Are you in the side hustle mode of your business?  Are you trying to figure out when to take it to the next level?  That's where Hair and Makeup Artist Nina McCaskey was just a few months ago when she hit the Raleigh wedding scene strong.  And today, she comes on the show to tell her story of deciding to go full-time with her business Wedded Kiss, and some tips for all the side-hustlers out there!

Wilmington NC wedding planners Sally Lindroos and Courtney Stone from Kickstand Events come on the show today to talk all about what happened when Hurricane Florence cancelled FIVE of their events in October 2018! All 5 were on Bald Head Island which was completely closed after the hurricane. They talk how they and their couples handled that, what they would do differently, and what advice they have to couples who are getting married in hurricane season.

Ivy Robinson is the wedding planner for celebrities like Dale Earnhardt Jr and Emily Maynard, has been on wedding reality TV shows like Whose Wedding Is It Anyway, and has been designing big budget weddings in the south for 16+ years. Today, she comes on the podcast to talk about longevity, motivation, clients' trust, and why she gets those big name clients!

Finding the right employee in any business is challenging, but it's a unique challenge in the wedding industry because it's "so glamorous". And they can be, but working a wedding involves long hours and sometimes difficult clients. So how do you find the right hires? Gina Johnston, Senior Wedding Coordinator at A Southern Soiree and Megan's luckiest hire, comes on the show to discuss the hiring and onboarding process (and mistakes made) at A Southern Soiree.

The Barn of Chapel Hill on Wild Flora Farm is one of the hottest new venues in the Triangle area of North Carolina, opening up in 2017. Kara Brewer, the owner, and Jennifer Wood, the creative director opened up to Megan about how it hasn't been the easiest process to start weddings up at the Barn. In fact, there was (and still is) a very active protest group, and the media once portrayed the new venue as "The Party Barn". Kara and Jennifer tell us all about that saga, plus how they run the business together, and what's next to the barn. If you've ever wondered what it's like to start a new venue when there's opposition, you won't want to miss this one!

Megan and Jason Gillikin are back for a Weekend Wine Down, where we reflect on the chaos that was 2018 and put some goals out there for 2019! We hope you enjoy, and have a great weekend, and Happy New Year!

Megan Gillikin was the guest on the Holdermess Podcast with Kim and Penn Holderness, on their episode, "Our Wedding was NOT the best day of my life". If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to their podcast, and check out their latest viral video, "Baby Just GO outside!"

It's the Day in the Life Podcast on the Weddings for Real feed! If you don't know Day in the Life with Brittney Lynn, go check it out! She interviews people that have interesting jobs - counterterrorism expert, pastry chef, Hollywood producer, etc - and gets to know what a day in the life is like for them. Such a cool concept! And today we're sharing her interview with Megan Gillikin, host of the Weddings for Real Podcast. Megan is the owner and lead consultant at A Southern Soiree Wedding and Event Planning. She's also available for wedding and hospitality business consulting and can be reached at megan@weddingsforreal.com.