Working on our elevator pitch
I was at a dinner the other night, and someone asked me what I do.
For anyone who is running a new business, this moment is fraught. Do you give them the elevator pitch? Do you enjoy your meal and simplify your life’s ambition and dreams to a sentence? Or do you treat them to the whole shebang, all of your passion, all of your dreams, all of the things you’re interested in?
I chose the path of least resistance, the simple sum up.
“I’m launching a lifestyle brand that makes it easy for people to entertain. We have great product, services, and vendors—everything online that you need to get together offline.”
My polite dinner partner followed up, asking what we sold, who was our customer.
Now, I was really warming up, excited to talk about this thing that I’m building my whole world around.
“Well, the average American household entertains 7 times a year. From dinners to holidays to birthdays, home gatherings are the primary way people get together. And in between the Party City and Amazon’s of the world and the high end event designers, there’s a big gap for a brand that offers great product, ease of set up, a frictionless guest experience, and the acknowledgment that events are more than how you set your table. People are looking for experiences, for vendors, and for services, and they expect them to be intuitive and omni-channel.”
Reader, from the glaze in his eyes, I could tell that I had lost him at “frictionless guest experience.” I returned to my pasta (life lesson #1: always choose the pasta starter) slightly deflated.
In high school, my yearbook superlative was, and I am not joking, “Most Passionate,” which is clearly code for most intense about the things I’m into. This enthusiasm has been both helpful and hurtful professionally, allowing me to drive projects and initiatives I care about, but sometimes alienating when other people simply weren’t as engaged or committed. Most Passionate Strikes Again.
I got home that night thinking about what I should have said, how I could have simply shared our purpose. What is all comes down to is this:
Parties? Fun! Planning them, not so much.
And we think it doesn’t have to be that way.
Allow me to introduce you to one of our favorite hacks: We like to call them Scenes.
I’ve already shared so much in this space about how my father influenced my passion for parties. My father had an endless supply of party paraphernalia—candles, games, sparklers, ice buckets, décor, seasonal accents, vases, and even a large outdoor light projector to the chagrin of our neighbors. But at any moment, he was ready to set the scene. He believed firmly that the best designs were about mixing heirloom with hand-made, foraged field flowers with finely made festoons. He knew that the best events were full of activities as much as they were full of beautiful things. And he was committed to the idea that the amazing piece you used for a Halloween front porch could be transformed into something equally appropriate for a casual brunch table. I used to love to look into our closets and see everything on the shelf, tucked away and just waiting for the next moment to get together.
In the months leading up to the launch of Feste, when we were working on how to make getting together easier, how to simplify this process, I kept coming back to that closet. Our goal is to offer that experience of opening your closet and having everything you need, regardless of the occasion, ready to go. We developed Scenes with this same sensibility.
Just as my dad used those same candlesticks for every event from a birthday to brunch, we believe that the key to making events more sustainable is to use, reuse, and reuse again the things you love and mix in fun new elements as a detail and layer.
We don’t have a birthday kit or a Halloween scene, because at our hearts, we believe that you can and should be able to use these scenes for multiple events, no occasion necessary. We think about them much more as personas, as characters, than events. That way you can pick what vibe works for you and use it for lots of different occasions.
So what are these scenes?
The Scene: Give a Glam. This is the scene to be seen. The party we’ve all been waiting for. Plus, didn’t you always want an excuse to buy a disco ball? We recommend this for everything from a brunch bacchanalia to a groovy séance to a late night dance party. Just add a sprinkle of Bowie-esque face glitter, a dash of bold disco vibes, and a whole lot of goodies (did someone say dessert bar?), and you’re good to go.
The Scene: In the Name of Decadence. Decadence isn’t just saved for dessert with this scene, because more is absolutely more. We love this for a raucous afterparty, dining al fresco (who cares that it’s cold, bring a faux fur, and pop the champers!) or even just elevating that take-out you’ve been eyeing on GrubHub all week. Mix with your Nana’s china, throw on some completely unironic Lionel Ritchie, dust off that dinner jacket—go big and stay home.
The Scene: In the Name of Decadence
And my personal favorite, The Scene: There’s No Bar like Home. Perfect for that Gin and Titanic Party you’ve been planning. Just add a ton of citrus, your favorite bar staples (our sober curious team in the office is also always raving about Ghia!), and a few friends, and you’re ready to shake it up a little. Ok, maybe a lot.
Our scenes come in an incredible, use -again, keepsake box—perfect for storing all your products again for your next gathering. Don't worry, there's room to tuck in your favorite twinkle lights and vintage linens so you'll have all your party essentials in one place.
Ok all this sounds great, but what’s in it for you?
Each scene includes:
Also included are our hand-picked beyond the box tools for hosting and having fun—tips, tricks, custom playlists, menus, and curated inspiration—accessible from your private scene experience page after check-out. Check out the details below to learn more!
More about our Best of Feste: Feste Essentials Scenes - all the basics you need for any hosting event, no occasion necessary.
Want to plus your event even more? Read more about our consultations.
