Beautiful balloons

Oct. 15—A Tazewell native has been running her own business for the past two years after finding her passion while watching an event online.

Lakyn Grose, owner of Float 276, said, "Around the pandemic, of course everyone was inside, but I have also been a stay-at-home mom for four years."

She added, "I was starting to feel very stuck in the house because I had always worked before that, and then one day I was watching some event that was taking place in the UK (United Kingdom), and it just shocked me."

The event had a massive ballon arrangement and Grose said it "did not even look like balloons," and she was so amazed by the display.

"I thought this was such a completely different take on balloons," she said. "It's a luxury, it's beautiful, and it can be done in so many different way."

The whole display just fascinated Grose, so she decided to look into the art of balloon displays.

"I did research for around three months just so I could make sure I fully understood everything about the art and find out how to learn it," said Grose.

She eventually found a teacher whose master class she could do online that operated out of California.

"I went through the whole things, and they explained how to do different things, gave us tools on how to do it all, and just taught us what we would need to create the balloons," said Grose.

The class was necessary if she wanted to make a business out of it not only to make sure she knew exactly what she was doing but to also get the supplies she needed.

"To be able to buy the balloons for things like this, you have to be registered in your state as a business because you can't just go out and buy these types of balloons at the store," she said.

So, in order to get started, Grose obtained her Virginia business license, and after that, she was able to work with the distributors other balloon artists use and get quality balloons.

"Once I could get the balloons, I started practicing, and it just took off from there," she said.

As she started actually working with the balloons, Grose started to realize all the different things that she could do and make with them.

"I don't really consider myself a very creative person, but doing this, the creativity just kind of explodes, and there's so many different things you can do with it," said Grose.

To build up her business she started doing small events, working hard and doing anything that she could just to keep getting better.

"Mainly in the beginning, I did a couple boutiques, baby showers, and birthday parties, but now, it's more businesses, like Southwest College and Hard Rock," she said. "I actually just contracted with them (Hard Rock) about five months ago to do all of their balloon arrangements, which is really cool."

Not only can Grose work with local business and corporations, she can also work with government entities in Virginia.

"I am actually eVA (Electronic Virginia) certified which means that any government facility can hire me to arrangements through their budgets too, which I think is really awesome and I'm so excited about it,' said Grose.

The eVA is an electronic marketplace for buyers and sellers that state and local government facilities can utilize.

Grose said she feels that starting her business has opened Tazewell up to "a new world that they have no idea about."

She also feels that not only does her business bring something new and interesting to the area, but she feels it promotes happiness.

"I think because everyone is happy to get a balloon, it really brings joy to the area," she said. The happiness that people get when they see it because it's not what their expecting."

Grose wants people to know that balloons aren't just for kids and that what she does is art that people of all ages can enjoy.

"People don't really think about the luxury that it can add to an event or a back drop because when they think about balloons they think about the low quality ones you get at commercial stores," she said. "When people do finally see it and give it a chance, they are just floored."

Grose said that she has had so many people come up and tell her that they are so shocked that the displays that she brings to events are balloons.

She also said that even the people that employ her are in awe of the work she does.

"When people order from me, they have a basic idea of what they are going to get, but it's nothing compared to what they were thinking it was going to be," Grose said. "I create something for them that they usually didn't know that they wanted."

She added, "Everyone has really loved the work I've done for them."

Grose said a lot of times when people are looking into these balloon displays, there are kits on Amazon and at Walmart that allow you to try to do them yourself, but she said that it is not comparable to the work and quality that she does and works with.

"People will look on Pinterest and find these arrangements and think that they are going to be able to do those projects with those kits you get at Amazon or Walmart, and they are just not the quality that the people are usually hoping for in their displays," said Grose.

She added, "I know my work is more expensive than trying to do it yourself, but people are not paying me for something they could do with those kits, it's something that is completely leveled up."

Grose said she has not found anything like what she does any where around this area, so she feels that she really brings something unique.

"The only place I have found that does similar things is a place in Kingsport, but the majority of what they do is helium balloons and things like that. I don't think they do the same kind of displays that I do," she said. "They don't do a whole lot of personalized things, where as what I do is very customized to fit each customers needs."

Grose feels that this is an important business for the area because while it brings something totally new, it also give locals the option to shop locally.

"I think it will give the area the ability to not have to go places like Walmart to buy those kits." she said. "They can shop locally, and people love just being able to run down and put in an order or get balloons with helium, though that is more a future goal."

Grose added, "I just want to bring something luxury to somethings that people don't even think about, and I feel like it's nice to have something like that around here."

As of right now, Grose is operating solely out of her home and does not have a physical store yet, but she really hopes to be able to open one in the coming future.

"I would love to open a brick and mortar because when you have one you can create constantly, so it would be tons more inventory that I would be able to keep and open the door to all kinds of different things," said Grose.

She added, "I think that the way things are going, I would like to eventually hire a group of like-minded people such as myself that love to make people happy."

Grose also feels that the store would allow people to come in watch her work because she says that many are curious to the work that goes into creating the displays.

"It takes time to create these structures, and most people don't think that," she said. "They are not thinking about all of the thing that go into creating them."

Grose added, "The store would open the floor up for people to be able to ask more questions and see what it takes."

Grose stressed the importance of time in her business because there is a lot that goes into making them.

"One of the first things I ask is how long I have to get the display done because these are not something that can be done in an hour," she said. "A nine to 10 foot organic garland is around two hours just to set up, and that does not include how long it take to blow everything up and everything else I do before getting to the events."

She does the set ups at the events including building parts of the structure because it is just not something that can be done prior.

Grose said she is very excited to see what the future holds for Float 276, and she is so happy that the locals have been so supportive of her.

"In the future, I want to do bigger events and arrangements, and the goal is to just eventually be consistently steady in business," she said. "Also, support locally has been so great."

She was recently featured on Tazewell Today's Facebook page for one of her earlier arrangements and has been in talks with the mayor in order to try and get a physical location, so she said she really appreciates the support that Tazewell has shown her.

Grose also said that she is most grateful for the support her husband has shown her through her business's growth.

"He is my number one fan and believes in me 110 percent, and he's also so good at the work too," she said. "I hope that I can eventually retire him from his business and that we can work full-time together sometime in the future since he is a business owner too."

The big point that she wants people and especially other women and stay-at-home moms to remember is to find and do what your passionate about.

"I am not just a mom, there's a time where you kind of get lost in that and forget who you are outside of being a wife and mother, and being able to step out of that and focus on something that really makes you happy is so great," said Grose.

She hopes her business will continue to make herself and others happy and grow more and more.

"You know that cliche saying 'If you love what you do, you never work a day on your life?' For me, this is what that is," Grose said. "This really makes me happy, and I think it shows in my work and people already and will continue to see that."

For bookings, there are no set prices, so those interested in a price estimate will have to contact Grose because over time she has found that setting prices based on anything specific just will not work for her business.

"Each arrangement is different and special to the customer, so there is no way for me to do a set price," she said.

Grose said that during the month of October, she is doing a "spooky special deal" of 13 percent off all arrangements.

For more information on Float 276 visit their Facebook page.

— Contact Kassidy Brown at kbrown@bdtonline.com.