Planner Life Podcast: Recent Episodes

Lindsay Ferguson & Heather Hoesch

Hi! We're Heather and Lindsay—wedding planners, business partners, and educators. We are passionate about helping you build a successful wedding planning business.

With more than a decade of business under our belts, there is a lot to share about the lessons we've learned (some that we really wish we knew back then). And our goal is to help you get the education and community you need to thrive in this unique career.

This podcast is a place for real conversations, real advice, and real support because we want to help elevate the entire wedding industry— and that starts with supporting you.

So join us along the way while we share entertaining stories, ah moments, tangible takeaways all to better not only your business but YOU.

Welcome to The Planner Life. Invite your planner bestie, subscribe today - talk to you soon!

Connect with Lindsay or Heather: @plannerlifeacademy www.lvlacademy.com

Hi planners!

If you're in the thick of wedding season, feeling overwhelmed, behind on emails, and struggling to find your rhythm, this one’s for you. In this episode, I’m sharing five gentle reminders I return to every year to help ground myself when the calendar is packed and the pressure is high.

This isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s a quick reset to help you breathe, refocus, and keep going. Whether you’re running on caffeine or adrenaline (or both!), I hope this episode reminds you that you’re not alone and that you’ve got this.

Tune in to hear about:

The power of prioritizing: how to sort your to-dos by what really matters right now
Why time-blocking and automation are your secret weapons during busy season
Small, non-negotiable ways to take care of yourself (no elaborate wellness plan required!)
What clear, concise communication really looks like and how to avoid ghosting your clients
The importance of staying connected to your community
How to show up for your marketing without burning out

Whether you’re feeling stretched thin or just need a little reminder that you’re doing enough, this one’s for you.

Happy planning!

xo, Heather

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course.

With over 20 years of experience, 900 weddings and events behind me, and having mentored planners for years, I took everything I’ve learned and poured it into one comprehensive online course. Whether you're just starting out or ready to level up, Planner Life Academy gives you the tools to build a sustainable, successful planning business—from systems and templates to client guidance and leadership.

The course includes 45 topics, 16+ hours of video lessons, and everything you need to grow with confidence.

Start today at plannerlifeacademy.com

Hi planners!

This week’s episode features a guest I’ve admired for years, Nancy Park of So Happi Together. Nancy is a Southern California native, a mom of four, and a powerhouse designer whose work centers on love, legacy, and joy. Together with her business partner Pae, Nancy plans heartfelt, luxury events that are full of intention and meaning.

Nancy shares her journey from academia to weddings (spoiler: it started with a blog before her own wedding!), her early nonprofit work, and how a deep respect for family and culture is at the core of everything she designs. We also talk about motherhood, imposter syndrome, choosing the right clients, and how to stay rooted when the world feels heavy.

This episode is full of warmth, honesty, and reminders to stay true to yourself and your purpose, even when others are loud about how they think you should show up.

Tune in to hear about:

Nancy’s academic background in communication and cultural studies and how it shapes her approach to planning
Her start in weddings (yep, it began with a blog!)
Building her business intentionally while raising four kids
Why she made her longtime collaborator, Pae, an official business partner and how that decision transformed their work
Boundaries, red flags, and how she filters for the right-fit clients
Her thoughts on posting (or not posting) during difficult world events, and how she processes and contributes in ways that feel aligned
The Asian American brands and traditions she proudly highlights in her work
Advice for planners trying to grow without losing themselves

If you’ve ever wondered how to balance motherhood and business, passion and practicality, or ambition and alignment - this episode is a must-listen.

xo, Heather

Connect with Nancy, So Happi Together

Website | Instagram

Mentions:

Meehee Hanbok
Ellen Nossi Bojagi
Cool Beans Bingsu
Rice Blossoms

If you missed the Mastering Management Workshop, the full template bundle is now available in the Planner Life Academy shop! This bundle includes 13 of my most-used templates designed to help you improve your services, streamline your coordination process, and elevate your client communication.

Use code PODCAST for $20 off, and grab it now at plannerlifeacademy.com/shop!

Hi Planners!

In this episode of the Planner Life Podcast, I’m diving deep into a phrase we’ve all heard, “Community Over Competition”, and turning it into something real, actionable, and transformative for your planning career and life. This mindset has shaped everything from my business growth to how I show up for others, and I want the same for you.

You'll hear me break down what this really means (spoiler: it’s not about playing small), why it matters so much in our industry, and how it can help you build deeper relationships, book better clients, and just feel less alone.

Plus, I’m sharing six specific ways you can start living out this mindset right now—no fluff, just real steps that build connection and community.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been in the game for years, this episode will challenge and encourage you to rethink how you engage with your peers, your business, and your purpose.

Tune in to hear about:

Why “Community Over Competition” doesn’t mean holding back
How scarcity vs. abundance mindsets show up in business
Six tangible ways to build community (even when you’re busy or nervous)
Simple reflection questions to help you shift your mindset and support others intentionally
The ripple effects this mindset has on clients, vendors, and your own energy

Let’s create the kind of industry we all want to be a part of—one small act at a time.

Happy planning!

xo, Heather

Want to take your coordination game to the next level? The full Mastering Management Workshop Template Bundle is now available at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com. Use code PODCAST for $20 off the complete bundle, which includes everything from initial email templates to vendor follow-up guides. This is your roadmap to better systems, smoother weddings, and more profitable coordination services.

Hi Planners!

In this episode, I sit down with the vibrant and adventurous Ali Phillips, Chief Wedding Orchestrator of Engaging Events by Ali. Named one of Chicago’s top wedding planners, Ali shares her journey from a fast-paced career in trucking logistics to becoming a celebrated name in luxury and destination weddings.

Ali opens up about:

Her adventurous childhood that sparked a love of travel
Pivoting careers at 29 after discovering wedding planning by chance
The lessons learned from early years navigating the Chicago market
Transitioning into the luxury and destination wedding world
Her honest advice for planners who want to break into high-end and international weddings
Why authenticity on social media really matters

Ali is warm, wise, and full of energy, and this conversation is packed with insights for anyone navigating the wedding industry. Whether you’re dreaming of destination weddings or just starting to define your voice, Ali’s story is a reminder that success doesn’t always follow a straight line — but it’s always worth the journey.

Happy planning!

xo, Heather

Connect with Ali, Engaging Events by Ali

Website | Instagram

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course.

With over 20 years of experience, 900 weddings and events behind me, and having mentored planners for years, I took everything I’ve learned and poured it into one comprehensive online course. Whether you're just starting out or ready to level up, Planner Life Academy gives you the tools to build a sustainable, successful planning business—from systems and templates to client guidance and leadership.

The course includes 45 topics, 16+ hours of video lessons, and everything you need to grow with confidence.

Start today at plannerlifeacademy.com

Hi Planners!

In today’s episode, I’m diving into the world of networking—but not the stiff, awkward kind that makes you want to turn the car around in the parking lot. This is all about meaningful, energizing, and actually enjoyable connections.

I’m sharing how one last-minute decision to show up at a networking event led to a Martha Stewart feature and a dream client—and how shifting my mindset around networking transformed my business (and my attitude). You’ll hear about common mistakes planners make when networking, the power of preparation and follow-up, and how generosity and curiosity can make you unforgettable in the best way.

Plus, I’m sharing my go-to formula for every event, practical to-do’s for your next industry meetup, and a personal challenge to help you network with more intention and joy.

What You’ll Learn:

Why networking isn’t optional in the wedding industry—and how to make it feel less transactional
The biggest networking mistakes (and how to avoid them)
My simple game plan for showing up with purpose
How to shift your mindset from “What can I get?” to “How can I give?”

Happy Planning!

xo, Heather

Want to take your coordination game to the next level? The full Mastering Management Workshop Template Bundle is now available at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com.

Use code PODCAST for $20 off the complete bundle, which includes everything from initial email templates to vendor follow-up guides.

Hi Planners!

In this episode, I sit down with Stacey Moran, the visionary founder of BTS Bride, a wedding content creation company that’s redefining how couples relive their wedding day. With a background in fashion, beauty, and social media marketing, Stacey launched BTS Bride after recognizing a gap in the wedding industry during her own wedding in 2022. Since then, her team has captured over 150 weddings and received accolades from Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and beyond.

We dive into:

The origin and evolution of BTS Bride—from supporting vendors to serving couples directly
What it means to be a behind-the-scenes content creator
The importance of educating couples and vendors on this emerging category
Navigating vendor dynamics on the wedding day and collaborating with photographers and videographers
Key questions planners should ask before hiring a content creator
The value of capturing organic moments, not just trendy content
Why I believe a dedicated content creator is becoming a must-have for every wedding
Stacey’s shift toward balance after rapid growth, and the systems she’s now using to protect her time

If you’re a planner curious about integrating content creators into your vendor team—or a couple wondering if this service is worth the investment—this episode is packed with valuable insights from one of the leaders in the space.

Happy planning!

xo, Heather

Connect with Stacey, BTS Bride

Website | Instagram

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course.

With over 20 years of experience, 900 weddings and events, and having mentored planners for years, I took everything I’ve learned and poured it into one comprehensive online course. Whether you're just starting out or ready to level up, Planner Life Academy gives you the tools to build a sustainable, successful planning business—from systems and templates to client guidance and leadership.

The course includes 45 topics, 16+ hours of video lessons, and everything you need to grow with confidence.

Start today at plannerlifeacademy.com

Hi Planners!

Today, we’re diving into a special topic that I’m so excited to share – a behind-the-scenes look at the Mastering Management Workshop and why coordination is more valuable than many planners realize.

If you’re looking to level up your wedding coordination services, streamline your processes, and boost your profits, this episode is for YOU.

In this Episode:

Why wedding coordination is a valuable service and not just a stepping stone.
How coordination can improve your profitability and flexibility as a planner.
Highlights from the recent Mastering Management Workshop, including hands-on learning, expert panels, and practical skills.
The importance of clear boundaries and well-defined services to prevent burnout and maximize efficiency.
Why mastering communication, processes, and client relationships is the key to a successful coordination business.

Workshop Highlights:

Real stories from planners at all stages, from startups to seasoned pros.
Hands-on sessions covering everything from client onboarding to wedding day execution.
Expert insights from top industry professionals, including mastering sales, creating high-value packages, and perfecting client communication.
Fun, connection, and networking with planners from across the country.

Want to take your coordination game to the next level? The full Mastering Management Workshop Template Bundle is now available at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com/. Use code PODCAST for $20 off the complete bundle, which includes everything from initial email templates to vendor follow-up guides.

Happy Planning!

xo, Heather

Connect with all of the vendors mentioned in today’s podcast:

Planning & Workshop Host - Planner Life Academy: Website | Instagram
Education Coordinator - Blissfully Styled: Website | Instagram
Design Coordinator - Infinite Love Events: Website | Instagram
Venue - Venue by Three Petals: Website | Instagram
Floral Design & Floral Instructor - Heavenly Blooms: Instagram
Rentals - Signature Party Rentals: Website | Instagram
Rentals - Found Rental Co.: Website | Instagram
Linens - BBJ La Tavola Fine Linen: Website | Instagram
Photography - Kate Noelle Photography: Website | Instagram
Video - Scrap Media: Website | Instagram
Content - Content by Hoo: Website | Instagram
Stationery - Paper Cliche: Website | Instagram
Signage - Ultimate Design: Website | Instagram
Backdrop & Styling Mats - Chasing Stone: Website | Instagram
Dessert - Cake Boutique Bakery: Website | Instagram
Beauty - Design Visage: Website | Instagram
Planner Life Ambassador - CMG Events: Website | Instagram
Planner Life Ambassador - Valentina Weddings and Events: Website | Instagram
Planner Life Ambassador - Pivotal Events: Website | Instagram
Workshop Partners - Sunday Muse Design: Website | Instagram
Workshop Partners - Aisle Planner: Website | Instagram
Workshop Partners - Sourced Co: Website | Instagram
Workshop Partners - Lauren Grove Interactive: Website | Instagram
Workshop Partners - Friar Tux: Website | Instagram
Panelist - Engaged Events: Website | Instagram
Panelist - 24 Carrots: Website | Instagram
Panelist - Hilton Waterfront Resort: Website | Instagram
Instructor - Chynna Pope Atelier: Website | Instagram

Hi planners, welcome to this week's episode. It's one that is equal parts laughter as it is filled with nuggets of insight. Meet my next guest, Fallon Carter.

Fallon is the founder and creative director of Fallon Carter Events. She has been named one of the top wedding planners in the world by Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and Brides Magazine. Fallon is well known for connecting southern hospitality with international luxury.

As you'll hear in this episode, Fallon's journey began after helping a friend with her three-day Paris wedding. Fallon soon fell in love with the organization, logistics, and the process of planning. So she left law school and began the life of an entrepreneur, launching Fallon Carter Events in New York in 2012. Finding the joy in adventure, travel, and alfresco dining, Fallon leaned into the destination, events, and experiences.

In this conversation, you'll hear how incredibly natural it is for Fallon that she focuses on destination events and how travel is a massive part of her life, including how she's taking this year to live a nomad life in Japan, Mexico, France, Angola, and more. But one of the most interesting things about our conversation is that despite being well-known, well-respected, and highly sought after, she too struggles with perfectionism and negative self-talk. We dive into that a bit and I'm so appreciative of Fallon's honesty. We also talk about how crucial relationships and referrals are to her success and how after many conversations with planners seeking advice, Fallon has started officially offering advice for those looking to learn from her, her experience that has so often been learned the hard way.

In this episode:

Fallon Carter specializes in destination weddings and event planning.
Her first wedding experience in Paris ignited her passion for planning.
Networking and referrals were crucial in her early career.
She emphasizes the importance of having a financial safety net when starting a business.
Fallon did not seek formal education but learned through experience and mentorship.
Perfectionism and self-critique are ongoing challenges for her.
Destination planning is both thrilling and stressful due to various challenges.
She believes in the power of community and sharing knowledge among planners.
Fallon reflects on the importance of learning from mistakes in her career.
Her journey highlights the significance of finding one's unique strengths in event planning. Resourcefulness is key in destination weddings.
Understanding client needs is crucial for successful planning.
The ideal client trusts the planner and focuses on the marriage.
Word of mouth is the best marketing strategy.
Diversifying business can create new revenue streams.
Mentorship can provide valuable insights and guidance.
Every conversation can lead to mutual learning and growth.
Future plans should align with personal passions and interests.
Simplicity in weddings can be refreshing and meaningful.

