Quality is just table stakes
When playing competitive poker, you have to pay to get into the game. That’s called the “table stakes”. When it comes to the wedding and events industry, or really any business, quality is table stakes. You can’t claim doing quality work as a differentiating factor. It’s the minimum required to be in business or in the industry. So, what are your differentiators? Read More
Rod McMahon – Rightsizing your business
I’ve had guests on who have scaled their businesses way up. And I’ve had some on who’ve intentionally scaled their businesses down, some down to just them. I’ve asked my friend Rod McMahon on to talk about how he’s scaled his business up, then down, to the right size for him. Listen to this episode and hear how he’s profiting more, doing less events, so you can get some ideas on how you might do the same. Read More
Stop trying to keep up with the Joneses
I was reading an article about the richest people in the world and realized that no one will ever have it all, not even those people with all of their money. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to better yourself or your status… as long as that’s what’s really important to you. Who are you trying to impress, because they may not care. Read More
What’s your hidden potential?
I just finished reading another book by Adam Grant, a professor at Wharton in Philadelphia, this one is called “Hidden Potential.” It really hit home with me when he shared examples of people who intentionally seek out being uncomfortable, and then they push through that discomfort and use it as a catalyst for their success. Specifically, he gave examples of people who are polyglots, people who are fluent in many more languages than me, and who were not good at learning languages when they were young. When we’re young, it’s supposed to be easier to learn a new language. These people learned many new languages as adults, despite being poor at it as kids.
Are you only doing things that are within your comfort zone? Are you only trying new things you know you can be good at? Listen to this new 7-minute episode for inspiration on finding success in your discomfort.
I wish you only First-world problems
I found myself complaining recently about being given an upgrade, on an international flight, only to have it taken away because they double booked the seat. In reality, I would have preferred to never haven gotten the upgrade, as I lost my original exit row seat in the process. While expressing my dissatisfaction with how it was being handled, I realized how ridiculous it was to be complaining about this, truly a first-world problem. I started thinking about how many of our other daily “problems” would be really hard to justify to someone in a developing nation.
Listen to this new, 6-minute episode for some perspective, not to make us feel bad, rather to make us feel really good about what we already have. Read More
Brian Franklin – The Niche: Vows and Speeches
I thought I didn’t like a lot of things, until I did
I was a picky eater as a child, really picky. It’s amazing how many foods I eat now that I wouldn’t even try back then. That’s actually true of a lot of things in our lives, things we’ve never even tried, but think we don’t or wouldn’t like. What is that making us miss out on? What could we be accomplishing or enjoying, if we’d just remove that roadblock, one that we’re putting there by ourselves.
Listen to this new, 5-minute episode for my thoughts on how you can recognize and remove these roadblocks from your path. Read More
Bill Cates – 5 Things that don’t make you different
I saw an article on LinkedIn by my friend Bill Cates titled: “5 things that don’t make you different”, and the title intrigued me. In reading through them, I was struck by how many of these companies in the wedding and events industry are using, thinking it shows how they’re different, when they don’t. So, I asked Bill to come on and talk through these with me so we can give you some ideas on how to tweak what you say, to really show what makes you different. Read More
Should you charge for appointments and tours?
Everyone hates no-shows on appointments and tours, but is charging the solution? I saw a conversation on Facebook started by a venue owner, Corbin Mock. Obviously frustrated by couples making appointments and then not showing up, this started a serious of comments. While I agree with the premise, I have some ideas on this subject.
Listen to this new, 8-minute episode for my thoughts on how you might approach this. Read More
Andrew Leavitt – The Niche: Wedding Weatherman
Every once in a while, I come across someone who’s carved out a really unique niche in the wedding and events industry. I met Andrew at a WeddingPro COR event and when he told me he provides weather tools for wedding professionals, I was intrigued. Of course weather is a big factor for weddings and events, but why are the apps on our phones not giving us the full picture and how does Andrew, and his team of 20 meteorologists, help couples better prepare for the weather on their wedding day (or weekend), anywhere in the world? Listen to this episode to find out, and to hear some real weather stories. Read More
