We love introducing you to the amazing women entrepreneurs you’ll find inside the Hatch Tribe Collective. Today we’re excited to introduce you to Alex Durant of Durant Consulting, Inc in Charleston, SC.

Tell us about your business & how it came to be!  

I currently oversee sponsor fulfillment and advancement at many award-winning festivals including the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, New York City Wine & Food Festival, and Life is Beautiful Music Festival in Downtown Las Vegas. Durant Consulting Inc. (DCI) also manages all online and onsite auctions for the Charlotte Wine & Food Festival as well as many other online auction clients. 

I started Durant Consulting Inc. in 2006 to provide full-service auction solutions for nonprofits.  Previously, I worked as the Director of Fundraising for Grandstand Sports in NYC from 1998-2005 where I managed 300+ auctions per year with consignment memorabilia. I was consistently asked to produce all aspects of the non-profit auctions by our clients and a move to Miami was the impetus to start DCI to fulfill the niche of auction production for galas, golf tournaments and Festivals.  Over time, the company has morphed to encompass sponsor management at large scale events nationwide, logistics, and event activations locally in Charleston, SC.

What do you love about being an entrepreneur? 

I love the freedom of being on my own time and managing projects around my schedule.  I also love the diverse list of clients and projects I have each year to keep my daily routine far from mundane.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced building your business? What has that challenge taught you? 

It is only during this crazy pandemic that I have faced the biggest challenge of marketing my services. When I started DCI in Miami, I was a strong networker and landed a few huge projects early on.  For over 10 years I've built my business through word-of-mouth and referrals and was admittedly very lazy in self-promotion, social media, and keeping my website up to date.  When the pandemic hit, I lost 65% of my yearly business from event cancellations which left me at scratch-level to revise my services and to begin a fresh marketing strategy.  What I learned is that when I am in hyper-drive event mode, I need to take the time to promote what I do so that there is evergreen content available for potential clients.

How do you balance your personal life with your business? 

I make sure to build in quality time with family and friends.  We eat dinner as a family every night and most weekends are free for family and social fun.  Most importantly, business trips are Mom vacations!  I typically travel 2 days a month and 4 full weeks of the year for festivals and production meetings. Traveling to NYC, Miami and Las Vegas has many advantages to enjoy some alone time, sleep in a hotel bed, and sneak in a bit of retail therapy or a fab meal.

Do you start or end your day with a routine or ritual? Tell us about it!  

I walk the neighborhood most mornings and also teach a Movement Flow Stretch class to my friends and neighbors on occasional weekends. Did I mention I have a degree in Dance Education and founded a Modern Dance company in NYC?!

How do you hold yourself accountable?  

I was the teacher's pet growing up and still want to be the "Gold Star" on any project I'm hired for.  I work however many hours until the job is done and since I've worked from home so long, I can tunnel vision all day without TV, music or any distractions, although I do like to do laundry or unload the dishwasher as a mental and physical break from my computer.

How do you handle those moments of self-doubt and fear?  

Vent with a friend or colleague.

What resources do you love that you think other business owners should know about? 

Airtable. If you love an Excel spreadsheet, this takes it to the next level!!  You only input info once and all sheets, tabs, rows, and columns are linked so you don't have to repeat data entry. 

What is your favorite quote?  

"The thing about common sense... it's not that common."  - I've only heard it from my husband, Brendon Bashford

What are you working on now in your business? 

I did a giveaway contest in July for free online auction management services. I chose 3 local nonprofits: Going Place, The Undergarment Society and Charleston Community Sailing.  I'm working with these groups to host an online fundraising auction in 2020.  I also got hired to do project management for virtual medical conferences. It's been an interesting learning experience to delve into the virtual event world while I eagerly await for my long-term Festival clients to get back in action.  The first in-person event that is planning to return is one I've worked on for 15 years - The Food Network and Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One, slated for February 2021.

Connect with Alex Durant inside the Hatch Tribe Collective, our member exclusive community for women entrepreneurs on the rise! Have yet joined us, learn more right here.

You can also connect with Alex at www.durantconsulting.com