Name: Jacqueline Ferreira

Business Name & Location: Majestic Occasions, Bayonne, NJ

Years Working in the Event Industry: 10 years in hospitality

Years Owning Your Event Planning Business: 6 months

Website: www.MajesticOcassions.events

Business Facebook Page: Majestic Occasions

Instagram: @majesticoccasionsbyjackie

What is your typical day like?

I have a full-time job Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. I normally leave the house at 7:30am, drop my younger son at his high school, then head to work in NYC. I get home around 6:30pm then I sit at my desk and work on my business for about 2 hours – following up with emails and researching for clients. I also started blogging – which I do it once a week, normally on Monday nights to be featured on Tuesdays. I have been working on wedding planner blog topics for the blog ahead of time, so I don’t have to stress the night before on what to write.

English is my second language so sometimes it takes a lot of focus to put the right words together. By the time I’m done, my husband is getting home, we then have a very late dinner as a family (we have two boys: a 16 year old and a 20 year old who’s in college). Once we have spent some time catching up, we go to bed soon after that. And the next morning the cycle starts all over again.

How did you get started in the industry?

I always wanted to be an interior designer, however things didn’t really go according to plan. I was a stay at home mom for the first eight years of my marriage and once the little one started school full time, I got a job at a five-star resort as a hostess. I was promoted 3 months after that to restaurant supervisor, then to catering manager. Two years later, I was promoted to sales coordinator for our marketing department. Unfortunately, I had to quit because we were relocating.

Once my boys became more independent, I went back to school and got certified as a wedding and event planner at Lovegevity Institute/Borough of Manhattan community college. Since I like design so much, I plan on getting more certifications so I can perhaps one day have the career I have always wanted.

What inspires you?

I read the The Planner’s Lounge, of course. I’m also a VIP member of National Association of Professional Women (NAPW). I love Preston Bailey and Collin Cowie. I also like Jessica Zimmerman and her Web Designer Kathryn Duckett from Crème Brands.

My favorite magazines are Architectural Design, Bon Appetite, and many bridal magazines. I love self-help, psychology, personal finance books, historical fiction, and a romance novel occasionally. My kids are my greatest inspiration. I got married very young, so I want to make sure they have a good example.

What are your favorite online resources for your business?

I purchased Pricing with Confidence from The Planners Lounge (which was of great help), NAPW, and my teacher Abeki Carter who I hired as my coach for three months once I finished the professional wedding and event planning course.

Aside from wedding and event planning, how do you spend your time?

Sunday is my only day off, which I always spend with my husband and my boys. I don’t have a lot of close friends, but the ones I have I try to keep in touch with and see occasionally. All my relatives live in Brazil, so I try to visit once every two or three years. I love Mexico. I love crafting. To relax, I go for a mani and pedi or a deep tissue massage whenever I can.