YOUR FAVORITE EVENT PLANNER'S FAVORITE EVENT PLANNERS
Pinterest is a gift and a curse. We've found ourselves inspired (read: tricked!) by all the pretty pictures thinking that we are way craftier than we actually are. Suddenly, we're up all night with a hot glue gun mess on our table and tons of burlap fabric a few hours before a bridal shower; all the while damning those DIY tutorials we peeped on the social network. No fear, the ladies behind Tinsel & Twine are here. Ironically, we actually stumbled upon the New York based firm on Pinterest and soon after their story was popping up everywhere and for good reason. As an event design studio, they create experiences for every type of event with every type of client (Vogue, Squarespace, Aldo and Estée Lauder just to name a few). A few minutes into meeting them and one thing is for sure: they're not just building pretty things, they're incredible business creatives leading the event industry.
Read on to see why the women behind Tinsel & Twine are Daring Creatives.
L to R: Adette Contreras, Liz Castelli, Erica Taylor Haskins
When did you decide to pursue your current career path?
Liz: It was at happy hour – Taco Tuesday, to be specific, at a place in the village (NYC) that no longer exists. I had just gotten married and had such a wonderful experience planning and creating the event that I felt like it could be done for a living! That was the start of the company – working out of our apartment, over champagne. Now we have offices, storage, and a huge list of very impressive clients and a business that crosses many sectors, from experiential marketing to full blown galas.
Erica: I began my career in advertising. I realized very quickly that if I wanted a professional life that combined my creative passions and business in a way that made sense for me, I would have to pursue a different path. At the same time, my good friends Liz and Adette were experiencing similar quarter-life crises. We were all at this uncomfortable, uncertain point in our lives. Tinsel came out of that uncertainty.
How did you go from idea to execution?
Adette: No shortcuts and no magic formulas: It took a lot of hard work and a lot of long hours to get TINSEL up and running. We knew we wanted to create something that would inspire people, something that would spread good vibes and the spirit of celebration. So we brainstormed. What would we stand for as a design brand? Who did we want to be? What did we want to build? Finally, we came up with the name and the idea: Tinsel & Twine–one side luxe and celebratory, one side clever and resourceful. Essentially, design with a purpose. Because of my background in branding and design, I knew a strong identity and website would be crucial to our early success. So we started there, and we started small, styling events with friends every minute we could and making sure to capture it all on our website. With Erica's marketing savvy, we caught some press with our early work on Refinery29 and DailyCandy, and word-of-mouth spread from there. Because of Liz's background in floral design and her production prowess, we found ourselves fielding design projects left and right. They wanted more. At that point, we saw how complementary our skill sets were, and we knew that we were building something larger than the three of us.
How does the city you live in influence your creativity?
Adette: New York City is constant. There’s so much going on at all times, and there are so many people from everywhere. Each person comes here with a dream and the guts to make it happen. Having grown up halfway across this planet, I've always had this nagging urge to travel–to learn from people, to see new places, to learn new languages, and to taste new food. To me, it's such a great source of learning, inspiration, and growth. New York City has a way of letting you leave, even when you can't buy a plane ticket. Pull up a chair at a bookstore, try a new restaurant, go on a walk, or maybe just sit on a park bench with a cup of green tea and listen: this city is filled with stories. It's filled with the dreams of millions of immigrants, and it's filled with the courage to make it happen.
Liz: New York is not a place for the weak of heart but with that comes this fierce creative class that isn’t willing to settle. We get amazing project managers that way and amazing clients that push us a bit further on each job.
In your words, what does it mean to be a “creative”?
Erica: Being creative means constantly challenging yourself to think beyond what’s easy and accessible. It means constantly thinking bigger than your last success.
Has rejection ever affected your creative process?
Liz: Oh hell yes. Every time a proposal doesn’t get accepted, you think I am not good enough? Or if you see the competition doing cool things, you wonder why not you? It’s tough not to get down on that stuff. I am a ‘keep your eyes on your own paper’ kind of gal and find that it’s best not to compare myself to others. Just keep trying to one-up yourself and realize that not every contract works out – even the best agencies spend tons of time just pitching.
Adette: The "nos" and the "that's-impossibles" just make me more resolved to make it happen. Especially when it's us getting in our own way–doubting and undercutting ourselves when we're at a low point. It just adds fuel to the climb back up, and makes me want to push even harder, go even higher, and prove to myself that it can be done, and it will be amazing.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to pursue the same career as you?
Really do your research to know the industry. Know who’s really doing amazing, inspired work and who is just counting likes on Instagram. Understand that the events industry is fun and beautiful and celebratory but it’s back-breaking work. When you apply for jobs – no matter the size of the company – you’re going to be put to work. It’s not always glamorous. But it’s a fun world to be a part of.
Also: invest in good shoes. You’ll be on your feet more than you realize.
What has been the pit and peak of your week so far? (a low and a high moment)
Erica: Pit - One of the hardest things about what we do is the hours. In addition to regular office hours, our job often requires very late nights, very early mornings, and work on the weekends. I’m still trying to better balance my work schedule and personal time to spend with my friends and family, my husband, and just to spend on myself.
Adette: Peak - 1. A (rare) relaxing weekend with my boyfriend, doing crosswords over homemade breakfast, learning Swedish, and snuggles with our dog The Goose and our new kitten Chimichanga. 2. A wonderful email from one of our former interns, updating us on her life post-internship and reminding me of all the incredible talent on our team right now. #ladiesonladders 3. Another insightful class at Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, where I spoke with investors and lenders about our business and our plans for growth.
Finish this sentence:
Erica: I want people to remember me as - the sharp and business-savvy leader of an army of artists who make beautiful things and have fun doing it.
Liz: If I only had 24 more hours to live, I would - spend the day in bed with my husband. Cheesy, but as crazy as everything is right now, I know I chose the best life-path when I chose him. He’s supported me in every way with this adventure.
Adette: If I had a theme song it would be - Shirley Bassey's "Where Do I Begin". The Remix of course. [She sings] “where do I begin to tell the story of how great love can be? Where do I start?”
Then the beat drops.
For more on Tinsel & Twine, visit their site: tinsel.nyc