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

Christina on David Beahm's Website

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

Follow Christina Matteucci:

Christina's Talk on TedxBeaconStreet

Christina on Instagram @TeucciMama

Christina on LinkedIn

David Beahm on Instagram @davidbeahm

David Beahm on Facebook @davidbeahmdesign

This Week's Guest Co-Host, Augusta Cole, Executive Director to Lynn Easton of Easton Events.

Augusta @Easton Events

Augusta on Linkedin@augustacole

Augusta on Facebook@augustacole

Augusta on Instagram@augustacole

Augusta on Twitter@augustacole

188 CHRISTINA MATTEUCCI, Creating The Ultimate Collaborative Relationship Between #1s And Their #2's Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

Welcome to the Wedding Biz Christina Matteucci, the Executive Director at David Beahm Experiences. Christina is on the show to discuss how to be the best "number two" to your "number ones," and how your "number ones" can best support the "number twos." Andy and Christina take a deep dive into this topic as it is one that Christina has spoken about at several events, not the least of which is the Engage Summit.

Christina is affectionately known as "Teuccimama" by her colleagues and friends in the events industry and has been in the industry for almost two decades. She has first-hand experience in creating a sustainable and functional infrastructure to support a growing creative talent. Her experience has made her a highly sought-after resource in the event industry and a captivating speaker on all things "Number Two."

Christina has so many amazing nuggets of information to share about building a business around a creative talent and what that entails. Listen in as she reveals a bit about her past, her love for the performing arts, and how she managed to combine her childhood dream with a love for events to create an amazing career. Christina is a force in the industry and shares what it took for her to move!

Show Highlights:

[01:53] Andy welcomes Christina to the show and asks about her tag line on the about page of David Beahm Experiences.

[03:43] What was Christina's focus at NYU Tisch School of the Arts?

[04:46] Why did Christina go to Tisch?

[06:21] Christina shares her post-graduation experiences and why she turned away from the performing arts.

[08:24] How bridal magazines and The Knot influenced Christina's new career path and goals.

[11:26] Christina found David Beahm on The Knot… and did her research.

[12:25] What could Christina bring to the table with David Beahm's company?

[13:24] Christina shares her strategy for being noticed by David Beahm.

[14:06] How she finally got her chance to speak with him and wowed him into hiring her during a very volatile time.

[17:52] How counseling has helped Christina and David's work relationship.

[19:05] What are Christina's responsibilities as executive director of destinations?

[21:17] Christina explains her beliefs on how number 1s and number 2s create magic together.

[23:45] Why David's support is the reason Christina is so great at enhancing his business.

[26:29] Christina has never considered herself an entrepreneur… she's a king-maker!

[30:10] Turnover costs money. Christina shares how David Beahm Experiences has reduced their turnover.

[31:58] Why success does not mean having your name on the door.

[33:46] What can a number one do to keep a number two?

[37:59] Number ones shouldn't fear the development of their number twos.

[39:15] Christina's alternative name for number twos.

[40:57] How to nurture current clients into becoming legacy clients.

[44:18] What topics are on Christina's mind for her public speaking engagements?

[45:52] How to reach Christina!

LINKS & RESOURCES

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

Christina on David Beahm's Website

andy@theweddingbiz.com

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

Christina Matteucci

Christina's Talk on TedxBeaconStreetChristina on Instagram @TeucciMama

Christina on LinkedInDavid Beahm on Instagram @davidbeahmDavid Beahm on Facebook @davidbeahmdesign

Mentioned during the interview:

NYU Tisch School of the ArtsPreston Bailey's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

Colin Cowie's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

Robert Isabell

The Knot

David Beahm's Episode on the Wedding Biz

Lynn Easton's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

Bryan Rafanelli's Episode on the Wedding Biz

Ceci Johnson's Episode on the Wedding BizColin Cowie's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

187 THE NEXT LEVEL: VALERIE GERNHAUSER Discusses CARRIE GOLDBERG - Travel & Weddings Director, Harpers Bazaar Sep 18, 2019

Show notes

Today on The Next Level, Andy Kushner is speaking with Valerie Gernhouser, Owner of Sapphire Events. She also created Sapphire Sessions Speaking Tour, a specialized program for wedding planners and event designers.

