The Wedding Biz &#8211; Behind the Scenes of the Wedding Business

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Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

Re:Invent Your Life! What Are You Waiting For?

268 ALAN SHUKOVSKY: Protocols for Running Events During the Covid-19 Pandemic Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

Alan Shukovsky is located in NYC and is the Executive Director of Event Sales & Marketing for Glasshouses, which has new venues in NYC, including The Glasshouse, the highly anticipated new venue with a capacity of 1,850 located on the west side of the city. He is a member of a Manhattan-based task force for events and catering in NYC. The task force is made up of 30 plus of some of the most prominent properties and local event professionals in the City. Their purpose was essentially to collaborate and create a system of protocols, checks and balances, for running events during and after the Covid-19 pandemic and for both event professionals and their clients to feel safe. At a minimum, listening to this conversation will give you a host of important issues and ideas to think about. Below are the documents that resulted. Links: https://theglasshouses.com/ PRISM blog @the.glasshouses on Instagram

267 A Conversation With: Colin Cowie Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

I recently started a series, coming out from time to time called "A Conversation With," which will feature general conversations with a variety of previous and new guests. Today's conversation is with Colin Cowie, who has been on the show two previous times: Part 1 was episode #128 and Part 2 was #135. I urge you to check them out as they were both absolutely engaging interviews. Colin was my first entre into the luxe wedding market, with Kushner Entertainment when he hired myself and one of my bands, SoundConnection, to perform for two of his major wedding clients. Those two experiences, with Colin, taught me the true meaning of luxury and I will forever be grateful to him for such invaluable lessons. In today's release, Colin talks about what a typical day is like now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and what he has learned about himself. He also talks about how his brand is diversified, working in hospitality outside of the event business, having launched a new division of his event planning and design business. Colin is currently working on his 11th book, which he tells us all about, as well as a television program of which he will give details another time. Colin also talks about how he is staying connected with future clients and how he's dealing with his team during this difficult time. We also discuss what the event industry will look like, in the future, and his suggestion for couples whose weddings have had to be postponed. Colin addresses how he'll run his event business, moving forward, and defines what true luxury is all about. This is not a conversation to be missed!

266 KATHI SHARPE-ROSS: Author of Re:Invent Your Life! What Are You Waiting For? Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

"Reinvention is a personal intervention with yourself." Listen as Andy, and his guest Kathi Sharpe-Ross discuss her book Re:Invent Your Life! What Are You Waiting For? Kathi gives specific ideas for moving forward and reimagining our lives and careers on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Kathi shares that this book was something she decided to write ten years ago and how she had to reinvent her entire book launch plan since the pandemic. She speaks about how important it is to listen to yourself and acknowledge when we could use a little tweak. Kathi says that sometimes you need to reframe the brain and reframe your point of view.

Are you so caught up in your life that you forget how important self-care is? Kathi shares that you need to permit yourself to take a breath or a moment to clear your head. Self-care and occasionally being selfish is good for you and can be good for everyone around you. Take time and listen, so you will know when ah-ha moments happen.

Listen as Kathi shares how to change up the routines in your life, one of the 26 power tools from her book, and how important it is to schedule a time for yourself, even if you have to put it on your calendar. Kathi also discusses how to reinvent our lives while being cautious and mindful as we reopen after the pandemic.

"Failure can be your biggest success." Kathi talks about what she means by this statement, and why sometimes we have to reframe our notion of failure. Andy's conversation with Kathi is uplifting and inspiring. Read her book if you need a helping hand, getting your life back on track.

Also, Andy has launched a new podcast network called The Wedding Biz Network, in which he will produce podcasts for other people in the event industry, with Sean Low being its first member. Sean's show now comes out every Tuesday and stay tuned for more new show announcements coming soon.

SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ

Show Highlights:

[03:10] Welcome to the show, Kathi!

[03:22] Kathi discusses how relevant reinventing and pivoting have become.

[04:16] Kathi shares how important it is to listen to ourselves and acknowledge when something could use a little tweak.

[05:22] Kathi says that you need to reframe the brain and your point of view.

[07:06] "When one door closes, another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us." Alexander Graham Bell

[07:50] Kathi speaks about when ah-ha moments can unexpectedly happen.

[09:07] Do you get caught up in your life and forget about self-care?

[11:02] Kathi discusses how to get a timeout while working at home with your family.

[13:38] Kathi shares that self-care, being selfish, can be good for you and everyone around you.

[15:02] How do you get over the fear of reinventing yourself?

