THE Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
All Episodes
All Episodes
331 THE NEXT LEVEL: PHIL VAN NOSTRAND discusses JOSH SPIEGEL/Using Social Media to Create Business During the Pandemic
Andy welcomes Phil Van Nostrand back to The Next Level. Phil is based out of New York and Los Angeles. Phil photographs weddings, commercial, and lifestyle projects and is an expert at capturing bright cinematic lifestyle imagery. Listen as they discuss Josh Spiegel, the Creative Director and President of Birch Event Design, a high-end decor, production, and floral company.
Phil speaks about a support group of industry professionals that Josh is a part of during the shutdown and how he himself created his own network of people to reach out to. Phil also talks about the challenge Josh had to create something different for each event while planning daily weddings within the same group of individuals.
Phil discusses how Josh used social media to garner business during the pandemic while staying safe by doing smaller events, having the host testing each guest, and social distancing. Phil agrees with Josh that the smaller events will carry over because people see the beauty in creating an experience for their guests and being able to connect on a deeper level.
330 JOSH SPIEGEL/Birch Event Design – Using Social Media to Create Business During the Pandemic
On this episode of The Wedding Biz Andy is talking to Josh Spiegel, the Creative Director and President of Birch Event Design, a high-end decor, production, and floral company located out of the New York City area. Josh has had a lot of business during the pandemic and shares the story of how he is accomplishing that feat. Josh also talks sincerely about many issues, especially how he is dealing with things now and how he feels the event industry might be different once it fully comes back.
Josh also shares how he got into the event industry and the challenge of creating different designs for the same group of people, sometimes every day. Josh talks about how he failed and learned in the early years of his business and how his business has thrived over the years.
Listen as Josh discusses his process from the first contact with a client through the event and what he did during the pandemic that has kept him and his team busy. Josh is also very open about the deep depression he fell into in the early months of the pandemic and what brought him out and gave him focus as the crisis continued.
Josh speaks about social media and how he uses it to grow his business and what he believes will change in the event industry post-pandemic. He also shares what he has learned during COVID that he believes will carry over and what the hardest part of the past year has been. Andy wraps up the interview by asking Josh how he defines success.
329 A Conversation With: TARA GUERARD
“Our industry will come back in a really good way.” Andy welcomes Tara Guerard back to the show. Listen as they discuss the events she’s designed since the pandemic and how they kept everyone safe. Tara also speaks about what she had done to keep busy and how guests will have to show proof of vaccination before they are allowed at her 2021 events, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Tara is the owner of the event planning company called Tara Guerard Soiree, a full-service event planning and design company headquartered in Charleston, SC, with a second office in New York City. Tara has been in several prestigious wedding publications and published two best-selling books, Southern Weddings and Weddings. She has partnered with the luxury eco-friendly Letterpress Studio as well.
Listen as Tara speaks about how her business is structured for sustainability with very little overhead and property investing instead of leasing. Tara talks about how she has her pricing set up and says that she has raised her prices for 2021 because her time is still important and her designs are worth it.
Tara believes that the industry will come back in full force and stresses that it’s important to stay creative and keep those creative juices flowing. She says that staying motivated and inspired is critical to creatives, and using those talents for good by helping others is a great place to start.
328 A Conversation With: RON BEN-ISRAEL
Andy has the funny and forthcoming Ron Ben-Israel on the show today. Listen as they discuss the second season for his new show, The Big Bake, and his new venture called RBI Treats. We also talk about how the pandemic has impacted both his business and personal life, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Ron is the Founder of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes. In addition to creating stunning and delectable cakes, he hosted the cooking competition TV show Sweet Genius from 2011 to 2013, and was a judge on Food Network’s Cake Wars. He now has a new television show called The Big Bake on Food Network, Canada.
Listen, as Ron discusses how the pandemic has affected his business and how he has kept himself busy and continued to create. Ron talks about his Instagram (IGTV) show called Cake Talk and how he believes it helped him exercise his creativity and get back to work. Ron also shares about his television show, the Big Bake, and talks about the judges who are on the show with him.
Have you always wanted to try Ron’s amazing desserts? Ron speaks about RBI Treats, the new retail division of RBI Cakes. He shares how it got started, the challenges of selling online, shipping to customers, and how much fun he had deciding what to sell and how to package it. Check out his website for RBI Treats, www.RBITreats.com, and start taste testing.
327 A Conversation With: NIKKI KHAN
Today, Andy’s guest is Nikki Khan, the Founder of Exquisite Events, specializing in South Asian weddings out of Los Angeles and working worldwide. Listen as Nikki shares how meditation helps her stay grounded, how the pandemic has changed her perspective on time spent with family and the way they enjoy each other’s company, and to never take things for granted, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Nikki shares how she spends her days now versus how they were spent before the pandemic, the walks she takes, and how she spends time noticing the beauty of nature. Nikki also talks about the fun she had planning micro weddings for her two youngest sons, the joy she felt watching her grandkids on the dance floor, and how she took time to appreciate each moment with family.
