Luxury event producer Crystal Bailey has been producing and creatively directing events for clients such as TV One, CleoTV, Hennessy, The Loews Hotel, Milano Di Rouge, and more. Bailey has developed the See Opportunity and Rise (SOAR) platform, which helps women develop in business, and realize the potential. The annual SOAR conference serves as a platform for women of color to come together and learn from leaders in various industries.
Rolling out recently talked to Bailey about what inspires her, how she became a luxury event producer, and what skills aspiring entrepreneurs should have to launch and run a business.
Why is important to be a mentor?
It is important to be a mentor because God gave us opportunity and abundance and we must give back. I mentor because I didn’t always have the answers, and I would research but some processing I couldn’t figure out and my industry is so competitive that people see you often as a threat and don’t want to pour into you to see you win or be of use to each other. So it was important for me to give that back to someone who looks like me.
Who was your business role model?
My business role models have always been Kathy Romero and Karleen Roy in my industry. With business in general as I plan to expand on my endeavors, it would be Oprah Winfrey.
What differentiates your service from competitors?
What differentiates me from my competitors is that I’m well versed creatively and I have a public relations background so I can assess certain clients because I know what additional steps are needed to maximize my brand power and reach.
Why is ownership important to you?
Ownership is important to me because it’s my legacy. It’s my power of knowing I own my knowledge, product, and service. I also have the option of control and no one can ruin what I own or build but me.
What questions should an aspiring entrepreneur pose to him or herself to determine whether or not they have the skills and discipline to run a business?
An aspiring entrepreneurs should ask themselves these questions: Do I have grit and integrity on dark days? Am I willing to give 100% to my work? Am I good at managing money? Do I have enough skills to lead a team?