Connect with Fallon:

Fallon Carter Events

https://falloncarterevents.com/

https://www.instagram.com/falloncarterevents

Podcast - The We Do Collective

https://www.instagram.com/thewedocollective/

Hi Planners! Recently I have been getting a lot of questions from planners about streamlining their inquiry process. The pros and cons or offering a few options or more limited options. How to suss out if the client is the right fit and so much more. It got me thinking about one of my favorite topics - the green or red flag system for evaluating if clients are a good fit for you.

So today’s episode is just that. Entitled Green Flag vs Red Flag Inquiries.

I’ll walk you through what this process is, how you can adapt it, what an important tool it is and when you should use it.

In this Episode:

Streamlining the inquiry process is essential for planners.
The green flag and red flag system helps evaluate client fit.
Not every inquiry should lead to a booking.
Reflect on past clients to identify ideal fits.
Create a personalized flag system for better decision-making.
Consider emotional and statistical factors in evaluations.
Yellow flags indicate flexible considerations in client fit.
Improving the sales process enhances quality of life.
Tweak the flag system as your business evolves.
Different service levels require tailored flag systems.

Ready to book more clients? Get my Sales Call Template available now. OR want to get the ful Mastering Management Template Bundle? Use code PODCAST for $20 off the bundle.

Happy Planning!

xo, Heather

Hi planners! Welcome to this week’s episode. I have something special for you and I am really excited to share it. We recorded live the Planner Panel from the Mastering Management workshop. My guests are both returning to the podcast - Christine Garrison owner of CMG Events and Candice Sanders of Engaged Events.

In addition to a great conversation, you can hear a bit about what the conversations are like at our workshops. If you want to learn more about Wedding Management, be sure to be on the lookout for the new Management Template Bundle launching soon!

In this episode:

Budget conversations are inherently challenging and require clear communication.
It's essential to set realistic budget expectations with clients from the start.
Coordination should be the foundational step for anyone entering the wedding planning industry.
Feedback from clients and vendors is crucial for building confidence in your work.
Identifying green flags in clients can lead to more successful collaborations.
Team dynamics are crucial in event planning.
Hiring should focus on trust and brand representation.
Experience in various styles enhances planning skills.
Building relationships is key to business success.
Clear communication sets expectations with clients.
Balancing motherhood and work requires strong boundaries.
Support networks are essential for entrepreneurs.
Logistics should take precedence over aesthetics.
Patience is vital for long-term success in planning.
Establishing clear office hours helps manage client expectations.
Establishing clear protocols helps manage expectations.
Building relationships with vendors is crucial for business growth.
Coordination services can be a distinct brand offering.
The wedding planning industry is evolving with new roles.
Pricing strategies should reflect the value of services offered.
Upselling can create additional revenue streams.
Finding your niche allows for mastery in your field.
You can successfully offer both coordination and planning services.

Happy Planning!

Xo, Heather

Hi planners! Today I want to talk about one of the biggest struggles that every planner faces. I want to share with you one of the main reasons planners come to Planner Life Academy. Now these planners might be coaching with me, they might be taking the online course, or they might be attending an in-person workshop. But what seems to be universal when I ask these planners why they are here...one of the most common answers is to improve their confidence.

So let's talk about confidence. Let's talk about the steps we know can improve confidence.

In this episode:

Focus on your strengths.
Set achievable goals.
Practicing positive self talk.
Celebrate your accomplishments.
Step outside your comfort zone.
Take care of your mind and body.
Avoid comparison to others.
Confidence in who you are as a person.
Confidence in who you are as a planner.
Confidence in what you bring to the table.

I hope this helps you boost your confidence!

Happy Planning! Ready to learn more?! Visit plannerlifeacademy.com.

Hi planners, welcome to a solo episode today about the new year and the new feelings that come with it.

In this episode:

How I push my new year start to February.
The steps that I take to reset for this next chapter of life and business.
What about the way we get to reset each year.
How when you take the time to reflect and start fresh, you get to improve your personal and professional life in a really meaningful way.

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressful and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

Join me each week! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you will never miss an episode.

Keep the conversation going and get more free content, info on upcoming workshops and more over on @plannerlifeacademy and @plannerlifepodcast on Instagram. I love to see your tags and reposts of the episodes you are enjoying!

Ready to up level your wedding planning business? There are so many resources available for you at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com/.

Be well and happy planning!

Hi planners! Meet my next guest, Holly Gray.

Founder and CEO of Anything But Gray Events, Holly Gray is a Los Angeles, California second generation wedding planner and community builder. As you'll learn, Holly is a former stage manager of theater, TV, improv, and she brings a fearlessly theatrical perspective and unique skill set to the event industry.

Holly is known for her use of color, creativity, and bold design aesthetics. Anything but great events weddings look and feel as unique and out of the box as the couples they are crafted for. Holly's work has been featured in Equally Wed, Green Wedding Shoes, Offbeat Bride, Black Bride Magazine, Love, Inc. Magazine, The Knot, California Wedding Day, Rock and Roll Bride, and more.

One of the many reasons I have admired Holly for a long time is her devotion to inclusivity, diversity, and she's vocal about planning weddings for ALL couples in love. We talk about that passion and how it fuels her voice for change in the wedding industry. Holly is the WIPA National Director of Membership Retention and is also a mentor of The Knot’s Fellowship of Change Program.

You will quickly learn in this episode how impressive and inspiring Holly's drive is to be herself. She shares how humor and improv have helped her find her voice and how after a few years into owning her own company, she realized by embracing who she is, what she loves would really allow her to create a brand and a company that is exactly where she should be.

Holly shares the importance of strategic networking and not being afraid to ask, how can I help you to venues and vendors that you align with. I hope in listening to this conversation, you're inspired to continue to tweak and pivot your company and your brand to be a more authentic representation of you.

Connect with Holly Gray

Website | Instagram

Meet my next guest, Jessica Upton.

Jessica Upton is the owner of J. Upton Travel, a Austin, Texas based company that partners with wedding planners to manage all things travel for weddings and destination events.

With over a decade of experience as a wedding planner herself, Jessica knows firsthand the challenges planners face when it comes to group travel, room blocks, and hotel contracts. She works closely with planners to source the best hotels, negotiate favorable terms, and provide ongoing support to ensure a smooth travel experience for both clients and their guests. Jessica's goal is to take the stress out of the travel planning process so planners can really focus on creating the perfect event for their couples.

As you will hear, Jessica worked at a wedding venue as a hotel catering sales manager and then owned her own planning company for 12 years. It was during that time she realized she didn't want to be a planner forever. She started to dip into travel by supporting her couples in room block management, destination travel management, airport travel, airport transfers, and honeymoons. It was then she realized she would need to pick a lane and J. Upton travel was it.

I love hearing Jessica's story and insight as she educates us on the difference between a travel agent and a travel advisor. She shares more about how planners can and should have a few travel advisors to lean on for room blocks, honeymoon referrals.

But most of all, planners should have a trusted partner to help support your couple and their guests at destination weddings. Please enjoy my conversation with Jessica Upton.

In this episode, we discuss:

Travel advisors and wedding planners can work together effectively.
Jessica transitioned from wedding planning to travel due to personal experiences.
The pandemic significantly impacted the wedding industry and planning.
Modern travel advisors offer personalized services beyond just booking.
Collaboration is key for successful destination weddings.
Travel advisors can help alleviate stress for couples planning honeymoons.
It's important to find a travel advisor that specializes in desired destinations.
Building relationships with travel advisors can enhance service quality.
Travel advisors can provide valuable insights into hotel logistics.
The travel industry is evolving, and planners should adapt accordingly.

Connect with Jessica

Website | Instagram

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressful and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

Join me each week! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you will never miss an episode.

Keep the conversation going and get more free content, info on upcoming workshops and more over on @plannerlifeacademy and @plannerlifepodcast on Instagram. I love to see your tags and reposts of the episodes you are enjoying!

Ready to up level your wedding planning business? There are so many resources available for you at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com/.

Be well and happy planning!

xo, Heather

Happy New Year! Meet my next guest, Ashley Thompson.

Ashley Thompson is a Las Vegas native who started Ashley Creative Events in 2017. As you'll hear in this episode, Ashley found her passion for events at a very young age when she was inspired by the events her mom would plan and host. Ashley knew weddings were the end game and she carefully created a resume to learn every bit of the event industry until she found her way to starting her own business.

Today, Ashley leads her company as the owner and creative director. She focuses on understanding her clients' priorities and carefully crafting the intentional touches and moments that reflect their vision. Ashley Creative Events has been featured in Martha Stewart, Brides, People, Style Me Pretty, Inside Weddings, The Knot, and more.

Ashley's never stop learning attitude included Planner Life Academy online course, which is when I was introduced to her and her brand. Watching her grow, evolve, and shine over the years has quickly turned me into an Ashley Creative fan.

Ashley's passion for events and love for hospitality are so evident in the events she produces. In our conversation, she mentions what an absolute honor it is to be someone's planner. And she talks about how saying yes early on in her career and even still today have had such a positive impact.

We chat about bringing on a full-time right hand and the massive turning point that was for her business. We chat about percentage-based pricing and we talk about what planners should wear at the luxury, ultra luxury level.

Please enjoy my conversation with Ashley Thompson.

Connect with Ashley Creative Events

Instagram | Website

Hello & Happy Holidays! It is with so much gratitude that I share the final podcast episode of 2024.

As we close out this incredible year together, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the wins, the lessons, and the moments that shaped this year. So when I look back at these last 12 months, they were definitely a journey. A journey filled with highs and lows. A journey where I, of course, had this idea and these goals of what my year would look like. And like most years, it wasn't even close. And in so many ways, this year was better than I could have imagined. And in many ways, there were more challenges and some heartbreak I didn't see coming.

Please enjoy this brief episode looking back at my 2024.

My holiday wish is that you would leave a review, share the podcast with a friend, and be sure to share your favorite episodes on socials.

Always here cheering you on!

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year & Happy Planning!!

XO, Heather

There are a few seats left for the first 2025 workshop,

sign up for the January 21st & 22nd, Workshop HERE.

Let’s start the year together and make sure it’s your best season yet!!

Hi planners! Before I introduce you to my next guest, I wanted to make sure that you heard that the new PlannerLifeAcademy.com is live! I am beyond excited for you to see it, and more importantly, the four new workshops for 2025, including the first one in January, which is Mastering Management, a Wedding Coordination and Wedding Day-focused 2-day in-person workshop.

Be sure to check out the site for more info and to grab your seat before they're gone!

Now, my next guest is Natalie Good. Known for being a creative force behind A Good Affair, Natalie began her passion for design as a young girl. She was always exploring through art, painting, drawing, and design. Paired with her desire to find any reason to bring friends together for a party, it's no surprise that A Good Affair was born.

For Natalie, being able to combine her two passions to become one of Orange County's most sought after event designers is a dream come true. Since starting A Good Affair, Natalie has grown to now only taking on full service design and production. Natalie has a way of creating a concept from nothing into a fully detailed celebration that wows at every turn. While creativity and vision are essential at any good affair event,the production and execution are what truly set it apart.

Natalie's an Orange County based planner as well. So we've known each other for a very long time. It's fun to get to have a conversation like this. As you will hear, we share a background in catering and love for animals.

Natalie shares how really getting an understanding of her strengths and weaknesses have helped her build a strong team.She talks about her love for florals and how much her business has grown and changed over the years. She shares so much advice and insight.

In this Episode:

Meet Natalie Good: A Journey in Event Planning
Early Influences and Creative Beginnings
Navigating Education and Career Choices
Finding Passion in Event Management
The Evolution of Event Planning
From Florals to Full-Service Planning
Building a Team and Brand Awareness
The Journey to Ultra Luxury Events
Embracing Fearlessness in Design

Connect with Natalie Good, A Good Affair

Website | Instagram

My next guest is Thomas Bui. Thomas is the founder and creative director of Thomas Bui Lifestyle, a San Diego based company. With 24 years of experience producing weddings and events, Thomas and his team have worked in Italy, France, England, Asia, and Mexico.

Thomas Bui Lifestyle has been featured in Martha Stewart weddings, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Brides to name a few. Thomas also guests lectures at universities on the business of luxury weddings.

I've known Thomas for a long time and it was so fun to have this conversation today. We talk about how early childhood experiences inform his love for fashion and dressing to impress. How he formerly had another career that was more of a family business and that he pivoted to pursue event planning back when it was far less popular.

We talk about how important confidence is and how much he loves challenges of new destinations. We talk about the extreme expectations that luxury and ultra luxury clients have. And we talk about our love-hate relationship with perfection. At the end, he gives me probably one of the kindest compliments describing me in a way I would hope to be perceived by my peers. It's a good reminder of how impactful being a cheerleader in this industry can be.

Key takeaways from this episode:

There are seasons in life where balance is achieved.
Community over competition is essential in the event planning industry.
Knowledge is power; sharing ideas helps everyone grow.
Attention to detail can make or break an event.
Destination weddings offer unique challenges and rewards.
Confidence is crucial for success in event planning.
You must adapt to different seasons in your business.
Building a strong team is challenging but necessary.
Experience is key to gaining confidence in planning.
You have to charge your worth to sustain your business.

Connect with Thomas

Instagram | Website

Hi planners, my next guest is Erica Adams. Erica is an event producer and the creative mind behind Erica Adams Design. With over seven years of experience, she specializes in crafting memorable weddings and a variety of other events from corporate gatherings to brand activations. Known for her meticulous attention to detail and innovative approach, Erica brings a unique vision to every celebration she produces.

Erica has been named top planner by Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings, and her work has been featured in People and Essence.

I have been a big fan of Erica's over the last few years and was so excited to chat with her! In this episode, we talk about how her work experience was building the foundation for this career without her even realizing. We talk about how her health played a pivotal role in her career path and how hard COVID was when she was trying to build a new planning business. She's candid about some of the privilege she had in that season that really allowed her to be strategic about her next moves.

