Real wedding vendors share their tips and tricks for surviving and thriving in this one of a kind industry. Hosted by The Planner’s Vault’s Megan Gillikin, you'll hear guests share their secrets on marketing, the client experience, networking, community, sales, and more - and you might even hear some crazy wedding stories along the way!
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The Book More Brides Podcast - Wedding Business, Wedding Marketing, Book More Weddings, Wedding Business Mentor, Bridal Business Coaching
Kate Storey | Marketing Strategist, Brand Clarity Coach, Messaging Mentor
Do you wish you could make more money in your wedding business, but need someone who can provide simple wedding marketing strategies and just tell you what to do next? Do you know you can close the couples who come to you, but can’t always get them to book a call and talk to you? Do you want more of your perfect couples contacting you, and fewer budget brides and dead-end leads? Do you know you’re great at what you do, but worry you’re not looking professional enough to your couples and it’s ...
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Welcome to GSD Diaries (formerly Business Unveiled), where we share stories of transformation, resilience, and the pursuit of purpose. Join us as we travel the world, sharing insights from other cultures, highlighting wellness, and what it means to navigate the ups and downs in life and business. We'll uncover the truths behind living a fulfilling and impactful life. In this podcast, we highlight impactful leaders who have navigated change, wellness resorts and companies that prioritize heal ...
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Step into She Creates Business, a Podcast for Wedding Pros, your go-to guide in the vibrant world of wedding entrepreneurship, created and hosted by Kinsey Roberts since 2016. She Creates Business is a pivotal tool in shaping and refining the art and science of thriving in the wedding industry. This podcast is a treasure trove of actionable insights, covering everything from marketing finesse to growth tactics, branding ideas, and the technical know-how of being a wedding pro. | You'll get b ...
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086 \\ Elevating your website design: Interview with Kelly Kumler
28:39
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How do you make your wedding business website a place that not only looks beautiful, but attracts (and closes) the couples you love? You've heard me say so many times that you can't rely on pretty images alone to sell your wedding business - but we all know that visuals ARE super important to today's couples, especially when it comes to attracting …
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290. 10 Life Hacks for Squirrel Brain Entrepreneurs
41:05
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If you're anything like me, you've got all the ideas - to grow your business, to generate a viral social media post, or to wow your clients. The problem is, we don't have time to stop whatever it is that we're doing and focus on the new shiny object every time. We've got tasks and payroll and the next appointment and a to-do list that keeps piling …
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289. Rethinking Time Blocking: How to Make It Work for You and Find Your Flow (With Colleen Carswell, Pt. 2)
39:00
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Colleen Carswell is ridiculously busy, but she has all the amazing tips on time management, which she actually calls energetic alignment. On part 1, she gave us an introduction to the four pillars of alignment - physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental. And she talked about the importance of focusing on small changes to build momentum and avoid b…
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288. Rethinking Productivity: How Energetic Alignment Can Transform Your Day (With Colleen Carswell, Pt. 1)
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As busy professionals, it can be a never ending journey to try to figure out how to structure your day, tackle your never ending to-do list, and shake that constant feeling that everything is piling up. Oh, and let's not forget about wanting to actually have a life outside of work. So if you can relate, you're in the right place, because on today's…
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287. Should Wedding Vendors Require a Planner? (Encore)
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Back in 2019, photographer Jillian Knight asked me to coffee to talk about an idea she had for her business - requiring a planner at ALL of her events. What this meant was that if couples didn’t have a planner or want to hire a planner, she simply wouldn’t work with them. As a planner, I absolutely loved it of course. And for the photographer, I th…
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286. Ask Me Anything: Exit Tips, What I'd Do Differently, and Balancing Work and Parenting
44:55
44:55
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Actually, Ask US Anything, as Gina Johnston from The Planner's Vault joins the podcast today to tackle some big topics, like navigating a cash flow crisis, planning your exit strategy, making smart investments in your business, and reflecting on what we might have done differently at each stage of the journey. And of course, how in the world do we …
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285. 4 Marketing Mistakes Small Business Owners are Making, with Enji’s Tayler Cusick Hollman
51:40
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Let me take a peek into your small business owner brain. You feel the pressure to be active and showing up regularly on several (all?) of the social media platforms. And you know there's a need to consistently put content out there in the form of blog post or on Instagram or maybe a newsletter. And then you need to think about word-of-mouth marketi…
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284. Ask Me Anything: Team Pay, Burnout, Tricky Vendor. Situations & More!
29:11
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You asked the questions, and here are the answers! It's time for another AMA - a candid, no holds barred, ask me anything episode where I'm going to be tackling your burning questions that were submitted inside our free Facebook group or through the call for questions over on our Instagram page. Whether you're managing challenging vendor relationsh…
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085 \\ Fix these 5 things TODAY to book more weddings with your website
23:59
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Is your website doing anything to book weddings for you? If not, it should be - or you could be losing dozens of weddings each year that should have been an easy close. Here are 5 things you need to fix on your website to not only book more weddings, but book more of the couples you love who are excited to work with you. Roll up your sleeves and le…
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(Encore) 9 Ways to be A Better Wedding Pro
17:36
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Let's face it, this is one of the busiest seasons of your career. It feels like you don't have time for anything other than your clients, but in this solo episode, I'm giving 9 tips for you to become a better wedding pro. Pick a couple to focus on now, then come back once it slows down to implement the rest! Here’s the link to our 25+ Helpful Email…
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282. Is Playing It Safe Holding You Back? With Abha Bowers
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As the CEO of Walk West, a Triangle Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner, wife, and mom of 2, Abha Bowers was seemingly on top of the world. Until she discovered a new passion that would completely transform her career and way of life. --- (00:03:21) Abha fell in love (00:04:30) "If I wanted to make moves, I had to learn." (00:13:18) "What are…
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Embracing Change: Because There Is No Other Choice!
40:34
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If you're navigating a challenge such as cancer, take a walk and be inspired by Andrew's incredible journey and how he found resilience and joy amidst the turmoil. In this compelling episode of GSD Diaries, Andrew opens up about receiving a shocking truth about his cancer diagnosis and treatment. When he only thought a quick trip to the hospital th…
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281. Unlocking Resilience: Navigating Adversity and Owning Your Story with Lauren Sisler
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Grieving is unfortunately a universal part of the human experience. Whether it's hit us yet or not, grief will bring us to our knees. So while we can't avoid it, how can we honor our grief without letting it define us? Today, ESPN sideline reporter Lauren Sisler shares her story of losing her parents at 18. Initially, she ran as fast as she could f…
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280. The Power of Slowing Down: Self-Care Strategies for High Achievers (Part 2 with Kinsey Roberts)
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How can we navigate burnout by recognizing survival brain, dismantling decades-old beliefs, and prioritizing self-awareness? It's not easy, but today we continue last week's conversation about burnout, and what it truly means to press the pause button. Recent burnout episodes: 272. Burnout: My Old Habits Die Screaming Story 274. Burnout Red Flags: …
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279. What You Need to Know about Growth + Burnout as a High-Achiever (Part 1)
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Recently, I’ve been sharing my personal journey with burnout in episodes 272, 274, and 275, and I've heard from so many of you who resonated with these stories. We don't talk enough about the hardships of trying to do it all and be it all as entrepreneurs. There's a lot to navigate, and there's a lack of conversations around what to do about it and…
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Insights on Managing Chronic Illnesses {Entire Episode}
53:26
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In this episode of GSD Diaries, Angela Proffitt sits down with Adam Loeffler to share their personal journeys of overcoming life's obstacles and pursuing their true purpose. They dive into the significance of leaning on the right people and building meaningful relationships for personal growth and resilience. Adam and Angela also discuss the critic…
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Going From Overwhelmed to Purposeful and Happy
1:03:04
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Join Angela Proffitt and Deborah Vahle as they delve into the heart of balancing life and career in the demanding hospitality industry. This episode is filled with powerful insights on finding gratitude, shifting mindsets, and prioritizing relationships. Angela and Deborah share their personal stories of overcoming struggles, emphasizing the import…
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Welcome to GSD Diaries: Exploring Wellness, Resilience, and Purpose
6:48
6:48
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Join Angela Proffitt as she introduces our exciting new podcast series focused on personal wellness, transformation, and resilience, especially within the hospitality industry. In this episode, Angela shares the journey behind the podcast's evolution from Business Unveiled to GSD Diaries, the impact of wellness on success, and the importance of pri…
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278. How to Quiet the ‘Shoulds’ and Build Your Business Your Way, with Steph Zakas
56:38
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Back when I was starting my planning business in 2010, things were a lot different than today. Community over competition wasn’t a thing. Instagram wasn’t a thing yet. TikTok obviously wasn’t around. Podcasts weren’t around. And you know what else hadn’t taken off yet? The coaching boom. Back then, we didn’t have wedding pros telling us what they h…
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277. 5 Easy Financial Wins for Entrepreneurs: Save Money, Unlock Perks, & Gain Control
29:09
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Today we're sharing some easy financial wins for you to be able to save more money, unlock some amazing perks, and gain greater control over your finances and your time. AMEX My Favorite Things Honeybook Weddings For Real Episode 259 - 5 Tips So Taxes Don't Keep You Up at Night, with CPA Tatiana Podel Weddings For Real Episode 241 - Double Your Rev…
