Planner Life Podcast | A Podcast For Wedding Planners

Hey planners! Do you ever struggle with your mindset? We’ve all been there and getting out of that isn’t always the easiest. That’s why in this episode we had on Andrea Freeman. Andrea is a mindful business coach and peak performance planner along with a wedding planner! She’s worn many hats in her life and knows herself what it’s like to run a wedding planning business. In this episode we talk about mindset growth, taking time for yourself and aligning your business to the life you want. 

What’s in this episode:

• How Andrea got bit by the entrepreneurial bug
• The quarter-life crisis she had after her first teaching job
• Her experience as an event planner and starting her first business
• How she took control over her health
• Her journey of going to culinary school and starting her catering company
• Why she took a job in leadership development
• How she ended up starting a wedding planning company
• Her realization that she couldn’t be everything to everybody
• Her business realignment journey
• The starting point for mindset growth
• Why you need to slow down to hear answers
• Why you need to take time for yourself

About Andrea:
I’m Andrea and I believe that transforming your life is the access to transforming your business.  As a mindful business coach and peak performance planner, I work with creative entrepreneurs to support them in their evolution.  I operate from the foundational principle that businesses develop alongside the individuals who run them.  Meaning the higher your consciousness the greater the impact you make in the world.  It’s my personal joy to work with business owners to help them align with who they are at their core - with their unique personal gifts and unstoppable power.  

I started my first business when I was 12, second business at 26, and third business at 31.  Professionally trained as an educator and leadership development coach I honed my entrepreneurial skills and scaled my celebrity event planning business to multiple six-figures in annual revenue.  

Now I’m on a mission to help service-based business owners realign with their purpose, create greater financial freedom, fulfillment, and make a difference in the world.  I have worked with clients in the events, holistic lifestyle, tech, and fashion industries to integrate mindset techniques, refine their business models, and scale quickly.  Clarity of purpose, increased revenue and sustainable, soulful success are just a few of the benefits my clients experience.

Connect with Andrea:

Consulting Website | Wedding Planning Website | Instagram 

Andrea’s Facebook Group:

The Uplevel Collective

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook. 

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Happy new year. Can you believe we made it through 2020? It was an unexpected and crazy year. In this episode, we’re chatting about some of the reflections we had over the year and the first season of the Planner Life Podcast. You’ll hear our highs, lows and some of the biggest challenges we faced in 2020. We also take a look forward at what's to come in 2021 in our business, podcast and personal lives. 

What’s in this episode:

• What Heather and Lindsay did for the holidays
• Our favorite parts about our unique holiday season
• What we missed most from traditional holiday seasons
• Our highs, lows and what surprised us about 2020
• A look back on the podcast
• Intentions and goals we have for 2021
• What’s inspires them for growth

Links:

Know Your Numbers Template

The Best in Wedding Planner Education

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates. 

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! I am excited to share this conversation with Candice Sanders, one of the most respected and sought-after wedding planners in Orange County, CA. We constantly get asked the question, “What can I do to get experience in the wedding industry?” Well, Candice will share her journey of how she did just that along with her journey from her corporate wedding and events career to starting her own business in the industry. She shares how she’s built her team, the services she offers her clients and how she sets herself apart through an amazing offboarding experience with her clients. 

What’s in this episode:

• What Candice was like growing up
• How her first job in the restaurant industry gave her the passion for event management
• How she got her first job in the wedding industry
• Her experience working at a hotel doing weddings
• Why she decided to get sales experience
• Her journey of transitioning from her job to starting her business
• Why she’s so passionate about relationship building
• What to look for when hiring an associate
• Her rebrand to Engaged Events
• Her process of shiting how she runs her business
• What services she offers her clients
• Candice’s offboarding process

About Candice :

With over 18 years of experience and 600 weddings behind her, the leader of the Engaged team is a true event professional. With a passion for weddings, and a genuine personality, Candice joins her clients along their planning journey and quickly becomes not only a hired vendor, but a friend. Knowing each wedding is unique and each client's vision is original, Candice uses strong communication, honest feedback, organization, and creative suggestions to guide her clients along their planning journey. She is an active member of the wedding community, a master multi-tasker, and a passionate business owner.

