This Week in Weddings

When you're a small business owner, it's hard to imagine what will happen to your business once you're ready to move on from it. Do you just decide to quit and close up shop? Or is there an opportunity to sell it, creating a profit from the business you've worked so hard to build? In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with someone who successfully sold her service-based, wedding industry business and getting the inside scoop on how it can be done.

About our guest: 

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Debbie Orwat's background in the wedding industry
• The steps Debbie took to sell not one, but two businesses in the wedding industry
• What you're actually selling when you have a personal, service-based business
• The things you can be doing now to ready your business for sale
• How Debbie determined the value of her business and found a potential buyer
• The one thing that didn't go as expected shortly after the sale of her business
• Built to Sell by John Warrillow
• Debbie's blog post with advice on selling a business
• https://www.bizbuysell.com/

• On the web: https://plannerslounge.com/
• Instagram: @plannerslounge
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlannersLounge
• Pinterest

Whether you love Pinterest or hate it, there's no denying the fact that the platform holds a dominant place in the wedding industry. From wedding design inspiration to guidance on what to wear for engagement photos, your clients are likely heading to Pinterest for ideas, so why not meet them where they are? In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a Pinterest expert about how to leverage the site for your wedding business.

About our guest: 

Vanessa Kynes is a Pinterest Marketing Strategist for creative small businesses. Using YouTube and her blog, she helps creative small businesses blossom by creating traffic-generating Pinterest strategies to increase their visibility. Juggling the demands of her own budding business with those of family and home, she specializes in efficient productivity, making the most out of every moment, and every pin! Hailing originally from the great state of Texas, she has lived in two foreign countries and enjoys traveling with her three sweet daughters and memory-seeking husband while residing in the Pacific Northwest.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Why Pinterest is a perfect tool for the wedding industry
• How to best direct traffic back to your website through Pinterest
• The importance of creating graphics specifically for Pinterest
• Why you should consider Pinterest a search engine, similar to Google
• Vanessa's Free Pinterest Start-Up Guide
• Vanessa's Online Course How to Use Tailwind

• On the web: https://vanessakynes.com/
• Instagram: @vanessakynes
• Facebook @vanessakynes
• Pinterest
• YouTube 

We've all seen brand partnerships all over the place – from Target's collaboration with Missoni to Kanye West's partnership with Adidas. But as a wedding business, how can you leverage a brand partnership? In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting all about brand partnerships and how even small businesses can think about growing their brands with valuable collaborations.

About our guest: 

As Head of Brand Content at Shutterfly, Amber Harrison oversees the content strategy for all of Shutterfly Inc., including Tiny Prints, the Wedding Shop and flagship Shutterfly. In this role she is responsible for the strategic development of influencer relations, content creation and amplification, organic social awareness, UGC and brand partnerships. 

Previously, Amber headed up all communications for Wedding Paper Divas (now the Wedding shop by Shutterfly) where she established successful strategic partnerships with high profile industry experts, including wedding planner Mindy Weiss, designer Claire Pettibone and reality star Whitney Port. She created visibility for the brand through celebrity wedding celebrations, such as Sofia Vergara & Joe Manganello’s and Tara Lipinski & Todd Kapostasy’s.

Through her work as a writer, interviewer and producer, Amber is known as a modern authority on relationships, wedding trends and etiquette guidelines. She developed and hosted a weekly web series called “Small talk. Big day”, which has accumulated nearly 2 million views to-date. Through the series, Amber offered couples and their families practical advice and insights for the wedding planning process and interviewed industry influencers. For nearly two years, she wrote a weekly etiquette and advice column, Manners Mondays, for Huffington Post. Amber’s expertise and advice is regularly featured in wide variety of national media outlets including the Today Show, ABC News, Good Morning America, E! News, FABLife, Glamour, Brit & Co., Bridal Guide and Inside Weddings.

Prior to Shutterfly, Amber was an Account Supervisor at Edelman, the world’s largest communications firm. There she created and managed public relations programs on behalf of clients such as Orange France Telecom, Adobe Systems Incorporated and others. Amber came to Edelman from Zazzle.com where she developed a celebrity-endorsed cause-based marketing campaign that increased the company’s market share by nearly 15%, moving the company ahead of a major competitor.

Working with The Birthday Party Project, which aims to bring joy to homeless children through the magic of birthdays, Amber brought the monthly celebrations to two new locations —San Francisco and Silicon Valley— and established awareness and support within the local communities.

Amber studied Musical Theatre at Ithaca College and acting at The New Actors Workshop in New York. Her first job was in a touring production of Pippi Longstocking, in which she played the role of Annika.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Brand partnerships and how they come to be
• The why of partnering with another company or brand
• Things to keep in mind when considering partnership opportunities
• Viewing styled shoots as partnerships
• How even small businesses can partner with larger brands
• Considering what you have to offer and what you have to give in a brand partnership situation

• On the web: The Wedding Shop by Shutterfly
• Amber Harrison: Instagram
• Wedding Shop by Shutterfly: Facebook / Instagram 
• Shutterfly: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter 

Getting ahead in business isn't instantaneous, and sometimes you have to get your foot in the door by giving selflessly. In this episode of This Week In Weddings, we're chatting with Lance Panton, who has made it his business to give without the expectation of getting. In addition to being a Dallas-based DJ, Lance is the editor of the This Week In Weddings podcast. Listen in as he shares his perspective on making yourself a valuable resource without being pushy.

About our guest: 

Lance Panton is the owner and operator of the Dallas based MY DFW DJ Weddings and Events. Lance has been a mobile DJ since 1989, starting as a teenager in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. Lance launched a career in broadcasting at 17 mixing on a weekend radio show. After finding local success, Lance was able to take his show on the road making guest DJ appearances in Vegas, Atlanta, Canada and other hotspots.

Lance uses his travels and years of experience to deliver a service that seamlessly reunites the fun with the formalities. Whether it’s entertaining tens of thousands at events like T.D. Jakes Megafest, or a few dozen at an intimate wedding reception, Lance promises a premier entertainment experience for all. 

After concluding his radio career in Detroit, Michigan, Lance and his wife Nikita relocated to Dallas in 2014, followed by the launch of MY DFW DJ in 2015. When Lance isn’t handling the music for a wedding or event, he enjoys cooking, music documentaries and traveling with his wife.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Lance's background in the wedding industry
• How Lance connected with Kimberly and Annie and got connected with the podcast
• Lance's philosophy on making a first impression
• How to make yourself available to those who might hire or refer you, without being pushy
• The story of the pumpkin pie

• On the web: http://mydfwdj.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mydfwdjTX
• Instagram: @mydfwdj

In today's world, there are so many pieces of software that can help you run your business. From note taking apps to scheduling apps, the options are endless. In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding industry veteran about the specific apps he uses throughout his business to stay productive, communicate with potential clients, schedule employees, and generate sales.

About our guest: 

With thirty years of event experience, Kevin Dennis is the founder and owner of Fantasy Sound Event Services, offering exceptional disc jockey, videography, photo booth, event lighting and decor services to the San Francisco Bay area. A Certified Wedding Coordinator, Kevin sits on the Board of Directors at WIPA, serving as the National Immediate Past President, as well as the sitting on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Chapter of NACE, also serving as the President. He is also the founder of the Tri-Valley Wedding Professionals group.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Kevin's background in the event industry
• The one app that Kevin would say is his favorite and he uses every day
• Kevin's favorite apps for note taking, scheduling appointments, scheduling social media, live chat, password management, and photo sharing
• Evernote
• Todoist
• Hootsuite
• Acuity Scheduling
• Zipwhip
• Live Chat
• Foxit PDF Reader
• TripIt
• When I Work
• Timeline Genius
• Honeybook
• Grammarly
• Black Pearl
• Boomerang
• YouTube Director
• Planoly
• 1Password
• Photo Circle

• On the web: https://fantasysound.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fantasysound
• Instagram: @fsesevents
• Twitter: @fantasysound 

If you're someone who thinks there are not enough hours in the day, you're not alone! Between marketing your business, servicing your wedding clients, keeping track of your finances, and managing your social media, it's no wonder that entrepreneurs are some of the busiest people on the planet! In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with productivity expert Paul Minors about some ways busy business owners can get ahead with less effort. From managing email to block scheduling, this week's episode is full of ideas for getting more done in less time.