Nikki believes that smaller, more intimate weddings will be the focus in 2021, but she hopes that by 2022 the larger events will be back in full force. The weddings may be smaller, but Nikki shared she will not slash her prices. The time and effort she puts into each detail won’t change; smaller is sometimes better.
326 A Conversation With: CECI JOHNSON
Ceci Johnson is recognized as the founder of couture invitation design and her design studio, Ceci New York, having worked in over 40 countries, is globally renowned as the leader in luxury invitation design. Her client list reads like a who’s who of A-list celebrities, royalty, international sports stars, fashion icons, dignitaries and global luxury brands. As a celebrated artist her paintings hang in private collections worldwide. Ceci’s fashion-forward style and sophisticated aesthetic have lead her to be named by Tory Burch as a “Woman to Watch”, and called by Anna Wintour of Vogue magazine “a favorite designer”. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, The New York Times, USA Today, InStyle, W Magazine, Town & Country and many more too numerous to mention.
Listen as Ceci shares what she has been doing to stay creative during the slowdown, how she has kept busy expanding her company to include a Palm Beach presence, how she is creating the lifestyle brand she has always dreamed of and how she is now getting into fashion by collaborating with women’s clothing designers and working on product launches with her art on them. Ceci believes if you set small achievable goals it will bring back your positive energy.
Ceci speaks with us about expanding her business and her new IGTV series which showcases some of the rebranding work she and Ceci New York are doing for companies around the world. She shares how she is seizing this unique moment in time to set herself up for when the pandemic is over, and life and events resume, so that her company will reap the benefits of having a forward-looking vision and preparing for what people will desire in the future.
325 THE NEXT LEVEL: VALERIE GERNHAUSER discusses MATTHEW MYHRUM, Event Visualization & Communicating Design
Andy welcomes Valerie Gernhauser back to The Next Level. Valerie is the Owner, Planner, and Designer with Sapphire Events working worldwide out of New Orleans. Listen as they discuss Matthew Myhrum’s definition of what he does and the events Valerie has worked on with Matthew, plus much more.
Matthew is the Founder of Matthew Myhrum Event Visualization, where they provide concept renderings, design drawings, and production design services for event professionals. Matthew shares that they essentially communicate design not only for his clients who are event planners and designers but also to be able to sell their concepts to their clients more effectively and help them with their design process in telling a story.
Listen, as Valerie shares that for her, design isn’t just decor; it involves constant innovation, and hiring Matthew allows her to show her clients exactly what the design will look like. Valerie tells a story of a wedding she worked on with Matthew to create a 360-degree presentation with a virtual reality headset and the reaction she got from her clients.
Valerie discusses the small nuances and details that Matthew puts in his presentation and how these elevate the level of reality for the client. Valerie also speaks about the importance of lighting and how it can be manipulated in Matthew’s presentation to create the look that will be achieved with her design. Valerie believes that in time Matthew will figure out how to add taste and smell to his presentations to elevate the client’s experience.
324 MATTHEW MYHRUM/Rendering Artist – Event Visualization & Communicating Design
“Design is about making things either work properly or better and to bring purpose and direction to chaos.” Listen as Andy and his guest Matthew Myhrum discuss his company, what they do, and how he got interested in creative visualization. Matthew also speaks about his background in set and video design for theater and working with Preston Bailey, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Matthew is the Founder of Matthew Myhrum Event Visualization, where they provide concept renderings, design drawings, and production design services for event professionals. Matthew shares that they essentially communicate design not only for his clients who are event planners and designers but also to be able to sell their concepts to their clients more effectively and help them with their design process in telling a story.
Listen, as Matthew, his process from the first meeting with the designer to the actual event, and the benefit designers get from hiring him to do renderings of the events. Matthew believes that everyone should have the ability to take risks creatively, but it’s important to have a way to test that risk properly.
Matthew shares how the technology behind video games allows him to show the same detail, pick and choose backgrounds, add people, and change the lighting on his presentations to understand better what the event will look like. Technology is changing, and Matthew believes that he has to use all the tools available to stay competitive and keep his business growing.
323 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses MARIANNE BENNETT, Scoring Music To Tell A Story
Andy welcomes Sean Low back to the show. Sean is the owner of the consulting firm The Business of Being Creative, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. He also has a podcast on The Wedding Biz Network called The Business of Being Creative. Listen as they discuss Marianne Bennett, the Founder and CEO of Element Music, a highly successful music and entertainment company in the event industry out of New York City.