Candice's first job was at a restaurant where she fell in love with the fast-paced environment and the large private celebrations. While pursuing a public relations degree, she began working as an assistant for one of Orange County's top wedding planners and found her true calling. After college, Candice secured a full-time wedding position at The Newport Beach Marriott Hotel. She served as a Wedding Event Manager and a Senior Catering Sales Executive for more than six years, mastering skills in both sales and service. Always wanting to be an entrepreneur, she resigned from Marriott and launched Engaged Events in 2011. 

Candice takes a limited number of events each season, focusing on quality service for her clients. She is proud of the mark she has made in the lives of hundreds of couples, and year after year, her passion for the industry continues to grow. 

Candice is married to Brian and has two children, Brooke and Austin. She loves the beach, Disneyland, a day at the spa, and an awesome concert. Hawaii is her happy place, the Angels are her team, and churros are her favorite treat. 

Connect with Candice and Engaged Events:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates.

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! In the spirit of giving this holiday season, we wanted to shed some light on one of our favorite companies, One Hope Wines, a company that brings Napa Valley to your doorstep. I came across One Hope Wines when LVL was in its infant stages and I was so impressed not only with their commitment to high-quality wines but their commitment to the amazing causes they support. That’s why I had on Megan Robinson. In this episode, Megan shares how she got involved with the company and her experience of helping them get more involved in the wedding industry. You’ll hear how you can get involved with One Hope Wines and how they decide on the non-profit organizations they give back to. 

What’s in this episode:

• Why Megan’s husband founded One Hope Wines
• How she got involved with the business 
• The transition of their company getting more involved in the wedding industry
• How they vet non-profit partners
• How couples can choose non-profits they want to give back to 
• What they do to constantly improve their client experience
• How planners can get involved and sell wines for a cause
• What’s happening right now for One Hope Wines

Connect with Megan:

Website | Instagram

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook. 

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our

Hey planners! We have quite the episode lined up for you with two of the best wedding photographers in the business, Joel Serrato and Jose Villa. In this episode, you’ll get a behind the scenes look at how these two started working together and their experience of shooting high profile celebrity weddings. These two have so much valuable insight into the industry and I just loved how they each shared their perspectives on the episode today around saying “yes” to clients, being a part of a vendor team, making sure the day-of timeline flows smoothly and more! 

What’s in this episode:

• How Joel and Jose got into the wedding industry
• Joel’s first wedding client and how he got into weddings with the help of Jose
• Their process of working together for weddings
• How they got to where they are in their businesses
• Their experience in shooting high profile weddings
• How mastering a specific skill can set you apart
• Why Jose believes in always saying “yes” to requests
• What they look for when working with wedding planners
• Their advice about being a team player as a vendor
• Tips for ensuring the day-of timeline goes smoothly 

About Joel:
Joel Serrato’s artistry in wedding photography is built upon a strong foundation of capturing pure moments of emotion, innocence, laughter and love. This gorgeous tapestry called life grows with each couple’s journey, which he captures exquisitely on film, time and again.

Specializing in huge, complex weddings—“the bigger the better”—and seeking clients who are crazy in love and aren’t afraid to cry, the Harper’s Bazaar published photographer’s nuptials of note include Pat Benatar, Tamera Mowry, Elle Fowler and Adam Housley, to name just a few.

“I give my all to my clients. When I’m shooting your wedding, I’m in one thousand percent.”

Connect with Joel:
Website | Instagram 

About Jose:
People often ask me how I developed my style, and how I create images that stand out in today’s highly competitive wedding market. Well, I am a fine art wedding photographer. My approach applies fine art photography to the living, breathing, fast-moving phenomenon that is a wedding. For me, it is all about making something beautiful. Ultimately, my goal is to craft vibrant, energetic, fine art images that are as unique as the people in the photographs.

I’m humbled to say that I have been published in many magazines around the world including, Martha Stewart Weddings,Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Vogue Mexico, Vogue Bride Australia, Vogue Bride Japan, Geraldine Magazine, C Weddings, Flutter, The Knot, Instyle Weddings, Inside Weddings, BRIDES, Pacific Weddings, Cosmo Bride, PDN, American Photo, and many more around the world.