About our guest: 

Paul Minors is a blogger and "virtual consultant," selling his expertise in productivity through 1-on-1 online consulting. He's completely obsessed with productivity, automation, and optimizing his time and income so he can live on his own terms. At the end of 2016, Paul was finally able to quit his job, travel Asia with his wife, and take his consulting business full-time. He now consults with companies to help them with tools like Asana, Pipedrive, MailChimp, and Zapier.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Tips for managing your email and getting to inbox zero
• What block scheduling is and how to use it effectively
• Software that can be helpful for productivity, including Acuity Scheduling and MailButler.
• How to minimize distractions by changing your notifications

• On the web: https://paulminors.com/ 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paulminors.productivity
• Twitter: @paulminors

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is "a legal framework that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of personal information of individuals within the European Union (EU)." But what does that mean for small businesses throughout the world? In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with attorney Annette Stepanian who is giving us the low down on what GDPR means, if it applies to us, and what we need to do to make sure we're in compliance. 

About our guest: 

Annette Stepanian is an attorney who helps creative professionals and entrepreneurs lay a legal foundation for their business. Through her Office Talk podcast, done-for-you contract templates, online trainings and one-on-one services, Annette seeks to make the law practical, approachable, and dare we say it – even a little fun.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Annette's background and how she's helping creative businesses with all things legal
• The basics of GDPR and who it applies to
• What information small businesses should be inventorying when it comes to consumer data
• Why you should be removing data you don't need on a regular basis
• The importance of privacy policies and terms of service on your website
• Fines for non-compliance

• On the web: https://www.annettestepanian.com/ 
• Instagram: @annettestepanian
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annettestepanianesq
• Contract Templates
• Website Terms of Service & Privacy Policy Templates
• Legal 360 Live
• Office Talk Podcast
• GDPR episode from Office Talk podcast

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which people doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud." If you own a creative business, no doubt you've at one time or another wondered if you were good enough. Or if you fit in. Or if you really were capable. In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're talking about all these feelings with our guest Lindsay Landman, who has opened up about her own experiences with impostor syndrome and how she manages these internalized feelings.

About our guest: 

New York based event designer Lindsay Landman has been producing innovative weddings and special events in New York and around the globe since 2001. Her company, Lindsay Landman Events, has been a market leader in the integration of event planning, design and production, initiated by Lindsay’s trademark focus on the intersection of form and function.

Since 2014, Lindsay has been a leading instructor and course director for the Event Leadership Institute, educating and mentoring hundreds of students in the fields of Event Planning and Event Design. Lindsay has provided insight on weddings, design, etiquette and entertaining for dozens of publications including The New York Times and InStyle and in 2016, both VOGUE Magazine and Harper’sBAZAAR selected Lindsay Landman Events as one of the “best planners in the world.”

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Lindsay's background and how she landed in the events industry
• What "impostor syndrome" really is and how you feel when you have it
• How Lindsay recognized her own feelings of imposter syndrome
• Steps to take to make these fraudy feelings less prevalent
• Perfectionism, procrastination, and accepting compliments when it comes to impostor sydrome
• How being open about this topic allowed others to open up, creating community amongst Lindsay's peers

• On the web: http://lindsaylandmanevents.com/
• Instagram: @lindsaylandman
• Facebook: @lindsaylandmanevents

When you run a small business, it's only natural to look around and see what your colleagues are up to. But do you have a healthy approach to competition? In this week's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with a wedding industry entrepreneur turned business coach about how she went from watching what her competitors were doing to reclaiming her own unique voice in the industry. Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience under your belt, this week's episode is sure to hit home and put the idea of competition into a new light.

About our guest: 

Lane’ Richards is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur and creative behind Something Borrowed Portland, an award-winning event design and specialty rental company based in Portland, Oregon. Her newest venture, Wedding Pro Coaching, offers mastermind business coaching and educational programs to wedding industry professionals who need help building, running, and growing their businesses in the crowded wedding industry.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Lane's background in the event industry and how she got into coaching
• What a non-healthy approach to competition looks like
• How Lane has avoided getting caught up in the social media spiral of checking out her competitors
• Lane's view on sharing information and being an open book
• Ways to balance between being helpful to your colleagues while not giving away the secret sauce

• Instagram: @weddingprocoaching
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddingprocoaching
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/weddingprocoach/

In this mini-episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, Kimberly and Annie share their thoughts on the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Tune in for this week's quick episode to reminisce about this historical wedding moment.