They speak this week about Carrie Goldberg, the Travel and Wedding Director at Harpers Bazaar. She oversees all things bridal, weddings, and travel for Bazaar.com. She is also responsible for content strategy and visuals for Bazaar's digital travel and wedding verticals, and editor of Bazaar's new subscription program called Bazaar Brides.

Valerie chats with us about her views, in addition to Carrie's, on redefining luxury, how it is a feeling, not about how much money you spend. She also agrees with Carrie that brides and grooms are more focused on the emotions, what makes it unique, and that it's all about the guests enjoying themselves.

This is also a conversation about millennials, the digital natives. Anything they want is at their fingertips, and they are very adept at finding it. You won't want to miss it, so tune in and enjoy the discussion.

Show Highlights:

[01:08] Welcome to the show Valerie, it's great to have you back!
[02:28] Andy and Valerie discuss Carrie's thoughts on redefining luxury.
[03:15] Valerie agrees that luxury is about how you feel.
[04:10] You can't put a price on the unique experience, it only happens once in a lifetime.
[04:35] People getting married seem to want to focus more on the people that are attending the wedding.
[05:12] Four-day weddings allow more opportunities to spend time with the people that attend and it gives more opportunity to wear more outfits!
[07:05] Valerie says that millennials were born into this digital world and they are very adept at finding out any information they need in minutes.
[08:43] They discuss that people today want events that are more personal and that are an extension of their entertainment style.
[11:05] Millenials are of a mindset that things can change on a dime. Nothing is guaranteed.
[11:25] They chat about Carrie's view of brides returning to the essentials and what makes it unique.
[12:29] Valerie believes that there is a return to a more general consideration of people's feelings.
[13:58] Brides and grooms feel a sense of empowerment because they can contribute to their own event.

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

www.KushnerEntertainment.com

Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

Follow Carrie Goldberg

Carrie on Instagram: @harpersbazaarus or @carrielauren

Email Carrie: carrielgoldberg.com

Harpers Bazaar

Harpers Bazaar Bride Membership

This Week's Guest Co-Host, Valerie Gernhauser owner of Sapphire Events

Sapphire Events

Valerie on Facebook:@sapphireeventsnola

Valerie on Instagram:@sapphireevents

Valerie on Twitter:@sapphireeventsNO

Valerie on Pinterest@sapphireevents

Valerie's Episode on The Wedding Biz:

https://theweddingbiz.com/valerie-gernhauser/

186 CARRIE GOLDBERG: Travel & Weddings Director, Harpers Bazaar Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

Andy is very excited to welcome Carrie Goldberg. She is the Digital Travel & Weddings Editor at Harpers Bazaar where she oversees all things weddings and travel for HarpersBazaar.com. She is in charge of content, strategy, and visuals for Bazaar's digital travel and wedding verticals and editor of their new membership program Bazaar Bride.

She has worked on Live with Regis and Kelly at ABC and as fashion editor for Martha Stewart Weddings to name a few. When she joined Harpers Bazaar, they didn't really focus on weddings and she changed all of that. Since then she has published dozens of original fashion and decor content for the site, plus she has created a considerable brand voice.

Carrie and Andy chat about her internships and working the red carpet at the Oscars with Faith Cromas, Kelly Ripa's stylist. She speaks to us about working with Martha Stewart Weddings, which helped her gain the knowledge to succeed in her job at Harpers Bazaar.

Carrie says she has the job she always wanted, even as a small child, and couldn't be happier. Listen in as she gives us insight into weddings, styling, and why she is passionate about the notion of luxury being redefined.

Show Highlights:

[02:07] Welcome to the show, Carrie!

[03:05] Carrie tells us that in 4th grade she didn't go to school for a week because she felt she didn't have anything to wear.

[04:25] She grew up in New York City and always had a hunger for fashion and art.

[05:25] In high school, she did an internship at a fashion PR firm and stayed until after college.

[06:03] She went to a call at ABC studio for Live with Regis and Kelly for a digital internship.

[07:35] Working on the Oscars with Faith Cromas, Kelly's stylist, she was able to learn evening gowns and evening wear.

