For Real: Life, Leadership, & Unlearning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

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/onlinetechmadesimple This episode is brought to you by the Wedding Summit Series Community Edition. Grab your FREE ticket to the event taking place February 22nd-26th with 35 amazing industry speakers (including Megan!).https://margauxfraise.mykajabi.com/a/41974/LtF3zHQj This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

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 (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. She Creates Business Links: Instagram: @SheCreatesBusiness Facebook: @SheCreatesBusiness Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

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, 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 (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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 doors re-open. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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. At the end of the episode, you heard about the webinar next week from The Diversity Movement called "Holiday Headaches: Dealing with Relatives Who Just Don't Get It." It's November 19th at 12PM EST, and you can sign up at https://thediversitymovement.com/holiday-headaches/. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal Brandee Gaar on Social Media (watch her on Reels!): Instagram: @brandeegaar The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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, 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: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 the first to know when the doors re-open. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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 also share what we're learning and what we're both committed to doing now and in the future so we don't have to pay business tolls that we actually don't want. And finally, we'll share our hope for you. We're in the trenches with you, we're in this together. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown (book) The Planner's Vault

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 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 Planner's Vault is open through 11:59PM on Monday August 10th. Sign up now at ThePlannersVault.com!** You can find Dixie on Facebook and instagram where she’s AT dixieeventsGA, DixieTheFarmRomeGA, TheSweetBarRomeGA, among others. And if you’d like to reach out to her, she’s always open to chatting or giving advice - she’s [email protected]. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

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

Megan and Jason Gillikin celebrate the 10-year anniversary of A Southern Soiree, and Megan shares her top ten lessons learned over the past decade - lessons she's now bringing into The Planner's Vault. 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 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 Planner's Vault is closed for new members, but you can join the wait list for when it opens its doors in August.** Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

This pandemic has caused delays, cancellations, stress, tears, more delays, unanswerable questions, confusion...it really sucks to be in the wedding industry right now. But here's what it can't change - couples getting engaged and booking wedding vendors. So in this solo episode, here are 3 things you can change right now for more bookings. 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 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 Planner's Vault is closed for new members, but you can join the wait list for when it opens its doors in August.** Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

In 2012, Julie Bunkley had run Invision Events in Birmingham Alabama for 7 years, and the business was doing...fine. But it wasn't growing. She knew that to grow, she had to find a true #2, not just someone to help out at weddings. She was lucky enough to hire Courtney Wolf, and the two of them have been a dynamic duo ever since. On the show today, they talk about hiring for your #2, and keeping them engaged and happy. In addition to Invision, Julie and Courtney also run the Educate | Empower | Encourage Community 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 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 Planner's Vault is closed for new members, but you can join the wait list for when it opens its doors in August.** Invision Events on Social Media: Facebook: @InvisionEvents Instagram: @InvisionEvents Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

How can you network and build vendor relationships when there are no weddings and no networking events? Megan gives her top three tips that you can take action on RIGHT NOW. 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 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 Planner's Vault is closed for new members, but you can join the wait list for when it opens its doors in August.** Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Aaron Shook has been in the hospitality industry for 30+ years in restaurants, catering, and now in wedding planning at Perfect Storm Moments. Through it all, he's seen a lot of weddings - and a lot of waste. And his personal mission is to raise awareness and show wedding vendors how we can save the planet. 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! Aaron Shook on Social Media: Instagram: @PerfectStormMoments Facebook: @Ocean5Social Instagram: @Ocean5_Social Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