And we talk about how important relationships are and how they continue to be for her success. Erica shares how an unexpected referral turned out to be an NBA client and how she's now the go -to for many athletes and high profile couples. One of my favorite things about this conversation is how Erica shares advice on shadowing other vendors and having a never stop learning attitude. Please enjoy my conversation with Erica Adams.

Connect with Erica

Website | Instagram

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressfull and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

Hi Planners, Heather here to share some exciting updates about Planner Life Academy, in this episode, I am reflecting on the past 12 years and announcing a new website that better represents my goals as an educator and mentor. I am excited to introduce four new focused workshops planned for 2025, aimed at helping wedding planners improve their skills and business practices. The new format allows for deeper exploration of essential topics, fostering community growth and support among planners. Give this qucik episode a listen and then check out the NEW plannerlifeacademy.com.

My next guest is Reagan Kerr of Reagan Events. With years of experience managing luxury events worldwide, Regan accepted her first client in 2012 and Reagan Events was born. Today, Reagan leads the firm as creative director and executive producer and is involved in the overall management of each event. She plays an integral role in the design origination and curates vendor teams for each client.

Reagan believes no dream is too big or detail too small. She appreciates thoughtful design and impeccable service. Reagan's greatest inspiration stems from the love she sees in others. She strives to create beautifully tailored memories worthy of the milestone being celebrated and is deeply fulfilled watching the joy of her clients as they live the experience she has shaped for them. Reagan is the sweetest, most open, and as you'll learn, highly experienced planner.

She's easy to talk with, learn from, and I'm honored to call her a new friend. In this episode, we talk about how a professor in college gave Reagan perfectly timed advice, how she worked in smaller industry jobs to get more experience, and then landed a job with a big planner that helped her build her experience and confidence to start her own company. Over the years, life and business have changed for Reagan, and she shares insight into pushing forward, even when it's hard, setting boundaries, and chasing your dreams.

In this episode:

Reagan's journey began with a passion for wedding planning from a young age.
The importance of mentorship and learning from experienced planners.
Navigating the challenges of being valued in the wedding industry.
The significance of building strong vendor relationships.
Emphasizing the need for a solid money mindset in business.
The impact of personal struggles on professional growth.
Innovative services can create new opportunities in the wedding industry.
The importance of sharing your goals with others.
Advice for aspiring planners to start at the level they want to end up.
The value of authenticity and real connections in the wedding industry.

Connect with Reagan Events

Instagram | Website

And listen to her podcast Wine Me Dine Me

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressful and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

My next guest is Adrienna McDermott of Ava And The Bee. As a former wedding professional and current agency owner who has served over 250 vendors around the world, Adrienna is a sought-after thought leader in the world of wedding marketing and strategy. After spending many years as a bridal boutique owner, wedding planner, and florist, she intimately understands the challenges that vendors face in the always-changing digital world and how important it is to stand out from the rest.

Ava & the Bee, is the in-house marketing studio for wedding professionals ready for inclusive, results-driven marketing that creates freedom in their business and cultivates a client connection and experience before they even speak with you.

In this episode Adrienna shares her story and how she got an early start by leaping into a wedding business and partnership. She shares how an impactful moment in her life led her to shift gears and how Ava and the Bee was born.

As I am sure you can tell by the guests we have on here, I love experts that are or were formerly planners. I think it’s so helpful for us all to hear their stories and to learn from experts that really understand the unique struggles the wedding industry faces so you have solutions to those challenges as well as the advice and insight into how to improve your business strategies.

In this episode:

Adrienna’s Story
Balancing the Client Experience and Business Strategy
Reinventing Yourself in the Wedding Industry
The Importance of Supportive Wedding Community
Starting a Marketing Agency for Wedding Professionals
The Importance of a Strong Website
Building Trust and Consistent Messaging
Advice for Planners at Different Stages
Leveraging Your Vendor Network
Services Offered by Adrienna's Agency, Ava & the Bee

Connect with Ava and the Bee

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

DIY Website & Social Media Audit

https://avaandthebee.myflodesk.com/website-audit

Today's episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course.

What is the most important thing to do when you want to become a successful wedding planner?

Whether you're just starting out or you're ready to level up, these questions constantly creep in. How can I charge more? How do I book more clients? How can I do this better? This must not be this hard. Everybody else seems to be doing better than me. I've been there.

And I've learned so many things the hard way so that you don't have to. The thing is, the path to overcoming doubt is different for everyone, and you can't Google your way to success. I have done over 900 weddings and events, and I've learned so many ways to improve my customer experience, organization, design skills, and wedding day process.

And after years of hosting in -person workshops for planners, we created an online course so planners can learn what they need to succeed from the comfort of their own home.

If you want to do this, you can, and we're here to show you how.

And this just isn't any wedding planner certification. It's everything I have learned over the last 20 years poured into an easy to learn online course that will teach you how to start your business, implement processes. How to create templates, how to guide your clients through each and every step of planning, how to be a great leader, and more importantly, how to build a great reputation so that you can build a sustainable wedding business.

The Planner Life Academy online course is 45 topics, over 16 hours of video lessons, and all of our templates to help you make immediate upgrades to your business.

Friend, please stop doubting that you have what it takes to succeed.

Get everything you need to build your career as a professional wedding planner.

Visit plannerlifeacademy.com to start today.

Meet my next guest, Katie Webb Brundige of the powerhouse company, Intertwined Inc.

Katie brings a wealth of experience to the table as an entrepreneur with 18 plus years of experience in hospitality, events and design. She specializes in full service luxury event planning, overseeing everything from production and curated design to vendor coordination and executing multi -day experiences.

Her keen eye for refined aesthetics and unwavering attention to detail allows for her to craft unique spaces and creative displays for weddings, galas, and charity functions locally, nationally, and worldwide. She received her bachelor's degree in hospitality and tourism management with an emphasis in event management from San Diego State University. Postgraduate, she served as a meeting coordinator in planning events for three Fortune 500 companies.

Currently, she's the co -founder of Intertwined Inc., which consists of brands Intertwined Events, Become Intertwined, Reserve, and RadCamp, which is an incredible nonprofit that supports those with developmental disabilities.

As planners with a similar career timeline in the same Orange County market, I've had the pleasure of a front row seat to the impressive company Katie and her business partner, Megan, have built. If you're a planner really wanting to build a strong brand, a strong reputation, and a big team, here is someone you should definitely look up to. I'm honored to call her a colleague, a peer, and a friend.

In this episode we discuss:

Volunteering, and the impact that had on her life and career.
Katie’s background in Corporate Event Planning.
Intertwined Inc and it’s growth and evolution over the years.
Growing a team, hiring and team culture.
Developing systems and processes, especially during downtime, can help streamline operations and ensure a smooth workflow.
Finding balance as a business owner is challenging but important.
Running a wedding planning business requires treating it like a business.
Transparency, trust, and ethical practices are crucial in the wedding planning industry.
Raising prices is necessary for growth.
Networking and building relationships are key to growing a wedding planning business.

Connect with Katie

@intertwinedkatie | @intertwinedevents | @radcamp

Intertwined Events | Become Intertwined | Reserve

My next guest is Alison Lesser Keck. Alison and her husband Bryan are the owners and brilliant minds behind Alison-Bryan Destinations. Alison is a San Francisco and Santa Barbara native who has produced over 400 weddings, from exquisite gatherings in private estates to massive weekends to week long productions in destinations globally. Alison and Bryan have been recognized by Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Brides, Over the Moon, and Elle Magazine as one of the top wedding planners in the world.

In this episode, Alison and I discuss how she and Bryan got an early start in five -star hospitality that really set them on a path for luxury -experienced focused weddings. We talk about the importance of building strong relationships, how destination weddings require a passion for travel and logistics, how having systems in place is essential for scaling a wedding planning business. We talk about how faking it till you make it is actually terrible advice and how important it is to set boundaries and take care of your own wellbeing to avoid burnout. We talk about how many years of experience reinforces our belief that trust and connections with clients are absolutely imperative to create unique and personalized experiences.

In this episode:

The Journey to Destination Weddings
Scaling the Business and the Role of Systems
The Dynamics of Working as a Team
Moving from Michigan to Santa Barbara
The Importance of Being a Traveler in Destination Planning
Navigating Different Cultures and Customs
Staffing Strategies for Destination Weddings
Evolving Your Business and Setting Boundaries
Creating Trust and Personalized Experiences for Clients

Favorite takeaways:

Building strong relationships is crucial in the wedding planning industry.
Pivoting to destination weddings requires a passion for travel and logistics.
Having systems in place is essential for scaling a wedding planning business.
Understanding cultural nuances is important when planning destination weddings. Start small and specialize in a specific destination to build knowledge and expertise.
Respect and understand local customs and practices when working in different cultures.
Build a core team that has been with you for years and hire locals for specific tasks.
Set boundaries and take care of your own well-being to avoid burnout.
Build trust and connections with clients to create unique and personalized experiences.

Connect with Alison-Bryan Destinations

Website | Instagram

My next guest is Kelley Gilster. Kelley is a cinematographer based in Southern California. She runs 618 studios with her husband, Paul, and this year they celebrate their 14th year in business. Kelley and Paul and I have been fortunate to work together numerous times over the years and really grew up in the industry together. They have supported planner life through speaking and helping produce the online course and testimonials.

After over a decade in the industry, Kelley has become an educator alongside her business partner, Taylor Petrinovich, a Napa based videographer over at the Level Up Co. Kelley and Taylor teach photographers and filmmakers how to elevate their businesses to successfully break out the mainstream market and into the luxury wedding market.

It was so fun to bring this conversation to the podcast as Kelley and I often chat about the industry, best practices and share insight into what we learned from our events and our education platforms.

In this episode, Kelley shares how a specific class in high school set her on this path to wedding filmmaking and how as high school sweethearts and newlyweds, Kelley and Paul have always been a team. I love how Kelley shares how she edited their wedding video and then 618 Studios was born. Kelley gives great perspective on what up and coming video and photo might be learning as they shift to working more with planners.

Kelley shares such great insight like advice for planners on educating couples on the deliverables unique to wedding films. She shares when and how you can help set up your video team for success throughout the wedding day. We chat changes in the industry, new trends, and Kelley shares her reason for becoming an educator.

In this episode, we discuss:

Kelly's Journey in the Wedding Industry
Starting and Growing the Business
Outgrowing Markets and Pricing
Recognizing When to Move On
Planners as Matchmakers
Portfolio and Ideal Client Avatar
Understanding Video Deliverables
Timing and Wedding Day Schedule
Optimizing Timing for Pre-Ceremony Activities
The Importance of Dedicated Time for Filmmakers
Building Relationships Between Planners and Filmmakers
Educating Filmmakers for Success in the Luxury Market

Connect with Kelley

Kelley’s IG | 618 Studios | Level Up Co | Westmade Films

618 Studios Website | Level Up Co Website

This episode is supported by Sunday Muse Design.

We know that you are knee-deep in wedding planning chaos, juggling a million details and striving to make every moment perfect. Not to mention trying to navigate and puzzle-piece together overlapping timelines while simultaneously consoling stressed-out clients. Safe to say... you're busy.

Here's the thing: Shannon from Sunday Muse Design knows what that feels like. She remembers the whirlwind of coordinating everything down to the tiniest detail. And the one thing that always felt like an extra burden? Managing her own brand and website.

Shannon took her love for design and her understanding of the wedding industry and founded Sunday Muse Design. They offer custom web design, brand identity, and SEO services tailored specifically for wedding planners and creatives. They actually understand the challenges you face, and they're here to make your online presence effortless and effective.

If you're ready to elevate your brand and website, visit sundaymusedesign.com or find them on Instagram @sundaymusedesign. And be sure to mention that you heard about Sunday Muse Design through the Planner Life Podcast can get 10% off any Sunday Muse Design service booked.

Heather and Karen are back again with an Ask Me Anything episode answering your most pressing questions.

In this episode we answer the following questions from planners:

My 2024 season has been so weird. How can I try to have a better 2025?
What do you think the best part time job is while I am building my new business?
I see people getting invited to all of these events, but I never seem to make the list. How do I change that to be included?
Do you think it’s okay to offer discounts?
I have increased my prices but now I can’t seem to book anything. My leads all feel like they are price shopping. HELP.
I am having such a hard time finding good day of assistant help. What is your advice?
Hi, I want to get into planning. What are planners looking for in hiring for their team?
When do you feel like you’ve “made it”?
How to figure out color schemes for couples?
Where do you find inspiration?
Why are potential clients ghosting me?
How do I build a good reputation?
What is one of the worst things you have done in your business?
What is one of the best things you have done in your business?

Thank you to everyone for submitting your questions!

Want to submit your questions?! We would love to continue the conversation on our next ask my anything episode. Feel free to DM me on @plannerlifepodcast on Instagram or

Email hello@plannerlifeacademy.com

This week’s guest is Sara Dunn of Sara Does SEO.

Sara Dunn is the Wedding SEO Specialist for wedding planners, photographers, venues, and other wedding professionals who want their websites to rank higher on Google.

With a knack for making SEO easy to understand, she’s created a unique Wedding SEO Framework that simplifies what it takes to get your wedding business in front of your dream clients.

Sara has been featured by Honeybook, Special Events, and NACE. She was named a WeddingPro educator for 2023 and has presented to audiences including WeddingPro, WIPA, Wedding MBA, and Two Bright Lights.

In the last year, her framework has helped over 1 million searchers find the wedding pros and advice they’re looking for. If you’re ready to reach rockstar status on Google, Sara’s ready to be your geeky best friend that shows you how it’s done.

I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did. Admittedly, I know very little about SEO and I was so thrilled to be able to speak with Sarah and ask the questions that I've always had. And boy, does she deliver with great advice and action steps for us. It's the kind of episode where I hope you feel more excited about the knowledge rather than overwhelmed about this topic that often is so daunting.

