We had the good fortune of connecting with Renee Rhinehart and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Renee, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Entrepreneurship is about living with uncertainty. You must be fearless. You cannot think about whether your business is going to flop in the next year or if the economy is going to tank, you have to push past fear and doubt. If you have enough tenacity and enough drive, you can bounce back from anything.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my own event planning company, Events by Renee, at the ripe young age of 26 and have spent the last 15 years helping clients across the country turn their event dreams into reality. After planning events on my own for many years, I got a window into the industry and needs of my clients and realized there was a huge market opportunity that wasn’t being filled. So, in 2013, I decided to launch Party Host Helpers, a party staffing company, that solves the problem of the stressed-out host.
Party Host Helpers connects party hosts with professional helpers – from servers to bartenders to kitchen assistants to brand ambassadors for corporate events – to do the work for them so they can actually enjoy their event. Our team provides helpers for events nationwide and has facilitated seamless event experiences for corporate clients like Bloomingdales, Porsche, BMW, Subaru, Love Shack Fancy, Tiffany & Co., Wawa, Subzero Appliances, and more. We also handle high-end, intimate events like dinner parties, weddings, and family BBQs from Miami to Hawaii.
After navigating the 2008 recession, COVID, and normal business challenges as an event planner and business owner, I’m proud to have grown Party Host Helpers into what it is today. My team’s hard work and persistence allowed Party Host Helpers to scale in a big way – in the past two years sales doubled, our workforce grew by 40%, and we expanded to 30 cities nationwide, including several in Florida. Party Host Helpers has even been promoted on American Airlines flights and has been featured in various TV segments and news articles. Through Party Host Planners, my goal is to perfect the art of entertaining by taking the stress out of hosting events. I believe that the fondest memories come from gatherings with family, friends, and co-workers, and I want to make that accessible to as many people and companies as possible. As I like to say, “Life’s a party, so you should enjoy it!”
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a northeasterner, my friends and family often fly down to Miami for the weekend to escape the cold, so I’ll share my highlights for a short weekend trip. If you’re traveling kid-free, you can’t beat staying at The Standard. However, if you don’t want to splurge on the room but want some of the perks of the hotel, book a treatment at their spa to get access to the pool for the day.
Put on your floppy hat and bathing suit and head to South Beach for the classic Miami experience. Walk along the beach and grab tacos for lunch at Taquiza. After a day in the sun, go to Macchialina for Italian or the iconic Joe’s Stone Crab for world-class seafood for dinner. If you’re interested in a nightcap, check out Bodega Taqueria y Tequila or MILA.
On your second day, make your way over to the Design District for high-end shopping and restaurants. Try Michael’s Genuine for brunch, fabulous drinks, and a raw bar. Then make your way over to nearby Wynwood to check out the plethora of street art. Grab a pastry at Zak the Baker then walk through the murals at Wynwood Walls. For dinner, make a reservation at Doya, known for its sharable Greek food and craft cocktails. To wrap up the night, try out Dirty Rabbit for live DJs and dancing, or go right across the street to Gramps for late-night pizza and drinks.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Every single person who has worked for Party Host Helpers. Without our mighty team who are all passionate about the serving others and the hospitality industry – it would be nothing.
Website: https://partyhosthelper.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partyhosthelpers/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneepatronerhinehart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Partyhosthelper
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PartyHostHelpers/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh-pyuZCEvr8MX6fTmHfKsA
Other: https://www.pinterest.com/partyhosthelper/
Image Credits
AKM La Cour Images Melissa Kelly Photography Laura Eaton Photography