Happy New Year! Meet my next guest, Ashley Thompson. 

Ashley Thompson is a Las Vegas native who started Ashley Creative Events in 2017. As you'll hear in this episode, Ashley found her passion for events at a very young age when she was inspired by the events her mom would plan and host. Ashley knew weddings were the end game and she carefully created a resume to learn every bit of the event industry until she found her way to starting her own business. 

Today, Ashley leads her company as the owner and creative director. She focuses on understanding her clients' priorities and carefully crafting the intentional touches and moments that reflect their vision. Ashley Creative Events has been featured in Martha Stewart, Brides, People, Style Me Pretty, Inside Weddings, The Knot, and more. 

Ashley's never stop learning attitude included Planner Life Academy online course, which is when I was introduced to her and her brand. Watching her grow, evolve, and shine over the years has quickly turned me into an Ashley Creative fan.

Ashley's passion for events and love for hospitality are so evident in the events she produces. In our conversation, she mentions what an absolute honor it is to be someone's planner. And she talks about how saying yes early on in her career and even still today have had such a positive impact. 

We chat about bringing on a full-time right hand and the massive turning point that was for her business. We chat about percentage-based pricing and we talk about what planners should wear at the luxury, ultra luxury level. 

Please enjoy my conversation with Ashley Thompson. 

Connect with Ashley Creative Events

Instagram | Website

Hello & Happy Holidays! It is with so much gratitude that I share the final podcast episode of 2024. 

As we close out this incredible year together, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wins, the lessons, and the moments that shaped this year. So when I look back at these last 12 months, they were definitely a journey. A journey filled with highs and lows. A journey where I, of course, had this idea and these goals of what my year would look like. And like most years, it wasn't even close. And in so many ways, this year was better than I could have imagined. And in many ways, there were more challenges and some heartbreak I didn't see coming.

Please enjoy this brief episode looking back at my 2024. 

My holiday wish is that you would leave a review, share the podcast with a friend, and be sure to share your favorite episodes on socials. 

Always here cheering you on! 

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year & Happy Planning!!

XO, Heather

There are a few seats left for the first 2025 workshop, 

sign up for the January 21st & 22nd, Workshop HERE.

Let’s start the year together and make sure it’s your best season yet!!

Hi planners! Before I introduce you to my next guest, I wanted to make sure that you heard that the new PlannerLifeAcademy.com is live! I am beyond excited for you to see it, and more importantly, the four new workshops for 2025, including the first one in January, which is Mastering Management, a Wedding Coordination and Wedding Day-focused 2-day in-person workshop.

Be sure to check out the site for more info and to grab your seat before they're gone! 

Now, my next guest is Natalie Good. Known for being a creative force behind A Good Affair, Natalie began her passion for design as a young girl. She was always exploring through art, painting, drawing, and design. Paired with her desire to find any reason to bring friends together for a party, it's no surprise that A Good Affair was born.

For Natalie, being able to combine her two passions to become one of Orange County's most sought after event designers is a dream come true. Since starting A Good Affair, Natalie has grown to now only taking on full service design and production. Natalie has a way of creating a concept from nothing into a fully detailed celebration that wows at every turn. While creativity and vision are essential at any good affair event,the production and execution are what truly set it apart. 

Natalie's an Orange County based planner as well. So we've known each other for a very long time. It's fun to get to have a conversation like this. As you will hear, we share a background in catering and love for animals. 

Natalie shares how really getting an understanding of her strengths and weaknesses have helped her build a strong team.She talks about her love for florals and how much her business has grown and changed over the years. She shares so much advice and insight. 

