Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony.
Hi Anthony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was 10 years old, my mom and dad, David and Kari Lena, gave me a balloon kit for Christmas. and that is what got it all started! My neighbor, Melody Myers, was a year younger than me and she got a balloon kit after seeing mine, and it started a friendly competition between us. We would constantly try and improve our twisting skills. We started using professional balloons, my parents bought me more books on how to make balloon art, and before I knew it I knew how to make quite a few sculptures! Melody eventually lost interest in Balloon Art, but I kept going.
I was born at Centennial Hospital in Nashville, and I was a NICU baby. Every year Centennial hosts a NICU reunion for the babies who have graduated from the NICU and their families. At the reunion they have Balloon Artists, Face Painters, Magicians, Bounce Houses, and lots of other fun activities. Usually, age 10 is the cutoff age for attending the NICU reunion, but my younger brother, Andrew Lena, was also a NICU baby at Centennial. Which allowed me to continue attending the NICU reunion.
When I was 12, my mother was talking with a nurse named Patti Scott, who helped with the reunion, and my mom said I was getting pretty good at balloon art. Well, Patti called me over and of course I had some balloons on me, and I made her two doves kissing in a heart. This was a two-balloon creation, which was one of the harder things I could make at the time. She loved it, and told me that if I practiced real hard they would hire me next year to make balloons at the NICU! Well, that is all I needed to hear! I practiced all year long and the next year, at age 13, I had my first paying job making balloon art at the Centennial NICU reunion!
My mom made me some homemade business cards on our computer, and combined with word of mouth, I started getting hired for birthday parties, grand openings, church events, and so much more! I started calling myself Anthony the Balloon Kid!
Fast forward to today, I have since become an internationally award winning balloon artist, winning over 30 awards for my work, have had the chance to teach other artists at conventions in the USA and England, and since 2015 it has been my full time job.
I could not do what I do without family. So, I changed my business name from Anthony the Balloon Kid to Balloons of Pure Awesomeness. This name represents everyone in our business, not just me. My wife, Rachel, does face painting, my brother, Andrew, helps twist balloons with me at larger events, and my mom helps with balloon décor and literally everything, and my dad helps us set up and tear down at events. It is a true family business!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have been very blessed with amazing support from our community! However, Covid was very difficult to navigate through. Our business literally depends on celebrations, and I can’t tell you how many calls we received in March of 2020 of customers letting us know they had to cancel their event. We had to find a way to pull through, and we ended up doing contact free balloon deliveries! It is what got us through the storm, and the great thing is we still do lots and lots of balloon deliveries to Nashville and surrounding areas!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So even though our business name is Balloons Of Pure Awesomeness, all of my social media is @AnthonyTheBalloonKid. I always tell people I’m always a kid at heart. I am most active on Instagram, and if people want to see my most recent work, I always recommend people follow along, and bring some bright and fun joy to their feed.
I specialize in Balloon Twisting and Balloon Decor. We can create anything out of balloons! I am most proud of my large competition sculpture we did at Balloon Convention Twist & Shout 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. My wife and I created a 9 foot tall panda bear eating ramen noodles. She pretty much inflated and tied all the balloons used in the sculpture, and I put everything together! We used between 900-1,000 balloons to complete the sculpture, and it won 1st place in the large sculpture category. I was also awarded the title of “Top Twister of 2025” by receiving the most overall votes in small, medium, and large sculpture categories.
What sets me apart from others is the constant passion for becoming the best artist and entertainer I can be. I am truly passionate about making literal balloons of pure awesomeness for people! I truly love spreading joy and happiness to those I meet! I think people can see how much I love what I do, and they love to be a part of it!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I would suggest going to a balloon convention if you are serious about learning balloon art. They have made me a better artist, and really pushed my skills to the next level. All the great Balloon Artists of the world are super approachable, and conventions are the place to really have the chance to sit down and learn from them!
If you have a certain skill or area of work you enjoy, see if there is a convention for it, and I bet there is! This is a great way to ignite, or re-ignite, excitement in your line of work!
Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you consider you look up to or consider a mentor. I’m sure they would be honored to know you admire their work.
Pricing:
- Balloon Twisting – priced hourly
- Face Painting – priced hourly
- Balloon Decor – individually priced
- Balloon Deliveries – individually priced
- Balloon/Magic Show – individually priced
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.balloonsofpureawesomeness.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonytheballoonkid/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyTheBalloonKid
