Meet Lionel And IDecor

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My name's Lionel Bachage. The name of my business is IDecor. I'm the founder of IDecor, and we serve a variety of clients, so that's, like, in weddings... Well, w- our niche is very luxury, so we do weddings, corporate intimate events. We serve clients in the DMV area and also worldwide, so yes. Awesome. I can't wait to hear a little bit more. Yes. Yeah, so before IDecor became the brand it is today, you had a very different career. What was your journey into event design, and what gave you the confidence to build your own business? Yes, great question. So prior to IDecor, I was working for Adobe in sales, and random story, so we, my brother reached out to me to do a surprise birthday for my mom's party. This was, uh, my mom's birthday. This was back in 2020. And then I wasn't into design at the time, but I think he was just like, "You know what? I think you can decor,

From Sales To Design Calling

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do the decor." So I did it, and everyone at the birthday was like, "Wow," like, "I think this is, like, your calling," you know? Like, two days later, I went back to work, and I was like, "You know what? Maybe that is my thing." Like, I actually enjoy doing the decor and everything. So I was just sitting at my desk like, "Maybe I can start this as a business," and I was like, "What am I gonna call it?" And the first thing that popped up was IDecor. But now in retrospect when I look at it, I really think that this has been my calling, because since I was a kid, I've always been into, like, putting stuff together, bringing people together. You know, I've always, even at my place, I always host, like, dinners and things like that. So I think overall I've always been someone that likes gathering people, and then now was able to also discover this, like, talent of, like, decor and everything. So it's, like, a blend of both, and- Yeah now turned into, like, a full-time job. Yeah. That's awesome that you were able- Yeah to, you know, connect what you love since you were young- Yes with something that, you know, somebody was like, "Hey, you should do this." Right. Awesome. And you built IDecor almost entirely through self-teaching- Yes and just experience and kinda YouTube university, right? Yes. What has that journey taught you about trusting yourself and continuing to refine your craft? So I would definitely say that when it comes to YouTube university and trusting myself, I feel like- When I first started initially, like the first events that I did, it wasn't even YouTube videos. It was just like I would literally sit and think, like I would sit and think about something and just start playing around with it, putting it together. Mm. And at the time, I felt

Self-Teaching Through Trial And Error

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like when I would put it together, to me it didn't look good, but when people would see it, it's like, "Oh my gosh, this is beautiful," whether it's like floral centerpieces or balloon garlands. I would say my first balloon garland that I did, I didn't look at YouTube, and it was horrible. Like, every time when I look back at it- now, I think it was horrible. But then after that balloon garland, I started, like, looking up YouTube, some people's videos on Instagram, and I would just kinda look at it, and I would catch onto things, play around with it. And one thing that it really taught me was that honestly, perfection comes through trial and error. It's like the more you do it, the better you get at it, you know? Yeah. So, and I do believe that if it's a God-given talent, you... Well, you, I do think it's good to go to school and learn, 'cause you do learn, like, the, the technical side of things. But overall, when it's a God-given talent, like you will perfect it by, like, trial and error, you know? Yeah. So- I feel like repetition really helps- Absolutely especially when you're learning, like, creative stuff- Yes 'cause it might not go the way you want it to the first time, but when you start to recognize- Yes what really works and what doesn't- Yeah it, like, you can really refine your skills and your craft. Exactly. I, but I will say that, I don't know, for me, I feel like every event that I do, I'm never satisfied with everything. Mm. I know to my clients, they're definitely satisfied, but me, I'm always like, "Oh my gosh, I could have done this better." Yeah. So I keep asking myself, "Am I ever gonna get to the day where I'm like, 'This is perfect?'" I don't know. So, I don't know. I think it's good though, because that means you're, you're striving to do better- Yes, yes than what you've done before. Yeah. Yeah. But I have to understand that perfection doesn't exist. Mm-hmm. You know? Yeah. So, I don't know. And through your event planning and decoration, what you create is, it's really more than decor. It's, it's art. Yes. What does great event design mean to you beyond just making a space look beautiful? So for me, great, Sorry, the, what was the question? Like, what does it mean to you besides making a space look beautiful? Yeah, so f- what it means to me is being able to, like, b- like, being able to see my client's personality through the design, like the overall results. Mm-hmm. Being able to see

Event Design As Personal Story

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their personality through it, um, being able to see, like- The, like the reactions from whether it's the clients or even the guest that it's in the room, the kind of atmosphere that it creates, the experience that people get from it and, you know, it's things that people talk about, like, you know, years from now. It's something to remember, you know? So it's beyond just, like, transforming a room. I think it's being able to bring out a, a client's personality through, you know, expressing themselves through, like- Yeah the decor and the art and everything. Yeah, and then kinda tying into that, you talked about how a lot of your clients come to you with Pinterest boards- Yes and inspiration photos. How do you help your clients move beyond, um, wanting to recreate someone else's event, and instead, you know, creating something that reflects them and their personality? Yeah, so great question there. So a lot of times, I would say especially recently, I've noticed that a lot of clients do try to stick to Pinterest board as... Uh, let me take it back. I feel like the- Smaller budget clients that I've had, they definitely stick to the interest boar- to

Escaping The Pinterest Copy Trap

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the Pinterest board. But I feel like the bigger clients that I've worked with, they're much more open to, like, being creative. And also, me, the way that I'm able to get them to pivot from, like, Pinterest, me showing them, like, my previous work and how creative we can get- Mm-hmm things like that, it kinda opens their, their head up to, like, different imaginations. And also, a lot of times, I also put together, like, 3Ds for them, kind of playing around, like, "Hey, here's your vision." Mm. "But here's what we can do. Here's how we can-" Mm-hmm like, take this up a notch, a few notches, you know? And being able to show that to them, they can kind of visualize themself and, like, you know, and then that's kinda how I get them to pivot from that. Yeah. I think sometimes people need that expert opinion- Yeah rather than just what they've seen online- Right. to really be able to pivot and see what they can- Exactly do with, um, with the space or with an idea. Mm-hmm. Um, and then when planning an event, budget is usually one of the first things that comes up. What do you wish more people understood about what goes into creating a truly luxury event experience and the value behind their investment? Yes. Well, that's actually a very good, good question. So I wish clients would really understand the back end. Like, before an event, I always tell people, like, it's To our clients, it only looks like the day of, but before an event, on average, let's say, I typically do on average about 100, 150 guests

What Luxury Really Costs

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wedding average. That typically takes us about a month of work before the event, right? And that month, what does that look like? You know, there's the staff that has to prep the inventory. You know, there's ordering the inventory, prepping the inventory, prepping the day of, like, staffing, logistics. You know, setting up how, who's gonna do what, all that work that goes into play. Going through, like, our inventory in our space, making sure everything is clean, making sure all of that is ready to go, making sure that you have, like, the flowers in time. When it does get delivered, making sure, going through every single stem, making sure that- Mm-hmm everything it's, like, up to par, you know? Right, that quality check. Exactly. So it's like, just all that work that goes into play, paying for that staff, you know. The materials are costly. Some stuff you have to clean it. The cost to clean it, you know, the, the linens, you have to pay to, like, the people that are gonna steam it. I mean, there's just so much, and then there's, like, the day of staff that's working to set that up. And because we're so into the details, it takes, I always say, it takes a village to produce- Mm-hmm like, a very luxury detailed event. And then after that, there's, like, post-event breakdown. So you're looking at almost a month or a month and half worth of work that goes into it, where the clients only kinda look at the day of, so- Right sometimes it's hard, like, being able to justify, here's what that investment looks like. It's not just the day of. Mm. And you're looking for quality, so. Yeah. Yeah, I think some- sometimes people have that tunnel vision, where they're just focused on that day of. Yeah, yeah. Um, and then kinda tying into the budget part, what are some parts in a, what are some parts of an event people should really invest in, and then what are some other parts of an event where they can kinda save? Great question. I would say definitely when it comes to design, always w- I'll go to weddings. When it comes to weddings, I will always tell my clients focus on the, the main pieces. So when someone walks into a room, let's say for like a reception, the main piece that they're, the focal point that they're looking at, it's like your sweetheart area, right? Mm-hmm. So that's like the big backdrop, the stage, the sweetheart tables. That typically sets the tone. And I always tell my clients, "If you're able to invest in that, on that main piece, you can kind of cut back on whether it's like your centerpieces, instead of doing flowers, you can do candles."

