Own Your Business

As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats. Director of Marketing. Sales Manager. Creative Director. Head whatever-it-is-that-you-do. You can even try Bookkeeper if you feel comfortable doing some of the work before sending over to your accountant. But one hat you should never try to wear yourself is legal counsel. It’s too important. And there’s a whole field filled with landmines to step on and...

Luxury photography is one of the most competitive fields in the wedding industry. And hardest to break into, because you have to be good at so many things. Yes, your craft. That’s a given. If your photos aren’t incredible, you’ve got no chance.  But beautiful images aren't enough to charge top dollar. Or book at five-figure prices consistently. On today’s episode, I sit down with Carter Rose,...

Can you believe it? You’re listening to episode 100 of the Own Your Business podcast. Pretty stinking cool. If you’ve listened to most of them, you know I usually share insights and takeaways to apply to your business in sales, pricing and copywriting. I’ve also done some great interviews with the best in the business over the past two years. So in today’s episode, I asked Katy to sit down with me...

Looking for a good book to read? Or an entire curriculum to get you through the next several months.  Take 15 minutes to listen to this episode, where I provide my top 10 general books on business, and how each can help you grow your business and make it more fun to go to work every day.

People talk about short attention spans all the time. But you know what’s sad? The most common solution is to provide less information. Or content. Or connection. Yes, we can blame social media for some of it. Maybe even most of it. But I think a lot of it has to do with boring content. Bad writing. Uninteresting narratives. Good stories grab you from the very beginning - and then keep you engaged...

Do you want to make more and work less? Great. This is the episode for you. Today, I’m going to break down how you can get into the luxury market. Or, if you’re already there, show you the formula to create more consistency with your bookings. In this episode, we’ll dive into: - How I learned to market and sell high-end wedding services - When you know you’re in luxury - and you might be surprised...

Of all the fields and markets in the wedding industry, I have to confess: Luxury wedding planners probably have it the hardest.  And I’m not talking about the long hours, crazy clients, and relatively low pay they get compared to others who work as hard as they do. You know, when you put it like that, it’s amazing anyone wants to take this career path. But those who do the work loooove what they d...

Many of you are struggling to get enough bookings right now. Even inquiries are slow, which is always stressful. The simple fact is there’s a lot stacked up against the wedding industry at the moment. Inflation. Pessimistic outlook. Fewer engagements. Uncertainty in the financial sector. You can’t change the way people feel about the economy or how many people are getting engaged, but you can lean...

Do you want to charge more for your services? Of course you do! But how do you make that dream a reality? Clients pay higher prices when they expect to receive more value. And you create that by sharing what you do. How you solve their problems. The services you offer.  Unfortunately, many of you aren’t talking about that on your website. You talk about yourself, your work, and how to contact you....

We all want to be successful. What does success look like for you? Is it lots of money? Recognition for your peers or industry experts? Ultra creative projects? Or maybe you’re like me, and you measure success by the number of vacation days you take rather than the number of clients you book for your business? Whatever you have for goals, it’s important for them to be realistic. Every week, I talk...

I’m doing something new on this week’s episode of the Own Your Business Podcast.  Over the past 90+ episodes, I’ve done a few different types of approaches: Me talking about a specific topic Having Katy, my wife and copywriting expert, on to talk shop with me about websites Bringing on an expert, like Katelyn Magnuson or Sara Dunn, in a specific field to share their expertise where we can’t Indust...

If you’ve heard me talk about the four main buyer types, you know how important it is to shift your communication style to meet others where they’re at.  Now flip the script, and instead of looking at buyer types, think of you and your natural selling style. How you sell makes a big impact on how successful your business will be. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business, I share: - Different su...

Have you heard all the buzz about Ideal Client Avatars lately? Yeah, so have we! Which is why we thought it would be a good idea to share more insights into: - What makes an ideal client anyway - The top component to a solid ICA that most people miss - How to create your own - What to do with the information in your marketing and sales process I’m joined today by my wife and our head copywriter, K...

It’s not easy to chart a course from where you are to a place you’ve never been to before. But that’s exactly what many wedding pros who own their own business do. Unfortunately, many of you end up in the wrong destination because you got started in the wrong direction to begin with. In this episode of Own Your Business, I talk about: - Why it’s so hard to create a solid strategy - 5 big mistakes...

One of the biggest mistakes I see on websites is putting up an entire page about your pricing. Why focus the conversation on the scariest thing you do for your clients (that is, take money from them)?!! Instead you should feature all your amazing services. And in this episode, I sit down with my wife and our head copywriter, Katy Taylor Jacobson, to break down: - Why pricing pages kill inquiries -...

I’ve looked at hundreds, maybe more than a thousand, proposals and pricing guides over the past 6+ years. Nine out of ten look the same. Trust me, your “I believe” statement, your bio, your images, and - importantly - your collections all look pretty much the same. If you want to stand out, it’s time to present your proposals differently. In this episode of Own Your Business, I talk about: - 5 big...

I’ve read hundreds of books about business, marketing and selling over the past 20 years. In this episode, I share my top 10 to grow your business. The list includes: - The best book you can read to be a better listener - How to feel comfortable at networking events - Lots of science on selling

One of my favorite episode types is the myth-buster. We take commonly held ideas and perspectives, and then take a wrecking ball to them so you get a different outlook and new insights you can use. Today, I’m joined by my wife and business partner, and our head copywriter, to talk about five big myths related to websites and copywriting. We discuss: - Formal v. conversational voice for luxury vend...

Have you heard of the phrase “Start with Why”? It was made popular by Simon Sinek many years ago in his TED Talk and book. Short version of the concept is to begin with your “why” instead of your “what,” which is what most people tend to do. But what is your “why”? And how do you come up with it? And where do you use it in your marketing and sales process? In this episode of Own Your Business, I’m...

Every business goes through a predictable series of steps to achieve success. You, as the owner of your business, will run into obstacles at major transitions from one stage to the next. The key is to recognize when you’ve hit that barrier. Then you can pull out tools and get the training you need to push through each one when you reach it. In today’s episode of Own Your Business, I explore: - The...

It’s not easy to attract and book ultra-luxury clients. It’s even harder to do on scale, where you’re not the only one delivering the services. It takes a system. And it takes a team to get it all done. This week, I talk with Shannon Leahy, a planner who’s received just about every accolade you can imagine in the wedding industry. But the one she’s most proud of? Building a team that serves client...

Top sales people aren’t born, they’re made. They’re trained. They’re coached to improve in key areas to develop skills that help them book more clients at higher prices. But what exactly do you need to get better at if you want to reach your full potential? What skills should you focus on? In this episode of Own Your Business , I breakdown: - 7 core competencies for people in the event industry -...

Sales is a numbers game. It’s all about optimizing conversion rates at different points in the buyer’s journey. Get the couple to inquire. Then to respond to your inquiry. Then to like you on the discovery call, read your proposal, and finally send in a contract and deposit. You’ll guide a potential buyer through dozens of micro-commitments throughout the sales process. Unless you blow it. Unless...

If you’re like most wedding pros I know, your inbox isn’t flooded with inquiries right now. And if you’re getting at least a trickle, you know how important it is to make the most of the few that are flowing through. That’s why it’s crucial to get the kinks out of your sales process - and a great place to start is when and how you’re trying to close the deal. In this episode of Own Your Business,...

It’s hard not to feel a little burned out after COVID, postponements, and the ‘22 wedding boom. Four months ago, everyone was in the weeds. Two months ago, we were grateful for the holiday season and the rest that it brought with it. And now we’re back in it trying to get ready for another go-round in the spring and summer. Today, I interview Bob Spiegel, the chef owner of Pinch Food Design in New...