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About Aleya Harris: Aleya Harris, CPCE is a powerhouse Storybrand Certified Guide, empire-building owner of Flourish Marketing, award-winning marketer, sought-after speaker, mic-drop copywriter, and woo enthusiast. She’s committed to helping entrepreneurs get out of the never-ending grind so they can tap into their heart’s purpose and live a life that uplifts their soul. In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Aleya discuss:The Hero’s Journey marketing modelClarifying your message Getting an outsider’s perspectiveMaking the focal point of your storyKey Takeaways:You are not the hero in the story, it’s your client. Position yourself as the guide that holds the solution to the hero’s problems. Clarify your message so that anyone can understand what you’re talking about. Don’t talk in archaic, abstract language. Tell your clients what problems you solve, how you solve it, and how they can contact you. If you believe you aren’t talking about yourself or your business in the best way possible, then you have to know that it’s okay to let go and let someone help. Someone with an outside perspective might be better able to see it than you. One of the most important parts of your brand’s story is your “why”. Your why is what makes your brand story connect to your client on an emotional level.  "When you’re the hero, you’re actually the weakest character in the story - the hero is the one that needs all of the help. When you’re a business owner you’re trying to position yourself as the guide." —  Aleya Harris Connect with Aleya Harris:Website:  http://www.flourishmarketing.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyaharris/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ALEYAHARRISGROWTHInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleyaharris  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

 Suki talks about how she reinvented herself and joined the wedding industry as someone who wants to shake things up and think more outside the box. She talks about how she is making changes in the industry and how others working with weddings can to do the same. They talk about how wedding industry leaders need to start acknowledging beautiful weddings on a budget and show how that is the norm.About Suki: Suki is a 1st gen Thai/Cambodian American comedy screenwriter and assistant editor of Offbeat Bride. She loves exploring the intersections of diversity, culture, and money in the wedding industry on her account @2buckchuckbride.In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Suki discuss:The stigma of “low-budget” Talking about the real stuffCreating epic weddings despite the budgetTrying out something different Key Takeaways:Want to have a beautiful wedding and still have enough resources to get you started in your new life? You can have it both ways by planning a low-budget wedding. We need to talk about the real stuff in wedding planning like pricing and budget - not just about what to buy, but what to do and how to make the most out of your resources. With a little creativity, you can pull off a wedding successfully without having to overspend. You might even find it very empowering and more satisfying than if you were to do otherwise. There’s nothing wrong with mixing things up in your wedding and surprising your guests and yourselves with new and exciting ways to celebrate your big day. Almost all weddings are similar, and that’s an advantage - you don’t have to be too crazy to stand out. "You don’t have to go broke to have a beautiful wedding" — Suki Check this out! Here’s a link to The Wedding Hacker’s feature of Suki’s wedding: https://theweddinghacker.com/rw-suki-anthony/ Connect with Suki:Website:  https://offbeatbride.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2buckchuckbride/LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/2buckchuckbride  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode Jamie and Heather talk to Margaux Fraise about how the transition from being an event planner to a small business coach. She talks about strategies for creating and maintaining boundaries with your clients and how to setup clear expectations from the start. Margaux also talks about how a life-changing event caused her to re-evaluate her life and business goals to support the life she wanted to live.About Margaux Fraise: She is the owner + creative director of Harmony Creative Studio, an award-winning boutique wedding firm in Los Angeles, CA. A Stage IV breast cancer survivor, she has a unique perspective on what is truly valuable in love, life and weddings – and brings that viewpoint to help her clients hone in on what matters to them. As a result, her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Style Me Pretty, Brides, and Green Wedding Shoes, among others. Margaux serves as a wedding business educator, frequent podcast guest and motivational speaker. Her meticulous onboarding, planning, design and execution procedures have also caught the attention of her peers, and she shares insight regularly on efficient systems for creatives.In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Margaux discuss:Covering your bases in regards to harassmentDiving into your community Keep repeating yourselfKey Takeaways:Don’t endure harassment from clients. Include abuse and safe environment clauses in your contract where you’re able to leave if you feel uncomfortable or are unsafe since a lot of people get drunk on wedding events and that often brings out bad behavior in people. Open yourself up to connecting with people that are in the same industry