The Wedding Biz - Behind the Scenes of the Wedding Business

Latest Episodes:

88 PRESTON BAILEY - Part 2 Interview Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

On today's show, we get to hear from Preston Bailey with a brand new conversation to follow up from the first time we had him on the show. Preston was named one of the best wedding designers in the world by Vogue Magazine. Preston's client roster includes celebrities, royal families, CEO's and athletes. He has created a number of art installations which are featured across the world with showcases in NY, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Taiwan, Macao, and London.

Preston has a table top linen collection, which is a collaborated effort with Nuage Designs. He also supports the industry through his Preston Bailey protégé program through a series of specialized master classes that offer mentorship and education to industry professionals. Preston is the Author of 7 books, 5 of which are best sellers, and also does speaking engagements, seminars, editorial profiles, television and radio interviews.

Show Highlights:

Biggest issue still coming up is pricing
How Preston handles pricing with clients
Showing clients visuals on paper
Preston does the visual and fantasy while another employee does pricing
Consumers becoming more demanding
It is more challenging with social media and the images out there
New things from Preston this past year
What transformation exactly is
About working with Serena Williams
The Concerts that inspire Preston
Have to be prepared for dry years
One tip for a floral designer scaling her business

Resources:

The Wedding Biz Website

Instagram: @weddingbizshow

The Stylish Bride with Julie Sabatino

Sound Connection

Preston Bailey Website

Instagram: @PRESTONRBAILEY

87 THE NEXT LEVEL: Abby + Tait Larson: Saving Style Me Pretty Sep 10, 2018

Show notes

In this episode of THE NEXT LEVEL, Andy and Melissa are breaking down lessons learned from Abby and Tait Larsen of Style Me Pretty.

Abby and Tait have had a journey that most bloggers will never experience - being bought by AOL and eventually on the chopping block, but given the chance to take their business back and make it better than ever.

Today Andy and Melissa discuss:

Abby says she made every mistake you could possibly make in business.
Why it is better to go deeper and tell a bigger story.
How to gauge your success - it's about having a blast doing what you love!
Authenticity has been the key to success for Style Me Pretty.

Don't forget that next week we have the amazing Preston Bailey back for a second interview - and it's even more amazing than the first!

86 ABBY + TAIT LARSON: Saving Style Me Pretty Sep 10, 2018

Show notes

To get the full scoop on one of the hottest topics in the world of wedding inspiration, we are invited into the home of Abby & Tait Larson to learn more about their story, and the oh so popular wedding resource: Style me Pretty.

They started when the the blogging world was fresh, and not nearly as creative.

You will learn how they both started this amazing business that has grown with them and the industry-including details on how they've reacquired Style Me Pretty!

Show Highlights:

How Tait and Abby met after College
Abby worked for a Stationery Company that helped her path to Blogging
Abby's first invitation for a friend's wedding led her to start her own stationery business that she later sold
Doing stationary for Oprah, and why she never cashed the check
Style Me Pretty's early days started from a type pad account, Abby even created her own logo
Abby noticed there was an enormous gap from what was happening offline and what was happening online for brides
Abby feels her vendors she originally reached out to are why Style Me Pretty is so successful
Abby always led with her gut and feels it was important in the early days of the blog
Broke a wedding into 10 parts having readers come back through the day
Real weddings were a key to success
Having an offer on Style Me Pretty made them realize it was worth something
Vendor directory was really liked by the vendors
Tait and Abby took one year off after the 4-year partnership with AOL
How Tait and Abbey got Style Me Pretty back
Discussing market saturation
Authenticity is an opportunity to tell the story behind the scenes

Resources:

Style Me Pretty Blog

Style Me Pretty on Instagram

Facebook

85 THE NEXT LEVEL: Bryan Rafanelli: Part 1 - Telling Clients' Stories Through Event Design Sep 03, 2018

Show notes

Today's episode of THE NEXT LEVEL is a very special one! For the first time in TNL history, we have a guest co-host. Since Melissa Fancy is on vacation, Andy has the incredibly smart and insightful Sean Low as his guest co-host today. Sean is the founder and President of The Business of Being Creative.

Sean is also a previous guest on the Wedding Biz, so if you have not listened to that show yet, you can listen here.

Andy and Sean also discuss:

How Bryan resisted the family pressure to become a lawyer
Time is money and Bryan really figured out early on how to get paid for his emotional labor.
Ways Bryan has created legacy clients
It's not easy to put a number on the emotional value that you bring to clients.
Bryan is outrageous and he knows exactly who he is, which allows him to be outrageous!

In case you haven't listened to Bryan's full show yet, you can listen here.

84 REVISIT BRYAN RAFANELLI: Part 1 - Telling Clients' Stories Through Event Design Sep 03, 2018

Show notes

REVISIT: If you've ever felt family pressure to pursue a certain career, then you can relate to today's guest. When he realized the careers his family had chosen were not for him, he didn't let it stop him. Today, you'll hear the story of forging a completely new path and struggling, but being determined enough to succeed at the highest levels, as told by the amazing Bryan Rafanelli!

Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli events grew up in Rhode Island with an Italian family and was taught to be his own boss. Bryan's passion in crafts was encouraged by the women in his family. Bryan went to college in Syracuse and in his senior year of college he just knew he could not be a lawyer. Bryan always had in the back of his mind he wanted to go to art school, though he knew he still wanted to be successful.

Bryan started his own company designing events, and Rafanelli Events was born and has made him one of the best planners in the world.

Show Highlights:

Growing up self-made, and his passions
Deciding not to go to law school in his senior year of college
Bryan's first job
Beginning to volunteer for non-profits
Going to Boston architecture school at night for design
Bryan started Rafanelli Events and was in debt
Bryan now has 3 offices with over 30 employees, and 75-100 events a year!
How Bryan handles the business and makes it grow
Why Bryan loves the business side as well as the creative
How Bryan balances his personal life with the business

Resources:

The Wedding Biz Website

Rafanelli Event Website

Rafanelli Facebook

83 THE NEXT LEVEL: Cindy Novotny: Mastering Motivation Aug 27, 2018

Show notes

Buckle your seat belts because this episode of THE NEXT LEVEL is quite a ride. Andy and Melissa dig deeper into the amazing interview with Cindy Novotny and this show is full of actionable items.

Andy and Melissa give some practical advice about how they have implemented some of Cindy's strategies.

Andy and Melissa also discuss:

Paying yourself first
Properly saving money even in lean times
Turning fear into a motivator - you have the choice
Cindy's process for responding for client inquiries
Organization can keep you from getting overwhelmed

If you haven't listened to Cindy's full episode, you can catch that here.

82 CINDY NOVOTNY: Mastering Motivation Aug 27, 2018

Show notes

As anyone knows, sometimes we need a little motivation, a push in the right direction. Maybe we're not as focused as we need to be and just need someone to motivate us to reach our potential.

Cindy Novotny is with us today, and she's here to give some of her signature "straight talk" advice. Listen in and find out why you should embrace public speaking, set goals, and stay focused on what you want out of your life.

Show Highlights:

Why you should speak more often at public functions
Cindy explains how she has crafted herself today
The 3 things you need to write down when speaking at intimate gatherings
Why you have to be a salesman first when becoming an entrepreneur
Advice for artists on realizing your value
The no-brainer, biggest issue Cindy's noticed in the wedding industry
Turn fear into motivation
The benefit of being honest with your boss or supervisor
Why you must fight complacency constantly
The problem with the younger generations coming up

Resources:

Cindy Novotny

Cindy on Instagram

Cindy on Twitter

Youtube link:

https://youtu.be/QZTg5mJPjDw

81 THE NEXT LEVEL: Norma Cohen: Building A Thriving Business Within A Community Aug 20, 2018

Show notes

In today's episode, Andy and Melissa dig into the interview with Norma Cohen. If you haven't listened to Norma's full interview, you definitely should go back and listen.

Norma is a very unique planner. She's been working in her community since she was a child and she's spent years building those relationships that have been the bulk of her business!

Listen as Andy and Melissa also discuss:

How has Norma survived in business without business cards?
Norma's ability to build a referral based business
The bold boundaries that Norma sets for her clients
Plus, Andy answers a listener question!

Other episodes mentioned:

Preston Bailey

80 NORMA COHEN: Building A Thriving Business Within A Community Aug 20, 2018

Show notes

If there's anyone who knows all the ins and outs of party planning, it's Norma Cohen. Norma started planning parties on her own for her friends when she was only 12 years old. Later, she became the youngest female, at 16, on an Executive Board of Directors of the community center. And at 18 she opened her own business, Party Expressions. Listen in to find out why, after several attempts to leave the business, she just couldn't keep away for long.

Show Highlights:

The first time lighting was used to change the ambiance of a room
Norma shares her process for planning an event
What she recommends on how to bring out a client's personality
How it is possible to have a successful career without a college education
Where and how Norma discovers new ideas for future events
What the biggest turn ons and turn offs are from a Planner's perspective
Why it's important to prepare for unexpected outcomes
The moment that caused Norma to completely change her style of design and planning
What success means to Norma and the goal she sets for herself every day

Resources:

Norma Cohens Productions

Norma Cohen on Facebook

Norma Cohen on Instagram

Norma's LinkedIn

79 THE NEXT LEVEL: Julie Sabatino: The Stylish Bride Aug 13, 2018

Show notes

This episode of THE NEXT LEVEL is all about brides! Well, actually Julie Sabatino is all about brides and as the creator of The Stylish Bride, she performs a valuable service for brides.

Julie's entire business model is based on providing a much-needed service for brides during a stressful time. Learn how she's made herself an invaluable part of any wedding!

In this episode, Andy and Melissa discuss:

The types of services Julie provides, not just to brides, but also to grooms and anyone else that is a part of the wedding.
Julie's secret for scaling her business to multiple cities, even though she offers a highly personalized service.
It's all about the experience, and Julie does what it takes to give her brides a fantastic experience.
How to let your clients tell you what they need from you.

Previous episodes mentioned:

Mindy Weiss Sylvia Weinstock

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