The Bright Balloon

108. Why I stopped inflating balloons

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

To be honest, I never thought I would record an episode like this! But while it's still pretty fresh, I wanted to give the run-down of what it looks l...

107. What are your money sabotages?

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm going to take you through how the most common money sabotages could be affecting your balloon business.    Plus, I'll share my o...

106. Making your balloon business stand out

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Here's another overview of what we've been learning about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club!  Join here! Last month, we read through Purple Cow by...

105. Money Archetypes

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Money Personality Quiz I have absolutely fallen in love with learning about money mindset and money personalities lately! In fact, I feel like I've ga...

104. Hiring Help with Dennis Scott

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I'm talking with my balloon bestie, Dennis Scott, who I first met at a face painting convention. Over the years we've helped each oth...

103. Client red flags

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My friend Meg from 365 Days of Balloons had a great idea to do an entire episode related to some of the red flags we've all experienced with our clien...

102. Product Development | Lilly from The Creative Heart Studio

13 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lilly of The Creative Heart Studio takes us behind the scenes in this episode to share about the product development process for her artist apparel th...

101. Pumpkin Planning Your Balloon Business

08 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are moving to 5 episodes per month! From now on, I'll be giving an overview of what we've been learning about over in the Bright Balloon Book Club!...

100. The inventor of balloon decor | Treb Heining

06 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be recording my 100th episode I would have been so skeptical! Big thanks to all of you who have been...

99. Staying Power | Larry from Havin a Party

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's one thing to reflect back on a single year in business, but wait until you hear some of the insights of Larry's DECADES of work in the balloon in...

98. My cringy Instagram experiment

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks to so many of you for following along during my Instagram reels experiment this past month!    After posting a reel every day for the past 30...

97. Not waiting for permission | Melody of Foxx Creative Share

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are so many points in your business where it feels like you need to wait for permission to take the next step... to buy the van... to move out o...

96. Update: "red X month"

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm looking back on my attempt at the "red x month", and let me tell you... because I wasn't as busy, it gave me some time to really s...

95. Double-stuffed balloons | Joette from BalloonCoach.com

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We've all seen it all over Instagram. The creation of custom colors by double-stuffing balloons. But is it the right move for your business?   In thi...

94. Relationships in business | Kelly from Poppin' Cleveland

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This is one of the most unique interviews we've had yet, because Kelly will be sharing with us how she's prepared to run two balloon businesses in two...

93. 10 things your website might be missing

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is back to the list-style format, where I'll walk you through 10 things you should double-check are listed and available on your website....

92. Free ways to over serve

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It is so, so easy to fall into the trap of over serving by providing more balloons than your customer actually paid for. But the thing is, I think it'...

91. Keeping your cool on a crew | Bee of B4All Occasionz

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I really wasn't sure what to expect for my first experience of a Big Balloon Build, and wow, I'll admit... working on such a massive crew was pretty c...

90. One year after two big changes

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's officially been a full year since I've made two huge changes in my business: having a shop and buying a van!   In this episode, I'm running thro...

89. The Balloon Bar | Joe from Havin' a Party Wholesale

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, I'm catching up with Joe from Havin' a Party and we are talking about business growth and what some artists are doing as they ...

88. Email marketing, off our plates! | Jeff from AssetLab & Nicole from Let Nicole Help

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Email marketing for my balloon business is always the thing that falls by the wayside... can you relate?   After feeling the relief of handing off em...

87. Growing with your business | Amanda Rae of 17hats

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was such a complete privilege to interview Amanda Rae, COO of 17hats, for this episode! We talk about all things owning a business... customer serv...

86. "Red X month"

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I've been hearing about the idea of "red x month" for a while now and have been wondering how and when I would be able to try it. Then when I noticed ...

85. Pop-up shops | Alissa from Twee Partees

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alissa of Twee Partees actually runs her shop out of my hometown, so this episode was extra fun to record! We talk about her new pop-up retail space a...

84. A chat with Kelsey, That Balloon Girl

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was so fun to chat with another super lean balloon business owner. Kelsey has so much to share about how she left corporate for balloons, how she p...

83. All about Grab & Go Garlands

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I started offering Grab & Go Garlands after the initial interview with Ali of Charming Garlands (episode 48), and what a difference it has made to my ...