Sean speaks about Marianne’s understanding of the difference between “custom” and “personal,” her storytelling abilities, and how she takes a client’s story and gives it back after adding her vision. Sean loves the fact that Marianne states that it isn’t just about enjoying the entertainment; it’s about the experience.
Marianne believes that you have to be creative with your company’s business side, and Sean agrees 100% with her view on combining the business and creative aspects to keep the company balanced. Marianne says you can love business and still be a great creative.
322 MARIANNE BENNETT: Scoring Music To Tell A Story
“I love creating an amazing soundtrack for a ceremony.” Listen as Andy and his guest Marianne Bennett, the Founder, and CEO of Element Music, a very successful music and entertainment company in the event industry out of New York City, discusses why she believes that music should be scored to tell a story, how someone at the top of the industry handles her business and brings creativity to what she does plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Marianne shares how she gets to know her clients and discovers the music that makes them feel something. She says that knowing a client’s favorite songs isn’t enough; you need to know how they want to feel during the event. Marianne also takes us through her interview process when she meets clients for the first time to determine their relationship with music.
Listen, as Marianne discusses why she believes that music should score a ceremony, as well as other segments of the celebration, and tell the story of the couple at their wedding. The decor, along with the music, set the tone for an event and make the experience special for the guests from the minute they walk in the door. Marianne also describes what she thinks is the hardest part of what she does overall.
Marianne believes it is possible to love the business side and still be an amazing creative. To balance both, you need to learn to look at business creatively and marry the two together because you can’t be a successful creative if you don’t make sure business is being taken care of.
321 PRESTON BAILEY’S Big Announcement!
Andy is excited for this special episode with floral and event designer Preston Bailey. Listen as they discuss how Preston is handling the pandemic both personally and professionally, what he’s learned about himself, and how he’s using the slow down to further his path both personally and in the industry. Preston also has a big announcement he is sharing with us, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Preston shares how he is handling the pandemic and what he has learned during 2020. Preston discusses how he thinks the event industry will change once the pandemic has been eradicated. He believes that event professionals will need to become better salespeople because consumers will want more value for their money.
Preston is hosting his own podcast called Stop and Smell the Roses! Listen as he shares why this is a dream come true and the content listeners can expect to hear. Preston also speaks about his segment called Dear Preston, where he will answer listeners’ questions live on air. His podcast will air every other Thursday starting January 14th on The Wedding Biz Network. See you there!
Don’t forget to listen to Andy’s new podcast, The Music Makers. It’s a podcast about behind-the-scenes stories from some of the most influential music industry pros around, including artists, recording engineers, record producers, songwriters, managers, record industry executives, and more. You can find The Music Makers podcast by searching for it in your cell phone’s podcast app or visiting
320 Andy’s Reflections on 2020 with Jennifer Stein
Are you ready for something a little different? Andy is being interviewed by his good friend Jennifer Stein, the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine. Listen, as Andy gets a little personal and allows us to see a side of him that maybe we’ve never seen before as they discuss the craziness that was the year 2020, what he wants to change in the future and the plans he has for 2021 all on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Andy shares how the pandemic has affected his life professionally in both negative and positive ways. He talks about the biggest thing he has learned during 2020, launching The Wedding Biz Network, a new podcast he launched called The Music Makers, and some exciting things that will be announced on The Next Level on Wednesday, January 6th.
Congratulations, Andy, on your New Year’s Eve engagement! Listen as he shares the amazing things that have happened in his personal life since the quarantine at home orders and how this last year has changed his outlook on life both personally and professionally. If you want to get to know Andy a little better, you don’t want to miss this one of a kind episode.
319 REVISIT: Ines and Veronica Di Santo: Bridal Couture Brilliance
On today’s show we hear from Ines and Veronica of Ines Di Santo, a bridal and evening gown couture dress designer. We learn how Ines grew up with the deep creative passion to having her business now.
318 TONY CRESPO/FMI Farms: Innovative National Floral Wholesaler
“If you see an opportunity, even if you don’t succeed, it’s a learning process. There is no such thing as failure.” Listen as Andy and his guest Tony Crespo discuss him being a drummer for a Salsa band for fourteen years, his grandfather growing roses in Ecuador, and how that shaped what he does today, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Tony is the Co-Founder of FMI Farms, a national floral wholesaler that innovatively offers a web-based marketplace for florists and event planners. They exclusively carry luxury quality that either ship farm direct or they offer a repacking service out of their facility in Miami, Florida. FMI Farms website has over 20,000 line items of flowers from all over the world, including other distributors in Miami and for next day delivery.
Tony shares how the values that his father and grandfather instilled in him have directed his path, how his definition of success has changed over the years, and his journey to being a distributor for other growers. Tony discusses how he and his brother developed the marketplace with inspiration from a company in Holland while being modeled after Amazon.
