Meet Erica Toatley | Owner/Operator

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

Hi Erica, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of Tiny Blessings is that we consistently deliver on our promise. When our clients book a birthday party, request a service, or order one of our products, they have certain expectations. They want to be sure they receive the promised services and benefits. It is our responsibility to deliver 100% of the time. Our team is trained to EXCEED CLIENT EXPECTATIONS in every interaction.

We are in the business of creating memories that truly last a lifetime. By delivering on our promise we have created brand loyalty among our clients. As a result, our calendar tends to fill up 8 to 12 weeks in advance. Many of which are repeat customers, the greatest compliment to a job well done. It fills my heart to watch our Tiny Princesses return year after year to be pampered and celebrated for their birthday.

To really find out how things are going at your company, you have to step out of your own shoes and take a walk in those of your customers and employees. Ask yourself, “If I were one of my customers right now, what would I love to have from me?” Then, do it!

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?
After 25 years as a senior leader in the healthcare industry, I made the decision to follow my dream and passion to start my own business focused on helping young girls be the best version of themselves. Volunteerism has always been near and dear to my heart and something we take very seriously as a family. In particular, my passion has always been helping young girls build their self esteem, realize their full potential and mentor them to help reach their goals and aspirations.

In 2018 my granddaughter, Laiyah, was born premature and I took time off to be a full time “GamMa” to care for her at home. We posted her entire experience on Facebook and she quickly became affectionately known as the “Tiny Princess”. As we approached her first birthday we came to realize there was nothing available in our area for little princesses to celebrate their special day so we decided to create it. During the planning process my goal was to be mobile so we could take our business anywhere in the valley as a convenience to families, offer all-inclusive services and only work with childpreneurs as vendors. I sent out RFPs (requests for proposals) via social media to give children the opportunity to present their business and share why I should select them to partner with – something I like to call a teachable moment in preparing them to take their business to the next level. When I didn’t receive many responses we decided to create a brand for my granddaughter, Tiny Princess Beauty. We are your home for Gourmet Spa Products for Kids! Our spa products are handmade using only the finest quality ingredients. From start to finish, every product is made with natural, mild ingredients, and are gluten free, paraben free & cruelty free!

Once we solidified our plan and product line, Tiny Blessings Salon, Spa & Celebrations was born.

Award winning Tiny Blessings Salon, Spa & Celebrations, is open for business and offers unique party packages for girls, tweens & teens to choose from for their birthday or special events. We also offer play dates, mother/daughter dates, and parties for organizations like the Girl Scouts and other community groups. We bring our uniquely-designed parties to you and we do all the work so that you can relax and enjoy your special day. Tiny Blessings encourages girls to be their own kind of beautiful. We curate personalized party experiences so that each and every party guest can be their own unique self and celebrate in their own unique way.

With the fun and girly elements of traditional girl parties and an added educational flare of self-esteem building, etiquette training, and leadership development, Tiny Blessings encourages girls to embrace that they are not a princess for a day, but a princess for life! Customized services promote appreciation for internal and external beauty.

Tiny Blessings Services include, but not limited to:

· Pamper Parties for young girls ages 3 to 14 with mini facials, mini manicures, mini pedicures and makeup makeovers

· Princess Parties with elegant princess gowns and a princess fashion runway to showcase their royal style after getting pampered head to toe

· SPAjama and Pamper and Paint Parties for tweens and teens with a state-of-the-art sound system, plush seating for girl talk, and a selfie station

· Etiquette and Dream Board Workshops

· Themed girls’ empowerment parties/events

· Create Your Own Spa Products (lip gloss, nail polish, lotion, perfume, sugar scrub and so much more)

· Tiny Princess Beauty bath and body products

· Membership club offerings

· And so much more…..

The dynamic aesthetics of the mobile utopia include a state-of-the-art sound system, a glam station with professional spa/makeup lighting, plush seating, beautiful chandeliers, creation stations, and a selfie station for the perfect pictures to mark the special occasion.

All Tiny Blessings Party Packages include:

· Red carpet entrance and crowning of the guest of honor

· Mini Manicure

· Mini Pedicure

· Mini Facial

· Mini Makeover with Makeup

· Create Your Own Nail Polish or Lip Gloss

· Use of our Luxurious Spa Robes or Princess Dresses during the party

· Goody Bags

· Kids Music

· Kids Magazines

I firmly believe our commitment to Exceeding Customer Service Expectations sets us apart from our competitors. I am most proud of my team for believing in our mission, vision and values and their commitment to delivering on our promise.

This month we opened our first Tiny Blessings Kids Day Spa location in Tempe, AZ. Over the past year we have received feedback from customers that they would love to be able to take their daughter to be pampered individually (not at a party). We are SUPER EXCITED to now offer two options for Tiny Princesses across the valley: 1) Our luxury mobile spa bus, SPArty; and 2) Tiny Blessings Kids Day Spa.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There is so much to do here in the valley and across the state! It’s such a great place to live and visit. There are so many fun and educational things to do in Phoenix, from exploring top-notch museums, seeing intriguing and unique architecture, hiking the many mountains, enjoying the many resorts and spas and of course, the eats… Oh My! THE EATS!

My daughter graduated a couple of years ago (pre pandemic) and we had lots of family and friends visit from out of state. We had an itinerary planned for the week long vacation and here are some of the favorites:
– First Friday Museum Tours. We enjoyed the exhibits at Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Roosevelt Row District, Arizona Science Center, Historic Heritage Square, to name a few. Highly recommended!
– Musical Instrument Museum is a MUST.
– Desert Botanical Garden
– Dobbins Lookout South Mountain (one of my personal favorites)
– Queen Creek Olive Mill Tour and Tasting is a hidden gem.
– Hot Air Balloon Ride with Rainbow Ryders. Amazing experience with the included champagne toast at the end.
– Boat Ride at Lake Pleasant. We rented a boat from Pleasant Harbor Boat Rentals. We enjoyed our time relaxing and eating with family on the boat while the teens loved swimming and kayaking.
– Golfing…. Any course is great in the valley.
– Eats. Food Trucks, street tacos and The Mission…. I always opt for local favorites, but LoLo’s Chicken & Waffles is always the first stop after picking up from the airport.

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?
I would like to dedicate this Shoutout to the wind beneath my wings, my family. Donald, Ariana, Umaja, Iman and Laiyah, Thank You!

Without their love, support, encouragement, sleepless nights, sacrificed weekends, and so much more…. Making the decision to leave corporate healthcare (and a healthy six figure salary) to start a first of its kind business in Phoenix would have never come to fruition.

A very special Shoutout to my husband, Donald. My #1 supporter and soulmate. Thank YOU for everything!

Website: www.tinyblessingsparties.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tinyblessingsparties

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tinyblessingsparties

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tiny-blessings-parties-phoenix-2

Other: Google