For Real: Life, Leadership, & Unlearning

Earlier last year, my life changed when I was officially diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I always felt that my brain functioned differently than others - I would forget things easily, I would try to complete 7 different tasks at the same time, I would leave a slime trail as my mom would say, and my brain could never shut down even when it was time rest or be “off the...

Today we're navigating a topic that can cause quite a few of us to squirm: our relationship with money. But I’ve got good news, this won’t be one of those discussions that stresses you out.  Instead, you’ll laugh, learn, and leave feeling more empowered to take action based on what you learn about yourself.  So are you a spender, saver, avoider, or do you find yourself playing the financial martyr...

Today and for all of July, we’re going to do something a little different here. Instead of Weddings for Real, where the content is for wedding pros specifically, this series in July is about life in general. Life for Real. The things that happen, the way that we show up as entrepreneurs, all of the things that we're carrying and the mental load that comes along with it. We have some great guests l...

Three of my favorite episodes - and our most popular - are the ones where we had a chance to ask engaged couples exactly what they’re looking for in vetting their wedding vendors (episodes 48 , 94 , and 211 ). Well today, we’re talking to a brand strategist who also knows what couples want - because she just went through an engagement herself. She's Emily Foster, and she's sharing the yays and nay...

We are all juggling a lot of things and wearing quite a few hats in our day-to-day lives. If you feel like you’re drowning in your to-do list or feeling pulled with how to divide the hours you have within a way- then this episode is for you. We’ll dive into what it looks like to be a multi-passionate entrepreneur, why a common myth in our industry is causing stress for many entrepreneurs and we’ll...

Our guest today is an absolute legend in the wedding industry, the one and only Lynn Easton. Her resume alone will blow you away- she’s the owner of Easton Events where she produces 8 ultra-luxury events per year, plus she co-owns several properties including Pippin Hill Farm and Vineyards in Charlottesville VA and Zero George Street boutique hotel in Charleston SC .   Lynn has some hot takes on w...

I've heard you loud and clear - you're overwhelmed by all the wedding pro educators out there, and you're not sure who to listen to and what to do. What could be valuable learnings wind up leaving you frustrated and paralyzed. So what can you do about it?  Join me today for five tips on how to identify who to listen to and what content you should be consuming to help you take your business to the...

It's time to talk about content strategy, which I know can feel super overwhelming. You feel the pressure to create content and show up basically everywhere…. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, podcasts, blog posts, newsletters, and other places we're not even aware of. How do you do all of that? And then, what about all the AI resources like Chat GPT that can be helpful but a little scary - how do we l...

If you’ve been in the wedding industry for really any length of time, you’ve probably had a nightmare client or two who sucked the life out of you and left you questioning whether or not you want to be in this crazy industry. I get it, I too have been there and have the t-shirt, the gray hairs, the extra wrinkles and the negative review to show for it.  In our industry, we have a ton of pressure t...

It's Terrica . It's wedding industry hot takes part 2. No need to say more. Part 1 Terrica's $9/mo Wedding Pro Workshop --- 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: @weddi...

It's Terrica . It's wedding industry hot takes. No need to say more. --- 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 Mega...

Today we bring back Jason Gillikin, my partner of 13 years and fellow entrepreneur. Life gets pretty hectic when you're growing businesses, raising kids, and trying to stay connected to each other. So what are some speed bumps we've faced and lessons learned along the way? Episodes Mentioned: 82 and 83 with couples' therapist Christian Charette Today's episode is brought to you by The Planner's Va...

How can we guide our potential clients to take that next step?  Maybe they see our Instagram post or TikTok or our website, or maybe even an ad on TheKnot. And when they do, how can we take them from seeing copy we’ve put out there, and then jump to the next level?   Today's guest, Lucy Bedewi, has some copy writing tips for us. My Write Hand Woman | Find Your Brand Voice Quiz This episode is brou...

One of the most challenging questions I get asked in my coaching conversations is, “When do I know when it’s time to add to my team?”   If you’re hiring a team member, how do you know what position do you hire for? And is it even possible to hire someone to sell for you? And even when you have all the information and you’re ready to make a move, how do you find the right person? It’s not an easy d...

If I was on stage at Wedding MBA in front of hundreds of your peers, and I chose your website to display on the big screen, how would you feel?  Would you be proud?  Would you feel like your website images, design, and copy fits your brand?  Or would you feel at least a little dread and shame because you know it’s time for a brand refresh? Branding isn’t easy, but as you evolve as a business owner...

Today we're celebrating five years of the podcast (!), so it's time for a fun and reflective episode on five truthbombs every business owner needs to hear. Episodes Mentioned: 120: The 4 People You Need in Your Circle of Trust 202: Navigating Education Overwhelm for Wedding Pros This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault , my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to...

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 Neillie Butler , owner and executive planner of Mariee Ami , an event production company that brings multi-day celebrations to life, no matter the destination, scale, or complexity. For previous Unravelings: 156 157 with Adria...

The Planner's Vault doors are open! Come join us! ---- Recently I was a guest on The Women’s Social Club Podcast , a women supporting women community and membership with 15 locations including New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC.  Some of you have heard my journey before, but one thing I noticed when listening to this episode is that I have the tendency to keep myself small, and I consider t...

When analyzing your own website, you want to ask yourself: Does it pass the caveman test where the user knows in 5 seconds what you do, how it will make their life better, and how they can take the next step?  Are the images attractive, interesting, and a reflection of my brand?  When the prospect reads the copy, does it give them all the feels? Or is it essentially the same content that they've r...

On episode 211, we interviewed couples to find out what they REALLY are looking for in the vendor vetting process. And one common theme we heard is that couples are looking for reviews - in The Knot, on Google, on Wedding Wire, in social media, everywhere . So reviews need to be a major initiative for all wedding pros.  But how do we get our clients to write reviews? Let's find out from our guest...

I say this with love... -------- Episodes Referenced: 168: How to get on a wedding venue's preferred list, with Shannon Tarrant 175: 9 tips for being a better wedding pro during busy season (Megan Gillikin solo) 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 hustle, and actively seeking community and education...

Today we’re talking about Engage , the luxury wedding business summit that happens twice a year in breathtaking locations around the globe.  I’ve been a couple times, and they are definitely an experience like no other.  The swag and gifting experience by itself are stellar and the over-the-top wow factor of each meal, each breakout, and each painstaking design detail are unmatched.   I’ve always...

What happens when couples inquire (we get the inquiries!), but we’re not booking as many weddings as we want?  Or what if couples are only wanting to book our smallest packages?    Today we're talking to Ideaction Consulting 's Sam Jacobson, who gives us 4 reasons our inquiries are NOT converting into clients. Free Workshop with Megan and Sam: Why Couples Don’t Book Full Planning (And what to do a...

A couple weeks ago, we went to The Merrimon Wynne Winter Wedding Showcase. The Merrimon Wynne is a historic home in downtown Raleigh that’s been converted into a gorgeous wedding venue. Inside the house and in the carriage house outside, engaged couples were walking around looking for the right wedding vendors for their big day.  And if they looked like they might be willing to answer some questio...

As much as we all love the events industry, one major challenge is that we’re service based. We need to physically be doing something to make money. Planning the wedding, DJ’ing the bat mitzvah, taking the headshots. And when every event is over, we need to keep moving on to the next one. In the service industry, there’s no real way to make money while you sleep. Or is there? Today's guest is Kawa...