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How much would you pay to make it go away?

Here’s another listener suggestion. Michelle McFarland and I were at a conference recently and she reminded me of a story I had told at another event that totally changed the way she handled negative situations with customers. Once the damage is done it’s often hard, or impossible to undo. If you are proactive, it might cost you less than what it would cost to try to undo the damage from negative reviews and bad press.

Listen to this new 7-minute episode and find out. Read More

Use your voice, it’s your only monopoly

Wouldn’t it be nice to have something that no one else has… your own monopoly? Well, you actually do, it’s your voice. The key is to learn how to use it to show people that you’re actually different, before they get to hear your spoken voice. Want to hear how?

Listen to this new 9-minute episode and find out. Read More

Should you announce that you’re raising your prices?

I love getting listener suggestions and this one came from Chuck Johnson. He’s raising his prices (yeah) and wanted to know if he should put the new prices on his website with a disclaimer that they’re going up on a certain date. Want to hear the answer and how you might approach this when you raise your prices (something I addressed on another podcast episode)?

Listen to this new 7-minute episode and find out. Read More

Tina Dannel – Pivoting with The Metro

Like many wedding planners, the pandemic threw a wrench into Tina Dannel’s business model. Then along came a 1958 Milk Truck that changed things, for the better. Listen to this episode and hear how The Metro has been a positive pivot for Tina’s wedding business, and how it’s added new opportunities beyond its original intention – a mobile wedding chapel. Read More

Try it because it’s difficult

Are there some things you’re not trying because you think they’re hard? Is it the fear of failure that holds you back, or something else. I think that the harder it is, the more rewarding it is when you succeed. So, what have you already done that you originally thought was hard? What’s on your to-do list that’s just not getting to-done?

Listen to this new 9-minute episode and find out how you can get past the “hard” and on to the “done”! Read More

If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product

I was talking to a speaker friend about all of the free services that exist today, from social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.) to business services like Canva, Animoto, Dropbox, Zoom and more. It’s very tempting to try and use those free services, after all, that’s why they offer a free version. But that can’t be the business model, there has to be a profit model for those services and sites as well. While I might try a new service with a free-trial, I try not to stick with the free versions. There are more features with the paid versions and since I want people paying me for my products and services, it’s only fair that I should pay for the value I get from them. That said, there are times when the free version is enough and lots and lots of people use them. So, that makes you wonder how these companies benefit. Some get enough people that upgrade and pay, and some may not. But, as Tristan Harris (a former Google Design Ethicist) said: “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”

Listen to this new 7-minute episode and hear what that quote actually means and it might just change your perspective on what’s really “free”. Read More

Glenn Roush – Scaling a luxury business

When people think of scaling a wedding or event business, high volume and lower prices often comes to mind. Glenn Roush has scaled his entertainment company, LeForce Event Group, with higher prices, higher quality and targeting luxury weddings and events in and around Dallas, TX. Our conversation ranges from how he got started, with just him as a DJ, to scaling up to over 30 DJs and keeping both the quality and prices up at a high level.

Listen to this new episode and get some ideas on how you can scale your wedding/event business, without sacrificing quality or profits. Read More

Buy It, Rent It, Learn It or Hire for It

Like many of my topics, this came from a conversation I was having with one of my clients, a wedding/event pro, about how he should go about doing Facebook advertising. One option was to hire someone, but the price tag was scaring him. Another was to take courses and learn to do it himself. Yet another was to look for every free or cheap way to figure it out. In this episode I’ll take you through the thought process that I shared with him, so you too can see that it’s not just the cost that matters, it’s also the time it will take you to get the results you want. Just looking at the price can cloud your decision and delay you reaching the ROI you desire.

Listen to this new 9-minute episode and hear how you can make better decisions that lead to clearer decisions and more profits. Read More

How to get the most out of wedding shows

Like many of my topics, this came from a conversation I was having with one of my clients, a wedding/event pro, about what he should do for an upcoming Wedding Expo. He wanted to stand out, in a good way, and get the most ROI from the show. So, on this new episode, I’ll share with you some of the things I told him, on how you can stand out, catch the attention of an audience that’s literally moving as they are near you, and how you can profit more from Wedding Shows. Whether you’ve done Wedding Expos (formerly called Bridal Shows) before, or not, and whether you’ve gotten a good ROI or not, this episode will give you some food for thought!

Listen to this new 16-minute episode and hear ways you can get the most out of wedding and other tradeshows. Read More

Kathryn Hamm – So Many Pivots

When I first thought about bringing my friend Kathryn Hamm onto the podcast, it was because of her pivot from LGBTQ issues to DEI – Diversity, Equality and Inclusion topics. Well, before we could get to that, she pivoted again! Listen to this episode and hear how she pivoted into the wedding industry from education, to pivoting to DEI and now to being Co-owner of The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter (Kathyrn’s wife). Is your head spinning from the pivots yet? Kathryn is always a pleasure to talk with, and you’re going to pick up some ideas for your business on this episode. Read More