IAM1156- Events Host Helps People Celebrate Special Moments

Michelle Ison is a Northern Virginian native with an M.S. in Communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. She recently left her career as a television producer and host to help people celebrate special moments with Picnic & Peonies, a luxury picnic and micro-event company in D.C. & NYC. Michelle is an expert in all things style, design, and attention to detail, which is apparent in every event she hosts.

• CEO Hack: (i) a lot of coffee and wine (ii) Listening to lots of podcasts and people who've achieved success
• CEO Nugget: Do a ton of market research and learn everything you can about the industry
• CEO Defined: Being a leader, making a difference, and doing something important and worthwhile

Website: http://www.picnicandpeonies.com/

IG – @picnicandpeonies
Facebook – facebook.com/picnicandpeonies

Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE

Transcription

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Please Note: Our team is using the AI CEO Hacks: Exemplary AI and Otter.ai to support our podcast transcription. While we know it's improving there may be some inaccuracies, we are updating and improving them. Please contact us if you notice any issues, you can also test out Exemplary AI here.

00:15 – Intro

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:41 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Michelle Eisen of Picnic and Pianist. Michelle, it's great to have you on the show.

00:51 – Michelle Ison

Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm excited.

00:54 – Gresham Harkless

Definitely excited to have you on as well. Before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Michelle so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Michelle is a Northern Virginia native with an MS in communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. She recently left her career as a television producer and host to help people celebrate special moments with Picnic and Pionese, a luxury Picnic and Micro Event Company in DC and NYC. Michelle is an expert in all things style, design, and attention to detail, which is apparent in every event that she hosts. Michelle, great to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

[restrict paid=”true”]

01:30 – Michelle Ison

Yeah, definitely.

01:32 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So you're doing so many phenomenal things and I love everything, you know, that you've been able to create. So what I wanted to do before we jump in, so what you do is rewind the clock a little bit. Hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

01:45 – Michelle Ison

Okay, well, kind of like my little bio said, I was a television host and producer for a very long time for 8 years. So I was in your role, I was the one asking the question so it's very, it's very strange. Exactly. Exactly. So yeah, I did that for many years and then the pandemic happened, and with so many people, our lives totally changed. So I was traveling all around the world in my former life and basically traveling every single week. So when we started using my home as basically my studio, I just honestly got bored. So I just needed something to channel my energy into.

So I had several different ideas of what I maybe wanted to do. Maybe I wanted to go into consulting for small businesses because I helped quite a few in my last job. Then I was supposed to be getting married. All during this time, I was going to be a 2020 bride. So obviously I couldn't have this big wedding that I was going to have. So Bachelorette party got canceled, bridal shower wedding. So I realized that you know, people still need to be able to celebrate these special moments and still enjoy life in the midst of the pandemic, essentially.

And so I saw this concept of luxury picnics out on the West Coast. I was like, this is really cool. I like these Instagramable moments. They look fun, whatever. So I started thinking about it. It just, I don't know, it just clicked that this is something that I can go ahead and bring to the East Coast. So yeah, I did it and I launched on September 30th of 2020. So I am almost a year old now, but by the time this will air, it will just have turned 20 years old.

03:41 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. It'd be a little bit over a year, but happy, you know, year birthday. I definitely know it's been an interesting time, but I love, you know, one of the things that I've heard about, you know, during less than ideal times and when there's, you know, disruption and changes, there's so many kinds of new ways that we talk about business, talk about life and the way that that manifests itself in some of the businesses that are created. So it's great to hear that you've been one of those people who have bloomed, it sounds like, from everything that's happened with the pandemic.

04:09 – Michelle Ison

Thank you, yeah. I mean, it's been a total whirlwind. So when I talk about my past job, It's a very recent thing that I left. So after 8 years, that's a long time to work somewhere. This has just grown so exponentially over the course of the past year that it was very apparent that I couldn't live, these 2 lives anymore essentially. So I had to step away and now I'm full-time focusing on, helping people celebrate these special moments and anniversaries and weddings and bridal showers and XYZ, you name it.

