For Real: Life, Leadership, & Unlearning

This episode is a special behind-the-scenes look at Wedding MBA from its first in person live event since 2019.  Megan spoke on imposter syndrome - and what happened to her in Vegas did NOT help with her own imposter syndrome. And The Planner's Vault shared a booth with Weddings for Real, where we interviewed 15 of the 4000 wedding pros in attendance on why they attended Wedding MBA, what they wis...

When a couple is considering which vendors to go with, they look at a lot of different factors. Weddings you’ve worked before, website, social media, reviews, price point, the call you had with them. Ultimately, they narrow each category down to two or three vendors and then...they go with their gut. They go with what feels right to them. But what is that gut exactly? Today, Renee Sabo talks about...

Think back to the last 5 weddings you worked. How did they find you?  Did you enjoy working with them? Would they recommend you to a friend?  What are some of the ways that they think you could improve? If you're like most of us creatives, you have no idea. Today, Jordan Kentris comes on to teach us how research can make us better wedding pros. Connect with Jordan: A Good Day Inc | on instagram Th...

Welcome to The Unraveling, where we share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds you back, and the rebirth of new. Today's guest is Adrienna McDermott, formerly of Ivory and Beau (where her unraveling began), now owner of Ava and the Bee . This episode is brought to you by Lemon Tree Editorial This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault , my online membership site for w...

Once a month moving forward, we're bringing you a new series - The Unraveling.  These episodes shine a light on the pivotal  moments and ensuing decisions that industry leaders have encountered that changed everything.  The unraveling moment.   Today, I'm sharing my own unraveling. Unlocking Us, Brene Brown's Podcast where she introduces the Unraveling Concept. The Midlife Unraveling, by Brene Bro...

One of the biggest challenges I hear every single week is that there’s not enough time to build content. Or you’re not sure what to post. Or you’re worried that what you do post won’t be received very well - or worse, won’t be received at all. Does this sound like you? Let's fix that, with content creation master, Angela Proffitt. This episode is brought to you by Lemon Tree Editorial Angela Proff...

When I need something for my house or for my business, I order it on my phone and get it literally the next day. And if I have to wait two days, fine I guess, but I’m not too happy about it. We all want it right away. And with that mindset in mind, Michelle Loretta from Be Sage Consulting has some insight into what that means about how to work with Amazon-addicted couples. This episode is brought...

Join Megan for an inside look at her one-on-one coaching session with Alisha Freeman, The Productionista. Alisha is a member of The Planner's Vault , where the doors open up next week (!) on Wednesday September 22nd, following a free webinar - "Charge More, Hustle Less." To sign up for the webinar (live at 12PM EST and then again at 8:30PM EST), visit Learn. ThePlannersVault.com/Workshop .   The P...

Join Megan for an inside look at her one-on-one coaching session with Carrie Gillard from Blue Poppy Events .  Carrie is a member of The Planner's Vault , where the doors open up next week (!) on Wednesday September 22nd, following a free webinar - "Charge More, Hustle Less." To sign up for the webinar (live at 12PM EST and then again at 8:30PM EST), visit Learn. ThePlannersVault.com/Workshop .  ...

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin answers 5 questions from the Weddings for Real Facebook Group , including how to hire your #2, how to raise your prices, and how to take steps to make your business full time. References: Episode 151: Creating a digital welcome guide Episode 145: Margeaux Fraise on leveraging Facebook Groups For more client experience tips, visit ThePlannersVault.com/clientexpe...

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin gives her 5 tips on how to set boundaries, ease anxiety, and build trust with new clients through a killer digital welcome guide. For more client experience tips, visit ThePlannersVault.com/clientexperience This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault , my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and act...

As a wedding pro, you are the expert in your field. You have a knack for creating the most beautiful floral arrangements. You can run through a timeline in your sleep. You have an eye for a moment that others can’t match. Your clients hire you for your expertise. But you’re just one you, and no matter how much you build your team, you can’t reach everyone in the world who craves your knowledge and...

When a couple finds your website or your social media presence, do they know right away why you’re unique?  Do they know what makes you special and different from all of the other vendors they’re looking at?  Or are you swimming in a sea of sameness? The same colors, the same vibe, the same general aesthetic that has been done over and over again in your market.  Amanda Bugden from Sea and Silk We...

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin gives 3 actionable sales tips for incoming inquiries that you can try right now.  The wedding industry is currently in the midst of a wedding boom, and it's time for you to start turning more inquiries into paying clients. Sales Tips for Wedding Planners This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault , my online membership site for wedding planners...

As wedding pros, we’re dealing with a lot of stressful situations, and we need to be at our best when dealing with all of them. In some respects, being calm under pressure comes with years on the job, but even us season pros (and I’m definitely raising my hand here) can get stressed out and nervous. So what can we do?  Well, what better person to talk to about this than a former Olympian turned we...

The release of this episode marks the 11-year anniversary of Megan running her wedding planning business, A Southern Soiree. She's made every mistake and learned every lesson in those 11 years, and today she gives tips for whatever stage of business you're in - the foundation, the messy middle, and the expert.  Resources mentioned: Episode 143: Do You Need a Workcation? Yes You Do Episode 111: 10...

When you think about marketing your business with Facebook, most of us look at what kind of content we should be posting, whether or not to boost, whether or not Facebook ads work, and how much live video we should be putting out. But the fundamental goal is getting in front of more couples who need exactly what it is you do, right?  Well, Margaux Fraise is here to tell us that that's exactly what...

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, before we can experience love, we need to feel safe and secure.  But with racial unrest, homophobia, a pandemic, and the "do we only invite guests who are vaccinated?" debates, unfortunately sometimes our couples and guests, and even us as vendors - we actually don't feel safe at all.  As wedding vendors, part of our job is to provide guidance and clear co...

On this solo episode, Megan Gillikin dives into all things workcations - what it is, who you should go with, what you can accomplish, and next steps to getting started. For her, The Planner's Vault all started with a workcation and baby goats - and now it's time for you to get your big idea off the ground as well. Resource mentioned - Tips to Combat Overwhelm for Wedding Pros This episode is also...

You probably started your business because you had a special passion or a superpower. Maybe you were amazing at logistics so you became a wedding planner. Or you knew how to get people on the dance floor so you became a DJ. But most of us didn’t start your business because we were passionate about entrepreneurship. We’re all kind of accidental entrepreneurs - who make a lot of mistakes! So we talk...

If you’re in the wedding industry, there's a high probability that you're a people pleaser. But as much as we want to take care of our clients 24/7, we also want to take care of our kids, our partners, our friends, and our mental and physical well-being.  So if I can’t be working on our clients at all times, how can we amaze and delight them?  How can we underpromise and overdeliver?  LynneReznick...

Do you ever find yourself working your butt off, just go go go, working weddings, fixing problems, moving the business forward...and then you never stop to think why you’re doing all these things?  Is it because you want to be the best vendor in your category? Is it because you like working with your clients? Is it because you like building teams?  Or have you just been doing it without really kno...

We've all seen it happen - ego and pride get in the way of the best wedding experience. And it's not just from the couples or their parents. As wedding vendors, sometimes we think we know what's best for the couples instead of truly listening to what they want. Today, Leah Weinberg talks about how we can get past that ego and pride, and truly find a place of empathy for their wedding journeys. Col...

Do you feel like you’re on the way to achieving your goals and making the money you deserve?  Or...is there something holding you back? Maria Bayer is a sales & mindset strategist, coach & wealth builder. She is the creator of Irresistible Selling – a transformational program and community that helps wedding business owners create a million dollar mindset, stand confidently in their worth,...

Enneagram. For a better understanding of people we work with, people we're in relationships with, and most importantly, a better understanding of ourselves. We've covered the basics before on episode 87, but today, we’re going a little bit deeper - does your personality come from nature or nurture, if it’s ingrained in you from childhood, how there are healthy and unhealthy versions of each type,...