Weddings For Real

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin gives 3 actionable sales tips for incoming inquiries that you can try right now.  The wedding industry is currently in the midst of a wedding boom, and it's time for you to start turning more inquiries into paying clients. Sales Tips for Wedding Planners This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors

As wedding pros, we’re dealing with a lot of stressful situations, and we need to be at our best when dealing with all of them. In some respects, being calm under pressure comes with years on the job, but even us season pros (and I’m definitely raising my hand here) can get stressed out and nervous. So what can we do?  Well, what better person to talk to about this than a former Olympian turned wedding planner Jessica Gelder with Shine Events in Scottsdale Arizona. Jessica on Instagram: @ShineEventsAZ @TheConfidentPlanner This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more.

The release of this episode marks the 11-year anniversary of Megan running her wedding planning business, A Southern Soiree. She's made every mistake and learned every lesson in those 11 years, and today she gives tips for whatever stage of business you're in - the foundation, the messy middle, and the expert.  Resources mentioned: Episode 143: Do You Need a Workcation? Yes You Do Episode 111: 10 Lessons from 10 Years in Business Episode 92: You Down with SOPs? This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (alon

When you think about marketing your business with Facebook, most of us look at what kind of content we should be posting, whether or not to boost, whether or not Facebook ads work, and how much live video we should be putting out. But the fundamental goal is getting in front of more couples who need exactly what it is you do, right?  Well, Margaux Fraise is here to tell us that that's exactly what Facebook Groups provide! Course: Accelerate Your Wedding Biz with Facebook Groups (Don't forget to use code WFR37) Wedding Summit Series - Design Edition Margaux's previous appearance on Weddings for Real - Impactful Gifting Strategies This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, before we can experience love, we need to feel safe and secure.  But with racial unrest, homophobia, a pandemic, and the "do we only invite guests who are vaccinated?" debates, unfortunately sometimes our couples and guests, and even us as vendors - we actually don't feel safe at all.  As wedding vendors, part of our job is to provide guidance and clear communication to our couples and guests that make them feel safe and secure… yet sometimes we just don’t have all the answers. Beth Kramer, wedding planner based in Portland Oregon Latest info on pandemic wedding planning Altared This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have b

On this solo episode, Megan Gillikin dives into all things workcations - what it is, who you should go with, what you can accomplish, and next steps to getting started. For her, The Planner's Vault all started with a workcation and baby goats - and now it's time for you to get your big idea off the ground as well. Resource mentioned - Tips to Combat Overwhelm for Wedding Pros This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it

You probably started your business because you had a special passion or a superpower. Maybe you were amazing at logistics so you became a wedding planner. Or you knew how to get people on the dance floor so you became a DJ. But most of us didn’t start your business because we were passionate about entrepreneurship. We’re all kind of accidental entrepreneurs - who make a lot of mistakes! So we talked to Kunbi Odubogon, business lawyer, mistake maker, and accidental entrepreneur as well!   KunbiO.com LegallySet.com Perfete.com This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and mor

If you’re in the wedding industry, there's a high probability that you're a people pleaser. But as much as we want to take care of our clients 24/7, we also want to take care of our kids, our partners, our friends, and our mental and physical well-being.  So if I can’t be working on our clients at all times, how can we amaze and delight them?  How can we underpromise and overdeliver?  LynneReznickPhotography.com | @lynnereznickphoto The Wedding Client Experience Academy This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industr

Do you ever find yourself working your butt off, just go go go, working weddings, fixing problems, moving the business forward...and then you never stop to think why you’re doing all these things?  Is it because you want to be the best vendor in your category? Is it because you like working with your clients? Is it because you like building teams?  Or have you just been doing it without really knowing why? Today, Gurminder Banga from Banga Studios shows us how to slow down and look inside ourselves. Gurminder's time blocking course This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience,

We've all seen it happen - ego and pride get in the way of the best wedding experience. And it's not just from the couples or their parents. As wedding vendors, sometimes we think we know what's best for the couples instead of truly listening to what they want. Today, Leah Weinberg talks about how we can get past that ego and pride, and truly find a place of empathy for their wedding journeys. Color Pop Events The Wedding Roller Coaster Color Pop Events on Instagram | Facebook Episode 70: Do's and Don'ts of Styled Shoots This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more.

