Interview With Sheray Laury, CEO of The Party Source Party Rentals and Vr Life

Sheray Laury started The Party Source Party Rentals Supply Company in 2008, providing tents, tables, chairs, and inflatables. It was a brick-and-mortar company for 10 years until COVID; now works remotely.

In 2019, she stepped into a new venture in the entertainment industry and opened a virtual reality arcade and venue rental, V.R. Life Arcade. It is a virtual reality center and venue rental. Since COVID, she’s begun to repivot her business plan to focus on using virtual reality to educate students. It has a variety of V.R. experiences and is available to host events of all kinds.

She became a member of the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce in 2020. She began to make many connections in the community, including with the Mayor of Pontiac, the Local Pontiac Commissioner, and several local non-profits. Today, her mission is to combine Virtual Reality entertainment with STEM Education. She caringly calls this merge “edutainment.”

Her objective is to create a technology lab that will help students boost knowledge retention when exposing them to STEM experiences using virtual reality, providing them with a more hands-on approach to learning subjects they would only be able to read about in textbooks beforehand. 

In what ways does the work you do empower others?

Sheray: The Party Source isn’t just a party rental company. I’ve provided growth opportunities for my administrative assistant; offering training and knowledge that allowed her to progress to office manager. Her growth allowed me to focus on the operation of my new business. I allow her to have a family/work-life balance to be sure she isn’t getting burnt out with her job. I offer training classes that can continue to help her grow and invite her to discuss changes in policy as it relates to her job. I created forms for the delivery team to complete in their daily tasks that would not only provide accountability but also teach them office/leader skills in the process and teach them new skills they can use in other jobs.

What do you enjoy most about the work that you do?

Sheray: The thing I love most about both of my jobs is that there is always something new to learn, there are many hats to wear so I don’t have to do the same job twice in a row if I don’t choose to, I am always meeting new people and have the opportunity to impact them if I choose to and I get to use my creative skills in the process.

What are some of your goals for the remainder of the year?

Sheray: I have many goals for the remainder of the year including starting new programs that couple virtual reality with STEM activities. I will continue to develop new rapports with like-minded businesses and local school districts to make sure people are aware of the benefits of using virtual reality to educate students. I also plan to complete the creation of my wig store and become profitable.

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