Katy and I cut this episode right after we returned from our Shift Retreat in Costa Rica a couple weeks ago. Ironically, when this episode goes to air on Dec. 4, we’ll be in the middle of a second retreat helping business owners clarify what success looks like, and then create action plan to get there.


Spending a solid week with clients to dig into what’s going on and how to help them revealed some patterns in what we saw. 


Today, Katy and I sit down for a quick conversation about what we’re seeing business owners go through with their companies, and offer insights into how you can steer yourself and your team in the right direction for 2024.


Hope you enjoy the episode!

7 Lessons Learned at the Shift Retreats

A podcast for event professionals who want the knowledge and skills to grow a business with confidence. Industry authority Sam Jacobson hosts solo or with fellow sales and marketing expert, Katy Taylor Jacobson, with bite-sized, 20-minute episodes. Listeners take away one big idea with simple steps to put what you learn into action. Topics focus on sales, pricing, websites, and growing a team. Follow up questions answered in a private FB group.

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Zoom is one of those artifacts from the pandemic that’s not going away. People got used to talking with each other remotely with this app, and the behavior stuck.
Here’s the thing: I’m okay with it. In fact, I kinda like it.
When done well, Zoom allows us to connect in a richer, more helpful way than phone calls do. It can also add to your swag by boosting the brand of your business in the same way a nice office does - or did.
But it can also hurt your chances of booking new clients if your Zoom skills are subpar. 
The bad news is most people I chat with on Zoom offer a below average Zoom experience. That’s the #1 reason I’m doing this episode. I feel obligated to help, because it’s gotten worse over the years.
The good news is all the terrible Zoomers out there mean it’s easier to stand out, to be effective, and to build trust with potential buyers.
So listen up for my Top 14 Zoom no-nos - and what to do instead.

14 Zoom No-Nos

Today I chat with top photographer, Joseph Rogero Mills, a client I first met back in 2023. I remember getting the inquiry and looking him up online. By all accounts, he was very successful:
- Lots of IG followers
- Published plenty of times
- Brides Top Photographer
- Stunning portfolio
- Gorgeous website
I was curious why he reached out.
When I did the discovery call to find out, I was even more confused. He was knowledgeable, articulate, friendly, and believed in his company, abilities and product. 
So what was up? Why did he need my help?
As we’ll talk about in the conversation, it was a minor tweak or two at critical points in the sales process. That was all. A little acupuncture needle at the right pressure point to change the entire buying experience.
You see, Joseph knows what he does well. How he helps his clients. Why those that book him absolutely adore their images. He has more conviction about what he calls his “ethos” than most wedding pros I know.
And that’s led to his success. I simply helped him translate it differently to different couples when they inquired.
Listen in on our conversation to hear more about Joseph’s journey as a business owner, which has proven to be an intense experience of self-reflection and personal discovery. 

Joseph Mills - Building a Business that's True to You

Couples are overwhelmed by all the noise in today’s wedding marketplace. It’s crowded. It’s loud. It all sounds and looks the same to the untrained buyer simply hoping to book vendors for a pretty, fun celebration with family and friends.
So how do you compete in this situation? How do you fill your calendar? With the right kinds of couples? Who pay higher prices you deserve for your amazing work?
That’s exactly what I’m talking about today with Katy Taylor Jacobson, my wife and our Head Copywriter, who’s spent more than 50,000 hours - yes, that’s correct - thinking about and practicing how to get wedding couples to buy services from her, her team, or clients she’s guiding the way for.
When you live and breathe wedding sales and marketing over a quarter century you learn a thing or two about how to stand out, and that’s what we’ll explore in today’s conversation.
Get your notepad out, and enjoy the discussion!

Differentiate Your Brand to Stand Out

The pandemic might be over, but we’re still feeling the ripple effects. 
Anyone with kids who were supposed to be in school for the second half of 2020 and most of 2021 know what I’m talking about. I’m reading a book called “The Stolen Year” because it’s so terrible for our educational system as a whole.
The economy is…confused. Some signs point good, others not so good. Even the decision-makers aren’t sure what the hell is going on, which means their uncertainty creates unpredictability in the markets. Never a good thing for businesses.
In the wedding industry, specifically, one of the ripple effects is couples taking longer to make decisions. Some of this is related to the horror stories their friends shared or family members went through with their own weddings between 2020 and 2022. 
I have a family member who just got back from Mexico celebrating her friend’s 40th birthday. Why Mexico? Because the friend had put a deposit down on a venue at a resort, but they didn’t end up doing the wedding there and the resort wouldn’t refund (only credit) the couple. So the friends grouped together to do the vacation there, used her credit, and then venmoed her their share with actual money so she could get the cash back.
So if you think couples are “over” the pandemic, you’re not seeing things from their perspective. It lives on, like a recurring nightmare we’re all trudging through. 
But how else are post-pandemic ripple effects impacting our industry and your business? Listen in today for some explanations and insights - as well as what to do about certain buyer behavior that makes it hard (and now hardER) to make decisions.

Why Couples Wait to Book

My brother owns a talent company in Los Angeles, and I once asked him what he did for his clients. He thought for a while, then said, “I manage their expectations.” 
He went on to explain that a lot of writers and directors - the types of clients he represented at the time - go to Hollywood with big dreams. They have talent, ideas, and are willing to work hard to get where they want to go.
Unfortunately, so do thousands of others - and studios only have so many shows they’ll produce each year, which means the spots at the top of success are few and far between. It takes time to earn one. In my brother’s line of work, that means years, maybe even decades of putting in your dues before you get the rewards you want.
That’s a tough sell, because Americans love an overnight success story. We think it happens all the time (which it doesn’t). Most people worked their way up the ladder for years before getting any recognition. Years.
Just because you (or some journalist or influencer) found out about them only recently doesn’t mean they started recently. 
I see this all the time in the wedding industry. The need for immediate gratification. Short-term thinking. A general lack of patience. I get it: We all want to win with our businesses. But this is an infinite game that takes years to even learn the rules.
I remember hearing Bryan Rafanelli on the main stage at my first Engage back in 2013. He said he took every opportunity that came his way for the first 10 years, till he was full. Ten years. That’s how long it took him to fill his calendar with a steady stream of clients at luxury levels.
For the record, I was listening to him 17 years after he started his company. 17 years.
When I first heard Bryan talk in 2013, he was three years past his biggest break, which was planning the wedding of Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky. You know who else worked with him on that wedding? Today’s guest for my podcast, Gigi de Manio. 
For the record, she had been photographing for 20 years - 14 of those in the wedding industry - before she became a household name. 
Today, Gigi and I talk about hitting singles instead of home runs with your business. Swing for the fences every time and you’ll end up striking out. Success in the wedding industry is a long game, one that takes time to develop talent and hone your skills and put yourself in a position to win big when it matters most.
I hope you find as much inspiration and information on how to build a career in the wedding industry as I did in this conversation with Gigi.

7 Lessons Learned at the Shift Retreats

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