For Real: Life, Leadership, & Unlearning

Earlier last year, my life changed when I was officially diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I always felt that my brain functioned differently than others - I would forget things easily, I would try to complete 7 different tasks at the same time, I would leave a slime trail as my mom would say, and my brain could never shut down even when it was time rest or be “off the clock”. It turns out, I'm not alone. Less than 20% of adults with ADHD are even aware they have it, and only about a fourth of those who do know are getting treatment for it.So today, we're talking to an entrepreneur who was recently diagnosed with ADHD as well, and a licensed mental health counselor who can tell us not only medical information about ADHD, but also what we can do in our every day lives to work best with it.Carissa Kruse (@carissakruseweddings) provides photography, videography, DJ, and floral services to her couples, and coaching to fellow wedding pros. Dr. Amy Teumer (@amyteumer) is a mental health counselor who has been practicing for 17 years and now offers mindset and business coaching.---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today we're navigating a topic that can cause quite a few of us to squirm: our relationship with money. But I’ve got good news, this won’t be one of those discussions that stresses you out. Instead, you’ll laugh, learn, and leave feeling more empowered to take action based on what you learn about yourself. So are you a spender, saver, avoider, or do you find yourself playing the financial martyr? And are you different personally and professionally? Let's find out from fractional CFO Shanna Skidmore.Blog Posts:My Monthly Money Workflow // How I organize my business finances!The Five Numbers Every Business Needs to Know!Marriage & Money: How to become a team in your finances3 Tips for Talking about Money with your PartnerThe 397 Challenge: this is a 3-day challenge that digs into personal finance for business owners and a preview of Shanna's personal finance course, Blueprint at Home. Consider the Wildflowers Podcast---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today and for all of July, we’re going to do something a little different here. Instead of Weddings for Real, where the content is for wedding pros specifically, this series in July is about life in general. Life for Real. The things that happen, the way that we show up as entrepreneurs, all of the things that we're carrying and the mental load that comes along with it. We have some great guests lined up, including today's guest, mindset and growth strategy coach Hannah Abad, founder of Prime Collaborative.---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Three of my favorite episodes - and our most popular - are the ones where we had a chance to ask engaged couples exactly what they’re looking for in vetting their wedding vendors (episodes 48, 94, and 211). Well today, we’re talking to a brand strategist who also knows what couples want - because she just went through an engagement herself. She's Emily Foster, and she's sharing the yays and nays of how you may be portraying your business and attracting your ideal clients.Emily Foster Creative | instagram | Emily's Elevated Website Checklist---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

We are all juggling a lot of things and wearing quite a few hats in our day-to-day lives. If you feel like you’re drowning in your to-do list or feeling pulled with how to divide the hours you have within a way- then this episode is for you. We’ll dive into what it looks like to be a multi-passionate entrepreneur, why a common myth in our industry is causing stress for many entrepreneurs and we’ll chat about some highly actionable productivity tips!Our guest is Katy Murray, who has a lot going on - full-time HR manager, photographer, wife, mom, host of the Ginger Biz Podcast, founder of a virtual assistant business, and paper products creator.---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Our guest today is an absolute legend in the wedding industry, the one and only Lynn Easton. Her resume alone will blow you away- she’s the owner of Easton Events where she produces 8 ultra-luxury events per year, plus she co-owns several properties including Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards in Charlottesville VA and Zero George Street boutique hotel in Charleston SC. Lynn has some hot takes on what wedding pros need to do - not just to make it, but to be the best in your market while avoiding burnout. Lynn's 25 years of industry secrets in one course---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

I've heard you loud and clear - you're overwhelmed by all the wedding pro educators out there, and you're not sure who to listen to and what to do. What could be valuable learnings wind up leaving you frustrated and paralyzed. So what can you do about it? Join me today for five tips on how to identify who to listen to and what content you should be consuming to help you take your business to the next level.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

It's time to talk about content strategy, which I know can feel super overwhelming. You feel the pressure to create content and show up basically everywhere…. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, podcasts, blog posts, newsletters, and other places we're not even aware of. How do you do all of that? And then, what about all the AI resources like Chat GPT that can be helpful but a little scary - how do we leverage those to maximize the impact of our content?Let's find out from today's guest, Davey Jones (Davey and Krista, Till Agency, Brands That Book Podcast).Episodes ReferencedMegan on the Brands That Book Podcast---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

If you’ve been in the wedding industry for really any length of time, you’ve probably had a nightmare client or two who sucked the life out of you and left you questioning whether or not you want to be in this crazy industry. I get it, I too have been there and have the t-shirt, the gray hairs, the extra wrinkles and the negative review to show for it. In our industry, we have a ton of pressure to deliver an exceptional experience for each and every client and we sometimes find ourselves working with clients that have unrealistic expectations when it comes to budget, communication, work output, and more. But if you’re coming across those soul-sucking clients too often, it might be time to ask yourself, “Is it them? Or is it me?” Maybe it’s time to make some changes in your business to avoid those calamities.Now if it’s truly them, the next questions become, “How do I know when it’s time to fire “THAT” client? And how would I do it?" The Planner's Vault's Gina Johnston and I have done it before - tune in to find out how we tackled this awkward situation.Episodes Referenced178: 6 projects for your intern, with Gina Johnston43: Wedding Industry Hiring and Onboarding with A Southern Soiree's Gina Johnston154: How to shift your business to meet Amazon-addicted couples, with Michelle Loretta62: How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

It's Terrica. It's wedding industry hot takes part 2. No need to say more.Part 1Terrica's $9/mo Wedding Pro Workshop---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

It's Terrica. It's wedding industry hot takes. No need to say more.---Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today we bring back Jason Gillikin, my partner of 13 years and fellow entrepreneur. Life gets pretty hectic when you're growing businesses, raising kids, and trying to stay connected to each other. So what are some speed bumps we've faced and lessons learned along the way? Episodes Mentioned:82 and 83 with couples' therapist Christian CharetteToday's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

How can we guide our potential clients to take that next step? Maybe they see our Instagram post or TikTok or our website, or maybe even an ad on TheKnot. And when they do, how can we take them from seeing copy we’ve put out there, and then jump to the next level? Today's guest, Lucy Bedewi, has some copy writing tips for us.My Write Hand Woman | Find Your Brand Voice QuizThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

One of the most challenging questions I get asked in my coaching conversations is, “When do I know when it’s time to add to my team?” If you’re hiring a team member, how do you know what position do you hire for? And is it even possible to hire someone to sell for you?And even when you have all the information and you’re ready to make a move, how do you find the right person?It’s not an easy decision to make but let’s help you figure out your next steps in today's episode with Sales Uprising's Kelly Ann Peck.Sales Uprising | InstagramThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

If I was on stage at Wedding MBA in front of hundreds of your peers, and I chose your website to display on the big screen, how would you feel? Would you be proud? Would you feel like your website images, design, and copy fits your brand? Or would you feel at least a little dread and shame because you know it’s time for a brand refresh?Branding isn’t easy, but as you evolve as a business owner, so too does your brand. So today, we’re talking about a four step strategy for having a brand that books.Carry Love Designs | Take the QuizThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today we're celebrating five years of the podcast (!), so it's time for a fun and reflective episode on five truthbombs every business owner needs to hear.Episodes Mentioned:120: The 4 People You Need in Your Circle of Trust202: Navigating Education Overwhelm for Wedding ProsThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Neillie Butler, owner and executive planner of Mariee Ami, an event production company that brings multi-day celebrations to life, no matter the destination, scale, or complexity.For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara Margulis184 with Andrea Eppollito188 with Ashlyn Carter191 with Kristen Mullins aka "The Pie Lady"193 with Rachel DeAlto197 with Sandra Cassios208 with Brian GreenThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Planner's Vault doors are open! Come join us!----Recently I was a guest on The Women’s Social Club Podcast, a women supporting women community and membership with 15 locations including New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC. Some of you have heard my journey before, but one thing I noticed when listening to this episode is that I have the tendency to keep myself small, and I consider this one of my biggest challenges I’ll continue to tackle day by day - but it’s those voices of support in my life that push me to reach my potential. Now I have the opportunity and privilege to be the support system and cheerleader for so many in our community - and I don’t take that for granted. I believe that there are far too many amazing entrepreneurs out there who show up, serve so many, make a difference, and yet they continue to play it small. I hope this interview inspires you to stop getting in your own way. Great success is waiting on the other side. ---"I used to call my business my baby - it was my first baby before my actual babies. And I've really scratched that from the way that I describe my business because I think it's a toxic view. That means I can't leave it."LIVE from the University Club in Durham NC, wedding industry icon Megan Gillikin joins us to share her journey of building her wedding planning business, selling it, and pivoting to coaching and consulting.In this episode, you'll learn:How Megan bought A Southern Soiree - and how it wasn't the experience she thought it would beHow burnout affected her mindset, and how she grew from thatHow podcasting has opened doors for coaching, consulting, and mentoring wedding professionalsHow she found her passion for b2b with The Planner's VaultResources:The Planner's Vault | Weddings for Real Podcast | Megan on InstagramOther episodes you'll enjoy:Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, with Kiara RuthLIVE On-Site at Glasshouse RTP, with Owner Sara AbernethyHow the Women's Social Club Came to BeThe Maxwell's Chelsea Hand on Building a Venue During the PandemicConnect with WSC:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenssocialclub/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWomensSocialClub/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/The_WSC_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/the-womens-social-club/Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating hereCome join The Women's Social Club (locations in Raleigh, Atlanta, Boston, Central North Carolina, Charlotte, Chicago, Jacksonville Florida, Memphis, New York, and Wilmington North Carolina, with locations launching soon in Austin, Charleston South Carolina, Washington DC, Denver, Miami, and Nashville). And if you don't see your location, Start a Chapter!Hosted by The Women's Social Club CEO Hannah Weisberg, The Women's Social Club Podcast is produced by Earfluence.

When analyzing your own website, you want to ask yourself:Does it pass the caveman test where the user knows in 5 seconds what you do, how it will make their life better, and how they can take the next step? Are the images attractive, interesting, and a reflection of my brand? When the prospect reads the copy, does it give them all the feels? Or is it essentially the same content that they've read from every other vendor?That copy part is a huge challenge, and today we're learning from Can Do Content's Nadine Nethery on how to create stand-out copy without being too braggy.--------Resources Mentioned:Over-the-Shoulder Tutorial: https://candocontent.com/audienceThe Audience Success Formula: https://candocontent.com/audience-success-formula--------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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

On episode 211, we interviewed couples to find out what they REALLY are looking for in the vendor vetting process. And one common theme we heard is that couples are looking for reviews - in The Knot, on Google, on Wedding Wire, in social media, everywhere.So reviews need to be a major initiative for all wedding pros. But how do we get our clients to write reviews?Let's find out from our guest today - Desiree Dent, wedding planner at Dejanae Events in Chicago.--------Episodes Referenced:62: How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews211: Live Interviews: Inside the (Buying) Mind of Engaged CouplesThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

I say this with love...--------Episodes Referenced:168: How to get on a wedding venue's preferred list, with Shannon Tarrant175: 9 tips for being a better wedding pro during busy season (Megan Gillikin solo)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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today we’re talking about Engage, the luxury wedding business summit that happens twice a year in breathtaking locations around the globe. I’ve been a couple times, and they are definitely an experience like no other. The swag and gifting experience by itself are stellar and the over-the-top wow factor of each meal, each breakout, and each painstaking design detail are unmatched. I’ve always wondered how it all comes together. How do you put on event that wows people who put on ultra-luxury events for a living?Let's find out from Tara Fay, Dublin-based wedding planner who has led the vision for two recent Engage Summits.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

What happens when couples inquire (we get the inquiries!), but we’re not booking as many weddings as we want? Or what if couples are only wanting to book our smallest packages? Today we're talking to Ideaction Consulting's Sam Jacobson, who gives us 4 reasons our inquiries are NOT converting into clients.Free Workshop with Megan and Sam: Why Couples Don’t Book Full Planning (And what to do about it!)Episodes Referenced:133: Selling Styles for Wedding Pros, with Ideaction’s Sam Jacobson73: Relator, Analyzer, Boss, and Dreamer: How to Sell To and Work With the 4 Types of Wedding Clients, with Ideaction's Sam Jacobson115: Tips for Improving Your Wedding Consultations, with Sam Jacobson211: Live Interviews: Inside the (Buying) Mind of Engaged CouplesSam's Podcast, Own Your BusinessThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

