For the past five years, I’ve closed out each year with a special episode where I invite my husband to join me. Together, we’ve reflected on the learning lessons, wins, and everything in between. 

But this year, I’m doing things differently. I’m recording this solo, and with that comes a new perspective. This year has been transformational, and I feel called to reflect on it from a deeply personal place. I invite you to join me in looking back at the growth—both messy and beautiful—that this year has brought.

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Have you ever hit a wall? And I don't mean just a bad day, but a full on stop, like your body and your mind are just done if you've been there? 

Well today's episode is all about how you can tap into your energy while avoiding a complete stop burnout.

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Connect with Erin King:

• Take the Energy Exam: https://info.theenergyexam.com/a/2147929576/eLXvc2XL
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrs.erin.king/
• Website: https://erinking.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrserinking/

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(00:02:47) Collapsing on a Zoom Meeting and Waking Up in the ER
(00:06:11) Study: "When you think about a leader that you think is successful, what is it about them that makes them so successful?"

(00:11:46) DUH Method to Maximize Energy

(00:15:44) What Happens When You Feel Like You Don't Have Control of Your Life

(00:19:33) The 5 Energy Types

(00:24:08) Energy Preservation through Processing and Recharging

(00:31:55) What We Can Learn from Big Energy Beings

(00:42:35) Energy DNA Report for Relationship Compatibility

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

As business owners, we’ve all been there—those million ideas a minute, right? Some of them make it through the "friends and family board of directors," and then we decide, let’s go for it! But here’s the thing: have you ever had an idea that felt amazing at first, only to later ask yourself, What the heck am I doing?

Maybe you’ve poured time, energy, and resources into something you were sure would be a game changer, only to realize it wasn’t going to make the money you hoped—or maybe it didn’t quite fit the life you want to build. 

Yeah… same.

But here’s the deal: it’s ok to stop. It’s ok to pivot. In fact, it’s necessary sometimes. And if you’re sitting there thinking, But pivoting feels like failure, trust me—you’re going to see things differently by the end of this episode.

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Connect with Jess Ekstrom:

• JessEkstrom.com
• Mic Drop Workshop: https://micdropworkshop.com/
• Amplify with Jess Ekstrom Podcast: https://micdropworkshop.com/amplify-podcast/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-speaker-author/
• Text HYPE to 704-228-9495

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(00:03:10) NOT writing down ideas?
(00:06:52) I used to be heavy into journaling...
(00:09:40) What is your low stakes playground?
(00:15:00) The $300K investment that Jess gave back
(00:20:00) The partnership that Megan backed out of last minute
(00:23:50) Making decisions for tomorrow
(00:32:00) 5 year goals? 10 year goals? Nope. 100 year goals!

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Last week, we gathered with 14 incredible members of The Planner’s Vault at our latest Workation retreat, held in a stunning lakeside home near Charlotte, North Carolina. As always, I was joined by my COO, confidante, and “work wife,” Gina, to lead our community through three transformative days of business-building, personal growth, and focus.

In this special live-recorded episode, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look (and listen!) into the retreat as we answer questions straight from our members on everything from growing a team to tackling current challenges in the wedding industry, and even knowing when it might be time for a big pivot in your business.

So, grab a glass and listen along as we dive into an AMA that’s full of practical insights, candid conversations, and a few background wine clinks.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Key strategies for growing and supporting your team
• How to own and thrive in your unique “zone of genius”
• Identifying and addressing common challenges from wedding clients
• Knowing when to make major shifts in your business

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(00:02:39) How can we be the best bosses ever so that our team loves being on our team forever?

(00:07:07) What are you seeing are the biggest challenges from couples getting married right now, and how can we as planners best serve those concerns and their pain points?

(00:09:14) At what point did you decide to sell your business and go into coaching full time? Was that something you always had as an eventual exit strategy or did something else happen that kind of prompted that for you?

(00:13:05)  What is the shift that needs to happen to take a business that has reached multiple six figures in revenue and has the team in place to scaling beyond that?

(00:16:52) When you were running your business as a wedding planner, what was your weakness and how did you lean into it and eventually grow from it?
(00:19:10) If you were to start your coaching business again, what is one thing you would do the same, and what is one thing that you would do differently?

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Clients don't just want great service. They value and prioritize experiences that stand out, that feel personalized, and that make them superfans of a brand or business. 

So how can you create unforgettable experiences that your clients will rave about to their friends?

Today, Megan and Gina share some memorable experiences from the consumer side, and they share their tips on how it all relates to wedding pros.