It's time to talk about racism in the United States, (the lack of) diversity and inclusion in the wedding industry, and how to have open and honest conversations. Terrica Inc Cocktails and Details Upcoming Webinars with Terrica: Healing Wounds & Bridging Gaps: An Honest Conversation About Race & Allyship in the Wedding Industry, June 3rd at 2PM EST Protest or Progress? Actions, Reactions and the State of their Black Events Industry, June 4th at 7PM EST About Terrica: With over fourteen years in the wedding industry, award winning wedding planner and designer Terrica Skaggs has been creating exquisite weddings and events in the Golden Isles. As the Chief Wedding Planner and Designer of Cocktails & Details®, she leads a team of talented wedding planners and event managers in creating unforgettable destination Southern weddings. She also launched The White Lounge, an intimate wedding planning studio in Historic Downtown Brunswick that brings couples and wedding professionals together. Maintaining a deep connection to her peers under the premise of “each one, teach one”, she created the largest and most diverse online community for wedding planners and designers– bringing together the best and brightest from every corner of the globe for collaboration and connection. She is extremely passionate about elevating and encouraging female entrepreneurs. A featured expert for many TV, print and digital publications, she is known for keeping her finger on the pulse of all wedding and business trends. Traveling across the States and internationally, shares her breadth of knowledge at both national and regional wedding industry conferences and groups, with this year being named a 2019 Knot Pro Educator. Her speaking engagements are always highly anticipated as she is known for her humorous, yet blunt down-to-earth approach. Terrica uses her experience and knowledge of the wedding industry to translate real-life concepts into workable business models. Terrica on Social Media: Instagram: @CocktailTerrica 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Julie Painter (aka Dallas Girl Friday) is a virtual assistant who specializes in the wedding industry, and today she gives the inside scoop on what a VA does, when you should think about hiring a VA, and how to work best together. 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! About Julie Painter: "I get asked occasionally about my business name. Dallas Girl Friday. Well, Dallas is my city and one of the great loves of my life - Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose, #texasforever and Girl Friday literally means an efficient and faithful female assistant. I’m enneagram-obsessed and I’m an 8w7. This means that when you work with me, you can expect I will kick your butt, not sugar coat the tough stuff, cheer you on, empower you, and definitely make you laugh. My StrengthsFinder top 3 are Command, Positivity, and Discipline." Dallas Girl Friday on Social Media: Instagram: @DallasGirlFriday Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Have you ever felt the pressure of keeping up with what looks "elegant" or "luxurious" on Instagram? Why? Why do we care about matching what we see on the cover of The Knot or Martha Stewart Weddings? Isn’t it more important that our clients are happy and we’re and we’re running a profitable business? Isn’t that why we all got into this? The Flower Guy Bron had this exact realization a few years ago and is on a mission to let wedding vendors know that winning Instagram shouldn’t be your goal. And as we move into a post-COVID-19 world where we’ll probably be experiencing more intimate weddings, that message will become more important. 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! About The Flower Guy Bron (from The Flower Guy Bron): "I'm Bron, the chief creative here at The Flower Guy Bron. I'm a wanderer of the world and a modern day Renaissance man. I love art, good wine and great company, oh and of course flowers. My work with flowers is organic and my most natural expression. I let the blooms whisper and I listen. Therefore, it’s not always rocket science, but sometimes it is and I rise to the occasion. I live by the simple principle, 'Be your best self' and encourage others to join me." The Flower Guy Bron on Social Media: Facebook: @TheFlowerGuyBron Instagram: @TheFlowerGuyBron Facebook: The Village Group Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Today we’re talking all about how to get your clients, your vendors, and your team on board with the digital age. Sometimes it’s super frustrating when clients can’t figure out how to sign a contract, or a vendor is ridiculously slow to respond, or a team member doesn’t respond the way you want them to. Well our guest today, Nora Shiels from Rock Paper Coin and Bridal Bliss Wedding Planning in Portland Oregon, gives some great tips on how we can all get on the same page. If you're interested in checking out Rock Paper Coin, subscriptions are free right now while it's in beta if you use the code "WED20" at checkout. 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! Also be sure to check out the Startup Stage Podcast that we mentioned during the show! About Nora Shiels: A Portland native and founder of Bridal Bliss, INC, Nora is an expert in all things wedding and is the definition of a boss babe. Born to Iraqi immigrants, she was raised in a culture of over the top celebrations and from her beginnings, event planning was in her blood. While leading a team of 30 women who produce upwards of 150 weddings and events each year, Nora noticed a gap in the planning industry and developed Rock Paper Coin, a forum that brings together event professionals and couples to streamline the often daunting contract and invoice process. When she isn’t busy running Bridal Bliss and Rock Paper Coin, you can find her spending time with her husband and two rambunctious boys, Dylan and Gavin, traveling, grooving through a sweaty spin session, adding sparkle to just about anything, or having a long family-style dinner with her nearest and dearest. Rock Paper Coin on Social Media: Instagram: @RockPaperCoin Facebook: @RockPaperCoin Bridal Bliss on Social Media: Instagram: @BridalBlissNW Facebook: @BridalBlissNW Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