[09:00] Carrie says there is very little difference between doing weddings and doing things like the Oscars.

[10:10] She believes that people are not really sentimental about weddings like they used to be.

[11:03] The trend now is for couples to pay for their weddings instead of asking their parents.

[11:43] What are some interesting statistics that you can share with us?

[12:40] They developed a members club for their faithful readers in the form of a subscription.

[14:20] Carrie tells us she is surprised that more women aren't planning their weddings on their phones.

[15:10] She believes that women's personal styles are more layered than they ever realized.

[17:14] Do you have any thoughts on something that might compete with Instagram?

[19:03] Graduating their readers from honeymoon travel to regular travel is a way for them to keep their readers longer.

[20:30] She feels very passionate about redefining what luxury is. Luxury is no longer a synonym for expensive.

[23:47] Martha Stewart Weddings was a finishing school in styling for Carrie. Taking the red carpet style on people and putting it on the printed page was something she had never done.

[26:15] Lighting is huge because it can invoke a feeling depending on what kind of lighting is used.

[27:03] She has accumulated and publishes a list of the best planners, best florists, and best photographers.

[29:13] She asks real brides who they could or couldn't use and why. She keeps them in mind to watch for her list.

[31:10] How are you dealing with the immediacy of today's digital world and people's ability to instantly share content?

[33:15] Fashion is the first thing that grabs her attention for the magazine, second is diversity in every way.

[36:58] They discuss how ironic it is that weddings are circling back to the traditional style.

[38:15] She has had speaking engagements about the notion of redefining luxury. She has also talked about ridding the industry of styled shoots in favor of working on real weddings.

[39:30] What is something you haven't spoken about that you would like to in the future?

[40:18] Where do you see yourself in three to five years?

[42:58] She hopes that she handles the pressure of her position gracefully.

[43:40] Have you thought about your own wedding? What would you do?

LINKS & RESOURCES

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

www.KushnerEntertainment.com

Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

Carrie Goldberg

Carrie on Instagram: @harpersbazaarus or @carrielauren

Email Carrie at: carrielgoldberg.com

Harpers Bazaar

Harpers Bazaar Bride Membership

Mentioned during the interview:

Faith Cromas

Marth Stewart Weddings

Rachel Zoe

185 THE NEXT LEVEL: LYNN EASTON Discusses MARCY BLUM - A Pioneer of the Experiential Approach to Event Planning Sep 11, 2019

Show notes

Today on The Next Level, Andy Kushner is speaking with Lynn Easton, creator of Easton Destination Events, a worldwide luxury destination wedding design, and planning company. She is also the Co-Founder of Easton Porter Group, a luxury hospitality company with a portfolio of award-winning boutique hotels, vineyards, restaurants and event venues in North America and Europe.

The discussion this week is on Marcy Blum, an internationally sought-after event planner, and entertainment expert. She has been named one of the best in the world by Vogue, Martha Stuart Weddings, Harper's Bazaar and the New York Times magazine.

Marcy has worked with celebrities including LeBron James, George and Tamika Soros, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, to name a few. She has also appeared on television shows including Oprah, Live with Regis and Kelly and the Rachel Ray Show.

Lynn speaks about how events need to evolve as they unfold. She also believes that every event should be customized for each client. Planners always need to up their game, plan more creative activities, and Marcy is the master at planning experiences. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Show Highlights:

[01:23] Welcome to the show Lynn, it's great to have you back!
[03:30] Lynn chats about how she met Marcy on a panel at an Engage Summit.
[05:20] They both agree with Marcy that using a pre-determined template for an event is not appropriate.
[07:20] Every event should be customized for the client, and what the client wants. There should not be a set formula.
[08:50] They discuss how Marcy is a master at planning experiences at her events.
[09:55] Most weddings now are at least three or four days, and destination weddings can be five or more days.
[12:36] Lynn chats about planning an event in a country she's never been to and how she finds the vendors she needs.
[14:28] Where have you never been that you would love to do an event?
[15:40] She agrees with Marcy that an event needs to unfold as it goes, there should be surprising moments.
[18:10] Andy and Lynn agree that having a comedy type of event in the days before a wedding can relieve stress so that everyone warms up and has a great time.
[19:22] Using place cards and seating guests around the tables, with intention, allows them to connect with other guests they may not know.

