It's Hot Takes Time. I'll be talking about some common business advice that I think is garbage, my best advice for hiring new team members, one hard lesson I had to learn this year in business, the goal strategy I swear by, and the biggest mistake I see business owners making right now.

Relationships and content are key when it comes to running a successful business and if you've listened to this podcast, it's something you've heard us say many times before. In today's episode, we're discussing the relationship side of that equation.

Today's episode is a short roundup of a few things I want to share with you, including my thoughts on my upcoming trip to Wedding MBA, my recent Planner’s Vault Workcation, tips for you on planning your own workcation, and a quick hitting conversation with my friend Ashley Ebert of The Abundance Group on how to know if you've hired the right team member.

After 12 years as a wedding planner, I can say this with deep conviction. The number one way I built my business from unknown and scrappy to respected, referred and booked out year after year - was from referrals. These referrals were what allowed me to be able to hire team members, raise our rates and eventually sell my business last year so I could focus full time on education and support for wedding pros. When I sold, we were charging premium pricing, we had venue partnerships with a few high end venues in my market and we paid zero dollars a year for advertising.

I want to share some of my top strategies with you today to help you lean into this area in your own business.

Over the years, I've had countless conversations with wedding pros about the constant challenge of nailing down their business messaging and how they are perceived in their market. While the landscape of marketing as a whole has evolved, the core issues remain unchanged.

Well today, we’re in some pretty good company, as public relations expert Natalie Denyse is on to share how she’s guiding her clients through these challenges.

Are you struggling to balance too many commitments with a never-ending to-do list? (Raising my hand with you) Maybe you're feeling that stress is at an all-time high and you're paddling through the Sea of Overwhelm with a leaky boat. Well today, I've got 10 stress-reducing tips to help you through!

It's time for some more hot takes, this time with the Tech Savvy Creative, and all about the latest tech and AI trends in our industry. We’ll be answering questions like:

Is AI all it’s cracked up to be?

What apps are overrated, and what apps are overlooked?

And maybe most importantly, what happens when dozens of people recommend hundreds of different apps and it all becomes overwhelming? Where do you even start?!?!

The Unraveling series, where amazing and inspiring entrepreneurs share the unraveling of old habits and mindset that holds us back, and the rebirth of new. Today we feature Michelle Norwood, New Orleans based international event planner. Michelle has been featured in Vogue, the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, and BRIDES magazine, and she makes it look simple taking only 6 to 8 weddings a year. But as you'll hear, her journey has been anything but easy.