Persephone Says

My real-life friend Sarah Bradshaw of Sarah Bradshaw Photography joins me for one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had on this show. Sarah has been shooting for 20 years, and she’s the person behind the idea that’s been rippling through our industry: fireworks vs. fireplaces. Some of us are built to light up the sky. Some of us are built to keep the room warm. Neither is wrong, and both work.

We get into how Sarah found her footing as a quieter creative after leaving DC, why her Substack thesis is “widen my visibility by elevating other people,” and the article that struck a nerve across the wedding world: we’ve lost the plot. Sarah shares why she builds a private 12 to 15 page design deck for every single wedding, why she asks couples whether they even want their photos posted, and why she never wants anyone to feel like “a Sarah Bradshaw bride.”

We also talk about taste and how it’s actually formed, the “five whys” exercise for figuring out who you really are, how to protect your heart at industry events (hint: find the corners of the room), building a circle of friends who aren’t an echo chamber, and growing up as the firstborn of nine.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to be loud to succeed in this industry, this one is for you.

This is a Media Socialites Production.

My bridal bestie Tiffany Wu, creative director of House of Wu, is here, and this one goes everywhere: business, friendship, family, and motherhood.

Tiffany grew up with the business in the background but was always pushed to build her own path, which led her to law school (thanks in part to a letter from Tiffany & Co.) and a decade in real estate. Then, while on maternity leave with her second child, her family bought the brand back from private equity, and a conversation with her Dad changed everything.

We get into:

• The real, nuanced story of private equity in bridal, and why it isn’t all doom
• Coming back into a family business as the “most outside insider” and why that’s a superpower
• Pitching your Dad like an investor
• Our iconic Miami shoot (yes, there was a boat with a Y and a moped moment)

• Navigating Dad as boss, identity shifts, mom guilt, and letting your kids see you work
• Where bridal retail is headed: succession, consolidation, and the next generation stepping in

Connect with Tiffany at houseofwu.com and on Instagram @byTiffanyWu.

This is a Media Socialites Production.

"It must be so fun to be your own boss." I hear it all the time, and fun isn't exactly the word I'd use. On this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the version of entrepreneurship that social media loves to romanticize and talking about what owning a business actually looks like.

We get into the myth of unlimited time off, the weight of knowing the buck starts and stops with you, and why your brain never really shuts off when you're building something you care about. I share why your business so often mirrors what's happening in your personal life, why money is energy, and how to stay clear-headed and decisive even when life gets messy. We also talk about the duality every owner has to master, the importance of celebrating your micro wins because no one else will clap for you, and why your circle often shrinks once you start your own thing.

This is a Media Socialites Production.

Every business owner and employee eventually faces it: a project that isn't landing, a frustrated client, or a boss you've let down. Today I unpack what to do when something goes wrong, because making mistakes is human and the rebound is what really counts.

We cover:

- Why accountability starts with naming the elephant in the room

- Why you should stop hiding behind Slack and just pick up the phone

- How to hear someone's frustration without getting defensive

Let me know if you like these quickie episodes in the comments.

This is a Media Socialites Production.

He's back. My bestie Richard Rivas is back for his third visit, and since our last pet peeves episode was such a hit around the holidays, we're bringing it back for Q4. Disclaimer first: just because it's our pet peeve doesn't mean we've never done it ourselves.

We get into it all: salmon vs. "sal-mon," coffee mug selfies with #girlboss, mismatched mugs in the cupboard, lazy couples costumes, and why you need to brush your wig (and get the cap). We also talk about 20-step skincare routines, people who drop names you've never heard of, and how to actually conduct yourself at industry events (spoiler: someone's always taking notes). Plus bachelorette paraphernalia, spray tan disasters, wire hangers, the infamous Cattie Herren assistant saga, and a few truly unhinged ones we didn't plan at all.

It's light, it's petty, and it's never that serious. Grab a matching mug and come complain with us.

This is a Media Socialites Production.

Be prepared for my most awkward and funny guest - my 9 year-old- son Roman.

Today's episode is ADD AF, so hang on to your hat. We cover:

- His first WIPA event

- Baby's first Gala

- How I 'yell' and 'scream'

He's so dry and so funny. This one was recorded a few weeks ago and made me giggle.

xo

This is a Media Socialites Production.

This week's episode is different. I'm in the middle of something heavy that I'm not ready to talk about yet, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But I still have to show up, for my kids, my company, my clients, the people counting on me. So today's episode is about what happens when you're not okay and tapping out isn't an option: how to hold pain and beauty at the same time, why it sometimes takes a hard season to notice the small stuff (the light, a walk, a matcha), and why asking for help out loud is harder than it should be. It's shorter than usual and less polished, but it's real. I'm asking you for a little grace this week, and I want to hear from you too: what's the small thing bringing you joy right now?

This is a Media Socialites Production.

Life didn't hand me a calm month just because I needed one. In this raw catch-up episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the wildest stretch of my year: a house fire while I was mid-recording, a scraped esophagus from choking on a vitamin, presenting the wrong slide deck to a packed room, and somehow still pulling off WIPACon's first-ever national conference from scratch in nine weeks. Between the chaos, I get into the real talk: industry friendships, the beauty I think we glaze over in our own work, and why I needed a beta blocker just to stay present through it all. Oh, and I caught COVID right after.

This is a Media Socialites Production.

*Trigger Warning* This episode contains sensitive content including suicide and domestic violence.

MaKela Allen is a light and I'm so honored to share her story with you. I sat down with my dear friend MaKela Allen - celebrity wedding planner, CEO of Andre Makena, mother of two, and host of the new podcast Not My Timeline. MaKela opens up about a story most people have never heard: a nine-year relationship marked by domestic violence, becoming a mother at 24, losing her own mother and her husband within eight months of each other, and rebuilding her life as a solo parent at 29.

We talk about hiding pain behind a smile for clients, the guilt and freedom that came after loss, why she started her own company named after her kids, and how she learned to protect her peace without losing her capacity for love. This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about grief, resilience, boundaries, and what it really means to show up for your kids, your clients, and yourself.

This is a Media Socialites Production

I'm finally telling a story I've been hinting at for almost two years how I ended up half a million dollars in debt.

In 2023 we had our biggest year ever, and I still couldn't figure out why things felt so tight. Turns out we were over-servicing nearly every client, carrying way too much payroll, and I'd signed off on loans without fully understanding what I was agreeing to. When it all caught up with us, I had to make some of the hardest calls of my life letting go of people who'd been with me since the beginning, freezing every personal expense, and sitting down line by line with my team to finally see the real numbers.

This is me sharing the whole messy, humbling process the denial, the shame, the friends who told me hard truths I didn't want to hear, and the slow climb back to profitability.

If you're a business owner, know your numbers. Surround yourself with people who'll tell you the truth. And trust that gut feeling when something's off it usually is.

This is a Media Socialites Production.