Macon Magazine

April/May 2022

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APRIL/MAY 2022 | maconmagazine.com 51 SO PRETTY PICNIC Event planner and entrepreneur Kathy Nolan kicked off So Pretty Picnic at the beginning of the pandemic when she realized her then current means of employment, Hip Girl Trip, a tourism option geared toward women's groups, was effectively out of business thanks to social distancing. "I decided, when I had all these picnic baskets and odd things I've collected over the years and when we had to hang out in pods of six people or less, that we could create an intimate special event," she said. So Pretty Picnic is a customizable luxury picnic service. Nolan uses vintage rugs, tables, cushions, stemware, cutlery and dishes to provide unique experiences. She offers a number of menu options that are customizable, catered by Saralyn Collins. Her base price is a very reasonable $175 for two to four people. If you want an event with a bit more bazinga, she can do that, too. Nolan's most unique experience was a James Bond birthday party. "The birthday girl wanted something special and everyone dressed in James Bond attire. The party was in the backyard and there was a formal garden," Nolan recalled. "She came out on the balcony in full red sequins and sang an Adele song with the saxophone playing. I was on the ground shining a spotlight on her from the garden. There was fire everywhere with fur throws on everything, and James Bond themed food items!" No stranger to creativity and people, Nolan has spent her life working in travel tourism, as a writer and as a co-owner of Bright Ideas Group marketing agency. "These are things that I personally love to do so I'm trying to find a way to do them and make a career out of it. It all goes back to getting people together for a common cause of celebration — whatever that celebration may be. Just little extra touches take it from just having a party to something very special," she said. The secret of my success WHAT ADVICE do these thriving entrepreneurs offer to up-and-comers? Ambitious Graphics' Wayne Woodard tells rising business owners, "Get started! You can watch videos and talk to people and research all you want, but you won't get the experience without just doing!" Rachel Gerrity, the guru behind Homegrown Yoga's two locations, said, "If you love it and if you go into it with your eyes wide open, it's so much fun. But, you have to have that one to two years of knowing it's going to be in growth. And you have to talk to other people in business." Bike Tech's Bobby Schorr said, "One thing I think we've done well is you have to have an excellent team. 'Team' is a big word. That means employees, mentors and people all around you." He also acknowledges the need for flexibility in business. "You need to recognize when you need to make a change or shift. Businesses that will exist over the next couple of years that did during the pandemic made a shift — even if the shifts may not have made sense to the general consumer or the outsider." Kathy Nolan of So Pretty Picnic shares her favorite and most practical advice. "Try a sample on somebody. Ask for a deposit. People are willing to pay in advance for things. Trial and error kinds of things. Get real feedback and test it. Get the kinks out before you try it for real." As we wrap up our series, we'll feature businesses that filled a unique niche as a result of the pandemic. We'll also offer some tips on starting a small business as well as some interesting feedback from NewTown Macon's Emily Hopkins on downtown Macon's post-pandemic recovery.

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