Selling to BTS Decision-Makers with Amrit Dhillon‑Bains

Selling and managing luxury weddings is hard enough. Add multiple decision makers, deep cultural traditions, and high emotional stakes — and it becomes a true test of your sales and client service skills.

In this episode, Sam sits down with Amrit Dhillon‑Bains, founder of Anaïs Events, a Northern California–based planning and design firm specializing in upscale, highly personalized South Asian weddings. Amrit brings a rare blend of creativity, business acumen, and cultural insight to her work, helping families plan multi‑day celebrations with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of guests — while keeping everyone aligned.

Amrit shares how she:

• Identifies and maps out key stakeholders early in the process

• Gains trust and buy‑in from even the quietest or most resistant decision makers

• Handles sensitive family dynamics with empathy and authority

• Prepares clients to make informed budget decisions without alienating them

• Personalizes proposals and sales conversations for each unique family and situation

• Balances flexibility and boundaries to maintain a sustainable business

Whether you work in luxury weddings or simply want to improve your ability to sell and serve complex client groups, this episode is packed with insights you can apply right away.

Connect with Amrit Dhillon‑Bains:

Instagram: @anaisevents

Website: www.anaisevents.com

Welcome back to the podcast! This time of year, so many wedding pros are deep in the ramp-up for busy season juggling timelines, emails, client meetings, vendor questions, and still trying to execute this weekend’s wedding on top of it all. It’s exciting, but it’s also exhausting. And if you’re not careful, it’s easy to say yes to everything… and end up with nothing left in the tank when it really counts.

That’s why today I’m sharing a replay of one of my favorite episodes all about the power of saying no.

If you’ve ever found yourself stretched too thin, feeling like there’s no room left for the work that really lights you up, this conversation is for you. We talk about how saying no — even during your busiest months — can actually help you prevent burnout, recharge your batteries, and keep you focused on what matters most.

Because when your calendar is packed with low-priority tasks, there’s no space left to say yes to the big opportunities that can move your business forward.

So as you head into the thick of wedding season, take a breath and listen in. Let’s dive into the replay.

In this episode, I’m joined by negotiation expert Alex Carter and executive presence coach Anne Marie Nest for a conversation about what it really means to lead with presence. We talk about the myths around confidence, how to interrupt negative self-talk, and why executive presence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you can learn and practice. Alex and Anne-Marie share personal stories, practical tips, and simple strategies you can start using right away. If you want to show up with more clarity, confidence, and command in your business, this episode is for you.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your pricing, messaging, or marketing — this episode is for you. We’re digging into the real difference between confidence and competence, and why clarity is the missing link for so many creative entrepreneurs. You’ll hear why “fake it till you make it” rarely works in the long run, how competence builds true confidence, and what to focus on if you want better inquiries, stronger sales, and more aligned clients. Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Let’s get into it.

What happens when a luxury brand scales without losing its heart?

In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Eleanor Scola and Pablo Oliveira from Nuage Designs to explore exactly that. 

You’ll hear how a hospitality setback led to the founding of one of the most beloved names in high-end event rentals—and how trust, humility, and shared values have shaped a thriving leadership dynamic. This one’s a masterclass in growing with integrity and trusting your team.

Let’s dive in.

Success doesn't happen by accident. It’s done on purpose, when someone decides what they want with clarity and then maps out a plan to make it happen.

Today's guest, Twah Dougherty, started her career as a wedding photographer with a very specific intention. If you asked her, she would say it was her vision - and a big part of it relied on building expertise in a few key areas for her business. 

Today, Twah shares her story of stacking those skills she needed to grow her business into the powerhouse it is now.

• How to communicate with affluent and ultra-affluent buyers

• How to pinpoint your ideal client avatar and create messages that matter

• How to identify the soul of your business and remain true to it as you grow

Social media strategy is more than just posting pretty pictures.

At least that's what we say at Duet Social Media, the new agency, Abby Jiu and I cofounded during the winter.

I had Abby on a few months ago to discuss 2025 social media trends, and we had an outstanding response from the audience. On today's episode, we talk about how to create a strategy for mid and long-term success based on more than just showcasing your portfolio in your IG grid.

You'll take away from the conversation:

• Core components for a solid social strategy

• The power of a personal brand story on IG

• Simple ways to engage your audience to boost your posts

• Three common misconceptions about social media in the wedding industry at the luxury level

Get ready for your head to get bigger - and hopefully your inbox fill with more ideal clients - in the next 40 minutes.

Everyone in the wedding industry wants to level up their business. So it's not a matter of if, it’s more how. 

How do you pick the right kind of client? How do you align yourself with the right kind of professional in your network? How do you prioritize all the different tasks that need to be done as the boss? How do you allocate your time, money, energy, and resources to get from where you are to where you want to be?

Today I bring on my friend and client Julian Leaver, to talk about his journey over the last decade building a wedding business that targeted very specific ideal clients in three distinct phases as he grew his company.

We dive into:

• What kind of ideal client he started with when his business got going

• When he knew that it was time to level up

• Why he chose to pursue a safer path with more steps rather than make big leaps

• How he found that fast is slow and slow is smooth when it comes to elevating your brand

If you're looking for real talk about what it's like to level up your business from someone who made the moves over the last decade, this is a conversation you don't wanna miss.

Many business owners in the wedding industry got their start accidentally. Others found their way here because of a passion for creativity or art, and wanted to express it as a profession.

But there are a handful of others who had a dream of being an entrepreneur, and found the wedding space as fertile ground for planning the seeds of their business ideas.

Today's guest, Brittany Lo, founder and owner of Beautini and Beia, joins me on the podcast to discuss her journey as an entrepreneur over the last decade, including:

• How she delegates work to a team in order to grow her business

• What she spends most of her time on as the CEO of the companies

• Where she seeks guidance and support when she's expected to have all the answers

• Recommendations for spending more of your time working on the business rather than in business

If you wanna take your company to the next level, you have to know how to be a boss. Brittany shares exactly how to do that.

Who wants more time back for personal life? Or maybe you want to spend more time doing things you love with your business rather than things you don't or things that are difficult?

The key to making these things happen is freeing up room in your calendar by getting other people to do work for you. 

One of the best ways to bring in somebody to help take care of miscellaneous tasks that are under your pay grade or you don't like doing - or both - is to hire a VA. Where do you begin? And how do you find the right one? And what do you have them work on?

Today, I sit down with Katie Hendricks, owner of the VA agency, Masterfully Managed, who runs a team of VAs for luxury wedding vendors who want to spend more time doing what they love and less time stressed about the details they don’t want to worry about.

You’ll learn:

• When is it time to consider a VA?

• How could you tell which VA will be the right fit for you?

• What kind of work can a VA help with?

• Are there any red flags to watch out for when hiring or assigned to a new VA?