as you because doing otherwise wouldn’t be sustainable. Find a community, meet people, and start relationships. Don’t get tired of repeating yourself. You’ve got a message to put out there and it won’t reach the right people in just one or two tries. Somebody new will always see your message as something new. "I was one of those people that was like, 'I can't be friends with other wedding planners, I don't want them to know what I'm doing - what I'm charging', it was that kind of mentality which sounds okay until you realize that the wedding industry is small and life is long and that's not sustainable." —  Margaux Fraise Connect with Margaux Fraise:Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/HarmonyCreativeStudioWebsite:  https://harmonycreativestudio.com/Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/hrmnycreativeInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/harmonycreative  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Zabrina Zablan: Zabrina has always enjoyed planning events and is obsessed with pretty much anything love related. After getting engaged, she found that there weren't a lot of spaces that fit her very beautiful and unique relationship. Certain "traditions" did not work with her love story and she wasn't about to settle for anything less than what her partner and she deserved. The wedding industry has still not created the space that her community needs to showcase their love stories. In the midst of planning her own wedding, she still faced vendors calling her partner and her “the groom”, over explaining to people that this was a “same sex relationship”, and even worse — vendors saying they couldn’t work with her. She figured that enough was enough and that no other couple should go through what she went through. Thus, The Gay Agenda was formed!In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Zabrina Zablan discuss:The reward of going through hardshipsBeing intentional and mindfulCreating a long lasting impact The key to consistent creativityKey Takeaways:Hardships and uncertainty will force you and your team to grow and learn new things that you may not have considered before. Be intentional, be mindful and take notes of important things, trust your people and invest effort and time in improving communication with your team and clients.Infuse your career with meaning and purpose. More than just making money, make good for your community. Balance creativity with rest - your brain will be able to create better quality and even better quantity of ideas if you give yourself time to rest."Overcommunicating is so much better than undercommunicating." —  Zabrina ZablanConnect with  Zabrina Zablan:Website:   https://www.thegayagenda.co/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegayagenda.co/  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:Authentic affiliate promotionsTying in your affiliate piece with valueWhen getting affiliated goes wrongPromoting your affiliates properlyKey Takeaways:There’s nothing wrong with getting others to talk about your business as long as it’s a genuine endorsement. In the same way, recommend only the stuff that you actually recommend even if they don't pay you - but if they pay you, that would just be a bonus.Think about content that’s useful with the affiliate tied up into it - with a reasonable amount of advertising only. Don’t go too hard on your advertising and don’t make it uninteresting.Make sure that there’s some sort of way to keeping track of and informing the partner about how many you’re sending their wayShare your testimonies about the affiliate, yours and others. Don’t just give out a discount code, give the people the reasons why you love that particular business or product." It should be a ‘heck yes I’m so excited to work with them’ or ‘no, not for me’. You can’t lean into something like this and it’s not 100% authentic." —  Heather FierConnect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode we talk with Lynne Reznick about how to bring calm and confidence to your couples on their wedding day. She outlines how you can get organized beforehand to create a seamless timeline that helps put your clients at ease. The best part of implementing these tactics is that you are almost guaranteed to get amazing reviews and referrals from your very happy clients! Check out the Styled Shoot Planning + Timeline Spreadsheet HERE: https://lynne-reznick-photography.ck.page/07707523ea About  Lynne Reznick: Behind the lens of Lynne Reznick Photography, Lynne Reznick is an educator-turned-photographer on a mission to share her knowledge and lessons learned from nearly a decade of industry experience. A lifelong learner at heart, Lynne combines her passion for training and mentoring with a unique teaching approach grounded in proven educational practices.As the founder of The Wedding Client Experience Academy, Lynne offers an easy-to-digest online curriculum based on four fundamental pillars. The result establishes deeply rooted trust with clients, streamlined systems for the busiest workflows, and empowers pros to create bespoke moments for their couples.In addition to providing ongoing mentoring and coaching intensives, Lynne shares several complimentary resources on her site’s educational hub- including the Styled Shoot Planning + Timeline Spreadsheet and The Manual Mode Pocket Guide.In this episode, Jamie, Heather and  Lynne Reznick discuss:Seeking mentorship and providing itThe Four Pillars of Client ExperienceStyled shoot design tipsIntegrating your life’s “why” in your careerKey Takeaways:Mentorship works best when the apprentice is able to learn and experience freely without too much pressure. Communication, appreciation, education, and being a resource. Be clear about expectations upfront and overdeliver, anticipate the couples’ needs. Create a mood board, suggest unique idea, trust your team and your vendors - bring them in on the conversation, let them flex their creative muscles. Wedding planning is not for everyone, it takes some calling - it’s more than just organizing and designing, it takes genuine compassion for the client and giving them the best memories possible for their best day.  "Being proactive serves to show your expertise and help them to feel like they can trust you because you’re already anticipating their needs and communicating with them." —   Lynne Reznick Connect with  Lynne Reznick:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lynnereznickphotographyWebsite:  https://lynnereznickphotography.com/Instagram: http://instagram.com/lynnereznickphotoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lynnereznickphotography  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Christie Osborne: She helps event and wedding pros develop sane and scalable marketing strategies to grow their businesses. Her deepest wish is to help people stop wasting a bunch of time and money on marketing and advertising that just doesn't work using by asking the right questions and getting meaningful answer through metrics and analytics. In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Christie Osborne discuss:Staying relevant on trending platformsEngaging with your numbers Key data points and making creative people excited about dataAsking your data the right questionsKey Takeaways:Each platform is unique, what works for one wouldn’t work for the other. Staying relevant means researching trending platforms and being able to know how you can present yourself in a way that’s appropriate to the platformData is more important than drama and marketing is not magic, it’s all about math. Looking at your data is like visiting a doctor. You’ll be able to see which part of your marketing or platforms aren’t healthy. You don’t have to love data analysis, you can think about it like hiring an accountant - you don’t have to know how everything works, you just have to ask your data the right questions so that you’ll be aware what’s working and what’s not. "Data might not be sexy, but it can be insightful and exciting to get some clarity." —  Christie OsborneConnect with Christie Osborne:Twitter: https://twitter.com/MtnsideMediaWebsite: https://mountainsidemedia.com/ | www.mountainsidebride.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christieosborne/  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode we discuss how to attract ideal clients at a wedding show. We talk about how you can improve your first impressions with potential clients and the best ways to follow-up with people you meet to increase your ROI (book those contracts!).  In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:Preparing for an onslaught of different personalitiesCollecting and organizing data after the expoSpeaking with people who visit your bootLetting people choose and making them comfortableKey Takeaways:Prepare yourself for an onslaught of different personalities and it would be very beneficial for you to be able to gauge a person’s personality quickly.Gather email addresses yourself - don’t rely on the expo to give you the email. Store data that you personally collected, pick and choose ideal clientsPrepare pain points to discuss, and a short summary of what a coordinator does and how you can help them in those points.Give people the freedom to choose - it will work on your advantage. Don’t stress people out and rush them into making a decision that they might not be comfortable with."We’re really assessing personality and where the person is at in the process and what they want - like what are they looking at, what do they need " — Heather Fier Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Krista Stephenson: Krista Stephenson (she/her) has been a hairstylist for over 10 years. She specializes in hair for the queer community and allies. She is also a Difference Maker with an organization called The Dress Code Project. She helps educate and advocate for safer more inclusive salon spaces by teaching and sharing information about the LGBTQ2S+ community. Krista believes that hair has no gender and that everyone deserves to feel safer and comfortable within salon spaces. In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Krista discuss:How can wedding planners/vendors be more inclusiveWhat to do when you mess up or offend someoneAdvice for vendors who are uncomfortable working with queer peopleTurning creativity into a business modelKey Takeaways:Ask pronouns, don’t make assumptions, refrain from using gendered statements and do your own researchWhen you mess up, apologize, correct yourself, and move on. Dedicate yourself to always be updated so that you won’t make the same mistake in the future.There’s no polite way to be hateful. Religion and accepting other human beings for who they are is compatible, dedicate yourself to a lifestyle of continuous learning.Build your business around being authentically yourself, allowing others to be the same, and radiating that energy of authenticity and genuineness in everything you do."When in doubt, ask. There’s never any shame in that, even if it’s multiple times that you forgot. Rather than misgender someone and make someone uncomfortable." —  Krista Stephenson Connect with Krista Stephenson:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Heyday-Salon-2451357998421486/Website:  https://www.heydaysalon.