445. Getting your foot in the door for Bid Day balloons
Eleven sorority houses, 30-foot columns and an overnight install with the whole campus watching on Instagram. So how does a balloon business even get a foot in that door?
This week I'm talking with Ashley, owner of The Balloon Lab. Her team decorated four sorority houses for bid day this year, and she's sharing how she got there: the jumbo foil heart outreach that put her in front of every house on campus, calendar deposits that lock in next year, pricing inside each sorority's budget and why her mock-ups only happen after a house books.
We also talk about how her business runs day-to-day outside of Bid season, and how she's structured and motivated her team with responsibilities they can grow into. This is part 1 of an awesome conversation - stay tuned for part 2 next week!
In the UGlu Hotline, hear how printed and laminated SOPs around your shop can be hugely helpful.
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Owner
Ashley Crumby, PharmD, PhD, is the owner and creative force behind The Balloon Lab, a balloon décor company based in Oxford, Mississippi. What began as a creative outlet alongside a career in pharmacy and medical writing has grown into a thriving business specializing in large-scale installations, custom event décor, and some seriously ambitious balloon projects.
Located in the heart of Ole Miss country, Ashley and The Balloon Lab have become especially known for their work during sorority recruitment and Bid Day, where thousands of balloons, tight timelines, large crews, and plenty of behind-the-scenes logistics come together to transform spaces across campus.
Ashley loves the creative side of balloons, but she’s equally passionate about the business behind them—from pricing and systems to building a team, managing growth, and figuring things out as you go.
