What’s a Fake Lead?I’ve been having quite a few one-on-one conversations with clients and folks in the industry about fake leads. I also see many social posts about this and I’m often tagged and pulled into the conversation. And since you can’t hear my one-on-one conversations, I thought I’d address it here, as most of those conversations are very similar.Listen to this new 10-minute episode for a different perspective on what is and isn’t a fake lead, and what you can do to improve your conversion, and outlook.If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

Don't punish the masses for the ills of a fewI’ve used this phrase before on the podcast “Don't punish the masses for the ills of a few”. Just recently I saw another wedding/event pro coming up with what felt like punitive rules, so I decided it was time to devote an episode to this. How many things are you telling your couples and customers they can’t do? Is your “no” list bigger than your “yes” list?Listen to this new 7-minute episode for more a little introspection and ideas on how you can be more “yes” focused, while still having the rules and policies you really need.If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

Do you love doing weddings and events but hate all of the business minutiae? There’s so much more to running a successful business than just doing the events. There’s the administration, project management, following up on leads, and following up with couples and customers after the sale and before the event. With staffing being so difficult these days, many businesses, including mine, have looked to using Virtual Assistants to fill the void. For me, it meant not sitting with my laptop while watching TV with my wife. It meant having someone to post on social media for me, edit my videos and podcasts, schedule email blasts and more.For this new episode I invited my friend Ryan Angott, from Strategic Assistant Staffing (SAS) to talk about how wedding and event businesses, large and small (I’m a solopreneur and I use a VA) can benefit from using virtual assistants.About Ryan AngottRyan Angott is a seasoned professional with a decade-long journey in the wedding and event industry. With a wealth of experience and a track record of generating over $50 million in revenue, Ryan brings unparalleled insights into the intricacies of the industry as he transitioned and co-founded a virtual assistant staffing agency based in the Philippines.Connect with Ryan directly at Ryan@strategic-assistant.com  or explore the world of virtual assistant services for weddings at https://strategic-assistant.com/wedding-services/ If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

I just finished reading another book by Adam Grant, a professor at Wharton in Philadelphia, this one is called “Hidden Potential.” It really hit home with me when he shared examples of people who intentionally seek out being uncomfortable, and then they push through that discomfort and use it as a catalyst for their success. Specifically, he gave examples of people who are polyglots, people who are fluent in many more languages than me, and who were not good at learning languages when they were young. When we’re young, it’s supposed to be easier to learn a new language. These people learned many new languages as adults, despite being poor at it as kids.Are you only doing things that are within your comfort zone? Are you only trying new things you know you can be good at? Listen to this new 7-minute episode for inspiration on finding success in your discomfort.If you have any questions about anything in this or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

What’s your ideal gift?For my last episode of this year I wanted to reflect a little on gifting. It’s gift-giving season and I know that my attitude towards what makes a great gift has certainly changed over the years, I’ll bet yours has as well. Whether it’s one you give or one you receive, what would make it stand out for you. It’s a gift to me that you’re tuning in to my podcast, so thank you. You’re what makes this worthwhile.Listen to this new 8-minute episode for my musings on this topic. Sorry if it gets a little deep at times, but there are also a few laughs in there, too.If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

Matt Campbell – The Butterfly Effect Matt and I were both commenting on a post on Facebook and he replied “The Butterfly Effect”, and I said that we have to come on the podcast to talk about it. What is the Butterfly Effect? It’s that a small change can make a big difference, often far away and without any real connection. We’re expanding on that in this episode. Tune in for some ideas on how small decisions and opportunities probably got you to where you are today, and can get you to where you want to go.Matt Campbell is the founder of My Wedding Songs - a resource of wedding song suggestions. He is the author of two wedding planners: 'Wedding Songs Planner' and 'The Wedding Music Toolkit'. Matt hosts the 'Wedding Songs Podcast'. Matt shares music inspiration in his weekly newsletter the 'Wedding MusicLetter'.Search Engine Optimization is on the minds of many wedding and event pros. Matt Campbell became knowledgeable about it for his business, MyWeddingSongs.com and he and I are had a follow up conversation to our one about his niche. In this new episode we talk about SEO and how you can learn to improve it for your website.Matthew (Matt) Campbell is the owner of My Wedding Songs. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mobile Beat Magazine, and DJ Times. Matt hosts the Wedding Songs Podcast and is the author of the Wedding Music Playlist. His work has been referenced in Forbes, The Knot, and Style Me Pretty.www.MyWeddingSongs.comBooks Matt Mentioned on the podcast:Play Bigger - https://amzn.to/3lui0DZ Blue Ocean Strategy - https://amzn.to/3in3CeJ SEO Tools Matt mentioned on the podcastUbersuggest - https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/Google Keyword Planner (part of Google Ads) - https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/MozBar for Chrome - https://chrome.google.cDoes AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes!This is another listener suggestion, this time from Cedric on Facebook. I don’t know if he used this phrase, or if it was my interpretation. The analogy comes from visualizing a dog sled team. Imagine a sled being pulled by 5 dogs. One in front, and two pairs of two other dogs behind it. If you’re the lead dog, you have a clear view of where you’re going. If you’re one of the other dogs, you have a view of the rear end of the dog in front of you. Are you leading and innovating? Or, are you watching others do it.Listen to this new 7-minute episode for some ideas on how you can act like the lead dog in your market and category.If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

