This Week In Weddings

Getting all the things checked off the to do list, staying focused for extended periods of time, and wrapping up at a decent hour feeling completely accomplished and successful... sounds like a perfect work day, right? But most entrepreneurs aren't running their businesses that way and could take small steps to make each day more productive. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're talking to a business coach lets us in on how block scheduling can be game changing for productivity, focus, and intention. About our guest: Heather Vickery is an award-winning business owner and global leader with over 20 years as an entrepreneur. She leverages her entrepreneurial skills and expertise to coach individuals towards greater personal and professional fulfillment by helping them leverage their fear into intentional bravery. Heather says “When we choose bravely, on purpose, we choose bigger, have bigger successes and it’s contagious. A celebrated public speaker, Heather inspires audiences and

It's certainly not uncommon for weddings to be planned by more than one person – bride and groom, bride and mom, groom and groom, bride and her bff! And when you're a wedding pro trying to sell, it's challenging to know who you need to actually sell to. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with Sam Jacobson about the best ways to sell when there are multiple people in the room, checking out your website, and potentially reading your email responses. About our guest: Sam Jacobson helps event pros book more couples with science-backed sales approaches honed over 15 years in the wedding industry. He focuses on how to guide the buyer’s journey, discover couples’ real needs, and create sales proposals that sell themselves. Sam’s led companies in venues, catering, planning, design, décor, and floral. He’s personally responded to thousands of inquiries, and booked hundreds of couples for millions in revenue. He knows how and why couples make decisions. Sam founded Ideaction fo

In this casual episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, Kimberly, Annie and Lance chat about the episodes from 2020 that they are most thankful for. If you haven't listened to every single episode, this quick catch-up will point you in the direction of the episodes that have been the most impactful for the trio so far this year.

Weddings are so personal. And in business, we have the choice to focus on the transaction of booking clients or the relationship we're building and experiences we're creating. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a DJ who has made a shift from playing a numbers game to an experience and relationship game. Listen in as we hear how making that shift has given him more job satisfaction than ever before. About our guest: Dan is a Dallas-based DJ, Musician & Educator who specializes in weddings and creating very personal entertainment experiences for clients.  With a background in engineering and international sales, Dan left his tech career in 2014 to throw himself 100% into music and events, and has since found himself doing things he hadn’t thought of at the time. In addition to helping produce 40-50 weddings and a handful of other events each year, Dan is a Pro Educator for The Knot Worldwide, a Columnist for DJ Times Magazine, has been an invited speaker and p

Being an excellent accountant might not be one of your biggest strengths, especially for those of us who consider ourselves creatives. But if you're running a business of any sort, you have to at least understand your numbers and not be afraid to look at them! In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with stationer turned business coach about a few simple steps wedding industry entrepreneurs can take to get more comfortable with their books. With the end of the year quickly approaching, now is a great time to become BFFs with your books. About our guest: Emily Roach, the founder of Biz BFF, is a community leader, speaker, business coach, and professional best friend. Through her online community and group coaching program, The Hive, Emily empowers small business owners to show up authentically, think creatively, and act courageously to make their wildest effing dreams come true! When she’s not teaching her rule-breaking business and marketing strategies to entrepreneurs al

When the pandemic began causing the shutdown of weddings and events across the country, many of us thought it would be a short-term situation. Not having new wedding images to post on social media seemed like no problem... for a few months. But those few months have turned into nearly nine. How can wedding industry entrepreneurs still showcase their talent on social media without current wedding images? In this week's episode, we're chatting with a marketing expert about the best way to stay active on social media in spite of the lack of new images to show off. About our guest: Aleya Harris, CPCE is the founder and owner of Flourish Marketing, an agency dedicated to helping wedding, catering, and event professionals reach their full potential through fresh, cutting-edge marketing strategies that get and keep a consistent stream of clients. She is a firm believer that business owners should make good money doing what they love and she spreads this message through her role as a thought leader in the industry.

"A rising tide lifts all ships" the saying goes, and in entrepreneurship, that means surrounding yourself with people who will help you improve and grow while also challenging you. An accountability group can do just that. If you've heard the term before but don't exactly know what an accountability group entails or how to start one, this week's episode is one you won't want to miss. We're chatting with two members of a wedding industry accountability group that credit their peers for not only supporting them in business, but helping them grow theirs. About our guests: Beth Bernstein is the owner and creative director of SQN Events in Chicago. Beth founded SQN in 2009 and along with a push from and the support of her accountability group, added a small weddings arm, Essential I Dos, in 2020. Valerie Gernhauser is a New Orleans based wedding planner for ten years. She owns three companies: Sapphire Events, Ruby & Pearl Events, and Minimal Matrimony, and is also a wedding industry educator for profitable p

