THE Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
All Episodes
All Episodes
55 The Star-Studded Anniversary Show: Celebrating One Year of The Wedding Biz
It hardly seems possible that today’s show is a celebration of the One Year Anniversary of The Wedding Biz podcast! When Andy started the show a year ago, he began as a passion project, but since that time, it has turned into so much more! Andy knew he wanted his podcast to be different, and he certainly accomplished that. One of the things that makes The Wedding Biz so unique is that Andy only does interviews in person. So for the past year, he has visited the homes, offices, and event venues with his guests, in order to sit down and conduct a face to face interview. Andy says it’s one of his secrets to making a real connection with his guests!
54 THE NEXT LEVEL: David Tutera: Finding True Success in Self Reinvention
In this companion episode of David Tutera’s interview, Andy and Melissa Fancy take a deeper dive into the strategies that David shared.
David insists that you don’t have to love your clients, as long as you love what you do for your clients. This concept and many more are discussed in this episode of THE NEXT LEVEL!
Don’t forget to visit the website – www.theweddingbiz.com and sign up for the additional information to help grow your business!
53 David Tutera: Finding True Success in Self Reinvention
If you’ve heard of David Tutera, you know he’s done it all. He’s a leading expert in the wedding and entertaining business with a list of accomplishments almost too long to mention.
From sharing how he found himself in the events industry, to his foresight for where the industry is going, David dishes on everything you want to know-with the incredible motivation you need.
About David Tutera:
Originally from New York, David Tutera is a celebrity wedding planner and designer, author of seven books, television personality, and bridal fashion and wedding accessories designer.
His work has graced television for 14 years, from regular spots on The View to his own collection of television series like My Fair Wedding. David has created weddings and events for Jennifer Lopez, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the White House, the Grammy Awards, and countless others.
David currently lives in Malibu, California with his husband Joey, daughter Ceilo, and their rescue dog Lucy.
52 THE NEXT LEVEL: Lisa Gooder, Brides Magazine: The Passion of Storytelling
Join The Wedding Biz host, Andy Kushner, and Marketing Director Melissa Fancy as they break down Lisa Gooder’s interview. Lisa Gooder is the Executive Director of Brides Magazine.
51 Lisa Gooder, Brides Magazine: The Passion of Storytelling
Lisa Gooder was always passionate about telling stories. No matter the workplace– from artifact appraisals to digital media, to Lisa, the way a story could connect others and draw interest were obvious. Enter her break into the wedding industry, where the story has been culturally set for decades – that is, until Lisa began to see changes in the demographic and wanted to help tell their honest stories.
Get ready to dive deep with Lisa on how she’s seen the answer to the question, “why get married?” change drastically over the years, why that matters, and what it means for brands in the wedding industry.
50 Rayshun Lamarr: The Voice Finalist Who Honed His Talents as a Wedding Entertainer
Rayshun Lamarr has officially put his voice in the arena– it’s where he’s always known he wants it to be. As a singer since childhood, it would be easy to stay on a relatively safe course as an entertainer and rely on the talent he’s been recognized for since an early age. Instead, Rayshun creates opportunity after opportunity for himself to hone his craft and put himself up against the best.
His first steady gig as a professional singer was with host Andy Kushner with a 10-piece party band called SoundConnection. Weddings were a huge entry point into Rayshun’s experience entertaining crowds on a stage and forging emotional connection live.
His hearty experience on the stage prepared him for successfully auditioning for The Voice, where he is currently competing for the ultimate grand prize. Rayshun’s passion, tenacity, and joy are infectious and will make you want to cheer him on long after his time on The Voice ends.
49 Jose Villa: Redefining Success with Fine Art Wedding Photography
Initially, Jose’s parents were nervous about him becoming a photographer. As recent US immigrants, they didn’t think his dreams of making money in portrait photography would come to fruition and wanted to see him take on a more traditional career path.
But Jose knew he was onto something when he started taking photos in high school, and his friends started paying him for senior portrait sessions.
He loved portraits, he loved film, and he never looked back.