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweethairbykrista/ | https://www.instagram.com/heydaysalon/ Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:Taking a break and being more forgiving of your downtimeGetting your business ready for a break.Talking to people and social mediaRecognizing your triggersKey Takeaways:It's okay to give yourself space. You have to take care of yourself.Automations and anything that makes the day to day of the business easier is helpful for keeping things somewhat going while you rest up and rejuvenatePick people whom you can talk to that won't add up to your anxiety or anything negative you're feeling.Take note of the things that trigger you and try to avoid them. Give yourself the permission to rest when your emotions get triggered."Any sort of terrible situation can be so isolating. Having people around who allow you to remember that you're important, you're valued, people care about you and that there's more to life than this phase..." —  Heather FierConnect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:How to make content for TikTok that can grow your businessMaking simple calls to action in TikTokEngaging with your audienceGetting over content-blockKey Takeaways:It takes some effort to make TikTok content if you’re more used to making long-form content for platforms like YouTube. Make it short and sweet, and put a quick call to action in the end.A good and simple call to action can be to tell them to like, share, and more importantly, comment and answer to a question related to your content as a way of simple engagement.Your advantage if you’re a small business is that, unlike big businesses, you can engage directly with the people that comment on your content.If you want to get fresh ideas for content, you can read some good content from the internet and be inspired. There are no original ideas anyway - but remember to never ever copy-paste content from others."It is absolutely foolish marketing to not have some sort of call to action. Even if you don’t say it out loud, have it typed up on the screen." —  Jamie WolferConnect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Us:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Meghan Ely: OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely, combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights.A long-time industry speaker and writer, she is a WeddingPro educator with The Knot + WeddingWire, as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Catersource and SpecialEvents.com. In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Meghan discuss:What is it like to be a publicist? The difference between advertising and PR Should you get a publicist for your business? Staying relevant in the wedding industry Key Takeaways:Be a part of the conversation, get your voice out there. Advertising is when you say you’re great, but it’s PR if someone else says you’re greatA good publicist is going to be looking at the goals and will know what the client needs Staying relevant is a commitment and it takes effort. Often, it’s better done with a team to brainstorm trending ideas. It doesn’t come naturally, so research and work on it.  "Good PR is when you have a message… Good PR is when you find the right channels for that." —  Meghan Ely Connect with Meghan Ely:Twitter:  https://twitter.com/OFDConsultingWebsite:  http://www.ofdconsulting.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofdconsulting Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Taylor De La Fuente: Taylor de la Fuente is an award-winning writer, inclusive language educator, and the owner of Lemon Tree Editorial. As a copywriter serving the wedding industry, Taylor crafts persuasive and personality-packed copy that woos couples. Before starting Lemon Tree Editorial, she worked in journalism, SEO and marketing. You can find Taylor online at www.lteditorial.com and @lteditorial. In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Taylor De La Fuente discuss:What “copy” is and how it can help your business to get a copywriterIncorporating authenticity into your copy. Some tips for working on your business copy. Testimonial mining do’s and don’ts Search-Engine Optimization - how to make your page visible Key Takeaways:Informative content is different from persuasive content and copywriters are the expert of persuasion. They sell your brand and your business with text. Reverse engineer your testimonials: Look for patterns in your past testimonials to see what stands out about you and your business. These are what your clients tell you are important and what they value in you.Find your “you-isms”, the unique things that you say and incorporate it into your copy to give it personality. Think about what people will have to type on the search bar on Google to find your business and incorporate that into your headlines and a paragraph below that. Pick out keywords that point into your business, and insert it into that. "There’s a line between being confident and being cocky, we want to be on the confident side… copywriting is an exercise on self-confidence." —  Taylor De La FuenteConnect with Taylor De La Fuente:Website:  https://www.lteditorial.