Are you a Q Corner Rockstar? It has now been almost 5 weeks since the 3rd Q Corner Convention aired, with 78 continuous hours of virtual balloon education from more than 40 of the world's top balloon artists and training instructors.
I expect that some of you have watched the previous Q Corner conventions. The first occurred during the early part of the pandemic, and I know it was greatly received from the Worldwide ballooning community... did you know that all the instructors gave their time for free to help others through the difficult times!
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| Donna with Keith and Dom from Q Corner |
The latest convention was a little different. In order to watch it, you needed to become a Q Corner Rockstar which requires a monthly subscription of only £4.99 per month... not much for some of the very best online ballooning education!
Although this was a purely online convention, there was a team of instructors based at Q Corner HQ for the duration of the convention. This provided a variety of live, fun and exciting elements to the convention. In addition to this, one person was offered an exclusive opportunity to attend the convention as the only actual delegate, which was offered as a prize through UK's Balloon and Party Industry Alliance (BAPIA).
Today's post is an interview with Donna Higgins, the Sole owner of ‘Bird and Blossom Balloons’ and the only actual delegate at the Q Corner Convention!
Q. It is not everyday that someone gets the opportunity to be the only actual delegate at a balloon convention. It would be great to hear about your experience. Maybe you could share a little bit about the convention and your involvement?
Ok, where do I start? The convention was an incredible non-stop experience from start to finish! The days consisted of being involved in the balloon build during the day, whilst also filming sessions throughout the day and evening.
I was pretty much hands on with all the artists throughout the whole four days. And, for me, that was the best way to use this unique experience, getting stuck in and not missing out on any chance to learn from the best!
I also found this really great for my self-esteem, as most of the techniques I was able to help with (albeit a little slower), and that was encouraging for me at this point in my career.
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| Donna with some of the Q Corner Team! Keith, Cam, Jim, Doctor Bob, Ishani, Donna, Kerry, Bex, Alessandro, and Lucy. |
Q. What were your best bits and highlights?
Honestly I really loved it all, but one of my favourite parts (which surprised me) was getting involved in the filming! My first session was alongside Julie Dunham. I was so nervous, but she really made me feel at ease. From that session on Keith & Dom had me roped in!
I got to learn alongside the amazing Doctor Bob and Keith while having such a good laugh at the same time. (I mean their jokes were terrible, but it turns out I’m also a good actress, and I perfected the fake laugh!).
Working alongside Lucy Hennessy while filming was also an incredible experience! Her creative brain is just full of awesome little tricks, that I’m sure she didn’t even realise I was watching and picking up constantly!
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| Donna with Cam Woody |
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| Donna with Alessandro Patané |
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| Doctor Bob, Donna and Keith Stirman |
Q. What do you feel that you gained by being part of this event?
The opportunity to be so hands-on alongside professionals who have worked in the industry for so many years is incomparable to anything else I will get to experience at such an early stage in my career.
From learning alongside the wonderful (and sweetest man around) Alessandro Patanté, whose talent is unreal and his experience in the Italian market is something I would not get the opportunity to learn about in Northern Ireland. His creative brain is astounding!
Even being in the room with Cam Woody was amazing, watching her technique for balloon hugs and sellable designs that I can use daily was so great for me! Her neat adaptable designs and her lovely modest manner was just so lovely to be around! We had such fun.
Doctor Bob had me hooked from the beginning. Word got out I was a twister (I mean I’m a very new twister, but I guess I can do it) and we struck a wee balloon twisting bond! I watched him like a hawk and the session we all had together was really helpful for me!
Kerry Ferguson was not only so fun to be around, but she trusted me to build those walls alongside her! And I’m so glad she did, as I have never yet had the experience or opportunity to work on such a large build. These classic décor walls were one of the things I really wanted to be a part of. The impact was so incredible to me.
And then my experience with Bex from Blow it with Bex was so incredibly helpful. Her knowledge of social media, the organic world and general business was really great for me to be around. As a young business owner, to see how she has grown so fast in such a short period of time is really encouraging.
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| Donna with Bex Phelps |
Q. For someone who knows nothing about the convention, how would you describe it to them, and why should they sign up? (Yes, you can still watch the whole convention at your leisure, and you will also get access to thousands of hours of ballooning education as part of your Rockstar membership, to sign up visit https://www.youtube.com/c/QCornerShow/join)
These conventions are days of pure ballooning fun. All the instructors have a wealth of knowledge, and you can go back to watch all of the sessions over and over again, which I do often! The sessions are from incredible instructors from all over the world in every technique within the industry.
I would encourage anyone to sign up to be a Q Corner Rockstar. I personally find it such a great resource for development and learning, tan here are so many detailed step-by-step tutorials and business advice all in one place!
Keith & Dom are fantastic hosts, fun to watch and their ability to come up with things on the spot is a skill not everyone has. I found that admirable, as I know I can talk, but those guys were on another level!
Q. Tell me a bit about you, your balloon business, how long you’ve been working with balloons!
Well, hello! My name is Donna, and I am the sole owner of ‘Bird and Blossom Balloons’. My business is based in a small town called Ballyclare in Northern Ireland. I currently work from home, which fits around my little family of four. My stock however is beginning to outgrow my current workspace due to business growth, and I am excited to see what the future holds!
I cannot really pinpoint the moment I discovered my love for balloons or the reason why. It happened around the summer of 2021 pushing me to start my business and ‘see how it goes’. Since then I have slowly built up my business dealing with balloon décor of all kinds including: air-filled, helium, twisting and lots of other fun new skills I have trained in. I recently celebrated my first year in business in September 2022, and have been really blown away by the response by my local customers.
The most incredible thing I have learnt about the industry so far is how friendly and encouraging people are. I have travelled to England to attend courses and have made some truly great strong friendships! I could honestly say the balloon world is definitely where I belong!
A huge thank you to Donna for taking part in this interview and for sharing her amazing and unique experience with us all!
If you have never attended a balloon event whether online or in person, it is truly the best way to grow your knowledge and experience and to learn some fanatic designs, skills and techniques!
Happy ballooning, and don't forget to become a Q Corner Rockstar!
Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me @suebowler