A couple weeks ago, we went to The Merrimon Wynne Winter Wedding Showcase. The Merrimon Wynne is a historic home in downtown Raleigh that’s been converted into a gorgeous wedding venue. Inside the house and in the carriage house outside, engaged couples were walking around looking for the right wedding vendors for their big day. And if they looked like they might be willing to answer some questions about their wedding vendor search, we asked them to come on the show. We asked them questions like: Where are you finding your vendors?What's a turnoff when looking for vendors?How important is social media when researching a vendor?Do you read reviews and how much do they matter Does TikTok matter?What’s been a surprise in the wedding planning process?Do you need to see pricing on the website? (This one was super interesting)And, anything you want wedding vendors to know?So let's tune in to find out what couples really want!Episodes referenced:168. How to get on a wedding venue's preferred list, with Shannon Tarrant126. Wedding Planners: Why do venues refer you (or not)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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

As much as we all love the events industry, one major challenge is that we’re service based. We need to physically be doing something to make money. Planning the wedding, DJ’ing the bat mitzvah, taking the headshots. And when every event is over, we need to keep moving on to the next one. In the service industry, there’s no real way to make money while you sleep. Or is there?Today's guest is Kawania Wooten, owner of Howerton + Wooten Events and founder of The Enlightened Creative.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

TikTok is a platform I have not invested my time in outside creating my profile because it’s yet another app that I feel like I have to check, and to be honest, TikTok just feels like one more thing I have to do.But I keep hearing about how great it is - from other educators that I love and respect, from wedding pros, and from my hair person… obviously - and not just for funny videos or going down weird rabbit holes. There are recipes, packing hacks, how to videos galore, and so much more - so they tell me.But more importantly, because there are many people like me who are a little intimidated by TikTok, right now it’s an untapped market for ads.So let's find out all about TikTok ads from Mark Chapman, President of the I Do Society.This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault (TikTok @plannersvault maybe?), 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Brian Green, Chief Event Architect and Creative Visionary of By BrianGreen LLC based in Atlanta. For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara Margulis184 with Andrea Eppollito188 with Ashlyn Carter191 with Kristen Mullins aka "The Pie Lady"193 with Rachel DeAlto197 with Sandra CassiosThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Many of you are running your own business, and that’s something you should be extremely proud of. It takes a lot of guts to step out on your own and take your vision for a company and turn it into your reality. It doesn’t matter whether you’re side hustling for extra spending money or you have dozens of employees - you’ve taken the risk and I applaud you for it. But when you’re leading your company, how would you define your role? Are you doing the work, or are you the visionary who’s thinking strategically about where you want to take the business over the next few years?Well today we’re talking to Tara Melvin, who tells us we should all be the creative CEOs of our companies. The Signature CEO Conference, April 11-13, 2023This 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Megan and Jason Gillikin talk about their wins for 2022, their failures, word-of-the-year, and goals for 2023. Tune in and reflect along. Share your 2022 reflections on social media @weddingsforreal.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today we're sharing an episode that Megan guested on - Wedding Industry Insider, hosted by Eddie Babbage, CEO of Timeline Genius. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new episodes soon!---Stuck in fear about your business? Megan Gillikin talks about making the decision to succeed - and explains how to get your foot in the door with local vendors. In this episode, Megan shares about the lessons she gained from purchasing and rebranding an existing wedding planning business. Specifically, she talks about how she uses the experience to now help other wedding planners achieve their business goals.

Today we're sharing an episode that Megan guested on - Women on Work, hosted by Alysia Eve and Liz Fuller. Enjoy, and we'll be back with new episodes soon!---As we get further in our careers and lives, we all encounter a space where transformation is necessary to find success and personal fulfillment — however we define that. Sometimes we even find what brought us success previously is now holding us back. In this episode Alysia and Liz talk to Megan Gillikin — successful entrepreneur, mothers, and host of the popular podcast Weddings for Real — on the hustle of entrepreneurship and unraveling yourself to find your purpose and passion in life.