Since then, Jose has been shooting film professionally for all of his clients. He’s been photographing weddings for about 16 years and finds them to be completely immersive, personal, and life-changing for everyone involved.
In this episode, Jose sits down to share his perspective and tips on what it’s like to be a professional wedding photographer who has an eye for fine art, and how his niche in film photography plays out in the digital age.
48 Ron Ben-Israel: Answering the Call of Creativity with Couture Cakes
To Ron Ben-Israel, a cake is far more than a cake. It’s equal to a performance. And if anyone knows about performance, it’s surprisingly the master of couture celebration cakes.
After graduating college with a Fine Arts degree, Ron saw the world through two distinct lenses: the Israeli military, and a ballet company he joined after serving in his early 20’s. He traveled around the world, performing with two companies over nearly 15 years before finding himself in New York City and wanting to make a career transition. This is where he began to discover his talent for baking.
From never having baked a professional cake to founding Ron Ben-Israel Cakes, Ron shares the path and experiences that got him there. His practical and disciplined approach to growth illustrates the level of passion, dedication, and humble learning that successful pastry chefs possess.
47 Peter Callahan: Embracing Creativity to Lead an Inspired Life
Peter Callahan almost didn’t become a world-famous caterer. Growing up around successful finance businessmen, he felt as if that was his destiny and attended undergraduate programs for business.
But with every elaborate party Peter designed and catered in college, he learned more about crafting incredible experiences through creativity and food.
It would still take him multiple failed college classes and several more years to finally make the leap from a career as a precious metals bonds trader, but at 26 he left to start his own food business and has never looked back.
In his adult life, Peter embraced his creativity and learned it’s never too late to start doing more of what you love. His famous artisanal miniature bites have become the cornerstone of his culinary brand, but with a mind like Peter’s, there is always more on the horizon.
46 Simon T. Bailey: How To Harness Your Brilliance and Turbo Charge Your Business
Simon T. Bailey is no stranger to success, even though he’s quite familiar with failure.
At a young age, Simon was turned down for multiple sports teams-but he didn’t let that stop him.
He left his first college after just one year and moved into a low-income neighborhood. His path took him to a high-level role, which he transitioned away from when it became clear his days as an employee there were numbered.
But in every situation, Simon was constantly searching for a way to use what he was truly passionate about– helping others to discover their inner brilliance.
Simon is unafraid to transform himself, to recognize the need to evolve. He understands this means putting yourself out there and potentially failing.
He spends this episode sharing his experiences and dropping life-changing perspectives on how you can help yourself grow, forgive others, and take responsibility for pursuing your dreams and find success.
45 Troy Williams: Fearlessly Paving His Own Path to Celebrity Event Planner Success
Troy Williams is a successful event designer, planner and lifestyle influencer, but his success didn’t happen overnight. It took years of hard work and persistence in following his dream, including cold-calling producers in Hollywood, finding an opportunity to be an intern at Warner Brothers Studios and helping to style celebrities who happened to shop during his shifts at Banana Republic. Above all, Troy credits his career to his passion, talent, and being truly kind to everyone he met.
In this episode, Troy recounts his experience steadily blossoming into an event designer at Warner Brothers, and how he made the leap from a successful career in Hollywood premiere parties to taking on his own business: Simply Troy – where his A-List Celebrity network now recognizes him as a go-to for their own personal celebrations.
44 Ian Prosser: Internationally Acclaimed Floral Designer with an Elite Clientele
At 15 years old, Ian Prosser’s love of floral design began when he took an elderly woman in his community to flower-arranging night classes. Through apprenticeships and competitions– and some strong reservations from his family– Ian’s talent grew tremendously, turning him into the youngest person to receive Scotland’s Floral Designer of the Year at just 19 years old.
As a self-proclaimed, “detail freak” Ian built a successful business for himself in Scotland with his eye for detail and made the transition to the United States 32 years ago, where he re-launched his business with great success in his very first year. Ian’s passion and knowledge of the industry includes work with luxury and celebrity clients alike– even royalty! Learn what you need to know about building an iconic design and decor business in the luxury wedding niche through Ian’s stories, experiences, and advice.
