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Interviews

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  1. Tell us about your relationship with the Barn at Walnut Grove.

    1. Paula and Duane obtained the building through the past owners, Dave and Laura. The property was originally built as speck house and owned by a big family with many children. On October 3rd, 2018, Paula began working at the venue, drawing on her hospitality background. As time went on, Dave and Laura officially just asked Paula if she would like to take over the venue after working there a year. It took a little while for Paula to find a bank to give her a loan, but once it was received - her and her husband split the percent 51% and 49%.

  2. How many employees do you have? How is each position broken up? 

    1. There are no employees on the book (owners don't have a lot of resources to hire staff). 

      1. The majority of the work is done by Paula and her husband, Duane.

      2. Rely heavily on volunteers, family, and friends.

      3. One independent contractor - cleans the venue.

      4. Receive help from event managers of other venues.

  3. What is the history of the company? How did you and you husband come to own it?

    1. Weddings run all year long, if they have bookings. Currently for 2020, there are eleven dates on the books. The busiest season is early summer, specifically May and June. Most of the promotion is done via Facebook; however, they are looking to get platforms on Instagram and Pinterest soon.

  4. What are the values/missions/principles for your organization? 

    1. The owners value family, seeing it as the most important. The safety of guests is also a big mission of the venue to provide- they are adamant about not having clients behind the wheel if they have been drinking. 

  5. How would you best describe The Barn at Walnut Grove? What attracts people to rent from the property?

    1. Right now, the most attractive portion of her venue is the mountains. They are a big selling point. The desire to have a “southern wedding” is also big right now. 

  6. What does a typical week look like for you?​

    1. Works at James Madison University Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm.

    2. Thursday through Sunday are dedicated getting the venue ready for events,

      1. Thursday nights is when they set up the rooms (chairs/tables/linens provided), Duane will cut grass if needed + fix exteriors.

      2. During the wedding, they will help direct traffic in the parking lots, assist the groom and bride as a helping hand.

      3. At the end, the lights will come on at 10pm, ending the wedding. 

  7. What type of clients do you attract/advertise for? Where are the majority of your clients from (i.e. local, out of state, from VA?)

    1. Her busiest season is early summer (May/June).

    2. Her main promotion platform is Facebook, but she is looking to get involved on Instagram + Pinterest.

    3. Her clientele come from all over the States, mainly because The Shenandoah Valley is the 2nd most popular wedding destination on the East Coast for wedding.

  8. What do you find to be your biggest weakness in the company?

    1. Marketing

    2. Time commitment

    3. Expensive licensing and taxes

  9. Biggest competitors?

    1. There are more businesses popping up in the Shenandoah Valley area.

    2. Paula is trying to frame as unique (overnight + event space). Only 3 in the area have what they have. 

  10. One interesting thing about the Owner: 

    1. Paula is she is not a hard seller. She likes to refer people to other spaces if they do not have what client needs- her attitude is that “the wedding day is about the client NOT the property owner”.

    2. She is often praised for her selfless outlook and always desiring for people in her space to feel welcome always. 

    3. One difficult lesson she learned about the wedding crowd is the over-consumption of alcohol. She will tell bartender prior to serving that if they over serve, it is their issue to handle.

    4. Paula gives $500 discount if clients do NOT want alcohol wedding.

Interview #1 Paula Lam, Owner

Interview #2 Duane Lam, Partial Owner

  1. Tell us about your relationship with the Barn at Walnut Grove?

    1. He obtains 49% ownership of the venue. Mr. Lam works with Paula to set up for weddings and events. Paula takes more responsibility and is “the face of the organization”, so Duane does not interact with guests quite as much as Paula does. In addition, he does a majority of the upkeep of the venue- for example, he cuts the grass when needed and serves as the volunteer “handy-man” when things need to be fixed on the property. 

  2. What is your primary role within the Barn at Walnut Grove? 

    1. The primary role served by Duane is Co-owner who assists with anything needed, from setting up to breaking down and all of the maintenance throughout. 

  3. What do you think is the biggest weaknesses in the company?

    1. The fact that Paula and Duane both work full time jobs makes it challenging to focus more time on the venue. If they had more time, they would have the opportunity to put more time into marketing their venue which would increase their amount of business and profit. 

  4. What do you think makes your property stand out compared to other venues in the area?

    1. Not many venues have the same overnight accommodation that The Barn at Walnut Grove does. The house itself has so much to offer; the full kitchen and space to comfortably sleep a whole family. The view of the barn is remarkable; the picture perfect location for weddings. Barn style weddings seem to be a big fad right now, so the fact that they have the barn with a view of wildlife and mountains makes them stand out. 

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