Meet Lakesha & Laura Armstrong | Owners of Rainbow Party Rentals

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lakesha & Laura Armstrong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lakesha & Laura, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My name is Lakesha “Kesh Monae” Armstrong. I was born in Miami, FL in an urban area called Liberty City. I was raised in the time when integration was re-branded under schools’ “Magnet” programs and kids were being sent to areas miles away from their communities to attend. I was bused 1 and 30mins down south to G. Holmes Braddock High School. Although my school day started at 4:30 am and ended well after 9 pm, due to my involvement with various performing arts programs, I experienced there some of the greatest moments of my childhood. I joined the choir, the orchestra, and the color/winter guard. These organizations allowed me to travel and see places I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. I was surrounded by a diverse group of people and created lasting friendships that to this day I continue to cherish.

I went on to Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fl. The opportunity to attend the university came from my second-grade teacher Kara Ryscamp and her family. College is where I believe my love for events and creating organizations began. PBAU was a small Christian college on the intercoastal of downtown Palm Beach. Due to its size, it lacked the multicultural diversity that existed in my mind’s version of a college experience. Once I stepped onto that campus and realized what was missing, I created my own! I started the university’s first Black history event. I called it “Ebony Night.” It was a talent/fashion show and a night filled with music, poetry, fashion, & fun. I also started the university’s first step team. We performed during the halftime show during basketball games. I attempted to initiate the university incorporation of fraternities/sororities but that’s where they drew the proverbial Christian line in the sand.

Fast forward 14 years. The idea of starting a business came from listening and reading Steve Harvey’s message from his book JUMP. My mom fell ill and I had to quit my job to care for her. I became anxious and bored and was looking for any reason to throw a party. I spent my downtime thinking of ways to top one party after the other. Finally, my wife said to me, why don’t you just get into the party business, and viola; Rainbow Party Rentals was born!

Rainbow Party Rentals is a party equipment rental and custom treats company that caters to all events, birthday parties, weddings, corporate events, festivals, and more. We cater specifically to the backyard party market. We bring the events to the backyards and homes of all people, taking out the stress that often comes with planning an event. We are members of the American Rentals Association (ARA) and the Alpharetta Chamber of Commerce. With the help of a SCORE Atlanta mentor, we have been guided through the hurdles of starting and launching a business. Launching two months prior to a pandemic was less than ideal and was hardly the JUMP that Steve Harvey was talking about, but it gave us the opportunity to structure and then restructure. We change our target market to the DIY planners that too often get neglected by our friendly competitors, coining the idea of the Backyard Bundle. The change in the business design & target market is the change that we feel would build a brand of success and longevity and take Rainbow Party Rentals into the homes and on the minds of anyone who is planning a party.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our business literal launch date was 1/14/2020 and two months later the entire world was shut down. The pandemic was a significant blow to all small businesses but to new startups, it was the most devasting. When developing the business plan for Rainbow Party Rentals, one of our funding projections was to become a vendor with the city of Roswell and work at the many events and festivals that the city puts on during the spring & summer months. We were going to use the funds to build our inventory, get transportation, marketing materials, etc. No festivals meant no funding.

We needed to restructure to stay afloat. We recognized that peoples’ desire to go party hadn’t changed during the lockdown, where the party happened had; to in their own backyards. With the length of the lockdown, we needed to find a way to get into the homes and into their backyards. So we created the Backyard Bundle. Packages created and made affordable to offer services such as characters, bounce houses, treat table design & decor, balloon decor, concession items, and more. Rainbow Party Rentals is not a one-stop-shop; it’s the only shop where you can come get a bundle package that brings a full event right into a person’s backyard.

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.
The foodies we are, I don’t know why my wife and I love to go out to cook. We love restaurants that we get to cook our own food. Iron Age Korean BBQ is our favorite spot to have a night out. The Melting Pot is another great spot. Eating in the pods at Publico ATL is also a good one.

Driving up to the mountains and tubing is the sport of the South in Georgia.

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?
SCORE of Atlanta Mentors program

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Facebook: @Rainbowrentalsatl