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

Marcy on Instagram: @marcyblum

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

Follow Marcy Blum

Marcy Blum

Marcy on Facebook: @marcyblumassociates

Marcy on Twitter: @marcyblum

Marcy on Pinterest: @marcyblum

This Week's Guest Co-Host, Lynn Easton creator of Easton Destination Events

Easton Events

Lynn on Instagram: @eastonevents

Lynn on Facebook: @eastonevents

Lynn on Pinterest: @eastonevents

Lynn on Twitter: @eastonevents

Lynn's Episodes on The Wedding Biz:

Part 1 https://theweddingbiz.com/lynn-easton/

Part 2 https://theweddingbiz.com/lynn-easton-2-2/

184 MARCY BLUM, A Pioneer of the Experiential Approach to Event Planning Sep 09, 2019

Show notes

Andy is very excited to welcome Marcy Blum, an internationally sought after event planner and entertaining expert who has 30 years experience. She has been named one of the best in the world by Vogue, Martha Stuart Weddings, Harper's Bazaar and the New York Times magazine. Marcy has appeared on many television shows and, with event planner Sarah Haywood, has developed EPIC, the Event Planners International Collaborative that offers an intensive and advanced wedding and event planning education.

In this episode, Andy and Marcy discuss how she got started in the industry, when she started her own business and how scary it was to strike out on her own. She tells us about wanting her event designs to be different from everyone else and looking for clients who wanted the same thing. She also gives us insight into what the business looked like when she got started in the 80's and how it has evolved today.

Listen in as Marcy talks to us about some of the weddings she remembers, the way she structures the rates she charges for her services, her advice for people starting out in the industry today and about EPIC, the program she started with her friend Sarah Haywood. Marcy is a pioneer in the event industry and you won't want to miss all of the knowledge she has to share about the industry.

Show Highlights:

[03:02] Welcome to the show Marcy!

[04:30] Was there anything when she was growing up that was related to being in events?

[05:20] She went to the CIA to be a chef but after graduating and working in restaurants decided that it wasn't what she wanted to do, it was too repetitive, not creative enough for her.

[06:20] She was planning parties at restaurants and some of the customers started asking her if she could plan events for them.

[06:45] Was she scared when she started out on her own?

[08:47] She said if she knew then what she knows now, about how difficult it is, she would never have started her business. Good thing she wasn't aware of it at the time!

[09:26] Is there a relationship between acting and event planning?

[10:29] Back in 1986 how did people view her as a party planner? Did she try to do things differently than other party planners?

[14:18] Did she have visions of how she wanted her events to be different?

[16:35] She felt that everything was so canned and stiff back then, she wanted clients who wanted something different.

[18:23] How did she balance the art with business decisions? Were they emotional decisions?

[19:20] Marcy changed her business perspective by thinking more about the numbers instead of just the design.

[20:18] She now spends more of her time on events that are profitable and points out we can't stay around this long unless we seriously consider the financial end.

[21:13] Her advice for someone just starting in the business is to get knowledgeable about what you are trying to do.

[22:13] You can't be successful without templates but you have to be able to customize them for each client.

[22:48] She is all about the experiential approach to event planning, sell the sizzle not the steak.

[24:45] Do you pay attention to the news on a daily basis? Does a possible recession scare you?

[25:33] People, for the most part now, are more interested in what they are bringing to their friends and family than their own experience.

[28:42] Is the demographic of the guests at a wedding important when planning the event?

[29:35] Music should have a beginning, middle and end. Hear Marcy's favorite way of presenting music for ceremonies.

[33:58] Marcy said guests really appreciate place cards at events, it can give guests a different experience and they can meet people they wouldn't normally have talked to.

[34:57] Here her take on the best timeline for weddings.

[35:53] Marcy talks about planning 3 or more day events before a wedding, starting with the rehearsal and lasting until after the wedding.

[37:58] Marcy would love to take a lighting design course - the visual nature of it can take events to another level.

[38:35] How involved is she in the lighting design of her events?

