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

Hi Krista, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Most people are motivated by money, status, power, and worldly non-sense. I am motivated by what actually makes me happy. Expressing myself in any artistic form makes me feel amazing. I am an artist, My first love is music. At one time in my life it was my only love. It was the only thing that actually made sense to me. I still have music in my composition notebooks from when I was 12 years old. My event planning foundation actually stemmed from my creative arts foundation, I enjoy recreating a space and making a client’s vision come to life. If you think about it, a creative career path is the single most unstructured way to work without feeling like you are working. My love of music, poetry and spoken word was all channeled into a career form that I could enjoy and create in the process. Though I was raised traditionally, I am very outside of the box when it comes to my lifestyle. Each day has to be different from the day prior for me or I get bored easily. So a creative career path really seemed like the only choice for me. Whenever I imagine working on a 9 to 5 job, I feel like I;m going to break out in hives. It is just way too structured for most creatives and especially for me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our company is broken into 3 sectors. Krista’s Event Koncepts LLC. is sort of the umbrella company. We specialize in Milestone Birthday Celebration packages under Krista’s Birthday Koncepts which also has it’s own online shoppe and Etsy store debuting September 2020. We also specialize in LGBTQ+ Wedding Coordination only. Of the 3 sectors we are staying productive for sure. When the pandemic happened to the nation we were in the process of rigorous restructuring so this gave us ample time to explore our options for our company as a whole. In doing so, we wrote our first e-book for KBDAYK called “The Unforgettable Birthday Party Planning Manual.” This guide is for anyone! Anyone looking to plan a well-executed and seamless Birthday Celebration. I got where I am by hard work, dedication, and reaching my own levels and not leveling up to others nor comparing myself or my company to the success of others. I have never been a competitive individual, but I am learning to compete with my own successes. I challenge myself to trying new fresh ideas within my company and if they don’t work then it’s back to the basics. Simplicity is key. I’ve also learned to ask for help when I need it and I don’t try to complicate things. I also had to realize that I really can’t do it all by myself. These days, when I get overwhelmed, I am wise enough to just stop, breathe, walk away and revisit once I’ve collected my thoughts. I realize, it’s okay to delegate tasks to a member of my team that I may not have time to do. I don’t have to be Superwoman all the time! I overcome all of my challenges through prayer. “The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much”. James 5:16 KJV I am a true believer that what is for me, is for me! No one can take away that, which is ordained by God. Life is tough and applying unneeded pressure isn’t wise. I don’t apply ridiculous deadlines on myself and things still get completed on time with time to spare. I want people to know that our brand is still here, we are still growing, and that we hope to continue to bring the products, services and knowledge to help you plan some of the most memorable events. Even with all of our business sectors we want people to recognize us as “The go-to Birthday Party Planner in Atlanta for the 21 and up”. We have a passion for birthdays!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a truly a homebody. So, for me to go out there has to be something pretty awesome that fills up my spirit for me to go out. To describe me, I am a creative! I am a true lover of the arts. Music, jazz, poetry, spoken word, live music, art shows or just walking around Edgewood near the graffiti tunnels is all therapeutic for me. It awakens the artist within me and it inspires me to go to work on my own special projects. If my friends visited Atlanta, because my closest friends are artists themselves, we would start the day at a Smoothie place such as the infamous Arden’s Garden. I prefer the one on Howell Mill Road. The make my smoothies just right. I would then invite them to experience an art show such as The Black Girl Art Show or The Black Boy Art Show. After we had fun experiencing art, I would suggest dinner at Sweet Auburn Seafood where we could hear live jazz and fill our stomachs. The next day we would go to brunch at Flying Biscuit near Piedmont, then we would go to the Cultural Experience and take some really great pictures in front of all of the nostalgic backdrop scenes for memories. So thereafter, we would just explore the city and rest up. I would suggest cocktails and hookah at Cafe Circa. I have never been to Circa and not enjoyed myself. I have even gone by myself and had a wonderful time. The next day we would would find a rooftop party to attend preferably Whisky Blue and then end up at my newest favorite Mexican Restaurant Patria Cocina for a mango margarita and delicious food. For the last and final day we would have a spa day at Iwi Fresh Spa.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I always tend to thank the same people and organizations. So today, I would like to send a special thank you to a single person and business that has been a part of my journey since 2012 is still instrumental in my spriritual, personal, and business development; my friend, preferred photographer, and soul sista Elisha Akram of Kustom Kreations Photography and Novelty and Gift Shop Owner of That Extra Piece. Elisha is one of those rare gems that remains humble in all she does and rarely asks for anything in return. She pours into you effortlessly and is always available to lend a hand as needed. She’s that friend that I can call whenever I need to and she’ll lend an ear providing business advice with no judgement. We bounce ideas off of each other in order to help each other grow in our quests. A warm, heartfelt thank you to my good friend Elisha! I appreciate you so much!

Website: www.kbdayk.com www.kristaseventkoncepts.com
Instagram: @kbirthdayk @kristaseventkoncepts
Twitter: @keventkoncepts
Facebook: Krista’s Birthday Koncepts or Krista’s Event Koncepts LLC.
Yelp: Krista’s Event Koncepts
Youtube: Krista’s Event Koncepts LLC. KBDAYK KWeddingK2.0
Other: www.kristaseventkoncepts.com

Image Credits
Kustom Kreations Photography -Elisha Akram Jovan Ann Photography -Tracey Williamson

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