We are all having our own reaction to the current crisis. David shares his way of getting through the myriad of challenges facing not only himself, but all of us.
David Beahm, world-class wedding designer and planner, known for his inventive work and trademark lavish flower creations, has designed countless weddings for society, high profile and discerning clients, including the wedding of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, as well as a host of celebrity and Fortune 500 corporate events.
Today’s episode is a special one about dealing with the impact of the Coronavirus though it’s timeless in that it can apply to any major challenge or crisis. Brett had a very successful career as a videographer in the lux wedding market, for ten years, until the recession of 2008 forced him to pivot. Now a filmmaker and keynote speaker, Brett Culp films is based out of Tampa FL. He is also an author and produces short films such as “How to stay positive when the world feels negative.”
We urge you to share this with your friends, family, and colleagues in the hope that it gives you inspiration and a sense of peace as we all deal with one of the greatest challenges of the past century.
Christie Osborne is FEMA-certified in Social Media Crisis Communication and I was fortunate to get some time with her while attending Catersource/The Special Event conference in Las Vegas. She talks about what to consider when communicating policies regarding response to a crisis, including the Coronavirus.
She also tells us about the most frequently asked questions she’s getting while at the conference. This includes, when events get cancelled, how to communicate online regarding the issue of how we decide to handle deposits. Christie also discusses how to respond when clients ask if they should get tested when they’ve attended a venue or event where it’s later discovered that one or more people were infected. She also talks about how to respond when people have yet to attend an event that has not been cancelled and are asking if it’s safe. This includes how to handle the recovery period once we are past the crisis.
Andy is speaking with Carrie Goldberg on this episode of The Next Level. Carrie is the Travel and Weddings Director at Harpers Bazaar. She oversees all things, bridal, weddings, and travel for Bazaar.com. Carrie is also responsible for content strategy and visuals for Bazaar’s digital travel and wedding verticals, and is the editor of Bazaar’s new program called Bazaar Brides.
Rime is a wonderful designer whose company is known as the “bridal house for rebel goddesses.” Greg has been running the business side of Rime’s business as her general manager for a little over a year, and they are engaged. Greg is a wonderfull photographer who was interviewed on The Wedding Biz this past October.
Carrie and Andy speak about the edge that Rime’s designs have, the different types of brides designers face, and how sometimes planners can focus on the person writing the check and not the bride herself. They also chat about the inherent issues with business that creative people can sometimes have and the challenges that can test your partnership in business and life.
Do you use Instagram to market your business? Listen as Carrie and Andy talk about the benefits of Instagram, how it should be a part of every marketing campaign, and how your posts and direct messages should be authentic and personal. Enjoy this episode as they bring to life the thoughts and ideas of Rime and Greg.
In this episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy is speaking with Rime Arodaky & Greg Finck. Rime is a brilliant designer based in Paris. She calls her Maison the Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses, inspired by women who are unapologetically themselves. Rime has been designing wedding gowns for and considers herself part of the new generation who decided to shake up the traditional wedding codes to bring style and attitude to a very static and conventional industry. Greg has been running the business side of Rime’s business as her general manager for a little over a year and they are engaged. Greg is also a wonderful photographer who was interviewed on The Wedding Biz this past October.
Rime tells us about growing up, knowing that she wanted to be a fashion designer. As a child, she designed gowns for her barbies and made up fashion catalogs with her designs for her mother and sister. Her father told her, when she was eighteen, that if this is what she wanted to do, she needed to pay her way through design school. So, she took a year off, worked, saved her money, and said she felt empowered by her ability to pay her own way.
Rime discusses her first company and why she closed it, how working with other designers helped her learn the business and why she feels like she designs gowns for “rebel goddesses.” Rime talks about her ready-to-wear ceremony collection, being the first to extend it to the international market and about Megan Markle being the first celebrity to wear one of her creations.
Greg speaks about what he felt he could bring to the table for Rime’s company, how it affected his photography business and the challenges of doing both. He says the most challenging part was getting Rime’s twenty employees on board with him taking over and the changes that needed to be made.
Listen in as Rime and Greg talk about building a business, where they see themselves in five years and how they incorporate Instagram into their business every day. This is a unique conversation from both the fashion design and business sides that you won’t want to miss.
Jennifer Stein, welcome back to The Next Level! Jennifer is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Destination I Do Magazine, which is found at newsstands in all fifty states and twelve counties. She also publishes a daily blog, consults, and custom publishes.
Joe Goldblatt is a true pioneer of the event industry; he owned The Wonder Company for over 20 years before selling it. He has written, edited, or co-authored 38 books, including the first textbook in the event industry. Joe has taught over 10,000 students in his teaching career and founded ISES, now known as ILEA. He also created the CSEP program and started event management studies at universities.