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lteditorial/ Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:Can you be a wedding planner even if you’re not great at designing? Embracing your strengths as a wedding planner Collaboration with other wedding planners Communicating your services clearly Key Takeaways:There are so many kinds of great wedding planners out there, with many different kinds of skills and strengths. You can still be an amazing wedding planner even if you lack in some areas. People are looking for different kinds of wedding planners and people all have different needs - market your strengths so that those looking for you can find youStrategically partner yourself with other wedding planners. You don’t have to serve all the roles if you have a team. Noone knows what any of us do. We make up the rules as we go along. There are no standards, there are no rules. It’s simply a matter of you delivering it successfully. "People don’t know what you do until you tell them… You have to get very good at your sales pitch, you have to lean into your offerings and how you describe them - very clearly. That’s how you get clients and how you communicate who you are and what you do  " —  Jamie WolferConnect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Zabrina Zablan: Zabrina is the owner of "The Gay Agenda Collective." The collective specializes in planning weddings and events for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. The business was started with the intent to create space for the queer community and change the way we approach weddings as a whole. Zabrina truly believes that every love story deserves a happy ending and intends on making couples' wildest dreams come true (without breaking the bank!). In this episode, Heather and Zabrina Zablan discuss:Planning and going to destination weddings Challenges to overcome when planning for a destination weddings Reminders for doing destination weddings Micro destination weddings trends and benefits Key Takeaways:When inviting people for a destination wedding, you have to invite them in a similar way to how you’d invite them if you’re all going on a vacation together. Give them time to save and plan. Have a realistic perspective when having a destination wedding is needed. Not everyone you invite will see it as a feasible thing to do, and it’s not because they don’t love you but it’s just that it doesn’t work for them. You don’t have to know the whole history and whole culture of the place you’re going to go to. If you’re coming from a place of wanting to respect, you shouldn’t have any problem. Microweddings are not just more financially viable and pandemic-proof, but there’s a lot of venues that wouldn’t have been feasible with a big wedding group. Intimate weddings allows for more possibilities. "Research and respect… research like you’re planning a trip… and the intention of why. Would you be mindful of the space? Would you check in to see what they’re comfortable with? If you wanna come in, you’re gonna want to have the same respect that you would if you were walking into someone’s house" —  Zabrina ZablanConnect with Zabrina Zablan:Twitter:  https://twitter.com/zaaawb_Website:  https://www.thegayagenda.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zabrina-zablan-960b70123/  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Geovanna and Yvette: Geovanna is the owner of Mia Bella Houston, an events and wedding venue in Houston, Texas. She is also the co-owner of Just Engaged University. Yvette owns Pop-Up Wedding Houston, another events and wedding company and is also the co-owner of Just Engaged University.  In this episode, Jamie, Heather, Geovanna and Yvette discuss:How wedding planners can cope with changes due to the PandemicWhat pop-up weddings are all about Having great relationship and connection with your clientsAdvantage for wedding planners and couples to do a pop-up weddingKey Takeaways:Weddings can still happen in the pandemic, it just needs a bit of innovation and adjustment. The pandemic actually gave a good excuse to hold a small wedding, thus saving a lot of money for couples everywhere to start their new life together. Be with your clients from the beginning and all the way. Think about what need and how you can serve them. It doesn’t make sense these days to spend an extravagant amount of money to hold your wedding and a lot of couples understand that. That’s why pop-up weddings are a great venture for wedding planners.  “Pop-up weddings, it’s going to be the home of safe and intimate weddings, it’s what we’re promoting and it’s what we’re going to be doing going forward and I think that that’s what couples want. They want to feel like ‘we can have our cake and eat it too, we can do all of the things and not be in debt and not have to wait 10 years to live the life we want to live’” - Geovanna Burgess White Connect with Geovanna Burgess White:Twitter:  https://twitter.com/justengageduniFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/geovanna.burgessWebsite:  https://www.miabellahouston.com/ | https://www.gbwbrands.com/educationInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/miabellahouston/ Connect with Yvette Valdenegro:Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PopUpWeddingHTXFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/popupweddinghouston/Website:  https://www.valdenegroventures.com/pop-up-wedding-houstonPinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/yvettetbw/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-valdenegro-24a37a22/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yvettevaldenegro/?hl=en  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Kristen BraunAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:Practical tips for building your business and website Dealing with difficult people and rejecting clients with personality conflictsThe importance of having a network of wedding plannersHow to make valuable