Own Your Business

It’s tough for couples to pick all the vendors they need for their wedding. It could be 20, maybe 30 or more. And that means a ton of research to find the right ones. Reviews and other forms of social proof help potential clients cut through the noise and reduce the risk in choosing you over others. But it’s not easy to get clients to take the time to leave you a review. And even if they do, it’s...

Humans make 35,000 decisions every day. Most of them are made automatically without even thinking. The very small percentage that use conscious thought require lots of energy, and, if too many need to be made, can lead to decision-fatigue. Is your sales process making it easier or harder for couples to decide on your services? My guess is you’re sabotaging your own success in ways you didn’t even...

Tired of running out of hours in the day? Or days in the week? Or months in the year? Katy and I like to say the days are long and the months are short, because we always feel like we’re doing so much, but it’s never enough time. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business, I share my insights on how to free up more time to spend on priorities for your company. I’ll cover: - My #1 tip to increase...

We’ve all heard the phrase, It’s a marathon not a sprint. But it’s not just about slowing things down. It’s also about going the distance. Many wedding pros start off at a breakneck pace, but don’t know how to take it down a notch. Even seasoned professionals still get stuck at high speed each year during peak season. If you want a career that lasts - and you love doing it everyday, no matter what...

Do you dread peak wedding season? That time of the year when you have more work to do than hours in the day? It seems like no matter what you do to streamline your workflows or hire help to get you through, it just doesn’t work. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business , I’ll explore how to create a “place of bliss” in your business. We’ll explore: - How three different pieces create long-term...

We all start our companies for different reasons. What’s yours? Even more important to know - very, very clearly - is why you’re still driven to keep it going today. It’s easy to get distracted by what motivates others in their business. Or keep running in place on the hamster wheel that you’ve created for yourself. But the sooner you connect with what drives you the faster you can build a strateg...

Blogging is not dead. In fact, it’s quite alive with your ideal clients. Why? Because when people want answers to their questions, they don’t go to your Home page or your About page or even your services page. That’s for later in the buyer’s journey. When couples are starting out their search for wedding vendors, they’re plugging in questions to Google and scanning the articles that come up. Those...

Instagram is where people go to kill time. Pinterest is the place where they fantasize about a better future. If you want to work with people who dream big - and have budgets to match - it’s time to put out content on Pinterest. On this week’s episode of Own Your Business, I chat with Carolina Guzik, a luxury photographer who made her mark in the industry by attracting clients with pin-worthy imag...

Think SEO is for couples who aren’t your ideal clients? Think again. Potential clients don’t use Google when they’re lost. They use it when they’re starting out, including those who could be the perfect match for your services and price point. Tune in this week to Own Your Business for a conversation with SEO expert Sara Dunn, who dives into: - 3 big myths about SEO that cost you business - Why SE...

Your network is your safety net when things go wrong and your fishing net to feed your business. So how do you go about building relationships - and capitalizing on them - in a way that feels authentic to you? In this week’s episode of Own Your Business, I sit down with Megan Gillikin, a master networker and one of the most genuine human beings I know to: - Network successfully even if you’re an i...

It’s impossible to translate the experiences at Engage to someone who didn’t attend. The program is so immersive, and designed around, well, engaging with others at the event. But we can share our biggest takeaways with you. If you missed the New Orleans Summit - or you were there but want my perspective - tune in to this week’s episode of Own Your Business .

Let’s be honest: Planner referrals are a necessity if you want to move up in the wedding industry. Not only do they recommend clients, but they typically pay more and offer super interesting projects. But how do you get on a planner’s list in the first place? In this episode of Own Your Business, I sit down with Shannon Leahy, one of the most respected (and decorated) planners in the industry to d...

Inside Scoop: Engage! Summits Engage is THE luxury wedding community to be a part of - and Katy and I are giving you the BTS of our personal experiences over the past nine years. We’ve attended a combined 25 of them since December 2013, including the new Retreat program, and in this episode we’ll share: - Why the investment is worth every last penny - How to decide if Engage is “right” for you - T...

Websites are big projects to tackle. Templates, branding, copy, image selection, site design/customization, blog migration, portfolio updates…and so. much. more. What parts take how long? What comes first: Copy or Design? What slows down the process? And how can you speed it up so the project doesn’t drag out for a year or more? Karley Kiker of Writefully Said (the designers we work with most on o...

Owning a successful business means you meet your goals on a regular basis. But what if you don’t have any goals? Or they aren’t broken down into milestones that show you’re on the right path at the right pace? It’s absolutely necessary – and quite simple – to set a destination and create a road map for your revenue. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business , I’ll share with you: - Two common pi...

Here’s a good rule of thumb for referrals: For every year you’ve been serving couples, 10% of your booked business should come from past and current clients. Each season builds on top of the next, and eventually, most of your couples will come on recommendation from those they trust most, and who also know your services the best. If you’re not seeing enough referrals from clients, tune into this e...

Remember, the key to sales success is to provide the right information at the right time in the right way. Those who do will unlock the opportunity for your business grow. But if you screen your couples too much you may prevent unidentified but still ideal clients from getting into your inbox, or all the way through to contract. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business , I talk about: -  &...

We all want to like the people we work with. But have you spent much time thinking about it from the couples’ perspective. Remember: They want to like the people they work with too. It’s not just about how well you can meet their needs on the wedding day. They need to know you every day until then will be worth it too. In this episode of Own Your Business, I’ll introduce you to: - Mirror neurons a...

What’s the best way to present your pricing and packages to potential clients? I see a range of approaches in the wedding industry, from one option to a la carte, and the most popular: base-plus-a-la-carte. But research shows these ways can create push-back and analysis paralysis, among other issues. Tune in this week to learn: - How many options for your couples is ideal? - Why “framing” works? -...

A massive challenge every wedding pro faces when selling your services is when and how to share what you do for couples. Sales success comes when you offer the right information at the right time in the right way. The problem is, how do you know what’s the right thing to share and when? In this episode, I’m going to walk you through: -     5 stages of awareness to make purchase...

Creating an effective website isn’t as easy as picking a pretty template and then filling in the boxes with photos, videos and copy. In fact, “pretty” isn’t the only factor to consider when you pick the template or layout your site. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what looks and feels amazing for one person is hard to navigate or overwhelming for another. In today’s episode, Katy Taylor...

Couples come to you with what they want. But your job – if you want to book more couples at higher prices – is to know how to trigger what they really need. They may not know it themselves, which is why you’ll be a step ahead of everyone else if you learn how to identify what core motivation is driving the couple’s decision. In this episode you’ll learn - How to sell from the intersection of sales...

Do you think people don’t read any more? Think again. In fact, the higher your net-worth, the more likely you are to read compared to someone who’s living on a middle income. But it’s not as simple as putting more words on your website. You’ve got to hook the reader – and then tell a great story that leaves them wanting more. In this episode you’ll learn: - The differences between content copywrit...

Your website is your online storefront – and entrance to your inbox. If you can’t generate enough inquiries, you’ll have a hard time booking more couples. But it’s not as easy as buying a template and DIYing your way to success. If you’re not going to hire a pro – or if you just want to make a few quick fixes – tune in today to learn: - How many inquiries you need to make your numbers each year -...

We talk about “connecting” with the couple during the inquiry process. But what does that mean? And how does it impact the professional relationship you have with potential clients? In this episode, I’ll share with you lessons I learned over 25 years in hospitality, including: - The top book I know to make you better at getting people to like you - 6 principles to live by when you’re trying to con...