Listen as Tony talks about what he learned from the recession of 2008 that helped him trim his business down during the pandemic. He shares how the sales from Mother’s day stopped them in their tracks and made him realize that the pandemic might not be as big of a disaster as they expected.
317 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses ALEX FITZGIBBONS, Orchestrating The Life And Soul Of A Wedding
Andy welcomes Carrie Goldberg back to The Next Level. Carrie is the Digital Travel & Weddings Editor at Harpers Bazaar, where she oversees all things bridal, weddings, and travel for HarpersBazaar.com. Listen as they discuss how who has the most input in weddings has changed, why Alex doesn’t advertise and how he maintains his client’s privacy by taking people’s phones at high-profile events, plus much more.
Alex is the Managing Director of Fait Accompli out of London, which organizes, plans and designs spectacular events worldwide from A-list to Royal weddings. He is also responsible for the wedding celebration of Ellie Goulding and weddings for the Royal family, including Prince William and Katherine the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry and Megan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Listen as Carrie speaks about the weddings Alex designs, the glamping wedding he planned on the grounds of a medieval castle, and how his discretion has earned him the high-profile weddings others seek. They discuss the challenge of keeping guests engaged, with or without their phones, and how 2020 has shown where people place their worth in business and life.
316 ALEX FITZGIBBONS: Orchestrating The Life And Soul Of A Wedding
“Our interests are totally aligned with our clients, to make sure their wedding is the best it can possibly be.” Listen as Andy and his guest Alex Fitzgibbon discuss how he got involved in the event industry, his journey to Fait Accompli, why he feels his work there is about finding and expressing the life and soul of weddings he orchestrates, plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Alex is the Managing Director of Fait Accompli out of London, which organizes plans and designs spectacular events worldwide for A-list clients and Royal weddings. He orchestrated one of Vogue’s top listed weddings of 2019, and was also responsible for the wedding celebration of Ellie Goulding and weddings for the Royal family, including Prince William and Katherine the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry and Megan the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Alex discusses his understanding of what a client wants and how he finds his inspiration when planning the event. Alex shares a story of one of his favorite weddings last year, his design philosophy, and the challenges of orchestrating a very large event. He also speaks about how he keeps high-profile weddings private by taking away the guests’ phones, which also allows them to engage with others more freely.
Listen as Alex talks about balancing the business side of his company and the artistic side, how he puts together a team for each event, and how he has kept his business successful over the years. Alex shares that one of his favorite things about the event industry is the degree to which you get to know your clients and how exciting that is for him.
315 THE NEXT LEVEL: JENNIFER STEIN discusses MAJEDA & SEWAR BISHARAT/MY Event Design: Turning Vision Into Reality
Andy welcomes Jennifer Stein back to The Next Level. Jennifer is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine, which can be found at newsstands in all fifty states and twelve countries. She also publishes a daily blog, consults, custom publishes, and has a podcast called CONFETTI.
Majeda Bisharat and Sewar of MY Event Design, based in Jordan, cover events across the Middle East and Europe. MY Event Design is a full-fledged luxury event design, planning, and management company that has designed and planned events for influential figures in various industries and members of the Royal family.
Jennifer discusses the natural gifts that she believes people in the event industry are blessed with, how Majeda gets her inspiration from everywhere, and how great it is that Majeda and Sewar have a multigenerational approach to events that have served them well. Jennifer also talks about what Majeda said about Sewar’s engagement party.
Listen as Jennifer shares how vulnerable and upfront Majeda was when she said she is in a state of confusion when it comes to dealing with the pandemic and how she took that confusion and turned it into a new company called MY Tablescape so that everyone can rent the luxurious accessories they need to make any occasion special.
314 MAJEDA & SEWAR BISHARAT/MY Event Design: Turning Vision Into Reality
“Majeda’s vision has no boundaries, so why should we as a company?” Listen as Andy and his guests Majeda & Sewar Bisharat with MY Event Design, based in Amman Jordan and working all over the world, discuss Majeda’s passion for fashion and the transition to event design and how Sewar wanted to get experience in the corporate world before she joined her mother’s company plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
MY Event Design is a full-fledged luxury event design, planning, and management company founded by Majeda Bisharat and her two daughters Maysam and Sewar, covering events across the Middle East and Europe. In addition to weddings, engagements, corporate events, and other special events, MY event design has designed and planned events for influential figures in various industries and members of the Royal family.
Listen as Majeda and Sewar discuss why they feel they are a strong team, their roles in the company, and their process from start to finish with their clients. Majeda shares a story about an event she is very proud of and some challenges she has faced at her events.
They also chat about interior design, their entertainment booking agency, and the need for multiple income streams during the pandemic. Majeda and Sewar share how the pandemic has affected them personally and professionally and what they believe the event industry will look like in the coming months. Listen as these amazing women share their insights from Jordan.