[18:01] Kathi speaks about one chapter in her book titled "Hello Are You Still In There?"

[19:47] Kathi discusses habits and changing up routines in our lives.

[23:05] She describes one of the 26 power tools from her book.

[26:28] Kathi says that you have to schedule time on your calendar for yourself.

[27:57] "In the long run we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die, and the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility." Eleanor Roosevelt

[29:17] How do we reinvent our lives in accordance with being cautious and mindful?

[30:41] Kathi shares what she means that failure can actually be your biggest success.

[32:30] Kathi speaks about one of her friends she writes about in her book.

[34:51] Sometimes, we have to reframe our notion of failure and never give up if you want something.

[36:57] Andy wants to encourage everyone to get Kathi's book.

[37:23] Kathi shares some final thoughts with the listeners and speaks about the reinvention road map.

[41:05] Thank you for being on the show!

LINKS & RESOURCES

Find Kathi

Kathi Sharpe-Ross

@KathiSR

Twitter

Digital LA - 10 Keys to Virtual Events, from panels to festivals

UBS Podcast with Mitch Slater

Elevate Your Brand

Done Being Single

The Art of Living with Kathy Smith

The Female Quotient

BalancedLife

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Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

265 PRESTON BAILEY: Racial Injustice, A Conversation Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

I wanted to give floral designer Preston Bailey a platform to share his thoughts, given what is currently going on with the protests and increased public consciousness about race relations. As usual, Preston allows himself to be vulnerable and refreshingly direct. We touch on his personal experience, experiencing racism for the first time, when he moved to New York City from Panama at the age of 19. Preston also talks about his early and continued experiences, as a black man, working in the event industry. And he gives wonderful advice, to people of color, both in and out of events. Please enjoy this very special episode of A Conversation With: Preston Bailey.

Preston Bailey Website

Instagram: @PRESTONRBAILEY

Preston Bailey On the Wedding Biz

Part 1

Part 2

264 THE NEXT LEVEL: JOHN EMMANUEL discusses DIANE KHOURY, Australia's Premier Event Planner & Designer Jun 10, 2020

Show notes

"Diane has impeccable taste and style, she is a style queen" Andy and John Emmanuel discuss Diane's social media following, and why she believes the more genuine you are on your feed, the more prospective clients will understand your style and who you are as a designer. John is Australia's premier floral designer who appeared on The Wedding Biz in January, find the link to his episode here.

Diane Khoury is a Sydney-based event planner, with over 360,000 Instagram followers. Diane Khoury Weddings and Events has been credited for revolutionizing the planning, styling, and concept design of luxury weddings and events in and out of Australia. With her financial background, she can meld the creative and business sides of her company to create a uniquely successful business.

John handles the floral design for most of Diane's events, and really has to understand what she wants so he can make it happen. Listen as they speak about the imagery she described from a christening she did in Lebanon, and how special she made her son's virtual birthday party by sending all the kids gift bags with props for the party to their houses.

Diane has been in the industry for a relatively brief time to have achieved all that she has accomplished. She is an example of what you can do with hard work, determination, and the guts to take a chance.

Also, Andy is announcing the official launch of his new podcast network called The Wedding Biz Network, in which he will produce podcasts for other people in the event industry, with Sean Low being its first member. Sean's show now comes out every Tuesday and stay tuned for more new show announcements coming soon.

SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ

Show Highlights:

[01:55] Welcome back to the show, John!
[03:25] John agrees with Diane that with the pandemic, everyone needs to look at the positive.
[03:52] They speak about the virtual birthday party that Diane threw for her son.
[04:59] John shares that Diane has impeccable taste and style and how personable she is on social media.
[06:23] John chats about doing some personal content on Instagram Live and how it has been positively received.
[07:51] Andy and John discuss the imagery Diane described for a christening she planned and designed in Lebanon.
[08:30] John shares that he does the floral design for about 95% of Diane's events.
[09:04] John speaks about Diane being his client and that he has to really understand what she wants so he can make it happen.
[11:48] They discuss how successful Diane is even though she has only been in the industry for a relatively brief time.
[12:27] John speaks about Diane's financial background and how she takes care of her client's budgets.
[13:20] How do you handle the financial side of your business?
[14:27] John handles the creative and his wife handles the business side of their company.
[15:25] John, thank you so much for being on the show!