04:41 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, and I appreciate when you were telling your story, you talked about like, even though I guess that things have been disrupted on how, you know, you're having these events and the weddings that you're having and the opportunities you're having to engage and have relationship with people and to some form shape or fashion, the desire for that hasn't changed. Just the way that we do it seems like it has changed. So it sounds like you've been able to kind of stay aware of that and be able to kind of create your business as a result of that.

05:05 – Michelle Ison

Yeah, for sure. So we found it's just we find unique ways for, you know, people, everybody has a different sense of comfortable, comfortable ability during this pandemic. This pandemic. So we just really cater to, you know, how people are feeling, and we go above and beyond to make it happen and to fulfill this need for people to go ahead and want to celebrate and, you know, still want to make memories with their family and loved ones.

05:32 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. So I know you touched a little bit upon, you know, how it works and how you serve your clients. Could you tell us a little bit more about that, and how that process goes?

05:41 – Michelle Ison

Yeah. So when a client first wants to work with Picnic and Peonies, There are a couple of ways that they can go about it. So you can book directly through our website. There's a ton of great information on there. Then you can choose your time. You can tell me about your event and give detailed notes. Then I follow up with them immediately after that. We talked a little bit more about what they're looking for what our goals are for this event and what we want to achieve.

The other option, there's a contact form on my website that people can go ahead, and fill out, and it's a very similar process where I reach out to them directly, find out more information, and then we go from there. So then whatever the event is, say it's just a 2-person picnic, it's a date night. What I or one of my team members will do is we will go to the determined location that we have set for their picnic. It can be a public park. It can be their home residents. It can be on a rooftop of their apartment building. So I show up there again, or my team members about an hour early set everything up, and leave it for them. They come, they picnic, and then they just leave when they're done and we swoop in and clean everything up.

06:53 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. Definitely sounds like an easy button for lack of a better term with somebody that wants to enjoy that special moment or that special time, but not sure exactly how to do that. Sounds like you help out.

07:03 – Michelle Ison

Exactly. I like to say that we do all the heavy lifting there in more ways than one, because those rugs and tables, they're not light. Right. So yeah, we just, do everything. It's like, we're like little fairies. I say that to my friends. We're like little fairies who come in and just like beautify that area. Then, yeah, they just, all you need to do if you're in our DC location is bring your own food, your own drinks, whatever you want to munch on. Yeah, And then we do everything else.

07:35 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So what would you consider to be what I like to call your secret sauce? And this could be for yourself personally, or the business, or a combination of both. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

07:46 – Michelle Ison

Yeah, that's a great question. I think first and foremost, it's my background, quite honestly, because I do have this really strong communications background because I did work with so many small businesses in my last job. That has really helped me grow and be successful in where I'm at now. So I think that's the first thing. I think the second thing is my style.

I really wanted my picnics to be very chic looking and I just think the way that I decorate them and I just think it captures this, you know, this moment and it just makes people feel like they're doing something really cool and unique and special and I'm a really detail-oriented person as well and in every single picnic I try and make that very apparent so that they're really, you know, getting to enjoy something very again, unique and special.

08:43 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit And I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

08:54 – Michelle Ison

A lot of coffee and a lot of wine. A lot of coffee, and a lot of wine, keep me going. That's probably first and foremost. Other than that, I listen to a lot of podcasts myself. I listen to a lot of how I built this and just listen to these other inspiring people who have done all of these great things and they've achieved so much success with their businesses. I think that's really important to listen to those people and take in what other people have done.

I think that would be one of my hacks and I kind of internalize that and this one thing really stuck out to me and it was Bobby Brown who owns this fabulous makeup company or she did formerly. She's just very well known in that industry. She said that it's everything is in the details. So with me, like I'm already a detail-oriented person, but hearing from somebody like that who has achieved so much success, I was like, okay, I think I'm doing something right. So really, coffee, wine, listening to other people who have achieved great success.

10:12 – Gresham Harkless

Love that. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something if you were to happen to a time machine, you would tell your younger business self.