So be honest. Is email marketing something you do for your business? Are you bringing future clients into your sales funnel and giving them content every week? (Do you really even know what a sales funnel is?) If you’re like me, you have 100% NOT been using email marketing to generate leads from engaged couples, and I’m really just not sure how to do it. So I brought on an expert, Aleya Harris from Flourish Marketing, and asked her all the questions. Aleya mentioned two great links to help. For an email list building roadmap and marketing funnel overview, go to FlourishMarketing.co/email-guide, and for even more freebies, go to FlourishMarketing.co/freebies. THE PLANNER'S VAULT: On February 27, 2020, Megan launched 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! About Aleya Harris: As a former catering company owner and chef, Aleya knows how important it is to work in your passion. That's why for the past 12 years, she has been focused on helping over 1,000 accounts, brands, and business owners to be successful. Her engaging, interactive, and actionable sessions help audiences stop feeling discouraged and broke and instead become the wildly successful owners of the businesses of their dreams. Flourish Marketing on Social Media: Instagram: @AleyaHarris Facebook: @AleyaHarrisGrowth Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Welcome to the Weddings for Real 100th Episode Extravaganza! On this special episode, you'll hear who won the awards for: Toughest Interview Easiest Interview Funniest Episode Best One-Liner Most Referenced Episode Topic Megan Thought Would Suck But Was Actually Great Biggest Impact Personally Person Most Likely to Become Insta-Famous Favorite Episode That Had Nothing to do with Weddings Guest You'd Most Like to Have a Beer With Most Boring Episode Fan Favorite Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Some of the most lavish and exciting weddings to work are the ones where culture plays a big part in the wedding. And today we talk to someone who specializes in multicultural weddings, international photographer Petronella Lugemwa, and she gives us the do's and don'ts of multicultural weddings. THE PLANNER'S VAULT: On February 27, 2020, Megan launched 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! About Petronella: Petronella Lugemwa is an international wedding and marriage proposal photographer, speaker, writer and storyteller based out of the New York area who specializes in helping multicultural couples celebrate their love in a modern way and believes that what makes you different makes your beautiful. She photographed the November 2018 cover of Rangefinder Magazine and was named 1 of 30 Rising Stars in wedding photography worldwide in 2018. Petronella Photography has been featured in Essence, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, New York Magazine Weddings and MunaLuchi Bride. Petronella on Social Media: Instagram: @PetronellaPhotography Facebook: @PetronellaPhotography Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

What a crazy, chaotic, noisy, tearful, and stressful week. In a world that's completely upside down because of COVID-19, what can we do to make it through so that we're ready for what's on the other side? The Planner's Vault is 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

With the Coronavirus causing chaos throughout the world, it has taken its toll on the wedding industry as well. Gatherings are being limited, some vendors aren't comfortable working, some couples are panicking, some weddings need to be cancelled or postponed. So as wedding vendors, what do we do? Megan talks to Rachel Sheerin about tips for couples and vendors, and shifting your mindset both personally and professionally. Next week, from March 16th-20th, Rachel will be providing a FREE webinar series on Motivating, Managing, and Handling Business in Times of Crisis. On February 27, 2020, Megan launched 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Do you ever meet a new friend, and things are going great. You feel like you’ve made a solid connection, and then one day, BAM, she ghosts you? It probably doesn’t happen all that often to you, but I’ll bet your clients feel that way when the wedding is over. And that last feeling you give them of being ghosted, unfortunately that might be what they remember you by. Today's guest is Renee Dalo, wedding planner at Moxie Bright Events in Los Angeles AND host of the Talk with Renee Podcast, and she talks about tips for offboarding your clients. On February 27, 2020, Megan launched 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout! Moxie Bright Events on Social Media: Instagram: @MoxieBrightEvents Facebook: @MoxieBrightEvent Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

On February 27, 2020, Megan launched 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 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. For Weddings For Real listeners, if you want $50 off your Annual Membership, use the code WFR50 at checkout!

