We all know it’s a crowded marketplace out there right now. I’ve never believed there’s enough business for everyone who wants it (well, maybe in 2022). But now, more than ever, wedding pros are feeling the pinch of not enough business to go around. Even if you are filling your calendar, it’s harder than it’s been in a long time. Not counting the early days of the pandemic, I’ve not seen times this tough since 2008-2010 during the Great Recession - and it was BAD back then. So what can you do to...
Dec 02, 2024•33 min
The measure of your unhappiness is the distance between where you are and where you want to be. For many right now, that’s a big gap. You should work smarter and harder to close the gap - but don’t fixate on how far you’ve got to go. When times get tough, it’s more motivating to look at how far you’ve come. At my family for Thanksgiving, we did that cheesy thing where you hold hands and say what you’re most grateful for. 2024 was a hard year for many in the industry. It’s easy to look at what yo...
Nov 25, 2024•23 min
One of the things we’re seeing with couples is their lack of decisiveness. It’s taking a lot longer to make a decision. I see lots of reasons for this, including overscheduled lives, multiple decision-makers, a noisy marketplace, and general concern about the economy. As a business owner, you can’t control ANY of these things. Sorry, I wish it was different - but it’s not. Instead, I want you to focus on the things you can impact. One of those is called “purchase intent.” How much does someone w...
Nov 18, 2024•37 min
Today’s episode is focused on tips and tricks to DIY a website. But it’s also a big day for Katy and me, and our entire team, because we’re opening up our Showit template shop. Of course, everyone who owns their business would gladly have an expert take care of their website if it was as easy as, say, emailing the marketing department of the company you work for and saying, “Hey, we need a new site! Make one, please.” But it doesn’t work that way when you’re not only the Creative Director for yo...
Nov 11, 2024•40 min
I hear a lot of talk about ideal clients in the wedding industry, including us. We put out content on the regular to share information about who and how and why and what for those perfect buyers you want on your calendar. And we’ll talk about it on today’s episode too. But we’ll also dive into what it means to be an ideal service provider, because very few people are talking about that - and it’s incredibly important. In fact, that’s exactly what your clients are searching for when they head to ...
Nov 04, 2024•34 min
Not gonna lie: Copywriting is tough. Especially for websites. You have to do so much all at once. Communicate messages. Maintain interest. Stay in voice. Persuade people. Provide reassurance. Provoke desire. Impress Google. Like any skill or craft, it takes a long time to get good at it. And like any skill, when you get training and insights from an expert it shaves years off the learning curve. Obviously, you want to bring in experts for important projects like your website. But I get it, not e...
Oct 28, 2024•35 min
If money grew on trees, you’d have the best of the best do everything for you. But money doesn’t grow on trees or fall from the sky, and extra zeros don’t show up on your bank account statements. So we have to deal with reality - which, for entrepreneurs, means wearing all the hats. Social media, bookkeeping, sales, system set up, technology. You name it, and you probably do it at some level in your company. What’s wild to think about is how NOT normal this is. In companies with more than one or...
Oct 21, 2024•39 min
To rebrand, or not to rebrand. That is the question on the minds of many right now. What exactly does it mean to rebrand, though? Is it just a new logo? Is it a full overhaul of your style kit? Does it always have to involve a name change? More importantly, when is it a good idea to do? And when should you hold out to see where you can get with your current brand? Because rebrands are not inexpensive - in either money or time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from clients who end up ha...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr
For those who don’t know, I write a newsletter for nearly 6,000 subscribers every week. I’ve done it for nearly 6 years now, and it’s filled with great advice like you get on the podcast. One of the cool things about a newsletter is that I can talk about exactly what’s going on in the industry right now. It’s why I usually only do 2-3 at a time when I batch out content, because I want to make sure I’m in tune with what’s happening rather than sharing evergreen content like I do on the podcast. T...
Oct 07, 2024•18 min
There’s this terrible myth out there that SEO doesn’t matter as much as it did, say, 5-10 years ago. Or even last year. The SEO-is-irrelevant idea is especially widespread in the luxury space - which is a crying shame for all those wedding pros who’ve put ALL your eggs into the referral basket. Yes, referrals are important, even essential, when you get to luxury. However, you can’t NOT have key SEO elements on your search engine results page. Think about it from the couples’ perspective: They ge...
Sep 30, 2024•51 min
Anyone else feel like it’s a little “weird” in the wedding industry right now? Actually, it’s probably been about a year since it started, but we’re just now starting to talk about it openly. The sentiment hit a tipping point recently, and people are beginning to share how hard it’s been to book couples. Today’s episode is a megaphone on the conversation. But it’s not just me, it’s a panel of industry experts from around the country in different fields at different price points. If you’re strugg...
Sep 23, 2024•1 hr 48 min
Everyone talks a big game when it comes to attracting ideal clients, so why is it so hard to actually make it happen? It’s because there’s a LOT of work that goes into getting from A to Z, from I know what I want in an ideal client and now I have a calendar filled with them. That gap is filled by the buyer’s journey, and your job as a marketer and salesperson for your business is to craft a path that’s easy and inspiring to travel. If you’re anything like most other wedding pros, though, you’re ...
Sep 16, 2024•34 min
Filling your calendar with clients you love is almost as hard as finding a potential partner on a dating app. It’s hit or miss - with a lot of ghosting. Before you blame the game, though, look at how you’re playing it. I’m not going to offer dating advice on this episode, but Katy and I will share 10 mistakes we see wedding pros make on your websites and in your sales processes. Take note so you can make quick updates in key areas. Website review Sales process audit...
Sep 09, 2024•38 min
Today you’re going to get a first - and a second. What do I mean by that? In the past 3 years we’ve run a new episode each and every week. We’ve done a few different kinds of podcast approaches: - Solo episode - Guest expert on a particular topic - Katy talking about websites and copywriting with me - Celebrity guest talking about their career trajectory - Client case studies to dive deep into how pros make improvements - Panels to discuss a topic from a variety of perspectives Today, I’m going ...
Sep 02, 2024•30 min
Hi, I’m Sam, and I’m a perfectionist. I used to think I wasn’t a perfectionist. After all, I tend not to focus on the details, and I often leave projects undone, let alone done perfectly. Then my therapist called BS on that, and because she is not only a licensed expert but also knows me better than anyone else - well, I listened to what she had to say. Once I became aware of my version of perfectionism - which is one of FIVE kinds - I saw my tendencies everywhere. Then this year I read a book t...
Aug 26, 2024•43 min
Today I discuss luxury weddings with KT Merry. She’s one of the savviest, experienced, and plugged in wedding pros I know, and I value her perspective. Not only does she photograph in the ultra-lux space herself, but she leads a vibrant community of aspiring luxury photographers with her signature education program, The Abundance Plan. I think you’ll see from the breadth and depth of the conversation today she’s got a strong pulse on what’s happening with affluent buyers right now. We’re both fo...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 4 min
We all know referrals are helpful to booking more clients at higher prices. It’s too bad too many wedding professionals waste too much time, energy, and money chasing the wrong referral partners. I want to be clear: Many educators, mentors, course creators, speakers, conference organizers, etc. offer excellent advice. In this episode, I’m not speaking to, about or against what they’re saying. In reality, I actually try to remain ignorant of what others teach, because I don’t want to infect my mi...
Aug 12, 2024•21 min
Communication experts have known for a long time that what you say is not nearly as important as how you say it. The most often-cited study I know concluded that 93% of communication is made through non-verbal and vocal communication, while only 7% comes from the words being said. The study was done a long time ago with a fairly small sample size and in a sales situation, so the numbers I just mentioned are not necessarily as accurate as people who recite the information suggest. But they are fo...
Aug 05, 2024•22 min
Are you getting enough inquiries? I don’t know. But I do have a formula for figuring it out - and I’m going to share it with you on today’s episode. It’s essential information if you’re going to develop a solid marketing plan for your business. How can you know when you’ve crossed the finish line if you don’t know where it is? Many people are happy with their current inquiry count but actually need many more. Others out there are getting enough inquiries to charge more for their services, but ar...
Jul 29, 2024•20 min
You hear a lot about ideal clients from educators and experts, us included. We don’t have the market cornered on the information, but we certainly feel we add a nuanced and sophisticated approach to the concept. On this podcast, you’ve heard about buyer types and psychological motivations, which isn’t discussed much by others. We feel it’s important to do deep research on who your favorite couples are, what they believe, how they behave, and what emotional and social desires they hold deep down ...
