Own Your Business

Can you believe it? You’re listening to episode 100 of the Own Your Business podcast. Pretty stinking cool. If you’ve listened to most of them, you know I usually share insights and takeaways to apply to your business in sales, pricing and copywriting. I’ve also done some great interviews with the best in the business over the past two years. So in today’s episode, I asked Katy to sit down with me to talk about what I’ve learned creating all this content and interviewing all the amazing people over the past two years. We dive into: - How the purpose of the podcast has changed (and not changed) over time - What I’ve learned talking with industry icons - Common characteristics I’ve seen in the most successful pros out there Tune in. Enjoy the show. We’re celebrating 100 episodes!

Looking for a good book to read? Or an entire curriculum to get you through the next several months.  Take 15 minutes to listen to this episode, where I provide my top 10 general books on business, and how each can help you grow your business and make it more fun to go to work every day.

People talk about short attention spans all the time. But you know what’s sad? The most common solution is to provide less information. Or content. Or connection. Yes, we can blame social media for some of it. Maybe even most of it. But I think a lot of it has to do with boring content. Bad writing. Uninteresting narratives. Good stories grab you from the very beginning - and then keep you engaged at every opportunity.  So what makes for an attention-grabbing start?  That’s what Katy and I talk about on today’s episode of Own Your Business. What’s the formula for an effective hook? Where do you need to use one? How can you attract and repel the right readers?

Do you want to make more and work less? Great. This is the episode for you. Today, I’m going to break down how you can get into the luxury market. Or, if you’re already there, show you the formula to create more consistency with your bookings. In this episode, we’ll dive into: - How I learned to market and sell high-end wedding services - When you know you’re in luxury - and you might be surprised to hear you’re already there - Common obstacles you run into when moving from premium to luxury markets - Proven strategies and tactics to push past these frequent problems - The #1 thing you have to do if you want to book more high-paying clients Let’s get going. It’s a good one. For those looking to level up fast, here's the link to the proposal template mentioned in the episode. https://ideactionconsulting.com/custom-proposal-template

Of all the fields and markets in the wedding industry, I have to confess: Luxury wedding planners probably have it the hardest.  And I’m not talking about the long hours, crazy clients, and relatively low pay they get compared to others who work as hard as they do. You know, when you put it like that, it’s amazing anyone wants to take this career path. But those who do the work loooove what they do - for all sorts of reasons. So good for you, if you’re one of them, or you’re a mid-market or premium planner hoping to level up into luxury.  And the good news for you is that there’s a path to make it easier. And more consistent. With less work. And more fun. How? What’s the secret? Today, I’ve got Kaitlin Ford on the podcast. When she first came to us for help she was a premium planner with a few luxury clients booking full-service packages. But inquiries were mostly under her starting budget, and the celebrations weren’t always interesting.  As you’ll hear, a few 1:1 sessions and a new website made all the difference. She started attracting ideal clients. Who were willing to pay top dollar - two, even three times what she was charging before. And the projects were interesting, and engaged her creativity.  If you’re a planner who wants to get into luxury, or feel more secure with your bookings, this episode is for you.  If you’re not a planner, listen in still…because the blueprint to level up is nearly the same for everyone. It’s just applied differently depending on what you do and how far you have to go to reach success.

Many of you are struggling to get enough bookings right now. Even inquiries are slow, which is always stressful. The simple fact is there’s a lot stacked up against the wedding industry at the moment. Inflation. Pessimistic outlook. Fewer engagements. Uncertainty in the financial sector. You can’t change the way people feel about the economy or how many people are getting engaged, but you can lean into a number of different activities to help create buzz about your business - and put yourself in the best spot for good things to happen to you. In this episode, we break down: - What’s going on with the economy and engagements - What you can do to attract more interest - How to convert more of what’s hitting your inbox - Ways to keep a healthy, positive mindset

Do you want to charge more for your services? Of course you do! But how do you make that dream a reality? Clients pay higher prices when they expect to receive more value. And you create that by sharing what you do. How you solve their problems. The services you offer.  Unfortunately, many of you aren’t talking about that on your website. You talk about yourself, your work, and how to contact you. But you’re leaving out the thing that matters most. How you help your clients. In this episode of Own Your Business, Katy and I discuss: The five stages of awareness, and what content to share at each stage What role your Services page plays on your website What NOT to put on the Services page

We all want to be successful. What does success look like for you? Is it lots of money? Recognition for your peers or industry experts? Ultra creative projects? Or maybe you’re like me, and you measure success by the number of vacation days you take rather than the number of clients you book for your business? Whatever you have for goals, it’s important for them to be realistic. Every week, I talk with wedding pros who come to me for a path to success. You’d be surprised by how many set unrealistic expectations, and, of course, end up disappointed. In today’s episode of Own Your Business, I’ll share: - How hedonic adaptation plays a role in your goals - What the 2022 boom did to our expectations - How the next 6-18 months might look for inquiries - What I learned on two recent experiences: Hiking 200 miles across England, and spending a day in a car with my ex-wife Enjoy the show today. I feel like it’s already one of my favorites. Also, if you’re interested in clarifying your own business goals, and setting up a strategy to reach them, check out our Shift Retreats. We’re actively accepting attendees for 8 or so more spots for both November and December. Check out last week’s episode with Romin Zandi to hear how it transformed not just his business, but also his life. www.shiftbusinessretreat.com

I’m doing something new on this week’s episode of the Own Your Business Podcast.  Over the past 90+ episodes, I’ve done a few different types of approaches: Me talking about a specific topic Having Katy, my wife and copywriting expert, on to talk shop with me about websites Bringing on an expert, like Katelyn Magnuson or Sara Dunn, in a specific field to share their expertise where we can’t Industry stars, like KT Merry and Shannon Leahy, to share their journey to the top Today, we’re going to add a fifth type of episode, and that’s a client case study. Done before on video lives over the past few winters, and even a couple times in early 2022 on the podcast, and we’ve had great responses from the audience. I’m folding them into the content calendar over the next several months because it’s helpful to hear the transformation people go through to get from where they are to where they want to be. Information is good. Don’t get me wrong. But the hills people climb and hurdles they have to overcome make it interesting. And show us that success doesn’t happen overnight. Everyone struggles. Including me!  And my clients, when they first come to me.  It takes courage to ask for help. The three hardest words for any business owner or boss are often, I don't’ know. That’s exactly what Romin, today’s guest, said to me when he first reached out five years ago. Things were going well for him, but he know he hadn’t reached his full potential. He didn’t know what he didn’t know, but he knew that much - and that was all he needed when he first reached out. Romin and I were on a call yesterday, in fact, and he said he’s the happiest he’s been as a person, and feels more fulfilled as a business owner than he’s ever been. Enjoy the conversation about how he got there. It’s a good one.

If you’ve heard me talk about the four main buyer types, you know how important it is to shift your communication style to meet others where they’re at.  Now flip the script, and instead of looking at buyer types, think of you and your natural selling style. How you sell makes a big impact on how successful your business will be. In this week’s episode of Own Your Business, I share: - Different superpowers business owners like you have - How even naturally gifted salespeople hit a ceiling - 4 primary selling styles - and which one is most successful - Common problems each runs into