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It’s one of the best ways to attract your ideal clients: partner with top venues. But building relationships with venues isn’t easy, and you can’t fake your way to the top of their referral list. 

So how do you create authentic connections with venues that will bring you more of the work you love?

This week’s Wedding Industry Insider is all about wedding venues, and how to become your favorite venue’s favorite planner. We’re talking with Shannon Tarrant, a wedding industry coach and the founder of Wedding Venue Map, the ultimate list of Central Florida wedding venues. 

Shannon has worked with hundreds of small businesses and has seen what it takes to succeed. She also knows what venues want from their go-to planners and how anyone in the wedding industry can find success by going after opportunities.

In this fantastic episode, you’ll get a step-by-step guide for getting venues’ attention on social media. You’ll also learn about cold emailing venues, how to impress them at a wedding, and how to earn a top spot on their preferred vendor list.

But that’s not all. Shannon also talks about time management, marketing, and the pursuit of excellence. Here are some of our favorite highlights:

• How saying “yes” can lead to big success (and, when to say no!)
• Shannon’s biggest takeaways after spending thousands on a productivity coach
• Whether Shannon thinks the cost of wedding planning software is worth it
• How to get the attention of wedding venues and become their preferred planner
• And… Shannon’s #1 advice for wedding planners

To hear Shannon Tarrant’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Shannon for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Find Shannon on Instagram here!
• Questions? Get in touch with Shannon or Eddie
• Invest in your success! See what Timeline Genius can do for you!

The post WII 159 – Shannon Tarrant On What Wedding Venues Want appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Are you dreaming of success in 2025? At surface level, success may look like more events, or higher paying clients. But if you ask Cassie LaMere, success goes much deeper than that – and only YOU can define what success means to you. 

Cassie is the founder and creative director of the luxury event planning company Cassie LaMere Events. Over the span of her 15-year career, she’s learned a lot about event design, running a business, and becoming a luxury-level planner. 

She’s also learned a lot about success, and how success is only achievable if you define it for yourself (not based on what other people want and have!). 

Cassie and Eddie go beyond the surface to really reflect on the value of events. From tragedies that inspired Cassie’s early career to the relationships that drive her growth today, Cassie shares her unique path to success.

So whether you long for more free time, better clients, more creative projects, or higher-paying events, this week’s Wedding Industry Insider Podcast will help get you on track for a successful new year.

Here are some of our favorite highlights from this week’s episode:

• An inspiring reflection on the importance of celebrating milestones with loved ones
• How to build authentic relationships that can help catapult you to a new level of planning
• Cassie’s tips for diversifying your cashflow
• How Cassie became comfortable niching down to her ideal client
• And… Cassie’s #1 advice for wedding pros!

To hear Cassie’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Cassie for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• You can find Cassie on IG, TikTok, and PartySlate
• Questions? Get in touch with Cassie or Eddie

• Ready to start 2025 with the best wedding planning software? Try Timeline Genius for free!

The post WII 158 – Cassie LaMere Is Redefining Success in 2025 appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Do you want to increase visibility for your wedding business without paying for advertising? One of the best ways to level up your marketing is through Search Engine Optimization. And on this week’s Wedding Industry Insider, Jody-Ann Rowe, founder of Event Certificate, gives us a crash course on SEO and how to use Google’s free tools to reach your ideal clients. 

Even if you think you’ve got a good grasp on Google SEO, there is a ton to learn in this week’s episode. Jody-Ann Rowe is a digital marketing expert, and she’s helped so many wedding pros maximize their lead generation through Event Certificate. 

This episode is packed with actionable steps you can take right away. And it’s perfect timing, because if you start now, you can increase your ranking in time for 2025’s booking season. 

In less than an hour, you’ll get answers to some of the most common SEO questions and even get Jody-Ann’s hot takes on blogging, backlinks, YouTube, and Pinterest. Here are some of our favorite highlights from this fantastic episode: 

• How to leverage your Google Business Listing so you show up in searches. 
• Jody-Ann’s quick, easy, and free way to do keyword research. 
• How wedding planners can use YouTube to increase visibility and gain trust.
• The most common marketing mistakes wedding pros make (and what successful pros are doing instead!). 
• How to know when you’re promoting your business too much.
• And… Jody-Ann’s #1 advice for wedding planners.  

