Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Hurley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Candice. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The path to creating Salt + Social Events has been, and in many ways still is, a journey of self-discovery and passion for connecting humans. Most people are considered left brain (analytical/methodical) or right brain (creative) but I feel like I have always hovered somewhere in the middle. I ventured to NYC to study Fashion Merchandising which gave me the opportunity to exercise both sides of my brain and after working in the industry for some time, I moved home to San Diego.
During this time, I got a corporate job to pay the bills and as the economy got better my career continued to evolve and I found myself in a position to be creative again. I landed in Human Resources which felt like “home” and I was fortunate enough to manage an award-winning wellness program. I produced events which brought people together in thoughtful ways to connect, create community, and learn about their well being. I thought this was what I would be doing for the rest of my career but fast forward a few years, and I welcomed a daughter to this world which prompted me to leave my job to stay home. During my working years as well as this time at home I planned events for myself (wedding) and friends/family (birthdays, baby showers, engagement, etc.).
So, when my girlfriend was planning a charity event in 2019, she asked me to help. I definitely wanted to be involved, I was craving to be creative plus it was for a great cause! I can say this was the push I needed to take a step towards starting my own business. As I was designing table center pieces, something just clicked and that night I started planning my next move with my husband. It took some time to “launch” and I made the leap in February 2020. Well, you can guess what happened next! March 2020 rolled around and life came to a halt as we know it. The momentum I had quickly subsided, but as time has passed, I am more hopeful than ever for humans to be able to connect again like we were earlier this year.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been as smooth as I had hoped! When the pandemic started and things began to close in March, I had actually contracted with my first client just days prior to that. Needless to say, her real estate client appreciation event has been put on hold for the foreseeable future. Despite the pandemic challenge, I am focusing on the solutions instead of the issues and I am excited for the future!
Salt and Social Events – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The “human factor” is our top priority at Salt + Social Events. We create unforgettable experiences that take our clients and their guests to a place where they feel emotionally connected. We specialize in bringing humans together in thoughtful ways with intimate small business and social gatherings. We have two “pillars” to our business: SALT (small business and entrepreneurs) + SOCIAL.
SALT is essential to life, just as a company’s clients and team members are essential to make their businesses thrive. We believe a company’s culture and success is rooted in giving back, not only by appreciating and investing in their talent, but also showing their clients gratitude! We offer appreciation, special occasion, holiday and team bonding events.
Being SOCIAL and having human connection is also essential to life. There are many ways to achieve this, however a small customized gathering/event can create unforgettable memories and can build community/relationships to last a lifetime. With that said, behind every great Host is a stress relieving, spreadsheet loving, party magic creating event planner. If you don’t have the time or don’t know where to start planning, Salt + Social Events invites you to put your party hat on and let us do the work for you. We offer birthdays, showers, engagement, holidays and retirement events.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have so many wonderful people in my life! My husband gets to listen to all the good and bad daily (he is my hero) and my friends/family of course are always cheering me on. There are a few people who have played a significant role in helping me get started, most of them small business owners themselves. Dana from Field and Feather provided direction, event industry “know how” and lots of website development tips to get me started; Reni from Sun and Salt Creative gave me branding perspective and ideas/techniques as well as spent her valuable time answering my many questions, Courtney from Brightly Designed donates creative paper magic for any event/photo shoot I do and Shannon from Seasalt Crates believes in Salt and Social Events so much she nominated me for this article!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.saltandsocialevents.com
- Phone: 760-521-0602
- Email: saltandsocialevents@gmail.com
- Instagram: saltandsocialevents
Image Credit:
Personal Photo: Derrick Tuskan Photography
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