All Podcast Episodes

174 TIM CHI – CEO, The Knot Worldwide: Combining Technology and Trends to Innovate the Wedding Industry

174 TIM CHI – CEO, The Knot Worldwide: Combining Technology and Trends to Innovate the Wedding Industry

by | Aug 5, 2019 |

Andy welcomes to the show Tim Chi, CEO of The Knot Worldwide, a technologist and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to creating better, more efficient technologies for the education and wedding industries. Before co-founding WeddingWire, he co-founded Blackboard. Tim is driven to help others by creating resources through technology!

In this episode, Tim chats about his inspiration for WeddingWire, why he decided to merge with The Knot, now the world’s largest vertical marketplace servicing the wedding industry, and what keeps driving him to innovate and create trends. Learn how he became an entrepreneur and why he worried about telling his parents about his endeavors. Tim is open and honest about what he sees for the future of the wedding industry and how changes in buying habits and trends have affected the business.

Tim is an awesome guest and his insights into the changes of the industry and business, in general, are extremely informative. Listen in and learn how Tim has gotten to where he is and what he plans for the future of The Knot Worldwide.

173 THE NEXT LEVEL: VALERIE GERNHAUSER Discusses MERYL SNOW Part 2, Setting Yourself Apart in Life and Business

173 THE NEXT LEVEL: VALERIE GERNHAUSER Discusses MERYL SNOW Part 2, Setting Yourself Apart in Life and Business

by | Jul 31, 2019 | ,

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!

172 MERYL SNOW: Part 2 Setting Yourself Apart In Life And Business.

172 MERYL SNOW: Part 2 Setting Yourself Apart In Life And Business.

by | Jul 29, 2019 |

Andy welcomes back to the show Meryl Snow, an icon in the events and catering industry. In Meryl’s first interview, she and Andy discussed her multiple businesses and how she started in the space. The conversation was amazing and there were so many more details to unpack. 

On this episode, Meryl shares everything from why she admires the millennial work philosophy and how to prepare, create, and grow a successful business. Listen in to learn some really juicy tidbits from a true business genius.

Been struggling with creating proposals, creating your brand story, or setting your pricing strategy? Meryl digs in and provides her tips and beliefs on why we shouldn’t be working ourselves to the bone any longer. She also provides amazing insights on how creating a brand story and storytelling set you apart with your potential clients.

This was an amazing conversation and Meryl is truly an open book. Listen in and learn how she’s gotten to where she is now and the philosophies that have kept her and her business relevant over more than two decades in the industry. Don’t miss the chance to learn from an expert.

171 THE NEXT LEVEL: JULIE NOVACK Discusses CALDER CLARK, Planning and Design for Chic Classic Southern Events

171 THE NEXT LEVEL: JULIE NOVACK Discusses CALDER CLARK, Planning and Design for Chic Classic Southern Events

by | Jul 24, 2019 | ,

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and Julie Novack, founder of PartySlate, chat about Calder Clark’s interview on the Wedding Biz. Julie is a marketing expert who has been in the business for more than 20 years and is working to make PartySlate the best resource in the world for connecting wedding vendors and their clients.

Julie and Andy discuss everything from Clader’s initial market research through peer shopping to her beliefs on having multiple streams of revenue. Learn why processes are the foundation of growth and why they should never be static. Listen as Julie shares her insights on all of the wonderful things Calder has done to market and grow her business.

170 CALDER CLARK: Planning and Design for Chic Classic Southern Events

170 CALDER CLARK: Planning and Design for Chic Classic Southern Events

by | Jul 22, 2019 |

Calder Clark, owner and creative director at Calder Clark, has created a devoted following due to her flawless attention to detail for her immaculate destination fetes. Andy and Calder dive deep into her background, processes, and what truly drives her to plan and design the events she takes on. 

Learn how she set herself up for success early on, learned the ins and outs of the wedding biz from her hotel days, and why multiple revenue streams and investing are so important. She gives some amazing tips for those just starting out in the business and provides a truly transparent look at her business and philosophies. 

If you’ve been looking to hear how a successful wedding and events planner and designer has managed to find work/life balance and prosperity, then you won’t want to miss Andy’s conversation with Calder Clark.