Just when you think you have Instagram mastered, they change it up! The new Reels feature launched in August of 2020, and just like all things social media, there's a bit of a learning curve to figuring out how to make it work for you. But we're here to help! In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting all about Instagram Reels, how to use it, and how it's different from Stories and the feed. About our guest: Millie is an Online Educator and YouTuber who teaches entrepreneurs the latest strategies and trends on social media to help them skyrocket their brand.  Millie has been studying the creative space for a little over 10 years now. Applying the concepts she's learned from being a real-life Project Manager in the corporate world and now growing and managing her own personal brand the past three years, Millie has found her passion in helping others create stability, structure & strategy within their business. From landing brand collaborations to figuring out the ever-evol

Who would have thought way back in 2019 that virtual events would be a thing? You guys... it's a thing, and they don't seem to be going away anytime soon. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about virtual events, some tips to know if you're trying to take them on, as well as what vendor categories in the wedding industry are best suited to get in on the action.  About our guest: Amy Nichols has been planning bespoke weddings and celebrations for over a decade. Born and raised on an avocado and lemon farm in Southern California, she has always had a love of nature, design and entertaining! After graduating from Middlebury College, she began her career in finance in New York City and quickly realized that passion for celebrating life’s moments could be a rewarding and fulfilling profession. From there, she made her way back to California and founded Amy Nichols Special Events, where her affinity for details and welcoming personality have earned her a sterling reputation.

Getting found by potential buyers is key for any business, and the wedding industry is no exception. Being in business means being a marketer, and in this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting all about marketing, what it means, and tips for doing it successfully. Our guest is not only in the wedding industry, but joined it with an extensive background in the corporate world and an MBA. Listen is as she shares her advice for marketing your business effectively. About our guest: Courtney Wolf is Invision Event’s principal planner and a founder of Educate | Empower | Encourage, a private, members-only online learning community for high achieving creatives - the dreamers and the doers. A business and life coach wrapped up in a wedding planner’s body, she's been dubbed a “personal trainer for your small biz” and a “small business therapist”. Her background includes a degree in Marketing as well as her MBA and with this lens she views our industry objectively and runs all things oper

Owning a wedding business right now is certainly not as profitable as it used to be. With events postponing and cancelling and fewer new bookings coming in, many wedding industry entrepreneurs are looking at their finances wondering if it's the time to get a "real job." In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding photographer who has done just that in order to sustain her family during the rough patch that is a pandemic. Listen is as she shares her story and gives advice on making this tough decision. About our guest: Tracy Autem is the owner and photographer of Tracy Autem & Lightly Photography. She is often described as talkative, transparent, emotionally invested and joyful. She lives in Texas with her hubby JW and their 3 kids: Alexander, Gideon, & Josephine. She loves to go on adventures and her house is full of laughter (and noise!) Her business is built on the value of relationships and lifting up those around her. This passion is reflected in her

The events industry is all about creating the pretty. But let's be honest... things aren't so pretty right now. With events postponing and canceling and most vendors seeing fewer inquiries coming in than in years past, being in the wedding industry right now is no joke. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with floral designer and event production guru Jes Gordon about the changes to her business in light of Covid. She's sharing her open and honest opinions and best advice for the event industry to move forward. About our guest: Jes Gordon’s namesake company jesGORDON/properFUN, provides high end, personal event design and management with loads of signature style.  Her first book, Party Like A Rock Star (Globe Pequot Press), provides everyone with the tools they need to throw the party of their dreams, regardless of their budget. Gordon was the Design Mentor on Bravo’s “Rocco’s Dinner Party.”  Each week, Gordon aided the competing chefs in creating a memorable dinner pa

With fewer events taking place in 2020, wedding industry entrepreneurs have more down time than normal. And for so many of us who thrive when we're overly busy, staying productive when things are slower is a challenging task. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a time management expert about her top tips for staying productive and motivated during this slow season.  About our guest: Elizabeth Grace Saunders is the founder and CEO of Real Life E a time management coaching company that empowers individuals who feel guilty, overwhelmed and frustrated to feel peaceful, confident and accomplished. She was named one of the World's Top 30 Time Management Professionals in 2018, 2019, and 2020. McGraw Hill published her first book The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success with Less Stress. Harvard Business Review published her second book How to Invest Your Time Like Money. FaithWords published her third book Divine Time Management. Elizabeth