To hear Jody-Ann’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Jody-Ann for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Learn more about Wedding Certificate here!
• Check out Jody-Ann’s Youtube Channel here
• Questions? Get in touch with Jody-Ann or Eddie
• Ready to start 2025 with the best wedding planning software? Try Timeline Genius for free!

The post WII 157 – Jody-Ann Rowe’s Crash Course on SEO appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Can you really have it all? A thriving business and fulfilling family life? Today on Wedding Industry Insider, we’re talking about the challenges AND solutions for anyone trying to strike that work-life balance. 

And to get the best advice for you, we’re digging deep with venue coach Tirzah Caffee. During her 30 years managing venues, she’s seen the good, bad, and beautiful about working in the industry. 

Tirzah grew up living in a wedding venue and saw how misbalancing a family business caused her parents’ marriage to break down and caused Tirzah to miss out on some normal childhood experiences. But she also developed an incredible work ethic and became a legacy venue manager with a knack for entrepreneurship. 

Now she manages one of the most sought-after venues in Charlotte, North Carolina, and she uses her family’s experiences to create a work-life balance that prioritizes her family and marriage. Here is some of what she’s outlining in this valuable episode:

• How she separates work from her marriage, even though she and her husband manage the venue together. 
• Tirzah’s approach to running a family business, and how she involves her kids in her work!
• The exact way Tirzah researches the market to stay ahead of wedding trends. 
• What she learned from years of therapy – and how you can prioritize mental health as a wedding pro. 
• And… Tirzah’s #1 advice for wedding pros.

To hear Tirzah’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Tirzah for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Learn more about Tirzah’s venue coaching program here!
• Follow her on Instagram here
• Questions? Get in touch with Tirzah or Eddie
• Work ON your business, not IN your business — see what Timeline Genius can do for you!

The post WII 156- Balancing Family & Ambition with Venue Coach Tirzah Caffee appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Are your emails met with radio silence? Do you spend time and money on great leads that don’t convert?

It’s a common problem for wedding planners, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re ready to get quality replies to your emails and connect with the right clients, this week’s Wedding Industry Insider is perfect for you.

This week we’ve got Alan Berg on the podcast, and he’s getting real about why you’re getting ghosted. Alan is a long-time WeddingPro educator, the former Vice President of Sales at The Knot, a sought-after speaker, and a wedding industry author. So he knows the business of wedding planning.

Listen along as Alan shares his insight into converting leads, expanding your business, and selling a unique, unbeatable experience. Here’s some of what you can look forward to in this episode:

• What Alan discovered when he submitted contact forms to 450 wedding companies (and what you can learn from their mistakes!).
• What the client experiences when they reach out to you, and how you can get them to respond. 
• Understanding your unique brand and how to sell that to clients. 
• Alan’s tips for running a business, and his roadmap for expanding. 
• And… Alan’s #1 advice for wedding pros.

To hear Alan’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Alan for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Want to work with Alan? Visit his website for a website review, sales training, or his mastermind program.
• Read Alan’s books here. Alan also recommends you read “Profit First” and “Pumpkin Plan“ by Mike Michalowicz.
• Questions? Get in touch with Alan or Eddie
• Free up more time to connect with clients and grow your business — see what Timeline Genius can do for you!

The post WII 155 – Getting Ghosted? Level Up Your Emails With Alan Berg appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

“I’m not outgoing enough to be a great leader.”
“Leadership something you’re born with, not something you can learn.”
“I want to grow my business, but I’m not up for leading a team.”

If you’ve ever had thoughts like these, this week’s Wedding Industry Insider is for you. Because we are striking down these myths and proving anyone can be a great leader. 

Even introverts.
Even someone who isn’t a natural-born leader.
Even entrepreneurs who don’t feel like leadership is right for them.
Even you!

