Own Your Business

Learn the importance of the discovery call in qualifying clients and setting up for a smooth closing. Explore the use of big data and key performance indicators for sales coaching. Hear a story about a disappointing discovery call and the lessons learned. Discover strategies for improving discovery calls with potential clients and making them more engaging.

Explore the importance of post-mortems in business success, deconstructing what worked and what didn't. Learn how structured meetings can lead to continuous improvement and the balance between celebrating success and problem-solving. Dive into post-event evaluations for client satisfaction and team effectiveness, reflecting on past experiences for future growth.

Katy and I cut this episode right after we returned from our Shift Retreat in Costa Rica a couple weeks ago. Ironically, when this episode goes to air on Dec. 4, we’ll be in the middle of a second retreat helping business owners clarify what success looks like, and then create action plan to get there. Spending a solid week with clients to dig into what’s going on and how to help them revealed some patterns in what we saw. Today, Katy and I sit down for a quick conversation about what we’re seeing business owners go through with their companies, and offer insights into how you can steer yourself and your team in the right direction for 2024. Hope you enjoy the episode!

What goes into a successful website? A beautiful design? Yes, of course. A stunning visual brand? For sure. But what else? Yes, copywriting is important too. But before that, before the branding, before the design, you’ve got to build the site on a solid foundation if you want it to last. In today’s episode of Own Your Business, Katy and I talk about the six components of a successful site. And give you the step-by-step on how to build one yourself. Enjoy the listen…

It’s Thanksgiving week in the US, so I thought it would be fun to do an episode on gratitude. But this isn’t a week off from the science of growing your business. Oh no! We’re pulling back the curtain on what seems like woo-woo, so you can see how: - Our negativity bias creates a pressure cooker for everyday life - Where you might be setting yourself up for failure the harder you try for success - Why losses are so much more intense than wins - Most importantly, you’ll get the tools to rewire your brain to focus on the good things in life, rather than the bad Take 20 minutes for this week’s episode. You’ll thank me later.

Want to know what I’ve learned looking at hundreds of wedding pros’ offerings and pricing? Most people are doing it wrong. And unfortunately, it’s costing you business - both in clients lost and money left on the table. Here’s the good news: I’ve got insights to share with you today that will help convert more couples and get them to feel comfortable paying higher prices for your services. In today’s episode of Own Your Business, I share: - How I got my start practicing choice architecture at The Olive Garden - What behavioral economics has to say about package and pricing design, and - Three keys to sharing your pricing to make it easy for people to say yes Enjoy the show today!

Let me ask a question that most wedding pros I know can’t answer: What’s your exit strategy?  Here’s another one:  What’s your growth strategy? And let’s be clear: Charging more is NOT a growth strategy. Yes, getting couples to pay higher prices is part of success. But at some point you’ll hit a ceiling with how much people are willing to pay. Real growth - and most exit plans - are built on your ability to get others to do the work you’re currently doing now.  It’s the old adage that the first thing you should do when you get a new job is find a way to replace yourself. That’s because you can’t grow your career if you don’t get a promotion. But how do you do that if you’re the owner of the business? That’s what I talk about today with Eatherley Shultz, the Owner of Floressence Flowers out of Asheville, North Carolina.  Eatherley and I started working together back in 2018 after we met on a walk along the Bow River in Banff, Canada. She’d already achieved solid success with her business, but not she wanted less.  Yes, you heard me correctly: Less. Not more. Less stress. Less chaos and confusion. Less time doing all the things her clients needed her company to do. Less turnover with her team. And so many other things. Tune into today’s podcast to hear Eatherley’s story, which is a triumphant one, about how she got out of her own way to let the team reach its full potential - and give her a sense of fulfillment that was more impactful than any big price tag she’s put on an invoice. Because when you reach a certain level of success, it’s not about how to charge more for your services. It’s about how to get more from your company.

We all want more ideal clients. But how do you get more of them to land in your inbox? It’s not magic. But it’s also not as simple as cold-DMing planners and upgrading your branding. In this episode Katy and I talk about: - What goes into an ideal client avatar - How you can communicate messages to trigger ideal clients - Why some messages connect and others don’t Stay tuned. You won’t want to miss this short deep-dive that gives you a blueprint for getting better inquiries and bigger budgets. PLANNERS: Here's a link for our advanced training program to book more full-service clients at higher prices. www.breakthroughweddingplanning.com

Scarcity is a powerful persuasive tool. But it’s also a dangerous one, because when used too often or with too heavy of a hand it can backfire - and kill a deal faster than you can say, actually there’s not really an expiration on the proposal I sent you. In today’s episode, I’ll share with you: - Ways you might be using scarcity without even knowing it - How it impacts buyers positively and negatively - What buyer type sees huge value in hard-to-get services, and - The two buyer types who shut down when you use scarcity to urge the sale This is powerful stuff. I hope you tune in all the way through. You might have to listen twice, it's that nuanced.

Do you ever feel like you have 28 hours of things to do every day? Yeah, me too.  In fact, I recently read about a mindset called “time poor,” which I suffer very badly from. It’s awful. I never feel like I have enough time.  And to top it all off, I still feel guilty for not putting enough time into the things that matter to me. Just the other day, I started work at 700am and felt awful, like I was playing hookie with my day.  Over the past 100+ episodes, we’ve devoted a total of ZERO to time management. And many of you are in the thick of it, because September and October are the two busiest months for weddings. So…it’s a perfect chance to bring in my time management guru, Katy Taylor Jacobson, to talk about: - How to pick the big rocks to put on your calendar - Missteps even the best make when planning out their time - The next big move you can make to create more space for the important things in work and life