No one spends more time with couples getting married than full-service wedding planners. They’re in the mix of it all, including: - Budget conversations between couples and with their parents - Mulling over how to pick what vendors - What are their priorities for the wedding - How they feel about each aspect of the experience And so. much. more. Which means if you want to know what’s going on in the mind of today’s couple you go to the planners because they know the most. I don’t know about you,...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 56 min
People ask me all the time what to expect for the upcoming season. Will inquiries be up? Down? Should I plan for it to be slower or busier? The short answer is unless we face another pandemic, the new normal is likely to be business as usual. Here’s what I mean by that: Go back to what you were dealing with in 2018 and 2019. THAT is what it will be like for the rest of 2023 and throughout 2024. Basically, you’ve got to stand out from the crowd to get enough inquiries from the right kinds of coup...
Oct 02, 2023•45 min
Katy and I may get a lot of the spotlight when it comes to our company, but it’s not just us doing the Good Work of helping business professionals reach their goals. Oh no, we’ve got an entire team working behind the scenes and directly with clients to make the magic happen. We’re currently at seven full-time team members, and we’re looking to bring back our eighth this fall. I thought it’d be fun to have our senior copywriter join me today for a conversation about what it’s like to work on webs...
Sep 25, 2023•42 min
Do you remember that app Clubhouse? The one that had that brief two or three months in the spotlight over the 2021 winter? I loved that app. Maybe you did too, and it might be the reason you’re listening to this podcast in the first place. It certainly was my inspiration. One of the best things that came from my time on Clubhouse was a long-lasting relationship with John Bunn and Nick Miller, two videographers who run How to Film Weddings. John reached out after a Clubhouse binge I went on back ...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 3 min
It’s hard to get it all done as a business owner. We often spend too much time as an employee of our company rather than the CEO. This weekend’s wedding is filled with fires you have to put out, but it takes away your opportunity to plan out next year’s success. In this episode of Own Your Business, I’ll walk you through: - Four different areas of your business that require months of work before you see rewards - Three things you can do today to put a plan in place for future goals - And the #1 ...
Sep 11, 2023•19 min
Over 1,000 people have watched or listened to the State of the Industry panel I hosted a couple weeks ago. We’ve had a ton of good feedback from wedding pros. - Everyone said how refreshing it was to hear us talking about real numbers, rather than just what’s going on with a few businesses. - Many of you shared how comforting it was to know that you’re not the only one feeling a slowdown. - Some of you reached out in surprise that so many were so slow. - A few wanted more specifics on why this w...
Sep 04, 2023•49 min
Last week I hosted a panel with three wedding market experts to discuss the state of the industry. - Where have we been - Where are we now - Where are we going We tackled big-picture topics like declining engagement rates, lower guest counts, and what to do as a business owner in our volatile market over the next 6-12 months. Hundreds of people attended the panel, but the conversation was too good to put on a file and never let it see the light of day again. So, I’m putting it on the podcast as ...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 45 min
We all know how important it is to get referrals from clients and colleagues if you want to level up your business. Couples who come in on recommendations from others usually convert at 4-6x the normal percentages of people who inquire after finding you on social media, Google, or a listing site. But it’s not just about expanding your network. It’s also about strengthening it. Cultivating it. Deepening it. In this episode of Own Your Business, I’ll share: - How other people’s recommendations got...
Aug 21, 2023•19 min
As a business owner, you wear a lot of hats. Director of Marketing. Sales Manager. Creative Director. Head whatever-it-is-that-you-do. You can even try Bookkeeper if you feel comfortable doing some of the work before sending over to your accountant. But one hat you should never try to wear yourself is legal counsel. It’s too important. And there’s a whole field filled with landmines to step on and an army of opposing attorneys ready to pounce on you when you make a mistake. Today, I talk with Ma...
