The Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
Andy’s Latest Episodes:
214 ENGAGE TAKEAWAYS with RISHI PATEL, CARRIE GOLDBERG, and CHRISTINA MATTEUCCI
This episode of The Wedding Biz is Andy’s first roundtable event held on the last day of Engage at Nizuc, Mexico. The roundtable guests for this episode are Rishi Patel, the CEO of HMR Designs, Carrie Goldberg, the Travel and Weddings Director at Harpers Bizzaar, and Christina Matteucci, the Executive Director of David Beahm Destinations. During the roundtable, Andy and each of his guests bring up a key takeaway that they got during the conference and discuss them as a group.
Andy’s takeaway from the conference was from Christina’s message of “audacious transparency.” Christina speaks about what she meant by that, and the group talks about vulnerability and owning your own personality. They discuss how social media can give a client a false perception of who you are, so when you meet the client for the first time, it is like an audition.
Christina’s surprising takeaway was from a breakout session with Bruce Russell and Tara Fay wedding and event planners with their TV show, My Big Day: Home Or Away. She loved what they said about taking care of each other behind the scenes because the TV show pits them against each other on-screen. The group speaks about always taking care of each other in the industry, information, and trade secret sharing because there is plenty of business to go around, and everyone’s point of view is different.
Rishi feels like knowing what you are selling is the biggest takeaway for him. The group agree and discuss how knowing what you have to offer makes it possible for the client to feel joy at the end of the day. You have to be yourself because you can’t be like anyone else, and what you are can’t be stolen. They also chat about how one of the focuses of this Engage was redefining the word luxury as a more authentic emotion, and how what used to be so different and unique is now quite common.
A key takeaway for Carrie was pricing and making money. If you are not making a profit, then you are not in a business you have a hobby. The brain trust says that you should know what your profit margins are before the event even happens. After the fact, you should analyze it and decide what you will do or who you will work with on the next event.
Listen in as the group discusses how they are preparing for whenever the next economic recession hits and getting lean now instead of waiting for the economy to force the issue. Keep listening after the roundtable for some great takeaways from other attendees of the conference like Sarah Schreiber of Martha Stewart Weddings, Julie Novack with PartySlate, Meggie Francisco with Meggie Francisco Events, Nicole Braghin of Plan Design Events and many more. They all have lovely things to say about what they learned at Engage, and you won’t want to miss any nuggets of wisdom they share.
213 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses
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.
212 RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses
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.
211 THE NEXT LEVEL: SHANNON LEAHY discusses ADAM SCHAEUBLE – Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience
The Next Level welcomes Shannon Leahy to the show. Shannon is the owner of Shannon Leahy Events, based out of San Francisco and Los Angeles. She designs weddings and events worldwide and has been named one of the top wedding and event planners in the world by Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Harpers Bazaar. Shannon has also authored an online course called WED School to teach aspiring wedding professionals about the world of high-end weddings and event design.
Although Adam isn’t in the events industry, he has a lot of great ideas on how to most effectively use Instagram. He speaks about how to improve your Instagram presence, gives great tips on how to engage followers, and advice for people who conduct workshops or even just a creative way to partner with friends in the industry. He also talks about IGTV and how to use this to your advantage to gain followers.
Have you ever left a voice DM instead of just writing a message? Andy and Shannon give their insights to Adam’s thoughts on why a voice DM is better, his ways of using Instagram Live, how to use Q & A’s to engage followers, and conduct mini-summits. They also discuss the fact that posting on IGTV will significantly help you grow your audience.
Listen in as they bring out the highlights of this very informative interview. If you are as in the dark about all the ways to use Instagram as we are, you need to listen to Adam’s interview on The Wedding Biz. Take notes because he gives step-by-step instructions …you can’t miss this episode.
210 ADAM SCHAEUBLE – Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience
In this episode, Andy is speaking with Adam Schaeuble. Adam is the host of the top-ranked podcast, The Million Pound Mission, where his goal is to inspire one million pounds of healthy results. However, Andy met Adam at PodFest 2019 in Orlando, where Adam gave a dynamic presentation on expanding your Instagram presence. Since wedding and event industry professionals use Instagram more than any other social media platform, it is fascinating to have Adam on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Have you ever thought your Instagram page could do more? Listen in as Adam gives tips that event professionals can use to increase their audience on Instagram. Asking questions, an Instagram story poll, use voice messaging, and how to use an Instagram live event quiz to grow your audience. He also explains how bringing in other people to your live event can get you exposure to not only your audience but also theirs!
Adam discusses Instagram TV and how to use it to your advantage for your events, or by showing behind-the-scene videos. Learn how to use Instagram Live as a brainstorming tool and how having a unique hashtag can help put your page higher in the Instagram algorithm.
If you want to use Instagram to grow your audience, this is the episode for you! Adam gives expert advice, tips, and tricks about Instagram, Instagram TV, and Instagram Live. He is willing to share with us what he has learned, so if you are ready to grow your audience and business sit back, relax, and learn.
