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Mark Mallchok has run an event business since 1992. Then he rebuilt it from scratch.

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Thirty-four years in, and he still says the hardest part is selling while he is buried in his busiest season. In this conversation we get into the parts of running an event business that never make the highlight reel: who to hire first, why his slow month is decided three months before it arrives, and what it actually felt like to change the positioning of a 32 year old company and wait to find out if anyone would follow him.

If you have been quietly wondering whether the way you built your business still works, start at 39:32.

CONNECT WITH MARK
Mark Mallchok is the co-founder of Brella, the event production and event optimization company he started with his business partner Bernadette in 1992. Brella is a women owned business specializing in global corporate meetings, with deep experience in pharma and complex international events. He has worked on every continent, including Antarctica.
Website: https://www.brella.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brellamm/

ABOUT HUSTLE FREE ENTREPRENEUR
The real, behind-the-scenes conversation for event industry business owners. Hosted by Jese Gary, for planners, photographers, florists, caterers, venue operators, and designers who have the revenue and the clients but not the freedom. New episodes every week.

Subscribe: 
🎧 Listen to more episodes of the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast → https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449235

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

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Download the Complete Business System Stack for your event business: https://geasystemstudios.myflodesk.com/stack

Stephanie built a wedding photography business over almost two decades, got to $8,000 to $12,000 a wedding, and then walked away from it on purpose. In this episode, she gets honest about the part nobody posts: being excellent at something you have stopped loving, watching the industry shift under you, and betting a multi-six-figure business on a photo booth she once told a friend "nobody would want." Jese and Stephanie get into the money, the jadedness, the ego check of corporate work, and why the seasons you want to skip are the ones building you.

What you will hear:
- The mentor who would not let her hold a camera for a full year, and why that made her better
- How one bride's referral opened the door to corporate, and the ego check that came with it
- The 2020 moment she watched 80% of her revenue disappear in a single week, and what kept the lights on
- Why a photo booth is a second business, not an add-on, and what most photographers get wrong about it
- The one thing she stopped doing that changed how the whole business feels

Guest bio: Stephanie is a photographer and experience-maker who spent years shooting weddings under Sonju Photography before building Juju Booth, a photo and video experience company serving weddings, corporate events, and brand activations across multiple markets. She is in the Photo Booth Expo Hall of Fame. Originally rooted in South Florida, she now runs the business from North Carolina while her team stays close to home.

About HFE: Hustle Free Entrepreneur is the real, behind-the-scenes conversation for event industry business owners who are successful on paper and quietly exhausted underneath it. Hosted by Jese Gary, HFE is where we talk about what running this business actually looks like, the money, the burnout, the pivots nobody shows online, without the hustle culture and without the motivational fluff. If you are running the version of your business that looks impressive from the outside and feels like survival on the inside, you are not alone, and you did not do anything wrong.

Links:
Connect with Stephanie: https://jujubooth.com/

📌 Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Want a free business system audit? Let’s identify the gaps and opportunities in your event business  

🔗 Work with GEA Systems Studio to build your systems + automations

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

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Tara Melvin has been planning weddings in Washington, DC for over 20 years. She has watched this industry shift three or four times over. Pinterest. Instagram. COVID. Now AI. And in this conversation, she said something that should stop every event business owner in their tracks.

The competition is no longer the planner down the street. The competition is AI. And the vendors who do not train AI about who they are and what they do are about to become invisible.

This is the real, behind-the-scenes conversation with Tara Melvin, founder of Signature Concepts and founder of the National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals (NSBWEP). She shares what 20+ years in luxury weddings have actually taught her about adapting without losing your soul, what she would do completely differently if she were starting today, and the trends quietly reshaping how couples plan, spend, and celebrate.

In this episode:

• What weddings looked like in 2004 versus what couples expect right now
• Why couples have become the influencers of their own wedding day
• The exact reason most wedding vendors are about to disappear from AI search
• What Tara is telling her clients when they show up with AI-generated expectations
• Why multi-day, dress-coded, culture-infused weddings are the new norm
• The honest truth about boundaries when your clients are paying you six figures
• What Tara would do completely differently if she started over in 2026
• The story behind NSBWEP and why community is the real legacy
• Where the industry is heading by 2029 (and the trend most vendors are sleeping on)

If you are an event business owner who has been quietly wondering if the way you have been running things still works, this conversation is for you. You are not alone in this.