43 Eddie Zaratsian: Experiential Events to Delight the Senses
If you’ve never had the joy of working with a designer who absolutely lives to utterly delight their client, then you will find this interview with today’s guest, Eddie Zaratsian a breath a fresh air. Eddie’s abundant energy and passion for creating a feast for the senses, allows him to reflect the very essence of his clients in an unimaginable way.
Eddie Zaratsian is the Owner of Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle and Design. Eddie was born in Armenia and came to the US when he was 5 years old. He watched his parents arrive in the US, unable to speak English, without the promise of a career, and yet they were determined to pursue their dreams. The family arrived in Hollywood and built the life they had dreamed of. Eventually, Eddie started his own business that evolved over time and became a luxury lifestyle and design company serving A-list clients and creating events that cultivate a sense of wonder and delight the senses-both for the clients and their guests.
42 Equally Wed: Kirsten & Maria’s Revolutionary Online Guide to Planning an LGBTQ+ Wedding
Kirsten Ott Palladino & Maria Palladino are co-founders of Equally Wed, an online wedding magazine celebrating love and weddings in the LGBTQ+ community. It also provides education and resources for same-sex couples and equality-minded wedding professionals. But this is far more than just a business venture.
In 2004, Kirsten and Maria fell in love, getting engaged just before Kirsten’s 30th birthday in Central Park. When Kirsten began searching online and in book stores for wedding planning resources as a same-sex couple, she didn’t see any content out there that reflected her relationship with Maria. Initially disappointed, Kirsten channeled her emotions into a project called Equally Wed — an online journal and national wedding magazine for LGBTQ+ couples. With Maria’s background in graphic design and web development and Kirsten’s experience in writing editorial content, the two created a national wedding magazine and resource guide for people in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies who want to learn, connect, and feel validation that love is love, no matter who you are.
At the time Equally Wed launched, only 6 US states had marriage equality, making Equally Wed not only an online resource for community and wedding resources for the LGBTQ+ community, but also a news and activism site during the movement toward national marriage equality. As the political and social conversation continues to evolve around same-sex marriage, so does the wedding market. Kirsten and Maria continue to push the envelope by developing relevant, thoughtful resources, including the publication of a wedding guide in 2017 specifically for LGBTQ+ couples planning their own weddings.
41 Sean Low: The Business of Being Creative
Sean Low is an entrepreneur at heart. He has a law degree and even did a stint at a Wall Street investment bank, but he didn’t let any of that stop him from seeing the potential to start a creative business. Sean knows the ups and downs of being a small business owner, as he risked and lost almost everything at the altar of his small business. Eventually, Sean really dialed in his own business acumen and went to work for Preston Bailey Designs. Sean put his skills to work and completely changed the business structure of Preston Bailey Designs, and in doing so, he breathed new life into the business and set it up for considerably higher degrees of success. Since then, Sean has worked with a host of other high profile creative business owners like Vicente Wolf, Style Me Pretty, Marcy Blum, Michelle Rago, Christian Oth and Sylvia Weinstock to name a few
40 Nikki Khan: Creating Exquisite South Asian Weddings
So far on the Wedding Biz, we have had multiple perspectives on planning and executing traditional Western weddings. Therefore, I am incredibly thrilled to bring you Nikki Khan, founder of L.A-based Exquisite Events. Nikki has found her place as the luxury wedding planner for traditional, yet magical South Asian weddings. The scale of Nikki’s events can be difficult to wrap your mind around. For some perspective, her own wedding had over 1,000 guests! Luxury South Asian weddings are multi-day events filled with spectacular design, entertainment, ceremony, and family. Nikki has the right mixture of business savvy, taste, and attention to detail to be able to pull off events of this scale.
