Own Your Business

Over 1,000 people have watched or listened to the State of the Industry panel I hosted a couple weeks ago. We’ve had a ton of good feedback from wedding pros. 

- Everyone said how refreshing it was to hear us talking about real numbers, rather than just what’s going on with a few businesses. 

- Many of you shared how comforting it was to know that you’re not the only one feeling a slowdown. 

- Some of you reached out in surprise that so many were so slow.

- A few wanted more specifics on why this was happening - and what you can do about it.

I’m pushing our regularly schedule programming back a week to do this episode, which will be like an FAQ follow-up for the State of the Industry panel. It’s also a peek into the kinds of conversations I’m having with my clients.

Here’s a tale of two consultations from this week: 

One client came to me because bookings were down. He felt maybe it was because the industry as a whole was feeling a decline. I’m glad he called, because an hour later, we’d identified a bunch of changes made to the proposal that needed to be tweaked, and packages and pricing that weren't communicating the value necessary to justify the higher prices. 

Later that day, I had a planning and design client reach out to me saying she just filled her 2024 calendar at $20k+ fees for the first time ever.

Why are some doing amazingly well? And others are on the struggle bus?

The numbers show weddings are a little down, we might be in an engagement, spending is down and so are guest counts. But I don’t believe that’s a reason - and certainly not an excuse - for bookings being off by 50%. Or even 20%. 

The macro-changes in the market are important to pay attention to. But as I’ll share, the cause of your success or concerns is likely what YOU have done - or not done - with your business.

The best part about that is you can impact a different outcome by doing different activities.

Tune in to find out what those are.

Last week I hosted a panel with three wedding market experts to discuss the state of the industry.

- Where have we been

- Where are we now

- Where are we going

We tackled big-picture topics like declining engagement rates, lower guest counts, and what to do as a business owner in our volatile market over the next 6-12 months.

Hundreds of people attended the panel, but the conversation was too good to put on a file and never let it see the light of day again.

So, I’m putting it on the podcast as an episode for our audience to hear - and look back on when you’re unsure about the direction to take in the coming months.

Enjoy the conversation. It’s one that needs to be heard and shared in the industry, so if you feel like a colleague could benefit from it, send their way!

We all know how important it is to get referrals from clients and colleagues if you want to level up your business. Couples who come in on recommendations from others usually convert at 4-6x the normal percentages of people who inquire after finding you on social media, Google, or a listing site.

But it’s not just about expanding your network. It’s also about strengthening it. Cultivating it. Deepening it. 

In this episode of Own Your Business, I’ll share:

- How other people’s recommendations got me where I am today

- 3 tips to retain current referral partners

- 1 simple way to make colleagues feel great about referring you business

As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats. Director of Marketing. Sales Manager. Creative Director. Head whatever-it-is-that-you-do. You can even try Bookkeeper if you feel comfortable doing some of the work before sending over to your accountant.

But one hat you should never try to wear yourself is legal counsel. It’s too important. And there’s a whole field filled with landmines to step on and an army of opposing attorneys ready to pounce on you when you make a mistake.

Today, I talk with Magi Fisher. Not only is she an attorney who specializes in creative fields, but she owns her own photography studio on the East Coast. 

- We dive into plenty of hot-button topics you should pay attention to, including:Contractors v. employees

- Sales tax

- Intellectual property rights 

- Image ownership

- And, of course, contracts

Enjoy the listen. I know you’ll find a lot of good advice in the time you spend.

Luxury photography is one of the most competitive fields in the wedding industry. And hardest to break into, because you have to be good at so many things.

Yes, your craft. That’s a given. If your photos aren’t incredible, you’ve got no chance. 

But beautiful images aren't enough to charge top dollar. Or book at five-figure prices consistently.

On today’s episode, I sit down with Carter Rose, one of our clients who reached out a few years ago to get help making the move from premium to luxury. With just a handful of 1:1 sessions and a new website focusing on the right kind of client, Carter’s been able to increase his prices by 250% and halve the number of weddings he’s taken. 

He’s proof that the “work less, make more” dream is possible. 

If you’re a photographer, tune in. If you’re not - but you want to break into luxury in whatever field you’re in - you should tune in too. Because the formula is the same. 

This has been one of my favorite podcasts to record. Carter is a savvy business owner, and we all have a lot to learn from his success.

Can you believe it? You’re listening to episode 100 of the Own Your Business podcast.

Pretty stinking cool.

If you’ve listened to most of them, you know I usually share insights and takeaways to apply to your business in sales, pricing and copywriting. I’ve also done some great interviews with the best in the business over the past two years.

So in today’s episode, I asked Katy to sit down with me to talk about what I’ve learned creating all this content and interviewing all the amazing people over the past two years.

We dive into:

- How the purpose of the podcast has changed (and not changed) over time

- What I’ve learned talking with industry icons

- Common characteristics I’ve seen in the most successful pros out there

Tune in. Enjoy the show. We’re celebrating 100 episodes!

Looking for a good book to read? Or an entire curriculum to get you through the next several months. 

Take 15 minutes to listen to this episode, where I provide my top 10 general books on business, and how each can help you grow your business and make it more fun to go to work every day.

People talk about short attention spans all the time. But you know what’s sad? The most common solution is to provide less information. Or content. Or connection.

Yes, we can blame social media for some of it. Maybe even most of it. But I think a lot of it has to do with boring content. Bad writing. Uninteresting narratives.

Good stories grab you from the very beginning - and then keep you engaged at every opportunity. 

So what makes for an attention-grabbing start? 

That’s what Katy and I talk about on today’s episode of Own Your Business.

What’s the formula for an effective hook?

Where do you need to use one?

How can you attract and repel the right readers?

Do you want to make more and work less?

Great. This is the episode for you.

Today, I’m going to break down how you can get into the luxury market. Or, if you’re already there, show you the formula to create more consistency with your bookings.

In this episode, we’ll dive into:

- How I learned to market and sell high-end wedding services

- When you know you’re in luxury - and you might be surprised to hear you’re already there

- Common obstacles you run into when moving from premium to luxury markets

- Proven strategies and tactics to push past these frequent problems

- The #1 thing you have to do if you want to book more high-paying clients

Let’s get going. It’s a good one.

For those looking to level up fast, here's the link to the proposal template mentioned in the episode.

https://ideactionconsulting.com/custom-proposal-template

Of all the fields and markets in the wedding industry, I have to confess: Luxury wedding planners probably have it the hardest. 

And I’m not talking about the long hours, crazy clients, and relatively low pay they get compared to others who work as hard as they do. You know, when you put it like that, it’s amazing anyone wants to take this career path.

But those who do the work loooove what they do - for all sorts of reasons. So good for you, if you’re one of them, or you’re a mid-market or premium planner hoping to level up into luxury. 

And the good news for you is that there’s a path to make it easier. And more consistent. With less work. And more fun.

How? What’s the secret?

Today, I’ve got Kaitlin Ford on the podcast. When she first came to us for help she was a premium planner with a few luxury clients booking full-service packages. But inquiries were mostly under her starting budget, and the celebrations weren’t always interesting. 

As you’ll hear, a few 1:1 sessions and a new website made all the difference. She started attracting ideal clients. Who were willing to pay top dollar - two, even three times what she was charging before. And the projects were interesting, and engaged her creativity. 

If you’re a planner who wants to get into luxury, or feel more secure with your bookings, this episode is for you. 

If you’re not a planner, listen in still…because the blueprint to level up is nearly the same for everyone. It’s just applied differently depending on what you do and how far you have to go to reach success.