This week, we are rebroadcasting a fantastic interview with Ashley Ebert, founder of The Abundance Group, a coaching and mastermind program for wedding pros scaling over $100k in sales. Not only has Ashley created this astounding leadership program, she also built a thriving wedding planning business with over 30 planners across 6 locations. 

And she’s got great news: leadership can be learned. It’s not a talent or innate trait that is standing between you and your dreams. 

How do you get there? This week’s throwback podcast is a great place to start! Here is some of what you can look forward to in our interview with Ashley:

• How Ashley and her father studied 8 leadership models and found the method that works best – AND how you can apply it to your business today!
• The 4 principles of leadership that helped Ashley find so much success as a wedding pro and an entrepreneur. 
• How leadership will lead to abundance in your career and personal life
• And… Ashley’s #1 advice for wedding pros. 

To hear Ashley’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Ashley for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Get 1:1 coaching from Ashley’s Abundance Group Team here!
• Learn more about John Maxwell’s teachings here.
• Questions? Get in touch with Ashley or Eddie
• Want to take your wedding planning business to the next level? See how Timeline Genius can help you thrive!

The post WII 154 – How to be an All-Star Leader with Ashley Ebert [Rebroadcast] appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Here at Timeline Genius, we’re dedicated to helping planners like you avoid burnout and stay in the business for as long as possible. 

So you might be surprised by this week’s Wedding Industry Insider guest. Candice Coppola is a former wedding planner who left her job because she was overworked, stressed, and burnt out. And she’s telling us how to avoid her mistakes and have an enduring (and fulfilling!) career in the industry. 

Candice sold her luxury wedding planning company and now enjoys success as a coach and educator. She helps pros like you build a thriving wedding business – just like the one she built from scratch in 2012. It took Candice two years to go from zero to six figures, and she’s revealing how she got there (and the lessons she learned throughout her career!). 

Want to see the kind of growth Candice experienced, without the burnout? Here is some of what you can gain from this fantastic episode of Wedding Industry Insider:

• Five things Candice wishes she had done differently as she built her business (and the #1 mistake she sees planners make)
• How to build relationships so that you feel supported and find success
• The key to defining your core mission and building your brand around it
• Gaining the confidence to sell by seeing it as an act of service
• And… Candice’s #1 advice for wedding pros

To hear Candice’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Candice for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Ready to build a business based on Candice’s experience and success? Access her mentorship and resources here!
• Listen to Candice’s 2017 interview with Eddie here
• Questions? Get in touch with Candice or Eddie
• Be sure to DM Candice on Instagram and let her know you loved today’s episode!
• Take the time to nurture your business — see how Timeline Genius can help you thrive!

The post WII 153 – Learn From Candice Coppola’s Biggest Mistakes and Successes appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Burnt out from a busy wedding season? Dreaming of a career that offers work/life balance and financial freedom?

You’ve heard the advice “work smarter, not harder” so much that it’s lost its meaning. But this is the ultimate mantra for wedding pros, and we’ve got a fantastic episode of Wedding Industry Insider that will have you adopting it into your business right away. 

This week, we’re joined by Terrica, a master wedding planner who now serves as a business coach and educator through Hustlequarters. She is showing us how to make more money by doing less – with concrete advice that will resonate with overworked planners. 

You’ll love Terrica’s approach to package listings, automation, and sales because it is the gateway to lighter workloads and more profits. Here is some of what you can look forward to in this fantastic episode:

• How to become more valuable by offering fewer services in your package
• Selling vs. sharing (spoiler alert: they’re the same thing!)
• The top things to consider when you create your pricing – and what you shouldn’t consider!
• And… Terrica’s #1 advice for wedding planners!

To hear Terrica’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Terrica for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Want to learn more from Terrica? Enroll in Wedding Pro University here
• Be sure to follow Terrica on IG
• Questions? Get in touch with Terrica or Eddie
• Invest in your business — see how Timeline Genius can help you thrive!

The post WII 152 – Terrica Tells Us How To Make More Money By Doing Less appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

How often do you feel overwhelmed as a wedding planner? Each stressor you face as a planner and entrepreneur affects your mental health. But you don’t have to go through it alone. 

This week on Wedding Industry Insider, we have a pro who has merged seemingly unique career tracks in order to feed her passions and help planners just like us. 

Charessa Sawyer is a certified wedding planner and a licensed social worker with an extensive background in therapy. Now, she’s the founder and CEO of SC Visionary Planning and Production Services, curator of Event Therapy Network, and publisher of Event Therapy Magazine. 

As someone who works in both mental health and event planning, Charessa has a unique insight into the unique needs and struggles of wedding planners. And she also has fantastic tips and solutions to the many stressors we face.

Here’s just some of what you can look forward to in this great episode:

• The importance of recognizing panic attacks so you can best manage them
• The many ways your career can suffer if you don’t care for your mental health
• Warning signs that you’re nearing burnout as a wedding planner
• How a therapist can help, and alternatives to working with a therapist
• And… Charessa’s #1 advice for wedding planners

To hear Charessa’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Charessa for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Nourish your mental health with Event Therapy Network
• Questions? Get in touch with Charessa or Eddie
• Charessa says to include yourself in your event timelines — See how Timeline Genius can help!

The post WII 151 – Charessa Sawyer’s Mental Health Tips for Event Planners appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

It’s time to create a team! This is such a great milestone as your business grows, but it’s also one of the most nerve-racking leaps you’ll take. 

Emily McMahon has been there, and on this week’s episode of Wedding Industry Insider, she’s sharing the lessons she learned and how she found success as the owner of a team-based wedding planning company. 

Emily owns Soirée, a wedding planning company that serves Iowa City and beyond. Today, Soirée is a thriving business with a team of talented planners and assistants. But there were some growing pains getting there. 

In this great interview, Emily talks about her early days rejecting events she couldn’t do herself and how she eventually learned how to hire, train, and maintain wonderful employees. 

Even if you’re not at the point in your business where you need a team of employees, you’ll still gain a lot from this episode! Here are some of our favorite highlights from this episode:

• How to lay the foundation now if you hope to one day hire employees
• Emily’s secret for finding great local employees (and paying her interns!)
• How an HR company helped her become an employer with less stress and less liability
• Emily’s authentic way to connect with other vendors so she can best serve her clients
• And… her #1 advice for wedding pros!

To hear Emily’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Emily for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Follow Soiree on Instagram here!
• Questions? Get in touch with Emily or Eddie
• See what Timeline Genius can do for you!

The post WII 150 – Emily McMahon Shares The Secrets to Building a Team appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.

Are you exactly where you want to be with your wedding planning business? Sure, you might be reaching some of your goals, but things still might be off. Maybe you have no time for yourself, or you’re not seeing the kind of income you hoped for. 

On this week’s Wedding Industry Insider, we’re joined by Marley Majcher, who will help you get on track with one simple question: How are you spending your time? 

Marley Majcher is the CEO of The Party Goddess, a full-service catering and event-planning company that’s created celebrations for high-profile celebrities and corporations. She’s also a speaker and educator for wedding pros and entrepreneurs, and the author of the book But Are You Making Any Money?

We’re so glad we got this hour with Marley because she is sharing so much advice and insight on creating a profitable business that doesn’t wear you out and make you feel unbearably busy. And it all comes down to her one key question: How Are You Spending Your Time?

Here’s some of what you can look forward to in this week’s episode:

• How to audit your time and analyze the ROI on your tasks.
• Exactly what to do when you’re feeling overwhelmed in your business.
• The mistakes Marley made early in her career, and how you can avoid them.
• And… her #1 advice for wedding planners

To hear Marley’s interview, you can press the play button above. And be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

We want to say a special thank you to Marley for sharing these insights with our Timeline Genius community.

Please take this information, act on it, and carry on the journey toward fulfilling your dreams!

Show Notes:

• Follow Marley Majcher on Instagram here!
• Get great resources from Marley and buy her book here.
• Questions? Get in touch with Marley or Eddie
• Spending too much time on timelines? See what Timeline Genius can do for you!

The post WII 149 – The Ultimate Time Audit With Marley Majcher appeared first on Timeline Genius Blog.