Giving your clients a good experience is key to growing your business and word-of-mouth referrals. But, what are some simple ways to elevate the client experience without selling your soul or working 24 hours a day? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about some simple tips to elevate your client's experience in a manageable way.  About our guest: Behind the lens of Lynne Reznick Photography, Lynne Reznick is an educator-turned-photographer on a mission to share her knowledge and lessons learned from nearly a decade of industry experience. A lifelong learner at heart, Lynne combines her passion for training and mentoring with a unique teaching approach grounded in proven educational practices. As the founder of The Wedding Client Experience Academy, Lynne offers an easy-to-digest online curriculum based on four fundamental pillars. The result establishes deeply rooted trust with clients, streamlined systems for the busiest workflows, and empowers pros to create bespoke moments for their couples. In addition to providing ongoing mentoring and coaching intensives, Lynne shares several complimentary resources on her site’s educational hub-including the Styled Shoot Planning + Timeline Spreadsheet and The Manual Mode Pocket Guide. A sought-after expert in her field, Lynne’s insight has been recently published with Rangefinder Magazine, the Rising Tide Society, SpecialEvents.com, and the Knot.   In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Lynne's background and how she got into the wedding and event industry after being a teacher How proactive communication is a key to giving your client's a good experience Using automation to schedule communication with clients Tips for making email templates sound more personal Ideas for connecting with clients both before, during, and after their wedding Lynne's "Wedding Client Experience Academy" course   Want to connect with Lynne?  Online: https://www.lynnereznickphotography.com Instagram: @lynnereznickphoto Facebook  

Giving your clients a good experience is key to growing your business and word-of-mouth referrals. But, what are some simple ways to elevate the client experience without selling your soul or working 24 hours a day? In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting about some simple tips to elevate your client's experience in a manageable way. About our guest: Behind the lens of Lynne Reznick Photography, Lynne Reznick is an educator-turned-photographer on a mission to share her knowledge and lessons learned from nearly a decade of industry experience. A lifelong learner at heart, Lynne combines her passion for training and mentoring with a unique teaching approach grounded in proven educational practices. As the founder of The Wedding Client Experience Academy, Lynne offers an easy-to-digest online curriculum based on four fundamental pillars. The result establishes deeply rooted trust with clients, streamlined systems for the busiest workflows, and empowers pros to create bespoke moments for their couples. In addition to providing ongoing mentoring and coaching intensives, Lynne shares several complimentary resources on her site’s educational hub-including the Styled Shoot Planning + Timeline Spreadsheet and The Manual Mode Pocket Guide. A sought-after expert in her field, Lynne’s insight has been recently published with Rangefinder Magazine, the Rising Tide Society, <a href="http://SpecialEvents.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SpecialEvents.com</a>, and the Knot. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Lynne's background and how she got into the wedding and event industry after being a teacher</li> <li>How proactive communication is a key to giving your client's a good experience</li> <li>Using automation to schedule communication with clients</li> <li>Tips for making email templates sound more personal</li> <li>Ideas for connecting with clients both before, during, and after their wedding</li> <li>Lynne's "Wedding Client Experience Academy" course</li> </ul> Want to connect with Lynne? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://www.lynnereznickphotography.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.lynnereznickphotography.com</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lynnereznickphoto/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@lynnereznickphoto</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lynnereznickphotography" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </li> </ul>

231: Elevating Your Client's Experience

Getting your work published in a wedding magazine or blog is an aspirational goal for many. But with fewer publications out there, it's more competitive than ever. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about best practices for finding the right publications to submit to, getting your work published, and following up.  About our guest: Jainé Kershner is a wedding photographer based in New York. Jainé Kershner Photography was handpicked as one of NY’s best wedding photographers to know by BRIDES and has been featured in several publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, BRIDES, Style Me Pretty, and The Knot. In 2018, Jainé launched "Tea with Jainé" to directly educate wedding photographers with honest answers, actionable steps, and tangible tips to successfully grow and create a profitable photography business. She hosts her weekly podcast “Tea with Jainé” where she chats with wedding industry insiders who share their knowledge, experience, and expertise directly with her audience. Jainé is a dedicated business coach who offers one-on-one sessions along with submission curations services for wedding photographers.    In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Jainé's background and how she got into the wedding and event industry Finding the right publication match for your work The benefits of print vs. online publication What publications are looking for in terms of images When to submit based on wedding seasonality Jainé's suggestions for following up once a wedding has been submitted   Want to connect with Jainé?  Online: https://www.jainekershner.com/ Instagram: @jainekershner Tea with Jainé podcast for wedding photographers 

Getting your work published in a wedding magazine or blog is an aspirational goal for many. But with fewer publications out there, it's more competitive than ever. In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting about best practices for finding the right publications to submit to, getting your work published, and following up. About our guest: Jainé Kershner is a wedding photographer based in New York. Jainé Kershner Photography was handpicked as one of NY’s best wedding photographers to know by BRIDES and has been featured in several publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, BRIDES, Style Me Pretty, and The Knot. In 2018, Jainé launched "Tea with Jainé" to directly educate wedding photographers with honest answers, actionable steps, and tangible tips to successfully grow and create a profitable photography business. She hosts her weekly podcast “Tea with Jainé” where she chats with wedding industry insiders who share their knowledge, experience, and expertise directly with her audience. Jainé is a dedicated business coach who offers one-on-one sessions along with submission curations services for wedding photographers.  In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Jainé's background and how she got into the wedding and event industry</li> <li>Finding the right publication match for your work</li> <li>The benefits of print vs. online publication</li> <li>What publications are looking for in terms of images</li> <li>When to submit based on wedding seasonality</li> <li>Jainé's suggestions for following up once a wedding has been submitted</li> </ul> Want to connect with Jainé? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://gabbypinkerton.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.jainekershner.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jainekershner/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@jainekershner</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.teawithjaine.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Tea with Jainé</a> podcast for wedding photographers</li> </ul>

230:  Getting Your Work Published

Many wedding industry entrepreneurs overlook Pinterest as a marketing tool, but it's still around and still generating leads. In fact, proper use of Pinterest can even help your work get noticed by search engines like Google. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a Pinterest strategist about the platform, how it's changed in recent years, and the basics for getting the most out of it.  About our guest: Gabby Pinkerton is an adventurous Wedding Planner, Pinterest Strategist, Youtuber and Wedding industry speaker. Her YouTube channel aims to help wedding pros grow their business by using Pinterest and targeting their ideal clients. During the Pandemic, she launched a Pinterest Strategy company, Gabby Pinkerton Co. that focuses on helping wedding pros attract their ideal clients on Pinterest. She and her team offer done-for-you Pinterest Management as well as a robust, no-fluff Pinterest course for those who want to tackle it themselves.  Gabby is a recurring speaker at the Wedding Summit Series, Book More Weddings Summit and participates in several wedding bundles offering Pinterest mini courses. She has taken the stage at the National Association of Catering and Events, The Rising Tide Society and virtual gatherings over the last few years.   In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Gabby's background and how he got into the wedding and event industry How Pinterest has changed in the last two years The new "Idea Pins" on Pinterest and how their similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels   Want to connect with Gabby?  Online: https://gabbypinkerton.com/  YouTube: https://youtu.be/U0NN-Enorqk Instagram: @gabbypinkerton and @causewecanevents 

Many wedding industry entrepreneurs overlook Pinterest as a marketing tool, but it's still around and still generating leads. In fact, proper use of Pinterest can even help your work get noticed by search engines like Google. In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting with a Pinterest strategist about the platform, how it's changed in recent years, and the basics for getting the most out of it. About our guest: Gabby Pinkerton is an adventurous Wedding Planner, Pinterest Strategist, Youtuber and Wedding industry speaker. Her YouTube channel aims to help wedding pros grow their business by using Pinterest and targeting their ideal clients. During the Pandemic, she launched a Pinterest Strategy company, Gabby Pinkerton Co. that focuses on helping wedding pros attract their ideal clients on Pinterest. She and her team offer done-for-you Pinterest Management as well as a robust, no-fluff Pinterest course for those who want to tackle it themselves.  Gabby is a recurring speaker at the Wedding Summit Series, Book More Weddings Summit and participates in several wedding bundles offering Pinterest mini courses. She has taken the stage at the National Association of Catering and Events, The Rising Tide Society and virtual gatherings over the last few years. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Gabby's background and how he got into the wedding and event industry</li> <li>How Pinterest has changed in the last two years</li> <li>The new "Idea Pins" on Pinterest and how their similar to TikTok and Instagram Reels</li> </ul> Want to connect with Gabby? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://gabbypinkerton.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://gabbypinkerton.com/</a> </li> <li>YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/U0NN-Enorqk" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/U0NN-Enorqk</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gabbypinkerton/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@gabbypinkerton</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/causewecanevents/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@causewecanevents</a></li> </ul>

229: Is Pinterest Still a Thing?

Growing a team requires you to take on a new title – boss. But for so many entrepreneurs, being a boss is uncharted territory. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding industry entrepreneur with 60 team members all about being a better boss, including some best practices and things to avoid.  About our guest: After Graduating from Grambling State University and leaving his home state of Louisiana, Chris Harmon moved to Dallas, Texas to start his business Harmland Visions. Harmland Visions is a Production and Entertainment company that specializes in Videography, Photography, DJ, AV, Lighting, Photobooth, and Special Effects within the Weddings and Events, Corporate and High School markets. Chris has 60 team members that focus on different aspects of the business while he remains the lead videographer and owner of the company. Chris has taken on leadership positions in several local organizations and currently serves as the Treasurer of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events. After winning several awards within the Dallas Fort Worth area from various event organizations, Chris’s biggest accomplishment is the success of his teammates. He has been known to train and produce top talent stars, helping them to achieve their goals. Outside of the wedding industry, Chris also owns several companies that bring smart, residual income to his family. This includes a real estate business focusing on Airbnb properties and an RV rental business.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Chris's background and how he got into the wedding and event industry The importance of getting to know your team and what motivates each of them Giving feedback to employees Finding different ways to recognize employees Lessons learned from leading a team   Want to connect with Chris?  Online: http://www.harmlandvisions.com/  Instagram: @chrisharmonfilm 

Growing a team requires you to take on a new title – boss. But for so many entrepreneurs, being a boss is uncharted territory. In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting with a wedding industry entrepreneur with 60 team members all about being a better boss, including some best practices and things to avoid. About our guest: After Graduating from Grambling State University and leaving his home state of Louisiana, Chris Harmon moved to Dallas, Texas to start his business Harmland Visions. Harmland Visions is a Production and Entertainment company that specializes in Videography, Photography, DJ, AV, Lighting, Photobooth, and Special Effects within the Weddings and Events, Corporate and High School markets. Chris has 60 team members that focus on different aspects of the business while he remains the lead videographer and owner of the company. Chris has taken on leadership positions in several local organizations and currently serves as the Treasurer of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events. After winning several awards within the Dallas Fort Worth area from various event organizations, Chris’s biggest accomplishment is the success of his teammates. He has been known to train and produce top talent stars, helping them to achieve their goals. Outside of the wedding industry, Chris also owns several companies that bring smart, residual income to his family. This includes a real estate business focusing on Airbnb properties and an RV rental business. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Chris's background and how he got into the wedding and event industry</li> <li>The importance of getting to know your team and what motivates each of them</li> <li>Giving feedback to employees</li> <li>Finding different ways to recognize employees</li> <li>Lessons learned from leading a team</li> </ul> Want to connect with Chris? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="http://www.harmlandvisions.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.harmlandvisions.com/</a> </li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/chrisharmonfilm/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@chrisharmonfilm</a></li> </ul>

228: How to Be a Better Boss

Where do you want your business and life to take you? People from Oprah to Deepak Chopra believe in manifesting their future with the use of vision boards. But what is a vision board, how do you make one, and what can it do for you? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting all about vision boards and how to use them to design the life and work that you love.  About our guest: A life-long learner with nearly a decade behind the lens. Rosy is self-taught in her chosen medium of film and digital photography. She thrives on the incredibly special moments her clients invite her to be a part of, sharing - “You know something’s coming, but you don’t know what it’s going to be until you get it”, and adding that her clients feed her creative soul while making her feel alive. More than just a wonderful and gifted photographer, Alba Rose's clients mention time and time again how much of a wonderful human Rosy is.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Rosy's background and how she got into the wedding industry What a vision board is and how to create one How often you should make a vision board and when to add to it or change it Using vision boards for both personal and business goals   Want to connect with Rosy?  Online: https://albarosephotography.com/ Instagram: @albarose.co 

Where do you want your business and life to take you? People from Oprah to Deepak Chopra believe in manifesting their future with the use of vision boards. But what is a vision board, how do you make one, and what can it do for you? In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting all about vision boards and how to use them to design the life and work that you love. About our guest: A life-long learner with nearly a decade behind the lens. Rosy is self-taught in her chosen medium of film and digital photography. She thrives on the incredibly special moments her clients invite her to be a part of, sharing - “You know something’s coming, but you don’t know what it’s going to be until you get it”, and adding that her clients feed her creative soul while making her feel alive. More than just a wonderful and gifted photographer, Alba Rose's clients mention time and time again how much of a wonderful human Rosy is. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Rosy's background and how she got into the wedding industry</li> <li>What a vision board is and how to create one</li> <li>How often you should make a vision board and when to add to it or change it</li> <li>Using vision boards for both personal and business goals</li> </ul> Want to connect with Rosy? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://albarosephotography.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://albarosephotography.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/albarose.co/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@albarose.co</a></li> </ul>

227: Designing Your Life and Business with Vision Boards

It's true what they say – it's all about who you know. And in the wedding and event industry, that could not be any more true. From knowing your clients to the vendor team you're working with on the event day, it's all about relationships. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about the best ways to build relationships with both clients and vendor partners as well as tips for maintaining them.  About our guest: Sacia Matthews is a destination wedding photographer based on the East Coast.  Sacia focuses her work around artistry and intention, merging her signature style of honest editorial documentation. She is a former high school English teacher that is translating those skills to coaching creatives. Her zone of genius is helping strategize and cultivate businesses that coexist with the owner's dream life. She believes in the power of relationship-building in all that you do.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Sacia's background and how she went from being a high school English teacher to a destination wedding photographer and educator Tips for connecting authentically with both your fellow vendors and your potential clients Using social media to stay continuously connected with clients and vendor partners The importance of sustaining your relationships over time Suggestions for working with wedding planners when they are the conduit to the client   Want to connect with Sacia?  Online: www.saciamatthews.com Instagram - @saciamatthews 

It's true what they say – it's all about who you know. And in the wedding and event industry, that could not be any more true. From knowing your clients to the vendor team you're working with on the event day, it's all about relationships. In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting about the best ways to build relationships with both clients and vendor partners as well as tips for maintaining them. About our guest: Sacia Matthews is a destination wedding photographer based on the East Coast.  Sacia focuses her work around artistry and intention, merging her signature style of honest editorial documentation. She is a former high school English teacher that is translating those skills to coaching creatives. Her zone of genius is helping strategize and cultivate businesses that coexist with the owner's dream life. She believes in the power of relationship-building in all that you do. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Sacia's background and how she went from being a high school English teacher to a destination wedding photographer and educator</li> <li>Tips for connecting authentically with both your fellow vendors and your potential clients</li> <li>Using social media to stay continuously connected with clients and vendor partners</li> <li>The importance of sustaining your relationships over time</li> <li>Suggestions for working with wedding planners when they are the conduit to the client</li> </ul> Want to connect with Sacia? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="http://www.saciamatthews.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.saciamatthews.com</a></li> <li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/saciamatthews/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@saciamatthews</a></li> </ul>

226: Rooted in Relationships

Is confidence something you're born with or something you can learn? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting all about confidence and doubt and breaking patterns of negative stories we tell ourselves.  About our guest: Rocky knows firsthand how difficult it can be to identify what makes us unique on our own. We get caught in insecurities and fears. We tend to spend too much time looking outside, comparing ourselves to what others project, and say about us. Rocky's childhood tells a tale of having moved 10 times and having to make new friends at every new school. He ended up spending more time trying to impress or please everyone else; going from one extreme of the pendulum by sailing along on charisma to the other end by living a life of self-sacrifice. No matter how hard he worked, nothing seemed to make sense and he was never able to see his real value or worth. That is until he took a step back and had a long hard look at WHO he was, not just WHAT he did.  After graduating with a communications degree from Texas A&amp;M University, Rocky has spent the past 15 years walking alongside thousands of individuals at Sky Ranch Summer Camp as Director and counseled and supported hundreds while on the pastoral staff at Chase Oaks Church. Now, as a top keynote speaker and culture consultant, he has taken thousands through the Identity Mapping™ process. As a result, they have all been led to understand the most vivid picture of who they are and how they operate best as individuals.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Rocky's background and how he went from the wedding industry to coaching and consulting entrepreneurs and corporate leaders How clarity and confidence go hand in hand How our protective nature and defense mechanisms can affect our confidence How what we've been told by others can create doubt, even if those stories are not true Rocky's Book, "Be Confident: A Pocket Guide to Killing Doubt and Building Conviction"   Want to connect with Rocky?  Online: https://rockygarza.com/ Instagram - @rockygarza Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/rockygarza LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockygarza/  

Is confidence something you're born with or something you can learn? In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting all about confidence and doubt and breaking patterns of negative stories we tell ourselves. About our guest: Rocky knows firsthand how difficult it can be to identify what makes us unique on our own. We get caught in insecurities and fears. We tend to spend too much time looking outside, comparing ourselves to what others project, and say about us. Rocky's childhood tells a tale of having moved 10 times and having to make new friends at every new school. He ended up spending more time trying to impress or please everyone else; going from one extreme of the pendulum by sailing along on charisma to the other end by living a life of self-sacrifice. No matter how hard he worked, nothing seemed to make sense and he was never able to see his real value or worth. That is until he took a step back and had a long hard look at WHO he was, not just WHAT he did.  After graduating with a communications degree from Texas A&amp;M University, Rocky has spent the past 15 years walking alongside thousands of individuals at Sky Ranch Summer Camp as Director and counseled and supported hundreds while on the pastoral staff at Chase Oaks Church. Now, as a top keynote speaker and culture consultant, he has taken thousands through the Identity Mapping™ process. As a result, they have all been led to understand the most vivid picture of who they are and how they operate best as individuals. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Rocky's background and how he went from the wedding industry to coaching and consulting entrepreneurs and corporate leaders</li> <li>How clarity and confidence go hand in hand</li> <li>How our protective nature and defense mechanisms can affect our confidence</li> <li>How what we've been told by others can create doubt, even if those stories are not true</li> <li>Rocky's Book, <a href="https://rockygarza.com/store/p/book" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">"Be Confident: A Pocket Guide to Killing Doubt and Building Conviction"</a></li> </ul> Want to connect with Rocky? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://rockygarza.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://rockygarza.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rockygarza/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@rockygarza</a></li> <li>Facebook - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rockygraza" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/rockygarza</a></li> <li>LinkedIn - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockygarza/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockygarza/</a> </li> </ul>

225: The Key to Confidence

We all know that Instagram is a powerful social media tool for the wedding industry, particularly since it's so visual. But are you using Instagram as a sales tool as opposed to just a portfolio? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about how you can use Instagram to promote your business well beyond pretty pictures.  About our guest: Maria Oliva is the CEO &amp; Founder of SMS Media, a social media coaching business for wedding vendors in the DC area. Maria's main goal is to change the way wedding vendors approach Instagram and have fun while they're at it. She has a passion for teaching wedding vendors how to build sustainable Instagram strategies that work around their schedule &amp; feels good for THEM. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has been in the Digital Marketing world for over 7 years! Her sassy &amp; badass personality is what sets her apart from everyone else. She will always tell it how it is and doesn't like cutting corners for anyone, especially her clients (it's the Puerto Rican in her). She is changing the wedding industry, one account at a time!  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Maria's background and how she became interested and involved in the wedding industry Using a variety of content pillars as the foundation for your Instagram posts Promotional posts and ways you can use them without being pushy How to niche down your hashtags, including the ideal number of hashtags to use   Want to connect with Maria?  Instagram - @sms_mediaPR 

We all know that Instagram is a powerful social media tool for the wedding industry, particularly since it's so visual. But are you using Instagram as a sales tool as opposed to just a portfolio? In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting about how you can use Instagram to promote your business well beyond pretty pictures. About our guest: Maria Oliva is the CEO &amp; Founder of SMS Media, a social media coaching business for wedding vendors in the DC area. Maria's main goal is to change the way wedding vendors approach Instagram and have fun while they're at it. She has a passion for teaching wedding vendors how to build sustainable Instagram strategies that work around their schedule &amp; feels good for THEM. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and has been in the Digital Marketing world for over 7 years! Her sassy &amp; badass personality is what sets her apart from everyone else. She will always tell it how it is and doesn't like cutting corners for anyone, especially her clients (it's the Puerto Rican in her). She is changing the wedding industry, one account at a time! In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Maria's background and how she became interested and involved in the wedding industry</li> <li>Using a variety of content pillars as the foundation for your Instagram posts</li> <li>Promotional posts and ways you can use them without being pushy</li> <li>How to niche down your hashtags, including the ideal number of hashtags to use</li> </ul> Want to connect with Maria? <ul> <li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sms_mediapr/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@sms_mediaPR</a></li> </ul>

224: Using Instagram as a Sales Tool

Small businesses definitely need policies, procedures, and contracts in order to stay organized and to set boundaries. But when is it ok to be flexible and make an exception? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about exceptions, when to (and not to) make them, and some things to think about as you're making the decision on bending your rules.  About our guest: Our guest today is Jennifer Trotter, the owner and principal artist behind one of Dallas/Fort Worth's top bridal beauty teams, Lip Service Makeup. Known for flawless looks, a diverse portfolio and impeccable customer service, Jennifer and her team provide hair and makeup for a variety of projects, including major motion pictures, Dateline NBC, commercial and media clients, tv and film projects with Oxygen, Netflix and others, as well as beautifying around 175 brides each year.  This beauty pro also happens to be a communications expert with a background that includes stints in PR, corporate training and serving for nearly 10 years as the Program Director for the Make A Wish Foundation. Through articles, coaching sessions and speaking engagements, Jennifer uses her communications background to help business owners skillfully navigate the awkward conversations and stressful situations that we all face. She not only knows how to manage the occasional bridezilla, she's passionate about sharing proven techniques to create strong relationships with clients and other vendors while reducing conflict.    In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Jen's background and how she got into the wedding industry Reasons that business owners may want to break away from their "rules" and make an exception The one reason you should absolutely not make an exception Saying no, but still making it a positive conversation Questions to ask yourself as you're deciding to make an exception or not The importance of having Standard Operating Procedures in your business   Want to connect with Jen?  Online: https://www.lipservicemakeup.com/  Instagram - @lipservicemakeup 

Small businesses definitely need policies, procedures, and contracts in order to stay organized and to set boundaries. But when is it ok to be flexible and make an exception? In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting about exceptions, when to (and not to) make them, and some things to think about as you're making the decision on bending your rules. About our guest: Our guest today is Jennifer Trotter, the owner and principal artist behind one of Dallas/Fort Worth's top bridal beauty teams, Lip Service Makeup. Known for flawless looks, a diverse portfolio and impeccable customer service, Jennifer and her team provide hair and makeup for a variety of projects, including major motion pictures, Dateline NBC, commercial and media clients, tv and film projects with Oxygen, Netflix and others, as well as beautifying around 175 brides each year. This beauty pro also happens to be a communications expert with a background that includes stints in PR, corporate training and serving for nearly 10 years as the Program Director for the Make A Wish Foundation. Through articles, coaching sessions and speaking engagements, Jennifer uses her communications background to help business owners skillfully navigate the awkward conversations and stressful situations that we all face. She not only knows how to manage the occasional bridezilla, she's passionate about sharing proven techniques to create strong relationships with clients and other vendors while reducing conflict.   In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Jen's background and how she got into the wedding industry</li> <li>Reasons that business owners may want to break away from their "rules" and make an exception</li> <li>The one reason you should absolutely not make an exception</li> <li>Saying no, but still making it a positive conversation</li> <li>Questions to ask yourself as you're deciding to make an exception or not</li> <li>The importance of having Standard Operating Procedures in your business</li> </ul> Want to connect with Jen? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://www.lipservicemakeup.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.lipservicemakeup.com/</a> </li> <li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lipservicemakeup/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@lipservicemakeup</a></li> </ul>

223: The Exception to the Rule

We're all busy. But are you just staying busy? Or are you actually moving things forward in your business? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about the differences between action and motion, and how simply doing the preparation isn't necessarily moving the ball forward. Listen in as we chat with a return guest about some tips for making that busy work actually work for you and your business.  About our guest: With a background in producing and directing live and recorded television for the better part of 10 years, Wendy is the definition of “quick on your feet.” She prides herself on being a solution-oriented problem solver—which has served her well in her 12 years of planning and executing flawless events. Wendy’s passion to create and execute original ideas for each of her couples’ weddings means that in addition to running smoothly, they are a fun, enjoyable, memorable, and tangible pieces of fine art. With a straightforward approach, Wendy builds a rapport with her clients. She believes that the more she gets to know her couples, the better (and more personal) the wedding will be.  Birds of a Feather Events was named a Top Wedding Planner and Event Designer by Martha Stewart Weddings as well as a Best Planner in America by BRIDES.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Wendy's previous podcast episodes – Episode 99: How to End a Client Relationship and Episode 163: Turning Your Volume-Based Business Into a Value-Based Business The difference between action and motion How procrastination plays a role in moving from motion to action Accountability groups and how they can help move things forward How fear of failure plays a role in being stuck in a cycle of motion Profit First book and how it has helped Wendy, Annie, and Kimberly   Want to connect with Wendy?  Online: http://birds-of-a-feather-events.com/ Instagram - @birdsofafeatherevents 

We're all busy. But are you just staying busy? Or are you actually moving things forward in your business? In this week's episode of the <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting about the differences between action and motion, and how simply doing the preparation isn't necessarily moving the ball forward. Listen in as we chat with a return guest about some tips for making that busy work actually work for you and your business. About our guest: With a background in producing and directing live and recorded television for the better part of 10 years, Wendy is the definition of “quick on your feet.” She prides herself on being a solution-oriented problem solver—which has served her well in her 12 years of planning and executing flawless events. Wendy’s passion to create and execute original ideas for each of her couples’ weddings means that in addition to running smoothly, they are a fun, enjoyable, memorable, and tangible pieces of fine art. With a straightforward approach, Wendy builds a rapport with her clients. She believes that the more she gets to know her couples, the better (and more personal) the wedding will be.  Birds of a Feather Events was named a Top Wedding Planner and Event Designer by Martha Stewart Weddings as well as a Best Planner in America by BRIDES. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Wendy's previous podcast episodes – <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/podcast/episode99/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 99: How to End a Client Relationship</a> and <a href="https://thisweekinweddings.com/podcast/turning-your-volume-based-business-into-a-value-based-business-episode-163/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 163: Turning Your Volume-Based Business Into a Value-Based Business</a></li> <li>The difference between action and motion</li> <li>How procrastination plays a role in moving from motion to action</li> <li>Accountability groups and how they can help move things forward</li> <li>How fear of failure plays a role in being stuck in a cycle of motion</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/3LAd3o1" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Profit First</a> book and how it has helped Wendy, Annie, and Kimberly</li> </ul> Want to connect with Wendy? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="http://birds-of-a-feather-events.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://birds-of-a-feather-events.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/birdsofafeatherevents/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@birdsofafeatherevents</a></li> </ul>

222: Action Versus Motion

This Week in Weddings is a support group for wedding industry entrepreneurs. We're the ones behind the scenes - planning and designing the wedding, creating the invitations, baking the cakes, and taking the photos. The podcast features wedding planner Kimberly Rhodes and invitation designer Annie Roche chatting about the business of weddings with professionals in the wedding industry.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the insight, educated expertise and candor in this week&#39;s episode with Kawania Wooten. Crisis Management isn’t a sexy topic but it’s a necessary topic, not only due to the covid19 pandemic but beyond. So many tangible nuggets and real life scenarios that can apply  and elevate each business owner that tunes in. Thanks for sharing!!

Variety is the spice of event life!

TWIW is a great listen!  Kimberly &amp; Annie are fun to listen to and provide a fabulous job in keeping it real!

If you are in the wedding industry you need to listen

This Week in Weddings

Wedding planners are a great source of wedding referrals and can be a perfect conduit to repeat business. But how do you get on a wedding planner's preferred list? And even more importantly, how do you stay on that list? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting with a seasoned wedding planner about that things to do to make yourself stand out in a planner's eyes. And, of course, Kimberly can't help but add her own two cents about the topic as well! About our guest: Saundra is the owner of planning forever events, an event planning business based in Evansville, Indiana. For the last 16 years, she is known to create weddings and celebrations that become treasured memories forever, usually, with large liquor and bar tabs. She entered the event planning world with many years of business experience under her cap; such as, corporate event planning for doctors and selling advertising/media campaigns to all ranges of businesses. Real-world business experience, managing expectations, budgeting, marketing, and strong sales skills, has helped her maintain her longevity.  Saundra never dreamed of being a wedding planner. Instead, she fell into this crazy event world through luck and has stuck it out through grit and creating collaboration with other wedding professionals to produce outstanding events. Ten years ago, Saundra was invited to speak at an intimate event planning conference. With her extensive background in sales training from her advertising job and a passion for the subject of selling to clients, Saundra developed the Get Real Sales Coach seminars to teach other industry professionals “How to Close the Deal”.  She has brought her no-nonsense, straight-forward delivery to stages across the country, including Australia, at conferences such as the Association of Bridal Consultants, The Special Event, NACE, privately funded conferences, and her own workshops. Currently, she has elected to pull back from speaking engagements and applauds her friends and peers that are on the speaking circuit. Saundra could go on and on about her published articles, but really, she knows no one really cares. She is, however, proud that for the past 13 years, she has worked for a local ABC morning lifestyle show, producing and delivering wedding content for live TV and co-anchoring special events such as the Royal Wedding.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Saundra's experience in the wedding industry How to best reach out to a wedding planner for the first time (and what not to do) What will get you on a wedding planner's shit list Tips for working with planners and their clients  Want to connect with Saundra?  Online: https://www.planningforever.com/ Instagram: @planningforever  This episode of This Week In Weddings is sponsored by Honeybook.

Wedding planners are a great source of wedding referrals and can be a perfect conduit to repeat business. But how do you get on a wedding planner's preferred list? And even more importantly, how do you stay on that list? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting with a seasoned wedding planner about that things to do to make yourself stand out in a planner's eyes. And, of course, Kimberly can't help but add her own two cents about the topic as well! About our guest: Saundra is the owner of planning forever events, an event planning business based in Evansville, Indiana. For the last 16 years, she is known to create weddings and celebrations that become treasured memories forever, usually, with large liquor and bar tabs. She entered the event planning world with many years of business experience under her cap; such as, corporate event planning for doctors and selling advertising/media campaigns to all ranges of businesses. Real-world business experience, managing expectations, budgeting, marketing, and strong sales skills, has helped her maintain her longevity.  Saundra never dreamed of being a wedding planner. Instead, she fell into this crazy event world through luck and has stuck it out through grit and creating collaboration with other wedding professionals to produce outstanding events. Ten years ago, Saundra was invited to speak at an intimate event planning conference. With her extensive background in sales training from her advertising job and a passion for the subject of selling to clients, Saundra developed the Get Real Sales Coach seminars to teach other industry professionals “How to Close the Deal”.  She has brought her no-nonsense, straight-forward delivery to stages across the country, including Australia, at conferences such as the Association of Bridal Consultants, The Special Event, NACE, privately funded conferences, and her own workshops. Currently, she has elected to pull back from speaking engagements and applauds her friends and peers that are on the speaking circuit. Saundra could go on and on about her published articles, but really, she knows no one really cares. She is, however, proud that for the past 13 years, she has worked for a local ABC morning lifestyle show, producing and delivering wedding content for live TV and co-anchoring special events such as the Royal Wedding. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Saundra's experience in the wedding industry</li> <li>How to best reach out to a wedding planner for the first time (and what not to do)</li> <li>What will get you on a wedding planner's shit list</li> <li>Tips for working with planners and their clients</li> </ul> Want to connect with Saundra? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://www.planningforever.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.planningforever.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/planningforever/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@planningforever</a></li> </ul> This episode of This Week In Weddings is sponsored by <a href="https://www.honeybook.com/invites?code=q4ANo" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Honeybook</a>.

141: How to Work with a Wedding Planner

Getting that perfectly styled image isn't all about luck... there's also science involved. From Instagram to print magazines, styling images is all the new rage, and in this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're chatting with photographer Rebecca Yale, who shares some tips for styling images that will get the attention of magazines and potential clients. Whether you're a photographer or planner looking to expand your range of services or you're just wanting better images of your own products, this week's episode about styling will be one to hear. About our guest:  Rebecca Yale is an internationally acclaimed wedding and fashion photographer.  She holds a degree in art history, aesthetic philosophy and photography from the Gallatin school at NYU.   Winner of Rangefinder Magazine’s Grand Prize in Wedding Photography and 1st Place in the Details Category Two Years in a row, she was the photographer of the 2017 Knot Dream Wedding and has been featured in 50+ publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides Magazine, The Knot, People Magazine, Grace Ormonde, Style Me Pretty, Flutter Magazine, Magnolia Rouge, Destination I Do and many more.  Rebecca was named one of the Top 10 Globetrotter Photographers in the World by Destination Weddings Magazine UK in 2016 and one of the Top 10 Photographers to Know in New York City by Brides Magazine in 2015.  Her passion for education lies in helping people create stronger imagery, by changing the way people see imagery at its core. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  What styling is and why it has gained momentum in the past few years How to manage your time on an event day to incorporate styling The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to styling How to make styling personal to the event so that the images make sense Rebecca's online course for styling  Want to connect with Rebecca?  Website: http://rebeccayalephotography.com/ Instagram: @rebeccayale  

Getting that perfectly styled image isn't all about luck... there's also science involved. From Instagram to print magazines, styling images is all the new rage, and in this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're chatting with photographer Rebecca Yale, who shares some tips for styling images that will get the attention of magazines and potential clients. Whether you're a photographer or planner looking to expand your range of services or you're just wanting better images of your own products, this week's episode about styling will be one to hear. About our guest:  Rebecca Yale is an internationally acclaimed wedding and fashion photographer.  She holds a degree in art history, aesthetic philosophy and photography from the Gallatin school at NYU.   Winner of Rangefinder Magazine’s Grand Prize in Wedding Photography and 1st Place in the Details Category Two Years in a row, she was the photographer of the 2017 Knot Dream Wedding and has been featured in 50+ publications including Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides Magazine, The Knot, People Magazine, Grace Ormonde, Style Me Pretty, Flutter Magazine, Magnolia Rouge, Destination I Do and many more.  Rebecca was named one of the Top 10 Globetrotter Photographers in the World by Destination Weddings Magazine UK in 2016 and one of the Top 10 Photographers to Know in New York City by Brides Magazine in 2015.  Her passion for education lies in helping people create stronger imagery, by changing the way people see imagery at its core. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>What styling is and why it has gained momentum in the past few years</li> <li>How to manage your time on an event day to incorporate styling</li> <li>The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to styling</li> <li>How to make styling personal to the event so that the images make sense</li> <li>Rebecca's online course for styling</li> </ul> Want to connect with Rebecca? <ul> <li>Website: <a href="http://rebeccayalephotography.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://rebeccayalephotography.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rebeccayale/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@rebeccayale</a> </li> </ul>

Episode 67: Integrating Styling Into Your Portfolio

In today's world of social media, good publicity and bad publicity can spread like wildfire. For a small business owner, that can be scary! Could one negative review or one disgruntled client completely destroy your business and the reputation you've worked so hard to build and maintain? In this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to photographer, author and coach Andrea Polito, who was thrown into the spotlight when one of her wedding couples went on the local news to talk negatively about her business. A two year legal battle resulted in her winning a defamation lawsuit, and Andrea's on the podcast to share her story.   About our guest:  Author, Coach, Speaker and Internationally acclaimed photographer Andrea Polito is a master-lifestyle and wedding photographer sought after by celebrities and professional athletes. Her work has been featured in over 150 publications including Town and Country, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart, Time, Huffington Post and New York Times.  She has also made special guest appearances on TLC, CNN &amp; CBS.  Andrea’s online coaching program and her first book "8 Steps to 800k as a Photographer" has raised the bar for photographers across the globe who are looking to grow and scale their business.  In July 2017, Andrea won a $1.08 million dollar defamation lawsuit setting precedent for all business owners against online bullying, social shaming and social media defamation. Her case has received more than 400 million impressions world wide and has made Andrea one of the most sought after speakers on online business reputation and online defamation. She is currently working on her second book to be released early 2018 on business bullies and how to protect yourself from an online attack and smear campaign. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  The first signs that Andrea had disgruntled clients How the wedding couple quickly escalated the situation Andrea's two year legal battle and the five counts she sued the clients for What Andrea learned about herself and her thoughts about the wedding industry from her experience What everyone should be aware of when putting false information online or sharing that information Andrea's book "The 8 Steps to Your First $800,000 as a Photographer" available here.  Want to connect with Andrea?  Web: www.andreapolito.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/theandreapolito Instagram: @theandreapolito Twitter: @theandreapolito 

In today's world of social media, good publicity and bad publicity can spread like wildfire. For a small business owner, that can be scary! Could one negative review or one disgruntled client completely destroy your business and the reputation you've worked so hard to build and maintain? In this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to photographer, author and coach Andrea Polito, who was thrown into the spotlight when one of her wedding couples went on the local news to talk negatively about her business. A two year legal battle resulted in her winning a defamation lawsuit, and Andrea's on the podcast to share her story. About our guest:  Author, Coach, Speaker and Internationally acclaimed photographer Andrea Polito is a master-lifestyle and wedding photographer sought after by celebrities and professional athletes. Her work has been featured in over 150 publications including Town and Country, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart, Time, Huffington Post and New York Times.  She has also made special guest appearances on TLC, CNN &amp; CBS.  Andrea’s online coaching program and her first book "8 Steps to 800k as a Photographer" has raised the bar for photographers across the globe who are looking to grow and scale their business.  In July 2017, Andrea won a $1.08 million dollar defamation lawsuit setting precedent for all business owners against online bullying, social shaming and social media defamation. Her case has received more than 400 million impressions world wide and has made Andrea one of the most sought after speakers on online business reputation and online defamation. She is currently working on her second book to be released early 2018 on business bullies and how to protect yourself from an online attack and smear campaign. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>The first signs that Andrea had disgruntled clients</li> <li>How the wedding couple quickly escalated the situation</li> <li>Andrea's two year legal battle and the five counts she sued the clients for</li> <li>What Andrea learned about herself and her thoughts about the wedding industry from her experience</li> <li>What everyone should be aware of when putting false information online or sharing that information</li> <li>Andrea's book "The 8 Steps to Your First $800,000 as a Photographer" available <a href="http://www.andreapolito.com/8-steps-to-800k" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li> </ul> Want to connect with Andrea? <ul> <li>Web: <a href="http://www.andreapolito.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.andreapolito.com</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="http://facebook.com/theandreapolito" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/theandreapolito</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/theandreapolito" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@theandreapolito</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/theandreapolito" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@theandreapolito</a></li> </ul>

Episode 42: Protecting Yourself From Business Bullies

Until you make a sale, you're not really in business. Making sales is what it's all about, yet many of us in the wedding industry haven't been properly trained on how to sell and how to close the deal. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting consultant and trainer Cindy Novotny about sales tips that anyone can use to book more business. About our guest:  Cindy is the founder of Master Connection Associates, a premiere international training and consulting company, specializing in customer service, sales and leadership performance. During MCA’s history, Cindy has received numerous awards and accolades. The American Society for Training &amp; Development (ASTD) recognized her as one of nine most powerful and innovative speakers and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) recognized Cindy as one of the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales &amp; Marketing. The Award is given for the most innovation, vision and achievement in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. This year, Cindy was also the recipient of the IACC Pyramid Award for Excellence in meetings. Cindy’s energy, passion, and drive guarantee that her message will always ‘hit home’. She addresses multigenerational and multicultural groups from an array of industries. A true “road warrior,” Cindy travels almost 50 weeks per year speaking, training and consulting. Cindy’s book “LIVING WITH NO BALANCE…And Loving It!” encapsulates her life on the road, running an international consulting company, assisting with her award winning restaurant, and managing her 200 acre cattle farm in Iowa. In this fast-paced book, Cindy challenges people to feel good about trying to do it all while living in a less than balanced World. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Cindy's background in hospitality, training and consulting How Cindy is able to respond quickly to inquiries in 7 seconds, 7 minutes, or 7 hours How professionalism goes a long way in making sales Steps to take when meeting with a client for the first time during a sales consultations How to effectively follow up after sending a proposal Asking for the sale in a way that doesn't feel pushy  Want to connect with Cindy?  Website: http://www.cindynovotny.com and http://www.masterconnection.com/  Email: info@masterconnection.com and cindynovotny@masterconnection.com Phone: 949-589-6137 

Until you make a sale, you're not really in business. Making sales is what it's all about, yet many of us in the wedding industry haven't been properly trained on how to sell and how to close the deal. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting consultant and trainer Cindy Novotny about sales tips that anyone can use to book more business. About our guest:  Cindy is the founder of <a href="http://www.masterconnection.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Master Connection Associates</a>, a premiere international training and consulting company, specializing in customer service, sales and leadership performance. During MCA’s history, Cindy has received numerous awards and accolades. The American Society for Training &amp; Development (ASTD) recognized her as one of nine most powerful and innovative speakers and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) recognized Cindy as one of the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales &amp; Marketing. The Award is given for the most innovation, vision and achievement in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. This year, Cindy was also the recipient of the IACC Pyramid Award for Excellence in meetings. Cindy’s energy, passion, and drive guarantee that her message will always ‘hit home’. She addresses multigenerational and multicultural groups from an array of industries. A true “road warrior,” Cindy travels almost 50 weeks per year speaking, training and consulting. Cindy’s book “LIVING WITH NO BALANCE…And Loving It!” encapsulates her life on the road, running an international consulting company, assisting with her award winning restaurant, and managing her 200 acre cattle farm in Iowa. In this fast-paced book, Cindy challenges people to feel good about trying to do it all while living in a less than balanced World. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Cindy's background in hospitality, training and consulting</li> <li>How Cindy is able to respond quickly to inquiries in 7 seconds, 7 minutes, or 7 hours</li> <li>How professionalism goes a long way in making sales</li> <li>Steps to take when meeting with a client for the first time during a sales consultations</li> <li>How to effectively follow up after sending a proposal</li> <li>Asking for the sale in a way that doesn't feel pushy</li> </ul> Want to connect with Cindy? <ul> <li>Website: <a href="http://www.cindynovotny.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.cindynovotny.com</a> and <a href="http://www.masterconnection.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.masterconnection.com/</a> </li> <li>Email: <a href="mailto:info@masterconnection.com">info@masterconnection.com</a> and <a href="mailto:cindynovotny@masterconnection.com">cindynovotny@masterconnection.com</a></li> <li>Phone: 949-589-6137</li> </ul>

Episode 61: Sales Tips for the Non-Seller

Featuring Alan Berg, speaker, author and sales consultant to the wedding industry, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses sales techniques for the wedding industry. About our guest:  Alan Berg has been called “The Leading International Speaker and Expert on the Business of Weddings &amp; Events”. He’s presented in 11 countries, and is the wedding and event industry’s only Certified Speaking Professional®, the highest earned designation for a professional speaker, an honor less than 800 Global Speakers Federation members have achieved. Alan’s 25+ years of industry experience includes publishing 2 wedding magazines, 11 years at The Knot, most as Vice President of Sales and Education, and now, as a consultant and Education Guru for WeddingWire, the leading wedding technology company. He also speaks and consults for websites in Ireland, the U.K., India and Dubai. Alan is the author of the books “If your website was an employee, would you fire it?,” “Your Attitude for Success”, and the new, and much anticipated sales book “Shut Up and Sell More Weddings &amp; Events!” In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Best practices for selling your products and services The right questions to ask during a consultation Why customers ask about price first Showing pricing on your website The importance of asking for the sale Tips for closing the sale on the spot http://www.wedinsights.com   Want to connect with Alan? On the web: https://alanberg.com/ Facebook: Personal - https://www.facebook.com/alanberg1/ Business - https://www.facebook.com/AlanBergspeaker/ Twitter: @alanberg Instagram: @alanberg Alan's books and products: http://shopalanberg.com/

Featuring Alan Berg, speaker, author and sales consultant to the wedding industry, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses sales techniques for the wedding industry. About our guest:  Alan Berg has been called “The Leading International Speaker and Expert on the Business of Weddings &amp; Events”. He’s presented in 11 countries, and is the wedding and event industry’s only Certified Speaking Professional®, the highest earned designation for a professional speaker, an honor less than 800 Global Speakers Federation members have achieved. Alan’s 25+ years of industry experience includes publishing 2 wedding magazines, 11 years at The Knot, most as Vice President of Sales and Education, and now, as a consultant and Education Guru for WeddingWire, the leading wedding technology company. He also speaks and consults for websites in Ireland, the U.K., India and Dubai. Alan is the author of the books “If your website was an employee, would you fire it?,” “Your Attitude for Success”, and the new, and much anticipated sales book “Shut Up and Sell More Weddings &amp; Events!” In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Best practices for selling your products and services</li> <li>The right questions to ask during a consultation</li> <li>Why customers ask about price first</li> <li>Showing pricing on your website</li> <li>The importance of asking for the sale</li> <li>Tips for closing the sale on the spot</li> <li><a href="http://www.wedinsights.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.wedinsights.com</a> </li> </ul> Want to connect with Alan? On the web: <a href="https://alanberg.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://alanberg.com/</a> Facebook: Personal - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alanberg1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/alanberg1/</a> Business - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlanBergspeaker/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/AlanBergspeaker/</a> Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/alanberg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@alanberg</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alanberg/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@alanberg</a> Alan's books and products: <a href="http://shopalanberg.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://shopalanberg.com/</a>

Episode 16: Getting the Sale

Independent contractors. Employees. Interns. Salary. Hourly. There is so much to consider when it comes to adding members to your team, and in this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to employment attorney Caroline Harrison about the ins and outs about growing your team the legally correct way.   About our guest:  Caroline Harrison is a founding Partner of Dowell Pham Harrison LLP. As an attorney Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, she represents employers in disputes with former employees, and guides them through the sometimes confusing arena of employment law. Her practice focuses on employment litigation and counseling. Caroline assists employers in a variety of areas, including anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, drafting and enforcing covenants not to compete and non-solicitation agreements, and protection of trade secrets. She advises employers on the Family and Medical Leave Act, (FMLA), Unemployment Compensation appeals, handling complex investigations into sensitive employment issues, Wage and Hour issues, and classification of employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, (FLSA). She provides counseling on complex issues including discipline, termination, harassment, investigations, effective employment practices, litigation avoidance and accommodation of disabilities, as well as training human resource professionals, managers, and supervisors in all areas of employment law. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  The differences between contractors and employees, and when it's appropriate to have each Unpaid interns - is that a real thing? Paying employees hourly vs. salaried What "at-will" employment means Workers comp The biggest mistakes employers make when it comes to employees  Want to connect with Caroline?  Web: http://www.dphllp.com/  LinkedIn: Caroline Harrison / Dowell Pham Harrison LLP 

Independent contractors. Employees. Interns. Salary. Hourly. There is so much to consider when it comes to adding members to your team, and in this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to employment attorney Caroline Harrison about the ins and outs about growing your team the legally correct way. About our guest:  Caroline Harrison is a founding Partner of <a href="http://www.dphllp.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Dowell Pham Harrison LLP</a>. As an attorney Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, she represents employers in disputes with former employees, and guides them through the sometimes confusing arena of employment law. Her practice focuses on employment litigation and counseling. Caroline assists employers in a variety of areas, including anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, drafting and enforcing covenants not to compete and non-solicitation agreements, and protection of trade secrets. She advises employers on the Family and Medical Leave Act, (FMLA), Unemployment Compensation appeals, handling complex investigations into sensitive employment issues, Wage and Hour issues, and classification of employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, (FLSA). She provides counseling on complex issues including discipline, termination, harassment, investigations, effective employment practices, litigation avoidance and accommodation of disabilities, as well as training human resource professionals, managers, and supervisors in all areas of employment law. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>The differences between contractors and employees, and when it's appropriate to have each</li> <li>Unpaid interns - is that a real thing?</li> <li>Paying employees hourly vs. salaried</li> <li>What "at-will" employment means</li> <li>Workers comp</li> <li>The biggest mistakes employers make when it comes to employees</li> </ul> Want to connect with Caroline? <ul> <li>Web: <a href="http://www.dphllp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.dphllp.com/</a> </li> <li>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-harrison-56062b1a/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Caroline Harrison</a> / <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/10036945/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Dowell Pham Harrison LLP</a></li> </ul>

Episode 45: Getting It Right With Employment Laws

How your present yourself can affect how you're perceived by your clients, potential clients, and wedding industry peers. Are you putting your best foot forward, not only with your appearance but also your body language and communication style? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're talking to image consultant Tara Hooper, owner of The Style Signature about how to "show up" in order to have the most positive impact. About our guest:  Tara Hooper is a certified image consultant and personal brand specialist who has helped people present their best selves for over 20 years. Founder of The Style Signature and Signature Consulting, she believes that image perception directly impacts profitability and productivity and is passionate about providing effective tools and strategies to help clients showcase their most confident, authentic selves. Her own evolution from teen beauty queen to professional hair stylist &amp; makeup artist to successful image consultant and confidence coach gives her unique insights and anecdotes sure to engage any audience. Tara’s been on the boards of the National Association of Women’s Business Owners and the Association of Image Consultants International (Atlanta Chapter). She’s a volunteer consultant for Look Good Feel Better, a program partnered with the American Cancer Society to help patients with self-esteem and appearance during treatment and post-operative recovery. She is still active in the beauty pageant realm where she’s been crowned Mrs. Texas Woman of Achievement  (2017), Mrs. Alabama (2013) and Mrs. USA Petite (2012), to name a few. Tara currently resides in the North Dallas area with her husband, two children and dogs. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  What an image consultant does The one person everyone should have in their corner for getting the best clothing fit The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to their personal appearance Steps to take before walking into a networking event  Want to connect with Tara? www.thestylesignature.com Email: tara@thestylesignature.com

How your present yourself can affect how you're perceived by your clients, potential clients, and wedding industry peers. Are you putting your best foot forward, not only with your appearance but also your body language and communication style? In this week's episode of This Week In Weddings, we're talking to image consultant Tara Hooper, owner of <a href="http://www.thestylesignature.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">The Style Signature</a> about how to "show up" in order to have the most positive impact. About our guest:  Tara Hooper is a certified image consultant and personal brand specialist who has helped people present their best selves for over 20 years. Founder of The Style Signature and Signature Consulting, she believes that image perception directly impacts profitability and productivity and is passionate about providing effective tools and strategies to help clients showcase their most confident, authentic selves. Her own evolution from teen beauty queen to professional hair stylist &amp; makeup artist to successful image consultant and confidence coach gives her unique insights and anecdotes sure to engage any audience. Tara’s been on the boards of the National Association of Women’s Business Owners and the Association of Image Consultants International (Atlanta Chapter). She’s a volunteer consultant for Look Good Feel Better, a program partnered with the American Cancer Society to help patients with self-esteem and appearance during treatment and post-operative recovery. She is still active in the beauty pageant realm where she’s been crowned Mrs. Texas Woman of Achievement  (2017), Mrs. Alabama (2013) and Mrs. USA Petite (2012), to name a few. Tara currently resides in the North Dallas area with her husband, two children and dogs. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>What an image consultant does</li> <li>The one person everyone should have in their corner for getting the best clothing fit</li> <li>The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to their personal appearance</li> <li>Steps to take before walking into a networking event</li> </ul> Want to connect with Tara? <a href="http://www.thestylesignature.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.thestylesignature.com</a> Email: <a href="mailto:tara@thestylesignature.com" rel="noopener">tara@thestylesignature.com</a>

Episode 37: How to Have a Profitable Presence

Networking in the wedding industry doesn't just have to mean belonging to a dedicated, weekly networking group or joining an event or wedding association. There are other ways to build and grow your network of wedding industry peers, colleagues and friends. In this episode of This Week In Weddings, we're talking to John Cain Sargent, owner of John Cain Photography about his experience with networking and how he has grown his business by networking with an open hand. About our guest:  For the past seven years, John Cain Sargent has been using photography as a medium for building new relationships.  A firm believer that a rising tide raises all ships, an approach of shared success has made all the difference in his career thus far. If some view a stunning photographic portfolio as a monument to their brand, John sees his portfolio as a foundation to build upon and the results of collaborative talent as the real trophy. New friends and connections have led to national and international projects. John’s work has been featured in publications such as Town &amp; Country and Traditional Home, as well as magazine covers photographed around the world. That team usually starts and ends with John’s wife Brittany. Together they make their clients’ experience and satisfaction their highest priority. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  John's journey from graduate school to professional wedding photographer How John began his career by bringing value to those he was networking with The industry conference that allowed John to grow his network outside his market The educational program John is currently enrolled in which has helped him think about his business in a different way  Want to connect with John? www.johncainphotography.com Instagram: @johncainsargent

Networking in the wedding industry doesn't just have to mean belonging to a dedicated, weekly networking group or joining an event or wedding association. There are other ways to build and grow your network of wedding industry peers, colleagues and friends. In this episode of This Week In Weddings, we're talking to John Cain Sargent, owner of <a href="http://johncainphotography.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">John Cain Photography</a> about his experience with networking and how he has grown his business by networking with an open hand. About our guest:  For the past seven years, John Cain Sargent has been using photography as a medium for building new relationships.  A firm believer that a rising tide raises all ships, an approach of shared success has made all the difference in his career thus far. If some view a stunning photographic portfolio as a monument to their brand, John sees his portfolio as a foundation to build upon and the results of collaborative talent as the real trophy. New friends and connections have led to national and international projects. John’s work has been featured in publications such as Town &amp; Country and Traditional Home, as well as magazine covers photographed around the world. That team usually starts and ends with John’s wife Brittany. Together they make their clients’ experience and satisfaction their highest priority. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>John's journey from graduate school to professional wedding photographer</li> <li>How John began his career by bringing value to those he was networking with</li> <li>The industry conference that allowed John to grow his network outside his market</li> <li>The educational program John is currently enrolled in which has helped him think about his business in a different way</li> </ul> Want to connect with John? <a href="http://www.johncainphotography.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.johncainphotography.com</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/johncainsargent/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@johncainsargent</a>

Episode 36: Thinking Outside the Box of Networking

In today's world, there are so many pieces of software that can help you run your business. From note taking apps to scheduling apps, the options are endless. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding industry veteran about the specific apps he uses throughout his business to stay productive, communicate with potential clients, schedule employees, and generate sales. About our guest:  With thirty years of event experience, Kevin Dennis is the founder and owner of Fantasy Sound Event Services, offering exceptional disc jockey, videography, photo booth, event lighting and decor services to the San Francisco Bay area. A Certified Wedding Coordinator, Kevin sits on the Board of Directors at WIPA, serving as the National Immediate Past President, as well as the sitting on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Chapter of NACE, also serving as the President. He is also the founder of the Tri-Valley Wedding Professionals group. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Kevin's background in the event industry The one app that Kevin would say is his favorite and he uses every day Kevin's favorite apps for note taking, scheduling appointments, scheduling social media, live chat, password management, and photo sharing Evernote Todoist Hootsuite Acuity Scheduling Zipwhip Live Chat Foxit PDF Reader TripIt When I Work Timeline Genius Honeybook Grammarly Black Pearl Boomerang YouTube Director Planoly 1Password Photo Circle  Want to connect with Kevin?  On the web: https://fantasysound.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fantasysound Instagram: @fsesevents Twitter: @fantasysound  

In today's world, there are so many pieces of software that can help you run your business. From note taking apps to scheduling apps, the options are endless. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding industry veteran about the specific apps he uses throughout his business to stay productive, communicate with potential clients, schedule employees, and generate sales. About our guest:  With thirty years of event experience, Kevin Dennis is the founder and owner of <a href="https://fantasysound.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Fantasy Sound Event Services</a>, offering exceptional disc jockey, videography, photo booth, event lighting and decor services to the San Francisco Bay area. A Certified Wedding Coordinator, Kevin sits on the Board of Directors at <a href="https://www.wipa.org/home" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">WIPA</a>, serving as the National Immediate Past President, as well as the sitting on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Chapter of <a href="https://www.nace.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">NACE</a>, also serving as the President. He is also the founder of the Tri-Valley Wedding Professionals group. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Kevin's background in the event industry</li> <li>The one app that Kevin would say is his favorite and he uses every day</li> <li>Kevin's favorite apps for note taking, scheduling appointments, scheduling social media, live chat, password management, and photo sharing</li> <li><a href="https://evernote.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Evernote</a></li> <li><a href="https://en.todoist.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Todoist</a></li> <li><a href="https://hootsuite.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Hootsuite</a></li> <li><a href="https://acuityscheduling.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Acuity Scheduling</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.zipwhip.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Zipwhip</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.livechatinc.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Live Chat</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-reader/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Foxit PDF Reader</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.tripit.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">TripIt</a></li> <li><a href="https://goo.gl/pbrRjt%20" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">When I Work</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.timelinegenius.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Timeline Genius</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.honeybook.com/?code=q4ANo" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Honeybook</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.grammarly.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Grammarly</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.blackpearlmail.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Black Pearl</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.boomeranggmail.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Boomerang</a></li> <li><a href="https://director.youtube.com/onsite/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube Director</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.planoly.com/referral/hitchedevents" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Planoly</a></li> <li><a href="https://1password.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">1Password</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.photocircleapp.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Photo Circle</a></li> </ul> Want to connect with Kevin? <ul> <li>On the web: <a href="https://fantasysound.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://fantasysound.com/</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fantasysound" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fantasysound</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fsesevents/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@fsesevents</a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/fantasysound" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@fantasysound</a> </li> </ul>

Episode 76: Productivity Apps for Your Wedding Business

Featuring Meghan Ely, owner of wedding PR and marketing agency OFD Consulting, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores public relations strategies for the wedding industry. From Real Wedding submissions to being identified as an expert in the media, Meghan Ely shares her top tips for getting noticed in the media through means other than paid advertising. About our guest:  OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely, combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding marketing and wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. Meghan is a WeddingWire Education Expert as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Book More Brides, Wedding Business Magazine, Catersource and SpecialEvents.com. She is an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication department at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in Public Relations. Meghan is the national Director of Communications for the Wedding Industry Professionals Association national board and the 2016 chair of the NACE education committee. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  The basics of PR, including how PR differs from advertising Pros and cons of styled shoots Submitting real weddings to publications Where to submit - print vs. blogs Building relationships with editors How to determine if you can do your own PR vs. hiring a professional HARO - https://www.helpareporter.com/  Want to connect with Meghan? Instagram: @ofdconsulting / Website: http://www.ofdconsulting.com/ / Email: meghan@ofdconsulting.com 

Featuring Meghan Ely, owner of wedding PR and marketing agency <a href="http://www.ofdconsulting.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OFD Consulting</a>, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores public relations strategies for the wedding industry. From Real Wedding submissions to being identified as an expert in the media, Meghan Ely shares her top tips for getting noticed in the media through means other than paid advertising. About our guest:  OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely, combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of <a href="http://www.ofdconsulting.com/wedding-marketing.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wedding marketing</a> and <a href="http://www.ofdconsulting.com/wedding-public-relations.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wedding PR</a> to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. Meghan is a <a href="http://problog.weddingwire.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WeddingWire Education Expert</a> as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Book More Brides, Wedding Business Magazine, Catersource and <a href="http://SpecialEvents.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SpecialEvents.com</a>. She is an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication department at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in Public Relations. Meghan is the national Director of Communications for the Wedding Industry Professionals Association national board and the 2016 chair of the NACE education committee. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>The basics of PR, including how PR differs from advertising</li> <li>Pros and cons of styled shoots</li> <li>Submitting real weddings to publications</li> <li>Where to submit - print vs. blogs</li> <li>Building relationships with editors</li> <li>How to determine if you can do your own PR vs. hiring a professional</li> <li>HARO - <a href="https://www.helpareporter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.helpareporter.com/</a></li> </ul> Want to connect with Meghan? Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ofdconsulting" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@ofdconsulting</a> / Website: <a href="http://www.ofdconsulting.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ofdconsulting.com/</a> / Email: <a href="mailto:Mailto:meghan@ofdconsulting.com">meghan@ofdconsulting.com</a>

Episode 4: Getting Your Business Noticed Without Paying a Dime

Without a sale, you're not in business, so having a sales strategy is important for any wedding industry business. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with Meryl Snow, who is sharing her sales tips and strategies for the wedding industry, including ways to make your business stand apart from the initial contact. About our guest: With nearly 30 years in the special event and catering industry, Meryl Snow is on a mission to help businesses get on their own path to success. As a Senior Consultant for Certified Catering Consultants, Meryl travels throughout North America training clients in the areas of sales, marketing, design and branding. She speaks with groups from the heart with warmth and knowledge, and covers the funny side of life and business. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Meryl's background in catering and events How important it is to show potential clients how you're different from your competitors so that they aren't shopping by price How asking the right questions to a potential client can increase your sales Following up with clients with new and innovative ideas to upsell  Want to connect with Meryl?  On the web: https://www.merylsnow.com/  Instagram: @merylsnow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowconsultant  

Without a sale, you're not in business, so having a sales strategy is important for any wedding industry business. In this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast, we're chatting with Meryl Snow, who is sharing her sales tips and strategies for the wedding industry, including ways to make your business stand apart from the initial contact. About our guest: With nearly 30 years in the special event and catering industry, Meryl Snow is on a mission to help businesses get on their own path to success. As a Senior Consultant for Certified Catering Consultants, Meryl travels throughout North America training clients in the areas of sales, marketing, design and branding. She speaks with groups from the heart with warmth and knowledge, and covers the funny side of life and business. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Meryl's background in catering and events</li> <li>How important it is to show potential clients how you're different from your competitors so that they aren't shopping by price</li> <li>How asking the right questions to a potential client can increase your sales</li> <li>Following up with clients with new and innovative ideas to upsell</li> </ul> Want to connect with Meryl? <ul> <li>On the web: <a href="https://www.merylsnow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.merylsnow.com/</a> </li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/merylsnow/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@merylsnow</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/snowconsultant" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/snowconsultant</a> </li> </ul>

103: An Upselling Sales Strategy for More Profit

We all know that it's important to have a web presence as a small business owner. But what are the biggest website mistakes that entrepreneurs are making? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a web developer about website nightmares and the easiest ways to avoid them. From slow loading websites, website hacking, and terrible web designers, we're digging into ways to protect yourself from website nightmares! About our guest: Brenda Cadman is a website educator and owns Bon Accord Creative, a website education and web development company based in Charlottetown, on beautiful Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. After spending nearly 20 years supporting small businesses with their websites, she now has a keen interest and focus on empowering wedding industry and other creative professionals to build their website confidence and to learn how to better protect their websites. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Brenda's background in web development and how she began working with wedding clients Why updating Wordpress software and plug-ins is really important for avoiding getting hacked Having a proper backup system in place for your website What you need to know in terms of logins and passwords for your website, hosting accounts, and domain names Tips for avoiding a web developer nightmare Things you should be asking when hiring a web developer  VaultPress (Backups for WordPress)   Siteground (Hosting)   Sucuri (Security Plugin)   iThemes Security Pro (Security Plugin)   Wordfence (Security Plugin)   LastPass (Password Management)  Brenda's website planning guide, including a list of logins you should have: https://BonAccordCreative.com/guide  Want to connect with Brenda?  Online: Bon Accord Creative Instagram: @brendacadman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonAccordCreative/  

We all know that it's important to have a web presence as a small business owner. But what are the biggest website mistakes that entrepreneurs are making? In this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast, we're chatting with a web developer about website nightmares and the easiest ways to avoid them. From slow loading websites, website hacking, and terrible web designers, we're digging into ways to protect yourself from website nightmares! About our guest: Brenda Cadman is a website educator and owns <a href="https://bonaccordcreative.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Bon Accord Creative</a>, a website education and web development company based in Charlottetown, on beautiful Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. After spending nearly 20 years supporting small businesses with their websites, she now has a keen interest and focus on empowering wedding industry and other creative professionals to build their website confidence and to learn how to better protect their websites. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Brenda's background in web development and how she began working with wedding clients</li> <li>Why updating Wordpress software and plug-ins is really important for avoiding getting hacked</li> <li>Having a proper backup system in place for your website</li> <li>What you need to know in terms of logins and passwords for your website, hosting accounts, and domain names</li> <li>Tips for avoiding a web developer nightmare</li> <li>Things you should be asking when hiring a web developer</li> <li> <a href="https://www.vaultpress.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">VaultPress (Backups for WordPress)</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.siteground.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Siteground (Hosting)</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.sucuri.net/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Sucuri (Security Plugin)</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">iThemes Security Pro (Security Plugin)</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.wordfence.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Wordfence (Security Plugin)</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://lastpass.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">LastPass (Password Management)</a> </li> <li>Brenda's website planning guide, including a list of logins you should have: <a href="https://www.bonaccordcreative.com/guide" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://BonAccordCreative.com/guide</a></li> </ul> Want to connect with Brenda? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://bonaccordcreative.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Bon Accord Creative</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/brendacadman" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@brendacadman</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BonAccordCreative/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/BonAccordCreative/</a> </li> </ul>

130: How to Avoid a Website Horror Story

When you're in a creative field, getting clients to trust your vision can be challenging, especially when they can't see the finished product before hiring you. In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with invitation designer and owner of A Fine Press, Matthew Wengerd, who has taken steps to fine tune his consultation strategy to attract clients who are trusting of his creativity, experience, and desire to think outside the box. Regardless of your area of the wedding industry, you're sure to find takeaways from this week's episode to help you narrow in on clients who will trust you with their big day.   About our guest:  You know how NPR has "driveway moments?" Matthew Wengerd makes "mailbox moments." And, while stationery with a wow factor certainly makes an impact, he believes that stationery given as a true gift can last a lifetime. Matthew spent a lot of time and effort pursuing a life in jazz before realizing that the act of creation was what he was really after, and that this act can happen on paper, at a keyboard, or on a press just as easily as it can on the bandstand. In fact, it was a fateful composition and arranging lesson that brought him face-to-face with a certain fountain pen and his future life as an art-minded stationer. He's adamant about giving stationery a second function that keeps it out of the trashcan and might even move it to a place of honor. And he does his best work when he gets to answer the question "what happens if we...." In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Matthew's background and how he became drawn into the world of stationery and invitation design How some clients are naturally more trusting of professionals than others How to identify clients that will be a good fit for the creative work that you do Matthew's philosophy on pre-screening clients prior to going to contract Charging an initial consultation and/or concept fee prior to doing any proposal Creating work for your portfolio vs. creating work for a client  Want to connect with Matthew?  On the web: https://afinepress.com/ Instagram: @afinepress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afinepress YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/afinepress  

When you're in a creative field, getting clients to trust your vision can be challenging, especially when they can't see the finished product before hiring you. In this episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast, we're chatting with invitation designer and owner of <a href="https://afinepress.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">A Fine Press</a>, Matthew Wengerd, who has taken steps to fine tune his consultation strategy to attract clients who are trusting of his creativity, experience, and desire to think outside the box. Regardless of your area of the wedding industry, you're sure to find takeaways from this week's episode to help you narrow in on clients who will trust you with their big day. About our guest:  You know how NPR has "driveway moments?" Matthew Wengerd makes "mailbox moments." And, while stationery with a wow factor certainly makes an impact, he believes that stationery given as a true gift can last a lifetime. Matthew spent a lot of time and effort pursuing a life in jazz before realizing that the act of creation was what he was really after, and that this act can happen on paper, at a keyboard, or on a press just as easily as it can on the bandstand. In fact, it was a fateful composition and arranging lesson that brought him face-to-face with a certain fountain pen and his future life as an art-minded stationer. He's adamant about giving stationery a second function that keeps it out of the trashcan and might even move it to a place of honor. And he does his best work when he gets to answer the question "what happens if we...." In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Matthew's background and how he became drawn into the world of stationery and invitation design</li> <li>How some clients are naturally more trusting of professionals than others</li> <li>How to identify clients that will be a good fit for the creative work that you do</li> <li>Matthew's philosophy on pre-screening clients prior to going to contract</li> <li>Charging an initial consultation and/or concept fee prior to doing any proposal</li> <li>Creating work for your portfolio vs. creating work for a client</li> </ul> Want to connect with Matthew? <ul> <li>On the web: <a href="https://afinepress.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://afinepress.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/afinepress/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@afinepress</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/afinepress" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/afinepress</a></li> <li>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/afinepress" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/afinepress</a> </li> </ul>

Episode 82: Getting Clients to Trust You

Sometimes a client you thought was going to be a perfect fit for your business turns out to not be. If you've ever found yourself in the position of wanting to fire a client, this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast is for you. This week, we're chatting with wedding planner and designer Wendy Kay, who has successfully ended more than one client relationship and is sharing her experience and tips for having done so.  About our guest: Wendy Kay is the owner of Birds of a Feather Events, a boutique wedding planning and design firm that focuses on outdoor and destination weddings and offering their clients a concierge-level experience. Wendy has a background in television production where she produced and directed live television and called the shots - literally! After 8 years of 60 hour work weeks and feeling a disconnect between the subject matter and her clients, the burnout was real.com and she decided she needed a change or she was going to drown. Around that same time she was planning her own wedding, her best friend's wedding, and another friend's sister's wedding, and she was thriving! She had found something that combined the love she still had for her current job, but a whole new creative outlet. She was in her element. When she came home from her honeymoon, she got to work. She paid someone on Etsy a whopping $300 to design her logo, website, and her business cards. She was a real wedding planner, the card said so! She soon realized that planning someone else's wedding is much scarier than planning your own. She knew what she knew, and it was not a lot! She is so thankful for those girls who took a chance on her in the beginning and hired her, but really, what were they thinking? She battled through those first months, still working her 60-hour-a-week production manager job in TV mind you, got some education through the AACWP (which was pretty base-level, and she said needed it), and 8 years later she is still here, so much wiser. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Wendy's background and how she went from producing television to producing weddings How Wendy knew it was time to cut a client loose and how she did it in the early days vs. now What Wendy has learned about pre-qualifying clients and making sure a client is a good fit The steps Wendy has taken to be prepared legally for letting a client go  Want to connect with Wendy?  On the web: www.birdsofafeatherevents.com  Instagram: @birdsofafeatherevents  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Birdsofafeatherevents  

Sometimes a client you thought was going to be a perfect fit for your business turns out to not be. If you've ever found yourself in the position of wanting to fire a client, this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast is for you. This week, we're chatting with wedding planner and designer Wendy Kay, who has successfully ended more than one client relationship and is sharing her experience and tips for having done so.  About our guest: Wendy Kay is the owner of Birds of a Feather Events, a boutique wedding planning and design firm that focuses on outdoor and destination weddings and offering their clients a concierge-level experience. Wendy has a background in television production where she produced and directed live television and called the shots - literally! After 8 years of 60 hour work weeks and feeling a disconnect between the subject matter and her clients, the burnout was <a href="http://real.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">real.com</a> and she decided she needed a change or she was going to drown. Around that same time she was planning her own wedding, her best friend's wedding, and another friend's sister's wedding, and she was thriving! She had found something that combined the love she still had for her current job, but a whole new creative outlet. She was in her element. When she came home from her honeymoon, she got to work. She paid someone on Etsy a whopping $300 to design her logo, website, and her business cards. She was a real wedding planner, the card said so! She soon realized that planning someone else's wedding is much scarier than planning your own. She knew what she knew, and it was not a lot! She is so thankful for those girls who took a chance on her in the beginning and hired her, but really, what were they thinking? She battled through those first months, still working her 60-hour-a-week production manager job in TV mind you, got some education through the AACWP (which was pretty base-level, and she said needed it), and 8 years later she is still here, so much wiser. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Wendy's background and how she went from producing television to producing weddings</li> <li>How Wendy knew it was time to cut a client loose and how she did it in the early days vs. now</li> <li>What Wendy has learned about pre-qualifying clients and making sure a client is a good fit</li> <li>The steps Wendy has taken to be prepared legally for letting a client go</li> </ul> Want to connect with Wendy? <ul> <li>On the web: <a href="http://www.birdsofafeatherevents.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.birdsofafeatherevents.com </a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/birdsofafeatherevents/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@birdsofafeatherevents</a> </li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Birdsofafeatherevents" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Birdsofafeatherevents</a> </li> </ul>

Episode 99: How to End a Client Relationship

Featuring wedding garter designer and long-time blogger Julianne Smith of The Garter Girl, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses blogging for your business, including why to blog and tips to making blogging easier. About our guest:  Julianne Smith is The Garter Girl, a stylish wedding garter design company that began in 2004. The Garter Girl is dedicated to redesigning wedding traditions, helping brides make memories and creating family heirlooms through the art and design of wedding garters. Julianne believes that a wedding garter is a small, but meaningful, way for a bride to celebrate her own personal style. The Garter Girl’s sophisticated wedding garters are designed to be modern heirlooms intended to be cherished for generations to come. Combining her passion for DC, media and weddings in 2010, Julianne started the Washington DC area’s top wedding website, United With Love. Featuring locally helpful wedding planning advice, Julianne built United With Love to be a trusted resource and a well-known brand with thousands of readers every day. She was able to sell United With Love in 2016. In 2016 and 17, Julianne hosted two sold out workshops on how to blog for your business teaching attendees how to blog harder, smarter and faster. The BYOB (Blog Your Own Business) workshop was all about saying "good bye" to blog frustration and confusion and "hello" to blogging with confidence and ease. Julianne recently launched an online course, or webinar teaching blogging skills in a go-at-your-own-pace format where small business owners can finally learn a little bit about SEO and take control of not just their blog, but their entire online profile.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Why blogging is important for your business The ideal length for blog posts SEO tips for Google related to your blog What to blog about for your business Tips for systemizing your blogging  Want to connect with Julianne? Website: http//www.thegartergirl.com/  Instagram: @gartergirl Pinterest: The Garter Girl Email: info@thegartergirl.com

Featuring wedding garter designer and long-time blogger Julianne Smith of <a href="https://thegartergirl.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Garter Girl</a>, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses blogging for your business, including why to blog and tips to making blogging easier. About our guest:  Julianne Smith is The Garter Girl, a stylish wedding garter design company that began in 2004. The Garter Girl is dedicated to redesigning wedding traditions, helping brides make memories and creating family heirlooms through the art and design of wedding garters. Julianne believes that a wedding garter is a small, but meaningful, way for a bride to celebrate her own personal style. The Garter Girl’s sophisticated wedding garters are designed to be modern heirlooms intended to be cherished for generations to come. Combining her passion for DC, media and weddings in 2010, Julianne started the Washington DC area’s top wedding website, <a href="http://www.unitedwithlove.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">United With Love</a>. Featuring locally helpful wedding planning advice, Julianne built United With Love to be a trusted resource and a well-known brand with thousands of readers every day. She was able to sell United With Love in 2016. In 2016 and 17, Julianne hosted two sold out workshops on how to blog for your business teaching attendees how to blog harder, smarter and faster. The BYOB (Blog Your Own Business) workshop was all about saying "good bye" to blog frustration and confusion and "hello" to blogging with confidence and ease. Julianne recently launched an online course, or webinar teaching blogging skills in a go-at-your-own-pace format where small business owners can finally learn a little bit about SEO and take control of not just their blog, but their entire online profile.  In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Why blogging is important for your business</li> <li>The ideal length for blog posts</li> <li>SEO tips for Google related to your blog</li> <li>What to blog about for your business</li> <li>Tips for systemizing your blogging</li> </ul> Want to connect with Julianne? Website: <a href="https://http//www.thegartergirl.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http//www.thegartergirl.com/ </a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gartergirl/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@gartergirl</a> Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/gartergirl/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Garter Girl</a> Email: <a href="mailto:info@thegartergirl.com">info@thegartergirl.com</a>

Episode 29: Blog It Like It's Hot

Most small businesses fizzle before hitting their five year anniversary, and the wedding industry is no different. With vendors coming and going, how do you become one of the more tenured folks that sticks around and continues to thrive? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with Katie Easley of Kate Ryan Design, who is sharing her tips for having a career in the wedding industry that lasts. From networking to furthering your education, Katie tells it like it is and shares her best advice for making it for the long haul. About our guest: Leading floral stylist and event designer Katie Easley of award-winning Kate Ryan Design set out with one goal: to create joy for her clients. And she did just that, establishing Scottsdale-based Kate Ryan Design, combining her interior design background with her love of florals. Thanks in part to her roots in corporate interior design, Katie quickly grew her small business to sales of over a quarter of a million dollars a year, catching attention of the Society of American Florists, who honored her as ‘Marketer of the Year’ in 2012. This accolade launched her consultancy and since then, Katie has worked with small businesses throughout North America on their sales prospecting, growth strategy and client experience.  Ultimately, her goal is to help others grow by defining the value they bring to the marketplace, so that they can close more sales with their ideal clients. Katie is a regular fixture on television, and her worked can be seen in the pages of Grace Ormonde, Modern Luxury Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times, among others. She is the immediate past president for WIPA Phoenix, and an acclaimed industry speaker. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Katie's background in interior design and wedding planning, and how that led to her current passion of floral and event design Why networking never gets old and continues to be important throughout your career Katie's tips for being well connected in the industry, and not just through social media Katie's easy tips for connecting with other vendors in your market prior to an event The importance of communicating to vendors who used to refer you, but are not doing so any longer  Want to connect with Katie?   Online: https://www.kateryandesign.com/  Instagram:  @kateryandesign   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kateryandesign  

Most small businesses fizzle before hitting their five year anniversary, and the wedding industry is no different. With vendors coming and going, how do you become one of the more tenured folks that sticks around and continues to thrive? In this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast, we're chatting with Katie Easley of Kate Ryan Design, who is sharing her tips for having a career in the wedding industry that lasts. From networking to furthering your education, Katie tells it like it is and shares her best advice for making it for the long haul. About our guest: Leading floral stylist and event designer Katie Easley of award-winning <a href="https://www.kateryandesign.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Kate Ryan Design</a> set out with one goal: to create joy for her clients. And she did just that, establishing Scottsdale-based Kate Ryan Design, combining her interior design background with her love of florals. Thanks in part to her roots in corporate interior design, Katie quickly grew her small business to sales of over a quarter of a million dollars a year, catching attention of the Society of American Florists, who honored her as ‘Marketer of the Year’ in 2012. This accolade launched her consultancy and since then, Katie has worked with small businesses throughout North America on their sales prospecting, growth strategy and client experience.  Ultimately, her goal is to help others grow by defining the value they bring to the marketplace, so that they can close more sales with their ideal clients. Katie is a regular fixture on television, and her worked can be seen in the pages of Grace Ormonde, Modern Luxury Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times, among others. She is the immediate past president for WIPA Phoenix, and an acclaimed industry speaker. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Katie's background in interior design and wedding planning, and how that led to her current passion of floral and event design</li> <li>Why networking never gets old and continues to be important throughout your career</li> <li>Katie's tips for being well connected in the industry, and not just through social media</li> <li>Katie's easy tips for connecting with other vendors in your market prior to an event</li> <li>The importance of communicating to vendors who used to refer you, but are not doing so any longer</li> </ul> Want to connect with Katie? <ul> <li> Online: <a href="https://www.kateryandesign.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.kateryandesign.com/</a></li> <li> Instagram:  <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kateryandesign/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@kateryandesign</a> </li> <li> Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kateryandesign" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/kateryandesign</a> </li> </ul>

112: The Key to Achieving Longevity in the Events Industry

It's a new year, and that means a fresh start, new goals, and an opportunity to make headway with better habits. While setting goals seems basic, there are some proven strategies that give you a greater chance for success. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding photographer and educator Lin Pernille who has a passion for annual goal setting. Not only will you hear the interesting story of how Lin's enthusiasm for goals began, but you'll also learn some of her best practices for creating goals that you'll want to stick with. About our guest: Lin Pernille is a wedding photographer, videographer, and educator based in Hudson Valley, NY, just north of New York City. She specializes in vibrant, natural, and cheerful weddings, proposals, and events.   Lin is known for her upbeat, high-energy personality, meticulous attention to detail, and her ability to capture the mood of every event. Her work has been featured on HuffPost Weddings, Westchester Wedding Planner, Zola, How They Asked, and many more.   She also teaches workshops &amp; courses to photographers &amp; small business owners of all levels, and has taught at Creative at Heart Conference, The Rising Tide Society, Toms Guide, She Creates Business, and Focused Podcast.   When she’s not shooting, editing, or teaching, Lin is probably trying out a new keto recipe, redecorating her house, or hiking a new trail with her boyfriend Corrado.  In this episode, listeners will hear about:  How Lin got started with photography and when she quickly transitioned to weddings  Lin's background that made goals such a priority for her family Best practices for writing out your goals, including the SMART goals method as well as Lin's signature DOPE goals. Some of the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals and how to avoid them Lin's tips for keeping your goals top of mind throughout the year Lin's FREE goal setting workbook at www.linpernille.com/TWIW  Want to connect with Lin?  Online: www.linpernille.com and www.linpernilleeducation.com Instagram: @jlinpernille  This episode of This Week In Weddings is sponsored by Honeybook.

It's a new year, and that means a fresh start, new goals, and an opportunity to make headway with better habits. While setting goals seems basic, there are some proven strategies that give you a greater chance for success. In this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast, we're chatting with wedding photographer and educator Lin Pernille who has a passion for annual goal setting. Not only will you hear the interesting story of how Lin's enthusiasm for goals began, but you'll also learn some of her best practices for creating goals that you'll want to stick with. About our guest: Lin Pernille is a wedding photographer, videographer, and educator based in Hudson Valley, NY, just north of New York City. She specializes in vibrant, natural, and cheerful weddings, proposals, and events. Lin is known for her upbeat, high-energy personality, meticulous attention to detail, and her ability to capture the mood of every event. Her work has been featured on HuffPost Weddings, Westchester Wedding Planner, Zola, How They Asked, and many more. She also teaches workshops &amp; courses to photographers &amp; small business owners of all levels, and has taught at Creative at Heart Conference, The Rising Tide Society, Toms Guide, She Creates Business, and Focused Podcast. When she’s not shooting, editing, or teaching, Lin is probably trying out a new keto recipe, redecorating her house, or hiking a new trail with her boyfriend Corrado. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>How Lin got started with photography and when she quickly transitioned to weddings </li> <li>Lin's background that made goals such a priority for her family</li> <li>Best practices for writing out your goals, including the SMART goals method as well as Lin's signature DOPE goals.</li> <li>Some of the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals and how to avoid them</li> <li>Lin's tips for keeping your goals top of mind throughout the year</li> <li>Lin's FREE goal setting workbook at <a href="http://www.linpernille.com/TWIW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.linpernille.com/TWIW</a></li> </ul> Want to connect with Lin? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="http://www.linpernille.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.linpernille.com</a> and <a href="http://www.linpernilleeducation.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.linpernilleeducation.com</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/linpernille" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@jlinpernille</a></li> </ul> This episode of This Week In Weddings is sponsored by <a href="https://www.honeybook.com/invites?code=q4ANo" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Honeybook</a>.