About Tara:

Tara Melvin is the founder and principal planner of Signature Concepts, L.L.C. (formerly Perfect Planning Events), the founder and president of the National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals (NSBWEP), the founder of The Signature CEO Conference, and the creator of The Executive Mentor Program. She has been recognized as a BizBash Industry Innovator (2022) and one of BizBash's Top 500 Most Influential Event Professionals (2020 to 2021).

Find Tara:

Signature Concepts: signatureconceptsllc.com

NSBWEP: nsbwep.com

The Signature CEO Conference: thesignatureceo.com

Instagram: @signatureconceptsllc | @nsbwep | @signatureceo

About HFE:

Hustle Free Entrepreneur is hosted by Jese Gary, founder of GEA Systems Studio and LuxeGiving. The real, behind-the-scenes conversation about running an event industry business. New episodes weekly.

Free for you:

If you are an event- or service-based business owner who needs the actual systems running behind the business you show on Instagram, grab The Complete Business System Stack at https://geasystemstudios.myflodesk.com/stack. It is the same map I walk paying clients through.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

 How to run festivals, community events, and event production successfully? Don't fall victim to running your business with a system held together by spreadsheets, QuickBooks, Google Forms, and a prayer.

This week, I'm back with Cat McDevitt, from Eventeny, and we got into the festival operations conversation I've been wanting to have. Not the highlight reel. The real picture — the Frankenstein systems, the volunteer data that will shock you, the vendors who are quietly deciding you're a reputational risk, and what the festivals that are actually winning are doing differently.

If you organize festivals, produce community events, or have ever thought about scaling into that space — this one is for you.

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RESOURCES + LINKS
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→ Check out Eventeny (affiliate link): https://meetings.hubspot.com/cat-mcde...
→ Book a free demo with Eventeny: https://meetings.hubspot.com/cat-mcde...
→ Follow Eventeny on Instagram: @eventeny
→ Grab Jese's free After-Yes Checklist: https://chipper-creator-3415.kit.com/...

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ABOUT CAT MCDEVITT
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Cat McDevitt is the CMO at Eventeny — an all-in-one event management platform built for festival and large-scale event organizers. She works daily with producers running community festivals, music festivals, fandom conventions, farmers markets, and more, and has a front-row seat to what's working (and what's quietly breaking) in the festival industry right now.

🔗 Want a free business system audit? Let’s identify the gaps and opportunities in your event business → https://businessconsultantcompany2491...
🔗 Work with GEA Systems Studio to build your systems + automations → https://businessconsultantcompany2491...
🔗 🎧 Listen to more episodes of the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast → 

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

If you've been running your event business on sticky notes, mental checklists, and willpower — this episode is for you. In this solo episode of Hustle Free Entrepreneur, Jese Gary breaks down how to actually use automation in your event business without sounding like a robot or losing the personal touch your clients pay you for.

This isn't a software pitch. It's an honest conversation about why so many event pros are stuck doing manual work that's quietly costing them clients, sleep, and revenue — and the simple, sustainable way to start automating one workflow at a time.

In this episode, Jese covers:
- The real reason your event business feels chaotic (and it's not because you need more clients)
- How to identify the most time-consuming and error-prone tasks in your business
- A strategic approach to choosing automation tools without wasting money on subscriptions
- The 90-day rule for testing any new platform before you commit

If you've been afraid that automating your business means losing the high-touch, white-glove experience your clients love, this conversation will change the way you think about technology in your business.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Overcoming Business Stress and Mistakes
02:59 The Power of Automation in Business
07:30 Identifying Pain Points and Streamlining Processes
11:14 Embracing Technology for Efficiency
16:01 Implementing Automation Effectively
20:43 Learning and Adapting to New Tools
24:12 Creating a Better Client Experience

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🎁 GRAB THE FREE AFTER-YES CHECKLIST
The exact post-booking checklist Jese uses to onboard new event clients without dropping the ball: https://chipper-creator-3415.kit.com/afteryes

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📲 CONNECT WITH JESE
Website: www.greeneyedambition.com
Instagram: gea_systems_studio
TikTok: @greeneyedambition

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🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO HUSTLE FREE ENTREPRENEUR
Apple Podcasts: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2449235

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ABOUT HUSTLE FREE ENTREPRENEUR
Hustle Free Entrepreneur is the podcast for event-industry business owners who are making money but drowning in the manual work of running their businesses. Hosted by Jese Gary, CEO of GEA Systems Studio and LuxeGiving. HFE is where the real, honest, behind-the-scenes conversations happen about building a profitable event business without burning out.

#HustleFreeEntrepreneur #EventIndustry #EventBusinessOwner #BusinessAutomation #ServiceBasedBusiness #WeddingPlanner #EventPlanner 

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

The event industry is shifting — and if your business looks exactly the same as it did two years ago, that might not be stability. It might be a warning sign.

In this solo episode, Jese breaks down what she's seeing across the event industry right now: changing client behavior, unpredictable booking cycles, tighter budgets, and a market that's rewarding different things than it used to. She walks through three strategic ways to pivot your business when you see the signs of change — without blowing everything up or starting from scratch.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• The specific shifts happening in how event clients buy, book, and spend
• Why pivoting your audience might be the most powerful (and most overlooked) move you can make
• How changing your positioning — not your service — can transform your inquiry rate overnight
• When it might be time to ask the hard question: is this even the right business model for where I'm going?
• The difference between a panic move and a strategic pivot

This one is for every event pro who's been feeling the shift but hasn't known what to do about it.

About Hustle Free Entrepreneur: Real conversations for event industry business owners who are making money but want more freedom. Hosted by Jese Gary, CEO of GEA Systems Studio and LuxeGiving. New episodes every week.

Links:

• Free After-Yes Checklist: https://chipper-creator-3415.kit.com/afteryes

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

Struggling with burnout or thinking about pivoting your business?

Most entrepreneurs are secretly stuck in a business cycle they no longer love — and don’t even realize it. I open up about my raw, honest journey through burnout, tough decisions, and the redefinition of success in her 15-year event business. 

In this episode, let's break down how to make smart, sustainable shifts without losing everything you’ve built. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or questioning your next move as an entrepreneur, this episode is for you. 

I share a real and honest look at the ups and downs of entrepreneurship—from navigating burnout to making tough decisions about pivoting your business. This isn’t about quitting… It’s about evolving with purpose.

You’ll discover:

1. How to recognize burnout before it breaks your business
2. When it’s time to pivot vs. push through
3. How to build a more sustainable business model
4. The role of self-awareness in leadership and growth
5. Practical ways to implement new strategies without chaos

This isn’t just another “success story” — it’s a blueprint for redefining what sustainable entrepreneurship truly looks like. 

You’ll hear how life changes, industry shifts, and personal growth all play a role in building a business that actually works for you—not one that drains you. If you’ve ever wondered how to step back, reassess your strategy, and move forward with clarity, this episode gives you the framework to do just that.

🎯 Ready to simplify and scale your business?

→ Need help setting up systems that support your next pivot? Learn more about GEA Systems Studio: https://stan.store/greeneyedambition

🛠 Tools to support your business:

→ HoneyBook (CRM + client management): http://share.honeybook.com/greeneyedambition

→ ConvertKit (email marketing): https://partners.convertkit.com/wlu5gufp2imm

#EventBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #BurnoutRecovery #HustleFreeEntrepreneur #SmallBusinessTips #BusinessStrategy

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

Struggling with saving for retirement at 40 with no savings? You’re not alone—and it’s not too late to start over.

In this episode, we break down exactly where to start if you feel financially behind and want a fresh start after 40.

If you’ve been asking yourself, “Did I miss my chance?” or “How do I even begin saving for retirement?”—this conversation with Rosie Acosta is for you. We talk about starting over after financial setbacks, letting go of shame, and creating a simple, realistic plan that actually works in midlife. You’ll learn how to build financial security step by step, even if you’re starting from zero.