In this episode:

SEO is essential for wedding planners and vendors to improve their online visibility and attract potential clients.
Understanding what people are searching for and using their language in website content is crucial for effective SEO.
Blogging, particularly venue spotlights, can significantly improve search engine rankings and showcase expertise.
Consistency in blogging is not as important as the quality of the content. Having educational content, such as blog posts, on your website is valuable for attracting and converting potential clients.
Ranking for specific keywords is not the only path to success in SEO. Ranking for venue names and advice articles can also drive website traffic.
Creating a strategic list of blog post topics related to your location can showcase your expertise and attract potential clients.
Not every planner needs to do SEO. It depends on your goals, growth plans, and target market.
Expanding into new markets through SEO can be challenging, and it is important to have local connections and resources to establish authority.
Optimizing the home page of your website with a specific keyword is crucial for SEO success.
Not every page on your website needs to be SEO-optimized. Focus on strategic optimization rather than trying to optimize every page.
When hiring a web designer for SEO services, ask specific questions about what they will do and manage your expectations.
Check website statistics and use Google Search Console to evaluate the performance of blog posts and understand what keywords they are ranking for.

Sara Does SEO Website

Use code PLANNERLIFE20 for 20% OFF the SEO BOOTCAMP

Connect with Sara on Instagram

Join Sara’s Free monthly SEO Lunch & Learn: https://saradoesseo.com/learn/

Embracing Inclusivity and Creativity with Jove Meyer

This week’s guest is Jove Meyer, Jove Meyer, Owner and Creative Director of Jove Meyer Events. Jove is a prominent figure in the wedding planning industry, known for his vibrant and inclusive approach to events. Jove shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a celebrated wedding planner, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity, creativity, and authenticity in the wedding industry.

Jove Meyer is a true visionary of joy for the spaces we call home and the ones that house life's biggest moments. He crafts a vivid colorful world inspired by his clients who dare to be different. Known for bold colors, patterns and unique designs, Jov's work in events and interiors has been featured in Vogue, Domino, the New York Times, the Magnolia Network and Rachel Ray Magazine.

Harper's Bazaar, Brides and Over the Moon have named him one of the top wedding planners in the world. You may catch Jov on Good Morning America or recently the Today Show, as well as read his new column in The Knot Magazine. We didn't get a chance to talk about it, but Jove is also the host of a popular podcast, Weddings -ish with Jove.

We dive into this more in the episode, but Jove has really set out to build a global design firm antithetical to his conservative and rigid upbringing by encouraging authenticity, celebrating diversity, and empowering marginalized communities. He is a fierce advocate and someone I really look up to. Jove shares about his ally pledge that he requires all creative partners to sign, vowing them to choose love over hate.

In this Episode:

Jove reflects on his early career and the influences that shaped his path.
The challenges he faced and the perseverance required to establish his own business.
How his passion and hustle kept his career growing and evolving.
Memorable moments and milestones in his career, including working with high-profile clients.
Jove discusses his approach to wedding planning, focusing on personalization and attention to detail.
The significance of understanding and interpreting clients' visions to create unique and unforgettable events.
Anecdotes from some of his most remarkable weddings, highlighting creativity and innovation.
Jove shares the story behind his Ally Pledge and its evolution.
The necessity of promoting inclusivity and diversity in the wedding industry.
Real-life experiences that underscored the importance of standing up against discrimination and hate.
The value of following one's passion and starting small.
Encouragement to embrace creativity and take risks in design and planning.

"If you have a calling, a passion, if there's a voice telling you to do something, you have to listen to it." - Jove Meyer

Connect with Jove Meyer

Jove Meyer Events

@jovemeyer

Weddings-ish with Jove

Today’s guests are the sister duo from Details Darling. A full circle moment for all three planners as Aubrey and Kenzie came to Planner Life Academy early on in their career and it’s been so fun to watch them grow.

Aubrey and Mackenzie founded Details Darling, a Southern California and Arizona based boutique full service wedding planning and design company. They emphasize the importance of design details that bring out their couples personalities and tell their love stories through one of a kind events. Details Darling’s work has been featured in People Magazine, Martha Stewart, The Knot, Brides and more.

Listen in as they candidly discuss their early inspirations, the struggles of starting a business, the importance of mentorship, and how their family plays a crucial role in their company. Mackenzie and Aubrey also talk about their experiences growing a team, the challenges they face in the current market, and their strategies for sustaining and growing their business.

In this episode, we talk about:

Early inspirations and the importance of family in their business.
How generosity from a mentor and key opportunities shaped their early experience.
The AHA moment at a wedding where they realized their love for weddings.
What it’s like to own a company, plan and design together.
Realizing each other’s strengths, establishing roles and responsibilities.
The journey of building a successful wedding planning business requires passion, persistence, and a supportive network.
How building a team impacted their growth and the struggles with that growth.
Mentorship and community are invaluable resources for growth and learning in the industry.
Continuous learning and adapting to market changes are crucial for sustained success.
The importance of social media presence and industry networking.
The significance of having a supportive and competent team.

Connect with Details Darling

Website | Instagram

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressful and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

Today's guest is Jaime Kostechko of Wild Heart Events. Known for her fun and creative designs, Jamie and the Wild Heart Events team are based in Santa Barbara, California and produce weddings locally and worldwide. Jaime loves globally influenced designs inspired by rustic fincas, australian architecture, moroccan textiles, jungalow living, bohemian chic and urban punk.

Jaime has her Bachelors degree from UCSB in Sociology, forging her path handling events and décor within the hospitality and wedding industries since 2008. Growing up immersed in interior design and with a background in restaurant management, Jaime layers color, pattern and texture with experiential moments to create unforgettable celebrations full of trend-setting details. She is one of the leading modern event designers with features in People magazine, Vogue, Domino, Martha Stewart, Brides, Green Wedding Shoes and more.

Wild Heart Events has been named a top planner and designer by Brides, Over the Moon, The Wed, Wed Vibes, California Wedding Day and more.

Beyond her work, Jaime believes in living a life based around kindness, authenticity and inclusivity. Jaime loves hosting in her own home alongside her fire captain husband, two sons, and frenchie.

In this Episode, we discuss:

Evolution of Jamie's team structure over the years.
The importance of clear roles within the business.
Transition from high volume to high-end destination weddings, managing 22 weddings a year.
Jamie's background in the restaurant industry.
Transitioning to wedding planning inspired by her love for hospitality and design, and her mother's influence as an interior designer.
Balancing motherhood and a growing business.
Jamie's approach to incorporating calculated risks and memorable moments in her designs.
Transition to destination weddings as Jamie's children grew older.
Challenges in finding genuine connections and support among wedding planners.
Importance of taking opportunities as they come and building a strong portfolio.
Leveraging styled shoots and creative events to showcase design capabilities.
Focusing on local events initially and expanding as the business grows.
How destination events are much different than your local events.
How the wedding publication landscape has definitely evolved over the past 12 years or so.

Connect with Jaime

Website | Instagram

Today's guest is a dear friend, longtime supporter of Planner Life Academy, and my wedding photographer, the one and only Brandon Kidd.

Brandon is a destination wedding photographer, co -founder of Chasing Stone, and a business coach to creative entrepreneurs. He has been named among the top photographers in the world, serving the wedding industry for over 20 years. Brandon has photographed over 600 weddings throughout 65 countries, and he brings a wide array of professional and personal experiences to each and every wedding he serves.

As we share in this episode, we met very early on in both of our careers and have had the good fortune of working together more times than I can count.

In this episode, we talk about his early love for capturing moments and family trips, how he got into catering and that exposed him to the world of weddings, how his desire to connect with people led him to take it full time, and how he lucked out and has the very best business partner, second tutor, and wife, Kristin.

In this episode we also talk about:

Building Vendor Relationships
Understanding Vendor Relationships
How various vendors, not just venues, can be valuable referral sources.
Authentic Connections
Strategic Diversification
Personal Fulfillment and Giving Back
Value of Having a Coach
Every high performer has a coach to provide guidance and accountability.
The difference between informal advice from friends and structured coaching.
Tips on selecting a coach who understands your industry and personal goals.
The importance of having someone who can challenge and push you forward.
Advice for Business Longevity
Importance of being kind to yourself and learning from mistakes.
Adapting to Industry Changes

Connect with Brandon Kidd Photography

website | instagram

Connect with Brandon Kidd Coaching

website | instagram

Connect with Chasing Stone

website | instagram

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressfull and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording today : FREE Rehearsal Recording

Today's guest is Ann Koppuzha of Powerhouse Legal.

With a decade of legal experience at top law firms and the Department of Justice, Ann is dedicated to ensuring your contracts are top notch and echo your unique story so you can book clients faster.

Legal questions are always something I get from planners in all phases of their business. So I'm so excited to have had the opportunity to ask some of your most pressing questions.

In this episode, we talk about client contracts, how to best protect your business. We talk about reviewing venue and vendor contracts, as well as the common mistakes we see.

Anytime we're talking with an attorney, we have to keep it a little bit broad. So we got to cover so much in this episode.

We discuss:

Initial Setup and Importance of Contracts
Communication Expectations
Client Contract Negotiations
Vendor Contracts
Employee and Contractor Agreements
Using AI Tools for Business
Holistic Approach to Business Success
Advice for New Planners
Importance of having well-drafted contracts

Connect with Ann

website | instagram

Use code WEDDINGPRO10 for 10% off contract templates.

Today's episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course.

What is the most important thing to do when you want to become a successful wedding planner?

Whether you're just starting out or you're ready to level up, these questions constantly creep in. How can I charge more? How do I book more clients? How can I do this better? This must not be this hard. Everybody else seems to be doing better than me. I've been there.

And I've learned so many things the hard way so that you don't have to. The thing is, the path to overcoming doubt is different for everyone, and you can't Google your way to success. I have done over 900 weddings and events, and I've learned so many ways to improve my customer experience, organization, design skills, and wedding day process.

And after years of hosting in -person workshops for planners, we created an online course so planners can learn what they need to succeed from the comfort of their own home.

If you want to do this, you can, and we're here to show you how.

And this just isn't any wedding planner certification. It's everything I have learned over the last 20 years poured into an easy to learn online course that will teach you how to start your business, implement processes. How to create templates, how to guide your clients through each and every step of planning, how to be a great leader, and more importantly, how to build a great reputation so that you can build a sustainable wedding business.

The Planner Life Academy online course is 45 topics, over 16 hours of video lessons, and all of our templates to help you make immediate upgrades to your business.

Friend, please stop doubting that you have what it takes to succeed.

Get everything you need to build your career as a professional wedding planner.

Visit plannerlifeacademy.com to start today.

Today's guest is Lesley Brickman of The One Gown based in Southern California.

Lesley is a luxury bridal stylist who is committed to helping her clients look and feel their best for life's most special moments. She works with clients across the globe to define, refine, and execute their vision for their day. Lesley's mission is to educate, empower, and serve her clients, always leading with joy.

And an absolute joy she is to work with and have on your team. I have now worked with Lesley on two weddings and had very different clients, but in both cases, I can't imagine the day being such a success without her.

In this episode, we talk about her passion for pretty dresses and how her previous careers led her to really build the stepping stones to circle back to what she was most passionate about, and that's wedding styling.

We also talk about:

What is Wedding Styling?
How to begin the styling process
Veil selection and its impact
Accessory selection philosophy
Hair and make up collaboration
Wedding Day Concierge services
Overview of wedding day concierge/dresser roles
Differentiating from other day-of services
Partnering with wedding planners
Services for bridesmaids and groomsmen
Tips for planners seeking stylists and concierges
Working remotely and traveling for services
Impact of styling on press and features

Connect with Lesley

website | Instagram

___________________________

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy.

In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools and resources we wish we had.

For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couples, their family and friends.

I think one of the best places to really make sure you are making a great first impression is at the rehearsal. For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressfull and annoying, but I love it! And I think with the right script you will enjoy it too.

So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

Get the rehearsal recording HERE and master your rehearsal process today.

Connect with Heather

website | Instagram

Today's guest is Alexa Krritis, owner of Alexa Kritis Events in Tampa, Florida.

Born and raised in New York, Alexa found her passion for weddings at a very early age, already working in the wedding industry in high school. After earning her degree in management and event planning from Lim College in New York City, she accepted a position as a wedding coordinator at a luxury hotel which required that she make the big and exciting move from the Big Apple to the Sunshine State. With vast experience gained from being on the venue and catering side of events, she felt confident she could plan and design events on her own. So Alexa Kritis Events was born. Early on in her business, Alexa dove into education and in learning everything she could. We met when she attended Planner Life Academy back in 2014. She joined us again a couple years later.

Alexa has always been a great part of the Planner Life community and an incredible supporter of Academy. So fun to have her on the podcast today. Something unique and definitely something we dive into in this episode is how Alexa created a freelancing brand to support large scale weddings and luxury wedding planners around the world.

It was through that experience she gained the insight, expertise, and importantly, the confidence to continue to build her own business. Alexa Kritis Events has been featured in Brides, Modern Luxury Weddings, 100 Layer Cake, Carats & Cake, and more.

In this episode we talk about:

- Discussing the journey and hustle in the wedding planning industry
- Alexa’s Freelancing Experiences
- The Importance of Hustle and Hard Work
- Importance of continuous effort and visibility
- Networking and proactive outreach as crucial elements
- Leveraging successful collaborations for credibility
- Overcoming skepticism and proving credibility through quality work
- Learning and Growing Through Freelancing
- Working with different teams and adapting to new environments
- Combining freelancing experience with personal business growth
- Importance of charging appropriately for services
- Ensuring comprehensive staffing to maintain event quality
- Collaboration and Support in the Industry
- Building a strong network for event support
- Planning financially for additional staffing needs
- Educational and Networking Events
- Importance of setting goals for attending events like Engage
- Importance of kindness and respect in professional relationships
- Learning from various stages of business growth
- Using events for networking and building trust
- Importance of strategic planning and continuous effort

Tune in to hear Alexa Kritis share her journey from New York to Florida, her insights into the wedding planning industry, and practical advice for aspiring event planners.

Connect with Alexa

Website | Instagram

This episode is supported by Planner Life Academy. In case you didn't know, we created Planner Life Academy for planners to have the education, tools, and resources we wish that we had when we got started. For me, I love sharing all the tips, tools, and insight into all the little ways you can provide an amazing experience for your couple, their family, and friends. I think one of the best places to really make sure you're making a great first impression is at the rehearsal.

For so many planners, the ceremony rehearsal is something that is stressful and annoying, but I love it. And I think with the right script, you'll enjoy it too. So I created a free rehearsal audio recording where I walk you through exactly how I run a ceremony rehearsal. So you can have my tried and true process to create your own rehearsal script, allowing you to start every wedding with confidence and making a great impression.