[41:08] Is there a dream project she hasn't yet been able to do?

[43:53] Learn about Marcy's pricing policy.

[45:37] EPIC is hands-on education for someone wanting to take a deep dive into event planning. It is very intensive and lasts 3 to 4 days.

[47:28] Within the next five years, Marcy would like to write a novel based around the event business.

[48:21] What is her morning routine?

[48:35] What is her work schedule like?

[49:25] How does Marcy define success at this point in her life?

LINKS & RESOURCES

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

Harriet Rose Katz of Gourmet Advisory

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

Marcy Blum

www.marcyblum.com

Marcy on Instagram

Marcy on Facebook

March on Twitter

Marcy on Pinterest

Mentioned during the interview:

Denis Reggie

Lynn Easton's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

Bryan Rafanelli's Episode on the Wedding Biz

Colin Cowie's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

David Stark's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

Preston Bailey's Episodes on the Wedding Biz - Part 1 and Part 2

Sylvia Weinstock's Episode on the Wedding Biz

Ray Thompson's Episode on the Wedding Biz

183 THE NEXT LEVEL: PHILLIP VAN NOSTRAND Discusses KING DAHL Former Executive Director of Events, MGM Resorts. Sep 04, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and Phillip Van Nostrand a photographer based in New York and California, talk about King Dahl's interview on the Wedding Biz. Phil has been been published in numerous publications including the New York Times, Fortune.com, Huffington Post and Forbes.com and was a master class speaker at WPPI.

Listen in as they talk about King Dahl and his incredible designs. King is the former Executive Director of Event Design for MGM Resorts, where he was responsible for 1200 events a year. He is known for his signature style which is large, dramatic productions and was inducted into the Event Solutions Magazine Hall of Fame. They talk about how he left his career when he was at the top to slow down and enjoy life and then came back, two years later, as an in-demand event design and production consultant. This is a very entertaining episode about King Dahl, Phil's life philosophy, travel and making your job work around your life. So relax, plug in and get ready for an entertaining conversation.

Show Highlights:

[01:16] Welcome to the show Phil!
[01:32] Andy and Phil discuss King Dahl and the amazing events he has designed.
[02:08] King encouraged his team members to bring their own voice and personality to productions.
[03:00] They chat about how it takes a top leader to empower and inspire people and not tell them what to do, but rather to ask their input.
[04:52] King said we are always reinventing ourselves on a personal level and your career is just an extension of that.
[05:15] King left his career for two years, just walked away from everything.
[05:50] Phil chose freedom as his ultimate value point so every decision he makes circles around that point.
[06:40] Phil spends about 10 days a month just doing what he wants to enjoy life.
[07:38] Andy talks about how he took five weeks off, spending it on an island, which cleared his head, and gave him perspective and inspiration to start this podcast.
[08:01] King said he didn't want to work 48 to 50 weeks a year so that he could only have a few weeks off...he wanted more time with his family.
[09:55] Is Phil turning down work so that he can maintain his time off?
[10:23] Phil has added photographers to his team so that he can delegate and maintain his way of life while earning what he needs.
[13:05] King realized that in two to three years he would have to work again and realized he apply musical improvisation skills to his personal life.
[14:20] Phil says that people who can improvise have a higher risk tolerance.
[15:30] After 2 years King was asked to consult for MGM Resorts and other companies, which allowed him to work on his own schedule.
[17:05] Prioritizing means you can build your job around your life instead of the other way around.

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

www.Kushnerentertainment.com

Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

King Dahl

MGM Resorts Event Productions

Facebook - @kingdahlcreative

Instagram - @kingdahlcreative

Twitter - @kingdahlcreative

This Week's Guest Co-Host, Phillip Van Nostrand of Phillip Van Nostrand Photography

https://phillipvn.com/

http://www.phillipvnphoto.com/

Instagram @phllipvnweddings

FaceBook @phillipvnweddings

Twitter @phillipvn.com

Phillip's Episode on The Wedding Biz:

https://theweddingbiz.com/phillip-van-nostrand-photography-designing-your-lifestyle/

182 KING DAHL, Former Executive Director of Events, MGM Resorts: Designing Your Dream Life As An Events Professional Sep 02, 2019

Show notes

Andy is excited to welcome King Dahl, former Executive Director of Events at MGM Resort Event Productions leading the design and sales teams and ultimately responsible for 1200 events a year. King began in the event industry with Cheryl Fish before starting his own company King Dahl event design, which he later sold. King is known for large dramatic productions and he became an inductee of the Event Solutions Magazine Hall of Fame.