Do you feel like you’re on the way to achieving your goals and making the money you deserve?  Or...is there something holding you back? Maria Bayer is a sales & mindset strategist, coach & wealth builder. She is the creator of Irresistible Selling – a transformational program and community that helps wedding business owners create a million dollar mindset, stand confidently in their worth, and book high-paying clients they love. Links: bit.ly/amazonmaria bookaclientchallenge.com Learn Collaborate Flourish Facebook Page Maria on Instagram This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Cl

Enneagram. For a better understanding of people we work with, people we're in relationships with, and most importantly, a better understanding of ourselves. We've covered the basics before on episode 87, but today, we’re going a little bit deeper - does your personality come from nature or nurture, if it’s ingrained in you from childhood, how there are healthy and unhealthy versions of each type, and most importantly, how you can use this information to grow your business. Kristen Edwards Free Masterclass, MAKE MORE MONEY USING THE ENNEAGRAM   This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client

What are some of the challenges you're running into when marketing your business? For many of the wedding pros I talk to, it’s that there are just so many different places that you could spend your time and money - is it in social media? Which platforms? Is it in networking? Is it paid media like Google ads? Is it redesigning your website? Is it Clubhouse? Maybe you want to think about who your ideal client is and where they tend to show up. But then….how do you figure out who your exact client is? Heidi Thompson's Book More Weddings Summit Evolve Your Wedding Business The Evolve Your Wedding Business Podcast   This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out o

We have been podcasting for over 3 years now! Crazy but true, we dropped our first 5 episodes on April 4th, 2018. Over the years, we get asked a lot of questions around podcasting, all related to how can someone leverage their business by using podcasting. Well, Jason and I have a lot of lessons to share! Earfluence | Website | Instagram | Linkedin This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested

Take a moment to reflect on your business - are you working a job that pays your bills? Or are you building a company? Either answer is ok, but for those of you who want to scale your company to one day have the option to sell it or have someone else be the face of your business, we have some actionable tips from Donald Thompson - angel investor, mentor, CEO...and someone who has sold companies because he’s figured out a way to scale. Connect with Donald Thompson on LinkedIn Donald Thompson Podcast The Diversity Movement Donald Thompson on Instagram This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The C

We all have different sales styles - what works for one wedding pro might be different than what works best for you. And it’s those different selling styles that we need to lean into so we can turn our baseline personalities into our selling superpowers.  But look out, each selling style has a blindspot as well that we need to be aware of.  Wonder what your style is? Sam Jacobson, Ideaction Consulting Episode 73: The 4 Buyer's Types Episode 115: Tips for Improving Your Wedding Consultations This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to

You all know the reasons why to focus on Pinterest - it’s great to generate traffic to your website, it’s another platform to get in front of potential couples, and it’s a way to network with other vendors when you’re engaging with or sharing their work.  While Pinterest can be amazing, it can also be confusing. Enter Pinterest expert Gabby Pinkerton. Gabby's Pinterest e-course for wedding pros. Episode 80: It's Time to Stop Neglecting Pinterest   This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazi

Over the past year, with the wedding industry in shambles, Don Mamone has come up with a new outlook on his professional life - People First, Then Profit. Today on the show, Don talks about what relationship marketing means to him and why he's on a mission to #StopTheDoubleTap. People First, Then Profit Weekly Zoom This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for

Today we're sharing a few minutes of a new podcast, Hustle + Gather, with my friends Courtney Hopper and Dana Kadwell. It’s about the realness of running a business - how no one understands you except other entrepreneurs, tension between partners (in marriage and in business), doing all the non-glamorous things at all hours, paying yourself the least of your employees...it’s not all sunshine and rainbows as you know and thats what they tackle in each episode. Listen to more Hustle + Gather on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts.

Sarah Miller and Nichole Holmes are the hosts of Netflix's new show, Marriage or Mortgage, where couples have to choose whether they want to spend their budget on a down payment on a house or a big wedding.  They have a hard decision to make, and today, we’re sharing both sides of the debate with Sarah and Nichole! Sarah's company is Southern Vine & Co, and you can follow her on instagram @SouthernVineCo. If you're looking to buy or sell a home in the Nashville area, follow Nichole @NicholeHolmesRealty. This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission wit