Have you examined your expenses lately? Listen in as Andy and Jennifer talk about Joe’s insight on staying lean, keeping costs down even when your business is flourishing. You don’t want to miss this strategy session, so schedule some alone time for you, relax and enjoy!
The Wedding Biz welcomes Joe Goldblatt to the show. Joe is a true pioneer and icon of the event industry; he owned The Wonder Company for over 20 years before selling it. He has written, edited, or co-authored 38 books, including the first textbook in the event industry. He founded ISES, the International Special Events Society that is now known as ILEA, the International Live Events Association, and created the CSEP Program, Certified Special Events Professional. And as a teacher, Joe taught over 10,000 students.
Joe believes that we need to spend time working on our businesses as well as working in our businesses. And do you thoroughly research and evaluate your projects? Joe tells us that these two go hand in hand and are critical when planning exceptional events. He speaks to us about the organization he created and the reason he believes that events have a logical connection to fields like anthropology, theology, sociology, and technology. He also tells us how we can approach the fear of economic health.
Joe has a profound knowledge of the event industry and business in general. Listen in as he tells us why he believes we are on the cusp of what he terms a Platinum Age, an era of great possibility with technology and a generation with big hearts and a conviction to learn. This episode is different from all others. It will leave you in awe of Joe and what he has accomplished and continues to accomplish. You don’t want to miss what he has to say.
Andy welcomes Sean Low to this episode of The Next Level! Sean is the Founder and President of The Business of Being Creative LLC, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the elite of the wedding industry and the design community.
Vanessa is the Owner and Creative Director of Two Paper Dolls, a pioneering custom design house that feeds the desire for customization across all aspects of the wedding industry. TPD Design House services clients in the art of branding, website and logo development, and invitation design around the world.
Andy and Sean discuss Vanessa’s conviction to her start her own company, about being a risk-taker and her need to succeed even though there were bumps along the way. Sean talks about her being a culture specialist, and she understands that it’s not about telling the story to everyone. It’s about telling the story to those who care, knowing that the culture drives the story, not the other way around.
Listen in as they share their outlooks on the way Vanessa runs her company, how she includes everyone in the decision making and the meetings to bring new ideas to the team. She believes that if you let your employees feel invested, they work that much harder because they feel as if it is their company.
If you are looking to discover the secrets to Vanessa’s success, look no further. Andy and Sean suss out the real reasons behind her success and lay it out for all to see. This is the episode you will kick yourself for missing, so don’t.
The Wedding Biz is excited to have Vanessa Kreckel on the show. Vanessa is the Owner and Creative Director of Two Paper Dolls, a pioneering custom design house that foreshadowed the desire for customization across all aspects of the wedding industry. She has been named in design publications including PRINT, and Communications Arts as well as BRIDES Magazine and Martha Stewart Weddings. TPD Design House services clients in the art of branding, website design and development, and invitation design around the world.
Vanessa has always loved being creative, which is why she studied art at Moore College of Art and Design and learned how to be a graphic artist. She started her company with one employee and used printing presses, and somehow found a niche with her customized stationery and invitations.
Who are your ideal clients? What is the voice of your company? These are some of the questions Vanessa asks when helping someone develop their brand. Branding is an essential ingredient in making your business successful, and she has been assisting people in figuring it out for almost 20 years. Listen to her tips and tricks as you follow along on the podcast.
Vanessa talks about knowing and branding the look and feel of your event when thinking about invitations. She reminds us that it’s not just invitations, there are save the dates, invitation design, and day of cards. You need to consider the overall experience and how the design thread pulls it all together when deciding this critical part of your event.
This is one of those conversations that will change the way you choose invitations, your brand, and what you put on social media. Vanessa is a first-rate businesswoman with insight into a different side of the event industry. One that you might not realize has such a significant impact on the event experience. You won’t want to miss what she has to say, so sit back, plugin and enjoy.
In this episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and Valerie Gernhauser, CEO of Sapphire Events, discuss Meryl Snow’s second interview on the Wedding Biz. Valerie is a self-proclaimed, recovering attorney who has built a business out of design practices and principles as well as teaching others how to build their own business. She loves sharing the knowledge she has gained through trial and error in her years in the business.
Listen to learn how Valerie and Andy feel about Meryl’s philosophies about training, pricing, and sales. They dive deep into how they train their teams, the importance of cold calling, and why Meryl’s thoughts on pricing had them re-evaluating their own pricing structures. There are so many great tidbits of thought and reflection in this episode. Don’t miss out on a word!