King left it all behind to design his dream life, taking time with his family and traveling but also to allow the young guns in the event industry to spread their wings and see what they could do. He now works when he wants, on the events he wants to design and produce, and works around his life instead of living around his work.

Listen as King give us a glimpse into his world, his events, his mentors and why he is glad that his new lifestyle allows him to play jazz again. He didn't let fear stand in his way as he planned and strategized to make this new lifestyle happen. Listen closely and you may be inspired to redesign your life to live on your own terms.

Show Highlights:

[02:04] Welcome to the show King!

[02:32] Andy chats with King about meeting him years before at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

[03:05] King says that he documents all of his events with pictures and or video because once the event is over you only have the pictures left to remind you of what you did.

[04:05] King was born in Indiana and grew up in Coco Beach Florida, his father was the youngest bank president at the time. He saw the Apollo take off from his backyard.

05:32] He got his love of music from his father who was a very good trumpet player and played with some of the greats of the time.

[07:43] King is a bass player which is why music played a big part in his event planning, it was where he got his creativity.

[12:05] He got a job in his brother's new company, an event planning company, building props where he met Cheryl Fish.

[13:35] King gives us a rundown on the kinds of events they did those many years ago when this industry really got going.

[17:28] He was given the opportunity to open his own company which he jumped on.

[20:43] Cheryl offered him the position at the MGM to run the sales and creative division.

[23:48] He surrounded himself with the best event designers in the industry and earned their trust and respect because he let them work creatively on their own.

[26:43] King managed by breaking things down by team leaders and department heads. He then worked with them individually to make sure things were handled correctly.

[28:53] You have to allow people on your team to spread their wings and take on responsibility, bringing in their own voices.

[31:03] Have you ever reinvented yourself? Your business? Do you need to?

[32:15] King handled events by understanding where the client is coming from and what the purpose of the event is.

[35:15] He tells us a story of one of his favorite events for the Keep Memory Alive Foundation.

[40:43] King left it all and moved with his wife to Washington State to slow down, relax and travel.

[46:05] He said it was time for him to revamp himself and regroup. He also wanted to allow the new talent at MGM Grand to flourish and spread their wings.

[46:52] King discusses his strategic plan that allowed him and his family to survive without having a regular income.

[49:25] The day after his last event he said he was walking on air, the possibilities were endless and he felt free.

[52:20] Has King changed since he started traveling around the United States and Canada? Did it open his eyes?

[53:50] After a couple years he decided to start looking around for something new to do and MGM Resort Event Productions asked him to come back on a freelance basis..

[55:55] King now gets to pick and choose when he wants to work and what events he wants to work on.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

www.KushnerEntertainment.com

Title Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Kushner Entertainment

King Dahl

MGM Resorts Event Productions

Facebook - @kingdahlcreative

Instagram - @kingdahlcreative

Twitter - @kingdahlcreative

Mentioned during the interview:

181 THE NEXT LEVEL: JULIE NOVACK Discusses ALI BARONE of Ali Barone Events Aug 28, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and Julie Novack, CEO and Co-Founder of Party Slate, chat about Ali Barone's interview on the Wedding Biz. Party Slate is a photo rich website where leading event professionals share their work, build their brand and drive leads.

Listen in as they talk about why Ali started her own company, how she built her business with her ideal clients, and how she has her clients pin on their pinterest board with reckless abandon. Julie speaks about getting involved with the community when building your team, and how there are no bad ideas when brainstorming. Andy and Julie are professionals in this industry and never disappoint so sit back, unplug and listen to this entertaining discussion.

