Community Corner
Meet the Owner of a Local Special Events Facility
Auburn resident BB Webb owns Carl House, a local special events facility.
BB Webb is the woman behind , a special events venue in Barrow County. She is the featured speaker for an upcoming luncheon presented by the publication Perfect Wedding Guide. Webb will offer advice for wedding professionals.
Patch: How did you get into your line of work?
BBW: I was looking for something to do in Barrow County. My background is in theater, in the arts. I was a writer and performer and playwright, and I’ve always been in love with fine dining because my father was. Certainly in between my theatrical gigs I worked in the restaurant business, the hospitality business, from time to time, so when I came to acquire this house it needed work and I got the idea that it would be a great place for people to gather and to have parties. I actually heard a little voice. That sounds odd. I’m not a great listener all the time but I happened to be listening and I’m thankful that I was and I just felt very energized by that thought. My former husband at the time, I give Tommy all the credit, he had the architectural vision for this, we added the ballroom on, gutted the entire place, built a third floor, redid all the grounds and he was very instrumental, Tom Webb, in achieving all of that. I love to give him credit. I had the vision for the company and I’ve always run the company. I’ve been in business, July 5 will be eight years. It was conceived about nine years and it has exceeded my expectations.
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Patch: What’s the best aspect of your job?
BBW: I like to create cool stuff. I like to consider and idea and a thought and make it happen. That’s always fresh and always new. It’s fun having an idea and not being certain how it’s going to come together but knowing it’s going to come together … just putting it out there and then watching how the pieces fall together and making sure that as that process goes on you don’t fall apart because there’s times that are very challenging, but I like that. I like that I’m tested to grow and stretch beyond where I thought I might grow and stretch. I’m in love with personal growth, so that’s huge. I love that part of the job.
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Patch: What’s the worst aspect of your job?
BBW: The worst part is when you don’t hit a home-run with the client, when you work your fanny off and try your best to exceed expectations and when you fall short of that. And also I think the people part, managing people, is very challenging. It’s not my strongest suit, again, I’m more a good vision person, but that’s why I’ve hired a terrific general manager. She’s really good at helping to put those systems in place and managing people. I an share the big picture and get people excited by it, but as far as making that happen and the systems and processes and the feedback to folks, I need sort of a bigger than life stage. It’s just kind of how I was brought onto earth I suppose. I need a big playing field. If I have to play too small I don’t do too well at it.
Patch: What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
BBW: I love fine dining, I love to eat out. I love to travel. I’m actually going to Italy at the end of the week to actually start some new projects and for some (rest and relaxation). I love to write. Creating cool stuff, that’s typically where I spend a lot of my time. I’ve got six animals, I’m a rescue person and I love to walk out in the fields with them. Yeah, cooking. I don’t have much time to read right now. Mostly that’s about it right now. I’m really consumed pretty much with work.
Patch: What is your personal business philosophy?
BBW: I’ll quote Brian Andreas, he creates these little people called Story People. He says, “There are things you do because they feel right and they may make no sense and they may make no money and it may be the real reason we are here: to love each other and to eat each other's cooking and say it was good.” I think to me, it’s just about really loving on people, creating a service or a product that you can stand behind and doing it with love. Just really changing the world one little step, one little action at a time and putting out really good thoughts, good energy, good heart … I have been celebrated, I have been written up, I have been adored, on TV and on radio and I’ve also been sued, I’ve been disliked, I’ve been scorned and I’ve been bad-mouthed. I would rather contribute to the good energy and know that with everything, if you’re putting good intent and good energy out there and really trying to be loving you’re not always going to hit the mark but if I wake up every day with that intent I know I’m moving in the right direction and I can sleep at night then.
Patch: When it comes to entertaining, what are some of the key things that you really focus on?
BBW: To me, it’s all about the guests. It’s making sure they’re provided for, that they don’t have to think about a thing. When they walk in the door, they’re greeted. The whole environment, like a theater, is you walk in and there’s a suspension of disbelief. You can put all of your other worries away because you are in a new world. You don’t know why but it smells good, the food tastes good, the presentation is lovely, the people around you, I like to mix interesting mixes of people … see where conversations and new energies are created. To me, it’s all about the people and just loving on everybody. It’s my same philosophy for just any kind of business. It’s about the customer.
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