The most adorable way to celebrate milestones has arrived and it’s taking the Rio Grande Valley by sweet surprise. Proud small business owner Esli Escobedo is the brains behind Charming Picnics. The Alamo native is thrilled to have so much support from the community early on in her journey.
How it came to be
Growing up around her entrepreneur father, Esli has always known she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She would build a business she could call her own. After thinking about different ideas and ways to introduce a new concept to the RGV, she was struck with an idea when she least expected it.
“One night I woke up at 2 a.m. and my first thought was ‘PICNICS!’ My boyfriend and I had started a tradition where on special occasions (like Valentine’s Day and on birthdays) we would celebrate by having a picnic,” she shares.
Launched in early 2019, Charming Picnics is still somewhat in its beginning stages. Escobedo is grateful for the chance to share something she loves with the RGV. Charming Picnics is a business that focuses on event planning whose goal is to relieve their clients of the stress of planning/hosting an event so that they can enjoy it.
Charming Picnics can accommodate any occasion, whether it’s a party of two or a bachelorette party. “We’ve had the pleasure of setting up our picnics for date nights, engagement proposals, birthday parties, photo-shoots for quinceaneras, baby showers and many more!”
“Event planning and designing has always caught my attention. In the past, I have been involved with event planning at my local church for different occasions,” she shares. “I knew I eventually wanted to have my own business, but I did not know I would start a business that would be a part of the event planning/service category. So far it has been an incredible experience.”
Goals for growth
Escobedo has a lot of plans and projects in place for Charming Picnics in 2020. She works hard every day to come up with new ways to surprise the Valley. She has had the opportunity to work for many start-up local businesses. In this, she has always found joy in witnessing the process of ideas coming to life.
“I would like to grow as an entrepreneur and learn from the challenges. I hope I can someday be an inspiration and show others that with hard and consistent work, you can achieve anything you set your mind to,” she shares.
Community love
One of the biggest takeaways Escobedo has learned throughout her journey with Charming Picnics thus far is that owning your own business isn’t all rainbows and butterflies.
“We have a lot of respect for small business owners, as we understand the challenges and the sacrifices that come with owning and running your own business. Many have definitely set the bar pretty high and we are just glad to be part of the community,” she says.
Charming Picnics is big on supporting other small businesses. It occasionally incorporates goods and services from local businesses such as décor, pastries and other treats to show that support.
“When you choose to believe in someone in your community, you are helping them more than you could imagine. I want to encourage the Valley to support your small businesses,” she says.
“We do it because of the satisfaction it brings us when people truly enjoy our services. We see the smiles, tears and when we read your encouraging messages and reviews. It reminds us of why we decided to begin this journey.”
Make Charming Picnics a part of your celebrations
No matter what occasion you’re celebrating, Charming Picnics is a go-to event planning business.
“We have different set-ups already put together you can choose from and we have different items that we can add to personalize your picnic,” Escobedo shares.
Living in a world with social media has helped bridge the gap between businesses and potential clients. Charming Picnics can be contacted through Facebook and Instagram or via email at charmingpicnics@gmail.com.