I've heard you loud and clear - you're overwhelmed by all the wedding pro educators out there, and you're not sure who to listen to and what to do. What could be valuable learnings wind up leaving you frustrated and paralyzed. So what can you do about it? Join me today for five tips on how to identify who to listen to and what content you should be consuming to help you take your business to the next level.Join Brandee Gaar and me to discuss this topic, Monday December 5th at 3:30EST on the Weddings for Real Instagram page. 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Let me ask you a couple tough questions - What is your innate brand advantage over your competition? Are you unique, or are you swimming in a sea of sameness? If you’re just starting your business, you might not really know what your brand is or where to even begin. If you’ve been at it for a while, you might be so head down in the day-to-day that you don’t pause often enough to reevaluate what your brand actually is, and how that brand is being used to attract (or potentially even repel) your ideal clients.So how do we figure out our brands? Today we're talking to psychology driven brand strategist Kaye Putnam to find our brand archetypes and how we use that to advance our businesses.Take the quiz to discover your innate brand advantageThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Last week, we were at Wedding MBA in Las Vegas, and it was memorable to say the least - and at some points it felt like an out-of-body experience. I had two presentations this time, with one of them on the main stage which was juuuusstt a bit intimidating. Today we talk about the journey from rejection to the main stage, the experiences of Wedding MBA 2022, and then we get to hear from you. That's right, we interviewed 10 planners at the Convention Center and from our Tacos & Tequila Party, and asked three questions:Can you share a crazy wedding story?How have you leveled-up in 2022?What are you planning to invest in in 2023?Thanks to the planners who shared with us:Catherine Bell, Southern Bell Weddings and EventsCaroline Parker, Brooks and Reid EventsDana Allison, Keyed Up EventsJacqueline Grena, SunRae PlanningMaryssa Souza, Seven Oh Seven EventsKarla and Noelia, Kiss and Say I Do EventsJennifer Savage, Plan to PartyJen Shaefer, Southern Skies Events & the Wedding Crasher AppLibby Stults, em + elle eventsAmanda Wrinkle, Eleven Ten Events—Couldn’t have done it without my teamThe Tacos & Tequila partyThank you for all the love, all the selfies, all the conversationsThis 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.Weddings for Real on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Starting a small business is not for the faint of heart. There’s fear that you’re not the right person to lead a company. There’s uncertainty that you’ll ever be able to make as much money as you did in your corporate job. There’s doubt that anyone will book you or that you can sustain the mental health hurdles running a small business requires. If you’re with me as a small business owner, congratulations on getting this far, and we see what you’re going through! Today, we hear from Merri CEO Randi Bushell - who went through all of these challenges - plus fundraising - plus scaling a tech company in the pandemic - and has figured out how to grow her business in the process.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

We all have some opinions about the wedding industry that might be considered unpopular. But as I say in the intro, this podcast is a safe space to dish about the real of our industry. And someone who’s not afraid to give his opinion is amazingly talented and hilarious Atlanta based florist Shean Strong. If you’re not driving, follow Shean on instagram and check out his highlights called Opinions, Lil Kim, and Rat Saga - highly recommended.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Sandra Cassios, owner and lead planner at Sandra Bettina Weddings and Events, and owner of XO and Mane Gift Shop. For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara Margulis184 with Andrea Eppollito188 with Ashlyn Carter191 with Kristen Mullins aka "The Pie Lady"193 with Rachel DeAltoThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Ever since I got into podcasts (and believe it or not, it actually took me a while), I’ve been focused on growth: getting to the life that I want and not settling for less. If you’re listening to this podcast, I’m thinking that’s your mindset too. And that could mean so many things. A bigger house. Freedom from the 9 to 5. Working more. Working less. Spending more time with your family. Taking more vacations. Raising your rates. You know you and what you want. And if you don’t know, it's time to figure it out.Because today we’re talking Tony Chatman - speaker, author, and business relationship expert - who is going to give us tips on moving away from the hand that you’re dealt into the life that you 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 (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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

One of the reasons we started the Weddings For Real podcast and then formed The Planner’s Vault is because we want to create a community of wedding professionals who can share ideas, grow together, and avoid the feeling of being on an island with your businesses. You’re not alone. And yet, sometimes we feel like we’re the only ones who feel overwhelmed. We’re the only ones who feel like the to-do list is impossible to get through. We’re the only ones who feel like we need a break from it all. Here's the deal - you are not alone. And on this episode, we’re talking to Kelly Ruta, former clinical psychotherapist and current CEO development strategist for female entrepreneurs who will tell you that if you have all those feelings, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

