Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Ransom.
Kelly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Looking back, I recognize that I have always been an event planner at heart. I remember making decorations for my birthday parties and hiding them from my parents, and then putting them all over the apartment RIGHT before the guests would arrive knowing that I wouldn’t get yelled at until AFTER the party.
The first event I ever produced was a Gay-Straight Alliance (that’s what they were called back then) Convention at my high school. I applied for a grant for the event and was awarded money to make the event happen. With a group of classmates, we created a sort of GSA science fair for GSA’s from all over Massachusetts to showcase the work that their group had focused on that year. After the showcase there was a big dance in the gym. Despite opposition from a lot of the student body, the event was a success.
From there, I went to on to working with the MA Youth Pride Committee to plan the MA Youth Pride Parade and Festival fresh out of high school. Suddenly, I found myself shutting down Boston city streets (while learning the permitting process along the way), organizing volunteers, fundraising, soliciting vendors, hiring musicians and entertainers, organizing a parade of thousands of youth from across MA, all of the marketing and communication, and handling all of the little logistics for the day of the event. I loved it and knew for sure that this was what I wanted to do forever.
Not netting enough to make ends meet working non-profit, I started working in kitchens cooking to pay most of my bills. Unknowingly, this career move would put my event production skills over the top. I worked my way up from a salad station at a beloved local restaurant to Executive Sous/Catering Chef for a nationwide company. Staffing, creating artistic exciting menus, ordering all the food and supplies, and cooking all of the dishes for events hosting sometimes up to 5,000 people, I learned a side of event production that most don’t. I must admit, I still love catering privately and will help friends and family out from time to time. You never need to worry about running out of food at any event I produce!
Kitchen burn out, for me, only took eight years to happen. I took a breather year, bartended, and volunteered my time producing events with The Chefs Table Foundation. Eventually, I took a Fundraising and Communications position with the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation where I produced multiple large-scale events for three years. During this time, other organizations took notice of my dedication to event production and started asking me to consult with them.
After lots of thought and planning, Ransom Productions was born and now I provide event marketing, production, coaching, and management services for individuals, organizations, and, typically, anyone who asks!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The actual struggles in my private life have been so traumatic that getting to the point where I am able to experience pure joy, do what I truly love, AND get paid for it- I don’t identify any of the challenges I face in my career as struggles. The road is never smooth but I am so grateful to be able to do what I love that it is easier to handle any bumps.
Please tell us about Ransom Productions.
No event is too big or too small for Ransom Productions. Dinner party for 2? Awesome. Gala for 700? Bring it on. I have never been presented an idea for an event that I was unable to make a reality. Ransom Productions can be hired for a night, a week, a few months, or a few years-whatever it takes to make your event dreams a reality. I focus on four areas: event production (I work with you from beginning to end to produce an event), consulting for events (I coach you or your team through the process), event management (I come the day of and serve as your on-site coordinator), and event marketing (PR, social, digital, etc.).
What sets me apart from others is my wide-range of experience and my willingness to meet you where you are at when it comes to your budget. I work with a lot of non-profits and have organized live auctions, silent auctions, raffles, and more. I like to help my clients with unique fundraising approaches that will help the sometimes extra cost of hiring an event planner worth it. I always try my best to make sure, with a fundraising event, that whatever you spent hiring Ransom Productions is made back at the event through fundraising.
I have a lot of experience organizing volunteers and most of my events (because they are typically for non-profits) are volunteer driven. I take the time to really make sure that everyone feels comfortable, happy, and confident in their volunteer roles the day of the event. It doesn’t hurt to offer dinner and drinks afterwards as well!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Every memory that I have of my uncle Danny before he passed away from AIDS. He taught me kindness, compassion, strength, and he embraced my wild imagination.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ransom-productions.com
- Phone: 617-721-9306
- Email: kelly@ransom-productions.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RansomProduced
Image Credit:
Sally Swenson, Studio B Photographers
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