This Week in Weddings

Think back to that client you absolutely LOVED working with. How would you like to have every client be that client? Sounds dreamy, right? Well, that perfect client doesn't have to be a fluke. It today's episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're talking to consultant and author Heidi Thompson about how to clone your best clients. 

About our guest: 

Heidi Thompson is the best-selling author of Clone Your Best Clients and the founder of Evolve Your Wedding Business where she specializes in business and marketing strategy for wedding professionals. She helps wedding professionals grow their businesses and reach their goals without going crazy in the process. Her business & marketing expertise has been featured on several wedding and business outlets including The Huffington Post, Social Media Examiner, Wedding Business Magazine, Sprouting Photographer, Photo Biz Xposed, Honeybook, WeddingWire World & she’s an advisory board member for the UK Academy Of Wedding & Event Planning.

You can also join her and lots of other wedding professionals just like you in The Evolve Your Wedding Business Facebook Community.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• How to analyze your best client
• Heidi's advice for finding about about your best client's buying decisions, including how they found you, why they chose to work with you, and their experience 
• Updating your marketing materials to target your ideal client

Want to connect with Heidi?

• Heidi's book "Clone Your Best Clients"
• Online: www.evolveyourweddingbusiness.com and www.theweddingbusinesscollective.com
• Facebook Group: Wedding Business Community
• Instagram: @evolveyourweddingbusiness

Have you ever wished you had a degree in psychology to better understand your clients? Well if so, this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast is for you! From "Daddy's Girl" brides to the quiet and shy "Mouse" we're digging into different personality types of brides and how to best deal with them.

About our guest: 

Kylie Carlson is the CEO of the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning providing training and certification for wedding planners, stylists and designers since 2005.

Having worked in the events industry for over 25 years running her own wedding planning and production company in London providing services to some of London’s premiere venues, she gained a decade of knowledge on how to run a successful wedding business.

Kylie immigrated to Australia in 2003 where she worked as the Event Operations Director for Hayman Island, a five star resort in North Queensland. After a year on Hayman she then launched the first Academy campus in Australia. Since launching she now offers her training programs throughout Europe, North America, the GCC and Australasia through the Academy virtual online learning platform.

Kylie is a sought after speaker, presenting at The Special Event, Catersource/Event Solutions, Jamaican Bridal Expo, Exotic Wedding Planning Conference Barcelona, and a variety of industry workshops and events as a keynote speaker including the National Association of Wedding Professionals, Engage Academy Dubai and the Cornwall Wedding Meet-Up.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The different personality types of brides and how to deal with them
• The Daddy's Girl bride
• The Prima Donna
• The Mouse
• The Hesitant Bride
• The Control Freak
• The Penny Pincher

Want to connect with Kyle?

• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/WeddingAcademyLive/
• Instagram: @weddingacademylive and @kyliemecarlson
• Twitter: @wedacademylive 

It's Thanksgiving week, and we're taking some time out to be thankful. In this mini-episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, Kimberly and Annie share some of the things they are thankful for this holiday season.  

Have you ever considered opening a second location for your wedding business? If so, this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast is for you. From determining when to travel to each of your locations and delegating to a team that can work independently, this week's episode dives into the hows of managing a business in two different markets. 

About our guest: 

As Partner and Creative Director of Jackson Durham, Heath Alan Ray is the award-winning creative force behind the company’s stunning Southern-inflected floral design.

With over 20 years industry experience, clients from celebrities to athletes have turned to Heath for his bespoke design philosophy to create both breathtaking and unforgettable events.

Before opening Jackson Durham in Atlanta in 2009, Heath worked as a floral designer for over nine years in Dallas, Memphis and New York City. While in New York, Heath worked as the in-house florist at Henri Bendel along with other upscale clients such as MoMA, the American Museum of Natural History, MTV, the University of Florida, AOL Time Warner and the Peninsula Hotel among others.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Heath's background in floral design
• How Heath went from one location to two locations
• The extra planning needed when operating in two locations
• How to plan for travel when there are two locations to manage

Want to connect with Heath?

• Web: http://jacksondurham.com/ 
• Instatram: @jacksondurhamevents
• Twitter: @jacksondurham

With the end of the year quickly approaching and the start of another year on the horizon, there's no better time to take a look at your business finances. In this episode of the This Week In Weddings podcast, we're chatting with financial guru Paco de Leon about the things we should be doing as the year wraps up from a financial and accounting perspective.

About our guest: 

Paco de Leon is a musician who happens to be killer at finance. She has spent most of her career working with creatives who also do business. Her experience ranges from business consulting, business management, financial planning, wealth management and she even spent some time at a big, evil bank. Her experiences have lead her to found The Hell Yeah Group, a financial firm focused on inspiring creatives to be engaged with their personal and business finances and more importantly, to give them the tools and support to stop freaking out about it.

She lives in the Echo Park neighborhood in sunny Los Angeles with her wife Jenn. She plays in a band called Mister Fantasy, is the founder of a boutique bookkeeping company called Hell Yeah, Bookkeeping and a co-founder of the arts-based non profit organization, Allies in Arts.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The step business owners should be taking now to prepare for the end of the year wrap up
• Accountants vs. bookkeepers -- What's the difference? And do you need both?
• The biggest mistakes small business owners make when it comes to their finances
• How to goal set for how much you need to make

Want to connect with Paco?

• Web: https://thehellyeahgroup.com/ 
• Twitter: @HellYeahGroup
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehellyeahgroup 

Independent contractors. Employees. Interns. Salary. Hourly. There is so much to consider when it comes to adding members to your team, and in this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to employment attorney Caroline Harrison about the ins and outs about growing your team the legally correct way.

About our guest: 

Caroline Harrison is a founding Partner of Dowell Pham Harrison LLP. As an attorney Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, she represents employers in disputes with former employees, and guides them through the sometimes confusing arena of employment law. Her practice focuses on employment litigation and counseling.

Caroline assists employers in a variety of areas, including anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, drafting and enforcing covenants not to compete and non-solicitation agreements, and protection of trade secrets.

She advises employers on the Family and Medical Leave Act, (FMLA), Unemployment Compensation appeals, handling complex investigations into sensitive employment issues, Wage and Hour issues, and classification of employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, (FLSA). She provides counseling on complex issues including discipline, termination, harassment, investigations, effective employment practices, litigation avoidance and accommodation of disabilities, as well as training human resource professionals, managers, and supervisors in all areas of employment law.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The differences between contractors and employees, and when it's appropriate to have each
• Unpaid interns - is that a real thing?
• Paying employees hourly vs. salaried
• What "at-will" employment means
• Workers comp
• The biggest mistakes employers make when it comes to employees

Want to connect with Caroline?

• Web: http://www.dphllp.com/ 
• LinkedIn: Caroline Harrison / Dowell Pham Harrison LLP

In a service-based business, there is always a limit of scalability. You can only work so many hours and so many weddings, and the most common way to scale your business is to bring on more team members. 

In this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to photographer Katie Doherty, who in addition to her photography business has created a successful online, product-based business, La Rousse Shoppe. With her online business, Katie literally makes money while she sleeps, and she's sharing her story of passive income with us this week's episode.

About our guest: 

Katie Doherty is a whimsical redheaded photographer and entrepreneur, who has built a six figure e-commerce company from the ground up in just two years. La Rousse Shoppe sells boutique packaging products, such as glass photo boxes and USB drives, to professional photographers. It all started with Katie’s love of creating beautiful things, fueled by a desire for freedom and the ability to work from anywhere. Her favorite aspects of running La Rousse Shoppe are designing products, branding & packaging, and seeing all of the wonderful ways photographers are sharing their styled print boxes on social media.

Katie and her business partner Phil are working on further automating the business by building their team and outsourcing daily tasks like shipping and fulfilling orders. The goal is to build systems and automation so that Katie and Phil can focus on expanding their product line, and, of course, enjoying a life of travel and leisure.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Katie's background as a photographer in the wedding industry
• How Katie came up with an idea for a product to sell 
• The steps Katie took to bring her product idea from inception to product sample to market
• How bringing on a business partner helped Katie launch and grow her business
• The first thing our guest decided to outsource when building her online business
• The technology Katie uses to sell her products online
• How Katie's online business has changed her life for the better
• What items Katie now outsources in order to have a truly passive income

Want to connect with Katie?

• Web: katiedoherty.me (all projects) / larousseshoppe.com (e-commerce shop)
• Instagram: @larousseshoppe

When you're a high achiever with high standards and a strong work ethic, it's easy to take it to the extreme. Working crazy hours dealing with difficult clients and being in an industry that is focused around servicing others, it's no wonder that many wedding industry professionals have suffered through bouts of burnout.

