Weddings For Real

We all want to know - how can I have better rankings on Google so more couples come visit my website?  The answer of course is a little SEO (search engine optimization), but that seems complicated - unless Sara Dunn from Sara Does SEO is explaining it.  And today, Sara shares her 3 Step SEO Checklist specifically for wedding pros. Sara's SEO Bootcamp, March 22nd through 25th.   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

Have you ever woken up to find your website gone?  Every other site on the web works except for yours, and then you realize - you have absolutely no idea how to fix it or who to call. It's the stuff business nightmares are made of, and Brenda Cadman is on the show today to tell you how to avoid this - and other potential disasters with your website.   Brenda is the owner of Bon Accord Creative and the founder of the Online Tech Society. On the show, Brenda mentioned a ist of recommended requirements for hosting companies regarding backups. Your website host should have at least 30 days worth of daily backups have backups stored on a server separate from your website be able to store your backups fully (i.e. no storage limits that would prevent your full backup storage) include all files and databases enable you to restore backups yourself make it easy for you to restore a backup She also mentioned the "Canva & Websites Made Simple" Facebook group, which is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlinetechm

Kinsey Roberts (She Creates Business Podcast) and I first heard about community over competition from Natalie Franke of the Rising Tide Society. In theory, it makes a lot of sense. if we can all help each other - in support, in education, in successes and failures - a rising tide lifts all boats.  But is that the reality in the wedding industry?  Are we really supposed to be rooting for our competition when they’re potentially getting the clients and deposits that we want?   This episode is 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

Wedding venue coordinators are likely to be your number one source for referral business.  So why aren't they referring you right now?  Megan asked venue coordinators throughout the country why they refer planners (or not) - and shares the inside information.   This episode is 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 are currently closed for The Vault

As an industry in 2020, we had some pretty major legal issues. With events being delayed, we all had to look back at our contracts and wonder: Are we able  to keep all of the deposits? What other money are we entitled to? Can we charge more for postponing the weddings?  How do we protect ourselves from this in the future? It was chaos, and we don’t want it to happen again. Girija Patel tells us how to tighten up. GBPLaw.com YourContractBuddy.com Law Chat with Girija   This episode is 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 (a

Any wedding planner - including your competition - can put together an amazing event if they have enough budget to work with. So what sets you apart? What makes you special?  Today, Megan gives 6 potential superpowers and discusses how you can lean into yours.   This episode is 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 are currently closed for The Vaul

Hey there, I’m Megan Gillikin, and this podcast is for fellow wedding pros that know what it really takes to thrive as a professional in the wedding industry, because it’s NOT what they show you in the movies. spoiler alert, It takes more than the wave of a wand or the toss of confetti to take someone's special day from BIG idea to BIG success. But you knew that… in each episode I talk with other wedding industry experts to get real world tested advice on ways to better your business on the back end so that we can celebrate more on the front end.  I’ve been referred to as a fairy godmother extraordinaire that can make the seemingly impossible happen but the reality is that I’ve been in the wedding industry for 15+ years, I’m a business consultant and international speaker, and a mom of three and so, it goes without saying I’ve seen some things and like many of you, I've mastered the rare art of coordinating chaos with a smile on my face, a coffee in my hand and gel inserts in my shoes.  This podcast is a wed

2020 was a year like none other, but there were many silver linings and hidden blessings throughout the chaos.  Today, Megan and Jason Gillikin talk about wins, fails, and goals for 2021.   This episode is 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 are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the do

You know that competitor in your market you just can't stand? The one that you're always up against, and you take business away from each other? What if you decided to collaborate with them to build an elite superstar team?  Would you ever do that?  Well today you'll hear from James x Schulze, two photographers who combined their talents to grow both professionally and creatively, and they’re talking all about what they’ve learned from the collaboration. This episode is 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 a

What are your daily habits?  Do you wake up early? Do you read? Do you journal? Unless you pressed the wrong button, I’m guessing you might listen to podcasts? Well, I’m trying to improve myself every day, and daily habits are something I’m working on. I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I’m thriving off of being a work in progress.  Today we're joined by Kim Montoya from Twenty 156 Events, who gives us actionable tips to making the most out of your day by building habits.   This episode is 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 ind

Do you have a circle of trust?  A proverbial board of advisors?  I do and it’s made up of a diverse group of people from my life who each know me in a different way and who I trust and respect their voice as someone I want to hear their insight on when it comes to decisions within my business. Their input throughout my career and my professional growth has been invaluable, and I encourage you to find your board of advisors too.  On this episode, I’m going to let you know who should - and who shouldn’t - be on your board.   This episode is 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

Do you suffer from squirrel brain?  Symptoms include not being able to get $h!t done because your mind is wandering off in so many different directions on calls you need to make or emails you need to send or big picture ideas or whatever else that’s on your mind and all of a sudden you’ve wasted your time not getting anything done at all.  I suffer from squirrel brain, and if you’re running a business or in the wedding industry, my guess is you could be a victim as well. But Brandee Gaar is here to help with time blocking and productivity tips.   This episode is 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 Ex