82. Customer communication templates

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of my pet peeves as a consumer is a lack of communication by service providers... don't be that service provider!   Even without a CRM, there are...

81. Price transparency

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When I started my balloon business six years ago, I had the hardest time figuring out how much things cost and what I should charge.   Eventually I d...

80. Profit First Revisited with Elizabeth Fiore

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I'm talking with my bookkeeper, Elizabeth from Fiore Tax Services. She and her husband Joe are now Profit First Professionals so we a...

79. New Instagram strategy

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you've been listening for a while, you know that I have a lot of thoughts about using Instagram for business. I love some aspects of it, but I reco...

78. What to do about charity work

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I don't necessarily have a strong all-or-nothing approach to charity work, but I do have some strategies in place to help me stay aligned with both my...

77. Saying no to clients

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes you're truly not available. Sometimes you just don't want to work with that client or color scheme. And sometimes you fear you're on the bri...

76. Cool CRM features of 17hats | Nicole of Let Nicole Help

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you're a 17hats user, you use another CRM or you simply want to learn more about what to look for in your first CRM, listen in to this episode...

75. Book review: Make Time

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Make Time, by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, is FULL of amazing quick tips (82 of them!) that you can use and try to work towards more efficient and fu...

74. Self-Employment | Hayley from Pop! Balloon Bar & Party

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Haley's adventure with balloons started when she added the service into her non-profit event planning, and as word spread about her skills, friends an...

73. The Laser Focused Solopreneur

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

People commonly ask me how I find the time to run my balloon business by myself, alongside my full-time job. And while I used to just take it as a com...

72. None of your business

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I think we're all guilty of the comparison trap at times - I know I certainly am. "Look how well they're doing already when I've been doing this for y...

71. Transitioning Your Business | Amy from It's My Party

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is unlike many episodes we've had before in that it is an honest conversation about the challenges we face as business owners. The pivots...

70. 3 Tasks You Can Batch in Your Balloon Business

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably heard me talk about automation before, and what a huge difference it's made in my business. Well, I like to think of batching as the r...

69. Book review - Chillpreneur

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This book by Denise Duffield-Thomas really connected with me. In fact, I love everything she puts out.    Not only do I love the business mindset sh...

68. 365 days of birthdays

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's talk about something everyone has... a birthday! And in our industry, we appeal to practically everybody. We aren't limited by the age of our cu...

67. Coming Up in Local Search | Jeff from Asset Lab

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

I first met Jeff at Balloon Boss Summit, where he was one of my favorite instructors because he simply knows... his... stuff! In this episode, he dish...

66. Tracking your lead sources | Nicole from Let Nicole Help

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm talking about lead sources with my Digital Strategist, Nicole. She's giving us tips for not only how but why to track our lead sources (wher...

65. 3 ways to remember your goals

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is going to give you little tips to keep your goals at the front of your mind for the entire year - without using any brain power at all!...

64. Year end review of your balloon business

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This final episode of the year will actually walk you through the year end review process laid out in The Bright Balloon Business Planner... from how ...

63. How will you stay on top of your goals in 2022?

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I came away from the Balloon Boss Summit so motivated about 2022, but didn't feel like I had a great way to track my goals and plans for the year. A l...

62. 5 Automation Tips to Implement Today

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Back by popular demand, here's another laser-focused episode full of action steps you can take in your business today that will lift so much mental en...

61. Getting Organized with Lilly, The Creative Heart Studio

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are talking about organization with the Queen herself, Lilly from the Creative Heart Studio. She explains her top tips to organizing your bal...

60. How a color chart can change your business

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

*Apologies for the audio quality in this episode. Improvements coming soon and the interview is worth the listen!   In this episode, I talk with Erin...

59. Three ways you can stand out | Streamlining your customer experience

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I chat with Nicole, my first hire, about what kinds of things you can do to improve your customer experience... that don't require mor...

58. Everything I use to run my business

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Based on the questions that I get most, this episode is a rapid fire listing of all the things I use to run my business, from website, to invoicing, t...

57. One Year Anniversary Special!!!!

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Bright Balloon is one year old!!! Today I'm recapping all of the ways my business has changed this past year thanks to the great guests on this po...