FREE REHEARSAL RECORDING LINK

Hi planners, in this episode, I am sharing a very personal story about loss and how timing of life can be really challenging in the wedding industry. How heartbreak and loss happens when it's least expected and often least convenient. How pushing through your own feelings for what is best for your clients is SO HARD and not something I have ever really heard anyone talk about.

Please enjoy this brief episode to acknowledge how sometimes you have to hold it all in and you are not alone. Thank you for listening.

In loving memory of those we have lost but hold in our hearts always.

For more about Heather and Planner Life Academy visit

@heatherhoesch | @plannerlifeacademy | @plannerlifepodcast

Today's guest is Kelsey Rae Angelotti, owner and creative director at Kelsey Ray Designs. Kelsey got her degree in business from Vanguard University and landed her first job out of college at Ponte Winery in Temecula, California. After a move to Greenwich, Connecticut, it was there that she got a job doing social media for a luxury hotel group in South America and Italy. And she was encouraged to launch her own company, Kelsey Ray Designs, on the side.

Over the years, she's built a large team and then scaled it back to focus on more full -service planning and design. Kelsey moved across the country from Southern California to Nashville, Tennessee, where she grew her business there and into other destinations. Kelsey Ray Designs has been published over 50 times in some of the largest publications, including People Magazine, Brides, Huffington Post, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes, 100 Layer Cake, Wedding Chicks, and more.

In this episode, we talk about:

Her early start in hospitality at a winery wedding venue
How doing so many weddings early on gave her a strong foundation
How industry pressure led her to building a team
Building Credibility through Relationships and Styled Shoots
Scaling a Wedding Planning Business: Challenges and Successes
Navigating the Pandemic: Rescheduling and Financial Challenges
Moving from California to Nashville
Challenges of Managing a Team from Afar
Breaking into the Luxury Wedding Market in Nashville
Attracting High-Profile Clients
Expanding into Destination Weddings
Staffing for Destination Weddings
Building Relationships and Landing High-Profile Clients
Setting Goals for the Future

You can connect with Kelsey Rae Designs

website | instagram

This episode is supported by ENJI, the easy to use marketing software that helps you create a marketing plan for your business in minutes and empowers you to start making actual progress with the tools you need. I get it, you're a wedding planner, not a marketing expert. Marketing is my least favorite part of being a business owner and all too often it's something I push to the bottom of my to -do list. Luckily, the queen of wedding industry marketing and a long time friend of planner life, created a marketing software specifically for small business owners so we can easily do our own marketing. ENJI handles the hard stuff, like creating a marketing strategy so you know what you need to do. It also helps you actually stay consistent with creating content. One of my favorite things about ENJI's platform is that it also includes an AI copywriter to help ensure my messaging fits my brand and reaches my ideal audience.

But my favorite new feature is the social media scheduler that makes it so much faster to create my content and get it scheduled so I don't have to think about it every single day.

The best news? ENJI is celebrating their first birthday the entire month of May.

Right now, you can get ENJI for only $19 a month for your first year. But don't wait. This offer ends on May 31st.

SIGN UP FOR ENJI TODAY

Today's guest is Christine Garrison, the owner and visionary force behind CMG Events. CMG Events is an award -winning event planning and design company with planners based in Napa Valley, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles, California. CMG also plans and designs destination weddings in locations like Idaho, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, Italy, Mexico, and more.

Christine is passionate about creating unforgettable moments and she brings a blend of sophistication and creativity to each and every one of her weddings. Christine and her team have orchestrated hundreds of celebrations and have graced the pages of People Magazine, Vogue, Brides, and more.

In this episode, we talk about:

Building a successful wedding planning business takes time and effort. It's important to be patient and persistent.
Working for other companies and gaining experience in the industry can be valuable before starting your own business.
Empowering team members and fostering a partnership mentality can lead to a more successful and cohesive team.
Communication and organization are key in running a wedding planning business.
Expanding to new markets may require building new relationships and establishing yourself in the local industry.
Success in the wedding planning industry is achievable with dedication, hustle, and a long-term vision. Building genuine relationships with venues and vendors is crucial for success in the wedding planning industry.
Strategic wedding selection, even if it means taking on lower-budget weddings initially, can lead to valuable venue and vendor referrals.
Consistent branding and a focus on providing a high-quality experience are key to gaining trust from venues and vendors.
Investing in a team that aligns with the brand's vision and values is essential for growth and long-term success.
Offering coordination services can be a valuable source of passive income and help establish strong relationships with venues and vendors.
Investing in education and growth, both personally and for the business, is necessary for staying competitive and evolving in the industry.
Hustling, finding your people, and investing in your company are important factors for success as a wedding planner.
Planner Life Academy plans to expand to Northern California, providing valuable education and resources for wedding planners in the region.

You can connect with Christine and the CMG Team

website | instagram

On today’s episode, Heather & Karen from Blissfully Styled sit down to answer submitted questions from the Planner Life Community.

A little bit about the guest co-host today- Karen Sieger owner of Blissfully Styled. Karen is a genuine empath and always game for a celebration. There's nothing Karen loves more than immersing herself in event planning and designing. She is an advocate for her couples, infusing positivity, creating elegant designs obsessing over the tiniest of details. Her mission is to create blissful planning and wedding day experience for her couples and vendor friends alike.

These Ask Me Anything episodes are made possible by the community submissions. Where Heather and friends get to tackle your current challenges and your biggest questions.

In this episode, they discuss:

Karen's Journey:

Karen reflects on how her upbringing shaped her personality, emphasizing her organizational skills and ability to stay calm under pressure.
Discussion on Karen's transition from a successful corporate career to becoming a wedding planner, leveraging her management experience and love for event planning.
Heather and Karen discuss Karen's vision for building a team and the evolution of her business model.

Planner Life Podcast Community:

Heather addresses the transition in Planner Life Podcast leadership and emphasizes the importance of community and diverse perspectives.
Heather confirms that she continues to plan weddings alongside managing Planner Life Academy, ensuring she stays connected to the industry's constant evolution.

Upcoming Workshops and Events:

Discussion on Heather's shift in perspective amidst the uncertainties of recent years, embracing optimism and focusing on the present moment.

Your Questions Answered:

Tips on networking, including introducing acquaintances to facilitate new connections and selflessly helping others.
Butterfly and Dove Releases, highlighting their complexity and potential downsides and discussion of what is needed for a successful release.
Coordinating Table Mock-ups, considering factors like investment level, rental company involvement, and venue accessibility.
Holding Couples Accountable the challenge of keeping couples on track with wedding tasks, offering strategies like setting false deadlines and providing clear explanations for the importance of timely completion.
Client Screening, the importance of screening couples during consultation process
Adaptation, ensuring that you are tailoring processes to suit couples' needs and working styles
RSVP Management and Design Mockup software - Aisle Planner, Canva & Merri
Feedback Post Event, client interviews for feedback and seeking feedback from venues and vendors to improve services
Should you post your pricing?!
Advertising and Marketing, the role of advertising in supporting business
General Tips and Insights

Thank you to all the planners who submitted questions! Be sure to submit your questions for our next Ask Me Anything Episode! Submit here.

Ready to sign up for Aisle Planner? Use Code PLANNERLIFE

Ready to sign up for Merri? Sign up now

Want to learn more from Heather & Planner Life Academy? Be sure to grab your free rehearsal recording so you can master rehearsals this season.

FREE REHEARSAL RECORDING LINK

On today's episode, Heather Hoesch Olsen, interviews Steven Greitzer, who is the founder and CEO of Provenance.

After officiating weddings for years and feeling frustrated and shocked by the lack of resources for couples and their first time officiants, he founded Provenance in 2021 to modernize ceremony design. Today, tens of thousands of wedding planners, couples, officiants, bridal party, and other toast givers used Provenance's suite of tools to craft meaningful and personalized wedding ceremony scripts, vows, and toasts for modern day weddings.

In this episode, they talk about Stephen's entrepreneurial journey, his experience in tech, and how a wild ride at one tech company led him to rethink his vision and his future. You'll hear how much Heather loves the Providence tools and how you can use them to provide additional value for your clients and ensure every part of their wedding is well planned.

In this episode, hear more about:

Stephen Greitzer, founder of Providence, shares his journey from working in the technology industry to starting his own company.
He discusses his experience at Quibi and the challenges they faced. He then explains how he became an officiant for weddings and the lack of resources available for creating personalized ceremonies.
This led him to start Providence, a platform that helps couples and officiants create unique and authentic wedding ceremonies. The platform also caters to other stakeholders involved in weddings, such as fathers of the bride, maids of honor, and wedding planners. Provenance provides tools for wedding planners to create personalized and impressive ceremonies, vows, and toasts.
The tools include a ceremony builder, vow builder, toast builder, welcome toast builder, and thank you note builder. These tools help wedding planners de-risk potential chaos during weddings and ensure that every element of the wedding weekend is of high quality.
Provenance has received endorsements from celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss and has a collaborative approach to the wedding industry.
The company prioritizes customer service and solving real problems for couples and wedding planners.

Connect with Provenance:

website | instragram

Listeners can get 20% off our subscription to help clients write personalized and impressive ceremonies, vows, and toasts with code PLA20.

On today's episode, Heather Hoesch Olsen, interviews Jeannie Young Savage, owner of Details Details. Jeannie has established a reputation of excellent event management and producing original, fresh, and innovative design concepts. With two bachelor's of arts degrees from the University of California Irvine, and over 10 years of hospitality experience, she provides an insider's approach to assembling and managing vendors.

Jeannie's creativity and impeccable taste continue to produce elegant, extraordinary, and unforgettable events. With meticulous planning and a passion for perfection, she delivers results that are full of color, texture, and imagination.

In this conversation, we talk about Jeannie's start in hotels, how her passion for hospitality led her to create details, details. This conversation is chocked full of great advice, and it's easy to see why Jeannie has had success for so many years, 20 years and counting.

In this episode, hear more about:

Getting to Know Jeannie
Academic and Career Journey
Challenges and Rewards of Hotel Management
Transition to Wedding Planning
Building a Team and Navigating Growth
Managing Team Dynamics and Client Relationships
Navigating Industry Relationships and Personal Balance
NDA Policy
Client Referrals
Design Process
Budget Considerations in Design
Social Media Strategy
Advice for Newcomers

Connect with Jeannie:

website | instragram

In this episode, Heather Hoesch Olsen, interviews Shannon from Sunday Muse Design, a web designer specializing in working with wedding professionals. Shannon shares her journey from a background in wedding planning to becoming a web designer. The discussion highlights the importance of having a strategic approach to website design, understanding ideal clients, and incorporating SEO.

Topics in their conversation include:

The Importance of a Strategic Website
Working with New Clients
Strategic Planning for New Businesses
Setting Clients Up for Success
Choosing the Right Platform
Ensuring SEO Implementation

Heather and Shannon wrap up the conversation by discussing the importance of hiring the right web designer and budgeting for website redesign or upgrades.

Shannon offers practical advice for planners at different stages of their business and encourages them to take a strategic approach to website design.

Connect With Shannon:

https://sundaymusedesign.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sundaymusedesign

FREE Brand Strategy Workbook

Hi Planners! Join Heather is joined by her husband, Jeff Olsen for a personal espisode where they share their story. From their first date, to planning the proposal and how they two had similar challenges to so many of Heather's clients. Listen as they share their planning experience, their roles in planning and how they were not at all prepared for the plot twist that happend just two days before their wedding. How this last minute change in venue was less than ideal and how the indcredible team handled it so incredibly well. Spoiler alert- it was a happy ending. You won't want to miss this episode!

Special thanks to the following people who jumped into action, helped shift the plans and made the Olsen Wedding the best day ever.

Lorely Meza - Best friend, Maid of Honor, Stylist, Vibe Keeper, Reader

Alycia - Sister, Maid of Honor

Courtney Heath - Lead Coordinator Superstar

Lindsay Ferguson - guest turned set up support

Karen & Sydnee of Blissfully Styled - Coordination Dream team

Tavi of Hun Events - Coordination Dream Team

Brandon & Kristen Kidd - Photography

Shannon of Hoo Films - Video

Jaclyne of Heavenly Blooms - Floral Design

Erica of 1011 Makeup and Hair, Jaclyn Patricia Hair, Danielle Katherine Makeup - Beauty Team

Stacy Williams and Signature Party Rentals

Ventura Rentals

Carly and Theoni Collection

Amber and Amber Event Production

Christine of Project Watermark

Heidi of Heidi Davidson Design

Chad and Cocktail Concierge

Meg and Made by Meg Catering- Heather's favorite cookies

Maria of Grace & Honey Cakes

Chris Wooley - Musician

DJ Angel the Giant

Twist Churro Truck

Pixster Photobooth

Major Event Trailers

Establos Meat Market

And a very special thank you to 430 Venue for being the very best plan B!

Be sure to check out @plannerlifepodcast on instagram for more photos and videos from the wedding planning and wedding day!

Hey planners! In today’s episode, Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss and Rock Paper Coin joins Heather for a candid conversation on her story, percentage pricing and creating a system to make planners and client’s lives easier.

Listen in as she shares how she and her team made the shift to percentage based pricing and never looked back. Plus, you’ll even hear about the inspiration behind her brand Rock Paper Coin that has created an easy to use platform for invoicing in the wedding industry, and the importance of choosing the right tech for your wedding planning business.

Find It Fast:

Meet Nora (2:26)

Nora’s Origin Story (4:20)

Growing a Team (9:34)

Learning from Experience (12:13)

Changes in Business with a Team (13:25)

Percentage-Based Pricing (14:57)

Qualifying Sales Leads for Percentage-Based Pricing (19:32)

Explaining the Difference in Pricing Structures (21:20)

Selling Unapologetically (25:30)

Entering the Tech Space: Rock Paper Coin (27:04)

The Planning Tool Built by Planners (31:10)

Moving the Industry Forward with Technology (32:55)

Splitting Credit Card Fees (33:44)

Venmo Isn’t Professional (37:14)

Try Rock Paper Coin (38:08)

Software is Powerful & Intuitive (40:25)

Learnings from Other Businesses (41:17)

Advice for New Planners (43:23)

Connect with Nora:

bridalbliss.com

instagram.com/bridalblissnw

rockpapercoin.com | Use code PLANNERLIFE for 6 months free!

instagram.com/rockpapercoin

For more on Rock Paper Coin and Planner Life Academy,

Visit Planner Life Podcast Website

The Planner Life Podcast is officially back! As we dive back into this podcast, I want to bring you behind the scenes in what has been happening personally and within the Planner Life brand! Listen in as I give you all the details and highlight what you can expect from the Planner Life Podcast!

