The Trunk Show with RW Elephant

Ashton Pollock is the founder of Bespoke Decor — a design-forward event rental company based in Vancouver, BC. What started 12 years ago with a few vintage finds has grown into one of Vancouver’s leading rental companies. Today, Bespoke is powered by a tight-knit, woman-led team that cares deeply about good design, great service, and making the rental process feel easy.What’s in this episode:  Best practices for creating cultureHandling conflict within your teamBeing self-aware as a leaderTrusting your company to your peopleSetting yourself apart with brandingQuotations:“People know what they're doing here. They're good at what they do because the environment has been set up to learn and to grow and to do these things and to give freedom to make decisions.” - Ashton Pollock“If you were to strip everything back, you just have to simply respect and be kind to the people that you are with, even in moments of frustration, and trusting their attention, trusting who they are as a person, and communicating as frequently as possible.” - Ashton Pollock“I just don't understand when people say, oh, it's not personal. Like, **** that, it's personal. Of course it's personal. It is my entire livelihood.” - Ashton Pollock“I have a rule. I'm not allowed in the building if I'm a ‘Stressy Bessy.’ I have to check myself. If I'm a ‘Stressy Bessy,’ I work from home. Because I'll project. I know I will. And that's not what I want.” - Ashton Pollock“It takes a lot of, “Nope, you know what? I'm not going to say anything right now. I'm going to shower. I'm going to reset. I'm going to have a sleep, and then tomorrow I'm going to know what to do." But it can be tempting to be like, X, Y, and Z has happened. We're going to talk about this right now, but that's never the best case.” - Ashton Pollock“So I am a lover of change, baby. I really like to see things change. So we have rebranded every two years pretty loyally.” - Ashton Pollock“Everything has been a pain in my *** at some point. Team included, inventory, trucks, whatever it is. But at the end of the day, like I've met some of the people in my life that will be there until I'm a little old lady carrying around a chair. And that is just a gift in itself.” - Ashton Pollock“I think that's attractive to your ideal client. They recognize that they are going to get that quality in the work that you're doing. You're being very intentional, even with the copy that you're writing. And they see that intentionality in your design. They see that intentionality in the color palettes you put together. They see that in all of those little aspects of what you do. And they can see that this is going to translate into my event. And that really speaks to them.” - Ashton PollockRESOURCES:The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes! THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!Website | Instagram AND OUR GUEST:Ashton Pollock of Bespoke DecorWebsite | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok

Christie Zangrilli is the Co-Founder and CEO of Party at the Moontower, an Austin based boutique event rental company specializing in modern-eclectic furniture and custom build backdrops and decor. Christie holds a BA in Communication Design from New York University and a MFA in Design from The University of Texas.What’s in this episode:Studying design, and moving to AustinThe seed idea, fundraising, and launching with 3 partnersThe five factors in setting your brand apart from the packDiscovering your core values with frameworks for operational guidanceNavigating relationships and buying out partnersManaging growth from the post COVID boom and customizable buildsThe importance of Lend & Gather Conference in the business’s growthQuotations:“Another thread that I see through the people who have that sticktoitiveness, that longevity, are really just people who can see the bigger picture. They see, oh, I'm not just dropping off stuff at a wedding or not just renting tables and chairs. You recognize hey I'm creating culture here. This is the stuff of celebrations. This is what makes up these milestones and memories for people. ” – Allison Howell“And so I think what I learned from you, Allison, which you've always said is like more inventory doesn't mean more money. And so we've really taken that to heart and that we don't just buy things that we think are cool. There are exceptions. I would like to say we're more intentional and focused and super planned out on what our collections are, but they are largely driven by what the market is asking for and what also feels on brand to us.”  – Christie Zangrilli“Tomorrow, this big box company could literally go buy every single thing that you have. So inventory is never going to be your unique differentiator and so I was like, oh man, like that's super scary but made us realize how important all of the brand pieces were and how that goes into operations. So again, what are the things that you are winning?” – Christie Zangrilli“We are going to reevaluate once a year, it is planned. Let's stick it on the calendar. We will hire somebody to do it. It becomes less uncomfortable because it was pre planned versus a reaction to something happening that seems more confrontational.” – Christie Zangrilli“You're liable for them as the business owner. I personally am liable for their well being. And I'm also personally liable for keeping them paid. I was at the point where I was like, if I'm going to shoulder all the additional stress of having all these employees and also the business was growing and doing really well, I want to be responsible for all of its successes.” – Christie ZangrilliResources:The Lend & Gather ConferenceThe RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!Thank you to our sponsor:RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!Website | Instagram And our guest:Christie Zangrilli of Party at the MoontowerWebsite | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok

Holly and Charlie are owner/operators of Locate to Create. Their mission is to “Locate” items to “Create” bespoke events and experiences. They use props, furniture and styling to tell people’s stories with an underlying theme of sustainability. Their diverse portfolio features an eclectic array of items and furniture pieces curated to cater to various personalities and styles. Partners Holly and Charlie couldn’t be more different but that’s what makes them work so well. Charlie loves logistics and operational efficiency while Holly is the creative mind and driving force that clients can’t get enough of. Their combined strengths and work ethic earned them the national award for Venue Stylist of the Year in 2024. They operate just outside of London, England.What’s in this episode:How Holly got started right out of Uni with the help of mentorsCharlie joins the business and roles are definedUsing Instagram and styled shoots to increase social media reachWinning Venue Stylist of the Year Award and leveraging it for growthSourcing inspiration and finding creative options for storageCan you believe this is our job?Quotations:“How can we take that and display it creatively? Or come up with a prop that is useful for that, but also looks great. It creates a photo opportunity and then all the guests are taking pictures. That is what couples love. Practical and pretty I always say, and that's why we really try and focus on that as a company.” – Holly“One of the benefits and beauties of working with your partner, business partner, romantic partner. She's at one end of the desk. I'm at the other one. It's not a particularly difficult task for me to say, “Oh, Holly, I think she might want styling.” – Charlie“We know now that actually seeing couples on our Instagram page, for example, real couples is fantastic, but actually styled shoot couples like models doesn't work as well. People just want to really see our products. So we don't post that much of our couples as much as we love them. But it's the products that we're trying to sell and the service.” – Holly“Sometimes when we get an award or we achieve something in our business, we say, okay, check that off onto the next thing. But it can be so valuable for us to say, okay, I got this thing, or I achieved this thing or I have this thing in front of me, how can I squeeze more out of it so that I can get all of the benefit or value out of this thing that I already have before I move on to the next marketing opportunity or before I move on to the next thing or before I invest in the next phase, right?”– Allison Howell“We never want to be the sort of company where we're doing thousands of events every year. So it's very important to us to identify very strategic venues to try and penetrate into a high proportion of their yearly total events. And as you say, having that leverage to get in there and actually capture those for us, that's a far more valuable way of doing business and expanding business.” – CharlieResources:The Lend & Gather ConferenceThe RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!Thank you to our sponsor:RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!Website | Instagram And our guests:Holly and Charlie of Locate to CreateFacebook | Instagram | Pinterest | TikTok

Holly and Amanda are the Greenhouse Picker Sisters. They’re fifth generation pickers with a love for all things vintage and unique. Greenhouse Lane is their family’s street name and hosts some of their dearest memories; ones of love and southern tradition. When they’re not on the hunt for their next amazing piece, you can find them spending time with their husbands and children.What’s in this episode:Why and how the sisters were lead to the industryGrowing the business, running the family and enriching the community The separation of roles and resolving conflicts between foundersCurating and pricing an eclectic, customer driven collectionThe rule of 3 wow factors guaranteed to make clients happyCarving out their market and maximizing marginsQuotations:“We would get money, we would pour it back in. We would get money, we would pour it back in. We were very passionate about not going into some crazy debt for this business where we couldn't walk away. So we would load, we would unload the trucks. We were everything. We were marketing. We were labor. We did that for years. We got your software, which was amazing.” – Holly Barton“...this is just a little plug for Lend & Gather. We have to go to that this year because we have gotten as far as we have by the grace of God, by hard work, sweat, blood, tears, and a great industry. Our industry is awesome, but we still have so much to learn on the business side.” – Amanda Cox“There's always more to learn. There are always ways that you can improve. There's always lessons that you can learn and things that you can do differently next time. Because that’s what entrepreneurship is about, right? Recognizing and celebrating our successes and then saying, ‘Okay, what's next?.’” – Allison Howell“When I had a baby three years ago and obviously that pulled me a little bit away from the business. She stepped up. She's had personal things where I've had to step up and that did create conflict. But I think we have worked through it and ultimately when we started this business, we knew and it still stands true. If she's ever out of it, I'm done. If I'm ever out of it, she's done. If it's coming between us, then we're done. ” – Amanda Cox“The term in our marriage is fight fair. And my husband is my business partner. So similarly to you being sisters and business partners, the relationship is super complicated because you develop a dynamic and then there's a pattern that happens, right? And whether the pattern’s in your kitchen or the pattern's in your office, that happens whether you're intending for it to or not, because that's what you practiced and it's the roles you've gotten into.” – Allison HowellResources:The Lend & Gather ConferenceThe RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!Thank you to our sponsor:RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!Website | Instagram And our guest:Holly Barton and Amanda Cox of Greenhouse Picker SistersFacebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Over the last 18 years, Mandy Majerik has turned her mom and pop flower shop into a key player for floral production in the southeast. She also founded and operates PropHouse which offers boutique prop rental to her clientele. Mandy has both her AIFD and PFCI certifications. She has a custom build shop, a custom paint shop and is opening a custom print shop. She’s got the heart, the hustle, the history and the headspace to successfully operate her growing businesses of 30 employees.What’s in this episode:What Mandy does after taking over her family’s flower shopBreaking into the rental market with PropHouse How she manages multiple businesses and dozens of employees The logic behind her collection and approach to purchasingThe importance of safety nets and icebreakers when hiring Milestones and giving back!Quotations:“I think when I made the decision that I would raise the minimum for floral and really push towards the props. I wanted to be a leader in that market in our area. Being able to do the whole event design and incorporate or push new ideas on people. That was the avenue that I saw as an opportunity because I was really doing it anyway.” – Mandy Majerik“I was very driven to make it something that was distinct and different. And I think I've just been riding the wave going in that direction.” – Mandy Majerik“There's some things that I buy just because I personally think this will do well in the market. Or someone doesn't have it to offer where we are. And so that gives us a leg up sometimes of something different that we have that can be that little pivot point tipping the scale to rent from us versus someone else.” – Mandy Majerik“I think you have to be organized and have a plan. I think you have to be a person who sets goals. Because if you don't set them, you're not going to be able to reach them. ” – Mandy Majerik“Bringing me joy is being able to give back to the people who I think dedicate themselves so much to the business, the crazy business that we're in. ” – Mandy MajerikResources:The Lend & Gather ConferenceThe RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes!Thank you to our sponsor:RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!Website | Instagram And our guest:Mandy Majerik of HotHouse Design Studio + PropHouse Rentals and StylingHotHouse | Facebook | InstagramPropHouse | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest