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53 David Tutera: Finding True Success in Self Reinvention

by Andy Kushner | May 7, 2018 | Event Planners and Designers

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

by Andy Kushner | Apr 30, 2018 | 1The Next Level, Media

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

by Andy Kushner | Apr 30, 2018 | Media

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

by Andy Kushner | Apr 23, 2018 | Music

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

by Andy Kushner | Apr 16, 2018 | Photographers

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

by Andy Kushner | Apr 9, 2018 | Cake Designers

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

by Andy Kushner | Apr 2, 2018 | Catering

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

by Andy Kushner | Mar 26, 2018 | Consultants

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

by Andy Kushner | Mar 19, 2018 | Event Planners and Designers

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

by Andy Kushner | Mar 12, 2018 | Floral Designers

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.

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