In this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to sales consultant and coach Rachel Sheerin, who dealt with a major case of burnout in the hospitality industry. After a bit of a break from the event industry and some personal reflection, Rachel has now created a life she loves.

Check out this episode to hear about the symptoms of burnout and tips from Rachel for getting through it.

About our guest: 

Rachel Sheerin is a national public speaker and the owner of She Sells, a sales strategy firm that focuses on helping creative entrepreneurs grow sales and enjoy their success. Some of her clients include wedding & event professionals, Etsy sellers, independent record labels, and hotels management companies.

Before devoting herself to helping creatives sell more, Rachel served as Director of Sales for a multi-million dollar off-site caterer & as a long-time NACE board member. Rachel's an avid dog lover, craft beer drinker and travel enthusiast whose mission in life is to help others sell more & be happy - and she's here with us today. Welcome, Rachel!

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The signs of burnout
• How burnout differs from depression
• Rachel's personal experience with burnout
• How looking at your job as a hobby can help with burnout
• Tips for prioritizing your work and personal life to match your true goals

Want to connect with Rachel?

• Web: www.rachelsheerin.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachelsheerinspeaker
• Instagram: @rachel.sheerin
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rachelsheerin
• Email: [email protected]

In today's world of social media, good publicity and bad publicity can spread like wildfire. For a small business owner, that can be scary! Could one negative review or one disgruntled client completely destroy your business and the reputation you've worked so hard to build and maintain?

In this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're talking to photographer, author and coach Andrea Polito, who was thrown into the spotlight when one of her wedding couples went on the local news to talk negatively about her business. A two year legal battle resulted in her winning a defamation lawsuit, and Andrea's on the podcast to share her story.

About our guest: 

Author, Coach, Speaker and Internationally acclaimed photographer Andrea Polito is a master-lifestyle and wedding photographer sought after by celebrities and professional athletes. Her work has been featured in over 150 publications including Town and Country, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart, Time, Huffington Post and New York Times.  She has also made special guest appearances on TLC, CNN & CBS.  Andrea’s online coaching program and her first book "8 Steps to 800k as a Photographer" has raised the bar for photographers across the globe who are looking to grow and scale their business. 

In July 2017, Andrea won a $1.08 million dollar defamation lawsuit setting precedent for all business owners against online bullying, social shaming and social media defamation. Her case has received more than 400 million impressions world wide and has made Andrea one of the most sought after speakers on online business reputation and online defamation. She is currently working on her second book to be released early 2018 on business bullies and how to protect yourself from an online attack and smear campaign.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The first signs that Andrea had disgruntled clients
• How the wedding couple quickly escalated the situation
• Andrea's two year legal battle and the five counts she sued the clients for
• What Andrea learned about herself and her thoughts about the wedding industry from her experience
• What everyone should be aware of when putting false information online or sharing that information
• Andrea's book "The 8 Steps to Your First $800,000 as a Photographer" available here.

Want to connect with Andrea?

• Web: www.andreapolito.com
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/theandreapolito
• Instagram: @theandreapolito
• Twitter: @theandreapolito

As a creative entrepreneur, it can often be a challenge to consistently be creating new and innovative work. With the pressures of social media and the pressures of running a business, it's no wonder that creative entrepreneurs can easily fall into a creative rut. 

In this week's episode of the This Week in Weddings podcast, we're chatting with custom invitation designer and calligrapher Lauren Essl about her struggle with being in a creative rut. We're getting real in this week's episode, and we're certain that creative entrepreneurs will be able to relate.

About our guest: 

Blue Eye Brown Eye is a calligraphy and design studio specializing in custom wedding and event invitations, calligraphy services, and calligraphy classes. Founder Lauren Essl began Blue Eye Brown Eye (named after her rescue pup, Olive, with a blue and brown eye) in 2010, and has worked with countless clients and taught thousands (really!) of people the art of pointed pen calligraphy.

You can also find online calligraphy classes by Lauren through Brit + Co. Lauren lives in Fort Worth with her husband, Travis, and three doggies.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Lauren's background in the wedding and event industry
• How social media can dampen one's creativity
• How the comparison game can get the best of you
• How being a part of a collective or shared workspace can help spur your creativity

Want to connect with Lauren?

• Web: http://blueeyebrowneye.com/ 
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/blueeyebrowneye
• Instagram: @laurenessl and @blueeyebrowneye 
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/laurenessl