This episode is a reminder that you are not behind—you’re just getting started. Whether you’ve experienced divorce, career gaps, or inconsistent income, there is still time to create safety, stability, and peace with your money.

Rosie shares practical strategies like the “three buckets” method (emergency, mid-term, retirement), how to shift out of scarcity thinking, and why paying yourself first is the key to long-term change. This isn’t about getting rich—it’s about finally feeling secure.

✨ You are not alone in this—and your next chapter can look different.

👇 Let’s talk about it:
Comment below—where are you right now in your retirement savings journey?

📥 Ready to take your first step?
Start tracking your money with this simple Etsy budget tool:
https://creatorlink.shop/458XPSj

📚 Resources mentioned:
Crema Financial
I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

💛 Join a community of women redefining life after 40:
Subscribe for more conversations on money, mindset, and starting over with confidence.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

Struggling to figure out how profitable an event business really is? In this episode, we break down the real numbers behind running an event planning business—so you can stop being busy and start being profitable.

Running an event business can look exciting from the outside, but many planners, venues, and event pros discover that revenue does not always equal profit. In this episode of the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast, Jese Lewing Gary breaks down the financial side of the event industry and shares the real truth about profitability.

If you've ever asked yourself questions like “Am I charging enough?”, “Where is my money actually going?”, or “Why am I so busy but not making the profit I expected?”—this episode will help you rethink how you price, track costs, and build a more sustainable event business.

This conversation is especially helpful for event planners, venues, caterers, rental companies, and creative event professionals who want to build a business that generates real income, not just a full calendar.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder! 

Send us Fan Mail

 Struggling to host events that actually make money? In this episode, we break down how to host retreats, conferences, and business events that turn a real profit—without burnout. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to host an event for your business and actually walk away profitable, this conversation is for you. 

In this episode of Hustle Free Entrepreneur, I sit down with Esosa Ighodaro, event strategist and profitability expert, to unpack the real numbers behind hosting successful events. We talk about how to host retreats, how to host conferences, and how to throw an event that supports your long-term business goals—not just your ego. 

Too many event organizers measure success by applause instead of profitability. Esosa explains why understanding your true costs, revenue streams, and client education is critical to building a sustainable event-based business. 

✨ About Esosa Ighodaro
Esosa Ighodaro is an event strategist who helps business owners design impactful, profitable events. She specializes in coaching entrepreneurs on financial clarity, revenue strategy, and aligning event experiences with measurable business goals. Her approach blends strategic thinking, client education, and practical financial management to help hosts increase revenue without increasing chaos. 

Learn about her bootcamp where she'll walk through:
✨ Clarifying your event concept + audience
✨ Structuring it so it makes money (not just noise)
✨ Pricing, positioning, and execution without burnout
✨ How to build an event that can grow beyond a one-time moment

If you’ve been sitting on an idea—or feeling stuck in execution—sign up so we can learn more about your new idea and help you shape it the right way.
Register here 

✨ What You’ll Learn: 

• Why client satisfaction ≠ profitability
• Common money mistakes event hosts make
• How to coach clients and set better expectations
• Sales strategies event organizers should focus on daily
• How to track finances to avoid burnout
• Revenue streams that increase event profit
• The mindset shift needed to grow as an event CEO

If you’re searching for how to host your events strategically, this episode will challenge you to think bigger and smarter.

Need help setting up HoneyBook, automations, or building systems that support profitable events?
Explore GEA Systems Studio services: https://businessconsultantcompany24914.hbportal.co/public/HBcreation
 
💻 Tools We Love:
HoneyBook (Client Management) – http://share.honeybook.com/greeneyedambition 

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to the Hustle Free Entrepreneur Podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to:
 ✅ Subscribe so you never miss an update
 ✅ Leave a review—it helps us reach more entrepreneurs like you!
 ✅ Share this episode with a fellow business owner who needs it

🚀 Ready to streamline your business and ditch the hustle? Grab my free resources at https://stan.store/greeneyedambition.

📲 Let’s Connect!
📌 Instagram: @greeneyedambition
📌 Website: greeneyedambition.com

Until next time, keep building smarter—not harder!