Show Highlights:

[00:53] Welcome back to the show Julie!
[02:28] Andy chats with Julie about Ali Barone and using imagination instead of devices.
[05:10] They discuss how Ali stated that she wanted to choose her ideal clients, and set her own schedule which is why she started her own company.
[06:15] Andy says he loved the way Ali went to locations where clients she wanted to work with hung out so she could build relationships with them.
[08:15] Julie speaks about getting involved with the community to find clients, investors and employees.
[11:50] They chat about challenges, bumps in the road that all businesses face and how you have to just work through them to persevere.
[13:25] Julie says you have to let people on your team know about the challenges so they can help solve the problems.
[14:40] They talk about how Ali said she has her clients pin on a pinterest board "with reckless abandon."
[16:11] Julie says there are no bad ideas when brainstorming for events.
[17:25] They were in total agreement that people now want to do something different with their events.
[18:20] Julie said that Party Slate website has over 500,000 photos now from events.

Follow The Wedding Biz on Social:

http://www.alibaroneevents.com/

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

Ali Barone

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ali-Barone-Events/

https://www.pinterest.com/nyweddingmaven/

https://www.instagram.com/alibaroneevents/

This Week's Guest Co-Host, Julie Novack, CEO and Co-Founder of Party Slate

PartySlate

Julie Novack on Twitter

Julie Novack on Linkedin

Julie Novack on Facebook

Julie Novack on Instagram

Julie's Episode on The Wedding Biz:

https://theweddingbiz.com/julie-novack-partyslate-building-a-venture-capital-backed-business/

180 ALI BARONE: Creating The Events Career Of Your Dreams Aug 26, 2019

Show notes

Andy is excited to welcome, Ali Barone of Ali Barone Events, a multidimensional event design company. Ali was also on TLC'S show "While You Were Out," an emmy-nominated home improvement and design TV show.

In this episode, Ali chats about her childhood, moving to the city with help from her grandma and friends to work in television by designing sets for shows and working with Diana Gould Limited. She tells us how she found her calling when she started planning events and even tells us about an event that she was really proud of and why education is so important to her.

Listen as Ali tells us about what it takes to bring an event together and how she puts on workshops to educate people about how event works. Why Preston Bailey's Protege Program is such a wonderful learning experience, which she speaks at, and why she believes that getting people together in her coworking loft makes a difference. This is a really wonderful episode that will make you want to sit back and take it all in.

Show Highlights:

[02:44] Welcome to the show Ali Barone!

[02:52] Andy and Ali chat about the TV show she was on and whether or not people recognize her on the street.

[03:44] Ali talks about growing up in Brooklyn and her parents moving the family to the country.

[07:05] Which part of her childhood inspired her launch into the career she has now?

[10:07] Does technology and safety today keep children from exploring outdoors like we did in our childhood?

[12:25] Ali tells us how hard it was to tell her parents that she wanted to be an art major, when they wanted her to go into the medical field.

[13:45] She talks about moving to the city to start working in theater and television and how her Grandma Rose helped her.

[15:43] Ali had contacts from her college years that she got in touch with for a place to live and got a job on St. Mark's Place in the East Village.

[19:05] Ali got her break with the TV show 'While You Were Out'.

[20:35] She assisted a friend on an event for the Children's National Defense Fund which won a BizBash award, where she fell in love with event design.

[21:07] Ali got a job as a head designer with Diana Gould Limited.

[22:48] After working with Diana Gould Limited for 5 years she opened her own company Ali Barone Creations.

[27:41] When starting her new company what did Ali do to get her ideal client?

[30:54] Her first steps for new clients is to get a call with them to see if they would be a good fit for each other.

[32:28] Ali believes that you need a thought process of abundance...what does she mean by that?

[33:05] Her second meeting is a one on one at the venue where they brainstorm. She encourages a Pinterest board for patterns and textures.

[35:05] Ali chats with Andy about some of the events she has planned that stick out in her memory.

[41:30] Ali says that in event planning/designing no one vendor is more important than the other, it's a big giant jigsaw puzzle that has to fit together.

[42:58] Her goal was to grow her business in volume and sales by 20% every year until she felt satisfied.

[44:07] She says education is so important, which is why she works with Preston Bailey and his protege program.

[46:35] She has a coworking loft that brings women in business together socially and offers workshops to educate people.

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