Inspiring Conversations with Caitlin McCarthy of Practically Perfect Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin McCarthy.

Hi Caitlin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2014 I was taking a celebratory trip on an African safari to celebrate getting into and starting medical school at Michigan State University’s Doctor of Osteopathy program. While abroad in Africa, I suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly took my life. After weeks recovering in Africa, i came home and began medical school as planned, but, something just wasnt right and I was not myself after the injury.

A few weeks after starting, I made the difficult decision to take a year off from medical school. I returned in 2015 still unable to perform at my previous levels and made the life-changing decision to leave medical school forever. All I ever wanted to do was become a surgeon and I was reeling with what to do next.

I dabbled in lecturing at a local college in Biology and Chemistry but missed medicine so I left teaching and began a career in clinical research at the University of Michigan hoping that being back in medicine would fulfill me. After leaving the flexibility of college academia, my health rapidly declined as the rigours of a career in medicine quickly became too much for my brain to handle post injury. I struggled balancing work and life and focused solely on work for years because my brain could not balance both.

In 2022, after a long fought battle of trying to be “normal” and stick with my career, I made the difficult decision to leave the traditional workforce without knowing what would be coming next. I needed to prioritize my health and relationships over my job, but how was I to do that when a strict 40 hour, 9-5 type job just didnt fit my needs anymore? After a few weeks of crying, soul searching, googling, and some mental breakdowns, I finally settled on opening an event planning company. Something completely different from medicine, a new challenge for me, and Practically Perfect Events was created in May of 2022!

Practically Perfect came from a new found belief that perfection is never lasting, but rather found in fleeting moments. It never exists for long, and everyone’s definition of perfection is so wildly different. I was striving for perfection in everything I did from very early on in my life and my TBI forced me to re-evaluate what perfection meant for me. I am not perfect. Everything I do is not perfect. But, I try my best and that means something so Practically Perfect Events was born.

The first year in business was hard and stressful, but, I learned so much that I knew year two would be even better and we smashed all of our goals for 2023! 2024 has brought its own challenges with the economy, job loss, and huge world events, however, we are booking consistently and growing our bookings weekly. In 2024, we will host a new record number of sleepovers and have added tons of new themes and service options to better serve our clients.

Alright, 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?
Entrepreneurship is a thrilling but bumpy road. There are so many things to learn and the learning can never stop. Coming from a science background, everything about business was new to me. From branding to messaging and marketing, I have had to learn it all from scratch. I knew nothing about sales taxes, licenses, contracts, insurance, inventory, and all the things needed to run a legal and successful business.

The first year in business I felt like the business challenge was getting people to see our concept and get excited about it while I was learning all of the ins and outs behind the scenes. I needed people to see the value I brought and how amazing my parties were while I was navigating how to own a business and be the best owner I could be.

In year two, I had proven the concept and gotten bookings which then lead to figuring out pricing and dealing with the imposter syndrome of whether I was good enough at throwing parties to actually succeed in this space. Now in year three, it is all about how to make my company and services stand out from the flurry of competitors that have entered the space.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Practically Perfect Events services mid michigan offering luxury sleepovers & slumber parties as well as epic play dates, glamping, and event planning. I am most known for my over the top, maximalist sleepovers but offer a number of services to suit our clients needs like custom themed playdate experiences, outdoor glamping in our beautiful multi-season belle tents, outrageous in the best way parties, and large event logistics.

My philosophy is that parties should not be stressful, but instead full of memories and fun. I focus my time and energy on creating experiences for my clients that are low stress for them while still being extremely memorable for all the best reasons.

I am most proud of the ways we have been able to give back to the community since I opened in 2022. In 2023, we were able to support 5 charities with donations of our slumber parties, sponsored 200 kiddos for a local event, and also provided christmas for 35 homeless children in Genesee county. We are already over 5 charitable events for 2024, with a few more lined up to round out the year. I love giving back and am most proud that I have built a business that people want to work with to support their charitable causes and our local kids. I love that I am able to offer my support in a number of ways to help our community.

I believe my passion for giving back and supporting our community is what sets Practically Perfect Events apart from other event businesses. In addition to my unique themes and offerings, a focus on the community was important to me when opening Practically Perfect. In addition to my focus on trying to give back to the community, I believe my unique themes, creativity, and spectacular customer service really make Practically Perfect Events shine!

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I would say I am not a huge risk taker, however, becoming an entrepreneur was the biggest risk I have ever taken and it has paid off in spades so I feel that I am walking into a period of my life with more risks and am more comfortable after taking my leap to open the business in 2022.

I am very calculated in my decisions and intentional, weighing the pros and cons, doing research, and educating myself on every possible scenario, consequence, etc… so I am a calculated risk taker. The risk vs reward has to balance out for me to be willing to take the chance. I am still defining what risk means to me on a daily basis as my perspective of risk changed drastically after my TBI and starting my business. I assess each situation as best I can and keep learning.

Pricing:

• Full Service Slumber Party for 4 starting at $350
• Additional guests are $55 each
• Add on services beginning at $15
• Full service outdoor glamping beginning at $500

Contact Info:

• Website: practicallyperfecteventsmi.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/practically_perfect_events/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PracticallyPerfectEventsMI