Jul 22, 2024•46 min
Have you ever shown up at a party feeling like you missed the dress code cue on the invitation? It’s awful. You stand around talking to people, but the only thing on your mind is how uncomfortable you feel about the way you look. It’s called the “spotlight effect,” when we feel like everyone’s looking at us more than we actually are. Most of the time when we feel like everyone’s watching very few actually are. They’re paying too much attention to themselves to really care. When everyone’s thinki...
Jul 15, 2024•46 min
CRMs are a big part of any successful business. They help organize information, get contracts signed, collect payments, build a database of potential referrers, and streamline workflows. But I see too many wedding pros take CRMS to the extreme, especially when it comes to automation. What’s easy and convenient for you, the business owner, often feels impersonal and generic to the couple. Even worse, you might create a “workspace” through your CRM that requires people to operate the way you want ...
Jul 08, 2024•43 min
Trust isn’t given, it’s earned. And if you’re not focused on making deposits with potential clients, you better start now. Sure, marketing and sales requires you to do lots of different things well. Showcase a solid portfolio. Connect with the couples who inquire. Lead the discovery call to uncover emotional and social desires. Deliver a compelling custom proposal. But at the root of all these things is trust. People on your website and in your inbox want to know you’re going to deliver the good...
Jul 01, 2024•29 min
Friction in the buyer’s journey grinds away on deal momentum slowly and silently. I’ve looked at hundreds of sales processes over the years, and I can tell you it’s usually not one big, dramatic reason why people ghost you. When a deal dies, it’s more like death by a thousand paper cuts. One nick and it’s not that bad. Two, you can keep things going. But after a while the little things start to mount up and create real problems. The challenge is most people are creating friction in the buyer’s j...
Jun 24, 2024•41 min
People buy from people, not businesses. Especially in the wedding industry where couples can work closely together with vendors for over a year. So why are you making it hard for couples to connect with you on your website? And to be clear, I’m not talking about putting up a photo of you with a blurb that reads like a dating profile or resume. Today, I bring on Katy Taylor Jacobson to share what mistakes she sees on About pages - and what to do instead, so you can attract more ideal clients to y...
Jun 17, 2024•22 min
Zoom is one of those artifacts from the pandemic that’s not going away. People got used to talking with each other remotely with this app, and the behavior stuck. Here’s the thing: I’m okay with it. In fact, I kinda like it. When done well, Zoom allows us to connect in a richer, more helpful way than phone calls do. It can also add to your swag by boosting the brand of your business in the same way a nice office does - or did. But it can also hurt your chances of booking new clients if your Zoom...
Jun 10, 2024•25 min
Today I chat with top photographer, Joseph Rogero Mills, a client I first met back in 2023. I remember getting the inquiry and looking him up online. By all accounts, he was very successful: - Lots of IG followers - Published plenty of times - Brides Top Photographer - Stunning portfolio - Gorgeous website I was curious why he reached out. When I did the discovery call to find out, I was even more confused. He was knowledgeable, articulate, friendly, and believed in his company, abilities and pr...
Jun 03, 2024•42 min
Couples are overwhelmed by all the noise in today’s wedding marketplace. It’s crowded. It’s loud. It all sounds and looks the same to the untrained buyer simply hoping to book vendors for a pretty, fun celebration with family and friends. So how do you compete in this situation? How do you fill your calendar? With the right kinds of couples? Who pay higher prices you deserve for your amazing work? That’s exactly what I’m talking about today with Katy Taylor Jacobson, my wife and our Head Copywri...
May 27, 2024•35 min
The pandemic might be over, but we’re still feeling the ripple effects. Anyone with kids who were supposed to be in school for the second half of 2020 and most of 2021 know what I’m talking about. I’m reading a book called “The Stolen Year” because it’s so terrible for our educational system as a whole. The economy is…confused. Some signs point good, others not so good. Even the decision-makers aren’t sure what the hell is going on, which means their uncertainty creates unpredictability in the m...
May 20, 2024•34 min
My brother owns a talent company in Los Angeles, and I once asked him what he did for his clients. He thought for a while, then said, “I manage their expectations.” He went on to explain that a lot of writers and directors - the types of clients he represented at the time - go to Hollywood with big dreams. They have talent, ideas, and are willing to work hard to get where they want to go. Unfortunately, so do thousands of others - and studios only have so many shows they’ll produce each year, wh...
May 13, 2024•55 min
