442. How much should you pay another balloon pro?

What if one unpaid volunteer install turned into more than $15,000 in subcontract work? That's exactly what happened to Kodi, and while she's on the road helping other balloon businesses, her own business keeps running at home. Kodi owns The Event Kode in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and she's also become a go-to subcontractor for some of the biggest names in the balloon world. We sat down in person at the International Balloon Convention to talk about how she got her name out there, what a standard day rate looks like and what should be covered when you travel for someone else.  Then we flipped it around: Kodi shares the self-scheduling system that's kept her team moving while she's gone and how her subcontracting network helped her land her biggest paid job yet. Don't miss this one if you've ever been curious about subcontracting.    Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Grow My Balloon Biz  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com @theeventkode  - - - - Sales Sets On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube  2026 Bright Balloon Planner 

You saw another balloon artist post a gorgeous install for a client you've been dreaming about. Now you're wondering... can you reach out, or is that poaching? Let's settle it. Carolina is back on the podcast! She works exclusively with corporate clients, and she lands most of them with outreach. We get into the real difference between pitching and poaching, why nobody actually owns a client and what to do when a client comes to you after years with someone else. We also talk about undercutting, being friends with your competitors and why so many big corporate clients want a backup balloon artist. If you've ever held back on outreach because it felt icky, this one's for you. Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Grow My Balloon Biz  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com 417. Building momentum with corporate clients 360. The Cold Email That Got Her $8K in Balloons @balloonelement  - - - - Sales Sets On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube  2026 Bright Balloon Planner 

Handshake agreements feel fine... right up until someone asks what time they were supposed to arrive or how much you said you'd pay them. In Part 2 of my conversation with Ashley of The Balloon Lab, we dug into the behind-the-scenes logistics of a bid day install with 25 people, including out-of-town pros she had mostly never met. She shares the offer letters she sent to hired artists, why she chose a travel stipend over booking flights and how she handled lodging, meals and shifts for her team.  She also opens up about her temporary warehouse, the ladder and lift puzzles at each house and what she's changing next year. If you ever bring in help for a big build, her systems are worth borrowing.   In the UGlu Hotline, hear one listener's tip for stuffing balloons.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets Betallic  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit  UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  @balloonlaboxford  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

Eleven sorority houses, 30-foot columns and an overnight install with the whole campus watching on Instagram. So how does a balloon business even get a foot in that door? This week I'm talking with Ashley, owner of The Balloon Lab. Her team decorated four sorority houses for bid day this year, and she's sharing how she got there: the jumbo foil heart outreach that put her in front of every house on campus, calendar deposits that lock in next year, pricing inside each sorority's budget and why her mock-ups only happen after a house books.  We also talk about how her business runs day-to-day outside of Bid season, and how she's structured and motivated her team with responsibilities they can grow into. This is part 1 of an awesome conversation - stay tuned for part 2 next week!   In the UGlu Hotline, hear how printed and laminated SOPs around your shop can be hugely helpful.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets Betallic  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit  UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  @balloonlaboxford  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

What if your next backdrop was one you never had to return for? This week's guest turned custom signage into the biggest part of her business... and now she's making it easy for the rest of us to lean into custom prints, too. I'm so excited to introduce you to Chelsa of Custom Sign Sisters in Indianapolis. She started out with yard sign rentals alongside her sister and kept saying yes to new client requests until her business became something completely custom. Listen to her blow my mind as we talk about the kinds of things she's made using all sorts of materials, her Print + Ship offer using Canva and how quickly it shows up at your door, cut and ready. Consider her your new translator with the print shop you've always wanted to have in your back pocket.   In the UGlu Hotline, hear why one listener always makes friends with their local "competitors".   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets Betallic  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit  UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  customsignsisters.com | @customsignsistersindy  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