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276. 6 Ways to Reconnect, Recharge, and Prioritize Yourself
23:03
23:03
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As entrepreneurs, we carry a heavy load. We're leading our teams, we're planning for more growth, we're handling setbacks, trying to build profitability, we're making sure we're serving our clients, we want to market to reach a wider audience. It's exhausting. And then, as women, I feel like the load is even greater. We strive to create opportuniti…
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275. How to Audit Your Life + Business to Reclaim Your Joy
29:28
29:28
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On last week's episode, Megan took you on a behind the scenes journey to the beginning of this year when she was on a two day workation retreat with her friend and business coach, Rachel Sheerin. She brought a whirlwind of ideas, enough for a 30-day retreat, but along with the excitement and the ideas, she also brought lots of overwhelm, exhaustion…
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274. Burnout Red Flags: How to Spot Them and What to Do Next
32:43
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If you listened to episode 272, you heard about Megan's burnout and why she took a pause from recording new episodes of the podcast. But that's not quite the whole story. Back in January, Megan went on a weekend retreat with her coach, friend, and business partner Rachel Sheerin. It was there that Rachel realized this wouldn't be a normal workcatio…
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273. How to Navigate Out of Career and Personal Ruts, with KT Merry
42:07
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One of the quickest routes to burnout (see episode 272) is doing the same thing over and over, staying on that hamster wheel until you're running so fast, you’re exhausted, and realize you’re not even sure you like this hamster wheel anymore. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the routine that we forget to pause and reassess if it’s still working fo…
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272. Burnout: My Old Habits Die Screaming Story
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Megan here. I'm back, and I'm inviting you into a personal reflection and behind-the-scenes look at what burnout can look like—not just as a business owner, but as a human - a human who needs to stop fighting and pushing through burnout but instead heal the root cause. I’ve talked about burnout before on the podcast: 194: Ask Me Anything (About Bur…
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(Encore) Professional Etiquette Tips for Wedding Pros, with Lisa Lyons
34:20
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Lisa Lyons has been in the wedding industry for 19 years, but she has been drawn to etiquette her entire life. And in 2020 she got the certification to help wedding pros take their etiquette to the next level. But in this modern era of traditions changing, what does wedding etiquette even mean? Lisa Lyons Events and Etiquette --- This episode is br…
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270. Sell More With Storytelling, with Kelly Swanson
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Motivational speaker and award-winning storyteller Kelly Swanson advises wedding professionals (and all business owners who want more sales), "Don't sell the service. Sell the story." But how do we do that when we're not sure what story to tell. Is it the story of me? Is it the brand story? Is it the couple's story? The thing is, if we can merge th…
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(Encore) Carving Out Your Own Niche, with Lindsay Lucas
51:04
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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 …
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Boosting Belonging at Work, with Smiley Poswolsky
30:31
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When you hear the word "belonging", what do you think of? Maybe you think of wedding pros, because we're welcoming, ambitious, kind-hearted, and badass business owners. Maybe it's finding your people to share your goals and dreams with - it's that positive feeling we get when we feel respected. As a business owner, I want my team, my clients, my ve…
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(Encore) How to get on a wedding venue's preferred list, with Shannon Tarrant
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Fill out this survey and give us your feedback for a chance to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card and be part of shaping the future of Weddings For Real! https://www.megangillikin.com/podcast-survey -- One of the most frequent questions we get in The Planners Vault is, How can I get on the preferred vendor list at the best wedding venue in my market? O…
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266. Perfect Your Pitch, with Quinn Conyers
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When you're pitching your services to potential clients, are you using Luxury Language? Or are you using Discount Dialect? Today, Quinn Conyers tells us the difference, and how strategic word choice can make pitches irresistible. She also introduces the concept of a "verbal business card" that captivates potential clients - as long as you can artic…
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(Encore) Money Mindset for Wedding Pros, with Denise Duffield-Thomas
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Do you have money mindset blocks that are preventing your business from growing and preventing you from leading your best life? Maybe you believe that you don't deserve to charge more yet. Or maybe you believe you shouldn't charge more because you love what you do. Or maybe you think there's a new competitor popping up every day who charges so litt…
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264. How to Add Corporate Events to Your Revenue Stream and Portfolio
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Rachel Sheerin, keynote speaker and Megan's first business coach, is guest-hosting this episode. She comes from a wedding background before shifting into corporate events and eventually speaking on the biggest stages. Today, Rachel brings on Carrie Davenport to discuss how wedding vendors can start adding corporate events to their portfolios and re…
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(Encore) 5 Ways to Get More Referrals in Your Wedding Business
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"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." - Mary Kay Ash Keep that quote in mind for this solo episode, as Megan Gillikin is giving her 5 tips for getting more referrals from your fellow wedding pros. --- Today's ep…