A couple weeks ago, I asked you the listeners for any questions you've been wanting to ask, and I received some truly thought-provoking submissions (so thank you!). So today, I answer those questions, touching on burnout, why I refer (or don't refer) wedding pros, navigating the busy season, selling my planning business, and more!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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Rachel DeAlto, Communication & Relatability Expert, Keynote Speaker, Chief Dating Expert at Match.com, former relationship expert on Married at First Sight, and Author of the book Relatable: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere (Even If It Scares You). For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara Margulis184 with Andrea Eppollito188 with Ashlyn Carter191 with Kristen Mullins aka "The Pie Lady"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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

You may have heard of Timeline Genius, the platform that creates beautiful, detailed wedding day timelines, saving you hours in the process. But have you heard how CEO Eddie Babbage built the company? Today, Eddie shares the mistakes made, lessons learned, and mindset shifts that led to Timeline Genius's success.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

As we gain experience and raise our prices, we start to get into the luxury market. It’s something many of us strive for because it means we’ve made it - we beat out the competition for the best weddings, they become great portfolio pieces, and you can make better money.But how do we attract the luxury clientele? And when we get those weddings, are they really all that we hoped for?Laura Ritchie is the Founder and Designer at Grit and Grace.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Kristen Mullins, aka The Pie Lady. Kristen is the owner of Slice Pie Company, and while everything on social media looks amazing - new retail shop, selling hundreds of pies a day, all the awards - the reality is that Kristen has been forced to undergo some serious growth over the past couple of years.For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara Margulis184 with Andrea Eppollito188 with Ashlyn CarterThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

If you’re looking to grow your business, a hard realization is that you can only go so far if you do it alone. If you’re a wedding planner, maybe you can do 25-30 weddings a year by yourself. If you’re a DJ, maybe 50 weddings. An officiant? You could probably do 100 weddings a year. But no matter what, there’s a limit in how much you can make - unless you build a team. Of course, that comes with its own complications and headaches, so today we talk to someone who focuses on making sure you have the right people in the right roles - Dream Team Architect Veronica Romney.RainmakerResidency.comThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Ashlyn Carter, founder of Ashlyn Writes. On the surface, Ashlyn looks like she's crushing it (because she is). She has over 30,000 YouTube followers and always seems so poised and focused on camera. But underneath it all, she has encountered struggles just like the rest of us. For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara Margulis184 with Andrea EppollitoThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

You probably use Canva almost every day, but if you're just using it to create social media graphics, you're barely scratching the surface of what it can offer. Today, Verified Global Canva Expert (one of 26 in the world) Brenda Cadman comes on to tell us how we can maximize Canva to its full potential and unlock branding and marketing efficiency.Brenda Cadman's Courses:The Canva RecipeCanva for BeginnersClean Up My CanvaBrenda's 45-day Free Trial of CanvaWeddings for Real 128: How to Avoid Being a Website Horror Story, with Brenda CadmanHow I Built This, with Canva CEO Melanie PerkinsThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

According to the WeddingWire Newlywed Report, the most common sentiments couples feel when planning their wedding right now are stress, uncertainty, and overwhelm that my friends. That is why we're gonna talk about how to use empathy, authority and authenticity as superpowers to set yourself apart as a wedding professionalThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

When you feel your phone buzzing, and you look down to see your client's name, what do you think? Are you worried it’s something bad? What about when you KNOW it’s something bad? The client isn’t happy for whatever reason, and they’re calling to tell you about it. Do you get a pit in your stomach? Of course you do, everyone does. But how do you handle it? Today we're talking to conflict resolution specialist Jen Trotter about what you SHOULD be doing to handle these types of problems.Jen Trotter is a DFW-based Makeup Artist (Lip Service Makeup), Published Writer, Magazine Editor, Communications Consultant and National Speaker.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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealHosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we talk to Las Vegas luxury wedding planner Andrea Eppolito, who was crushing the Vegas wedding scene in 2016 - until she went home and told her husband, "I hate what I'm doing. I hate who I'm doing it for. I hate who I'm doing it with. I just can't function like this."Andrea Eppolito is the founder of Andrea Eppolito Events and the host of the podcast, "Andrea Eppolito | Celebrating Life, Luxury, & Above All Else Love."For previous Unravelings:156157 with Adrianna McDermott161 with Aleya Harris177 with Sara MargulisThis 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 on Social Media:Instagram: @weddingsforrealFacebook: @weddingsforrealtwitter: @weddingsforrealThe host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning. She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at [email protected].