My full name means shy blooming flower...  and until this moment, I didn't realize how prophetic that is when it comes to the story of my life.

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Shy...

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I was raised in NYC in a single-parent household where my mom worked really hard to keep a roof over our heads.  As an only child, I learned early on the be uber-responsible and picked up skills that helped me to mature rather quickly.  However, I was really shy.  I loved reading books and doing school work but I was pretty much a wall flower when I was around other people.

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I stayed in NYC for college (to afraid to leave home) and began working on Wall Street during my senior year.  After realizing I didn't have the emotional stamina to be a social worker, I began a career in Human Resources, and later in diversity, helping people of color find jobs at my firm. After working for years at wall street firms, I realized that while I was excelling in my career, there was an entire side of my skills and abilities that I wasn't fully utilizing.  I needed to be in a more creative space.

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Blooming...

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After getting married in 2006, I feel in love with wedding planning.  I planned my own wedding and look back on that day with extreme fondness.  This sparked a desire to be an event planner.  While I cut my teeth on this in a corporate environment, it wasn't until I had my first son in 2011, that I decided I wanted to start my own event planning business.

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Through multiple starts and stops, ebbs and flows, I rebranded and relaunched Designs by Ayanna, a full service wedding planning and design boutique where I have had the opportunity to execute on high profile weddings as well as beautiful events for the every day couple.

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Over the course of my entrepreneurial journey, I had another son, have gotten promoted in my corporate job and have continued to push myself to grow to my fullest potential.

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Flower...

 

I have learned so much along my journey and I have connected with so many other woman who share the same struggles and triumphs I've experienced.  This is what led me to my become a lifestyle blogger.  Too often, we see people in life, on TV, on social media and it's easy to assume that life is good.  While those moments in time may have been good, there was a journey to get there.  That's what I want to share.  

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I am here to because I want to share the stories of triumph and defeat, success and failures, laughs and cries all the while celebrating life, love and family.  Because, trust me, you can give me any excuse and I'm ready to throw a party!

 

So thanks for checking in and I look forward to us connecting on this journey.

 

XO,

Ayanna

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