Find Diane

Diane Khoury

@dianekhouryweddingsandevents

This Week's Guest Co-Host, John Emmanuel:

John Emmanuel

John Emmanuel on The Wedding Biz

@johnemmanuelfloralevents

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Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

263 DIANE KHOURY: Australia's Premier Event Planner & Designer Jun 08, 2020

Show notes

Have you ever heard of a bride planning her own wedding with 500 guests and with no experience in planning an event of any size? Listen as Andy and his guest Diane Khoury discuss how she was able to pull it off and why it was the reason she started her own wedding and event business plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Diane is a Sydney-based event planner, with over 360,000 Instagram followers. Diane Khoury Weddings and Events has been credited for revolutionizing the planning, styling, and concept design of luxury weddings and events both in and out of Australia. Diane's weddings stand out as stunning works of art with a passion for glamorous detail and an appreciation for unique displays. After being sought after by celebrities and socialites, Diane continues to catapult the definition of celebrating love and luxury in Australia.

Listen as Diane speaks about how COVID-19 is affecting her business, planning her son's virtual birthday party so he could have a celebration and her first retail job at age 13. She also speaks about guests at her wedding wanting her help to plan theirs, which gave her the idea that this might be what she should be doing.

Diane describes a magical christening she did for a client in Lebanon and a time when she almost had to cancel a wedding because of technical difficulties. Diane says that balancing her personal life with her professional life is difficult, but she makes it work with the support of her husband.

In six years, Diane has taken her business from nothing to amazing. Listen as she shares how she used social media to share her personality and cultivate clients. Showing her children that working hard and following your dreams can lead to success is something that Diane is passionate about.

SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ

Become a patron and Andy and the show: For as little as $6 per month, or $0.75 per episode, are you willing to support the industry insights Andy brings on his podcast? If you are so inspired: contribute.

Show Highlights:

[02:36] Welcome to the show, Diane!

[03:24] Diane shares how the pandemic is affecting her business in Australia.

[05:15] Diane speaks about rescheduling all of her events due to Covid-19.

[07:06] Are you looking at this downtime as an opportunity to reinvent your business?

[08:10] Diane shares how she gave her son a virtual birthday party with gift bags delivered to each child's home with props to use during the party.

[10:26] Diane discusses her background and growing up around parties and gatherings.

[11:59] She shares that she landed a retail job at age 13 and where she went after college.

[14:02] Diane says she planned her own wedding, which was the catalyst that propelled her into the wedding and event industry.

[15:13] How did you know how to plan your wedding with 500 people and with no experience?

[17:15] Diane shares how she got started in the industry when someone liked her wedding and wanted her help with their own.

[19:26] Diane planned weddings on the side for the first two years while keeping her corporate job.

[21:20] Were you scared when you took that leap full time into the event industry?

[22:56] Diane speaks about how she has juggled being a wife, mother, and building her business from the ground up.

[24:17] Diane shares her process from the first contact with the client through the end of the event.

[26:08] Diane describes an event she did for a client in Lebanon and how she came up with the idea for her magical design.

[30:08] How do you handle challenges? Can you describe a time when you had a problem that you overcame?

[35:26] Diane shares how she balances the creative and financial sides of her business.

[36:54] She speaks about how many full-time employees she has.

[37:23] Diane discusses her philosophy on the way she prices her events.

[38:00] How do you feel about social media?

[39:45] The most important thing on social media is showing people your personality.

[41:41] Diane shares some advice about work-life balance and how important it is to have a good support network.

[44:33] Showing your children what hard work and following your dreams can mean for your future.

[46:42] Thank you so much for being on the show today!

LINKS & RESOURCES

Find Diane

Diane Khoury

@dianekhouryweddingsandevents

Lebanon Christening

Amra & Tony's Wedding

Isabel & Troy's Wedding

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Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

Mentioned:

Wendy El-Khoury on The Wedding Biz

262 THE NEXT LEVEL: HEATH ALAN RAY discusses NEILLIE BUTLER, Delivering a Bride's Vision & More Jun 03, 2020

Show notes

Listen, as Andy and Heath Alan Ray discuss Neillie's insights into having different streams of income under one umbrella, how using this pause for the pandemic to reassess your company can be beneficial and much more. Heath is the owner and Creative Director of Jackson Durham, a full-scale event design house.

Neillie Butler is the Founder of Mariee Ami, a multimillion-dollar wedding and event planning firm in the Southeast. Ami a Vie, their new lifestyle brand, extends their community beyond their clients by engaging blog content, social media, and an online shop of entertaining artisanal essentials.

Listen, as Heath shares how his company is using the downtime to reorganize and downsize inventory. They discuss Neillie's pricing model and how using a percentage-based model instead of a flat rate model allows for better cash flow and budget distribution.

