Episode 26: Special Occasions Party co. with Golden Navarro
This week on The Small Business Voice, Jeanette Forni talks with husband-and-wife team Golden Star Navarro and Alfred Elias, owners of Special Occasions Party Company in Stockton. Married 15 years, the couple started in August 2021 with a single photo booth — a big investment funded by money originally set aside for a house they couldn't win in a competitive market. Golden Star, who struggled to hold a traditional job, decided to become her own boss; Alfred kept his day job to help fund and stabilize the business while she ran it full-time.
What began as one photo booth grew to eight within two years, run by trained staff while Golden Star and Alfred expanded into new territory every six months: DJ services (Alfred, now "DJ June," started with a $200 board and home speakers), linens, luxury restroom trailers, mobile bar and bartending, and specialty BBL balloon design — a technique Golden Star traveled to Los Angeles to learn. Today the business operates as a one-stop shop for weddings, quinceañeras, and corporate events (their biggest segment, including Allstate's own corporate functions), traveling throughout Northern California and as far as Reno.
The couple also opens up about the personal story behind their partnership — meeting while both were navigating homelessness and hardship — and how that shared resilience shaped the business they've built together. Jeanette closes with her usual reminder: local networking (like the Stockton Chamber of Commerce, where Golden Star got her start) and community referrals are often the real engine behind small business growth.
Contact: specialoccasionsphotobooth.com | 209-905-9355
