Fulfilling Her Dreams as a Luxury Event Planner While Holding Down a 9-to-5
Adesola Rosiji is no stranger to the hustle. As a Nigerian-American who was raised by parents who both have entrepreneurial hearts and spirits, Rosiji is familiar with working hard.
That’s why when she had the opportunity to pursue her passion as an event planner while utilizing some of the skills she’s acquired working full-time as a project manager for a healthcare company, she went for it.
So how does she merge her event planning business with a full-time career? In this interview with Black Enterprise, she shares some of her secrets, as well as her inspiration for launching the business, and challenges she has faced along the way.
What inspired you to start ‘’AdeXperience Events”?
I have always enjoyed planning my own birthday parties, barbecues, and graduation parties. I always found a reason to celebrate just so I could throw a party. The real inspiration and drive started when two of my close friends asked if I could plan his wife’s baby shower and the other was to plan a private 30th birthday dinner. These events were both so successful I decided to turn my passion into a business and here I am now as AdeXperience!
How did you come up with the name?
I always knew I wanted my event planning business to represent luxury and I wanted to offer my clients a luxury experience. My name “Ade” means crown or royalty. So in a nutshell “AdeXperience” means a royal/luxury experience so I thought this name would best represent my brand.
In the early stages of starting your company you’ve already worked with top names in the industry, such as Karen Civil, etc. How did you establish these relationships?
Early on when I started my business I was approached to do sponsorships. Doing several sponsorships allowed me to create the relationships I needed and also allowed me to build my brand. Through these sponsorships, I was able to work with Karen Civil, Claire Sulmers, Marlo Hampton, and other leading women in the industry.
Now that you are becoming an established name in the event planning industry, what’s been your most memorable moment so far?
My most memorable moment so far was meeting Karen Civil and Claire Sulmers of Fashion Bomb Daily. Sometimes in life we think things are so farfetched but when you work hard on your craft and perfect it, I’ve learned anything can happen. I literally spoke it into existence and a few weeks later I received a call to do both dinners.
What have been your biggest challenges in starting your own company and how do you work to overcome them?
My biggest challenge starting my own company is having to do everything on my own and that includes research on every item the client may want and also making things that are not available, available. There are so many logistics that go into planning an event, and as a planner you have to use what works for you. I stay positive and remain focused and always have an alternate plan to getting things complete. I also hired an intern last year to assist me with events and that has worked remarkably well.
Is it difficult for you to maintain a full-time career, along with your side-hustle?
It can be very difficult balancing two full-time jobs. I honestly wouldn’t consider my event planning as a side hustle at this point. Event planning is my career and I am currently transitioning and trying to make this “my full-time career” with a lot of other ideas I have brewing.
What’s next for AdeXperience Events?
I will officially be launching my website adexperienceevents.com. If you are reading this now check out the site. I have so many ideas brewing and so many projects that I am working on. I will be launching an e-commerce site as well in the near future so stay tuned for that.