Muna Coterie member, Tish Davis, the President and Chief Fun Officer of Elegant Event Sitters Inc., wants couples to “party in peace!”. Her custom-tailored childcare services for weddings and events are doing just that.
In 2004, Tish’s good friend and former business partner, Suebrina, was getting her hair done and reading a Working Mother magazine when she came across a profile on a company called The Wedding Sitters.
Tish recalls, “Suebrina contacted me to tell me about the business and felt that it was something valuable to bring to the Atlanta area.” Soon after, Elegant Event Sitters Inc. was born!
Celebrating 20 years in business this year, Elegant Event Sitters Inc. is a thriving company providing high-end childcare services and entertainment at weddings and events nationwide.
While Tish is reaping the fruits of her labor today, her road to success wasn’t so seamless.
Born in Berea, Kentucky, Tish grew up in Georgia as the oldest of seven girls. However, she was raised as an only child by a single mother and didn’t reconnect with her sisters until later in life. She spent many summers in rural South Carolina with her mother’s parents, tending to chickens, pigs, and other farm animals.
“I had no appreciation for that at the time,” Tish admits. “Growing up alone, I spent a great deal of time getting lost in reading and writing. You have to get pretty creative when there isn’t anyone else to play with you.”
In the 90s, before starting her company, she found herself homeless with two small children.
“I had two of my children when I was very young, ages 19 and 21,” Tish shares. “I was living with my mother when I had my first daughter. She was so helpful in taking care of me and the baby.”
When Tish became pregnant again 9 months later, her mother exercised some tough love and asked her to move out. “I didn’t think she was serious,” Tish admits. “Spoiler alert… she was! Thankfully, she was able to make some calls within her professional network and get us into a shelter.”
They hopped from shelter to shelter for some time, with her dad’s side of the family helping take her daughters for a few months while Tish tried to figure out a plan.
“I was devastated to be separated from my girls and did whatever I could to provide a stable environment to bring them back home,” Tish reveals. Spurred onward by her love for her children, she eventually found her footing and was reunited with her kids.
When you are responsible for the survival of another person, you figure out how to do things that you didn’t think were possible. I am SO grateful for those times. It really taught me that I was capable of so much more than I originally thought. I learned that I can do hard things by putting in the work. I honestly don’t think that I would have learned to bet on myself without that experience.
Tish Davis (President and Chief Fun Officer of Elegant Event Sitters Inc.)
Her early inclination for creativity and using her imagination translated into a natural gift with children.
After establishing a stable home for her children, Tish would spend 12 years leading her daughters’ Girl Scout troops, where she planned fun educational activities and practiced creative problem-solving.
Tish recalls, “With large groups of 15-30 girls, you have to figure out how to keep them busy; otherwise boredom sets in quickly. I really enjoyed that time and exposing the kids to new things.”
Her experience as a Girl Scout Leader ultimately strengthened her creativity and childcare expertise. It even inspired her to start a business planning girls’ birthday parties. “It was so much fun coming up with themes and creative things for the kids to do,” Tish shares.
As Elegant Event Sitters Inc. celebrates a major milestone anniversary, we are overjoyed to welcome Tish into our Muna Coterie!
Her experience and knowledge of event coordination and entertainment are sure to make an impact in our community. Keep reading below for more on Tish Davis’s inspiring story and her company, Elegant Event Sitters Inc.
*This article is also featured on MunaLuchi Bride’s Behind the Brand blog series.
What makes your company, Elegant Event Sitters Inc., unique?
Elegant Event Sitters Inc. provides childcare solutions for adult occasions. We bring the childcare to the event so that the parents can feel comfortable knowing that the kids are just down the hall.
We like to think of ourselves as anti-babysitters. The kids aren’t just parked in front of a TV with coloring books. Our sitters engage the children with crafts, games, and toys, and we usually have a professional entertainer booked as well.
Of course, keeping everyone safe is the number one priority but we also want to make that experience fun. Group care is our most requested offering.
Other popular options are individual sitting services that can be provided for traveling parents who just need a sitter in their hotel room. We’ve also been asked to be helpers at children’s birthday parties. These services can be customized to fit anyone’s needs.
Why is offering childcare services important for couples to consider for their weddings and all of life’s milestone events?
Events are stressful and I want to make sure that our clients have one less thing to worry about. Adult-only functions have always been popular. Without a childcare option, a best friend or a favorite cousin may not be able to attend.
We do a lot of multicultural events and parents are not going to leave their children in another country to attend an event. Having childcare available means that loved ones can be a part of a very special day. In addition to increasing attendance, it also cuts costs: fewer place settings, fewer tables and chairs, etc.
Children can be unpredictable. Clients have booked ceremony care so that there isn’t any crying in their wedding videos. Parents can also enjoy the moment when they don’t have to tend to their children.
Your website is so adorable! Has marketing your services been a challenge in the wedding and events space? If so, how have you grown your clientele and shown people that there is a growing market for your services?
Thanks so much! Twenty years ago it was really difficult and has gotten a little easier over the years. Couples’ first reaction is normally, “We aren’t having kids at the wedding”.
I get it, but when the RSVPs start coming in and people are responding that they ARE bringing their children or that they can’t come because it’s ‘adult only’ things change. You’re really educating potential clients as well as trying to sell them services that they don’t think are necessary.
I am so appreciative of the planners that convinced their clients to give it a chance in the early years. That has really paved the way for repeat clients and referrals. Twenty years later, event childcare is becoming more popular so it’s much easier to get people to see the value and how we are really there to support them on their big day.
What advice do you have for other young women and moms juggling a career and looking to start their own business one day?
Stop waiting for the right time because there is never a right time. Just go for it! Even if that means working on your business after finishing your full-time job. I know that it’s exhausting but it will be worth it once your business has grown.
Don’t be afraid to fail. Failures help us grow and learn what not to do the next time. As a single mom of 3 with rent to pay, I had no business quitting my job during a recession. Trust me, lots of tears were shed in the months that followed. I learned from it and it pushed me to hustle that much harder.
I NEEDED to make it work. Since I didn’t finish college, I had a job, but I didn’t have a career. I truly believed that I could make this business a full-time career for myself. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate what this business has done for me.
What does being a part of Munaluchi’s Coterie mean to you? And what do you hope to accomplish as a new member?
I am super excited to be a part of the Coterie! I’ve always been very impressed with the publication and a big fan of MunaLuchi’s CEO Jackie Nwobu. Building relationships has always been very important to me. The members that I’ve met so far have been so sweet by making me feel like a part of the team. I look forward to building my network and learning more about their businesses.
Are there any other exciting announcements or updates you’d like to share?
I just celebrated 20 years in business, which sounds so crazy to say! I am so grateful for my teams across the country. Could not do this without them.
I have a few new ideas that I’d like to roll out by the end of the year. Stay tuned!
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