Latex. Foil. Classic, colorful rubber. Decorative balloons come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. They are festive and fun and add a touch of playfulness to any party or celebration.

In the south suburbs of Chicagoland, Luckeyia Murry, founder and owner of Luckeyia’s Balloon and Distribution works her craft in a way few others can. She has been a certified balloon artist since 2017 and one of only three thousand such artists in the entire world, according to Luckeyia.

“That means that I understand, the balance of balloons,” explained Luckeyia about her unique certification. “I understand that you can’t have something heavy on the side, and something light on this side is actually has to be balanced.

“My favorite kind of balloons to make are the air filled bouquets. They don’t require any helium, and they will last for months. The trick is love.”

Luckeyia says her work is a passion that transcends her decorations. She takes great pride in owning a store that pays it forward to other balloon artists, especially to other African Americans in her retail field.

“I participate in a black balloon group on Facebook called Colors of Success. Every month, Colors of Success will feature a new balloon artist. It’s a Zoom where we encourage each other to stay on path, to make sure we have the correct pricing and things of that nature, as well as we encourage tips and tricks on how to build your business.”

Luckeyia advises anyone wanting to launch their own retail business to make sure they have enough to financially support themselves when they begin.

“We’ve taken out an equity loan on our home to help build and generate income for the business. Some months are profitable. Some months are very slow,” noted Luckeyia. “Some months are very high. Like, the month of May is a really good month because you have prom and graduation. Not every month is a good month, so sometimes I have to use my personal funds to help pay the bills for the business.

“You don’t have to work for someone. Don’t beg for a seat at the table. Build your own table.”

Balloon business bonanza

Luckeyia’s Balloon and Distribution has a reach that extends far beyond its front doors in Homewood in the South Chicago suburbs.

“The store is about 20 miles from downtown Chicago, but we do service downtown Chicago,” said Luckeyia. “The trick is the people who are in downtown Chicago don’t necessarily have to travel all the way here to get my services. They can call on the phone. I will invoice them from here and then a lot of times they don’t know what they’re getting until I arrive to deliver their order.”

That accessibility is a point of pride for Luckeyia and enables her to serve a diverse clientele.

“It’s also great to be able to service people in the South Side of Chicago. A lot of people either don’t want to go downtown or they don’t have access to downtown Chicago,” said Luckeyia. They will call us up, find us on Google, or they can order from our website. We’ll deliver and set up everything for them as well.”

Luckeyia explained her business growth is fueled by the impact of her work and a listening ear.

“So when the customer comes in, I listen to what their needs are and I make sure that I jot down everything they say,” explained Luckeyia. “When customers return and pick up their balloon designs, they’ll say ‘You did this for me?’ Absolutely. I even have parents to come in because their kids came in and purchased something.”

The result is a signature style that is well recognized in her community.

“It makes me feel great that people see my balloons,” beamed Luckeyia. “People actually know when I’ve done something because my balloons stand out,” said Luckeyia with a grin. “People know and they say, ‘Oh, Lucky did that.’ I love to see the compassion and the emotional expression of people when they see the art that I have created for them.”

Her clientele is as varied as life itself. People of all ages come to Luckeyia’s from all over Chicagoland to have Luckeyia and her team create balloon designs, for everything from simple birthday parties, to corporate events and more.

“You have the mom-to-be. You have the grieving daughter. You have the husband who’s in trouble,” Luckeyia observed. “So we get everyone coming in. You even have the starting balloon artist who needs help and don’t know how to make a spiral.”

Luckeyia believes the very core of her business lies in its emotional impact, and the memories created by her balloon designs at special events in the lives of customers.

“It’s important to me that we have passion and compassion here. So, my staff understands that when someone walks in, you’re learning from them.
You understand their needs,” said Luckeyia. “Not only that you’re providing balloons, but you’re providing an experience.”

“I love the neighbors around here. I just love retail,” said Luckeyia with a big smile on her face. “I didn’t know how this experience would be, but man is it blowing my mind. One thing I love about retail is a sense of community that it has brought to my life.

Balloons take flight

Luckeyia’s journey to owning this business is a reflection of her creativity and determination. She recounted the humble beginnings that eventually led to her storefront.

“I’ve had Luckeyia’s Balloons & Distribution for the last four years. However, I’ve been doing balloons for 11 years. I started at home in my basement and then before you know it, I was expanding into the living room, the dining room. And my husband said, ‘You got to go,’” said Luckeyia with a snicker. “So, I got put out.”

Luckeyia shared that it was a personal, family event that inspired the idea for her business.

“I came up with this idea because my daughter and her husband were having my grandson, and we couldn’t afford the decorations,” explained Luckeyia. “So I learned how to do the balloons in time for the baby shower.

“I’ve always been a crafty person,” noted Luckeyia. “I used to go to the store and I’d get a clearance dress and redesign it when I got home.”

Luckeyia’s knack for creativity notwithstanding, she entered the world of retail without any formal blueprint or experience, instead relying on faith and intuition.

“I had no experience in retail. I just jumped in with both feet first,” Luckeyia conceded. “I just followed my heart, and even now, I’m constantly praying that I am on the right path.”

Balloons lift the heart

As Luckeyia spoke about her business, you got the sense she wants to pay it forward in her industry. Beyond her own creations, Luckeyia is dedicated to lifting up others to honor those who helped launch her business dreams.

“I decided to be a mentor, because I feel that someone mentored me. Someone helped me along the way and if you don’t bother to help anyone, then you won’t get further in life,” said Luckeyia. “Whenever I see a new balloon artist and they say how long they’ve been doing balloons, I say, ‘Welcome to the balloon world. Your life will never be the same.’”