Thank you to each and every one of you who reached out and asked for this podcast to come back! If it wasn’t for you, this episode and the episodes to come wouldn’t have happened.

Join me each week! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you will never miss an episode. Keep the conversation going and get more free content, info on upcoming workshops and more over on @plannerlifeacademy and @plannerlifepodcast on Instagram. I love to see your tags and reposts of the episodes you are enjoying!

Ready to up level your wedding planning business? There are so many resources available for you at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com/.

Be well and happy planning!

xo, Heather

The Planner Life Podcast, your go-to destination for all things wedding planning and business mastery. Hosted by Heather Hoesch Olsen, a highly experienced wedding planner, industry educator, and your professional friend in the world of weddings.

Join Heather every week as she shares her wealth of knowledge and experience gained from over two decades in the wedding industry. With a passion for crafting unforgettable moments and a keen eye for detail, Heather's journey has taken her through every facet of wedding planning imaginable. From intimate gatherings to lavish affairs, from budget-conscious ceremonies to extravagant celebrations, Heather has seen it all.

But her expertise extends far beyond just executing flawless events. Heather is on a mission to empower and inspire planners like you to reach new heights in your business. Through candid conversations, expert interviews, and actionable insights, the Planner Life Podcast is your compass for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the wedding industry.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, tune in each week to learn, grow, and be inspired. Heather's unique blend of creativity, wisdom, and practical advice will leave you feeling confident and equipped to tackle any challenge that comes your way.

So, if you're ready to elevate your skills, build a thriving business, and join a supportive community of like-minded professionals, then the Planner Life Podcast is your must-listen resource.

Welcome to the Planner Life!

Questions, comments or want to connect with Heather: Email: hello@plannerlifeacademy.com IG: @plannerlifeacademy @plannerlifepodcast Website: plannerlifeacademy.com

Hey planners! In this episode, Heather is joined by Renee Dalo of Moxie Bright Events and the Talk with Renee Dalo Podcast. Renee shares her perspective of falling into the wedding industry and her first memories as a wedding planner. She talks about the importance of networking and even how rejection helped her career as a wedding planner. You’ll hear about why you should get more involved in the industry as a planner, how she got into leadership positions within the industry and the major turning point that led her to shift her business model and charge more for her services.

What’s in this episode:

Renee’s childhood and how that shaped her into who she is today

How she got into the wedding planning industry after her own wedding

Her process of starting her business

How her mentor helped her with her business name

Her first “real wedding” client experience

The biggest hurdles she had in her early years of business

How rejection aided her career

How an in person workshop changed everything

Her approach to the industry & networking

The turning point where she shifted her business model

Her involvement in the wedding industry

How she got into leadership positions in the wedding industry

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-34-real-planner-renee-dalo-of-moxie-bright-events

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @plannerlifeacademy. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at https://www.plannerlifeacademy.com/.

Hey planners! Are you ready to elevate your marketing and start speaking to your ideal client? You’re in luck! In this episode, we’re joined by expert marketer and co-founder of Sourced Co., Tayler Cusick Hollman. Sourced Co. is a stock photography membership service that helps wedding professionals marketing their businesses. Tayler shares how she got into this field, her tips for marketing your wedding planning business to your ideal client and tips for leveraging reviews, humanizing your content and so much more!

What’s in this episode:

How Taylor landed in the wedding industry

Why marketing in the wedding industry is unique

How to create content that speaks to your ideal client

Why humanizing your content is important

How to get over the “awkward teenage phase” of your business

Why you need to set aside a marketing budget

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-033-real-expert-tayler-cusick-hollman-of-sourced-co

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! I’m sure you know that you should have an email marketing strategy but you might be unsure of what you should be sending, how to go about creating a strategy, the list goes on. In this episode, we brought on the Head of Marketing at Flodesk, Sobrina Pies. Sobrina gives insight into why email marketing is an important tool for wedding planners, how you can use it for your wedding planning business along with tips for creating community through emails.

What’s in this episode:

How Sobrina ended up working at Flodesk

What Flodesk does for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs

Why email marketing is essential for businesses

How wedding planners can leverage email marketing

Why you should focus on email marketing just as much as social media

How engagement levels and reach differ in email marketing vs. social

Her 2 tips for creating a community through email marketing

How to create an email marketing strategy

Why you should pay attention to the aesthetics of your emails (and how they make it easy)

All about Flodesk University

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-32

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy: https://plannerlifeacademy.com/

Hey planners! Want to get to know us even more and hear some of our best-kept secrets about being a wedding planner? In this episode, we answer some of our listener's questions about all things running a wedding planning business, what’s going on in our personal lives and so much more.

What’s in this episode:

How to handle guidelines and vendor differences

What you need to know about insurance

Percentage vs. flat-fee pricing

The hardest part about being a wedding planner

How to find opportunities to raise your prices

Tips for getting on the same page with your couples

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-31

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy: https://plannerlifeacademy.com/

Hey planners! Dreaming about scaling your wedding planning business? It can be difficult to even consider this option when it’s just you doing all of the things but in this episode, we talked to someone who's done just that. Valarie Falvey is the founder of Kirkbrides, a wedding planning and design company based out of Ohio. She shares what she did to start scaling her team and how she’s grown it to 6 planners and over 35 team members. We also chat about how she got into entrepreneurship, why she doesn’t focus on planning anymore and what processes she’s set up to help clients have a great experience with her company.

What’s in this episode:

What Valarie was like growing up and her journey to entrepreneurship

How her internship prepared her for her business

What it means to her to be a Kirksbride wedding planner

How she learned to work on her business instead of in it

Why she stepped away from planning and moved into a different area of her business

How she’s scaled her business

Hurdles and challenges that wedding planners face

What they include in their planning packet

What services they offer for clients

Her advice for someone who wants to scale their wedding planning business

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-30

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy: https://plannerlifeacademy.com/

Hey planners! We have a very special guest on the show who is actually both a real planner and a real expert in the wedding industry. In this episode, you’ll hear about Lea Stafford of Lea Stafford Events and Ethos West Collective. Lea started her journey in the wedding industry after working for a luxury catering company. She shares her journey of starting a business, what her experience has been like as a Black woman in the wedding industry and as a Black-owned business.

What’s in this episode:

Her journey into the hospitality industry and how she got into weddings

The biggest surprise she had from starting her own business

Her experience as a Black woman in the wedding industry

Lea’s thoughts on being a Black-owned business

How she learned to be authentically her

The mission behind the Ethos West Collective (EWC)

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-29

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy: https://plannerlifeacademy.com/

Hey planners! One thing that can set you apart in your business is adopting the mentality of “never stop learning”. In this episode, we talk about the importance when it comes to continuous learning, keeping your brain sharp, staying relevant and challenging yourself in new and exciting ways.

What’s in this episode:

Why all planners need the mindset of “never stop learning”

Tips for entry-level learning and how to find these opportunities

How to reflect on mistakes and learn lessons

What you can learn from working with mentors

How you can use your successes as a learning moment

Why you should never stop networking and being inspired by others

Reasons why you should seek out new experiences

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-28

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy: https://plannerlifeacademy.com/

Hey planners! Have you ever considered the thought that one day you might want to sell your business? Lisa Anhaiser is the founder of LBL Event Rentals, a wedding event rental company based out of Houston, TX. She shared her experience with being a part of Goldman Sachs’s small business program, what she learned and all of her biggest takeaways.

What’s in this episode:

Lisa’s experience in the wedding industry

What you need to think about in your business on an ongoing basis

What you should think about when starting a business

Her advice on preparing your business to potentially sell later on

What Lisa’s process was to think about the future of her business

Her advice on selling a service-based business

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-27

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy: https://plannerlifeacademy.com/

Hey planners! Does this year have you feeling like you’re learning to plan all over again? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! There have been so many changes during the pandemic with vendors, pricing, who works where and it can all be pretty overwhelming. In this episode, we’re discussing what you can do to make sure you’re in the know of what’s going on in the industry in your market.

What’s in this episode:

How everything seems different in 2021

The hardest thing about planning during COVID

What you need to relearn about who is who and what they’re offering

Why a planner is more important than ever

How companies offerings have shifted

Pricing shifts that have occurred over the last year

Referral sources to reach back out to

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-26

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Are you looking for some inspiration to amp up your marketing efforts in 2021? Look no further as we brought on a marketing expert, fellow podcaster and co-owner of wedding venue, Vista View Events, Kinsey Roberts. In this episode, Kinsey explores some of the best marketing tips for spreading the word about your wedding business.

What’s in this episode:

What brought her from marketing to opening her wedding venue and consulting in the wedding industry

Her experience of running a business in a smaller market area

How she’s been making her business more of a “destination”

The 3 ways she’s spread the word about her venue

Why you need a word of mouth marketing strategy

Kinsey’s 3 favorite marketing books for entrepreneurs

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript head to http://plannerlifeacademy.com/episodes-and-show-notes/episode-25

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! If you're anything like us then the beginning of the year is when you typically have a freakout moment about needing to book some weddings! After a short moment, we collectively pull it together and remember the advice we’ve gotten from sales expert, Cindy Novotny. Cindy has been branded the radical mentor by thousands of executives around the world. In this episode, she dives into the truth about being a master at sales as a business owner in the wedding industry. She gives her straightforward, no-nonsense advice on how to build a continuous referral stream and become a better salesperson!

What’s in this episode:

Cindy’s backstory of how she got to where she is in her business
The biggest mistake that wedding entrepreneurs make in sales
How sales are different in the wedding industry versus other industries
Her suggestions on getting continuous referrals from a past client
What you need to become a better salesperson
Why you should use “we” wording to clients and be intentional about communications
How to avoid looking like a pushy salesperson

Connect with Cindy:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Do you ever struggle with your mindset? We’ve all been there and getting out of that isn’t always the easiest. That’s why in this episode we had on Andrea Freeman. Andrea is a mindful business coach and peak performance planner along with a wedding planner! She’s worn many hats in her life and knows herself what it’s like to run a wedding planning business. In this episode we talk about mindset growth, taking time for yourself and aligning your business to the life you want.

What’s in this episode:

How Andrea got bit by the entrepreneurial bug
The quarter-life crisis she had after her first teaching job
Her experience as an event planner and starting her first business
How she took control over her health
Her journey of going to culinary school and starting her catering company
Why she took a job in leadership development
How she ended up starting a wedding planning company
Her realization that she couldn’t be everything to everybody
Her business realignment journey
The starting point for mindset growth
Why you need to slow down to hear answers
Why you need to take time for yourself

About Andrea:I’m Andrea and I believe that transforming your life is the access to transforming your business. As a mindful business coach and peak performance planner, I work with creative entrepreneurs to support them in their evolution. I operate from the foundational principle that businesses develop alongside the individuals who run them. Meaning the higher your consciousness the greater the impact you make in the world. It’s my personal joy to work with business owners to help them align with who they are at their core - with their unique personal gifts and unstoppable power.

I started my first business when I was 12, second business at 26, and third business at 31. Professionally trained as an educator and leadership development coach I honed my entrepreneurial skills and scaled my celebrity event planning business to multiple six-figures in annual revenue.

Now I’m on a mission to help service-based business owners realign with their purpose, create greater financial freedom, fulfillment, and make a difference in the world. I have worked with clients in the events, holistic lifestyle, tech, and fashion industries to integrate mindset techniques, refine their business models, and scale quickly. Clarity of purpose, increased revenue and sustainable, soulful success are just a few of the benefits my clients experience.

Connect with Andrea:

Consulting Website | Wedding Planning Website | Instagram

Andrea’s Facebook Group:

The Uplevel Collective

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Happy new year. Can you believe we made it through 2020? It was an unexpected and crazy year. In this episode, we’re chatting about some of the reflections we had over the year and the first season of the Planner Life Podcast. You’ll hear our highs, lows and some of the biggest challenges we faced in 2020. We also take a look forward at what's to come in 2021 in our business, podcast and personal lives.

What’s in this episode:

What Heather and Lindsay did for the holidays
Our favorite parts about our unique holiday season
What we missed most from traditional holiday seasons
Our highs, lows and what surprised us about 2020
A look back on the podcast
Intentions and goals we have for 2021
What’s inspires them for growth

Links:

Know Your Numbers Template

The Best in Wedding Planner Education

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! I am excited to share this conversation with Candice Sanders, one of the most respected and sought-after wedding planners in Orange County, CA. We constantly get asked the question, “What can I do to get experience in the wedding industry?” Well, Candice will share her journey of how she did just that along with her journey from her corporate wedding and events career to starting her own business in the industry. She shares how she’s built her team, the services she offers her clients and how she sets herself apart through an amazing offboarding experience with her clients.

What’s in this episode:

What Candice was like growing up
How her first job in the restaurant industry gave her the passion for event management
How she got her first job in the wedding industry
Her experience working at a hotel doing weddings
Why she decided to get sales experience
Her journey of transitioning from her job to starting her business
Why she’s so passionate about relationship building
What to look for when hiring an associate
Her rebrand to Engaged Events
Her process of shiting how she runs her business
What services she offers her clients
Candice’s offboarding process

About Candice :

With over 18 years of experience and 600 weddings behind her, the leader of the Engaged team is a true event professional. With a passion for weddings, and a genuine personality, Candice joins her clients along their planning journey and quickly becomes not only a hired vendor, but a friend. Knowing each wedding is unique and each client's vision is original, Candice uses strong communication, honest feedback, organization, and creative suggestions to guide her clients along their planning journey. She is an active member of the wedding community, a master multi-tasker, and a passionate business owner.