Spend Smart On Focal Points

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You know? Mm-hmm. Kind of still gives it that luxury look, but you're not spending as much. Um, a lot of times you can also, instead of doing like fresh florals, you can mix silk flowers, you know? Mm-hmm. In today's day and age, there are very premium silk flowers, especially we work with some really nice silk flowers where it looks great, it still looks the part, but you don't have to spend as much. So- Right it's all those different things that you can definitely reach out to your designer and ask them about, you know, kind of playing around with those things. Yeah. Interesting. And then kind of pivoting from like the weddings side of things, when planning a corporate event, what are some things companies can do to make their events more engaging and more memorable? I would say to make it, for corporate events that I've done, definitely making it more engaging would be, I think a lot of corporate events that I've done, it's a little bit too serious where it's more so like informational, very like on the educate, educating side of things where I feel like you can have different, um... How can I even, what's

Turning Events Into Immersive Experiences

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the word I'm looking for? Different, not activities, but different... Oh my gosh, I'm looking for the word. Mm-hmm. Uh- How can I put that? Can I come back to that question- Yeah, yeah so I can think about it? I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah. It's okay. And then next question would be, every event is unique because every client has a different story to tell. How do you take the time to understand your clients' personalities and visions before you dive into that designing process? Yes, so a lot of times when it comes to consultation, I typically like to learn a little bit about my client. If it's, even if it's a birthday baby shower, to try to learn about the client, what are their likes and dislikes, you know, what is their, what are, what is their average daily life look like, what do they enjoy to do on the weekends. All of those things, I'm able to kind of build a portfolio of your personality. Um, are you extravagant? Are you introverted? Are you extroverted? All those different things, I'm able to kind of paint a picture of who you are, and then from there I can kind of start building, you know. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Awesome. And I like that you're taking the time to get to know them. Yes. 'Cause you know that way you can, you can really create what feels like them. Exactly. Yeah. And you're currently planning a multicultural gala- Yes that blends, that blends different cultures, um, while introducing your entertainment, um, experiences. What excites you most about bringing that vision to life? What excites me most is first the artistic side of things. So can I give a little background on the event? Yeah. So the gala, of course, is we're trying to showcase, and this is gonna be for 60 premium clients of ours in the DC area. We're trying to showcase blending in, like, premium decor and a culinary side of things and, um, entertainment, kind of blending that world together. And I'm kind of putting... I'm bringing my experience from traveling to multi- to different continents and countries and experiencing different cultures. You know, that's the Western culture, Asian culture, African culture, kind of blending all of that together and giving our clients an, an experience where we wanna make something very cohesive where, for example, like- It's very detailed, like the type of dances that you have, the kind of costumes for the dances. It's gonna be very cohesive with the kind of food that you're gonna be exper- experiencing and the decor in the room. I wanna kinda educate our clients on whether you're doing a wedding, whether you're doing a corporate event, like it doesn't have to limit at just people coming and just sitting down at a table. Like, you can have dances or shows while you're eating, you know, that full experience. Yeah. I want people to really move from, like the traditional events to more of like an experience, like storytelling- Yeah artistic-type event. I like that. Yeah. And then you're really able to really immerse yourself in the culture too. Exactly. Especially when it's a blend of the food- Exactly and the dances and the costume. Exactly, yes. That's awesome. As a business owner, you've also been really intentional about marketing. In a world where trends are always coming and going, why do you believe it's important to stay faithful to your brand identity rather than trying to keep up with all the trends? I think that, I definitely think it's important to stay faithful to your identity because I'll give you an example. Right now, I see a, a really big trend on social media of, like people doing behind-the-scenes, like prep with me, you know, all of that. And at some point, I actually thought about getting into it, but something just told me to stick to how we market ourself because I believe that

