Valerie McSorley, President and Founder

Avant Garde Events, Inc.

Milton, MA

             3 things about Valerie…

            -She can’t live without:  High heels and lipstick

            -Her favorite song:  Anything Madonna

            -Little known fact:  Valerie was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune

Valerie McSorley knew early on that she wanted to work hard and be successful, but pushing paper behind a corporate desk seemed oh so unfulfilling. It was after college working at her very first “real job” when that reality set in.

She watched as people retired from a long career at a company with nothing more than a cake in the conference room and a pat on the back. And on Monday, someone else had their desk. “That depressed me,” she remembers. “It was not the way I wanted to live my life.”

Contemplating her next move, memories of festive family parties and her experience as the social director for her college sorority sunk in. Suddenly, it was crystal clear: “I love events,” she told South Shore Woman in an interview.

Alas, Avant Garde Events, Inc. was born. But it wasn’t overnight. And it wasn’t easy.  It took blood, sweat, and tears to get her business off the ground, she says.

Newly married and pregnant with her first child, Valerie was catering to any client that would walk through the door. But more clients translated to more bosses. She was working 24x7 at a time when the economy was tanking, budgets were drying up, and all of the resources she needed to get the job done were gone. Yet she was still on the hook to deliver.

She was exhausted, stressed, and admittedly, a bit scared.

“The phone could light up at any time and I felt like I had a business that owned me, not a business that I owned,” she says.

So she took a step back to reevaluate her strengths and what she was trying to accomplish. 

Vision is important when designing your life around a dream job and executing is critical. “You have to have a lot of action behind the wish,” Valerie says. “It is not easy to make things happen. Sometimes I didn’t know where the money would come from.”

Going from dual income, no mortgage and no kids to one income, a mortgage and kids (she now has two little boys), was a frightening combination.

 “As an entrepreneur you can work 60 hours a week and not make a dime,” Valerie says, but you need to believe in your abilities and do whatever it takes to make it happen. “I never gave up. If someone says ‘no’ to me at the front door, I’ll go to the back door, or I’ll find a window or a chimney. Making it happen---whatever it takes--- is a must.”

Her hard work has paid off. Within 10 years, her original  business has spun into three:

Avant Garde  Events, Inc. is the umbrella company that specializes in innovative special event production including conferences, trade shows and corporate meetings and events.  We pride ourselves on delivering the  ‘WOW’ factor on a budget.  www.avantgardevents.com

Cocktails & Connections are  monthly networking events designed to connect professionals in a meaningful way. Our specialty is taking a room full of strangers and turning them into friends in under 2 hours.  www.cocktailsandconnections.biz

The NorthEast Sponsorship Network offers events, education and networking for event professionals, associations, non-profits, professional organizations, festivals, sporting events and stadiums, cause marketing and industry related vendors.  Our mission is to provide an open platform for learning, networking and professional development. We offer a variety of services including seminars, personalized consulting, facilitated networking events and an annual conference. www.nespn.org

Now, she says, she has something for everyone. More importantly, she is the boss. “I pick and choose my clients and projects. I also have freedom and flexibility in my schedule which is priceless. If one of my kids is sick I don’t ever have to call a boss and explain myself…I feel blessed to have made a business for myself from something I’m totally passionate about. I feel like I don’t work a day in my life. I love it.”

Ready to Take the Leap and Start Your Own Business?

Valerie’s Advice:

• 1.) Believe in yourself
• 2.) Create a vision of what you want the business to be
• 3.) Execute on that vision….which takes determination
• 4.) Recognize your strengths (and weaknesses)
• 5.) Be bold and learn from your mistakes (understand that things will go wrong and drill down to what happened when they do)
• 6.) Set boundaries so that your business does not takeover your life
• 7.) Keep an open mind
• 8.) Stay positive
• 9.) Expect and accept only the best
• 10.) See a need, fill a need; there is a business out there for everyone

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil