This Week In Weddings

Just like every episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we love to showcase entrepreneurs with a story to tell, and this episode is no different. It's not often that we have a chance to have a casual conversation with someone who has started a movement, but that's just what we're doing this week on This Week in Weddings! Featuring the CEO and Founder of the non-profit, The Birthday Party Project, this week's episode of the show all about giving back, making a change, and creating something new. Paige Chenault shares her story about how she went from being a wedding entrepreneur to the leader of a non-profit in this week's episode of This Week In Weddings. About our guest:  Paige Chenault has been an entrepreneur in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. In 2005, Paige started an event planning company, Paige Chenault Events. Over the years, Paige created a strong brand while sticking to her core values and giving her clients her best-always advocating on their behalf, being a good steward of their

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 a

Featuring destination wedding photographer Shannon Skloss Alexander of Shannon Skloss Photography, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses destination weddings and tips for expanding your business into the destination market. About our guest:  Available for both local and worldwide weddings, portraits and elopements, Shannon Skloss Alexander has spent the past 8 years capturing the love stories of couples in Dallas and beyond. Being a hybrid photographer (film & digital), she prides herself on open, quick communication with clients and accepts a limited number of weddings per year in order to ensure a high level of service and personalization. She embraces her company by offering her clients a boutique photography experience. Having traveled as far as Bora Bora, Shannon is ready for any romantic journey you may have in mind. The passport is always ready! She has shot over 300 weddings, and now averages about 30-40% destination per year In this episode, listeners will hear about: Tip

Featuring Shea Bailey of Wedding Industry Rescue, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses tips for using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve your websites rankings on Google. About our guest:  Shea Bailey is the co-owner of Wedding Industry Rescue along with his wife Cheryl. Shea is the analytical half of the team and specializes in helping wedding professionals improve their websites viability in the search engines. He accomplishes this by consulting with them on their SEO and Google Analytics. In this episode, listeners will hear about: The basics of Search Engine Optimization How Google searches websites for keywords and links Tips for using key words on your website Tips for using photos on your website to help with your rankings Why mobile is so important for Google rankings http://backlinko.com/ Google mobile friendly test: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly https://weddingindustryrescue.com/google-analytics-webinar/ Want to connect with Shea? Website: https:/

Featuring wedding photographers Tanya and Cesar Perez of Perez Photography, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses tips for working with your spouse. About our guest:  Cesar and Tanya are a husband and wife photography team based in Dallas. While photographing weddings for over 10 years with calmness and flexibility, they’ve mastered the art of photographing what truly matters.  Merging their expertise in commercial and wedding photography they’ve been able to produce images that are refreshingly contemporary, boasting vivid colors, magazine-worthy composition and capturing timeless moments. In this episode, listeners will hear about: How this husband and wife team divide their responsibilities Tips for keeping your married life and business life separate How communication is key when working with your spouse Want to connect with Tanya and Cesar?  Website: www.perezweddings.com  Instagram: @perezweddings

Featuring Jill Efrussy Sour, owner of custom invitation design company Stamped Paper Co., this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses the transition many entrepreneurs make when going from working in an office environment to going solo. About our guest:  Jill Efrussy Sour is the owner of Stamped Paper Co., a full-service invitation and paper design studio. Before working in weddings, Jill spent eight years as an Advertising Agency Art Director, designing print ads, billboards, catalogs, retail stores and tv commercials for everything from Chick-fil-a to luxury cruise lines. She worked at agencies large and small, and lastly, with over 700 co-workers at the largest independent ad agency in the world. Her foray into the wedding industry came a decade ago, when Jill worked in a new medium, designing the wedding invitations for her dear friend. She spent years working nights and weekends, and the occasional lunch hour, turning her new hobby into a blooming side business, and in 2011, took the lea

Featuring Morgan Montgomery, co-owner of specialty rental company Paisley & Jade, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast discusses getting into public speaking as a business owner. About our guest:   A New England native, Virginia resident, and lover of all things modern, clean-lined and loud, Morgan discovered her passion for unique and vintage finds as she designed and propped shows while working towards her B.A. in Theatre from The College of the Holy Cross. With years of sales and customer service experience behind her, she spent three years in the trenches of the off-premise catering world before co-launching Paisley & Jade, a specialty rental company serving the Mid-Atlantic, in 2012. Morgan’s passion for business and events extends beyond the walls of P&J, and she loves to share her knowledge through the Paisley & Jade specialty rental coaching program and by speaking at national conferences such as NACE Experience, The Special Event, and The School of Styling.Morgan’s perso

Featuring psychologist and executive coach Dr. Camille Preston, this episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast digs into the art of saying no and the importance of setting boundaries for entrepreneurs. About our guest:  Dr. Camille Preston is a psychologist, executive coach, inspiring speaker, and the author of two books, Rewired and You, Optimized. For more than twenty years, she has been touching audiences around the world through lectures, workshops and coaching sessions. Camille has a phenomenal track record for supporting business executives, policy makers, and individuals in their quests to tackle new challenges and achieve increasingly ambitious goals. Working with organizations as diverse as General Electric, Harvard University and the U.S. Army, she has honed an ability to help individuals reach their peak wherever they are at in their career cycle and whatever their pursuits. But her approach does more than help people optimize their performance at work. Camille is also committed to helping her

Featuring Beth Berk, National Director of Sales at M&M Special Events, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores the art of business relationships for growing your business and brand. About our guest:  Beth Berk has been in the special events industry for over 20 years. She has been with M&M Event Rentals during her entire career, and has built the business with her husband Scott and his family into one of the top 10 largest rental companies in the United States, according to Special Events Magazine. She has served on various industry committees and boards, including ILEA, NACE, MPI, and has received local and national awards for events that she has been a part of or has produced. M&M now has rental stores in Illinois, Kansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas and is considered one of the foremost leaders in the special events business. A Chicago native, Beth has experience on both sides of an event. She has been in the event rentals business and an event planner for 8 years. When the opportunit

In this casual episode of This Week in Weddings, Kimberly and Annie review the first 20 episodes of the podcast, sharing their favorite moments from each. If you haven't listened to all the podcast episodes to date, this is a great episode to listen to. You just might find a new favorite or be reminded to re-listen to a previous guest.

Featuring Natalie Franke, co-founder of The Rising Tide Society, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores the movement of fostering community over competition and building your tribe. About our guest:  Natalie Franke Hayes is an entrepreneur, mobilization marketer, community builder, and neuroscience nerd. As one of the Founders of the Rising Tide Society and the Head of Community at HoneyBook, she leads tens of thousands of creatives and small business owners while fostering a spirit of community over competition. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two dogs, consumes copious amounts of coffee every day, and enjoys traveling to new cities with a camera in hand. In this episode, listeners will hear about: The Rising Tide Society - what it is and how it started The new water cooler Creating a community of your peers Dealing with haters as your business grows bigger The importance of "showing up" for your friends and peers Want to connect with Natalie? Website: http://www.risingtidesociety

Featuring photographer Stephen Karlisch, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores the longevity of a wedding business with a business owner of 19 years. About our guest:  Capturing the energy, emotion and elegance of some of the countries greatest events, Stephen Karlisch has seen it all from behind the lens. Savoring the moments as they come, and documenting them for future generations to enjoy, he has become part historian and part family member to clients who trust his vision, patience, and thoughtfulness with any situation. With over 17 years experience as a wedding photographer, and many more as a commercial and editorial photographer, Stephen has been widely recognized across the Country as one of the best choices for crafting a volume of honest imagery from any event. Since branching out in 1998 with his wife Kristen to start Karlisch Photography, Stephen has traveled the world photographing hundreds of weddings and events. His work is often published, and he has been featured in Town & Coun

Featuring Chef Mark McDaniel of ReMARKable Affairs Catering, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores using networking groups as a marketing strategy and referral source. About our guest:  Mark McDaniel has been in the restaurant and food industry over half his life. As someone always passionate about people, Mark consistently found himself around an environment in helping others. Mark perfected his service skills while learning from many great talents.  Mark is the owner and executive chef of ReMARKable Affairs Catering and Café. For the last 15 years, Mark has focused on what has brought him this far: service, attention to detail and commitment. His clients most appreciate that Mark and his company is willing to and often does exceed their expectations. In this episode, listeners will hear about: The ins and outs of networking groups Tips for one-on-one meetings Using networking groups as a referral source Want to connect with Mark Website: http://www.remarkableaffairs.com/ Facebook: @ReMARKableA

Featuring attorney Betsy Butwin of Bernick Lifson, this episode of This Week in Weddings explores the various types intellectual property (such as a trademarks, service marks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets), and the importance of implementing them in your business.  About our guest:  Betsy Butwin is an experienced Minnesota intellectual property attorney with Bernick Lifson. She works with business and corporate clients in the wedding and event, music, scientific, technology, marketing, branding, arts, literary and additional creative industries.She helps entrepreneurs launch their businesses, draft and negotiate contracts, and protect, manage, and license their intellectual property. Betsy really enjoys her many opportunities for public speaking on legal topics to various creative communities as well as the legal community. Prior to moving back home to Minneapolis to practice law, she worked for record labels in New York City, including Atlantic Recording Corporation and E1 Music (formerly, Koch Rec

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 & 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 antic

Featuring Jolie Oree-Bailey, owner of catering company Low Country Quisine, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses the challenges and best practices for building a team of employees. About our guest:  Enjolik “Chef Jolié” Oree-Bailey began noticing that all social event invitations extended to her were prefaced with, "Can you make that shrimp salad" or "Can you make us macaroni and cheese?" These requests began to make her question whether it was her company that was welcome or her dishes! In 2007, Jolié finally decided it was time to succumb to her heart’s passion, thus Low Country Quisine by Jolie' Ramize was born! Fast forward to today, Low Country Quisine is celebrating 7 years in business with growth year over year, recently doubling the size of their commercial kitchen, adding 5 new full-time employees in 2015 and has become an industry-leading caterer well-known for their authentic approach to Upscale Southern Comfort Food. Today, Low Country Quisine specializes in catering for Weddings, Socia

Featuring Julian Leaver, owner of The Dapper Diplomat, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses basic principals of etiquette for the event industry, including before, during, and after an event. About our guest:  Julian Leaver is the owner of The Dapper Diplomat. Certified as a Wedding Planner through the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners and as a Certified Protocol Officer through The Washington School of Protocol his firm focuses on celebrations, etiquette and style worldwide.  He is the former Area Director of Catering Sales and Events for Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and Rosewood Crescent in Dallas, Texas. His 13 year career in hospitality, event planning and etiquette have touched every facet of the industry from luxury hotels to corporate etiquette training to large scale wedding & event production.  In his spare time Julian enjoys traveling and volunteers his time to charitable organizations such as The Birthday Party Project, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, The Dallas M

Featuring Lauren Kitchens, owner of Fancy Cakes by Lauren, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses the process of managing a wedding business during the personal struggle of divorce. About our guest:  Dallas wedding industry bakery owner, Food Network champion, international cake instructor, veteran on-line cake instructor, inventor of her personal line of cake tools, and public speaker… Lauren Kitchens has done it all. In 2002, she founded Fancy Cakes by Lauren Kitchens, a boutique wedding cake bakery in Dallas, and quickly became the most sought-after cake artist in the North Texas wedding market.  With over 500 clients a year, she and her small staff of artists design each cake to the clients’ needs, from elegant wedding cakes to mind-blowing sculpted designs. Lauren was a competitor and multiple gold medal winner on the popular Food Network Challenge TV show, where one of her winning cakes was hailed by the judges as “The best cake ever made on Food Network.” Though her success and mastery of her

Featuring Nikki Nuckols, owner of Doodle Dog Creative, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses website basics and design for the wedding industry. About our guest:  Iowa girl turned Texan, Nikki Nuckols, started boutique Design and Development agency, Doodle Dog Creative after working at various corporate ad agencies as a designer, project manager and marketing strategist.  Starting in 2010 as a one-woman-show, Doodle Dog was born to help small businesses find their brand personalities, design identities and create effective websites. Today, Doodle Dog consists of a team of dedicated designers, programmers and strategist who have launched nearly 300 small business websites and brands and who come to work every day to create personality filled design, packed full of purpose. Nikki, her husband Tommy, their two children Colton and Olivia and their giant husky dog, Ringo can be found anywhere where there is sunshine, music, and cold beer.  In this episode, listeners will hear about: The must-have pages

Featuring Sam Jacobson, owner of Ideaction Consulting, this episode of This Week in Weddings discusses the four types of struggling points of growing businesses. About our guest:  Sam Jacobson gets results for solopreneurs, small-business owners and emerging nonprofits with Ideaction Consulting. He focuses on directly applying best-practice models to getting things done for his clients, rather than just telling them what others have done to get better or how to find an improved work-life balance.   Before striking out on his own, Sam led Todd Events as the Director of Operations for two years in the luxury markets of Dallas and Houston, Texas. Prior to that role, he directed lodging and event operations for Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island in Washington for nearly a decade. In this episode, listeners will hear about: Sam's four personas for businesses - Starting, Struggling, Stuck, and Stretched The characteristics of each stage What you can do to get out of the stage you're in Want to connect with Sa