MEET: Elleni Pearce LENZO’s Party Queen

Meet
March 30, 2018

Planning a celebration? It’s a piece of cake with LENZO, the one-stop online party shop.

LENZO was created by Adelaide born, Elleni Pearce, whose objective was to create the ‘eBay of parties’. Today, it is exactly that. Anyone from suppliers to buyers can utilise the website as a hire business, event service, party supply store or venue finder, all in the one place.

We know that kid’s parties are sometimes challenging. You feel like you can’t do the mermaid theme again, because your daughter’s friend or cousin had that at her birthday last week. Coming up with new and exciting ideas can be difficult, but now LENZO will do all the hard work for you!

We’re not the only ones in love with LENZO. Recently celebrities such as Bec Judd and Rozalia Russian have shared their own LENZO parties on social media. Think decorations like neon lights, multicoloured balloons, monochrome themes, teepees and confetti. Parents are side-stepping the clowns and face painting for giant balloon installations and extravagant table settings. LENZO has also worked with major brands such asSEED Heritage, Witchery and Mecca Cosmetica.

We quizzed Elleni Pearce on how she became the queen of entertaining:

WHAT DID YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT GROWING UP IN ADELAIDE?

I love Adelaide – still do! Despite having moved almost 15 years ago, it’s still “home” to me. More than anything, I don’t think it’s relevant where you grow up, but really who you grow up with, and the people around you. That’s why I still call Adelaide home because of my friends and family.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CHILDHOOD PARTY EXPERIENCE?

Preparation! Pulling the prettiest of partyware together. Even as a 4 year old, I always had a clear vision and theme in my mind. My most memorable parties were the ones hosted at home with friends and family with a pass the parcel out the back and an Australian Women’s Weekly cake creation by Mum (which was pre-ordered by me about 6 months in advance).

WHEN DID THE LIGHT BULB MOMENT FOR PARTY WITH LENZO OCCUR?

I have always had a love for entertaining. For me, it was all in the details! After celebrating my wedding and my 30th I realised there was not a curated platform for the best in the events industry. I had to Google and search to find exactly what I wanted (and that’s not easy when you’re a little fussy). So I knew there was an opportunity. Then I had my first daughter in 2012 and started the initial business plan but succumbed to the day-to-day pressures of it all and rather than pursuing LENZO, I went back to my career in advertising sales. After my second daughter was born I was adamant this was what I was going to do. The fire was in my belly.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT LENZO?

It is the only place where you can shop from a curated range of stock and services for your next event. Rather than being a directory, LENZO allows you to search for the product you want. We inspire via our blog, THE LENZO EDIT and then allow you to get the look via the Marketplace. We now also offer a national service ‘Parties by LENZO’ where we act as an online virtual party planner and pull an event together. This is great for time poor mums that still want a beautiful, personalised event but just don’t have the man hours to pull it off.

HOW DO YOU JUGGLE BEING A MUM OF TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS WHILE RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

A juggle it is!!! I am also pregnant with my third baby (a little boy) so things are about to get very interesting! Over time I’ve realised you can’t do everything at once. You need to prioritise certain things in your life at any given point of time and give it 110%. I try to be present I am home, I feel that’s really important. When in LENZO mode, I have to be super productive. It’s easier now with a fabulous team and support around me.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR RARE DOWN TIME?

I love to get away for the weekend. A simple road trip to the Mornington Peninsula will do the trick. I am very much an extrovert and gain energy from those around me. On the weekends, I ensure that I balance the crazy work life with social activities with friends and family. This is very important to me and although it’s not traditional down time, I feel I have a balance. The kids love it too!

WHAT ARE YOUR KEY STYLING TIPS FOR ANYONE PLANNING AN EVENT?

Choose one key element you love. It could be a reference to a pattern, colour or texture. Create a mood-board around this element and if you find something doesn’t tie in, then ditch it! This focus will keep you on track and ensure you execute a cohesively styled event.

DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL AESTHETIC IN 3 WORDS?

Fresh, playful and chic.

WHAT IS INSPIRING YOU RIGHT NOW?

I went to a talk recently called ‘The Resilience Project’. It was probably one of the most inspiring two hours of my life. They have an app and I love it. It’s all about three key ingredients to achieve happiness: gratitude, empathy and mindfulness. I strive to live by those and try to implement them into the lives of my girls.