Named one the the top Wedding Photographers by Martha Stewart Weddings, Harpers Bazaar, Style Me Pretty, and Vogue; one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world by American Photo Magazine, and one of the most influential photographers of our decade by PDN.

Connect with Jose:
Website | Instagram 

This episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by Your Legal BFF. One important part of your wedding planning business is having professionally drafted contracts that protect you and your business while helping clients feel secure about investing in you. Going to a lawyer can be intimidating and expensive, that’s why we’re proud partners of Your Legal BFF, your go-to legal bestie. They offer customizable contract templates specifically for the wedding industry. Head to yourlegalbff.com and use the code: Plannerlife to save 15% off your choice of select templates. 

Links mentioned:
Jose’s Presets

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today I am talking to Arizona based wedding planner, Jennifer Thye. Jenni started her career in the wedding industry after needing a change from her job as a teacher. In this episode, we talk about how she fell into wedding planning and some of the mindset shifts she had to make when starting out. She shares some big takeaways on setting your prices and knowing your numbers. Jennifer gives insight into how she ended up hiring a former client and why she eventually brought her on as a business partner. You’ll hear tips on making your financial goals, her advice for starting out in this industry and so much more! 

What’s in this episode:

• How Jenni decided she wanted to leave her career as a teacher
• What led her to the decision to become a wedding planner
• Mindset shifts she had to overcome when starting out
• The learning process of selling herself and planning services to clients 
• How she decided to bring on a business partner and the process she went through
• The positives and drawbacks of partnerships
• What Jenni does to make sure her business remains profitable
• Pivotal conversations with a past client and a competitor that led her to change her pricing and structure
• How they determine if they’re hitting their financial goals
• Her advice for figuring out your business finances
• Their busiest time of the year for their business
• Her advice for someone just starting out

About Jenni:Jenni is known not only for her high-touch, interactive customer service and her wedding design expertise but also for being incredibly down-to-earth. Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair, Jenni is happy to sit and chat - just like you’ve been friends forever. This proud Arizona native earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree at local Arizona universities. She enjoys traveling and sharing her wealth of event planning knowledge at conventions and other events throughout the country. When Jenni isn’t working, she looks forward to playing with her kids, reading historical fiction, or even cozying up on the couch for a movie on those rare rainy Arizona days.

Connect with Jenni and Imoni Events:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Today’s episode of the Planner Life Podcast is brought to you by SourcedCo. You wear a lot of hats as a wedding planner. When it comes to building your business, sometimes you have to choose between helping your couples and marketing your business. The ladies at SourcedCo help so you don’t have to make that decision. Each month they design, style and shoot a new gallery of images and videos you need to step up your marketing in less time. Head to SourcedCo.com to learn more about their stock photos. Use code: Plannerlife for 15% off your purchase in the shop or your first three months of your subscription. 

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! If you’ve been looking for a little inspiration for building your business then you’re in for a treat! This episode is jam-packed with great advice from florist and educator for creative entrepreneurs, Janelle Thomson. Janelle dives into how she got her start in the wedding industry and how she started Lavenders Floral after someone took a chance on her and gave her a big opportunity to take over their existing floral business. In this episode, she talks about that journey and how she went from being a yes woman to learning when she should say “no”. She shares so much wisdom on collaborating with other industry professionals, knowing your numbers and what specific things in her business helped to drive her business to success. 

What’s in this episode:

• How Janelle got into the wedding industry
• How her study abroad experience brought her more clarity on her life
• The opportunity she got to start her own business
• Janelle’s transition to becoming a business owner
• The aha-moment that taught her to say “no”
• Her thoughts on making the time and effort to figure out solutions to problems
• Her experience with collaborative styled shoots
• How knowing your numbers is essential for your business
• Specific things she did that she attributes to her success
• What brought her to the point of hiring a financial advisor
• Why they’re launching a sister company for their floral company
• What’s coming next for her business

About Janelle:
Janelle Nicole Thomson is a California-based florist and educator for creative entrepreneurs. She is highly sought after for her creative direction and is widely published for her thoughtful and transformative wedding installations, editorials and focused work-ethic. Working in tandem with her luxury textile company, Tono + co., her work has been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, Style Me Pretty, Magnolia Rouge Magazine and Utterly Engaged Magazine.

