In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Dylan Petro, founder of WedPing, and Morgan Kennedy, the newest member of the WedPing team, to unpack what building from zero to one actually looks like in an underserved industry.

Dylan shares his journey from launching a real-life dating app in NYC to building wedding tech, breaking down the hard distinction between traction and true product-market fit. and why "good" isn't good enough if no one is obsessed. He opens up about luck, timing, knowing when a business model doesn't work, and why staying alive long enough is sometimes the only strategy.

Morgan brings the wedding industry perspective, revealing the communication gaps planners face daily and what it takes to introduce new tech into a fragmented, relationship driven space. Together, they dive into selling innovation before the market fully understands it, simplifying AI so it feels invisible, and why building for intensity, not volume, changes everything.

This episode is for founders chasing product market fit and wedding pros thinking about the future of events.

Learn more abourt WedPings at Wedping.com

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Timestamps:

05:13 – Traction vs. Obsession 08:01 – The Audacious Hypothesis Test 10:16 – Great Product, Bad Business 28:38 – The 2-Minute Demo Rule 36:03 – Stay Alive Long Enough 38:16 – When to Quit vs. When to Pivot 47:16 – AI as an Ingredient, Not the Dish 50:26 – Founder + Parent Perspective 57:25 – Advice for Non-Technical Founders

Sarah Klingman, founder and CEO of Mostest, joins the show to share what building from zero to one really looks like. She breaks down the early-stage reality founders don't talk about, why "pivoting" is often misunderstood, and how reframing change can unlock better decisions and long-term growth.

Sarah talks about conviction over noise, following the breadcrumbs instead of a rigid plan, and what it takes to build a company without burning out.

This episode is a must-listen for founders, creators, and working parents navigating early-stage startups, motherhood, and modern entrepreneurship.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro + casual banter before diving in 01:15 – Sarah Klingman's background and founding story of Mostest 03:54 – Why corporate event planning at Adidas exposed a massive market gap 09:30 – The "full-body sweat" birthday party moment that changed everything 14:55 – Why founders must stay close to the work (and actually plan events) 22:38 – The first version of Mostest and what went wrong with hourly pricing 27:38 – Why "pivoting" is often just learning (and why Sarah hates the word) 48:21 – Building a startup while raising three kids: the real zero-to-one reality

In this episode, Natasha sits down with legendary wedding planner and entrepreneur Annie Lee, founder of Daughter of Design and Plannie, to explore what it really takes to build longevity, relevance, and innovation in the wedding industry.

Annie shares how she accidentally entered weddings, how growing up in a family of interior designers shaped her creative eye, and why studying history helps her anticipate shifts in wedding trends. Annie discusses why weddings are uniquely recession proof, how planners can stand out in an oversaturated luxury market, and what it takes to build lasting credibility through media, relationships, and visibility.

They also dive into the creation of Plannie and unpack how technology, AI, and changing consumer behavior are reshaping the future of weddings. This episode is a must listen for planners, creatives, and founders looking to evolve beyond traditional models and build sustainable businesses.

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00:00 – Annie's path into weddings, early career, and design background

05:31 – Design, history, and how wedding trends evolve over time

15:21 – Recession-proof weddings, market saturation, and industry shifts

27:01 – Building Daughter of Design, media credibility, and standing out

39:31 – Why Plani was created & the rise of hourly, fractional planning

50:31 – Technology, AI, and the future of event planning

01:00:46 Advice for planners, defining success, and what's next

#12 In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Andrew Levitt, founder of Ironic, to unpack how he built a niche, profitable company at the intersection of weddings, weather, and event safety—without chasing the traditional startup playbook. Andrew shares how he went from DJ-ing and touring in live music to concierge meteorology for ultra high-end events, why his first tech product flopped, and how redefining success as a "mom and pop" business helped him avoid burnout while still serving top planners around the world.​

They dive into bootstrapping on credit cards, building credibility in a small, tight-knit industry, setting boundaries with the wrong clients, and what it really looks like to offer human-led, high-touch services in the age of AI. Andrew also breaks down the rise of Etsy "weather witches," how most $12 spells miss the mark, and the story behind co-creating a New Orleans voodoo-inspired blessing offering that blends ritual with real meteorology. If you're an entrepreneur navigating pivots, pressure, or the temptation to "go big" just because everyone says you should, this conversation will hit home.

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Timestamps:

00:01 – Andrew's unconventional path into weather, events, and weddings

05:06 – The entrepreneurial itch: finding "what's not there"

08:15 – Why Andrew's first tech product failed (and what it taught him)

10:45 – Startup vs small business: choosing sustainability over hype

15:55 – Burnout, failure, and why you have to get it wrong first

23:32 – Finding the right clients (and why not everyone is your customer)

27:35 – How Andrew built credibility in a tight-knit wedding industry

35:41 – "Pay to play": getting into the right rooms and building relationships

41:09 – The truth about Etsy witches and wedding weather

01:11:50 – Practical weather planning advice every couple should know

#11 What started as a VR campus tour turned into something far more powerful.

In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha Yuhjtman sits down with Zvi Goffer, founder of Reloom, to unpack how an accidental moment led to a breakthrough business—one that allows people to relive their most meaningful life moments through immersive VR.

Zvi shares why overanalyzing risk can kill great ideas, how listening (not planning) unlocked his biggest pivot, and what it takes to earn trust in relationship-driven industries like luxury weddings. This conversation explores entrepreneurship, intuition, emotional product-market fit, and building something so impactful people don't just buy it—they feel it.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Zvi's entrepreneurial mindset 03:15 – Choosing entrepreneurship over traditional employment 07:20 – How Zvi thinks about risk as a founder 12:05 – The origin of Campus VR and early market research 18:40 – The emotional moment that sparked the Reloom pivot 23:05 – First wedding in VR and realizing the impact 30:20 – What Reloom is and how "moment-specific time travel" works 35:25 – Scaling a hardware-based business across cities 44:45 – Breaking into the luxury wedding industry and earning trust 01:03:55 – Advice for founders entering industries they don't come from

#10 Ali Carbone joins The Hard Launch to share her journey from on camera journalism and red carpet reporting to founding What Do I Do Brides, a modern bridal community born from her own wedding planning frustrations.

Ali and Natasha dive into what it really looks like to pivot careers and build community. They talk candidly about entrepreneurship, personal branding, and navigating massive life transitions in parallel, from launching a company to marriage and stepping into motherhood.

This episode is for anyone rethinking their career path, building something from scratch, or learning how to grow a business while evolving as a person.

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00:00 – Welcome + Ali's background in journalism and red carpet reporting 03:10 – The shift in media, influencer culture, and losing the traditional journalism path 08:30 – Leaving Hollywood Life & searching for what came next 10:00 – Wedding planning frustration & the idea for What Do I Do Brides 14:00 – Building a wedding-centric community from personal pain points 17:45 – Hosting the first community dinner & creating industry relationships 22:45 – Turning community questions into podcasts and resources 27:45 – Advice for brides: values, budgets, and setting boundaries early 35:55 – Why bride-first community is the real differentiator 41:15 – Scaling the brand, motherhood, and building something bigger than yourself

#8 She worked 20+ jobs before accidentally discovering the business that would change her life.

Chris Weinberg never set out to be a wedding planner, but one chaotic event taught her the most important lesson in luxury: experience is everything. In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with the founder of Chris Weinberg Events to break down the moment she stopped undercharging, rewrote her pricing model, and scaled from solo planner to producing multi-day, six-figure celebrations.

They talk pricing strategy, luxury client psychology, avoiding costly budget surprises, why founders need tunnel vision, and what the future of weddings looks like in a world of AI and immersive tech.

