Once a month moving forward, we're bringing you a new series - The Unraveling.  These episodes shine a light on the pivotal  moments and ensuing decisions that industry leaders have encountered that changed everything.  The unraveling moment.   Today, I'm sharing my own unraveling. Unlocking Us, Brene Brown's Podcast where she introduces the Unraveling Concept. The Midlife Unraveling, by Brene Brown   This episode is brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Weddings for Real

156: The Unraveling Series

One of the biggest challenges I hear every single week is that there’s not enough time to build content. Or you’re not sure what to post. Or you’re worried that what you do post won’t be received very well - or worse, won’t be received at all. Does this sound like you? Let's fix that, with content creation master, Angela Proffitt. This episode is brought to you by Lemon Tree Editorial Angela Proffitt's websites: GSDSecrets.com TheGSDAcademy.com GSDHouse.com AngelaProffitt.com TheProfitableShift.com This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

155: Crushing Content: Wash, Rise, Repeat, with Angela Proffitt

When I need something for my house or for my business, I order it on my phone and get it literally the next day. And if I have to wait two days, fine I guess, but I’m not too happy about it. We all want it right away. And with that mindset in mind, Michelle Loretta from Be Sage Consulting has some insight into what that means about how to work with Amazon-addicted couples. This episode is brought to you by Lemon Tree Editorial Michelle Loretta Episode 68: How to Weigh the Financial Risks of Your Big Business Decision This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open. Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

154: How to shift your business to meet Amazon-addicted couples, with Michelle Loretta

No wedding planner ever said, "I want to hustle more and charge less. I want to work long hours on nights and weekends and undervalue myself and charge so little that I'm barely making any money." Yet many of us do this. I know early in my career I absolutely did. I held money mindset issues about my value as a planner. I worked all the time and I absolutely undercharged for the scope of the work I was doing for clients. I tried to be everything to everyone and it left me feeling resentful and burned out. Have you been there? Are you there now? Come join me Wednesday, 9/22/21 at 12:00PM EST or 8:30PM EST for a free workshop on how to charge more and hustle less as a wedding planner. I'll share three secrets that will help you get out of your own way.  Visit Learn.ThePlannersVault.com/Workshop.   The Planner's Vault is the online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open (September 22nd!) Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

Wedding Planners: Join Me to Charge More & Hustle Less

Join Megan for an inside look at her one-on-one coaching session with Alisha Freeman, The Productionista. Alisha is a member of The Planner's Vault, where the doors open up next week (!) on Wednesday September 22nd, following a free webinar - "Charge More, Hustle Less." To sign up for the webinar (live at 12PM EST and then again at 8:30PM EST), visit Learn.ThePlannersVault.com/Workshop.   The Planner's Vault is the online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open (September 22nd!)   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

153: Wedding Planner Series: Live Coaching Call with The Productionista (Part 2)

Join Megan for an inside look at her one-on-one coaching session with Carrie Gillard from Blue Poppy Events.  Carrie is a member of The Planner's Vault, where the doors open up next week (!) on Wednesday September 22nd, following a free webinar - "Charge More, Hustle Less." To sign up for the webinar (live at 12PM EST and then again at 8:30PM EST), visit Learn.ThePlannersVault.com/Workshop.   The Planner's Vault is the online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open (September 22nd!)   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

153: Wedding Planner Series: Live Coaching Call with Blue Poppy Events (Part 1)

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin answers 5 questions from the Weddings for Real Facebook Group, including how to hire your #2, how to raise your prices, and how to take steps to make your business full time. References: Episode 151: Creating a digital welcome guide Episode 145: Margeaux Fraise on leveraging Facebook Groups For more client experience tips, visit ThePlannersVault.com/clientexperience This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

152: Wedding Planner Series: 5 Tips to Grow Your Business

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin gives her 5 tips on how to set boundaries, ease anxiety, and build trust with new clients through a killer digital welcome guide. For more client experience tips, visit ThePlannersVault.com/clientexperience This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

151: All About Your Welcome Guide: My Top 5 Tips

As a wedding pro, you are the expert in your field. You have a knack for creating the most beautiful floral arrangements. You can run through a timeline in your sleep. You have an eye for a moment that others can’t match. Your clients hire you for your expertise. But you’re just one you, and no matter how much you build your team, you can’t reach everyone in the world who craves your knowledge and guidance. So have you thought of digitizing your expertise so you can make income on demand? The Contract Shop's Christina Scalera has, and she's here to give us her tips for how to get it done. Resource Mentioned: ThePlannersVault.com/SalesTips to help you nail each and every consult. This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

150: Turn your service into a money-making digital product, with Christina Scalera

When a couple finds your website or your social media presence, do they know right away why you’re unique?  Do they know what makes you special and different from all of the other vendors they’re looking at?  Or are you swimming in a sea of sameness? The same colors, the same vibe, the same general aesthetic that has been done over and over again in your market.  Amanda Bugden from Sea and Silk Wedding Planning gives her tips. @SeaAndSilkEvents This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

149: Wedding Pros - Do You Have a Market Niche?