Brand Identity Growth And Service

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if you were to go that route, the example I just gave, a lot of your followings, they start being attached to you as a person, where then I feel like at some point, let's say you start, your brand expands, and you kinda disconnect from that. The people won't really recognize themself because they're like, they're there for your personality, mm-hmm. So I just feel like whatever your identity is, for example, us, we're a luxury brand where I think we're more so about showing you the art of a thing, so we don't try to... For example, like the videos that we post on social media, we don't try to edit it in like the Reels kind of way, like the short videos, the quick videos. I want you to experience, like the video, you know? Like- Mm-hmm the sound that we choose, the way it's edited, the way, you know, the way we cut off things. Mm-hmm. All of that for me is part of the experience. Even if you're not getting the traction that you want, but I think long-term, that's your identity. So I want somebody to see a video from iDecor, and just by the way it's edited- Yeah you're able to say, "No, I know that's iDecor." That's iDecor. You know? Yeah. So, so for me, I just think that's really important, where I've seen businesses where they kind of pivot and just go with the flow. They go with, like what's trending. Yeah. But I just think in the long run, you really... I don't know. I think it kind of affects your brand. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And it's good to stay intentional. Right. Okay, awesome. And as you've grown iDecor over the years, what have been some of the biggest lessons you've learned about entrepreneurship and building a successful creative business? Some of the greatest lessons, oh my gosh, I've learned a lot of lessons. I would definitely say for me is to make sure that- Yes, you can get excited about different projects 'cause when I started I Decor, I was just doing decor, then I got into planning, then got into entertainment. It's just in making sure that I'm fully structured before going on to the next thing- Mm because that can definitely hurt you, you know? At some point with I Decor, we expanded to Cameroon. Wow. Um, but that was a huge challenge, and the biggest challenge was because I wasn't fully structured here with my team and, like, my workflow, and I wasn't able to, like, be in both places at once. So I was able to come back and just, like, restructure things where now I have a blueprint where I can do an event without me being present. My team can fulfill that. But at the time when I expanded to Cameroon, we couldn't do it, so I had to be- Mm-hmm like, in both places at the same time. So one lesson for sure is make sure that you master your craft before you go onto the next thing, before you want to expand your brand, et cetera. Yeah. Mm. Locking in and building that strong foundation. Yes. Yeah. Awesome. And then coming back to that corporate event question. Yes. Um, what are some things companies can do to make their corporate events more engaging and more memorable? I would say for that, it's working on, on giving better experiences to your guests. And again, actually tying back to what we're talking about for the gala- you can add entertainment, to corporate events. I think for me from the corporate events I've done, I haven't planned them, but I've done the design, so I don't really think I know how the full event goes. Mm-hmm. But from what I've seen from behind the scenes briefly would be, I think there's, like, a lack of entertainment style, and it's just very traditional. Mm. So I think you can maybe add a little bit of entertainment to it to make yourself, to differentiate yourself from, like, the typical, you know, um, corporate events. Right. So mixing it up a little bit. Yeah. Okay, cool. And then one of the things your clients often mention is the experience you create from that very first consultation through long after the event is over. Why has del- Has... Man. Why has del- Oh my gosh, I can't talk. No words. Why has delivering exceptional customer service become such a core part of your brand? I would say, honestly, when I really look at it, I do believe that- How can I say? I think it's, I'm very, first I'm very authentic to myself, and I think people are able to see beyond, they're able to see beyond a sales guy. 'Cause when you're coming to a customer, right, you're trying to sell your product, you're trying to sell your services, whatever. I do believe that in my case, clients are able to, I think they're able to see... How can I put that? I'm very authentic and they can see that it's beyond me trying to sell. Like, I generally care about- Mm-hmm bringing this vision to them. I generally care about my craft and all that I do. And I also believe that because I've been in, like, the service business, 'cause before Adobe I worked at Burberry, so I'd done, like, customer service job and everything. Mm-hmm. So all that experience I just think that it's really helped me in what I do. I don't know if I went off the question. I feel like I'm trying to remember. No, I think that answers it perfectly- Okay. Okay though. Yeah, like feeling, them feeling like you truly care about them rather than- Yes trying to make the sale. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. That's awesome. And then looking ahead, where do you see the event industry evolving over the next couple of years, and what changes are you most excited to be a part of? I definitely think that the, uh, the changes are, that are gonna come, I... Well, the question that I actually ask myself a lot is with AI and everything that's happening- I do think that there's gonna be a huge change where clients are gonna really move into, like, the DIY. The reason why I say that is because nowadays, for example, you can go to ChatGPT, you can just say- Mm-hmm like, you could take a picture of a room and say, "I'm doing a wedding. Here is the

AI DIY Brides And The Future

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colors that I want, here's the vision that I want." It's gonna put together some stuff for you, and then clients can then just go, like, buy or rent, whatever it is- Mm-hmm and kind of put it together for themselves. So I think that there's gonna be something that's gonna happen where the people that are very... 'Cause there are two types of people in the decor business, I believe. There are people that are in it for the money, and it's not a passion or it's not necessarily their talent- Mm but they're able to, like, kind of get by. I feel like they might get a little affected. But I think the people that are, like, genuinely gifted with this, it's actually gonna take them a really long way because there's gonna be those, those g- um, those clients that want exclusivity. They don't want what's- Right AI has produced. They don't want what everyone's seeing on Instagram and all that. And that's where we're really pushing Aida Court to really be in that niche of, like, extremely luxury client. Yeah. I'm talking, like, million-dollar weddings- Yeah where it's a full-on production. It's, like, very thought through, you know? So- Yeah, like a full experience. Yes. Yeah, I was gonna say, I have seen that trend where it's, I think it's called the DIY bride- Uh-huh. Yeah where they're DIY-ing a lot of- Yeah things in their wedding. But I think AI, you know, AI can't replace that- That touch Human touch Exactly Yeah, that human touch Yes, exactly Yeah. And when someone experiences an event designed by IDecor, what do you hope they remember long after the celebration or the event is over? When some- I really want when someone comes into IDecor room to Honestly, I say this and I say this again, it's that experience, and by experience I mean, the literally the decor. Like, I want that to be an experience. Mm-hmm. I want people to remember the detail down to, like, the knife and the, and the napkins and, like, this extra touch of, like, candle. All of those, like, literally the detail- Yeah so for me, it's just, like, experience. Mm-hmm. When you think IDecor, you think experience, you think luxury, you think exclusive, you think different- Mm-hmm you think never s- been seen before. So, yeah. Amazing. And then for couples, corporations, or anyone planning a special event who would like to learn more about IDecor and your approach to luxury event design, where can they connect with you? So they can connect with us on different platforms. Of course, there's our website, which is www.idecor.com. But Instagram, we're very present on Instagram, very present on TikTok, Facebook as well. Um, LinkedIn but I would definitely say if there is social media, if you're on social media, definitely TikTok or Instagram. Preferably Instagram, because there we post a lot of videos behind the scene, the team, how we work,

IDecor Links Plus App Teaser

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how we prep things- Mm-hmm et cetera. Mm-hmm. Awesome. So lots of different places to find you. Yes. And as we wrap up, is there anything you'd like to add that I haven't touched on today? Yes, so one thing that I'm excited to Well, I guess I can't really announce it fully, but I'll kind of give a little teaser that we're working on for IDecor. It's an IDecor app. So this app that we're working on, God willing, will be ready before the end of the year. The whole idea behind the app is to bring both customers and vendors in the event industry. It's a platform for everyone. So for example- Let's say you're a DIY bride. You can get on the app. I- in whatever room that you're in, you'll take a picture of the room. You, you can get 3D renderings with a very extensive, um, inventory of different things, from backdrops, flowers, balloons, chairs, everything like that. And once you put your room together, you will be able to click on whatever inventory it's in that 3D. For example, let's say this is, like, a vase. You'll click on the vase. It's gonna show you, in the same app, what vendors in that app actually has it right next to you. Wow. And you can click if you want the vendor to provide it to you as a rental, or if you actually want them to come do the services, all of that. And before picking it, you'll be able to see, like, the reviews and all those different things. Yeah, so that's just a little bit about the app. Yeah. Um, for vendors, you'll be able to also go on there... Like, there are times where as a decorator, I wanna find different backdrops 'cause I don't have everything in my inventory. Mm-hmm. But I don't wanna build a backdrop or buy one, so I can also go on there, rent, you know, rent in there from a different vendor, things like that. Also you'll be able to, like, have access to, like, different, like, DJs, caterings, all those different things in the same platform, that's really exciting. Yeah. Thank you. That's awesome. So the whole idea is, like, ex- what is... I think the slogan is... I think we're still working on the slogan. Mm-hmm. But I think it's gonna be something like, when you land on the app, it's gonna be something like, "Experience the... Experience the events industry at the tip of your fingers." Oh, I love that. I think it's gonna be something like that, yeah. That's awesome. So yeah. Oh, my God. That's super exciting. Yeah. Um, so there's that, and then there's... can I show our magazine? Yeah. So then there's our magazine. So we started producing our magazines in 2024, and I know a lot of people nowadays, they don't really care to, like, read and things like that. But the whole thing with the magazine is, like, it sh- oh. It showcases our work, right? Our clients and everything that we've done. But the whole idea with this is, it's kind of like when you go to, like, Louis Vuitton. They still give you catalogs. Yeah. It's just about that experience of something that you hold onto. Exactly. And also aesthetically speaking, like, you can have your coffee table in your living room. Mm-hmm. You can just have it there. It's pretty chic. It's pretty nice. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's just about being able to, like, look through our portfolio, what we have, what we do, and everything. So- Awesome so this is something we give to, like, all our clients. It's complimentary. Yeah. Oh, I love that. Mm-hmm. And then yeah, that's all I have for today. Thank you so much, Lionel, for joining me on the podcast- Thank you for having me and sharing your knowledge, creative passion, and inspiring story with us. I wish you the very best- Thank you in all that comes your way in the future. Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure being here.