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

02:30 – Chris's Career Before Weddings

05:55 – The Moment That Changed Everything

08:45 – Guest Experience as the Core Philosophy

12:00 – Fear, Risk & Entrepreneurship

15:00 – Investing in Education & Finding Her Tribe

18:55 – Pricing Mistakes & Tripling Her Rates

22:00 – Building a Team & Scaling

25:45 – Choosing the Right Luxury Clients

29:45 – Multi-Day Luxury Events Explained

32:15 – Budgeting Transparency (Minimum + Percentage)

36:00 – Why She Created The Event Summit

41:45 – Motherhood, Legacy & Business

47:55 – Tech, AI & the Future of Events

54:00 – Rapid Fire + Wild Event Story

58:30 – Final Advice & Where to Find Chris

#7 In this episode of The Hard Launch, Natasha sits down with Kathleen Sheppard—three-time founder and co-creator of Tote—to talk about building a startup while building a life. Kathleen shares the personal growth, resilience, and alignment required to navigate foundership and the lessons that come from betting on yourself and creating a life that truly fits. She also opens up about her Bora Bora engagement, planning a destination wedding in Menorca, and how she and her partner balance both being founders, fiancés, and future family-builders. A grounded, honest conversation about love, leadership, and the milestones that shape us as entrepreneurs.

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00:00 – Welcome + introducing Kathleen 01:00 – Kathleen's path to becoming a 3x founder 04:00 – Lessons from past startups & finding real customer pain points 09:00 – Product-market fit, prototyping, and team dynamics 13:30 – Kathleen's Bora Bora engagement 16:00 – Wedding planning while building a company 20:00 – Balancing two founder schedules + boundaries 24:00 – Vendor challenges + destination wedding logistics 30:00 – How relationship dynamics influence startup life 34:00 – Emotional support, resilience, and future planning 41:00 – Advice for founders juggling life milestones 48:00 – What Kathleen has learned about herself 52:00 – Co-founder dynamics & how they met

#6 Sit down with Alina and Daria, the co-founders of WedVibes, one of the fastest-growing wedding media companies in the world. One a planner and the other a consumer marketer, both immigrants that came together in the most unexpected way to build a global brand and scale their team across continents.

Alina and Daria dive into their co-founder dynamic, how they built in a fragmented female-driven industry, the setbacks that shaped them, and the mindset behind building a category-defining company from scratch, and how they stayed innovative for over a decade. Plus they share how they bootstrapped Web Vibes, navigated cultural transitions as immigrants, signing their first members, and survived setbacks.

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00:00 – Meet Alina & Daria + how Wed Vibes began

05:00 – Launching their first membership & early traction

10:00 – Why the wedding industry is an underestimated powerhouse

15:00 – Building a co-founder partnership that actually works

22:00 – Handling disagreements & using a coach to grow

30:00 – The future of Wed Vibes + their new wedding venue venture

In this episode, Natasha Yuhjtman sits down with Stephanie from Cole Drake Events, one of Napa's top luxury wedding planners, to unpack the real stories behind high-end weddings — the wild requests, family politics, design decisions, and day-of chaos no one talks about.

Stephanie shares unforgettable moments, from a bride having her mom walk down the aisle to "WAP" to a full wedding-day rain disaster that turned into a miracle dinner setup. She also breaks down what brides actually overlook, which vendors matter most, and how AI is reshaping the future of wedding planning.

If you're planning a 2026–2027 wedding, love luxury events, or want insider tips from one of the best planners in the industry, this episode is packed with smart, practical advice (and unbelievable stories).

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro 01:10 – The most absurd request a bride has ever made 03:12 – The monkey prank wedding story 05:22 – When a bride had the moms walk to WAP 06:11 – The rain-plan chaos and moving a full wedding setup 10:49 – How kindness impacts planner + vendor relationships 12:05 – Stephanie's career path to founding Cole Drake 17:14 – Launching the business and early growth 21:21 – The creative "high" of bringing designs to life 24:25 – Advice for aspiring planners 30:21 – AI's role in wedding planning and design 34:10 – Family politics and emotional dynamics in weddings 40:31 – Personal touches: paper goods and meaningful details 42:58 – The most underrated vendor: the clothing/dress presser 46:46 – Wedding day advice: presence, perspective, and calm 48:50 – Why moms can be the toughest 52:19 – What guests actually remember 53:25 – Staying calm when things go wrong 55:22 – Closing