Candice's first job was at a restaurant where she fell in love with the fast-paced environment and the large private celebrations. While pursuing a public relations degree, she began working as an assistant for one of Orange County's top wedding planners and found her true calling. After college, Candice secured a full-time wedding position at The Newport Beach Marriott Hotel. She served as a Wedding Event Manager and a Senior Catering Sales Executive for more than six years, mastering skills in both sales and service. Always wanting to be an entrepreneur, she resigned from Marriott and launched Engaged Events in 2011.

Candice takes a limited number of events each season, focusing on quality service for her clients. She is proud of the mark she has made in the lives of hundreds of couples, and year after year, her passion for the industry continues to grow.

Candice is married to Brian and has two children, Brooke and Austin. She loves the beach, Disneyland, a day at the spa, and an awesome concert. Hawaii is her happy place, the Angels are her team, and churros are her favorite treat.

Connect with Candice and Engaged Events:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! In the spirit of giving this holiday season, we wanted to shed some light on one of our favorite companies, One Hope Wines, a company that brings Napa Valley to your doorstep. I came across One Hope Wines when LVL was in its infant stages and I was so impressed not only with their commitment to high-quality wines but their commitment to the amazing causes they support. That’s why I had on Megan Robinson. In this episode, Megan shares how she got involved with the company and her experience of helping them get more involved in the wedding industry. You’ll hear how you can get involved with One Hope Wines and how they decide on the non-profit organizations they give back to.

What’s in this episode:

Why Megan’s husband founded One Hope Wines
How she got involved with the business
The transition of their company getting more involved in the wedding industry
How they vet non-profit partners
How couples can choose non-profits they want to give back to
What they do to constantly improve their client experience
How planners can get involved and sell wines for a cause
What’s happening right now for One Hope Wines

Connect with Megan:

Website | Instagram

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our

Hey planners! We have quite the episode lined up for you with two of the best wedding photographers in the business, Joel Serrato and Jose Villa. In this episode, you’ll get a behind the scenes look at how these two started working together and their experience of shooting high profile celebrity weddings. These two have so much valuable insight into the industry and I just loved how they each shared their perspectives on the episode today around saying “yes” to clients, being a part of a vendor team, making sure the day-of timeline flows smoothly and more!

What’s in this episode:

How Joel and Jose got into the wedding industry
Joel’s first wedding client and how he got into weddings with the help of Jose
Their process of working together for weddings
How they got to where they are in their businesses
Their experience in shooting high profile weddings
How mastering a specific skill can set you apart
Why Jose believes in always saying “yes” to requests
What they look for when working with wedding planners
Their advice about being a team player as a vendor
Tips for ensuring the day-of timeline goes smoothly

About Joel:Joel Serrato’s artistry in wedding photography is built upon a strong foundation of capturing pure moments of emotion, innocence, laughter and love. This gorgeous tapestry called life grows with each couple’s journey, which he captures exquisitely on film, time and again.

Specializing in huge, complex weddings—“the bigger the better”—and seeking clients who are crazy in love and aren’t afraid to cry, the Harper’s Bazaar published photographer’s nuptials of note include Pat Benatar, Tamera Mowry, Elle Fowler and Adam Housley, to name just a few.

“I give my all to my clients. When I’m shooting your wedding, I’m in one thousand percent.”

Connect with Joel:Website | Instagram

About Jose:People often ask me how I developed my style, and how I create images that stand out in today’s highly competitive wedding market. Well, I am a fine art wedding photographer. My approach applies fine art photography to the living, breathing, fast-moving phenomenon that is a wedding. For me, it is all about making something beautiful. Ultimately, my goal is to craft vibrant, energetic, fine art images that are as unique as the people in the photographs.

I’m humbled to say that I have been published in many magazines around the world including, Martha Stewart Weddings,Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Vogue Mexico, Vogue Bride Australia, Vogue Bride Japan, Geraldine Magazine, C Weddings, Flutter, The Knot, Instyle Weddings, Inside Weddings, BRIDES, Pacific Weddings, Cosmo Bride, PDN, American Photo, and many more around the world.

Named one the the top Wedding Photographers by Martha Stewart Weddings, Harpers Bazaar, Style Me Pretty, and Vogue; one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world by American Photo Magazine, and one of the most influential photographers of our decade by PDN.

Connect with Jose:Website | Instagram

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Links mentioned:Jose’s Presets

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today I am talking to Arizona based wedding planner, Jennifer Thye. Jenni started her career in the wedding industry after needing a change from her job as a teacher. In this episode, we talk about how she fell into wedding planning and some of the mindset shifts she had to make when starting out. She shares some big takeaways on setting your prices and knowing your numbers. Jennifer gives insight into how she ended up hiring a former client and why she eventually brought her on as a business partner. You’ll hear tips on making your financial goals, her advice for starting out in this industry and so much more!

What’s in this episode:

How Jenni decided she wanted to leave her career as a teacher
What led her to the decision to become a wedding planner
Mindset shifts she had to overcome when starting out
The learning process of selling herself and planning services to clients
How she decided to bring on a business partner and the process she went through
The positives and drawbacks of partnerships
What Jenni does to make sure her business remains profitable
Pivotal conversations with a past client and a competitor that led her to change her pricing and structure
How they determine if they’re hitting their financial goals
Her advice for figuring out your business finances
Their busiest time of the year for their business
Her advice for someone just starting out

About Jenni:Jenni is known not only for her high-touch, interactive customer service and her wedding design expertise but also for being incredibly down-to-earth. Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair, Jenni is happy to sit and chat - just like you’ve been friends forever. This proud Arizona native earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree at local Arizona universities. She enjoys traveling and sharing her wealth of event planning knowledge at conventions and other events throughout the country. When Jenni isn’t working, she looks forward to playing with her kids, reading historical fiction, or even cozying up on the couch for a movie on those rare rainy Arizona days.

Connect with Jenni and Imoni Events:Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Today’s episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don’t have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! If you’ve been looking for a little inspiration for building your business then you’re in for a treat! This episode is jam-packed with great advice from florist and educator for creative entrepreneurs, Janelle Thomson. Janelle dives into how she got her start in the wedding industry and how she started Lavenders Floral after someone took a chance on her and gave her a big opportunity to take over their existing floral business. In this episode, she talks about that journey and how she went from being a yes woman to learning when she should say “no”. She shares so much wisdom on collaborating with other industry professionals, knowing your numbers and what specific things in her business helped to drive her business to success.

What’s in this episode:

How Janelle got into the wedding industry
How her study abroad experience brought her more clarity on her life
The opportunity she got to start her own business
Janelle’s transition to becoming a business owner
The aha-moment that taught her to say “no”
Her thoughts on making the time and effort to figure out solutions to problems
Her experience with collaborative styled shoots
How knowing your numbers is essential for your business
Specific things she did that she attributes to her success
What brought her to the point of hiring a financial advisor
Why they’re launching a sister company for their floral company
What’s coming next for her business

About Janelle:Janelle Nicole Thomson is a California-based florist and educator for creative entrepreneurs. She is highly sought after for her creative direction and is widely published for her thoughtful and transformative wedding installations, editorials and focused work-ethic. Working in tandem with her luxury textile company, Tono + co., her work has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, Style Me Pretty, Magnolia Rouge Magazine and Utterly Engaged Magazine.

Connect with Janelle:Lavenders Floral | Instagram | Facebook

Tono + co | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Links:Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less -and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined

What the Heck Is EOS?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS

Color Confidence Course

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

What the Heck Is EOS?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS

Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less -and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined

Hey planners! Today I have brought on award-winning boutique wedding planner, Margaux Fraise of Harmony Creative Studios. Margaux is based in Los Angeles and has a really interesting story of overcoming a huge challenge. A few years into her business, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. She tells us about what it was like going through this and the biggest lessons she learned while navigating through it. We talk about the importance of community, getting your legal contracts in order and why you need to set up processes for your business if you want to grow.

What’s in this episode:

How Margaux got into wedding planning
Margaux’s experience with being diagnosed with cancer and how this affected her personally and professionally
How she pushed through a challenging time
What she learned from going through cancer
Why you need a solid community
What made her gravitate toward weddings
Why you need to have a properly drafted contract
The backend processes she’s set up in her business

About Margaux:Hi there! I'm Margaux, and I started Harmony Creative Studio in 2011. Couples are always telling me how calm yet 'in charge' I seem on wedding days - and that is music to this Type 'A' personality! If there is one word that I love above any other - it's 'Harmony', so I went ahead and put it right in our name. I really think Gandhi had it right when he said "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." We strive for that everyday.

Truth be told - I wasn't always a wedding planner. Working from a retail consulting background gives me a unique perspective on events: I know how people instinctively tend to move through spaces, and how they respond to different signs or prompts. I'm more aware of how guests interact with objects or touch and feel things, or why people respond to different textures and textiles. I've studied how language, colors and even shapes affect how people perceive design and value. I use all these tools plus my 10 years in the wedding industry to help build our events to be the best possible version of whatever you have in mind.

I live in Santa Monica with my husband Chad and adorable terrier mix Clarence. I'm a SoCal girl born and raised, having lived just about everywhere from Santa Barbara to Temecula.

Connect with Margaux:Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Links mentioned:The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Your Legal BFF

Honeybook

Basecamp

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Evaluation Guide

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

The Road Less Traveled, 25th Anniversary Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth

Hey planners! It seems like anyone and everyone is becoming a wedding planner by just launching an Instagram and getting started. But building a successful wedding planning business isn’t that easy. Do you want to be profitable? Do you want this to be a sustainable business? Do you want this to be your full-time career? If so, you really want to go back to the fundamentals of having things in place like a website, business license, insurance - all of the things you need to run a professional business. In this episode, you’ll hear what you need to have in place to start your wedding planning business and our tips for getting started on the right path.

What’s in this episode:

Why it’s important to set up your business properly
How Heather got started with her wedding business
Lindsey’s story of how she got into wedding planning
Tips on finding your first clients
Why you shouldn’t refer everyone
How you can get experience in the industry and why you should get into the hospitality industry if you can’t find work with an existing planner
How to build a network of vendors
Why Lindsey believes in taking a leadership role
How you can leverage social media to share your expertise and show your personality
The 3 ways to show how you’re different from other planners

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today we have a special episode for you where we took a deep dive into what our workshop was like this year. We just recently wrapped up our 10th in-person workshop and in this episode, we shared our takeaways and chatted about the roles that we have for the event, how we pivoted it during COVID and what students learn at our workshops. You’ll hear the feedback we’ve gotten from planners who attended, the number one takeaway of the event for planners and a few of our favorite moments from the workshop!

What’s in this episode:

Their thoughts on how they felt about the workshop happening this year
What their roles are for the workshop
The format they did to host a COVID friendly event
What they teach students during the workshop
The feedback they’ve gotten from students who attended
The number one takeaway that planners get from the workshop
Special moments that happened during the workshop

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Have you been dreaming about breaking into the destination wedding market? You’re in luck! Today we had a conversation about what it’s really like to be a destination wedding planner. We had a discussion about Linsday’s experience starting out as a destination wedding planner and she shared a lot of great tips for getting started in a new area. We discussed the first steps you should take when trying to get into a new market, why pricing sometimes varies on a case by case basis and advice for maintaining your presence in a destination market.

What’s in this episode:

What Linday’s travel experiences were prior to doing destination weddings
Her experience in her business before opening up to a new destination market
What led her and her family to move to Hawaii
The first steps you should take if you want to get started in a new destination
Why you have to learn the politics of new destinations
How destination weddings are like starting over again with building your portfolio
The differences in charging percentage vs. flat rate
Why pricing is sometimes a case by case basis
Her advice for planners on maintaining their destination market
Why you need to do your homework and make connections with local vendors
How you can guide your clients to get the vendors they want while limiting travel fees

Today’s episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don’t have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Are you using social media as a part of your marketing strategy? If not, you might want to consider it as it’s a great tool for getting in front of your ideal client. This is one of the topics we touched on today with Jana Williams. Jana is an international lifestyle photographer and in this episode, she talks about how she leverages Pinterest and other social media tools to reach potential clients. We dive into working with your ideal clients and how they don’t show up overnight. She shares how she’s been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic, how she’s learned to find balance during this season and a little bit about her membership community, The Inspired Club.

What’s in this episode:

How photography found Jana
The next step she took after she found her interest in photography
How it takes time to figure out who your ideal clients are
Working with other vendors to make everything come together
Why you should leverage different tools for your marketing efforts
How you can be strategic and thoughtful with each wedding to attract ideal clients
How the pandemic has been for Jana and her business
Her experience of finding balance and your identity in this slower season
What she does with her membership community, The Inspired Club

About Jana:Jana is an international lifestyle photographer, educator and all around good human. She is based in Los Angeles, California but wears her Alabama roots loud and proud.

The Knot named Jana Williams one of the top100 most inspiring people in 2017 and she has been featured in Glamour, Brides, People, Grace Ormond and many more luxurious wedding publications but will all of her accomplishments the one thing we love most about Jana is how authentic, real and grounded she is. She often says that photography found her and we are so glad it did. We have had the opportunity to work side by side with Jana on many weddings and we are excited to share her contagious positive spirit with all of you.

Connect with Jana:Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Links mentioned:Tailwind
The Inspired Club

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today you’ll be hearing from Kimberly Rhodes of Hitched Events. Kimberly got into the marketing and event management industry early on in her career. After having her own wedding, she had the idea of becoming a wedding planner. In this episode, we talk about the first steps to take as a wedding planner (you may be surprised but it isn’t necessarily finding your first client!) She talks about why she made the move back to Texas to start her company, how she quickly learned to charge her worth and why she decided to scale back on the number of weddings she did per year. You’ll hear her advice for making shifts in your business as you learn what you do and don’t love, how building community has helped her and the process of starting her podcast, This Week in Weddings.