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Links Mentioned:

• Time-Saving Client Questionnaire Bundle: https://www.theplannersvault.com/shop/p/time-saving-questionnaire-bundle
• The Planner's Vault Client Experience Bundle: https://www.theplannersvault.com/shop/p/client-experience-bundle
• What to Gift Your Couples and Vendors: https://www.theplannersvault.com/blog/what-should-a-wedding-planner-gift-to-couples
• The Planner's Vault Discovery Call Guide:  https://www.theplannersvault.com/shop/p/effortless-consultations-a-6-step-framework-for-booking-dream-clients
• a'Verde Cocina + Tequila Library: https://www.averdecary.com/
• Midtown Pediatric Dentistry: https://www.midtownkidsdentist.com/
• Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect: https://www.amazon.com/Unreasonable-Hospitality-Remarkable-Giving-People/dp/0593418573/
• Giftology: The Art and Science of Using Gifts to Cut Through the Noise, Increase Referrals, and Strengthen Retention: https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strengthen-Retention/dp/1619614332

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(00:02:23) Elevating Client Experiences for Loyal Customers

(00:05:21) First Impressions at the New Vet

(00:13:55) Why Megan's daughter cried when she COULDN'T go to the Dentist!

(00:23:45)  Flaming Churros, Boomboxes, Orange Juice Spray, and SHOTS!

(00:27:58) Personalized Wedding Thank-You - One Easy but Special Gift

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Should you expand your business to service new locations?

It makes sense, right? If you have a business that's thriving in one area and you've already got an established brand, website and systems in place, it could probably work in another market, too, and everyone involved can make some more money.

Yet it's not quite that simple. You personally can't be in more than one location at once. More markets also mean more team members, which means more logistical issues to navigate.

So...should you do it anyway?

Let's find out from someone who plans weddings throughout the world and has locations in San Francisco, Charleston, Los Angeles, and Miami - Shannon Leahy.

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Shannon Leahy Events
@ShannonLeahyEvents
Wedded: The Wedding Planner Podcast

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(00:01:30) Introducing Shannon Leahy
(00:05:37) How can event planning be improved through client feedback?
(00:07:30) Who's doing all the sales calls?
(00:10:00) Shannon's greatest fear when building a team
(00:14:00) Getting it out of her head to create SOPs
(00:19:00) If you were starting today, what would you do differently?
(00:24:00) How do you balance all the things including a personal life?

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

In part one of our conversation, Hannah Abad talked through the signs of burnout and how our nervous system reacts to stress. Today is a special mini-episode where she's giving you some actionable tips on what you can do when you're overwhelmed and sliding into panic mode.

And I can tell you from experience that these strategies work. So let's take a moment to pause the chaos.

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Hannah Abad Coaching
@hannahabadcoaching
Resilience Restoration Membership:  

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Today we’re diving into a topic that affects so many of us in the wedding industry: resilience and burnout.

This summer, we shared several episodes on burnout, where I openly discussed my own experience from last year and hitting a wall at the beginning of 2024.  My train was moving 200 miles per hour, and I just couldn’t see a path to slowing down. 

Fortunately, the person who helped me find the brakes joins us today, and she’s sharing her advice to help you restore balance in your life.

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Hannah Abad Coaching
@hannahabadcoaching
Resilience Restoration Membership:  

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(00:02:58) The Freeze Response in High-Achieving Leaders

(00:14:14) Survival Response Impact on Mental Health

(00:19:38) Survival State's Influence on Decision Making

(00:23:44) Interconnected Systems: Establishing Safety for Healing

(00:32:13) Transformative Shift Through Releasing Core Beliefs

(00:34:33) Transitioning from Survival Mechanisms to Healthy Identity

(00:43:09) Embracing Self-Value through Human Being Approach

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

Last week, Gina and Megan gave their insider tips on how to plan a workcation.  With the planning done, they went to the beach with a lot on their plates.  And today - recorded on the last night of their workcation - they share their reflections.

What did they accomplish?
Was it worth it?
And was it amazing to wake up with much fewer responsibilities?

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Links Mentioned:
291. How to Plan a Workcation That Recharges Your Focus and Energy
Workcation Ideas & Tips for Wedding Creatives

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.

How do you plan an effective workcation for your team? Today, Megan and Gina give us the inside scoop on orchestrating the perfect balance of productivity and relaxation!

They discuss the importance of curating workations that blend revenue-generating ideas with essential updates to team processes, plus goal setting and productivity tips.

And of course, they answer the question of how you find the right location!

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Links Mentioned:
Workcation Ideas & Tips for Wedding Creatives

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(00:00:33) "A workation is an amazing way to blend relaxation with productivity and be able to tackle some of those big picture growth items on your list."

(00:06:30) "One of the reasons why we love our jobs is because it's not the same every single day. But..." 

(00:14:09) Finding the right team members for the workcation

(00:18:41) Organizing the agenda

(00:23:50) "The best ideas and the breakthroughs come from giving flexibility around what you'll get done and being open for the unexpected conversations that come." 

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Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault. The doors are currently closed for The Planner's Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.

Weddings for Real on Social Media:

Instagram: @weddingsforreal

Facebook: @weddingsforreal

twitter: @weddingsforreal

Hosted by Megan Gillikin, Weddings for Real is presented by The Planner's Vault, and is produced by Earfluence.