How many of you are REALLY going after corporate events? You probably can work a corporate event just fine, and maybe you’ve done some, but are you really making an effort to show your market that you’re available for corporate? My guess is, probably not. Today, Caryl Lyons from Roar Events and The Roar Playbook gives us the top five reasons you SHOULD be doing more corporate events! OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MEGAN. On February 27th, 2020, we are launching 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. My 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. For more information, head on over to ThePlannersVault.com. I am so excited, and I can’t wait to open it up at the end of this month. Roar Events on Social Media: Instagram: @RoarEvents Facebook: @RoarEventsGroup LinkedIn (yes, LinkedIn!): @Roar-Events-Group Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Lindsay Lucas is THE wedding venue consultant. She's a former wedding planner who now helps venue owners (and those aspiring to be) to create profitable and sustainable wedding venue businesses. Lindsay had the idea for a complete shift in her business, but it wasn’t easy convincing herself that this was the best way to go. Today, we talk about if YOUR idea is really something to go after, that feeling of imposter syndrome you are sure to have when you’re doing something new, and how vendors can know when it’s time to take the leap. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MEGAN. At the end of February, we are launching 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. My 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. For more information, head on over to ThePlannersVault.com. I am so excited, and I can’t wait to open it up at the end of this month. Lindsay Lucas on Social Media: Instagram: @TheLindsayLucas Facebook: @TheLindsayLucas Podcast: The Venue Podcast Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Weddings for Real had the opportunity to interview engaged couples at The Merrimon-Wynne House in Raleigh NC Bridal Showcase, so that vendors could have a better understanding of what couples are looking for. We asked couples: What's the first place you looked to find your wedding vendors? Where do you get wedding inspiration? What's your splurge for the wedding? And what do you not care so much about? Do you need to see pricing on a vendor's website before contacting them? What's surprised you the most about wedding planning? Are you hiring a wedding planner? Are you hiring a videographer? Such insightful responses, and we would love for you to share your thoughts in our Weddings for Real Facebook Group! Special thanks (and congratulations!) to all of the people interviewed: Natasha and Ryan Courtney Megan Kylie and Kevin Elizabeth Robert and Erin Tricity Katie and Paxton Erin Madison and Nate The announcement we made at the top of the show is is that we have something in the works for all the planners out there………. To be the first to know when it’s live AND get Megan's free Client Experience Checklist, head on over to http://www.weddingsforreal.com/checklist and enter in your email address. Merrimon Wynne on Social Media: Instagram: @MerrimonWynne Facebook: @MerrimonWynne Pinterest: @MerrimonWynne Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence. Special thanks to Cee Cee Huffman for corralling couples and doing some interviews.

Do you work with your wife or husband? Or do you spend so much time with your work wife or work husband that it basically feels like you’re married? Well, working together for so many hours – and possibly living together too – those people probably get on your nerves quite a bit. Well my guests are Steven and Jenn Van Elk from Jennifer Van Elk Photography, the Wedded Podcast, and the Wedding Photo Hangover Podcast. They have (at least) two businesses together, two podcasts together, and two kids together. They’ve struggled but come out stronger, and they're here to give you tips on how to make it all work! The announcement we made at the top of the show is is that we have something in the works for all the planners out there………. To be the first to know when it’s live AND get my free Client Experience Checklist, head on over to http://www.weddingsforreal.com/checklist and enter in your email address. Jennifer Van Elk Photography on Social Media: Instagram: @jennvanelk Facebook: @JenniferVanElkPhotography twitter: @jennvanelkphoto Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

If you’re a solopreneur or you run a small team, and you’re thinking about growing, but you haven’t quite figured out how to clone yourself yet, then I want you to listen to this episode closely, because it’s all about putting your experience and knowledge in writing and making it easy for others to get in your head. On episode 92, Morgan Montgomery with Paisley and Jade talks all about SOPs – Standard Operating Procedures! As you heard on the show, we have a BIG announcement coming soon, and the best way to hear about it first is to join our mailing list at weddingsforreal.com or text "wfr" to 33777. Paisley and Jade on Social Media: Instagram: @PaisleyAndJade Facebook: @PaisleyAndJade twitter: @PaisleyAndJade Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

How was 2019 for you? What were your wins and losses? Did you hit your goals? What are your plans for 2020? On today's episode, Megan and Jason Gillikin talk all about chaos, transitions, wins, fails, goals, and more in the last episode of 2019! As you heard on the show, we have a BIG announcement coming soon, and the best way to hear about it first is to join our mailing list at weddingsforreal.com or text "wfr" to 33777. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal Music for this episode by https://www.bensound.com. The 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]. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.