1The Next Level

“If you don’t have lighting, you can’t see the beauty you’ve created.” Listen as Andy and Darren discuss Norma Cohen, her elaborate designs, her attention to lighting and how it affects her vision and more. Darren Olarsch founded On The Move Entertainment in 1993, an event production company that specializes in entertainment, and appeared as a guest on The Wedding Biz on July 15th, 2019.

Norma started her company, Norma Cohen Productions, nearly thirty years ago. She is a powerhouse and has planned numerous events at New York’s most iconic spaces and Europe’s most luxurious destinations. Norma believes that you have to get rid of the negative energy in your life and the company to thrive.

Listen as Darren shares how involved Norma is with her events, from lighting to wardrobe and everything in between. She even makes sure the lights and music are choreographed and work together. He says that he has seen Norma stand by the Lighting Director and verbally make changes to match what she wants to see. 

Andy and Darren discuss Norma’s views on live bands versus DJ’s and how a great stage for the band can make all the difference. Darren speaks about wardrobe and how instrumental Norma was in his company having different looks from stock-looks to custom-looks depending on what the client wants.

Darren has worked many events with Norma and gives us a look into her events from the inside. Her attention to the smallest detail and the trust she has in her creative partners is unique, and it’s those qualities that make her the success she is today. 

Listen as Andy and Lewis discuss Sofia Crokos and her love of fashion and beauty. Lewis Miller is the founder of Lewis Miller Design, a floral design company based in New York City. Lewis’s clients include the world’s leading industry professionals in fashion design, photography, art direction, and architecture. 

Sofia is a planner/designer based in New York City. She has also partnered with The Heritage Collection behind four exclusive private properties in Europe. She shows us her vulnerable side while explaining who she really is.

Andy and Lewis discuss who has mentored them over the years, their insight into what Sofia said about attracting who you are and what you put out and disconnecting from their businesses for a time so they can reconnect with more passion for what they do. Andy shares a story about being alone on Maui and what he found out about himself.

With all of us being instructed to shelter at home, are you taking this time to rethink your life? Lewis believes that right now is a great time to be fearless and take a chance in your business, do what you have been putting off, and don’t worry about what other people think.

Seeing locations through color and shapes is a unique way to design events. Listen as Andy and Sean Low discuss this and much more on this episode of The Next Level. Sean’s company, The Business of Being Creative, focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the who’s who of the wedding industry and design community. 

Together, they own Robbins Otoya, a design and event planning firm that designs and produces destination weddings and events all over the world. They each individually own companies also,  Matthew founded a company called Matthew Robbins Design based in New York City, and Luis has a catering company called Evento & Cocina based in Cartagena. 

Listen as Sean and Andy discuss the unique way Matthew and Luis approach finding a destination with their clients for their event, and how they always use local talent instead of bringing a team from New York to keep it authentic. Additionally, they speak about the fascinating way Matthew and Luis use color in their designs and how they aren’t afraid to use it. 

Sean gets specific on what Matthew and Luis mean by pricing their events by the scope of work and how they don’t want their design decisions to be motivated by how much money they are going to make. Robbins Otoya is an exciting collaboration of two brilliant minds working together to build an unforgettable experience, don’t miss this episode.

If you want your weddings to have theatrical productions, listen as Andy and Andre discuss Sonal Shah and her ability to plan and produce events and the challenges she faces when planning celebrity weddings, interracial weddings, and more, all over the world. Andre Maier is a fantastic photographer based in both New York City and Los Angeles, who works worldwide, and appeared on The Wedding Biz.

Sonal is a premier South Asian event planner based in New York City, working all over the world. Sonal is known for planning the most elaborate over-the-top weddings. She also works with both Hollywood and Bollywood stars, and has a book out called “The Complete Guide to Planning the Perfect South Asian Wedding.”

Andy and Andre share Sonal’s ability to mediate between bridal couples and parents, why she decided to plan South Asian weddings, and the need to trust the creative partners with whom she builds her teams. Additionally, Andre says that Sonal brings purpose and passion together, which is why she is so successful. They chat about how each event she plans has to be different from anything she has done before.

Listen as Andy and Andre dive into some of the more interesting nuggets of Sonal’s interview. The enthusiasm she has for what she does is contagious, and you can feel it, and they discuss this amazing woman. 

When does it make sense to change the dynamics of a company? Listen, as Andy and Robert Sherman discuss how changing the leadership of Evoke Design led Jeannette Tavares and Jodi Moraru to greater personal and business success. Robert is the President of Washington Talent and Andy’s business partner with Kushner Entertainment. Andy interviewed him on The Wedding Biz in November of last year as they announced their partnership. 

Evoke Design is based in Washington, D.C, and serving clients worldwide. Jeannette is the Chief Creative Director, and Jodi is a producer; however, it wasn’t always like that. Jodi founded the company, hired Jeannette, who eventually became a producer, and later Jeannette bought out the company. Although their roles have reversed, they are now individually more successful as well as the company as a whole.

Listen as Robert and Andy discuss the similarities between their partnership with Kushner Entertainment and the connection Jeannette and Jodi have with Evoke Design. Jodi and Andy both tired of working the operations sides of their businesses and needed to get their creative juices flowing again, and Jeannette and Robert both excel at the business side. They also speak about the way the Evoke Design team treats their creative partners, the fact that they have both worked with them, and can say from experience they know how to nurture people.

A partnership can be great when it is done the right way, with the right people. Listen in to hear how Jeannette and Jodi did it right and are now thriving in a way that makes them both happy and allows them to both live their best lives.