In this Episode: 

• Meet Natalie Good: A Journey in Event Planning

• Early Influences and Creative Beginnings

• Navigating Education and Career Choices

• Finding Passion in Event Management

• The Evolution of Event Planning

• From Florals to Full-Service Planning

• Building a Team and Brand Awareness

• The Journey to Ultra Luxury Events

• Embracing Fearlessness in Design

Connect with Natalie Good, A Good Affair

Website | Instagram

My next guest is Thomas Bui. Thomas is the founder and creative director of Thomas Bui Lifestyle, a San Diego based company. With 24 years of experience producing weddings and events, Thomas and his team have worked in Italy, France, England, Asia, and Mexico. 

Thomas Bui Lifestyle has been featured in Martha Stewart weddings, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Brides to name a few. Thomas also guests lectures at universities on the business of luxury weddings. 

I've known Thomas for a long time and it was so fun to have this conversation today. We talk about how early childhood experiences inform his love for fashion and dressing to impress. How he formerly had another career that was more of a family business and that he pivoted to pursue event planning back when it was far less popular. 

We talk about how important confidence is and how much he loves challenges of new destinations. We talk about the extreme expectations that luxury and ultra luxury clients have. And we talk about our love-hate relationship with perfection. At the end, he gives me probably one of the kindest compliments describing me in a way I would hope to be perceived by my peers. It's a good reminder of how impactful being a cheerleader in this industry can be. 

Key takeaways from this episode: 

• There are seasons in life where balance is achieved.

• Community over competition is essential in the event planning industry.

• Knowledge is power; sharing ideas helps everyone grow.

• Attention to detail can make or break an event.

• Destination weddings offer unique challenges and rewards.

• Confidence is crucial for success in event planning.

• You must adapt to different seasons in your business.

• Building a strong team is challenging but necessary.

• Experience is key to gaining confidence in planning.

• You have to charge your worth to sustain your business.

Connect with Thomas

Instagram | Website

Hi planners, my next guest is Erica Adams. Erica is an event producer and the creative mind behind Erica Adams Design. With over seven years of experience, she specializes in crafting memorable weddings and a variety of other events from corporate gatherings to brand activations. Known for her meticulous attention to detail and innovative approach, Erica brings a unique vision to every celebration she produces.

Erica has been named top planner by Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings, and her work has been featured in People and Essence. 

I have been a big fan of Erica's over the last few years and was so excited to chat with her! In this episode, we talk about how her work experience was building the foundation for this career without her even realizing. We talk about how her health played a pivotal role in her career path and how hard COVID was when she was trying to build a new planning business. She's candid about some of the privilege she had in that season that really allowed her to be strategic about her next moves.

And we talk about how important relationships are and how they continue to be for her success. Erica shares how an unexpected referral turned out to be an NBA client and how she's now the go -to for many athletes and high profile couples. One of my favorite things about this conversation is how Erica shares advice on shadowing other vendors and having a never stop learning attitude. Please enjoy my conversation with Erica Adams.

Connect with Erica

Website | Instagram

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressfull and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal.  So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

Hi Planners, Heather here to share some exciting updates about Planner Life Academy, in this episode, I am reflecting on the past 12 years and announcing a new website that better represents my goals as an educator and mentor. I am excited to introduce four new focused workshops planned for 2025, aimed at helping wedding planners improve their skills and business practices. The new format allows for deeper exploration of essential topics, fostering community growth and support among planners. Give this qucik episode a listen and then check out the NEW plannerlifeacademy.com.

My next guest is Reagan Kerr of Reagan Events. With years of experience managing luxury events worldwide, Regan accepted her first client in 2012 and Reagan Events was born. Today, Reagan leads the firm as creative director and executive producer and is involved in the overall management of each event. She plays an integral role in the design origination and curates vendor teams for each client.

Reagan believes no dream is too big or detail too small. She appreciates thoughtful design and impeccable service. Reagan's greatest inspiration stems from the love she sees in others. She strives to create beautifully tailored memories worthy of the milestone being celebrated and is deeply fulfilled watching the joy of her clients as they live the experience she has shaped for them. Reagan is the sweetest, most open, and as you'll learn, highly experienced planner.

She's easy to talk with, learn from, and I'm honored to call her a new friend. In this episode, we talk about how a professor in college gave Reagan perfectly timed advice, how she worked in smaller industry jobs to get more experience, and then landed a job with a big planner that helped her build her experience and confidence to start her own company. Over the years, life and business have changed for Reagan, and she shares insight into pushing forward, even when it's hard, setting boundaries, and chasing your dreams. 

In this episode: 

• Reagan's journey began with a passion for wedding planning from a young age.

• The importance of mentorship and learning from experienced planners.

• Navigating the challenges of being valued in the wedding industry.

• The significance of building strong vendor relationships.

• Emphasizing the need for a solid money mindset in business.

• The impact of personal struggles on professional growth.

• Innovative services can create new opportunities in the wedding industry.

• The importance of sharing your goals with others.

• Advice for aspiring planners to start at the level they want to end up.

• The value of authenticity and real connections in the wedding industry.

Connect with Reagan Events

Instagram | Website

And listen to her podcast Wine Me Dine Me

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressful and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal.  So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

My next guest is Adrienna McDermott of Ava And The Bee. As a former wedding professional and current agency owner who has served over 250 vendors around the world, Adrienna is a sought-after thought leader in the world of wedding marketing and strategy. After spending many years as a bridal boutique owner, wedding planner, and florist, she intimately understands the challenges that vendors face in the always-changing digital world and how important it is to stand out from the rest. 

Ava & the Bee, is the in-house marketing studio for wedding professionals ready for inclusive, results-driven marketing that creates freedom in their business and cultivates a client connection and experience before they even speak with you.

In this episode Adrienna shares her story and how she got an early start by leaping into a wedding business and partnership. She shares how an impactful moment in her life led her to shift gears and how Ava and the Bee was born. 

As I am sure you can tell by the guests we have on here, I love experts that are or were formerly planners. I think it’s so helpful for us all to hear their stories and to learn from experts that really understand the unique struggles the wedding industry faces so you have solutions to those challenges as well as the advice and insight into how to improve your business strategies. 

In this episode:

• Adrienna’s Story

• Balancing the Client Experience and Business Strategy

• Reinventing Yourself in the Wedding Industry

• The Importance of Supportive Wedding Community

• Starting a Marketing Agency for Wedding Professionals

• The Importance of a Strong Website

• Building Trust and Consistent Messaging

• Advice for Planners at Different Stages

• Leveraging Your Vendor Network

• Services Offered by Adrienna's Agency, Ava & the Bee

Connect with Ava and the Bee

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

DIY Website & Social Media Audit

https://avaandthebee.myflodesk.com/website-audit

Today's episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course. 

What is the most important thing to do when you want to become a successful wedding planner? 

Whether you're just starting out or you're ready to level up, these questions constantly creep in. How can I charge more? How do I book more clients? How can I do this better? This must not be this hard. Everybody else seems to be doing better than me. I've been there.

And I've learned so many things the hard way so that you don't have to. The thing is, the path to overcoming doubt is different for everyone, and you can't Google your way to success. I have done over 900 weddings and events, and I've learned so many ways to improve my customer experience, organization, design skills, and wedding day process. 

And after years of hosting in -person workshops for planners, we created an online course so planners can learn what they need to succeed from the comfort of their own home. 

If you want to do this, you can, and we're here to show you how. 

And this just isn't any wedding planner certification. It's everything I have learned over the last 20 years poured into an easy to learn online course that will teach you how to start your business, implement processes. How to create templates, how to guide your clients through each and every step of planning, how to be a great leader, and more importantly, how to build a great reputation so that you can build a sustainable wedding business. 

The Planner Life Academy online course is 45 topics, over 16 hours of video lessons, and all of our templates to help you make immediate upgrades to your business. 

Friend, please stop doubting that you have what it takes to succeed.

Get everything you need to build your career as a professional wedding planner. 

Visit plannerlifeacademy.com to start today.