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262. What Engaged Couples Want (2024 Edition, Part 2)
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On this episode (listen to part 1 here), we ask engaged couples the questions you can’t really ask when they reach out to you. But we can! Questions like: How are you finding your wedding vendors? Instagram? Website? TikTok? Do you need to see pricing on the website? Do you want a consultation call, or do you just want info sent by email? How do yo…
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191: The *Real* Actions that Build a Wedding Business, 8 Lessons Learned with Amelia Holder
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In today’s episode of She Creates Business, a Podcast for Wedding Pros host Kinsey Roberts sits down with the dynamic Amelia Holder, a seasoned entrepreneur and the visionary behind Emerson Fields, a premier wedding venue in Missouri. Celebrating eight years of business success, Amelia shares eight invaluable lessons she's garnered along her journe…
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190: Quietly Building a Successful Wedding Planning Business with Chelsea Cholas
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In this episode of She Creates Business, host Kinsey Roberts welcomes Chelsea Cholas, the owner and lead wedding planner behind Chelsea Cholas Wedding Planning, and the exclusive in-house planner at Kinsey's venue, Vista View Events. Chelsea over-delivers throughout the show today offering listeners a unique and personal perspective on building a t…
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189: Unlocking the Secrets of Intellectual Property for Wedding Pros with Paige Hulse
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In this empowering episode of She Creates Business, a Podcast for Wedding Pros, host Kinsey Roberts sits down with Paige Hulse, a seasoned attorney, entrepreneur and the brains behind Paige Hulse Law. Paige brings her wealth of knowledge from a decade immersed in the creative and legal fields, offering invaluable insights into the world of intellec…
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261. What Engaged Couples Want (2024 Edition, Part 1)
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On this episode, we ask engaged couples the questions you can’t really ask when they reach out to you. But we can! Questions like: How are you finding your wedding vendors? Instagram? Website? TikTok? Do you need to see pricing on the website? Do you want a consultation call, or do you just want info sent by email? How do you determine budget? And …
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260. Unraveling and Walking Away from Entrepreneurship, with Inez Ribustello
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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 Inez Ribustello, whose unraveling started back on September 11, 2001, when she lost nearly all of her colleagues in the terrorist attacks. At 25 years old, Inez had hustled her …
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259. 5 Tips So Taxes Don't Keep You Up at Night, with CPA Tatiana Podel
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With finances, I still have blocks (listen to the intro) preventing me from fully feeling comfortable and empowered when it comes to things like tax planning, KPIs, and projections. I’ve learned through conversations with wedding pros and my own real life experiences that overwhelm can lead to avoidance, so my goal is to make conversations like thi…
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258. Top 3 Priorities for Booking Season Success (+ Bonus Training!)
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Today we're tackling engagement and booking season, and I'm going to share three strategies and mindset shifts that will help your business stand out, resonate more with your ideal clients, and help you book more easily this year - no matter what vendor category you're in. This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership …
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At the end of last year, I sent out a survey to my email list asking them to share what they want more of and what they want less of in 2024. And at the end, I had a spot for them to share openly about anything they had on their mind, or share a question they want me to answer. There were so many great questions that I decided to kick off this year…
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256. 2023 Year in Review: Wins, Misses, Highlights, and Goals for 2024
52:43
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Megan and Jason Gillikin talk about their wins for 2023, their misses, most memorable moments, and goals for 2024. Tune in and reflect along. Share your 2023 reflections on social media @weddingsforreal. Past Year-End Recaps: 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planne…
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Your Guide to Balancing Entrepreneurship & Relationships: Insights from Megan & Jason on the Hustle & Gather Podcast
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This week, we're taking a little adventure to explore the not-so-glamorous side of balancing entrepreneurship with personal life. I'm thrilled to share an episode with you where for the first time ever my husband Jason and I teamed up as guests on another entrepreneur podcast called Hustle + Gather. This is a behind-the-scenes look at being busy en…
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084 \\ Do you believe you're worth your rate? How to charge more in 2024
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Truth time: When was the last time you raised your rates in your wedding business? Has it been years? Have you added in new services, equipment, techniques, etc. - but kept your rates the same? Wedding pro, you are worth so much more than what you're likely charging right now...but how do you know if it's the right time to raise your rates? Listen …
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Book the Top Package, from the Own Your Business Podcast
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Today we’re sharing an episode of the Own Your Business Podcast, which I was a guest on earlier this year. My friend Sam Jacobson and I talk about how wedding pros can book more couples at higher packages. This has nothing to do with "sales tactics". It’s all about empathy and understanding customer needs, creating an effective pricing proposal, an…
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