Today we’d like to introduce you to our founder / CEO Shanthi Challa. in this fire side chat, we got to discuss work, life, career, humanity and alos get to understand the amazing woman at the helm of affairs at Siignature Events by Shanti .
Q : Shanti, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
A : My name is Shanti Challa, married with two wonderful kids. I’m the founder of Signature Events by Shanti, an event decoration and management company based in Dallas Texas. I was born and raised in India which is rich in culture and traditions. Growing up my childhood was happy and joyous as i used to spend my free time with creative projects at home and helped to host family and college events when I was doing my graduation in Pharmacy. I moved to the USA, with my husband in 2007. Prior to founding my company, i had worked for a corporate company as a Data analyst with a keen interest in organizing events, in 2015 I first volunteered for a friend’s private party, I did help her with the setup and had to incorporate the Indian traditions and culture, it got all the approval and good reviews of those who attended and that was the nudge I needed to give it a shot.
At some point, I had a brief discussion with a friend with whom we shared similar vision together and we then ended up setting up an event styling company at that time though under a partnership basis which we operated for about five years, after which I started my own brand in 2020 now called Signature Events by Shanti, which I’m now fully focused on and run fully. Building this business from ground up was truly a challenge but yet a rewarding one as the event creative industry is quite dynamic and thus as an event stylist you’ve got to be up to date with the current trends, color themes for the year, and the things that clients would want for their events, most especially when it’s weddings, house warming, Receptions, Sweet 16, Quinceañera, Birthday parties to Milestone Anniversaries and corporate functions too.
Event styling is unique and is always different, especially with weddings hence a good understanding of what a client wants would help you come up with great ideas to wow them on their day. I am blessed with a great family who made me stand where I am today!
Q : We all face challenges but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A : The event industry is a vibrant yet dynamic one. As one of the sectors of the economy that creates ample job opportunities, it’s one that also has lots of demands and challenges too, especially in areas of capital investment, inventory management, and maintenance, design ideas, operational logistics, labor / staffing, etc. For me, It’s been an interesting journey so far and while I may have had some memorable moments while running the company, I’ve also come to realize that there are some areas which could mount some serious challenges while you go about planning for that next event setup, some of which are;
– Capital: setting up a full-fledged event styling company would require that you set aside some reasonable capital or have the facility to secure the needed financing with a good repayment option of course, as this industry is highly capital intensive.
– Material/inventory sourcing: a lot of the materials are mostly sourced from China, India, which also presents with it, its cost and logistics and delays too.
– Labor: having access to qualified handymen in the industry plus having the ability to create room to train and equip your staff with the much-needed skill would be a prized asset.
– Inventory management/maintenance: a lot of the designs and setups done within the industry requires you to be creative hence this might lead to tweaking or changing the original design or concept of certain materials, which would require some fixing back when the event is over. Maintenance should be of priority.
Owning a business and leading a team is the hardest, most amazing, lonely, incredibly rewarding journey. It takes guts, audacity, faith, and the ability to be open minded and willing to embrace change. Being a business owner means showing up when you don’t feel like it, facing some hard conversations, failing, and getting back up, and knowing there are some people that really do think you’re crazy. There is something in your soul that drives you to push yourself and find your true potential. You stay up at night because you’re a dreamer, and your brain never stops thinking about what’s next. It’s not really about a number, it’s about breaking the glass ceiling for yourself. It’s about proving that God puts something in your heart, and you have the ability to actually achieve it. It’s about moving forward even after you fail because you just can’t quit. Being a momprenuer is teaching your kids that it’s ok to WORK for something, not because it’s about a dollar, but because it’s about the bigger picture: serving others, creating income opportunities, giving back, and showing others that you really can chase and build your dreams!
Q : Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
A : As a pharmacist, I find it truly interesting having to interchangeably mix my time between my current profession as an event stylist and my initial career being a pharmacist. It’s been a rewarding one but also quite demanding in terms of my time, resources, and attention. With the recent Covid-19 pandemic which disrupted the economy and totally affected the event industry and one whose sole intent is social gathering, it has also invented the remote work system which now makes it possible for some people to actively combine different jobs and roles while also delivering on all targets. I would say that it’s been an immense journey and I’ve learned tremendously from colleagues in the industry both here in the United States and other parts of the world like Africa, especially in places like Nigeria where the event industry is huge providing different layers of services as the case may be. But generally, it’s been an exhilarating ride coping with the two.
Q : Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
A : One of the biggest lessons and adjustments I’ve had to make is the drastic changes we all witnessed with hosting outdoor event, from going to hosting events in funny dress codes (wearing of nose mask) to strict compliance to hygiene protocols (use of hand sanitizers) to adjustment of seating charts with some event allowing only 50% hall capacity to absolutely seeing clients cancel their events on hold. It truly showed a lot of resilience in mankind which also made us also pay attention to the tiniest things and to the vulnerability of humans. It also brought about some creative ways in which events are organized and made us, the event stylist, to also creatively seek for the best ways to ensure that events are held in the best way possible and with lots of wonderful memories too.
Finally, I would like to thank all my clients who are more like a family for supporting me and Signature Events, couldn’t have gotten here without you all. Special thanks to my brothers, sister, husband, and kids who are always there with me.
S.C.