Meet my next guest, Katie Webb Brundige of the powerhouse company, Intertwined Inc. 

Katie brings a wealth of experience to the table as an entrepreneur with 18 plus years of experience in hospitality, events and design. She specializes in full service luxury event planning, overseeing everything from production and curated design to vendor coordination and executing multi -day experiences.

Her keen eye for refined aesthetics and unwavering attention to detail allows for her to craft unique spaces and creative displays for weddings, galas, and charity functions locally, nationally, and worldwide. She received her bachelor's degree in hospitality and tourism management with an emphasis in event management from San Diego State University. Postgraduate, she served as a meeting coordinator in planning events for three Fortune 500 companies.

Currently, she's the co -founder of Intertwined Inc., which consists of brands Intertwined Events, Become Intertwined, Reserve, and RadCamp, which is an incredible nonprofit that supports those with developmental disabilities. 

As planners with a similar career timeline in the same Orange County market, I've had the pleasure of a front row seat to the impressive company Katie and her business partner, Megan, have built. If you're a planner really wanting to build a strong brand, a strong reputation, and a big team, here is someone you should definitely look up to. I'm honored to call her a colleague, a peer, and a friend. 

In this episode we discuss: 

• Volunteering, and the impact that had on her life and career. 

• Katie’s background in Corporate Event Planning. 

• Intertwined Inc and it’s growth and evolution over the years. 

• Growing a team, hiring and team culture. 

• Developing systems and processes, especially during downtime, can help streamline operations and ensure a smooth workflow. 

• Finding balance as a business owner is challenging but important. 

• Running a wedding planning business requires treating it like a business. 

• Transparency, trust, and ethical practices are crucial in the wedding planning industry. 

• Raising prices is necessary for growth. 

• Networking and building relationships are key to growing a wedding planning business. 

Connect with Katie 

@intertwinedkatie | @intertwinedevents | @radcamp

Intertwined Events | Become Intertwined | Reserve

My next guest is Alison Lesser Keck. Alison and her husband Bryan are the owners and brilliant minds behind Alison-Bryan Destinations. Alison is a San Francisco and Santa Barbara native who has produced over 400 weddings, from exquisite gatherings in private estates to massive weekends to week long productions in destinations globally. Alison and Bryan have been recognized by Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Brides, Over the Moon, and Elle Magazine as one of the top wedding planners in the world. 

In this episode, Alison and I discuss how she and Bryan got an early start in five -star hospitality that really set them on a path for luxury -experienced focused weddings. We talk about the importance of building strong relationships, how destination weddings require a passion for travel and logistics, how having systems in place is essential for scaling a wedding planning business. We talk about how faking it till you make it is actually terrible advice and how important it is to set boundaries and take care of your own wellbeing to avoid burnout. We talk about how many years of experience reinforces our belief that trust and connections with clients are absolutely imperative to create unique and personalized experiences. 

In this episode: 

• The Journey to Destination Weddings

• Scaling the Business and the Role of Systems

• The Dynamics of Working as a Team

• Moving from Michigan to Santa Barbara

• The Importance of Being a Traveler in Destination Planning

• Navigating Different Cultures and Customs

• Staffing Strategies for Destination Weddings

• Evolving Your Business and Setting Boundaries

• Creating Trust and Personalized Experiences for Clients

Favorite takeaways: 

• Building strong relationships is crucial in the wedding planning industry.

• Pivoting to destination weddings requires a passion for travel and logistics.

• Having systems in place is essential for scaling a wedding planning business.

• Understanding cultural nuances is important when planning destination weddings. Start small and specialize in a specific destination to build knowledge and expertise.

• Respect and understand local customs and practices when working in different cultures.

• Build a core team that has been with you for years and hire locals for specific tasks.

• Set boundaries and take care of your own well-being to avoid burnout.

• Build trust and connections with clients to create unique and personalized experiences.

Connect with Alison-Bryan Destinations

Website | Instagram