Today we're talking to Braden Drake, who describes himself as "your gay best friend, but also an attorney who's going to help you with your taxes." Braden somehow manages to make a boring (yet super-important) topic actually interesting, and gives us 3 mistakes we're probably making with our cash flow and taxes. On the show, you'll hear about Braden's upcoming masterclass, "SETTING UP YOUR CASH FLOW, TAXES, AND LEGALITIES FOR 2021", which is Tuesday November 10th at either 12PM EST or 3PM EST, and you can sign up at BradenDrake.com/Masterclass. Also, if you’re a planner and wanting to make some intentional changes to your inquiry and consultation process as well as your package offerings, this workshop is designed for you.   This is two hours of live instruction and then a live Q&A. The link to sign up is bit.ly/plannerpricingworkshop.   This episode is 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 com

Join me on this solo episode where I give you 8 quick and easy (yet important and impactful) tips to audit your website, just in time for engagement season.   This episode is 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 are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open. Weddings for Real

Today we’re talking all about inclusive language - what to say and what not to say in what has historically been a very bride centric, straight, thin, pretty, white, and rich industry. As Taylor Griffith from Lemon Tree Editorial points out, that’s not what the world looks like, so it’s time to make some changes - on our websites, on our social media, in our contracts, and even in our speech. On the show, you'll hear about a collaborative workshop from Sam and Megan - Packages and Pricing for Wedding Planners: How to Build Bundles at the Right Prices, on October 15th at 8:30pm ET.  If you’re a planner and wanting to make some intentional changes to your inquiry and consultation process as well as your package offerings, this workshop is designed for you.   This is two hours of live instruction and then a live Q&A. The link to sign up is bit.ly/plannerpricingworkshop.   This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to

Today we’re talking to Sam Jacobson from Ideaction Consulting about the sales process, how to empathize with your clients right now and what you should NOT be doing when it comes to the initial consultation….and Sam’s going to be sharing some easy actionable shifts you can make ASAP.  If you remember, Sam was on the podcast back in 2019 for one of the fan favorites, Episode 73, The Four Buying Types.   On the show, you'll hear about a collaborative workshop from Sam and Megan - Packages and Pricing for Wedding Planners: How to Build Bundles at the Right Prices, on October 15th at 8:30pm ET.  If you’re a planner and wanting to make some intentional changes to your inquiry and consultation process as well as your package offerings, this workshop is designed for you.   This is two hours of live instruction and then a live Q&A. The link to sign up is bit.ly/plannerpricingworkshop.   This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow,

Join me on this solo episode where I give you 7 tips for balancing it all - life, business, family, personal pursuits. We're all works in progress, and no one has figured it out, but I have some ideas that can help.   This episode is 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 are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be t

Today we're sharing an episode previously published on the She Creates Business Podcast with Kinsey Roberts. From SCB: I'm honored to welcome back to the podcast, my friend and fellow podcaster, Megan Gillikin. Megan and I have recently had many, hard, and truthful conversations about what owning a business and being entrepreneurs have cost us. What we want to do differently in the years ahead and what is REALLY important to us and how we'd like to be remembered. (hint: we don't want to be remembered as the best planner and venue owner ever).  It's a conversation that I don't feel is had often enough. We start businesses and "grind it out" for years and many seasons before we take the time to look around at where we are and oftentimes, it's not where we WANT to be. In this episode, we're going to talk about the big "Myths of Entrepreneurship," what is actually true and what is not. We share personal experiences from our lives running businesses in the wedding industry and what our choices have cost us.  We a

It’s August 2020, five months removed from our two-week pause that we were supposed to have in March.  That’s about half of your year that has probably gone up in flames, and let’s be honest, you’re probably not going to meet your goals for 2020.  So what are you doing about it? What’s your pivot? What are some new ways that you’re growing your business?  Dixie Bagley from Rome Georgia has 8 businesses, all in the hospitality industry, and we’re going to talk about what you can do to diversify through this pandemic. Weddings for Real is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, a membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there will be 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

The Planner's Vault Reopen Webinar Have your wedding planning goals gone up in flames in 2020? Come join me Wednesday, Aug 5th at 8:30 pm EST for a free training on How to Stay Alive & Thrive During The Most Important Engagement Season of Your Career Despite Pandemics, Cancellations, & Reschedules - YIKES! On this webinar training (sign up at https://www.theplannersvault.com/survive2020) you'll discover the answers every wedding planner needs to know, including: * 3 different pivots that you may not have even thought of that can bring in money for you RIGHT NOW. * How you can still network and get on preferred vendor lists even during a pandemic. * Some easy ways to shift your mindset from fear of failure that's holding you back to FOCUSING ON The SUCCESS YOU Deserve. * How Planner’s Vault members and others in the wedding planning community are booking new clients and even raising their prices in 2020.   Sign up here:  www.theplannersvault.com/survive2020