Balloons are cheap. A full calendar means you're making money. You don't have to be artistic to have a successful balloon business. These are some of the myths floating around the balloon industry… sometimes from our customers and sometimes in our own minds.  So in this interview with Heidy of Decor by Heidy, we're talking about how believing these myths are quietly holding your business back. Weather, education, hiring and sustainability are also on the table in this discussion that just might include a few hot takes.   In the UGlu Hotline, hear how one listener searches Instagram to see new balloon colors in real life.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets Betallic  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  @decorbyheidy  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

They said yes... now how much do you pay them? If you've ever DMed a balloon friend for help on a big job and then panicked in your group chat about what's fair, this episode is for you. I'm sharing real numbers and the one change I'm making to how I hire help from now on. Hiring another balloon pro is one of the biggest mysteries in our industry. There's no standard day rate, no contract and usually just a handshake agreement. So in this free preview of the private feed On The Bright Side, I'm getting transparent about when I bring in subcontractors, how I find the right people and what I actually pay.  I share stories from bringing in an expert rigger, inflating a 16 foot organic wall on site and the job where I wish I'd leaned on my crew more. I hope these experiences help make the process feel less mysterious.   In the UGlu Hotline, hear one listener's goal for sending personalized thank you cards to her clients.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets HI-FLOAT   Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit  UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

What if you could skip the whole balloon sustainability debate? Our guest in this episode does just that, and might be the first person to change my mind about how to actually implement practical sustainability efforts. I'm chatting with Jen, owner of Wonderwall Event Co. in Maryland, and from the get-go, she made sustainability a core part of her business. Now, she has corporate clients looking past other decorators to hire her because of it. She walks us through the branded pop and drop box she campaigned to get into her local library, the prepaid return mailers she leaves with corporate clients and how she weaves recycling into every piece of her marketing. She insists that the effort you put into sustainability practices has a lot of legs you might not have yet considered, so I hope this conversation sparks some fresh ideas for you, like it did for me!   In the UGlu Hotline, hear how one balloon stuffer makes it easier on herself.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets HI-FLOAT  | @hifloat  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  @wonderwalleventco  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

In 2024, Melody sold her van, sold her famous disco ball wall and told the whole internet she was done. She took several months off from designing anything for events. Then one day, a huge opportunity came her way, and now she's back... but the business she came back to looks almost nothing like the one she left. Melody owns Feathered Fox Designs and is the original creator of the disco ball wall you have absolutely seen on Instagram. It was an old neck injury that made her stop entirely, but when CoverGirl asked her to help with an activation at Coachella she couldn't say no. But, she came back with new rules, new methods, more artistry and a lot less monotony.  We get into what it was actually like to stop, how she quotes her custom work now and a commission project she had for a client's home. If you've ever fantasized about being done, or you are quietly wondering what else you could sell besides balloons, you'll want to hear this one. In the UGlu Hotline, hear how Erin is sure to get her gear back after every install.    Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets HI-FLOAT  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  @featheredfoxdesignsla  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube 

Forty years, 3 generations and a product that has never been made more than five miles from where it started. HI-FLOAT is back on the podcast, this time represented by wife and husband duo Andrea and Philip, and we got into all of it: the wonderful family business story, working with a spouse, pricing and even a few tips and tricks for using their products. Between them they have more than 50 years inside this industry, plus a bird's eye view most of us never get because they teach classes all over the country. They see hundreds of decorators price their work in real time, and find that most are undervaluing themselves. So listen in for the pricing math too many people skip and more things HI-FLOAT wish decorators knew. In the UGlu Hotline, hear how one listener makes sure that her birthday bouquets always display the correct number.   Unlock three free bonus episodes!    RESOURCES MENTIONED: Sales Sets HI-FLOAT | @hifloat  Havin' A Party Wholesale (save 5% on orders $200+ with code PODCAST) buildwiththeguild.com Balloon Boss Summit UGlu by Pro Tapes (save 5% on orders $200+ at Havin' A Party with code PODCAST)  DM @thebrightballoon on Instagram to ask a question or leave advice for the UGlu Hotline! 2026 Bright Balloon Planner  - - - - On the Bright Side Apple | Patreon Join the Bright Balloon email list  The Bright Balloon on YouTube