Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Turner.
Hi Amy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi there! Back in 2016, I was trying to come up with a creative way for my second oldest child, Casey, to earn money. His older brother, Cameron, had a candy machine business and was learning valuable lessons through his work responsibilities. I wanted to create an equally valuable opportunity for Casey to work, learn, and earn money.
I wanted to find something that an 11-year-old could reasonably do but was also a service that customers would actually pay for. As a result, Balloon Boyz was born— a helium balloon delivery service. For the first three years we were in business, we fulfilled lots of helium orders and grew steadily as neighbors, friends, and customers spread the word. In 2019, we began receiving some requests for architectural balloon art. This was a new world for us and we rose to the challenge by expanding our skill set. Now, in 2022, things have completely reversed to the point where we do very few helium orders compared to the volume of balloon architecture we create.
We established the business with the understanding that the money earned would be used to fund service work and college education. My oldest son, Cameron, is currently serving as a church missionary in Quito, Ecuador. He was able to pay for his volunteer service entirely from his work for Balloon Boyz and Casey will be enrolling at Utah Valley University next fall.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a learning experience! One thing I regret is not being on social media during the early days of our business. I’m sure there were resources available online but since I wasn’t a social media user, we suffered a lot of unnecessary growing pains by just trying to figure it out ourselves. We made mistakes and thereby wasted time and resources.
That said, it was probably also a blessing in some ways because it helped us develop the confidence to know we could figure out anything we needed to do.
The growth of our business has also been challenging. We outpaced our family’s ability to keep up with the demand and we now rely on several employees. We have an amazing team and are so grateful for them and their beautiful and reliable work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In addition to being the owner of Balloon Boyz, I’m an ER nurse at Utah Valley Hospital and also a nurse aesthetic injector at Genesis Med Spa. Being a nurse injector is an ideal fit for me because I love combining medicine with an artistic eye to help people reach their aesthetic goals.
What matters most to you? Why?
The thing that matters most to me in life is my kids. I want to do right by them always. It’s been fun to work alongside them and learn and grow together. I am mom to three awesome boys and one amazing girl.
Contact Info
- Website: balloonboyz.org
- Instagram: @2balloonboyz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078678412424
Image Credits
@shannonelizabeths
@kaitlynfriel