209 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses MICAELA ERLANGER/Celebrity Stylist: Bringing Styling Into The Spotlight
The Next Level welcomes back Carrie Goldberg. Carrie is the Travel and Wedding Director at Harpers Bazaar. She oversees all things, weddings, and travel for Bazaar.com. Carrie is also responsible for content strategy and visuals for Bazaar’s digital travel and wedding verticals, and editor of Bazaar’s new program called Bazaar Brides.
Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles and is the best selling author of the book, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit. Micaela was named one of the most influential stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has styled Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Hudson, Hilary Swank, Blake Lively, and many more. She recently styled Amanda Hearst for one of the most talked-about weddings of 2019.
Carrie discusses Micaela’s idea to have a backup dress and an emergency kit at events, the fact taht what can go wrong will go wrong, and so you always need to be prepared. Also, how important it is to manager your client’s expectations, and being the one to tell your team what should be worn at events so that you look professional and represent your brand well for future clients.
Andy and Carrie touch on a few of the best parts of the interview as they speak about Micaela, but there is so much more to hear. If you haven’t already listened to The Wedding Biz for Micaela’s conversation with Andy, you need to, and if you have, you won’t want to miss them taking it to The Next Level.
208 MICAELA ERLANGER/Celebrity Stylist: Bringing Styling Into The Spotlight
Andy is speaking with Micaela Erlanger on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles and was named one of the most influential stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has sustained that title for five years. Micaela has been honored with the Style Influencer Award by the Accessories Council, and she is also the Marie Claire Image Maker Award winner. She has styled numerous celebrities like Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong’o, and Jennifer Hudson, to name a few, and she recently styled Amanda Hearst for one of the most talked-about weddings of 2019. She is also the best selling author of the book, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit.
Micaela tells us about growing up and her passion for putting together outfits to wear to school, dressing up her baby sister, and styling girls for prom. She went to college for pre-med before she decided that it wasn’t for her and changed her major to design and management. She intended to be a fashion editor and interned every summer at different publications to get exposure to the industry.
She discusses her mentor Annabel Tollman, and how she taught her all there was to know about the business from the bottom up. Micaela speaks about styling Amanda Hearst for her wedding and how she was the first bride for the new bridal styling and consulting company she launched.
Listen, as Micaela tells us what her process is when talking with a client, that you are an extension of your brand, so make sure you always dress the part and her advice to new stylists in the industry. There are so many fantastic details in this exciting episode that you don’t want to miss, so plugin and enjoy!
207 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW Discusses ROBERT SHERMAN/Washington Talent – Creating Happiness One Event at a Time and Forming A Partnership
The Next Level welcomes back Sean Low. 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 whos who of the wedding industry and design community.
Robert is the owner of Washington Talent, the iconic entertainment company out of the Washington, DC area. Robert is passionate about what he does and is in it to bring joy not only to his clients but also to his industry partners.
Andy and Sean discuss how Robert expanded his company by adding services designed to make Washington Talent a place where you get everything you need for an event. They talk about his ability to be flexible and professional with the planners, which makes the events less stressful for them.
Did you hear that Robert and Andy are partnering up on Kushner Entertainment? Listen as Sean talks about all the positive things that are in store for these powerhouses of the music and events industry as they combine their forces and form a mega team. Robert is bringing his business acumen to add structure to Kushner Entertainment, and that will leave Andy to focus on what he loves, which is being creative.
This is one of those conversations that will keep you spellbound. Every time you think you’ve heard all they have to say, they say something better. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn some news about the event industry that not a lot of people know yet, don’t you want to be able to say “have you heard?”
206 ROBERT SHERMAN/Washington Talent: Delivering Happiness One Event at a Time and Forming A Partnership
In this episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy is speaking with Robert Sherman. Robert is the owner of Washington Talent, the iconic entertainment company out of the Washington, DC area. He and his partner purchased the company over twenty years ago and have transformed it, taking it to a whole other level. Robert is passionate about what he does and is in it to bring joy not only to his clients but also to his industry partners.
Robert graduated from college with an accounting degree but later decided he wanted to go to law school, during that time he also played drums with his band Onyx. The group was doing well so they hired Washington Talent to book gigs for them. He later worked with them as their in-house counsel. At a time when DJs were all the rage, their band was creating moments for clients and interacting with both kids and adults at events. Robert began building new bands in the ’90s and, over the years, became good friends with the owners. When they decided to sell, he bought the company and now they are more prominent than they have ever been.
Making people happy, one event at a time is their motto, and Robert wholeheartedly believes it. He says that’s what it’s all about, it’s all about the why. You have to make everyone happy to be successful in the event industry, internally and externally. Understanding event planners and knowing that your job is just one small part of their large production is why he has the reputation of being so easy to work with.
Listen in as Robert and Andy also talk about forming partnerships and how it took them over a year to commit to becoming partners with Andy’s iconic music and entertainment company, Kushner Entertainment. Trust and synergy are essential when you are thinking about taking on a business partner, and the influx of new ideas can get you re-energized. You must reinvent or die in the event industry, and that is what they have both done.
You won’t want to miss this exciting conversation about bands, partnership, and happiness. When you listen to Robert talk, you can feel how much he loves what he does and how dedicated he is to his music. Custom-designing music for every event is paramount for him and his company, and he gives us a little insight into how he makes it all come together.