Category: Q&A

Event Planner

Melissa DeRusha is an event planner and owner of Star Events, based in Hudson.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I host craft and vendor fairs and family outdoor events in New Hampshire. As an event planner, I find venues around New Hampshire to rent. I draw up a contract for my vendors with all the info they need. After that, I create an event page on Facebook with advertising on a bunch of different platforms. Before the event, I continue advertising; then I will create a floor plan for where the vendors’ places will be. The day of the event, the vendors arrive and I have them placed in their spots, and they give me a donation of one of their products. I hold a penny sale raffle for a different charity or program at every event that we have. There is a lot of emailing involved and working with all the vendors.

How long have you had this job?

Four and a half years.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I loved organizing parties for my family, so I decided I would get into events. And this allows me to have a flexible schedule for my children.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I didn’t need any.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

I wear tops based on the event theme with jeans or leggings.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Something challenging would be finding event space to host at.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

You need a lot of patience, and it’s not as easy as most people think.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

That craft fairs have come a long way. It’s not your old-style crafts. There are so many talented small-business owners as well as direct sale vendors. We have food trucks, face painting and so many fun things.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at Canobie Lake in the event center.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

To stick to my contract. — Angie Sykeny

Five favorites
Favorite book: Be Yourself
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite music: everything
Favorite food: french fries
Favorite thing about NH: camping

Featured photo: Michael J. White. Courtesy photo.

Party Rental Operator

Michael J. White owns Studios2go, a unique mobile party rental company based in Rochester.

Explain your job and what it entails.

Studios2go is a party rental company. We provide fun and unique activities for birthdays, festivals, school events, church events, team building events, summer camps and more. … We offer a variety of activities for all ages, including a video game truck, nerf and gellyball package, foam parties and inflatable carnival game package.

How long have you had this job?

I am going on my 7th year with Studios2go.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

About seven years ago I was working full-time as a firefighter/paramedic in Maine. Like most firefighters I was looking for a side gig… One of the guys in my department told me he saw these ‘video game trailers’ down south and said it may be something I would like because I am a big gamer. I immediately loved this idea and my coworker was able to build the game truck for me. Seven years later here we are.

What kind of education or training did you need?

Besides having to learn how to back up and drive a trailer, I didn’t need any specific type of education. I have spent many hours … [learning] how to run a business properly, the legal aspects of owning a business, how to set up a website and how to market a business.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Normal business uniform is just a polo shirt and shorts or pants.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

The toughest part of the job is the work-life balance. Parties and events are mostly on the weekends, making it hard to make plans with family and friends who work a standard Monday-through-Friday job. … I have established a family day each week that I will never book an event on and is strictly for time with friends and family.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

That it is OK to delegate. … It’s hard to give up control because your business is your baby and no one will care about it as much as you. I learned this way of thinking is only sustainable for so long.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

That it is as fun as it seems.

What was the first job you ever had?

The first job I ever had was as a dishwasher at a pizza restaurant when I was 15.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

The best piece of advice I ever received was from another party rental operator who said, ‘Don’t apologize for your prices, ever. Know what your time is worth and what your company is worth. Focus on providing a quality product and experience. You won’t always get everyone’s business and that’s OK.’ — Angie Sykeny

Five favorites
Favorite book: The Stormlight Archive series or really anything but Brandon Sanderson
Favorite movie: The Lord of the Rings
Favorite music: Imagine Dragons
Favorite food: Pizza (Sometimes I wonder if I’m only in this job for all the free pizza.)
Favorite thing about NH: No income tax.

Featured photo: Michael J. White. Courtesy photo.

‘The key is to get involved,’ says Central High student

Can you describe your roles and activities at Central High School?

At Central High School, I have several roles. As class president, I like to listen to my classmates’ concerns, like the high cost of prom tickets, and work toward solutions. I’ve also brought in presidential election candidates to speak at Central, leveraging our position in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary to encourage civic engagement among students. Besides this, I play three sports: golf, hockey and track, representing Central in each. I’m involved in the Safe Sports Student Ambassador Program, which teaches about safe sports practices and the importance of community service. I also lead the ‘Faceoff Friends Program’ in association with the Choose Love movement, teaching elementary students at our Boys and Girls Club about kindness, gratitude, and choosing love, with a hockey theme. … Additionally, I serve as the editor-in-chief of the ‘Little Green’ newspaper, the oldest public high school newspaper in New Hampshire.

