Dana Yawn brightens her clients’ birthdays and other special events by wearing her signature pink color, making vibrant balloon displays and designing cheerful settings. She started her Party Popping Events balloon décor business in Bradenton during the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting people’s desire to celebrate.

“I went to balloon décor school and learned that balloons had a way of bringing joy during a period of fear and uncertainty,” said Yawn. “It is my goal at each event to bring a smile to someone’s face and transform a space. I love creating memories one balloon at a time.”

SCF and SCF Foundation are repeat clients of Party Popping Events. The business provided balloon decorations for SCF President Tommy Gregory, J.D.’s inauguration, fall and spring graduation, Bourbon, Brews & BBQ, Easter Poke Hunt, and others.

Yawn was born and raised in Bradenton. As owner, she manages the business’s social media marketing, including behind-the-scenes footage that shows the life of a balloon artist. Her mom (now retired) was the first Black secretary at the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and now handles inventory and email management.

Party Popping Events’ clients include local individuals, businesses and corporations, such as SCF, the shared alma mater of the mother-and-daughter duo. Yawn earned her Associate in Arts degree from Manatee Community College (now SCF) in 2008. Her mother earned her degree from Manatee Junior College (now SCF) in the 1970s.

Working in her hometown is rewarding to Yawn. She enjoys making an impact in the local event industry.

“This is my home,” Yawn said. “I’ve been very fortunate to see how Manatee County has evolved and is continuing to grow. Corporate events have been a wonderful experience and one of our biggest clients.”

Yawn appreciates starting her higher education journey at SCF. Her parents instilled the importance of a college education and wanted her to stay close to home.

“I think he (her father) wasn’t ready for me to go out of the area, being his youngest daughter,” she said. “It was one of the best decisions that I made. I learned that you are more than just a number here; it felt like family here.”

Yawn valued the smaller class sizes and individualized attention from her professors. She would advise students to connect with faculty, network with others and try something new.

After graduating from SCF, Yawn furthered her education at larger institutions in the state. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida and her master’s degree at Florida Gulf Coast University, both in social work. She views her advanced education as a means of standing out and an opportunity to climb higher.

“It gives you more credibility,” Yawn said. “It shows you have more experience in your subject area. You can continue to add on, whether you decide to go and receive a Ph.D. or somehow else continue your education and experience.”

In 2024, Yawn participated in the GrowBiz@26 West entrepreneurship program at SCF’s 26West Center to further her personal, professional and Party Popping Events business development. The participants received coaching and curriculum in business planning, marketing, legal and budgeting topics. At the end of the program, Yawn won The Pitch finale event after successfully making a seven-minute case for why people should invest in Party Popping Events and was awarded a $5,000 digital marketing investment for her business.

“It (The Pitch) was one of the greatest experiences because it pushed me out of my comfort zone,” she said. “The program has been a big influence on how I run my business.”

In addition to running Party Popping Events, Yawn is a full-time, licensed clinical social worker in the probate and guardianship division at the State of Florida 12th Judicial Circuit Court. She draws a common thread between her two professions—helping people.

“There are some days that are longer than others, but I’m very fortunate that I have a career and a business that I enjoy,” Yawn said. “I’m helping people; with clinical social work, I’m doing it in a clinically based way, and with Party Popping Events, I’m doing it in a non-therapeutic way. I’m so grateful.” 

In the future, she envisions branching out and starting other businesses of interest. She also wants to hire others, share her entrepreneurship knowledge and help businesses grow.

“I would love to be a mentor,” she said. “It’s important to find those who are willing to pour into you. To be a successful entrepreneur, it takes the ability to listen, to be organized, to not be afraid to take risks and try something new, and to bounce back and adjust if something doesn’t go your way or if something fails.”

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