content market effectively  Key Takeaways:Make sure you have photos on your website. Get a styled shoot ready to go ASAP, or get photos from your own wedding if possible without showing any faces. If neither works for you, use stock photos without people. If you want to reject a client with a personality conflict, you can always blame it on your schedule that you won’t be able to work with them. Or say, “we’re unavailable for your event”. For the best way, put an “out” clause in your contract. If you’re writing an email to a difficult client, acknowledge your feelings. If you’re angry, take a step back and recalibrate your emotions, come back to it later and think about what is the best way to deal with the problem. For making marketing content, think about potential customer’s pain points and give a high-value answer. "Stick to your instinct on it. If you’re getting a vibe that it’s not a good fit, it’s not going to go well." —  Heather FierConnect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Alli Williams: Alli Williams is the CEO of FinanciALLI Focused, where she helps people create a flexible financial plan they can actually stick to (no deprivation here!). She believes you can pay off debt, save, and spend all at the same time. She has her MBA in Finance and lives in South Carolina with her husband and son. In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Alli discuss:What budgeting is all about and how amazing it can bePractical tips on budgeting for beginners and misconceptions about budgetingWhy you don’t need a formal budget meeting in your relationshipBalancing finances as a budding solo entrepreneur Key Takeaways:Budgeting is essentially all about telling your money where to go Start tracking your expenses. Try it for a month. Think about if your money is actually going to the right places. Oftentimes it’s the untracked little expenses that sink the budget. Make the topic of finance more conversational and less formal. Normalize the topic, make it easier and more casual to talk about in your relationship. Start a sinking fund or separate budgets for each specific purpose or big projects.   "Cover things that are important… think of yourself as an individual and also as a couple." —  Alli WilliamsConnect with Alli Williams:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/financiallifocusedFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/337571133354791/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ph/financiallifoc/Website:  https://www.financiallifocused.com/Email:  alli@financiallifocused.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/financiallifocused/  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

About Kevin Ho: He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology in the University of California in 2007, now he is the co-founder and CEO of Miho Catering Co., a full service catering company with a new school approach and innovative style.  In this episode, Jamie, Heather and Kevin discuss:Growing a business from passion Transitioning from working on a food truck business to a catering servicePersistence and resilience in growing a business through various strugglesAdvise that you need to hear if you’re a budding entrepreneur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Key Takeaways:Big things start unexpectedly, often they start from what you’re truly passionate about. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely sometimes. What’ll really help you grow your dream business is having someone who supports you and believes in your dream. Building your dream business can take a sickening amount of trial and error but as long as you’re always moving forward in an upward trajectory staying resilient through all the failures, you’ll be successful. Think about what you need to innovate, what you’ll have to try to reach the goal. "Persistence over failures is really the only recipe. Failing often has been our path, that was a critical step. " —  Kevin HoConnect with Kevin Ho:Website:  https://www.mihocateringco.com/Email:  contact@amihoexperience.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-ho-miho/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mihocateringco/  Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Jamie and Heather discuss:Reasons why one should own a venue The most important things to have in a venueFirst milestone for venue handling The challenges to starting a new venue Key Takeaways:Always practice clarity of service with your clients by setting the proper boundaries and expectations. Keep in mind the value and strengths of your venue If you own a venue, the first thing that you can focus on would be to inform the world that it existsGood things take time to grow, be patient "Humble works. Humble totally works." —  Jamie Wolfer Connect with The Union Podcast:Website: https://theunionpodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unionpodcast/?hl=enShow: https://theunionpodcast.com/our-podcast/ Connect with Jamie:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdAcY6YGgF-RgGYXTsOENbAWebsite: https://jwcoordination.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jwcoordination/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWCoordination/ Connect with Heather:Website: https://theweddinghacker.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weddinghackerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/weddinghackerexpoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/theweddinghacker/ Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine TallaAudio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.