Many of you have asked me how Element came to be. Have I always wanted to be a venue/event space owner? Actually, no. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. A few years ago, I catered a couple of events in various communities with my catering company, Charcuterie Element. I fell in love with the blank canvas of event spaces and realized I could bring something like that to our Watertown, South Dakota community.
Living close to downtown, I envisioned an intimate event space right in the heart of downtown Watertown. It was an idea that stuck with me, but I knew I needed my husband's support to bring it to life. Thankfully, he loved the idea and was on board immediately.
Over the years, I’ve experienced the trials and tribulations of searching for event spaces for my own children’s parties and graduations. Right around this time, an opportunity arose for entrepreneurs in my community with a CO.STARTERS cohort. The timing was perfect. My idea was still on a vision board. Does anyone else use vision boards? You should!
CO.STARTERS consisted of 10 sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of business development. One week, we were tasked with finding a mentor. I reached out to the owners of one of the spaces I had catered at in Mitchell, and they were incredibly helpful in answering all my questions. Another lucky break came when a speaker from one of the sessions connected with me afterward, leading me to find our perfect space.
Without the support of the CO.STARTERS cohort, Element might never have come to be. With a solid plan, my husband and I spent the next three months planning, purchasing, and renovating. We opened our private event space right on time on May 1, 2023, and the rest is history. We have sincerely enjoyed over a year of hosting wonderful events and being a part of our community's special moments.
Next time, I will talk about the importance of networking in business.
Thanks for reading, and until next time...
Lisa
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