Persephone Says

Hiring out of desperation nearly burned me, so I rebuilt our entire process from the ground up. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on exactly how we hire at the agency now: the non-negotiables I screen for, why wedding industry experience can matter more than marketing chops (and when it's the reverse), and the strategy prompt that instantly separates thoughtful applicants from...

When do you know you are really ready? The day after my twins turned nine, I was woken at 4:30 AM by my son crying from a nightmare about growing up, having no idea how to run a business or do his taxes [so cute right?] What followed was the most honest conversation about readiness and an admission of when are we ever ready to do the hard thing, right? This episode is about the truth every adult k...

Pricing drama, shady contracts, AI-jacked photos — the wedding industry has gone wild and we have to turn it around. This episode is a brick-to-the-forehead breakdown of what clarity actually looks like in your business and how to combat the ghosting and issues in our industry. This is a Media Socialites Production.

A Rebrand. A six-day shoot. A national conference I somehow agreed to run. A move I forgot happened. This week on Persephone Says, we do a little catch up on what it actually looks like to run on overdrive — the good, the unsustainable, and the "ask me again in a week" honesty in between. Do you like these types of episodes? Let me know below in the comments. This is a Media Socialites Production.

She fled cartel violence at 18 with nothing but a suitcase, taught herself a craft nobody was talking about, and built a luxury business that changed an entire industry. But the real story? What happened after the explosive growth. My beautiful friend, Andrea Cole of DB Andrea sits down with me for the most unfiltered conversation yet — and we hold nothing back. From running a 15-person operation...

A wedding industry emergency episode. Today I break down my thoughts on Vogue's viral "real budgets" article, why it missed the mark. Most importantly, we discuss why vendors need to stop airing industry grievances publicly and start owning the narrative themselves. This is a Media Socialite s Production.

One of the most vulnerable episodes - we are back with my husband, partner in all the ways - Eddie Maglaya. This week we celebrated 18 years together and 14 years married and we get really vulnerable. We cover off on: - One recurring fight for the past 18 years - The intrusive thoughts we have - Zero plans to quit - How we return to our true north - What we really fight on Happy anniversary to my...

Eduardo is back on Persephone Says, and we're getting into all of it — why we finally rebranded, what took so long, and why our old website was honestly embarrassing. We talk about evolving as founders, letting go of control, shifting away from social media as our core offering, and why we're calling ourselves a media house now. Plus: AI, merch, and what the next chapter looks like for TMS. This i...

This one is for the girlies and the gays... Today I am spilling all my beauty secrets — no filter, no shame. From Botox at 22 and Sculptra to liquid nose jobs and nefertiti neck lifts, we got there. This is a Media Socialites Production.

Stop cross-posting. Stop celebrating viral moments with zero inquiries to show for it. And for the love of god, stop calling it a strategy. In this episode, I'm in full Professor P mode — stats, hot takes, and zero patience for wedding professionals who are showing up on TikTok and Instagram the exact same way. Spoiler: they are not the same app, they are not the same audience, and they are not do...

Everyone's doing the same thing — and it's costing you the right clients. Copycat culture in the wedding industry isn't new, but it's getting worse — and most people don't want to talk about why. In this episode, we're getting into the algorithm trap, the brand strategy void, and what it actually costs you when your content starts looking like everyone else's. Spoiler:...

I dare you not to fall in love with Manda of Mae + Co Creative . Manda Worthington - Founder + Owner of Mae&Co Creative and Mae&Co Monthly is the opposite of a gatekeeper. In this episode, we dig into: - How she built a destination-based wedding planning business and building her own industry playbook. - We talk about the viral moment that nearly took her business down and how she managed...

Have you ever booked the client, landed the opportunity, got the yes — and your very first reaction was panic? Not excitement. Panic. Today we are talking about imposter syndrome and most importantly how we are going to talk through and work through it, together. Okay? I share the moments it's hit me personally, why some of the most successful people I know behind closed doors are fighting the...

Big Note Here: We work with a ton of hotels and venues - I'm not talking about you all. Okay - let's think about it. Hotels have the budget, the property, and the brand name — so why does the content feel like no one's ever loved on it? Today we are getting into the global generic problem taking over luxury hospitality, the TikTok avoidance that's killing bookings, and what the bra...

Guard your loins for this episode. The unfiltered truth about what explosive growth actually looks like: - Clients walking - Employees stealing - Margins disappearing and what it took to rebuild smarter. Share this with someone who needs to know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. This is a Media Socialites production.

Most agencies won't say this out loud — but I will. Today we are pulling back the curtain on what it's like to work with a marketing agency, what it is and isn't and setting your expectations. We chat about: if your customer experience is broken, your sales process is weak, or your website isn't converting, no marketing agency on earth can save you. This episode is the reality chec...

Shaking it up this week with a rewind featuring my husband and Chief Data Officer of The Media Socialites - Eduardo. How do luxury brands turn clicks into real revenue? In this episode, Eddie breaks down how to connect paid media, website behavior, and CRM data to finally see what’s driving qualified leads, bookings, and attributed revenue. From UTMs and funnel tracking to conversion strategy and...

This episode is my love letter to working parents. I share the mindset shift that helped me release the guilt of loving both my work and my children deeply—and how we’ve intentionally shaped the narrative around work in our home since my twins were two years old. We talk about: - The ways we share what working is and isn't to our kids - The rituals and conversations we have around work - The nonne...

Sales may just be my favorite subject. A candid, no-BS episode on refreshing your sales strategy when things feel slow, inconsistent, or stuck. In this episode, I break down the real reasons deals stall—from weak follow-up and outdated proposals to fear around asking for the business—and share practical ways to tighten your sales process, nurture relationships, and close with more confidence. This...

If you have had the pleasure of meeting Malike Adigun - CEO of Curate Entertainment - you have probably seen him as the best dressed, best energy and rocking it out on the dancefloor - this is the side you may know. On this episode, we of course discuss his earliest musical influences, but then Malike and I go deeper and he shares the sides you probably don't know. The loss of his mother and f...

It's officially here! In my mind, this is the TRUE new Year and I am planning on moving differently. Here's what I'm doing differently: - Giving grace on a stringent routine - Building in more creative opportunities and outlets - Being intentional about making moments of fun (sounds silly, but it's key!) In 2026, let's give ourselves the space to move with precision and grace... and least that's t...

She doesn’t follow trends... she starts them. I sat down with Laura Ritchie , founder of Grit + Grace , the DC-based luxury planner behind some of the boldest, most original weddings in the industry. On this episode we cover: - Copying in the wedding industry - How she changed her brand name - What's up with planners calling themselves designers? - Destination wedding myths - How to show your real...

Welcome to what is surely to be a multipart episode. AI for the wedding industry and hospitality industry 101. On this episode we will: -Debunk fear-mongering around AI replacing creativity or humans, positioning it instead as creative protection and operational leverage -Shows how AI absorbs invisible work (admin, follow-ups, forecasting, decision fatigue), allowing owners and teams to operate mo...

In 2026 we are retiring *as best as we can* the word 'luxury'. In this episode, we cover how to speak to rich people - and by that - I mean an affluent audience. I walk you through: - How to sell to an affluent audience - Specific examples of luxury vs affluence - What to avoid and more This one is a barn burner and if you like it - please share it with a friend and subscribe. A The Media...

On this episode of Persephone Says , I sit down with Emily Clarke , the artist and CEO behind House of CLRK —the audacious production powerhouse known for purposeful design, floral fabrication, planning, stationery, and the kind of viral events you instantly recognize as hers . We talk about her unlikely path from social work and the railroad to building a multi-arm creative business, plus the rea...