This Week in Weddings

Public speaking has widely been one of the most common fears for people, but if you're trying to establish yourself as an expert in the industry, public speaking is inevitable. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a public speaking coach who shares some tips for preparing, practicing, and presenting your way to a better public speaking.

About our guest:

Jezra Kaye, President of Speak Up for Success, is a Brooklyn-based public speaking coach, workshop leader, speechwriter, and keynote speaker with more than 25 years of experience in corporate, not-for-profit, and start-up communications. Her clients range from CEOs to celebrity chefs, and from scientists to social entrepreneurs. A former jazz singer, she is the author of three popular books on public speaking and a novel, and has co-authored three books on management and fundraising best practices.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Jezra's background as a jazz singer and how she became a public speaking coach
• Writing a speech vs. speaking impromptu
• Tips for practicing public speaking
• The scientific reason that drinking alcohol before giving a speech is a bad idea
• Why public speaking is a physical exercise
• Jezra's book "Speak Like Yourself – No Really"

Want to connect with Jezra?

• Online: http://speakupforsuccess.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speakupforsuccess/ 

If your to-do list is overflowing and things just aren't getting done, you might need help. But help doesn't have to come in the form of a full-time employee. A virtual assistant could help with some of your back office tasks without the expense of an employee. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a virtual assistant focused on helping creative businesses about what a virtual assistant is and how you can leverage their services to get more done.

About our guest:

Adrienna McDermott is a former bridal boutique owner and wedding planner turned virtual assistant. She is the owner of Ava And The Bee, a virtual assistant and social media managing company for wedding professionals.

Adrienna has been in the wedding industry for 10 years, 5 years working and managing bridal salons, and 4 as the co-owner of Ivory & Beau, a wedding planning, bridal boutique and florist in Savannah, Georgia. Over the last year, she has grown her virtual assistant company and now works full time with two team members.

With her fine arts degree from Savannah College of Art and Design and the experience of opening 3 business before the age of 28, she has acquired unique knowledge on how to start a business, flourish, and scale. Her work has been seen in print and online publications, including Savannah Weddings Magazine, Green Wedding Shoes, 100 Layer Cake and Ruffled.

Adrienna is also passionate about educating others to become freelance virtual assistants. Through her mentorships and course, The Creative VA Academy, she helps women create businesses of their dreams.

When she's not working in her pajamas and top-knot, you can find her with a cup of iced coffee, living in central New York with her tri-pawd black lab Cooper, slightly overweight cat Brutus, and Army Veteran boyfriend, Frank.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Adrienna's background in the wedding industry and how she went from wedding dress shop owner to virtual assistant
• How to know if your business is a good fit for a virtual assistant
• The types of tasks that a Virtual Assistant can take off your plate
• Tips for working with a Virtual Assistant
• Free Outsourcing Guide download

Want to connect with Adrienna?

• Online: https://avaandthebee.com/ 
• Instagram: @avaandthebee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avaandthebee/ 

Going through any tragedy is tough, but when you're an entrepreneur, dealing with personal issues can be even more problematic as it can ultimately affect your business. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding planner and designer about how he dealt with the death of his spouse while building a business and raising children.

About our guest:

A nuptial maestro, for almost a decade, José specializes in bringing comfort to a process that’s famously filled with tough decisions and mounting stress when it comes to weddings. He quickly made a name for his chill vibe and generous command. His planning and design aesthetic has made him one of the top rising wedding planners in NYC.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• José's background in the event and wedding industry
• The circumstances of José's husband's tragic death and how he learned of his husband's death
• How José leaned on his wedding industry family to get through the most difficult time of his life
• Communicating with your clients about what's going on and making sure they're taken care of
• How to balance staying present in the industry and also taking time for yourself
• The importance of having a will in place

Want to connect with José?

• Online: http://www.joserolonevents.com/ 
• Instagram: @joserolonevents 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoseRolonEvents 

In this casual episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, Kimberly and Annie chat about tips for prepping for the summer months. From kids being out of school to going on vacation (without a laptop!), the two hosts are dishing about their hits and misses when it comes to gearing up for the summer months with a wedding business.

It would be awesome to never have a crazy client, but if you've been in the wedding industry for any period of time, you're likely not that lucky. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting about dealing with challenging clients, and even more importantly, how to see the crazy coming!

About our guest:

Jamie Quickert hails from Detroit Michigan and has become a nationally known leader in the hospitality industry.  For the past several years Jamie has been a featured speaker at NACE Experience, Catersource, Wedding MBA, and ILEA. She has also been a featured speaker for several industry webinars and written articles for large publications. Jamie has proudly lead her sales and events team in several high profile events and galas around the country and has won several local and national awards for catering.

Jamie is warm and personable on stage and often uses humor (and sing-a-longs) to engage the audience. While she enjoys teaching sales techniques and how to handle difficult clients and Networking and Social Media she is most passionate about is mentoring and encouraging others in the hospitality industry. If you ask her why she would say “It is one thing to speak to a group of professionals as an expert and teach them sales techniques or how to problem solve or deal with difficult clients. It is another to stand before a group of people and be vulnerable and honest and try to encourage them and inspire them to work harder and dream bigger and use their voice.”

While she specializes in working on event budgets, contract negotiation, and profitability - she knows that to be truly effective at this job you need to believe in beauty and love and a little bit of magic.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Jamie's background in the event and hospitality industry
• The types of difficult clients
• Qualifying your clients 
• Tips for communicating with challenging clients
• Knowing when to draw the line with a difficult client

Want to connect with Jamie?

• Online: http://dia.org/ 
• Instagram: @mrsquickert

As a busy entrepreneur, it can be incredibly difficult to do all the things. And when you're working IN your business, you're likely not taking a strategic role and working ON the business. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with an entrepreneur who hired full-time employees to replace himself in the daily operations so that he could take a more strategic role and pursue other business interests. 

About our guest:

After a brief stint in the entertainment industry, Jake Anderson discovered his passion for lighting design and the rest was history. He founded Lighting Professors in 2012 with the intention to transform events around Central Virginia through careful and innovative lighting design. Since then, Lighting Professors has grown by leaps and bounds and Jake has had the opportunity to grow his team and move to a 2,000+ square foot warehouse. This shift has allowed him to take a step back and maintain his role as strategic manager, while developing his newest endeavor, FêteTech, with the goal of providing technology solutions that eliminate friction for event professionals everywhere.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Jake's background and how he went from booking talent to DJ'ing to lighting professional
• Why Jake decided to replace himself in his own company
• How Jake oversees his company while living three hours away from the business
• Jake's suggestions for business owners who might want to step away and take a more strategic role

Want to connect with Jake?

• Online: https://fetetech.com/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fetetech 
• Instagram: @fetetech_inc

Oh Instagram! It's the social media channel of choice for so many in the wedding industry, but are you using Instagram Stories as effectively as you could be? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with photographer Abby Jiu about leveraging Instagram Stories to show your personality and behind the scenes of your business in order to boost your sales. If you've just dipped your toe in the IG stories waters, this episode is for you!

About our guest:

Abby Jiu has had a passion for gorgeous imagery and creating art since before she can remember. Her style is the best of both worlds, using film cameras and digital cameras to catch the stolen glances, fits of laughter, and heartfelt emotions sprinkled among the ever-important beautiful details that make each couple’s wedding day unique. She loves having the opportunity to get to know her couples, watching the personalized touches come together and using the relationship she’s built to preserve precious memories on film.

When she’s not behind the camera, Abby fills her time with her husband Jamey, a bossy bulldog named Lola, and traveling abroad. She’s received numerous accolades for her work, including being named one of Martha Stewart Weddings’ Top Photographers and Washingtonian Editor’s Pick. You can see her work on the pages of Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Southern Weddings, Washingtonian Bride & Groom, and Southern Living Weddings and many more.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Abby's background and how she booked her first weddings
• Using Instagram stories to better connect with couples
• The difference in the Instagram feed and Instagram stories and how to use each one for different purposes
• Infusing your personality in Instagram stories
• Ideas for behind-the-scenes stories that work well on Instagram
• Getting over your hesitation and showing your face on your IG stories

Want to connect with Abby?

• Online: www.abbyjiu.com 
• Instagram: @abbyjiu

The event industry is a challenging one, and as wedding industry entrepreneurs, we're often putting ourselves last on the priority list. But what happens when you make the conscious decision to prioritize yourself (and your health) and transform both your body and your mind? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with DJ Nate Nelson, who is sharing his story of his dramatic weight loss and how the transformation has changed his life. This week's episode isn't just about weight... it's about a shift in mindset!

About our guest:

While most students were studying for finals in college, Nate was fine tuning his life skills. Mixing it up in the college nightlife scene reflected in his grades, but the value of learning the art of mixing music early in his career would pay off in the end. Fast forward 15 years, Nate can now buy all the sneakers he wanted growing up. That's the true meaning of success, right?

Nate started his Dallas DJ career bouncing from bar to bar, it wasn't until he met his mentor and business partner, Glenn Roush, that he leaped head first into the private event world with LeForce Entertainment. Nate's resume includes intimate night clubs, festival stages, working with celebrity athletes such as Lindsey Vonn, Alex Rodriguez, Sean Lee, Adrian Beltre and opening for Waka Flocka and Travis Scott. Nate keeps finding himself leveling up his event game by bringing a high energy, club atmosphere to his weddings and corporate events.Nate is a key founder of Kings of Prom, a festival-inspired school dance production company.