Depending on where you live, micro-weddings may be the only option in your area. Or... a bash for 400 guests might still be a thing! Not only are the rules all over the place, but a wedding pro's personal beliefs on whether live events should be taking place during a pandemic certainly make the situation even more difficult. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding planner about her thought process on moving forward with events both before and after testing positive for Covid-19 and her experience sharing the news with others she potentially exposed, including clients just days away from their wedding. About our guest: With over 10 years of event industry experience, Molly is as bubbly as she is committed to event planning excellence. Her extensive experience in components ranging from floral design and catering, to AV and live show design have equipped her to produce exceptional parties on behalf of her clients. She has executed five-star events across th

We talk about SEO constantly when it comes to getting your business seen on the internet, but so many small businesses are not taking advantage of the free business listing with Google My Business. Even if you have created a listing on Google, when was the last time you updated it, added more current photos, and created FAQs? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a Google My Business pro about the features of the free listing and what steps every business owner should be taking to make this free service work for you to get exposure for your company. About our guest: Amanda Tento is the owner and founder of THE DETERMINED MOM and ONLINE MARKETING FOR MOMS.COM! She lives with her husband, Bert, and their three daughters in Lacey, Washington. Amanda was determined to be a work at home mom as soon as she possibly could when she found out the had a third daughter on the way, she had to find a way not to go back to her 9-7 managing a credit union branch. She loved the

If you've been on Facebook or Instagram at all in the last few years, you've undoubtedly come across an online quiz. Who doesn't want to know which Disney princess they are?!? But have you ever considered creating your own quiz in order to generate leads for your wedding business? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding photographer who is doing just that and successfully bringing in leads every single day using online quizzes targeted at her ideal client. About our guest: With over 6 years of experience photographing intimate weddings, Katie Doherty has traveled from upstate New York to Bali to Tuscany to document unique love stories. Run Away Together, an elopement photography studio based in Los Angeles, emerged from Katie's desire to work with unconventional, romantic couples who are up for an adventure. Katie adores photographing elopements because they are often a no fuss, no muss approach to getting married. Couples have described her images as nos

You've probably heard the term Enneagram before. But what the heck is it? And how can you use it to better yourself, your relationships, and you business? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with an Enneagram expert and business coach about the Enneagram, what it is, and the different types and what they mean.  About our guest: Teresa McCloy is the creator of the REALIFE Process®, Keynote Speaker, Podcaster and a Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, as well as Accredited Enneagram Professional. Teresa partners with her clients as a coach, consultant, and professional speaker to FORGET being productive and do what truly matters. As a recovering workaholic who was addicted to all the latest apps, software, and best-selling books on productivity, Teresa is passionate about helping business owners assess their habits and execute a process to take their everyday, ordinary life to something extraordinary in their REALIFE, REALWORK & REALSELF.

Being an entrepreneur means always striving to improve yourself and your business. Sure, you could put yourself through business school or sign up for every educational conference available. But want to expand your knowledge in a way that’s easier and a lot less expensive? Pick up a book! Business leaders all over the world credit books for expanding their perspective and furthering their education. Are you taking advantage of the plethora of business books available at your fingertips? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with an industry veteran turned business coach about the best books for your wedding business. About our guest: Since graduating from The University of Texas at Austin over 20 years ago, Debby has always been a Coach and an Entrepreneur, in some form or fashion. During and after college, she was a physical education teacher and coached competitive athletes on the volleyball court. In 2000, she decided to shift gears and work in the floral and event de

Running a successful wedding industry business can be all consuming. And for many of us, it becomes our life! But the imbalance of work and personal priorities can wreak havoc, especially when it comes to relationships. Are you balancing both well? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with an industry veteran about her personal journey as a working mom and the fallout she suffered when her work, her marriage, and her children weren't perfectly prioritized. Listen in as she shares what she would have done differently as she looks back. About our guest: Joann Gregoli is the owner of Elegant Occasions by JoAnn Gregoli, a global event planning and production company. She is the author of the Knots Guide to Destination weddings and has planned weddings for many high profile clients and celebrities around the world.  She has appeared on Good morning America, Today Show and CBS  morning show. She was named as Modern Bride top destination wedding planner. Besides running a su

Even if you've had a rock solid contract from day one of your business, there is very likely something that you will want to revisit based on the sudden occurrence of a worldwide pandemic. With events being postponed and cancelled, are you protected? Contract addendums? Liability release forms? Force majeure? There's so much to know, and in this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with an attorney (who just so happens to have experience in the wedding industry) all about contracts in light of current events. About our guest: Hard work, passion, success and tireless support for others. In less than 4 years, Wynne started two successful businesses and at just 30 years old, she successfully sold one of them to devote her energy to a legal niche, The Creative's Counsel®. The business she sold... a wedding planning company. Yes, this lawyer was a wedding planner first and foremost, with floral design as a talent as well. If you ask her, she may entertain dabbling here and there,