145: Goal Setting for a New Year

The term ghosting may have started with the rise of online dating, but no doubt every wedding professional has been ghosted by a potential client at one point or another. You meet with a couple, think it went really well, send a quote, and... nothing. Why does this happen? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Beth Bernstein about this ghosting phenomenon and what she's seen in the industry. While we don't know if there's any real solution to the ghosting practice, it's nice to know we're not alone!   About our guest:  After nearly a decade working at Chicago’s top advertising agencies, followed by several years planning events for non-profit organizations, Beth Bernstein launched Sine Qua Non: Special Events, LLC. in May 2009. The name Sine Qua Non is a Latin phrase that translates to "indispensable or essential ingredient." That is what Beth has become to the couples she has guided through the wedding planning process over the past nine years. SQN Events has quickly risen to become one of Chicago's leading wedding planning companies, and Beth is well respected amongst her peers as a leader in the industry. Beth received Wish Upon a Wedding’s “Shining Star” award for 2012. Beth has spoken at the University of Chicago, Roosevelt University, WeddingWire World, and several industry events to inspire people who want to pursue careers in the wedding industry or those who want to take their current businesses further. Beth produced an industry conference, Toss the Bouquet, from 2013-2016, bringing in national speakers to educate her peers and colleagues, emphasizing community over competition. She currently serves as President of the Chicago chapter of WIPA (Wedding International Professionals Association). Beth has been a contributor to the Equally Wed blog, Huffington Post Weddings, and more. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines and blogs, including: Carats + Cake, Destination I Do, Elizabeth Anne Designs, Inside Weddings, The Knot, Modern Luxury Weddings, Style Me Pretty, and more. When she’s not working, you can find Beth at a coffee shop, Shred 415 or SoulCycle, volunteering, or screaming her head off at her son’s hockey games. Beth resides in Chicago with her husband and two children, Zoe and Jason. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Beth's background and how she went from advertising agency to the wedding industry What ghosting means in terms of wedding inquiries Beth's personal experience with ghosting What she learned when asking other wedding industry vendors about their ghosting experiences Ways wedding vendors are ghosting themselves without even realizing it  Want to connect with Beth?  On the web: http://sqnevents.com/ Instagram: @sqnevents Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SQN.Events  Twitter: @sqnevents 

The term ghosting may have started with the rise of online dating, but no doubt every wedding professional has been ghosted by a potential client at one point or another. You meet with a couple, think it went really well, send a quote, and... nothing. Why does this happen? In this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings</a> podcast, we're chatting with wedding planner Beth Bernstein about this ghosting phenomenon and what she's seen in the industry. While we don't know if there's any real solution to the ghosting practice, it's nice to know we're not alone! About our guest:  After nearly a decade working at Chicago’s top advertising agencies, followed by several years planning events for non-profit organizations, Beth Bernstein launched <a href="http://sqnevents.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Sine Qua Non: Special Events, LLC</a>. in May 2009. The name Sine Qua Non is a Latin phrase that translates to "indispensable or essential ingredient." That is what Beth has become to the couples she has guided through the wedding planning process over the past nine years. SQN Events has quickly risen to become one of Chicago's leading wedding planning companies, and Beth is well respected amongst her peers as a leader in the industry. Beth received Wish Upon a Wedding’s “Shining Star” award for 2012. Beth has spoken at the University of Chicago, Roosevelt University, WeddingWire World, and several industry events to inspire people who want to pursue careers in the wedding industry or those who want to take their current businesses further. Beth produced an industry conference, Toss the Bouquet, from 2013-2016, bringing in national speakers to educate her peers and colleagues, emphasizing community over competition. She currently serves as President of the Chicago chapter of WIPA (Wedding International Professionals Association). Beth has been a contributor to the Equally Wed blog, Huffington Post Weddings, and more. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines and blogs, including: Carats + Cake, Destination I Do, Elizabeth Anne Designs, Inside Weddings, The Knot, Modern Luxury Weddings, Style Me Pretty, and more. When she’s not working, you can find Beth at a coffee shop, Shred 415 or SoulCycle, volunteering, or screaming her head off at her son’s hockey games. Beth resides in Chicago with her husband and two children, Zoe and Jason. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Beth's background and how she went from advertising agency to the wedding industry</li> <li>What ghosting means in terms of wedding inquiries</li> <li>Beth's personal experience with ghosting</li> <li>What she learned when asking other wedding industry vendors about their ghosting experiences</li> <li>Ways wedding vendors are ghosting themselves without even realizing it</li> </ul> Want to connect with Beth? <ul> <li>On the web: <a href="http://sqnevents.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://sqnevents.com/</a></li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/SQNevents/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@sqnevents</a></li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SQN.Events" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/SQN.Events </a></li> <li>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SQNevents" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@sqnevents</a></li> </ul>

Episode 86: Getting Ghosted by Potential Clients

As a busy entrepreneur, it can be incredibly difficult to do all the things. And when you're working IN your business, you're likely not taking a strategic role and working ON the business. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with an entrepreneur who hired full-time employees to replace himself in the daily operations so that he could take a more strategic role and pursue other business interests.  About our guest: After a brief stint in the entertainment industry, Jake Anderson discovered his passion for lighting design and the rest was history. He founded Lighting Professors in 2012 with the intention to transform events around Central Virginia through careful and innovative lighting design. Since then, Lighting Professors has grown by leaps and bounds and Jake has had the opportunity to grow his team and move to a 2,000+ square foot warehouse. This shift has allowed him to take a step back and maintain his role as strategic manager, while developing his newest endeavor, FêteTech, with the goal of providing technology solutions that eliminate friction for event professionals everywhere. In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Jake's background and how he went from booking talent to DJ'ing to lighting professional Why Jake decided to replace himself in his own company How Jake oversees his company while living three hours away from the business Jake's suggestions for business owners who might want to step away and take a more strategic role  Want to connect with Jake?  Online: https://fetetech.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fetetech  Instagram: @fetetech_inc 

As a busy entrepreneur, it can be incredibly difficult to do all the things. And when you're working IN your business, you're likely not taking a strategic role and working ON the business. In this week's episode of the <a href="http://www.thisweekinweddings.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">This Week In Weddings podcast</a>, we're chatting with an entrepreneur who hired full-time employees to replace himself in the daily operations so that he could take a more strategic role and pursue other business interests.  About our guest: After a brief stint in the entertainment industry, Jake Anderson discovered his passion for lighting design and the rest was history. He founded Lighting Professors in 2012 with the intention to transform events around Central Virginia through careful and innovative lighting design. Since then, Lighting Professors has grown by leaps and bounds and Jake has had the opportunity to grow his team and move to a 2,000+ square foot warehouse. This shift has allowed him to take a step back and maintain his role as strategic manager, while developing his newest endeavor, FêteTech, with the goal of providing technology solutions that eliminate friction for event professionals everywhere. In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Jake's background and how he went from booking talent to DJ'ing to lighting professional</li> <li>Why Jake decided to replace himself in his own company</li> <li>How Jake oversees his company while living three hours away from the business</li> <li>Jake's suggestions for business owners who might want to step away and take a more strategic role</li> </ul> Want to connect with Jake? <ul> <li>Online: <a href="https://fetetech.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://fetetech.com/</a> </li> <li>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fetetech" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/fetetech</a> </li> <li>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fetetech_inc/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">@fetetech_inc</a></li> </ul>

115: Creating a Big Picture Role for Yourself

This week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast is all about expecting the unexpected. When it comes to running a small business in the wedding industry, we rarely think about the "what if" -- what happens if we get sick, if there's a death in the family, if our spouse is ill and we become caretakers? While these are all things we never think will happen to us, it never hurts to be prepared. In this episode of the podcast, we're diving into one wedding entrepreneur's journey when her husband experienced a health crisis resulting in multiple brain surgeries. Our guest, Kelly Simants, not only shares her story with This Week In Weddings listeners, but gives advice on how to be prepared for when the unexpected arises.  About our guest:  Kelly Simants, serial Entrepreneur, has been in the wedding industry since 2001. She has created a full life-cycle of brands – from proposal planning for guys (Planning for Dudes), to wedding planning (Sweet Pea Events in Dallas, Seattle and NYC), to birthday parties for kids (Parties on the Porch)…She also was co-owner of Sage Wedding Pros for 7 years along with Michelle Loretta, and consulted wedding professionals on all things business – specifically, creating business plans and consulting with entrepreneurs on the HR side of their small business. She loves to share her expertise, not only the event industry, but also from the business world as prior to her event life she was a Director of Human Resources for Starbucks Coffee Company. In 2016, she passed the Dallas office of Sweet Pea Events on to Meaghan Cody as she returned to the Human Resources field and is now the Vice President of Human Resources for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Outside of dreaming up new businesses and non-profit work, Kelly loves to spend time with her family – husband Chris, two boys Carson (8 years old) and Cole (3 years old). In this episode, listeners will hear about:  Kelly's two-year journey with her husband's health issues How Kelly managed her businesses during this personal struggle The best thing Kelly did in building her businesses that helped make stepping away from her businesses easier What Kelly wishes she would have done differently to prepare for the unexpected Insurance every type of entrepreneur should have 

This week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast is all about expecting the unexpected. When it comes to running a small business in the wedding industry, we rarely think about the "what if" -- what happens if we get sick, if there's a death in the family, if our spouse is ill and we become caretakers? While these are all things we never think will happen to us, it never hurts to be prepared. In this episode of the podcast, we're diving into one wedding entrepreneur's journey when her husband experienced a health crisis resulting in multiple brain surgeries. Our guest, Kelly Simants, not only shares her story with This Week In Weddings listeners, but gives advice on how to be prepared for when the unexpected arises.  About our guest:  Kelly Simants, serial Entrepreneur, has been in the wedding industry since 2001. She has created a full life-cycle of brands – from proposal planning for guys (Planning for Dudes), to wedding planning (<a href="http://sweetpeaevents.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sweet Pea Events</a> in Dallas, Seattle and NYC), to birthday parties for kids (Parties on the Porch)…She also was co-owner of <a href="http://sageweddingpros.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sage Wedding Pros</a> for 7 years along with Michelle Loretta, and consulted wedding professionals on all things business – specifically, creating business plans and consulting with entrepreneurs on the HR side of their small business. She loves to share her expertise, not only the event industry, but also from the business world as prior to her event life she was a Director of Human Resources for Starbucks Coffee Company. In 2016, she passed the Dallas office of Sweet Pea Events on to Meaghan Cody as she returned to the Human Resources field and is now the Vice President of Human Resources for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Outside of dreaming up new businesses and non-profit work, Kelly loves to spend time with her family – husband Chris, two boys Carson (8 years old) and Cole (3 years old). In this episode, listeners will hear about: <ul> <li>Kelly's two-year journey with her husband's health issues</li> <li>How Kelly managed her businesses during this personal struggle</li> <li>The best thing Kelly did in building her businesses that helped make stepping away from her businesses easier</li> <li>What Kelly wishes she would have done differently to prepare for the unexpected</li> <li>Insurance every type of entrepreneur should have</li> </ul>

Episode 31: Expecting the Unexpected

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