Aug 14, 2023•36 min
Luxury photography is one of the most competitive fields in the wedding industry. And hardest to break into, because you have to be good at so many things. Yes, your craft. That’s a given. If your photos aren’t incredible, you’ve got no chance. But beautiful images aren't enough to charge top dollar. Or book at five-figure prices consistently. On today’s episode, I sit down with Carter Rose, one of our clients who reached out a few years ago to get help making the move from premium to luxury. Wi...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Can you believe it? You’re listening to episode 100 of the Own Your Business podcast. Pretty stinking cool. If you’ve listened to most of them, you know I usually share insights and takeaways to apply to your business in sales, pricing and copywriting. I’ve also done some great interviews with the best in the business over the past two years. So in today’s episode, I asked Katy to sit down with me to talk about what I’ve learned creating all this content and interviewing all the amazing people o...
Jul 31, 2023•38 min
Looking for a good book to read? Or an entire curriculum to get you through the next several months. Take 15 minutes to listen to this episode, where I provide my top 10 general books on business, and how each can help you grow your business and make it more fun to go to work every day.
Jul 24, 2023•17 min
People talk about short attention spans all the time. But you know what’s sad? The most common solution is to provide less information. Or content. Or connection. Yes, we can blame social media for some of it. Maybe even most of it. But I think a lot of it has to do with boring content. Bad writing. Uninteresting narratives. Good stories grab you from the very beginning - and then keep you engaged at every opportunity. So what makes for an attention-grabbing start? That’s what Katy and I talk ab...
Jul 17, 2023•30 min
Do you want to make more and work less? Great. This is the episode for you. Today, I’m going to break down how you can get into the luxury market. Or, if you’re already there, show you the formula to create more consistency with your bookings. In this episode, we’ll dive into: - How I learned to market and sell high-end wedding services - When you know you’re in luxury - and you might be surprised to hear you’re already there - Common obstacles you run into when moving from premium to luxury mar...
Jul 10, 2023•53 min
Of all the fields and markets in the wedding industry, I have to confess: Luxury wedding planners probably have it the hardest. And I’m not talking about the long hours, crazy clients, and relatively low pay they get compared to others who work as hard as they do. You know, when you put it like that, it’s amazing anyone wants to take this career path. But those who do the work loooove what they do - for all sorts of reasons. So good for you, if you’re one of them, or you’re a mid-market or premi...
Jul 03, 2023•48 min
Many of you are struggling to get enough bookings right now. Even inquiries are slow, which is always stressful. The simple fact is there’s a lot stacked up against the wedding industry at the moment. Inflation. Pessimistic outlook. Fewer engagements. Uncertainty in the financial sector. You can’t change the way people feel about the economy or how many people are getting engaged, but you can lean into a number of different activities to help create buzz about your business - and put yourself in...
Jun 26, 2023•31 min
Do you want to charge more for your services? Of course you do! But how do you make that dream a reality? Clients pay higher prices when they expect to receive more value. And you create that by sharing what you do. How you solve their problems. The services you offer. Unfortunately, many of you aren’t talking about that on your website. You talk about yourself, your work, and how to contact you. But you’re leaving out the thing that matters most. How you help your clients. In this episode of Ow...
Jun 19, 2023•26 min
We all want to be successful. What does success look like for you? Is it lots of money? Recognition for your peers or industry experts? Ultra creative projects? Or maybe you’re like me, and you measure success by the number of vacation days you take rather than the number of clients you book for your business? Whatever you have for goals, it’s important for them to be realistic. Every week, I talk with wedding pros who come to me for a path to success. You’d be surprised by how many set unrealis...
Jun 12, 2023•19 min
I’m doing something new on this week’s episode of the Own Your Business Podcast. Over the past 90+ episodes, I’ve done a few different types of approaches: Me talking about a specific topic Having Katy, my wife and copywriting expert, on to talk shop with me about websites Bringing on an expert, like Katelyn Magnuson or Sara Dunn, in a specific field to share their expertise where we can’t Industry stars, like KT Merry and Shannon Leahy, to share their journey to the top Today, we’re going to ad...
Jun 05, 2023•57 min
If you’ve heard me talk about the four main buyer types, you know how important it is to shift your communication style to meet others where they’re at. Now flip the script, and instead of looking at buyer types, think of you and your natural selling style. How you sell makes a big impact on how successful your business will be. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business, I share: - Different superpowers business owners like you have - How even naturally gifted salespeople hit a ceiling - 4 pri...
