Meet Shunta` Willis-Johnson | Event & Balloon Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shunta` Willis-Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shunta`, why did you pursue a creative career?
I don’t know if I pursued it or it pursued me, honestly. I am naturally creative and artistic…most people are naturally “something” and I discovered creativity and expressed my artistic side very early in life…it literally is who I am. I cannot remember a season in my life that did not contain some kind of creative expression…whether it was designing my childhood room to reflect a butterfly garden with crafted paper butterflies hanging from my ceiling in elementary school, drawing on my pants and customizing my own outfits in middle school, styling my friends for special events in highschool or planning and decorating my friends’ birthday celebrations in college…I was always doing something that expressed my creative side. Event planning and styling became an outlet for me – it became therapeutic to sit and plan out an event or choose balloon colors and special themes. I could never run away from creative expression, so again, I didn’t purse an artistic or creative career…it genuinely pursued me.

What should our readers know about your business?
It takes a lot to convince someone to pay hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of dollars, for balloons or to decorate an event that is only going to last a few hours. What sets me apart is that I actually agree with those people and because of that, I aim to provide clients with a beautiful event or balloon installment, without spending a massive amount of money. I was talking to a friend earlier and they said that it is hard for us, as creatives, to turn what we love into a business – no truer words spoken. Because we love what we do so much and being creative is an outlet…therapy…for us, it’s hard to put a monetary value on it. I think that was the hardest thing when starting my event planning and balloon styling business – figuring out the “business” side of it. After struggling with that for a while, I decided to get a mentor who was very helpful and transparent about all things “event industry” and I also studied (literally) social media influencers who were successfully doing the same things and took a page out of their book – I took advantage of the positive side of social media and the access I had to folks already doing what I wanted to do…that along with market research and lots of consulting with my husband (he’s a finance guy), I found a good balance and developed better business processes. People should really understand how hard this job is…planning and styling someone’s special event. For instance, most women think about their wedding day all their lives…they pretty much have it all planned out in their heads. So when you hire an event planner to make your dreams come true on your wedding day…that’s a lot of pressure. When a bride sees her reception area or wedding cake for the first time, an event planner has to make sure it is pretty much perfection…as close to her vision as possible…because if not, it could very well ruin her special day. It’s a hard job, but it is extremely fulfilling to contribute to special celebrations in that way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
That is so tough! I live in Atlanta for goodness sake – there are so many cool things to do here! Gosh, this is so hard so I have to focus purely on my best friends (I have to include all three, they’re all so dope) and what I would do specifically for them. Brunch would be the first stop – we love to brunch! I would probably start their trip with brunch at Two Urban Licks…I love their outside seating vibe and their menu is so good! Definitely massages next and then lunch at Colony Square – there are so many food, drink, and dessert options there and my friends are real foodies so having plenty to choose from would serve them well! My besties are lowkey, we just enjoy each other’s company and conversation without doing too much, so brunch and massages are already a lot for us LOL. I think at some point in the day, maybe later that evening, I would take them to downtown Decatur and do either a candle-making class or a pottery class (with BYOW options of course) and have an easy night doing something lowkey. For me to be an event planner, I do not like planning for guests who come in town. Crazy, right? I dislike the pressure of making sure people have a good time when visiting…stresses me out! With that being said, the rest of their visit would be filled with more of the same…good mimosas at local brunch spots in downtown Atlanta – The Atlanta Breakfast Club is a must! Easy activities like catching a movie at Atlantic Station’s IMAX theater, and maybe Axe Throwing (not as “easy” but fun – and we are all mommas so we could use a little stress reliever lol), a stroll down Krog Street, lunch at Ponce City Market, and quiet evenings at my house cooking, laughing and making new memories.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people deserve recognition. First and foremost – Yahweh. It is a blessing to understand and use the gifts He’s given you, in whatever way you choose. My gifts have been good to me. Second, my husband. He is most definitely my right-hand man. Everyday Unicorn, LLC is a small team, and by small I mean only me. My husband is always on board to help me in whatever way I need….and my requests get pretty crazy sometimes. He’s my unpaid assistant! Of course, my daughter- simply because she’s a light and the reason I do this…my creative muse, for sure. So many friends and family, but especially my three best friends (also my unpaid assistants and creative therapists lol) and my parents – the love and support they show me is unmatched.

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Other: everydayunicornllc@gmail.com