I'm a caterer and event coordinator, aka The Party Goddess! My business, which is based in Los Angeles, caters to an A-list clientele, including Brittany Spears, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Pierce Brosnan. My work also takes me around the globe: recently, I visited Russia, the Amazon, Galapagos Islands, Sardinia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Cambodia. The next little jaunt is expected to take me to Zanzibar and Tanzania! I write, speak, and I coach folks who are trying to get into the business.

EDUCATION | BS in Business from Georgetown University; cooking school in Paris and Normandy

HOW TO GET STARTED | Start by doing an internship with an established event-planner; work for the company for free and let them see what you can do. Also, volunteer with people who are doing events so you can meet people in the business. And, check out http:www.howtobeapartygoddess.com/ my website that teaches tips and tricks to getting started.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | You have to be very organized. You have to be able to take control of a situation and delegate tasks while thinking on your feet. You have to be able to come up with a game plan and assemble the troops. You have to have a sunny disposition, so people will want to work with you. And you have to be a good writer and communicator in order to market your business successfully.

how I got started | I went to Georgetown in Washington, DC, to get my business degree. During two of the summers I was at Georgetown, I went to France and studied cooking. In 1992 I opened a restaurant, Abiento, in Pasadena, California, my hometown. I started catering in 1995. By 2000 the industry had undergone a lot of changes. Clients wanted more than just catering: I'd always hear, "Can't you just....." Fill in the blank- somebody wanted me to take care of the flowers, and another person wanted me to handle the invitations, all the details that go with a special event. So I re-branded my business and expanded to event planning.

why this job?| I love food. I love creativity. I like working with different projects, throwing myself into each one whole-heartedly, completing the project, and moving on. That's what events are: you start it, you complete it, you're done, and you move onto something totally different. The creative possibilities are endless. I love the sales aspect, and I love working with all the new products that are constantly coming out.

why I love this job!| I love it because I get to work very hard. It's so satisfying because I get to work with a client on a special day, people are excited and celebrating. I like that it's fast-paced and challenging and has so many different aspects.

my typical day| That's the best part- there is no typical day. Usually I'm at my computer by 7 AM and checking my e-mails to see what's up. I usually have about six different things I'm working on. I'll work on the components of an event, staff management issues, my blog... I often appear on TV shows such as Fox and Friends, and I travel a lot.

what they are | Right now, people are concerned about not looking overly lavish when they entertain, because of the economic climate. Cash flow can be a challenge. Time management can be a problem, especially as I launch a new aspect of my business, How to be a Party Goddess: it's a challenge to manage my core business while starting the new one, but necessary to stay at the cutting edge.

all about growth | The potential for growth is huge. One large event-planning company made 0million in sales last year. There's not a lot of overhead involved in getting started, but you've got to have a ton of passion.

my website| http://www.thepartygoddess.com/ www.howtobeapartygoddess.com/