Editor's note: Alison Laesser-Keck is the author, Ellora Gupta's, supervisor at Viva La Diva. Gupta is writing a regular summer blog series called "Passionate People." Her goal is to inspire others and her column will cover uplifting stories about Ann Arbor locals who are striving to achieve their goals and passions.

No one was really surprised when Alison Laesser-Keck decided to go into event planning.

“I even had someone from the sixth grade e-mail me and tell me ‘of course’ I grew up to be that person,” she said.

However, Laesser-Keck, founder of Viva La Diva Events, did admit that it took some time to discover that event planning was truly her passion.

“I’ve wanted to be many things in my life and it was a long road before I really found my true passion,” she admitted.

At first, Laesser-Keck wanted to be a therapist. In fact, she earned a college degree in social and human services with a major in counseling. It was during her time interning at a nonprofit career counseling center that Laesser-Keck began to explore her interests in event planning.

“They asked me to help plan various fundraisers and networking events for them,” she said. “I honestly had so much fun that I decided once I graduated I wouldn’t go into counseling after all.”

Laesser-Keck moved into the service industry, working at bars, nightclubs and lounges in Ann Arbor, as well as Chicago, Portland and Seattle. At these places, she was able to use her talents in event planning and develop her passion.

“At first I was just cocktailing, but eventually my job description grew into on-site event coordinating,” she explained. “They always needed me to handle the day-of stuff. I started out doing one a month and before I knew it, I was handling three to four corporate and social events a weekend for anywhere from 50-200 guests.”

Laesser-Keck said that she knew this type of work was a perfect fit for her. She felt comfortable in the role of event planner and very capable of multitasking and handling stressful situations.

She remembered one of the first events she covered. “I had some very upper level executive at Microsoft tell me ‘young lady, you are far too young to be this good at your job!’” she recalled. “The rush I felt from that compliment alone was enough for me to want to do it all the time.”

The positive feedback was just one aspect of event planning Laesser-Keck enjoyed. She also said that being part of such a personal experience for other people was another strong catalyst to her passion.

Laesser-Keck recalled another experience, planning a party for a breast cancer survivor. “There was something so gratifying about making things perfect,” she said. “It wasn’t just a party, it was a very personal experience, for her, for her guests, for everyone involved. And to be a part of that was just an absolute honor for me.”

In 2008, Laesser-Keck decided that she wanted to take her passion to the next level. She said that because of the economy at the time, many event companies and venues were downsizing or no longer hiring, so she decided to open her own business.

“If they aren’t going to give me a job, I will give myself a job,” she said. “Besides, when a recession hits and people get laid off, you’ll usually find that is when people start doing what they really want to do. Sometimes you have to be forced into an uncomfortable position to take a chance.”

Laesser-Keck opened her own event planning company, Viva La Diva, with the hope of celebrating the lives of women. She said part of what makes the company unique is that she gets to really know her clients in order to provide a once in a lifetime experience for them.

Since opening in Ann Arbor, Laesser-Keck said she has enjoyed working here. She still feels just as strongly about event planning as she ever did, in part because she can set her own schedule, she is able to work with extremely talented people and these people appreciate her hard work and finished product.

“I think my clients can all vouch that we’ve become fast friends throughout the planning process, so the end result is really that much more rewarding,” she said.

However, Laesser-Keck admitted that she had to make a few sacrifices, particularly financial and social, in order to maintain Viva La Diva in Ann Arbor.

“Being a business owner and an event planner is two full-time jobs. You don’t get days off really,” she said. Luckily, her passion for event planning keeps her going. “Money is not always a sustainable and reliable goal, I feel; however, being passionate about something is. As they say, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Indeed, Laesser-Keck has many projects on her plate in the near future. She is working on a wedding in France, a country club wedding in Ann Arbor, a DIY farm wedding, as well as a Sweet Sixteen party, baby showers and fashion shows.

“People have lots to celebrate lately, it seems,” she said. “It’s a good sign of the times. Good for Viva La Diva, yes, and fantastic for Ann Arbor.”

Laesser-Keck hopes that, in the future, she and Viva La Diva will have a more active role in promoting women in the Ann Arbor community. She also said that Viva La Diva will stay small, because a large company would detract from the personal aspect of event planning. For now, she is quite content with her work.

“As long as I am able to do what I love, I’m happy,” she said.

Ellora Gupta is a junior at the University of Michigan with a strong interest in passionate people. If you want to share your passions or the passions of others, please contact her at egupta@umich.edu.