What is the U.S. Senate Youth Program, and how were you selected to be a part of it?

The U.S. Senate Youth Program is a two-part initiative. The first part includes a scholarship, which is fantastic. The more exciting part for me is the opportunity it provides to visit Washington, D.C., and get an in-depth look at how our government functions. It’s a chance to interact with politicians we usually see on TV and really understand the workings of the government. … As for my selection, it began with my principal nominating me from my school. The process involved an initial application round where I submitted several essays along with a recommendation. After advancing from that round, I participated in an interview round with a select group of students from my state. Following our interviews, a council decided that myself and one other student from New Hampshire were the best fits for the program.

What inspired you to become involved in programs like the U.S. Senate Youth Program and other leadership activities?

I’m really passionate about helping others, and this passion started in my freshman year with Safe Sports, where I saw the importance of building up our community. As class president, I realized how much I could help just by listening to my peers and working with school administration to address their concerns and adapt our school to better serve its students. This experience sparked my interest in other programs like the Choose Love program, where I saw a chance to extend my reach and encourage more people. Hearing about the Youth Senate Program, I thought it would be interesting to see how government works, especially in today’s polarized environment. I wanted to understand how politicians interact and are treated, then bring back that knowledge to my community to help reduce polarization and work toward a more unified country.

What are your future goals or career aspirations?

I definitely want to go to college … Where college will take me is something I’ll have to see, but I am interested in going into political science. Maybe in a few years, I’ll find myself in Congress or in some role within politics. For me, politics is the way I feel I can best help people and reach as many as possible.

What advice would you give to other students who are interested in leadership or public service?

The key is to get involved. … The biggest thing is to engage in extracurriculars and clubs that build up our community, which is crucial for anyone wanting to be a leader. You can’t be a leader just by pointing out what needs to change; you need to be actively involved in these groups, making the change happen. So my best advice is to get involved in a variety of clubs, learn from these experiences, and then use what you’ve learned to advocate for positive change within your communities and beyond.

Roofing and gutter specialists

Andrew Williamson and Larry Williamson own North East Roof Tune-Ups, a roof and gutter maintenance company out of Manchester.

Explain your job and what it entails.

We specialize in roof repair and maintenance and all aspects of gutters. We both clean and install custom gutters, downspouts and gutter covers designed for our New England weather.

How long have you had this job?

We initiated North East Roof Tune-Ups in February 2020, previously operating as New England Gutter Systems from March 2016 to 2020.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

Our journey began under our father’s business, Premier Gutter Systems, from 2009 to 2014. …We started out cleaning gutters. We added the gutter machine and started doing gutter installations shortly after. Later we added the roof tune-up package. In the last two years we added services for property managers and Realtors. We also offer 7-inch gutters for commercial buildings.

What kind of education or training did you need?

We mainly learned on the job from our father teaching us side by side. We are constantly learning new things from trade groups and forums.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Our uniform features the company’s logo, trade and contact information, and proper footwear.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Constantly improving our craft and knowledge to serve our local community effectively. Handling fall rushes by conducting our time wisely and striving for quality and professional service. I would say ‘the cold’ but, hey, this is New England.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

It’s not easy but we love it. Our work is essential in preventing potential damage to your home.

What was the first job you ever had?

Andrew worked for Premier Gutter Systems, and Larry was a grill cook at Wendy’s.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

You have to enjoy what you do for work.

Five favorites
Favorite book: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This book is a great blueprint of how to live your life.
Favorite movie: We don’t have much time for movies. I guess movies with the kiddos on the weekend.
Favorite music: We like all kinds of music. We really enjoy checking out local bands.
Favorite food: We are on the road a lot. We have favorite small diners in every town. Then, of course, pizza.
Favorite thing about NH: Its scenic wonders. An hour or so one way gets you to our gorgeous lakes and mountains while the other direction gets you to gorgeous beaches on the ocean.

Featured photo: Andrew Williamson and Larry Williamson. Courtesy photo.