The first wedding I did me and two other friends made floral arrangements the morning of the wedding with no experience and now wedding florals are the main service I am requested for. I’m also really proud of the fact that I am self-taught and do most of the events single-handedly. Hopefully, as my business grows this won’t be the case but I’m pretty impressed with what I’ve been able to accomplish on my own from figuring out how to set up my own business to planning out all the logistics and carrying out events to completion. I’m excited to continue to grow and gain new skills. My next business venture is to be trained in balloon styling and I’m really excited about that as well. I was able to get to where I am now professionally, by practicing a lot. I did a lot of my earlier events for free and it helped me learn the ins and outs of things as well as what worked and what needed more improvement. It wasn’t easy because again I was figuring everything out on my own but I think what helped me overcome challenges is the fact that I really enjoy event styling and genuinely want to be better. Event styling, even when there are challenges, isn’t overwhelming to me and so it’s easy to continue to keep trying. I also really enjoy working with people and being a part of something in their life that is important to them is really special to me. When clients are happy it’s very fulfilling to know that what they envisioned became reality. I overcome challenges by accepting them, learning the lessons that come from them, and not letting them deter me from my goals. My business motto is, ‘bringing life to the party through decor and design’. What I’d like the world to know about my brand is that J. Michelle Events is committed to making any event special, unique, and hassle-free. I am a helper by nature and so it is always my priority when styling to take care of all the little details that events involve and make my clients feel at ease and as stress-free as possible.

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 I had a week to take a friend around, the first thing I would take them to do is a segway tour around the city to see some of Atlanta’s historic and important sites. I’d also make sure we went to rooftop restaurants and live music venues. Atlnta is known for all kinds of artists visiting and having performances so I’d maybe see if an artist was in town. I may also take them to one of our sports teams. I would also take them to see some of the area’s natural parks and trails. I’d be sure we got plenty of relaxing moments in as well at a spa.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have a lot of appreciation for my friends in college and my campus ministry who encouraged and supported my event styling. I love hosting events and would occasionally host events for friends in my college days. It was then that people started recognizing my knack for events and I started getting asked to style birthdays, bridal showers, weddings, and more. There’s also no way I’d be where I am without my best friend of 14 years, Erin Saunders. She has stayed up with me to help prep for events, helped me set up, and let me use her car to transport event items; pretty much anything I needed her support with, she was willing to help and has always seen my potential. I’m super grateful for her. My cousin Tami Edwards is also really supportive. She’s always pitching business ideas, sending me resources, and telling others about my business. She makes me feel like there’s nothing I can’t do and it’s super encouraging.

Website: jmichelleevents.com

Instagram: jmichelle_events