Nate grew up in Oklahoma then transplanted to Dallas after falling love with his dream girl. Nate and his wife, Jennifer, married in 2008 and have two beautiful daughters, Mollie and Kate. 

• Nate's background and how he got into the events industry
• The transformation Nate recently made, resulting in a weight loss of more than 100 pounds
• How mindset has made the biggest difference for Nate's transformation
• Nate's goal of being a multi-dimensional person by focusing on fitness, family, faith and finance
• How the transformation that Nate has made both physically and mentally is paying dividends in his business

• Online: https://www.djnatenelson.com/ & https://leforceentertainment.com/
• Instagram:  @djnatenelson
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/djnatenelson 
• Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/djnatenelson/

Most small businesses fizzle before hitting their five year anniversary, and the wedding industry is no different. With vendors coming and going, how do you become one of the more tenured folks that sticks around and continues to thrive? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with Katie Easley of Kate Ryan Design, who is sharing her tips for having a career in the wedding industry that lasts. From networking to furthering your education, Katie tells it like it is and shares her best advice for making it for the long haul.

About our guest:

Leading floral stylist and event designer Katie Easley of award-winning Kate Ryan Design set out with one goal: to create joy for her clients. And she did just that, establishing Scottsdale-based Kate Ryan Design, combining her interior design background with her love of florals.

Thanks in part to her roots in corporate interior design, Katie quickly grew her small business to sales of over a quarter of a million dollars a year, catching attention of the Society of American Florists, who honored her as ‘Marketer of the Year’ in 2012.

This accolade launched her consultancy and since then, Katie has worked with small businesses throughout North America on their sales prospecting, growth strategy and client experience.  Ultimately, her goal is to help others grow by defining the value they bring to the marketplace, so that they can close more sales with their ideal clients.

Katie is a regular fixture on television, and her worked can be seen in the pages of Grace Ormonde, Modern Luxury Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times, among others. She is the immediate past president for WIPA Phoenix, and an acclaimed industry speaker.

• Katie's background in interior design and wedding planning, and how that led to her current passion of floral and event design
• Why networking never gets old and continues to be important throughout your career
• Katie's tips for being well connected in the industry, and not just through social media
• Katie's easy tips for connecting with other vendors in your market prior to an event
• The importance of communicating to vendors who used to refer you, but are not doing so any longer

• Online: https://www.kateryandesign.com/ 
• Instagram:  @kateryandesign
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kateryandesign

When you're a wedding entrepreneur with a strong local target market, the idea of relocating to another city can be overwhelming. From starting from scratch in a city that doesn't know you to hustling like you're a newbie, moving a wedding business is no joke. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding planner who successfully moved her business from Dallas to Atlanta and lived to tell about it! Listen in for her tips for moving (or "expanding") to a new city as a wedding industry entrepreneur.

About our guest:

With a passion for celebrating love and life’s unique moments and milestones, Ebony’s talents have evolved into a successful career as a wedding and event planner.  With a degree from Michigan State University in elementary education, her engaging personality and organizational skills have allowed her to effortlessly crossover from education to event planning!  

Ebony is the owner and principal planner of Ebony Peoples Events & Design, an award-winning event planning and design boutique where traditional elegance meets modern glam!  A native of Flint, Michigan, Ebony officially launched her company in Dallas, Texas in January of 2011.  Her planning expertise and eye for design, color, and texture enabled her to open a new office in Atlanta, Georgia in 2017!  

From Michigan to Dallas to Atlanta, Ebony has become a highly sought after planner.  She has been recognized by mainstream media such as Ebony (magazine), Munaluchi Bride, and Modern Luxury.  She was recently named one of The Atlantan’s 2018 Women of Power & Influence!  With this, and truly being a people-person at heart, Ebony has created an exclusive brand that is known for exceeding client expectations while producing high-end weddings, social celebrations, corporate events, and galas.  Ebony takes pride in being detail-oriented, catering to each client’s personal style, and learning about the latest trends and influences in the wedding and event industry!

• Ebony's background and how she went from elementary school teacher to wedding planner
• Why Ebony and her husband decided to relocate to a new city
• How Ebony communicated her move to clients and vendors
• How Ebony got connected to her new city and wedding vendors prior to officially making the move
• The struggles with being a newbie in the market when you have years of experience under your belt

• Online: www.ebonypeoples.com
• Instagram: @ebonypeoples
• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ebonypeopleseventsanddesign
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ebonypeoples