Do you ever caption your pictures on Instagram? Andy and Heath talk about how this is an enormous part of what Neillie does on social media. Instead of just posting a picture, she adds a caption to enhance the emotional impact so you can feel the meaning behind the image. Heath and Andy have a great conversation about Neillie that you won't want to miss.

Look for Andy's new podcast network called The Wedding Biz Network, where he produces podcasts from creatives in the industry.

SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ

Become a patron and support Andy's work and the show: For as little as $6 per month, or $0.75 per episode, are you willing to support the industry insights Andy brings on his podcast? If you are so inspired: contribute.

Show Highlights:

[01:58] Welcome to the show, Heath!
[03:02] Heath discusses Neillie's idea of having graphic design, drapery, and lighting under one umbrella.
[04:40] Heath shares what his company has done with the downtime during the pandemic.
[06:53] Heath speaks about how charging on a percentage basis allows a standard for the distribution of a budget.
[08:59] Heath discusses his and Neillie's use of social media and its importance for businesses.
[12:02] Do you post strategically on social media?
[14:02] Heath shares a thought about planners and designers and how they convey emotion.
[15:05] Heath, thank you so much for being on the show!

Find Nellie

Nellie Butler

@mariee_ami

Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn

@marieeamiweddingplanningstudio

Facebook

This Week's Guest Co-Host, Heath Alan Ray - Owner and Creative Director of Jackson Durham Events

Heath Alan Ray

@jacksondurham

Pinterest | Twitter

@jacksondurhamevents

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Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by PartySlate - the first website designed specifically for event professionals and venues!

261 NEILLIE BUTLER: Delivering A Bride's Vision & More! Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

"As planners, we need our clients to trust us." Listen as Andy and his guest Nellie Butler discuss why she says becoming a bride's friend is the only way she can do an event justice, and getting a bride to trust her makes her job easier. Neillie is the Founder of Mariee Ami, which means 'a bride's friend.'

Mariee Ami is a multimillion-dollar wedding and event planning firm in the Southeast, recognized for producing celebrations that reflect a genuine sense of hospitality. Their new lifestyle brand Ami a Vie naturally translates to "a friend for life," and it's meant to extend their community beyond their clients by engaging blog content, social media, and a shop of entertaining artisanal essentials.

Listen as Neillie shares when she launched her business, how she used blogs about creative content to get her name recognized, and when she started hiring employees. Neillie speaks about her process from start to finish, with a client, and that her personal signature is doing what her clients want no matter what.

Neillie discusses why she brought graphic design, lighting, and drapery all under the Mariee Ami umbrella and the benefits she sees from having different revenue streams. She also speaks about social media and why she has an intentional marketing strategy on Instagram.

Neillie started with nothing and has built a multimillion-dollar company, but she still has the same mission; be a friend to the bride, give them what they want, and tell their story in the best way possible. This is a delightful conversation with many tips that can be used in any industry.

SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ

Show Highlights:

[03:12] Welcome to the show, Neillie!

[04:28] Neillie shares what drew her to the event industry.

[05:23] How do you think having had cancer affected what you do today?

[07:04] Neillie discusses when she started her own event business.

[07:57] She started a blog writing about creative things in the event world to get her name recognized.

[09:24] When did you first have people working for you?

[11:06] Neillie describes her personal signature and how she always did what her clients wanted.

[13:14] Neillie shares her process from start to finish with a client.

[15:15] All the planners that work at Mariee Ami have come to the company right out of college.

[16:35] Why did you bring graphic design, lighting, and drapery all under one roof?

[18:38] Neillie speaks about the benefits of having so different revenue streams under one umbrella.

[20:51] Neillie shares what her pricing philosophy is and why she uses a percentage-based rate schedule.

[22:22] How do you feel about social media?

[24:01] Neillie discusses having an intentional marketing strategy on Instagram.

[27:25] Nellie chats about what the brand message is and tries to get across to all followers and clients.

[30:07] How are you staying relevant in this changing industry? With your clients?

[32:48] Neillie shares tips with anyone who wants to take their business to the next level.

[35:05] Neillie speaks about the new lifestyle brand, Ami a Vie, having all the elements to bring in to your home and make celebrations more special.

[36: 38] Neillie, thank you so much for being on the show!

LINKS & RESOURCES

Find Nellie

Nellie Butler

@mariee_ami

Instagram | Pinterest | LinkedIn

@marieeamiweddingplanningstudio

Facebook

Margaret & Clay - Trailer

Courtney & Braden - Trailer

Rosalind & Peter - Trailer

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