Melva LaJoy Legrand

WHAT WAS YOUR PASSION FOR HOSTING EVENTS?

LOOKING BACK, I THINK MY PASSION INITIALLY STARTED WITH MY MOTHER JOYCE JONES WHO WAS INVOLVED WITH THE LATE C. DELORES TUCKER IN BUILDING THE NATIONAL POLITICAL CONGRESS OF BLACK WOMEN. ON OCCASION, THEY WOULD HOST AN ANNUAL LUNCHEON AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT THERE WAS POWER (NOT JUST POLITICAL POWER) BUT PERSONAL POWER WHEN PEOPLE GATHER. I FEEL THAT POWER WHEN I ATTEND AN EXCEPTIONAL CONFERENCE, AWE-INSPIRING CONCERT, AND OF COURSE WEDDINGS. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT HOSTING IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING WAYS TO EXPRESS OUR HUMANITY

SHARE WITH US ABOUT LAJOY PLANS.

LAJOY PLANS WAS RE-LAUNCHED IN 2019 AFTER I SETTLED INTO MY NEW REALITY AS A RECENTLY SINGLE WOMAN WHO WAS TRYING TO GRAPPLE WITH MY FATHER’S SIGNIFICANT HEALTH DECLINE AFTER 6 STROKES AND 5 BRAIN BLEEDS. AS MANY KNOW THE NAME LAJOY PLANS, WHICH IS MY ACTUAL MIDDLE NAME REPRESENTS THAT I WAS THE LOVE AND JOY OF MY PARENT’S LIFE. FOR ME, LAJOY PLANS HAS BEEN THE LOVE AND JOY OF MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE. AT LAJOY, GET TO DO SOME AMAZING THINGS BUT WHAT FIRES ME UP IS WHOM WE ARE DOING IT FOR: WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE FIGHTING FOR EQUITY IN SO MANY AREAS AND WHEN THERE IS A GOOD FIT, WE ARE SIDE BY SIDE WITH COUPLES FOR THEIR LIFE EVENTS LIKE MARRIAGE OR ANNIVERSARIES. THIS BUSINESS HAS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS AND I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT THE RELAUNCH WOULD MEAN A PERSONAL RENAISSANCE FOR ME, SO I AM JUST LEANING INTO EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT COMES OUR WAY.