Evan Potter ’12, Co-owner, PlanIt Events

Evan Potter ’12 and her mother, Karen Ferguson, co-own PlanIt Events, LLC, a business of food, fun and joy.

Potter, who now lives in Parrish, grew up in Sarasota, and Ferguson grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their family planned and celebrated birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions with home-cooked meals and festive touches. The two blended their event-planning passion into PlanIt Events. The company, located in Bradenton, launched in 2018. It was named by Potter’s brother based on the expression, “The Best Parties Revolve Around Us,” as a planet revolves around the sun.

The mother-daughter duo has poured their hearts into planning events for individuals, families, corporations, and other clients at beaches, houses and other venues in the region. The business has grown to include balloon décor design and Ferguson’s catering menu, including her American and Southern comfort sliders, meatloaf and chicken cuisine.

“We chose to go into business together to do something that we love,” said Potter. “My favorite part of working at PlanIt Events is seeing the events come full circle and how happy the clients are.”

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Potter concentrated on post-secondary education. She earned an associate in arts degree from State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota in 2012 and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of South Florida in 2014. Following school, she worked as an administrative assistant.

SCF provided a convenient, comfortable and engaging learning environment for Potter. She liked the close location and taking basic classes, including mathematics, which became her favorite subject.

“I chose SCF because it was a great school and close to my home,” Potter said. “I could drive to and from school, live at home, save money and figure out exactly what I wanted to do in the future. I loved all my teachers and the smaller classes.”

Potter’s math professor significantly impacted her SCF education and future studies. She valued the professor’s personalized attention and explanation of the material after classes.

“I discovered I liked math a lot and was kind of good at it,” she said. “She went above and beyond, and I’ll never forget that.”

Higher education and networking have opened doors for Potter’s professional and business endeavors. She would encourage students to network and engage fully in their college experiences.

“It was important to me to receive a college education not only because my parents had done it, but because I knew the opportunities it would bring me,” Potter said. “Students should take advantage of all that SCF has to offer and try to connect with others because you never know who you can meet and connect with in the future.”

Potter and her mom enjoy meeting other female business owners in the community. They plan to continue building and growing their PlanIt Events business.

“One of the great organizations we’ve recently become involved with is BIG, which stands for Believe, Inspire, Grow,” she said. “We get together, talk about ideas and share support. I see us (PlanIt Events) hopefully adding more team members, expanding our catering and balloon décor, and serving across Florida and beyond. I feel like there are so many business opportunities available.”

Working in business in the region where she was raised is extremely satisfying for Potter. She also finds it deeply gratifying to be in business with her mother. 

“It’s a very vibrant community with a lot of wonderful people,” Potter said. “It brings me so much joy to be part of people’s events and special moments. My mother brings so much to the table. She’s my best friend. I’ve learned so much from her over the years.”