Lakewood Ranch entrepreneur works hard and parties harder

As a single mother, Lakewood Ranch's Krista Brock was hesitant to step off the corporate ladder for financial reasons. 

She was managing all six Starbucks locations inside the Tampa International Airport but was furloughed during the COVID pandemic. With so much time at home to “make things,” Brock’s roots as an art teacher began nudging her in a new direction. 

She started Oh What Fun Party Co. in 2021 with a shop on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods. Brock designed and sold simple, do-it-yourself fringe backdrop kits that anyone can assemble for a party. 

She also started planning small parties, all the while hanging onto the security of her day job. 

Up to two years ago, Brock had never even held a power tool. Now, she owns two types of saws — jig and circular — and knows how to use them both skillfully. Brock has built Oh What Fun to include large scale photo ops and party planning. 

For a small business that’s only been in operation full time since the start of 2024 when she finally took the leap off the corporate ladder, Brock has landed some big clients, including Benderson Development, Lakewood Ranch Community Activities and Manatee County. 

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Brock didn’t have any connections. She saw a poster while walking around University Town Center that was seeking vendors for its night market. 

Brock didn’t have anything to sell at the time because she was focused on building the party planning side of Oh What Fun, so she set up a photo op instead. 

The market’s theme was Christmas in July. Brock showed up with a four-foot flamingo in a Santa hat and gave away balloons. She didn’t book any parties, but the photo op was a hit.  

The following year, Brock was hired to decorate UTC's Christmas in July Night Market and added a bigger and better photo op that incorporated props and a pineapple Christmas tree. 

The following month, she was invited back again to create a photo op for UTC's end of the summer luau, and Oh What Fun's momentum started to build. 

Events at UTC led to events at Nathan Benderson Park, which led to events for U.S. Rowing and one of Brock’s designs being reviewed by the U.S. Olympic committee in 2024. 

Brock was asked to design a photo op that talked about the Olympics stop in Sarasota for the U.S. Rowing Trials before moving onto the Paris games.  

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Brock, who spent the first five years of her career as an art teacher, still can’t believe she made something for the Olympics, but if party planning were an Olympic sport, Brock would be a gold medalist. 

“From the moment we started working with Krista (Brock), we knew we had found a true visionary,” said Marnie Buchsbaum, director of marketing for Nathan Benderson Park. “What makes Krista so special, though, is how she combines that incredible talent with a genuine warmth and commitment to her clients.”

Brock doesn’t advertise. Her business is strictly word-of-mouth, and she describes her work ethic as "not for everyone." 

She answers calls no matter the time of day. She learns how to use new power tools if that’s what the job requires. And while she has two part-time helpers, she still lugs plywood and sandbags in 90-degree heat to set up the photo ops.

“I live and breathe this business,” Brock said. “Aside from my son (Aiden Brock), this is what I live for. I get excited when someone contacts me about a proposal or a huge community event. It fuels me.”

Brock is still expanding the business. She's started making signs and banners for Nathan Benderson Park and offering destination celebrations for visitors staying in hotels and Airbnb accommodations. 

It's a concierge service that will stock the fridge, decorate the room and even fill the pool with floats before check-in.  

Oh What Fun also offers rentals, such as lawn games, marquee lights and a kissing booth. 

It also offers Brock the security she was once afraid to give up.