56. What's in your toolkit? | Crowdsourced episode

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I asked my friends in Balloon Boss Mastermind what is one creative thing you keep in your toolkit...and their answers did not disappoint. I've literal...

55. What happened to your business when Facebook and Instagram were down?

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week I'm talking about what happened to my business when Facebook and Instagram were down all day...nothing. That's because I don't run my busine...

54. Set It Up September | CRM and 17Hats

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This one is painful. I'm not going to lie- a CRM is a lot of work to set up, but you need one. If you want to streamline, this is the ultimate must ha...

53. Set It Up September | Calendar Audit

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week I'm talking about a calendar audit and how it can help you outline your entire year before it even starts! Keeping repeat business is so muc...

52. Set It Up September | Cancellation Policy

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week I'm talking about my lack of a cancellation policy and why I got very lucky during a string of cancellations this month! I'm encouraging you...

51. Set It Up September | Profit First

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Use the last quarter to set up all of your goals so you can hit the ground running at the start of the year! In this episode, I'm outlining "Profit Fi...

50. The Great Balloon Shortage! | Joe from Havin' A Party Wholesale

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joe is on the show! We are learning what is happening with the balloon shortage from a wholesale distributor! If you don't know Joe, you should! Check...

49. Setting healthy boundaries with your clients | Joette from Balloon Coach

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joette is on the podcast! She and I are talking about setting yourself up for success, avoiding burnout, setting your limits as a business owner and h...

48. Grab and Go Garlands | Ali from Charming Garlands

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for part two with Ali is from Charming Garlands she's talking about her Grab and Go Garland model and it's awesome! Check out Charming Garland...

47. Vendor Showcases with Ali from Charming Garlands

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Buckle up because this is a good one! Ali from Charming Garlands is sharing some fresh ideas about showcasing your work at a vendor fair, showcase or ...

46. I hired my first employee! (Not really...)

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I took my first baby step into the world of hiring and I'm talking about it in todays episode!  Join me in at Balloon Boss Summit  to level up your...

45. An episode of updates! Canva, Profit First, Instagram and more!

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join me in at Balloon Boss Summit  to level up your business and check out the Balloon Coach Tour Here! My Courses: Gorgeous Garland: Fast, Profi...

44. How to get affordable branding photos

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A few months back I got some new personal branding photos of myself. Cringey, I know, but they have been such a nice update to my website and social m...

43. Stuffed balloons with Marlene Potts

23 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Looking to start or grow a new income stream in balloons? Or just looking to do those cool elf balloons you see at Christmas, Marlene is your lady! Sh...

42. Reminders for busy business owners

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When I get busy, I get lazy! I take shortcuts, make sloppy mistakes, and stop thinking about the future! Today I'm giving a few reminders and tips of ...

41. Making your first hire | Erin from Young and Wild Balloon Co.

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is all about how to hire that first employee! Erin from Young and Wild Balloon Co. is breaking down the steps that got her to this point,...

40. I Bought A Van!!!!

02 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I'm back and I bought a delivery van! In this episode I'm talking about what model I chose, how much I paid, and how it's changed my business for the ...

39. How I Price My Organic Garland

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm talking about how I price my organic garland and visually communicate that to my clients! Episode Links: Gorgeous Garland: Fast, Profitable...

38. The Big Balloon Build | Stuart Davies and Liz Romani

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Another awesome interview on this episode! Learn about The Big Balloon Build, what it is, how it started, and how to get involved! Bonus: Some amazing...

37. Pricing, competition and networking | Tiffany from Confetti Castle

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I'm talking with Tiffany in this awesome interview episode! She's taken the balloon world by storm and is offering up so much great advice about growi...

36. Part Two: Balloon Conventions: FLOAT

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I'm talking all about balloon conventions, or in this case, FLOAT! You can still register to attend! Check it out here! Sign up for my email list and...

35. Part One: Balloon Conferences, Conventions and Summits

29 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I'm talking all about balloon conventions, or in this case, Balloon Boss Summit! You can still register to attend! Check it out here! Check out Balloo...

34. The Creative Heart Studio with Lilly Jimenez

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ahhhhh! Lilly is on the show! The creator of the Balloon Mosaic is talking about her business, social media, competition and a bunch more! Lilly is a ...