May 29, 2023•17 min
Have you heard all the buzz about Ideal Client Avatars lately? Yeah, so have we! Which is why we thought it would be a good idea to share more insights into: - What makes an ideal client anyway - The top component to a solid ICA that most people miss - How to create your own - What to do with the information in your marketing and sales process I’m joined today by my wife and our head copywriter, Katy Taylor Jacobson, and we share a bunch of actionable ideas you can put to use today. If you’re lo...
May 22, 2023•43 min
It’s not easy to chart a course from where you are to a place you’ve never been to before. But that’s exactly what many wedding pros who own their own business do. Unfortunately, many of you end up in the wrong destination because you got started in the wrong direction to begin with. In this episode of Own Your Business, I talk about: - Why it’s so hard to create a solid strategy - 5 big mistakes I see others make when creating a path for their business - How to give yourself the best chance for...
May 15, 2023•28 min
One of the biggest mistakes I see on websites is putting up an entire page about your pricing. Why focus the conversation on the scariest thing you do for your clients (that is, take money from them)?!! Instead you should feature all your amazing services. And in this episode, I sit down with my wife and our head copywriter, Katy Taylor Jacobson, to break down: - Why pricing pages kill inquiries - What goes into a solid services page - What names work and don’t work on the main navigation - Whet...
May 08, 2023•45 min
I’ve looked at hundreds, maybe more than a thousand, proposals and pricing guides over the past 6+ years. Nine out of ten look the same. Trust me, your “I believe” statement, your bio, your images, and - importantly - your collections all look pretty much the same. If you want to stand out, it’s time to present your proposals differently. In this episode of Own Your Business, I talk about: - 5 big mistakes I see all the time with proposals - How to build desire early in the proposal - What to in...
May 01, 2023•21 min
I’ve read hundreds of books about business, marketing and selling over the past 20 years. In this episode, I share my top 10 to grow your business. The list includes: - The best book you can read to be a better listener - How to feel comfortable at networking events - Lots of science on selling
Apr 24, 2023•14 min
One of my favorite episode types is the myth-buster. We take commonly held ideas and perspectives, and then take a wrecking ball to them so you get a different outlook and new insights you can use. Today, I’m joined by my wife and business partner, and our head copywriter, to talk about five big myths related to websites and copywriting. We discuss: - Formal v. conversational voice for luxury vendors - What comes first: website design or copywriting - What to do with price on your website - And ...
Apr 17, 2023•37 min
Have you heard of the phrase “Start with Why”? It was made popular by Simon Sinek many years ago in his TED Talk and book. Short version of the concept is to begin with your “why” instead of your “what,” which is what most people tend to do. But what is your “why”? And how do you come up with it? And where do you use it in your marketing and sales process? In this episode of Own Your Business, I’m interviewed by Katy Taylor Jacobson, my wife and business partner, and head copywriter for our comp...
Apr 10, 2023•53 min
Every business goes through a predictable series of steps to achieve success. You, as the owner of your business, will run into obstacles at major transitions from one stage to the next. The key is to recognize when you’ve hit that barrier. Then you can pull out tools and get the training you need to push through each one when you reach it. In today’s episode of Own Your Business, I explore: - The 4 Saints: Starting, Struggling, Stuck and Stretched - How our own company met these challenges head...
Apr 03, 2023•21 min
It’s not easy to attract and book ultra-luxury clients. It’s even harder to do on scale, where you’re not the only one delivering the services. It takes a system. And it takes a team to get it all done. This week, I talk with Shannon Leahy, a planner who’s received just about every accolade you can imagine in the wedding industry. But the one she’s most proud of? Building a team that serves clients at the highest level. On today’s episode of Own Your Busines, Shannon and I talk about: - How she ...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Top sales people aren’t born, they’re made. They’re trained. They’re coached to improve in key areas to develop skills that help them book more clients at higher prices. But what exactly do you need to get better at if you want to reach your full potential? What skills should you focus on? In this episode of Own Your Business , I breakdown: - 7 core competencies for people in the event industry - Skills you have to stack in order to excel in each area - 4 distinct selling styles - Potential blin...
Mar 20, 2023•19 min
