Episode 4 – Rising to the Occasion
Handle with Care: Episode 4 – Rising to the Occasion
Featuring Laura Slater, Co-founder of Bubblegum Balloons
In this episode of Handle with Care: A GFS Podcast, we’re joined by Laura Slater from Bubblegum Balloons to explore what it really takes to scale a business built around delivering joy — quite literally.
Bubblegum Balloons has built its reputation on sending fully-inflated, beautifully designed balloons straight to customers’ doors — a bold approach that turns delivery into a critical part of the product experience. But shipping oversized, delicate items that must arrive on time for life’s biggest moments comes with unique operational challenges.
Laura shares how Bubblegum Balloons grew from handling a few hundred parcels a week to managing peak surges of 700+ deliveries, why timed delivery windows like 10:30am and midday are essential for celebrations, and how reliable delivery has become central to customer satisfaction, repeat purchases and brand reputation.
We also dive into the pressures of peak periods like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas, the realities of working with oversized packaging, and how improved delivery visibility and support has unlocked new growth opportunities — including wholesale, international expansion and new digital channels.
Plus, in our lighter segment, Laura reveals the most unusual balloon requests, behind-the-scenes mishaps, and what might surprise you about running a balloon business.
If you’re interested in scaling eCommerce, protecting customer experience, and delivering products that truly need handling with care, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. 🎈📦