33. My love affair with Canva | Have you heard about these new features?

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you're not using Canva, you're missing out. I know, you're thinking duh, Canva is old news and we all use it. Wrong. I'm talking about the new feat...

32. Everything you want is on the other side of fear | An interview with Tinesha from Mbellish Events

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today I am talking with Tinesha about how launching her Adopt a Grandparent campaign and joining Balloon Boss Mastermind brought in more sales last mo...

31. Why I'm losing hundreds of Instagram followers and loving it

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm sharing how my Instagram strategy has changed and why I'm happily waving goodbye :) I have 27K followers and it's terrible! I know...

30. Make Time | A simple Inbox Hack

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm sharing a book recommendation and a simple hack that has helped me keep a clean inbox for the past six months! Book Recommendation: Make Ti...

29. I Received a One Star Review

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Well, I got a one star review. It sucked and I'm telling you all about it and how I responded in this episode. Join me in the Balloon Boss Mastermind...

28. Listener questions answered!

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm answering your questions! How did I start balloons and when did I go full time? What vinyl cutter is recommended? How do I make my...

27. Booking Process Workarounds

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we are talking about website workarounds that have basically supercharged my workflow. If you don't have a website, today is the day: The W...

26. Cold Outdoor Decor Tips with Megan Raysby

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm talking with Megan from North Shore Balloon Decor in Chicago, IL. Megan transitioned quickly into yard decor during the pandemic and is stil...

25. Stop making your business difficult to find | Three tips

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know what's frustrating? When clients have to work hard to find your business! And you know what usually happens? They don't want to work that har...

24. Adopt A Grandparent

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are talking about the Adopt A Grandparent campaign you might see popping up on Facebook and Instagram! What is it? Where did it com...

23. Start your year with a Calendar Audit

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm talking about what I learned and plan to do with my calendar audit! Are you missing out on events and money like I was? Let's chan...

22. What's your word for 2021? | Goal Setting

28 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

More on Goal Setting from Balloon Coach Sign up for my email list and I'll send you my balloon business Cliff's Notes- how I do my bookkeeping, socia...

21. Photo editing apps I love!

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

These are a few of my favorite things...I mean apps. I don't do a ton of photo correction but when I do, these are the apps I use! Sign up for my emai...

20. How to market and prepare for a flash sale

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As the year comes to an end I'm doing one final push in the form of a flash sale! Don't give up if your end-of-the-year sales are falling flat. There ...

19. Be the face of your company

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode I'm challenging you to be the face of your company and explaining why small businesses have a huge edge! Sign up for my email list and I...

18. Free Education | Where To Find Free Classes

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sign up for my email list and I'll send you my balloon business Cliff's Notes- how I do my bookkeeping, social media planning, CRM and more! Looking ...

17. The Value of Friendeors

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm talking about Friendors and the value they can bring to your balloon business. I'm also sharing a few concrete ways to start forming these r...

16. Tips for Setting Up Profitable Pricing

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We are talking about money (again). But this time, a few tips for setting up your prices for long term success! What happens if you grow, or if helium...

15. Money Matters | Tips to get your numbers sorted this year

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm talking Quickbooks, profit and overhead (oh my!) I'm also taking on a new system this January if anyone wants to join me in readin...

14. Automation Series | Adopt a CRM- 17 Hats

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I'm talking about 17hats and how this investment has saved me hours of time and thousands of dollars compared to paying an assistant. ...

13. Planning For The Future

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we are talking about how COVID has impacted our industry and how we can plan for our future based on consumer trends. Content for this...

12. Automation series | Get your photos under control

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm sharing another episode in our automation series- dreaded photo organization! I've been using google photos for several years and while my p...

11. Become a Wedding Balloon Specialist

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm sharing all about weddings! I LOVE working on weddings. I'm busting the myth about bridezillas and how to avoid over planning and also expla...

10. Automation Series | Social Media Planning With Later.com

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Does social media overwhelm you? Or does it take up a ton of  time? Worse yet, do you avoid it all together? This week I'm sharing how I use Later.co...

9. You Are Five Minutes Away From Total Marketing Clarity

06 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Marketing and publicity can be consuming! And at the end of the day how do you even know what's working. I'll tell you how in today's episode! You are...