The daughter of a Pakistani diplomat, Nikki grew up with an international perspective and multiple cultural influences. She attended finishing school in Switzerland, and while her family was living in Europe, she was able to travel all over. These travels filled Nikki with a sense of awe that she uses as fuel for her splendid events. However, Nikki was not always determined to be in the wedding business. She was almost a nutritionist! Knowing her passions were found in entertaining and producing masterful events, Nikki started in the business a bit later than most of us—after her own children were older! Now her daughter is right by her side as an executive for Exquisite Events.
Pulling off a multi-day event like a South Asian wedding boils down to the details. Nikki keeps herself grounded amidst the multiple events, ceremonies, and receptions that comprise a South Asian wedding by meditating on what really matters. Nikki has always placed her family foremost in her life, and at the heart of every wedding are two families joining together forever. She cherishes the valuable connection of family and builds a sense of worth into every detail from the moment the doors open. The word Nikki uses most often to describe these events is “magical,” and I know you will agree once you hear all of what Nikki has to share.
39 Pauline Parry: The Masterful Orchestration of Good Gracious Events
Wedding planning, production, and design seem to require a bit of tenacity. To make it in the wedding and event industry, you have to be willing to take a risk and execute a vision. It turns out that you also need to be a bit opportunistic and ready to jump when the stars align. This philosophy has carried Pauline Parry very far in the business. She is the esteemed founder of Good Gracious, a Los Angeles-based company that is creating masterful events worldwide. Pauline and her team at Good Gracious specialize in production and event design, gourmet cuisine, and flawless execution at any location. I have Pauline on the show today because her success in business wasn’t a one-shot effort, and her diverse experiences make for some wonderful storytelling.
Pauline decided to seize the opportunity to move with her new husband and two children from her home country of Great Britain to L.A. With no money, no business plan, and a passion for food and good company, Pauline dared to start her own catering business. This one venture led to many more, including a failed café, planning a few weddings, and now a high-end event production company. Pauline has learned more from her failures than her successes, and she encourages anyone in the business to keep following where passion leads. Pauline’s business had so much organic growth, and that was nurtured by her enterprising spirit and ahead-of-her-time ideas. Events by Pauline are masterfully conducted. She is most certainly shaping the industry in the best ways. Listen today to hear her inspiring story.
38 Wombi Rose: Shark Tank, LovePop & Inspiration
When it comes to luxury weddings and events, every detail can become a work of art. Today, I am talking all about business with Wombi Rose, CEO of Lovepop. Lovepop specializes in 3D greeting cards that are truly works of art. Whether it is a card for someone you love or unique invitations to a wedding, Lovepop communicates your message and affection in a unique and surprising way you just can’t find anywhere else. I am excited to have Wombi on the show today because his business is transforming the greeting card game. It is an unusual story that I know you are going to want to hear.
Lovepop cards are a feat of both artistry and engineering, which makes sense once you know about Wombi’s background. Before turning to business, Wombi’s attended school for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Encouraged by friend and future business partner, John Wise, to join him at Harvard Business school, Wombi found a new avenue that combined his love of learning and desire to solve real-world problems. While completing his studies, Wombi experienced firsthand the beautiful paper art of kirigami in Vietnam. He and John were mesmerized by the cards and knew they were something special. Neither of the guys felt inclined towards consumer goods, but the kirigami cards demanded to be brought to the rest of the world! These 3D cards combine artistry and architecture in a beautiful way that is very much like Wombi himself, a juxtaposition of art and science.
“We memorized our entire business and our entire financial model. You have to know your numbers on Shark Tank.” – Wombi Rose
If the name Lovepop sounds familiar, it’s most likely because Wombi’s company is one of the greatest success stories from Shark Tank. I asked Wombi all about the process of applying for and then being on Shark Tank, and he was more than happy to share the experience. What compelled Kevin O’Leary to back Lovepop was their desire to spread some love with beautiful art. These guys are turning out a new magnificent design each week, and it is evident that talent runs deep in the DNA at Lovepop. Wombi and his team have a strong business model and a deep desire to make the world a little more beautiful, and that is the heart of so many of us in the Wedding Business.