We had the good fortune of connecting with Ridhi Patel and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ridhi, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
It’s not worth trading your time for money if you’re not doing what you love. My father always said this to me and growing up, but I rarely took the time to understand what that meant. I love creating things and always have as far back as I can remember. I have memories of making bracelets and opening up my own little shop instead of the usual lemonade stands. Through the years I had small knick knacks I made but it was never a consideration as a career path. I just remember being so proud of each piece. All of those crafting sessions, with my parents often by my side watching, molded my future self. I gained incomparable experience by not only making my own decor and jewelry, but also working for a couple of bridal decoration companies. My professional path had remained in the medical space this entire time, putting my love for art in the mental backseat. After countless passion projects and doing parties for family members and friends, I decided to delve into the world and take it seriously. I feel blessed that I’m able to share this ‘force to create’ with the rest of the world. I never pursued the artistic path, it was my path all along. As my babies grow and get to experience what it is like to turn art into a career, I hope it will prove as worthy inspiration for them to let their passion guide their path.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our priority is in creating a one-of-a-kind experience no matter what kind of occasion it is. We love creating unique statement pieces for each event, setting them distinctly apart from each other. I truly believe art is the expression of one person’s imagination being carefully laid out of for the rest of humanity to experience.
The ability to consistently deliver for our clientele is what we’re most proud of. Right up at the top of things we’re most proud of is our skeleton crew of just two people, myself and Sunny. There are plenty of cliches to describe how well we work together, but the fact is we are able to become creative collaborators that happen to be married.
The challenge to being a professional comes with consistency and being told I’m doing what I’m meant to do by everyone around me. So in essence, as long as I get to call my passion my work, our professional confidence will reflect in the work we do and the folks we serve.
“That being said, these things are never easy, ” said everyone. In my experience, challenges were met by strong motivation at almost every step. I’ve always known myself to get things done when the time came, and becoming an entrepreneur-mother was no different.
One of the most honest lessons learned would be knowing how to value my work when entering an open, free-market. The fear of putting my work, dedication, and energy into the world, without any expected outcome was a risk. We owe everything to the family, friends, and clients-turned-pals for giving us the opportunities and support they did.
As we meet new people who continue to broaden our limits in the projects we undertake, the urge to exceed expectations gets that much stronger. The consistent mission statement we share at “Parties By Ridhi”, is to always provide the finishing touch.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When we have visitors we generally like to take a road trip through this beautiful state to a few destinations up north. Sedona, Flagstaff and Page in Arizona are absolutely breathtaking and offer a wide variety of options for tourists to experience.
Once we’ve spent some time touring the vastly different scenes Arizona has to offer, we make it back home to Downtown Gilbert to experience some fine dining and treats. We’re impressed with how quickly Gilbert and its surrounding areas have grown these last years, providing a list of new spots to eat, drink, and simply chill! With so many names on the list, we’re naturally going to leave a bunch out. Here are some home-grown hometown favorites:
Joe’s Farm Grill is definitely one of our go-to’s! With their excellent outdoor (and indoor) seating options overlooking organic farms, it’s not just the food that will keep you coming back! This farm-to-table joint has us obsessed with their Garlic Fries, Fresh Salad, Farm Burgers, Grilled Cheeses and tons more…
The Culinary Dropout is a new addition to the Gilbert Road downtown strip. This modern spot is providing a place to meet friends and family, dishing out classic American fare along with with an endless variety of drinks to choose from. Try the Dropout Classic Mule for a reimagined familiar flavor!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am extremely grateful for the amount of love and support I have from all of my family and friends. I truly would not be anywhere without my strong support system. Creating Parties by Ridhi and putting myself out there was one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. If it weren’t for the words of encouragement from my parents I would not have been able to pursue this passion of mine. Both of my parents would come spend time with me while I would be undergoing one of my many late-night crafting sessions. Little did I know that I was forging a steady hand for a hobby-turned-career! I loved those nights, so thank you for those, Mom & Dad.
Parties by Ridhi would not be where it is without the support of my loving husband, Sunny. He has helped me start this business from the ground up and plays an important role behind the scenes! He is the backbone of this business- he runs the deliveries, loads the transportation, builds props, sorts inventory, and helps watch the kids when I need to focus on my portion. I love you Mr. Parties by Ridhi!
My siblings (Sidhi & Sid) and cousins (Jalpa & Chirag) are my fortification structure that motivate me to do what I love to do. All of them are medical professionals, leading busy lives, meanwhile constantly reminding me that they’re living vicariously through my work. What an honor, you guys. Whenever they get openings in their days or schedules, its not long before I get an encouraging message, a phone call, or a surprise visit us to catch up with the family.
My father, Satish Patel, was not only that; he was my best friend, my biggest fan, and my earliest fan club member. He knew the artistic expression had sparked within me from an early age. Though it’s tough look back and pinpoint when exactly I decided that I was never going to work for anyone again, I can confidently say I acquired that mentaility from him. It was in my hindsight that I was able to see what my father saw all along, I’m a creator. His warm company and often “balloon-inflation” interrupted comments would leave me wondering what he said! There’s simply no replacing this special relationship, only nurturing and respecting it through creating new art.
I would be remissed if I didn’t spend some extra time on the lovely lady, who is my mother. My mom is my family backbone and always been. From the very beginning, she has been another mom for my girls to love unconditionally, as well as a peer that I rely on. From playground dates and fresh-cooked meals to the cozy comforts of sleeping under “Nani’s” loving arms. Her tireless efforts have created stability in our lives. My goal is forge stability into the next generation through an artistic escape. She is one of the reasons we are able to accommodate clients and book eventsinto mid day prepping. I know I never get to say it too often, even though we all should, I love you and appreciate everything you do for us.
I would also like to take some time to thank my father and mother-in-law all the way in Streamwood, IL. They spent hours in the beginning of our journey to help cut and sew countless amounts of panels for me. Thank you for taking the time to teach me how to sew and create my own inventory, those panels were the beginning of our backdrop selection for our business! Thank you for supporting us from near and afar! We love you.
Website: www.partiesbyridhi.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/partiesbyridhi/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ridhi-patel-53408b210/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/partiesbyridhi
Image Credits
IG: Ohsopeachyphotos IG: carlyraes.photography