10:22 – Michelle Ison

And I mean, I think I did this well. But it's something who, what I would stress to, you know, new businesses and people starting out is like, really do a ton of market research, learn everything you can about the industry before you get into it, talk to those owners, get to know them, make relationships and connections with people who are doing something similar to what you're doing because those people will help you out along the way. Then you can grow and learn from each other.

10:53 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, I absolutely love that. I feel like, you know, market research is something that's always happening because you can always learn more and more and more about your clients and that manifests itself into the business, as you mentioned so well, about like things that you're realizing are maybe pain points that you can solve or even things that are a higher priority that you can make within your business. But a lot of that comes from having those conversations. Of course, those relationships with other people have similar conversations as well.

11:18 – Michelle Ison

Yeah, exactly. For sure. I mean, I know that I reached out to some of the West Coast companies. So it was really popular, you know, back when I first launched my company in Australia, as well as, you know, California. So I reached out to those people and they gave great advice. It's funny now it's coming full circle because I have new picnic companies almost every day who will DM me on Instagram and just ask for advice and all of that. I think that is so important because we're all just, you know, trying to make stuff happen. I am so here to help all these new companies be successful and, you know, do well with their business. So.

11:58 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that's huge. I appreciate you for doing that. I was doing that here today, but I think that speaks volumes to your character and just making sure that you are making that impact. But I also think that so many times people have ideas about maybe starting something and they guard it so closely in there. They don't, you kind of have to have somewhat of an ego to say, I can create something bigger, but you also have to say, I know that I don't know everything as well too, and I can learn from others. I think that the balance beam is really what leads people to become successful.

12:28 – Michelle Ison

Yeah, exactly. I think that in my industry and the picnic industry, because like I was one of the first companies in you know on the east coast in DC what have you now there are probably I feel like friends and family they send me a new company every single day and I am so happy to speak with these people and just create this big sense of community amongst us all because you can always learn something else from somebody doing what you're doing.

12:58 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. Let's say the same community over competition. So I think when you have that mentality, it really makes obviously the industry, but so many things in the industry and the world so much better as well. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So Michelle, what does being a CEO mean to you?

13:21 – Michelle Ison

Okay, Maybe you should have sent me those questions So I could be thinking about that, being a CEO to me Obviously being a leader. Doing something important and worthwhile And making a difference. So for me, you know, it's this luxury experience, but it really does go back to why I started this company and really helping people have these special moments. I can't stress that enough. So yeah, being a leader, making a difference, doing something fun and unique.

14:01 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. I absolutely love that definition because I think, you know, we talked a little bit about that leadership piece and I think that, you know, being able to be a leader, sometimes we think about, you know, just our clients, but you even talked about the industry as well to be able to create that community and that environment for people. So I think sometimes we don't realize the leadership that we can have in so many different aspects.

Then of course, the mission of your company is to have the opportunity for people to share those experiences and remember those experiences because there's something that's so special. It's something that kind of goes beyond, obviously dollars and cents, because you start to affect people's lives and that starts to affect the cities, the States, the world as a whole, when you're able to do that to so many people.

14:44 – Michelle Ison

For sure. Yeah. Couldn't agree more

14:45 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Michelle truly appreciate that definition and I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do is just pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and of course how best people can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things that you and your team are working on.

15:03 – Michelle Ison

Perfect. Yeah, so if you are interested in booking an event with us, I would go to picnicandpeonies.com, where again, you can book directly through our website, or you can fill out our contact form for larger events. Right now, if you go on our website, you'll see that we cater up to 2 to 20 people typically, but we are actually expanding and we are doing events as large as 75 people now. If you're interested, whether it is your baby shower, your anniversary, you know, you name it, if you're a shopping center and looking to throw an event for your local community, just reach out to us and I would be happy to help make this beautiful event for you.

15:46 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome, And then make it even easier. We'll have the links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow up with you. But I appreciate you for taking some time out and talking with us. I appreciate you even more for the work that you do and the spirit and the mission of the work that you do too. Because I think it puts everything in alignment where we forget about the human aspect and get to enjoy each other in those relationships. So thank you so much for making it easier to make that possible for so many people and organizations all around. So thank you so much again, and I hope you have a great rest of the day.

16:15 – Outro