In this solo episode, Megan Gillikin gives 3 actionable sales tips for incoming inquiries that you can try right now.  The wedding industry is currently in the midst of a wedding boom, and it's time for you to start turning more inquiries into paying clients. Sales Tips for Wedding Planners This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

148: 3 Sales Tips to Book More Weddings

As wedding pros, we’re dealing with a lot of stressful situations, and we need to be at our best when dealing with all of them. In some respects, being calm under pressure comes with years on the job, but even us season pros (and I’m definitely raising my hand here) can get stressed out and nervous. So what can we do?  Well, what better person to talk to about this than a former Olympian turned wedding planner Jessica Gelder with Shine Events in Scottsdale Arizona. Jessica on Instagram: @ShineEventsAZ @TheConfidentPlanner This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

147: Managing Wedding Day Stress from Event Planner (and Former Olympian!) Jess Gelder

The release of this episode marks the 11-year anniversary of Megan running her wedding planning business, A Southern Soiree. She's made every mistake and learned every lesson in those 11 years, and today she gives tips for whatever stage of business you're in - the foundation, the messy middle, and the expert.  Resources mentioned: Episode 143: Do You Need a Workcation? Yes You Do Episode 111: 10 Lessons from 10 Years in Business Episode 92: You Down with SOPs? This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

146: 11 years of business advice in less than 20 minutes

When you think about marketing your business with Facebook, most of us look at what kind of content we should be posting, whether or not to boost, whether or not Facebook ads work, and how much live video we should be putting out. But the fundamental goal is getting in front of more couples who need exactly what it is you do, right?  Well, Margaux Fraise is here to tell us that that's exactly what Facebook Groups provide! Course: Accelerate Your Wedding Biz with Facebook Groups (Don't forget to use code WFR37) Wedding Summit Series - Design Edition Margaux's previous appearance on Weddings for Real - Impactful Gifting Strategies This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Earfluence.

145: How Facebook Groups Can Help You Book More Couples, with Margaux Fraise

According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, before we can experience love, we need to feel safe and secure.  But with racial unrest, homophobia, a pandemic, and the "do we only invite guests who are vaccinated?" debates, unfortunately sometimes our couples and guests, and even us as vendors - we actually don't feel safe at all.  As wedding vendors, part of our job is to provide guidance and clear communication to our couples and guests that make them feel safe and secure… yet sometimes we just don’t have all that answers. Beth Kramer, wedding planner based in Portland Oregon Latest info on pandemic wedding planning Altared This episode is also brought to you by The Planner's Vault, my online membership site for wedding planners who are hungry to grow, ready to hustle, and actively seeking community and education. In the vault, there are guest experts on many topics relevant to growing and cultivating a successful event planning business with new content added consistently, plus all of my templates that I have built out over the years, like How to Get on Preferred Vendor Lists, The Client Experience, and more. The mission with the vault is to elevate the industry (along with some amazing experts and fellow entrepreneurs) and I want it to be affordable so it's possible to stay invested in the community and yourself for the long haul. The doors are currently closed for The Vault, but join the wait list now so you can be the first to know when the doors re-open.   Weddings for Real on Social Media: Instagram: @weddingsforreal Facebook: @weddingsforreal twitter: @weddingsforreal The host of the show is Megan Gillikin, owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning.  She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com. Weddings for Real is edited and produced by Jason Gillikin for Earfluence.

144: Tips for Handling Difficult Conversations in the Wedding Industry, with Beth Kramer

Real wedding vendors share their tips and tricks for surviving and thriving in this one of a kind industry. Hosted by Megan Gillikin of A Southern Soiree Wedding Planning, you'll hear guests share their secrets on marketing, the client experience, networking, community, sales, and more - and you might even hear some crazy wedding stories along the way!