What’s in this episode:

Why she moved from Dallas, TX to New York and her background of working in event management and marketing
How Kimberly got into wedding planning after her own wedding
Why they decided to move back to Dallas, TX to start her company
Their advice on the first steps to take as a wedding planner
How her first client and wedding client met her
What she learned from her first wedding event
Their tips on charging your worth
Kimberly’s experience of realizing she took on too many clients and how she combatted this
Why you need to do a yearly self-evaluation
The reasons she’s scaled-down on events to serve fewer clients
Their focus on the DFW market and why she isn’t a fan of destination wedding planning
How she’s learned to make tweaks in her business based on what she does and doesn’t enjoy
How building a planner and vendor community has helped her
How her podcast, This Week in Weddings, came about
Kimberly’s thoughts on adapting the “never stop learning” mindset
Her advice for other wedding planners

About Kimberly:

With more than 20 years of event planning experience, ranging from corporate conferences to non-profit galas, Kimberly Rhodes found her love for weddings while planning her own in 2011. Now in its ninth year, her award-winning event planning company Hitched Events focuses on beautifully-detailed weddings and other celebratory events in the Dallas area. Kimberly is also the current President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the National Association of Catering & Events. In 2016, Kimberly launched This Week in Weddings, one of the first wedding industry podcasts for entrepreneurs, now enjoyed by event professionals all over the world.

Connect with Kimberly at Hitched Events:Website | Instagram

This Week in WeddingsWebsite | Instagram

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! As many of you likely know, in the wedding industry there are so many nuances to the words “wedding coordinator” and “wedding planner”. Having these terms clearly defined will help your wedding planning business run much more smoothly as clients will know exactly what to expect. In this episode, we talked about different terms such as “day of coordinator”, “month of coordinator”, “wedding manager”, “wedding planner”, “partial planning”, “full-service planning” and more! This episode will help you to establish boundaries with clients around what’s included in coordination and planning services. We also shared some of our favorite tips for going above and beyond for all of your wedding couples!

What’s in this episode:

How wedding planners and wedding coordinators do very different things
What a “day-of-coordinator” is and what they do
How the service and title “month of coordinator” was coined
How the term “wedding management” came about
Why Heather was able to do day-of coordination successfully
One of the biggest issues we see planners facing
Why well-defined services will help things run smoothly
What we’ve included in coordination packages
The grey area between coordination and planning aka “partial planning”
Why you need to establish boundaries with clients
What we’ve done with ‘custom planning’ packages
What defines a good partial planning client
How we structure full-service planning packages
Adding in a la carte items to go above and beyond for clients
Other ideas for full weekend experiences

Today’s episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don’t have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription.

Links mentioned:Aisle Planner
Trello
Basecamp

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! As you embark on your journey of growing your wedding planning business you’ll definitely want to think about protecting yourself from a legal standpoint. That’s why we brought on Annette Stepanian of Your Legal BFF. Annette helps to simplify a lot of the legal aspects of your business in a way that makes it way less intimidating and easier to understand. In this episode, she shares how she started her company and her perspective on the wedding industry. We chat about the importance of getting the legal aspects of your business squared away, what to look for when hiring legal help and what things you need to consider when starting your wedding planning business.

What’s in this episode:

What Annette’s childhood was like
Her experience of working at a law firm
Why she made the decision to leave the law firm
Her story of starting a jewelry company and wanting to help people legally
Why she decided to start Your Legal BFF
Her view from an outsider’s perspective on what she sees in the wedding industry
Why you need to get your legal ducks in a row
What you should look out for when hiring legal help
How you can protect your business and clients from things like a pandemic
What things you must think about when starting a business
Why you should cultivate relationships with the people you run into

About Annette:Your Legal BFF™ was created by Annette Stepanian, a lawyer who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners with the legal side of running a business. A few years ago, while operating her own creative business, Annette came across other business owners who would panic anytime they were faced with either drafting, negotiating, or enforcing a contract. There were those who despite their smarts would prefer to close their eyes and ignore the need to address anything legally related. And let’s not forget some peers who, despite their best intentions, felt lost and overwhelmed when they tried to understand the law as it related to their specific business. They would scour the internet, post in Facebook groups asking for help, and cobble together some very conflicting and confusing advice.

Connect with Annette:Your Legal BFF | Website | Instagram | Office Talk Podcast

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Links mentioned:Protect Your Wedding Business
Q+A with Annette Stepanian

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today on the show I am so excited to introduce you to a dear friend and someone we absolutely look up to in the wedding industry, Brooke Keegan. Brooke decided to get into the wedding industry after attending a wedding and seeing firsthand some of the things that went wrong that day. In this episode, she shares how working in different avenues of the wedding industry has helped her to leverage knowledge for her clients. She talks about her experience working for other planners and making the leap into starting her own business. You’ll hear why she ended up launching a sister company, her biggest advice for those who want to break into destination weddings and tips for up and coming wedding planners.

What’s in this episode:

Brooke’s background and what her life was like growing up
How she ended up getting into the wedding industry
Her experience of working for another planner, as a private dining coordinator and in catering
How she got introduced to a luxury wedding planner and started working with them
Brooke’s experience of getting to work under her mentor
Why she ended up starting her own business
How she transitioned to only offering full-service planning
Her shift from a flat fee to percentage model pricing
The changes she’s made in her business centered around making her business and life what she actually wants it to be
How they started their sister company, Aster & Park to help even more brides
The biggest challenges of her second business
Her favorite part of running the sister company
Where she sees each of her companies going over the next 5 years
Why she loves working in destination weddings
Her advice for planners who want to get into destination weddings
Her process for pre-wedding and post-wedding
Why they make sure to get positive and constructive feedback after events
Her recommendations for those who want to get started in the wedding industry

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

About Brooke:Brooke has more than 17 years of experience designing, planning, and producing spectacular events for some of the world’s most ambitious and exacting clients.

Named a top wedding planner by Harper’s Bazaar, she has established a reputation of excellence and consistency for producing unique, beautiful, and innovative events that far leave a lasting impression.

A Division 1 volleyball player at San Diego State University, Brooke graduated with dual degrees in Marketing and Management. Prior to running her own business, she pursued a professional career in the hotel and hospitality industry, a combination that gives her an edge when producing top-notch events for world-class clients.

Connect with Brooke:

Website | Instagram | Aster & Park

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! We've said it before and we'll say it again... Competition is healthy and can benefit your wedding planning business. We're big believers in the notion of community over competition so we decided to dedicate today's real talk episode to this topic. We discuss our views on community over competition and how to find joy in cheerleading other planners. We explore how to cultivate a community, why you need to find your own lane and how being a good human comes first (then profit will follow!)

What's in this episode:

What community over competition means to us
How to find joy in cheerleading for other planners
What you can do to differentiate yourself in a new market
Why you need to find your own lane and authentic self
What it looks like to welcome competition
The mindset of being a leader for your clients on the wedding day
What you can do to start cultivating a community

Today's episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don't have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription.

Links mentioned:

005: Real Expert: Natalie Franke of Rising Tide Society

Can't wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! I am so excited to have on today’s guest, Hannah Campbell-Anderson of Day of Gal. Hannah got into the wedding planning business after being a bridesmaid over 9 times and experiencing over 40 weddings for friends and family! In this episode, Hannah shares how she got into the wedding industry and why she chose to focus on partial coordination services. Hannah gives insight into how she and her team divvy up the workflow and their processes for running Day of Gal. She and Heather talk about creating boundaries with clients, her biggest challenges she’s faced while growing her business and how to avoid the wrong clients early on!

What’s in this episode:

What Hannah does and who her business serves
Her background leading up to how she got into the wedding industry
How she went from production to weddings
The point she reached when she decided it was time to grow a team
How they divvy up the workflow between the team
What their partial coordination service looks like
Why putting boundaries in place with clients was important for her
What her processes are for working with clients
The biggest challenges she’s faced while growing her business
How she thinks wedding industry will shift in the future
What her own wedding was like
Her advice about avoiding the wrong clients

About Hannah:

After being a Bridesmaid 9 times, the reader, the wedding singer, the Officiant, and attending over 40 weddings for friends and family, you could say she knew her way around a wedding…Hannah Campbell-Anderson saw one thing missing at almost all of these weddings- a coordinator. A non friend/family member, who knows all the details and major players of the day- from vendors to grandmothers, flower delivery time to the Groom’s favorite cocktail. Someone whose job it is to be your advocate and wrangle the day from beginning to end. Someone you can trust to hand over the reins to- your wedding’s Day of GAL!

Connect with Hannah:

Website | Instagram | Pinterest

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! As you know, we’re huge advocates of the idea of community over competition. Community can be transformative for your wedding planning business in SO many ways. In this episode, we spoke with Lindsay’s idol, Natalie Franke. Natalie is a professional photographer who built a 6-figure business within 5 years and she’s also a co-founder of the Rising Tide Society and the Head of Community at Honeybook. We talk about what led her to create the Rising Tide Society, why she thinks competition isn’t always a bad thing and the biggest mistakes she sees planners making. Natalie also shares some great tips about using TikTok for your wedding planning business and getting vulnerable about what you experience.

What’s in this episode:

What Natalie’s life was like growing up and how she got into photography
The breaking point where Natalie realized she felt alone
What made her start the Rising Tide Society
Why she wanted to create a community rather than a traditional formal organization
What community means to her
Why competition is actually not a bad thing
Lindsay and Natalie’s thoughts on wedding planners and leadership
The biggest mistakes that Natalie sees planners making in their business
How you can use TikTok for your business
Her journey to motherhood and experience as a new parent
Why you need to be vulnerable about hardships
How building a strong family unit is similar to building community
Why rituals and traditions are important for community

About Natalie:

Entrepreneur. Community builder. Brain tumor + infertility warrior. Writer. Speaker. Creative.

Connect with Natalie:

Honeybook | Rising Tide | Personal Instagram | Rising Tide Society Instagram

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Links mentioned:

Leaders Eat Last

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't

Hey planners! It’s our absolute pleasure to introduce you to today’s guest, Victoria Holland of Victoria Ann Events. Victoria plans and designs events for couples who are looking to infuse every ounce of their personality into their wedding day. In this episode, Victoria shares her experience of getting into the events industry, freelancing for event companies and eventually starting her own wedding planning business. She and Heather chat about everything she’s learned from her last 5 years in business including how she gained more referrals, who her ideal clients are, how she uses Instagram to connect to couples and so much more!

What’s in this episode:

How Victoria got her start in the events industry
How she went from a freelancer to the owner of her own wedding planning business
Victoria’s experience with her first wedding planning client
What shifted with her confidence and business after that first client
How her wedding planning workshop helped her to find more clients
What her elevator pitch is to her wedding couples
The client that Victoria tends to work with
How she uses Instagram as a tool to share who she is as a person and a planner
Her advice for sharing about yourself on social media
The marketing strategies she used to build relationships with vendors
Victoria’s biggest strengths and challenges within her business
What it’s like to run into non-ideal clients
Where she’d like to see her company go in the next few years
Her advice for wedding planners who are just getting started
How the Planner Life Academy community has supported her

About Victoria:

Growing up, my mother had a dinner party for just about everything. She would make name cards, put out her best china, let me help her pick flowers, and always cook something spectacular. She taught me, “Presentation is everything.” Long-story-short, the attention to detail, organization and joy that give me my knack for event-planning are in my blood (because truly, I got it from my Mama). My whole life I’ve had a passion for all the elements that make events experiences. Beyond that, I’ve always been told that I throw a really effing fun party, so I decided to leave my career in hospitality and pursue event-planning for real.

What I’m told draws many of my clients to me is my eye for the details, understanding of who they are, and calm attitude even when things get crazy. What keeps me so fulfilled is my relationships with my clients themselves. Nothing makes me happier than working with a couple to make a vision come to life and genuinely having fun all along the way.

Connect with Victoria:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Today’s episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don’t have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Today you’ll get a deep dive into Heather, her story and how she got into the wedding industry. Heather is the partner of LVL Weddings and cofounder of The Planner Life Academy. She talks about her transition from being an in-house coordinator to starting her own business. She talks about what she wishes she would’ve known and the challenges she faced. You’ll hear the proudest moments of her journey as a wedding planner and how she cultivates and fosters great relationships with her clients.

What’s in this episode:

What Heather was like growing up
Heather’s thoughts about marriages and what they mean to her
Her idea of what she wanted to be when she grew up
The one moment that shaped her life the most
Why she was drawn to the wedding industry
Challenges that Heather faced when starting her own wedding planning business
The proudest moments from her journey as a wedding planner
What advice Heather would’ve given herself when she first started
Her “I’ve made it” moment during her career
What she wants people to remember about her

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

In these first few episodes, we wanted to really get into each other’s stories of how we got into the wedding industry. Today you’ll be getting a deeper look into Lindsay. Lindsay is the founder of LVL Weddings and cofounder of Planner Life Academy. She shares a little insight into her childhood, what she wanted to be growing up and the defining moment in her life that shaped who she is today. Lindsay shares the proudest moment of her career, challenges she has faced while growing her business and how she celebrated her own wedding.

What’s in this episode:

What Lindsay’s childhood was like
What marriage means to her and how she and her husband celebrated their wedding
What she wanted to be when she grew up
The defining moment in her life that shaped her life
How Lindsay got into the wedding industry and started LVL Weddings
Challenges she faced as she’s grown her wedding planning business
The proudest moment in her career as a planner
The advice she would’ve given herself in the beginning

Links mentioned:Untamed

Today’s episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don’t have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Untamed

Are you looking to build a successful, thriving wedding planning business? Then you’re in the right place! Welcome to the Planner Life Podcast! We’re your hosts Heather and Lindsay. We’re wedding planners, business partners and educators with more than a decade of experience under our belts. We’re so excited that you’ve decided to take this journey with us because we have so many lessons to share with you to help you thrive in this unique career. You’ll hear real conversations, real advice and real support from us along with other successful wedding planners and guest experts who will help you to grow your wedding planning business. Are you ready?

What’s in this episode:

Why we have waited so long to start this podcast
Our “why” for starting the Planner Life Podcast
What our plans are for future episodes and the types of guests we plan to bring on the show

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hi! We're Heather and Lindsay—wedding planners, business partners, and educators. We are passionate about helping you build a successful wedding planning business.

With more than a decade of business under our belts, there is a lot to share about the lessons we've learned (some that we really wish we knew back then). And our goal is to help you get the education and community you need to thrive in this unique career.

This podcast is a place for real conversations, real advice, and real support because we want to help elevate the entire wedding industry— and that starts with supporting you.

So join us along the way while we share entertaining stories, ah moments, tangible takeaways all to better not only your business but YOU.

Welcome to The Planner Life. Invite your planner bestie, subscribe today - talk to you soon!