Today we’d like to introduce you to Ally Brett.
Ally, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m originally from Australia and moved to San Diego three years ago. Prior to moving to San Diego, I lived in Banff in the Canadian Rocky Mountains for four years. During my four years in Banff, I worked in marketing for the Banff & Lake Louise Tourism Bureau – marketing the town to potential corporate groups and international visitors.
My marketing work was primarily focused on planning and executing Banff themed events in market and outside of the destination. I LOVED being able to exercise my creativity and bring the destination to life through event storytelling.
I also heavily planned, styled and hosted prospective event and meeting planners for client dinners both in destination and in market. It was during these more intimate gatherings that I realized incorporating an interactive experience was key to get people out of their comfort zones, more relaxed and created a fun and more entertaining event that they were more likely to attend in the future. Experiential focused gatherings and events fast became my passion and an idea that I wanted to pursue.
Indie + Ivy was born to incorporate my passion for event planning and styling with fun and unique experiences. While I am new to the San Diego events world, this is a space I have been working in for quite some time. Indie + Ivy focuses on creating unique experiential styled events for a range of events and gatherings. Bubbles + brunch, bachelorette festivities, cocktail events, children parties and even corporate gatherings and retreats – We custom create the perfect theme.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not, building business is something that I have really struggled with. Being new to the area with no immediate contacts it has been difficult to showcase what I can do. My advice is to stick with it, keep an eye out for like-minded partners to collaborate with and if you work hard enough it will happen,
What should we know about Indie + Ivy, Gatherings and Events? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am known for incorporating experiences into my events. Guests don’t always expect an interactive component to gatherings and events, and it is often the thing they will take away and talk about long after the event.
Last Summer we styled and planned an eight years old beach birthday party, but the best part of this event was the San Castle lesson we scheduled to run during the party (with San Diego Sand Castles) this was a HUGE hit with the kids and PARENTS, every child was completely immersed in the experience for 3 hours! It provided great entertainment and gave the parents a break to relax and enjoy a day on the beach.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership in your industry or generally?
For me, it’s balancing between family and work. It can be a really tough balancing act at times to feel like you’re both succeeded in the workplace and in your home.
Having your own business definitely helps with flexibility but I do struggle with the balance at times and the feeling that I am “letting this go” at home if I am too heavily focused on my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: indieandivy.com
- Phone: 858-342-0146
- Email: ally@indieandivy.com
- Instagram: @indie_ivy
Image Credit:
Dawn Silva
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