We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Collins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, what’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
Leaving the world’s most popular hospitality/hotel chain! I had been working for this company for almost 14 years and had the pleasure of working in several roles within the industry during that time. When the pandemic came, as most hotels did, I was furloughed and eventually asked to return back part time. However, I respectfully declined as during my furlough I decided to bet on myself and follow my dream and that’s how Ria Knows Events came about! Although I am extremely happy about my decision, I will always thank that company for molding me into who I am today as a person & business owner and grateful for all that I have learned as I have been able to apply those things into my business.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
With all my years of service in the hospitality industry, I was able to learn & apply what is the single most important thing with any business, and that is the client/customer experience! It may sound as something simple, but the truth is that unfortunately a lot of business owners do not know how to apply this into their businesses. It all starts with the basics, and this is something that we take pride in at Ria Knows Events!

The way that I have managed to get my business to where it is today, is by dedicating time to learn. There were no go to platforms per say that teaches you step by step in order to start an events business. So by taking the time to learn, do research and also internships, I managed to get my business to where it is today. It was not easy, as it was a lot that I had to learn, but it all started with me planning my own wedding back in 2018, and then I just went from there!

Lessons that I have learned along the way is to be patient! When I initially lunched my business, I just knew that I would be super booked lol. But after realizing that wasn’t the case, I had to learn to be patient, because I wanted to do business with each client that inquired, but I soon realized that if a door didn’t open easily, then that it wasn’t for me.

I would like the world to know, that if there is a business that you would like to launch, to just go ahead and do it! I know it can be scary not knowing, but just do your research and dedicate the time to learning! We give so many years of our lives working for cooperate America, and unless you take that leap of faith, you will never know! And lastly, don’t you ever give up on yourself!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely tons of eating out would be involved!

But here are just some of my favorite spots that we would go to…

Shopping at The Brickell City Center
Dine in Movie & drinks at CMX Brickell
Bowling at Kings Dining & Entertianment
Pinto Farms down south for a fun filled day full of activities

Drinks at the Sugar Rooftop Bar at Brickell City Center
Mojitos at Negroni in Midtown

LaMar by Gaston Acurio in Brickell Key for amazing Peruvian cuisine
Fuchai Korean Restuarant in Edgewater for amazing Korean cuisine
Bistro Cafe in Downtown for an amazing brunch vibe
Honey Uninhibited in Brickell for another amazing brunch vibe

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a huge shoutout to two amazing individuals in my life! Without them, Ria Knows Events would not be here as they are the ones who pushed me into starting my business and allowed me to see that I had what it would take in order to start. These two people are first my Husband Jamie, who continues to help & support not only me but my business (you may usually catch him with me during event setups) and lastly my younger sister Ale who gave me that final push to launch the business!

Other: https://linktr.ee/riaknowsevents

Image Credits
Kay Ros

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