169 THE NEXT LEVEL: JES GORDON Discusses DARREN OLARSCH, Creating the Ultimate Music and Entertainment for Events!

169 THE NEXT LEVEL: JES GORDON Discusses DARREN OLARSCH, Creating the Ultimate Music and Entertainment for Events!

by | Jul 17, 2019 | ,

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy and Jes Gordon, the rockstar event producer, chat about Darren Olarsch’s interview on The Wedding Biz. Jes has been involved in planning and visualizing top tier events for huge companies and has a lot to say about the space. Listen in to hear her input on the live music scene for occasions and how passion is the driver of business.

Andy and Jess dive deep into the need for, and the push towards, live music and how a hybrid model of a particular type of live music and DJ entertainment is a key to capturing our short attention spans. Many event planners and organizers enter the space as a way of life and that passion is what makes them great. Learn more on this episode!

168 DARREN OLARSCH: Creating the Ultimate Music and Entertainment for Events!

168 DARREN OLARSCH: Creating the Ultimate Music and Entertainment for Events!

by | Jul 15, 2019 |

Darren Olarsch, Founder of On The Move Entertainment, has built a business out of creating the ultimate music-scapes for every event he puts on.  He is sought after for his focus on live bands and orchestras and creating the most amazing dramatic music scenes for his events. 

Learn how music is the keystone of each event and how Darren layers his musical themes to create a magical dream-scape for all of his events. Also, learn how Darren manages his business and vision for every event. You won’t want to miss this amazing inside look at how Darren blends business and creativity in creating the ultimate experience!

167 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW Discusses DAVID MONN, Aligning the Senses To Create The Ultimate Event

167 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW Discusses DAVID MONN, Aligning the Senses To Create The Ultimate Event

by | Jul 10, 2019 | ,

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and guest co-host, Sean Low, chat about key topics from Andy’s interview with David Monn. Sean has been featured on several of THE NEXT LEVEL conversations and always provides wonderful insights into the businesses of The Wedding Biz guests. This episode is no different.

Amongst other valuable topics, Sean and Andy discuss the details of David’s philosophy on light and creativity in business. They then take that further and share how his philosophies are revealed in every event that he puts on. This conversation is a deep dive view of how to merge life and business for ultimate success.

166 DAVID MONN: Aligning the Senses To Create The Ultimate Event

166 DAVID MONN: Aligning the Senses To Create The Ultimate Event

by | Jul 8, 2019 |

Join David Monn and Andy as they travel down memory lane to discover the events and steps that led David to develop a unique sense of design in the event industry. Join Andy and David as they travel down memory lane to discover the events and steps that led him to develop a unique sense of design in the event industry. David’s unique ability to align the senses to create the most effective event tapestry is what sets him apart from his fellow planners and designers.

David’s fascinating career trajectory involved finally realizing his calling was in event planning and design. His use of authenticity, scale, and attention to detail along with igniting the senses of smell, sound, and sight have made him an industry leader and one of the most highly sought-after event planners/designers in the world. His goal is to craft an event that shares your true story and personality, not the fantasy that you’ve created for yourself. 

His years in the corporate environment prepared him by giving insights into the mechanics of running a business and putting him in contact with some of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. Their mentorship and his creativity are the backbones of his business.

Listen in to learn how lighting design defines an event, why packing light and carrying on your luggage is so freeing, and how to leverage your relationships to create a thriving business. David shares valuable and personal insights into the creation of his business, so this conversation is not one you want to miss.

167 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW Discusses DAVID MONN, Aligning the Senses To Create The Ultimate Event

165 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW Discusses MERYL SNOW: Maximizing Sales, Consulting, and Feastivities Events

by | Jul 3, 2019 | ,

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy Kushner and guest co-host, Sean Low, discuss key topics from last Monday’s interview with Meryl Snow. Sean is a big-picture thinker who connects the dots for creative business owners to find high levels of success. 
On this episode of The Next Level, Sean and Andy discuss the way Meryl Snow built her business to where it is now. From becoming a trendsetter to creating a defined hiring practice, Meryl has built her business for ultimate success. Sean also chats about Meryl’s belief that traditional sales tactics no longer work, and those trained in sales should start from scratch.
You won’t want to miss out on Sean’s insights into the many effective practices Meryl has put into place to build multiple successful businesses. Tune in to hear his take on her best practices.
Show Highlights:

Categories