I had been meaning to do an episode based upon this phrase after reading it in Brene Brown’s book “Dare to Lead.” And then I got an email about an article in the NY Times talking about the same thing (it’s a sign!). Very often we make assumptions about what happened, what someone is thinking, why someone did or didn’t do something. The problem is that often we don’t really know why someone did or didn’t do something, or their motivations. The story we tell ourselves is very often different than the others are seeing the same thing.Listen to this new 9-minute episode for some ideas on how you can understand the story you’re telling yourself. If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

Why Customers Leave – with David AvrinI was reading (listening) to my friend David Avrin’s book “Why Customers Leave and How to Win Them Back” and there were so many good nuggets in there that I just had to have him on the podcast. We talked about the customer experience and how so many times you lose the sale without even knowing that you were being considered.Listen to this new episode for some straight talk about the customer experience so you can find the kinks in your business pipeline and get more opportunities.About David AvrinOne of the most in-demand Customer Experience speakers and consultants in the world today, David Avrin, CSP, Global Speaking Fellow, has shared his content-rich, entertaining and actionable presentations with enthusiastic audiences across North America and in 24 countries around the world. David helps organizations better understand and connect with their changing customers and clients to help future-proof their businesses.David's insights have been featured on thousands of media outlets around the world. He is also the author of five books including the acclaimed: It's Not Who You Know, It's Who Knows You!, Why Customers Leave (and How to Win Them Back) and his newest book: The Morning Huddle -- Powerful Customer Experience Conversations to Wake You Up, Shake You Up, and Win More Business. www.DavidAvrin.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidavrinhttps://www.instagram.com/therealdavidavrin If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com

When presented with a new opportunity, do you look at what could go wrong, or how it could fail? Do you ask yourself “Why should I?” Or, do you focus on the positive outcomes and ask “Why shouldn’t I?” Too many people place their emphasis on the negative, not the potential. After all, the easiest thing to do when presented with an opportunity is to do nothing.Listen to this new 7-minute episode to hear how you can change your focus to achieve more and have more fun, in life and business!If you have any questions about anything in this, or any of my podcasts, or have a suggestion for a topic or guest, please reach out directly to me at Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com or visit my website Podcast.AlanBerg.comPlease be sure to subscribe to this podcast and leave a review (thanks, it really does make a difference). If you want to get notifications of new episodes and upcoming workshops and webinars, you can sign up at www.ConnectWithAlanBerg.com Does AI know more about your business than you do? Come to these workshops in February and find out.Go to http://podcast.alanberg.com and look for the "Upcoming Masterminds and Master Classes" line. Click it and you'll see the links. I'm Alan Berg. Thanks for listening. If you have any questions about this or if you'd like to suggest other topics for "The Wedding Business Solutions Podcast" please let me know. My email is Alan@WeddingBusinessSolutions.com. Look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Thanks. Listen to this and all episodes on Apple Podcast, YouTube or your favorite app/site: Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/weddingbusinesssolutions YouTube: www.WeddingBusinessSolutionsPodcast.tv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sGsuB8 Stitcher: http://bit.ly/wbsstitcher Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/wbsgoogle iHeart Radio: https://ihr.fm/31C9Mic Pandora: http://bit.ly/wbspandora ©2025 Wedding Business Solutions LLC & AlanBerg.com