Connect with Janelle:
Lavenders Floral | Instagram | Facebook

Tono + co | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Links:
Stretch: Unlock the Power of Less -and Achieve More Than You Ever Imagined

What the Heck Is EOS?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS

Color Confidence Course

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook. 

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today I have brought on award-winning boutique wedding planner, Margaux Fraise of Harmony Creative Studios. Margaux is based in Los Angeles and has a really interesting story of overcoming a huge challenge. A few years into her business, she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. She tells us about what it was like going through this and the biggest lessons she learned while navigating through it. We talk about the importance of community, getting your legal contracts in order and why you need to set up processes for your business if you want to grow. 

What’s in this episode:

• How Margaux got into wedding planning
• Margaux’s experience with being diagnosed with cancer and how this affected her personally and professionally
• How she pushed through a challenging time
• What she learned from going through cancer
• Why you need a solid community
• What made her gravitate toward weddings
• Why you need to have a properly drafted contract 
• The backend processes she’s set up in her business

About Margaux:
Hi there! I'm Margaux, and I started Harmony Creative Studio in 2011. Couples are always telling me how calm yet 'in charge' I seem on wedding days - and that is music to this Type 'A' personality! If there is one word that I love above any other - it's 'Harmony', so I went ahead and put it right in our name. I really think Gandhi had it right when he said "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." We strive for that everyday. 

Truth be told - I wasn't always a wedding planner. Working from a retail consulting background gives me a unique perspective on events: I know how people instinctively tend to move through spaces, and how they respond to different signs or prompts. I'm more aware of how guests interact with objects or touch and feel things, or why people respond to different textures and textiles. I've studied how language, colors and even shapes affect how people perceive design and value. I use all these tools plus my 10 years in the wedding industry to help build our events to be the best possible version of whatever you have in mind. 

I live in Santa Monica with my husband Chad and adorable terrier mix Clarence. I'm a SoCal girl born and raised, having lived just about everywhere from Santa Barbara to Temecula.

Connect with Margaux:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Today’s sponsor for the Planner Life Podcast is Honeybook. Honeybook and LVL go way back, and that’s because we were one of their first beta users. Honeybook is an online business management tool that organizes client communication, bookings, contracts, invoices and so much more - all in one place. They’re offering listeners of the Planner Life Podcast 50% off your first year. That’s a savings of $200 when you visit http://share.honeybook.com/lvlacademy. Membership options are flexible and this promotion applies whether you pay monthly or annually so simplify your to-do list and stay in control with Honeybook. 

Links mentioned:
The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth

Your Legal BFF

Honeybook

Basecamp

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It

Evaluation Guide

Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! It seems like anyone and everyone is becoming a wedding planner by just launching an Instagram and getting started. But building a successful wedding planning business isn’t that easy. Do you want to be profitable? Do you want this to be a sustainable business? Do you want this to be your full-time career? If so, you really want to go back to the fundamentals of having things in place like a website, business license, insurance - all of the things you need to run a professional business. In this episode, you’ll hear what you need to have in place to start your wedding planning business and our tips for getting started on the right path. 

What’s in this episode:

• Why it’s important to set up your business properly
• How Heather got started with her wedding business
• Lindsey’s story of how she got into wedding planning
• Tips on finding your first clients
• Why you shouldn’t refer everyone
• How you can get experience in the industry and why you should get into the hospitality industry if you can’t find work with an existing planner
• How to build a network of vendors
• Why Lindsey believes in taking a leadership role
• How you can leverage social media to share your expertise and show your personality
• The 3 ways to show how you’re different from other planners

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.

Hey planners! Today we have a special episode for you where we took a deep dive into what our workshop was like this year. We just recently wrapped up our 10th in-person workshop and in this episode, we shared our takeaways and chatted about the roles that we have for the event, how we pivoted it during COVID and what students learn at our workshops. You’ll hear the feedback we’ve gotten from planners who attended, the number one takeaway of the event for planners and a few of our favorite moments from the workshop!

What’s in this episode:

• