Meet Laura Maddox: Event Planner & Venue Consultant

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

Hi Laura, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
I had the blessing of working for a man I deeply admired before starting my business. He had this way about him of not accepting “no” or “it can’t be done” for an answer. I often attributed this one thing to his success. That, and the kindness yet unrelenting determination for everyone around him to bring him their very best.

Aside from being a marketing and sales genius, he started a green news website without a whole lot of expertise in the subject but knowing there was a hole in the market, and that he could fill that hole. He found the people that knew more than him, hired them, and then would come up with new ideas for them to figure out how to make happen. When they would think something was near impossible he’d look at them and just say, “I don’t understand why.” So they’d go back to the drawing board and work at the impossible task again, come up with new angles, new strategies and eventually, EVERY single time, they would accomplish what he set out to do.

I have always kept this experience in the back of my mind, it’s the ever driving force that continues to make me ask, “But why can’t we?” or “There’s got to be a way we can make this happen.” This coupled with a strong desire to serve those around me (customers and vendors alike) I believe has helped me build strong and meaningful relationships in my industry. I am only as good as the people around me! So I want to be sure those people keep that same drive!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Magnolia has always been known for serving at the highest level in the Southern events community. We pride ourselves on building relationships with our vendor partners that go beyond the weekend’s events. We rely on these relationships and our community to create a team atmosphere where ever we work and we believe it shows in our events. When everyone is striving for the same goal rather than just making their own name great we find that we’re able to accomplish a much smoother and enjoyable event planning experience for both our clients and our vendors.

This has come from years of time invested in this industry. Neither partner hung a shingle on a wall and became a wedding planner. Instead, we worked in the industry for years, gaining an invaluable knowledge of what it takes to make the “machine” of an event run smoothly. Coming up through the ranks of corporate events or from the hotel and restaurant industry we bring this knowledge to our clients, often streamlining the planning process and organizing the tasks in a way that make it not only manageable instead of daunting, but also really fun!

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.
Well, if my best friend was visiting she would appreciate the slower pace of getting away. I’d likely take her up to Blue Ridge to stay in a cabin on the lake for a few days. We would swim, read books, drink too much wine while making smores at the outside fireplace. After a few days, we would come back toward the city, spending a night at Avalon and shoping until we droped. Then, into the city. We’d book a room at a swanky hotel in Midtown (I will not show favorites by naming which one) and then go to all the sites! We’d do a day at the Zoo followed by an outdoor patio on the beltline for dinner. We would spend a morning at the Aquarium and in downtown Atlanta followed by a night at skyline park at Ponce City Market. Maybe we’d go to a braves game, or an Atlanta United game… Maybe we’d find a great concert intown. Go to a festival…. What I love about our city is that there is never a day where you can’t find SOMETHING you’d love to do! 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?
Christina Zubowicz and Suzanne Reinhard saw promise in a early 20’s girl who had too much energy and too much love for hospitality for them to get rid of her. These women gave me the jumping point far higher than I deserved to start my business and I am forever grateful to them for this.

Website: www.magnoliacelebrates.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/magnoliacelebrates

Facebook: www.facebook.com/magnoliacelebrates

Image Credits
The Decisive Moment Photography https://www.thedecisivemoment.com/ Reichman Photography https://reichmanphotography.com/ Carla Gates Photography https://carlagatesphotography.com/ Robin Nathan Photography http://robinnathan.com/ NJM Photography https://www.njmphotography.com/