For Real: Life, Leadership, & Unlearning

With finances, I still have blocks (listen to the intro) preventing me from fully feeling comfortable and empowered when it comes to things like tax planning, KPIs, and projections. I’ve learned through conversations with wedding pros and my own real life experiences that overwhelm can lead to avoidance, so my goal is to make conversations like this one easy to digest and not something you run the...

Today we're tackling engagement and booking season, and I'm going to share three strategies and mindset shifts that will help your business stand out, resonate more with your ideal clients, and help you book more easily this year - no matter what vendor category you're in. This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault , my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow,...

At the end of last year, I sent out a survey to my email list asking them to share what they want more of and what they want less of in 2024. And at the end, I had a spot for them to share openly about anything they had on their mind, or share a question they want me to answer. There were so many great questions that I decided to kick off this year with a few of those questions in an ask me anythi...

Megan and Jason Gillikin talk about their wins for 2023, their misses, most memorable moments, and goals for 2024.  Tune in and reflect along. Share your 2023 reflections on social media @weddingsforreal. Past Year-End Recaps: 2022   2021   2020   2019   2018 This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault , my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hust...

This week, we're taking a little adventure to explore the not-so-glamorous side of balancing entrepreneurship with personal life. I'm thrilled to share an episode with you where for the first time ever my husband Jason and I teamed up as guests on another entrepreneur podcast called  Hustle + Gather . This is a behind-the-scenes look at being busy entrepreneurs and parents, all while trying to kee...

Today we’re sharing an episode of the Own Your Business Podcast , which I was a guest on earlier this year. My friend Sam Jacobson and I talk about how wedding pros can book more couples at higher packages. This has nothing to do with "sales tactics". It’s all about empathy and understanding customer needs, creating an effective pricing proposal, and challenging customers during the discovery call...

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new.  Today we feature Amber Melanie Smith , the Founder and Executive Director of Activate Good , a non-profit she has run for her entire adult life. As you can imagine, fighting the good fight can be exhausting, and she was burning out. Amber was...

It's Hot Takes Time. I'll be talking about some common business advice that I think is garbage, my best advice for hiring new team members, one hard lesson I had to learn this year in business, the goal strategy I swear by, and the biggest mistake I see business owners making right now. Previous Hot Takes Episodes: 224. Wedding Industry Hot Takes with Terrica (Part 1) 225. Wedding Industry Hot Tak...

I’m getting lots of DMs and questions about building relationships and superfans and thought that sharing an episode I was a guest on from earlier this year would be a great listen for you this week!  So if building more meaningful relationships that fuel your business growth is on your radar for 2024, this episode is for you! So today, you’ll be hearing from The Brands that Book Podcast with Dave...

Hey friends! Today's episode is a short roundup of a few things I want to share with you, including my thoughts on my upcoming trip to Wedding MBA , my recent Planners Vault Workcation, tips for you on planning your own Workcation, and a quick hitting conversation with my friend Ashley Ebert of The Abundance Group on how to know if you've hired the right team member. Resources Mentioned: Ashley Eb...

After 12 years as a wedding planner, I can say this with deep conviction.  The number one way I built my business from unknown and scrappy to respected, referred and booked out year after year - was from referrals. These referrals were what allowed me to be able to hire team members, raise our rates and eventually sell my business last year so I could focus full time on education and support for w...

Over the years, I've had countless conversations with wedding pros about the constant challenge of nailing down their business messaging and how they are perceived in their market. While the landscape of marketing as a whole has evolved, the core issues remain unchanged. So, what's on every wedding pro's mind?  I hear questions like:   Where should I invest my time or growing my business? What sho...

Are you struggling to balance too many commitments with a never ending to-do list? (Raising my hand with you) Maybe you're feeling that that stress is in an all time high. and you're paddling through the Sea of Overwhelm with a leaky boat. Well today, I've got 10 stress-reducing tips to help you through! Episodes Mentioned: 244. BTS of My Industry Educators' Retreat 236. Life For Real Series: Misc...

It's time for some more hot takes, this time with the Tech Savvy Creative , and all about the latest tech and AI trends in our industry.  We’ll be answering questions like: Is AI all it’s cracked up to be?  What apps are overrated, and what apps are overlooked?  And maybe most importantly, what happens when dozens of people recommend hundreds of different apps and it all becomes overwhelming? Wher...

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new.  Today we feature Michelle Norwood , New Orleans based international event planner. Michelle has been featured in Vogue, the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, and BRIDES magazine, and she makes it look simple taking only 6 to 8 weddings...

Recently one of small-group coaching students said to me, "Megan, when I think about you and other educators, it's like you're floating by on this deluxe yacht, living the life. You're all 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,' sipping champagne and getting fed grapes. And here I am, clinging to a capsizing dinghy with a single oar, just praying a tidal wave of new to dos doesn’t come out of nowhere...

I’ve heard this question from a lot of you out there listening and engaging with us on social media, and from a lot of members of The Planner's Vault community: How can I generate money while I sleep? How can I get paid on more than just my time? Two weeks ago on episode 241 , Kendra Swalls came on to share her ideas on generating affiliate income. Well today, we’re taking it a step further by div...

Have I ever told you about the required public speaking class I put off until my last semester of undergrad? I was shaky nervous, and the speech on how to make a latte? It didn't go so well. I've evolved since then, but I still get nervous every time I get on stage. Maybe you're in the same boat, or you want to know how to tiptoe into public speaking. So today, we're bringing on an expert, as we d...

You're in a high-stress industry, your weekends are gold, and nobody's got time for filler content or fluff. That's why today's topic is super relevant - we're diving into affiliate income. Yep, we're talking about ways to diversify your income streams without doubling your workload. By the end of this episode, you'll have a toolbox filled with ideas to not only elevate your client's experience bu...

The Messy Middle - it's one of those business owner struggles that we all go through. And over the years, with the rise of more social media platforms and more places than ever before to show up, yet no more magical hours added to our days... creating a marketing strategy in the messy middle feels like a vague and far-reaching concept that can make you want to put your head in the sand and pretend...

Have you ever wondered what makes a truly unforgettable experience stand out from the usual client interactions that often end up looking pretty much the same? It's not just the fancy website or the five-star venue or the fancy menu. The answer might surprise you, but it's all about intuitive service and brand standards . It's about understanding that clients aren't just looking for transactional...

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new.  Today we feature Natalie Franke , cofounder of The Rising Tide Society , Chief Evangelist at Honeybook , host of the Independent Business Podcast , and author of Gutsy: Learning to Live with Bold, Brave, and Boundless Courage . For previous Un...

Over the last five years, I've spent countless episodes diving into the behind the scenes of working in the wedding industry. But in this special Life for Real series, I decided to take a meaningful detour to explore and dive deep into some of the harder to navigate aspects of life itself. And let's just say it's been quite a rollercoaster ride - from battling burnout to fostering resilience, mana...

Today's episode focuses on our life partners. That’s right, we went there, with psychologist and couples therapist Dr. Tracy Dalgleigh , who’s letting me ask her all the questions on how stress in a relationship can affect how you show up professionally, the mental load that we share with our partners, meltdown moments (ok MY meltdown moments), and how to have the difficult conversations so they d...

In the last episode, I spoke with Carissa Kruse, and we shared our stories of being recently diagnosed with ADHD, and how it’s affected us both personally and professionally. Today, we extend that conversation in so many fascinating ways, with Dr. Amy Teumer, who you heard from some on yesterday’s episode. We get into how ADHD can be leveraged as a superpower, what we can do if our partners (in li...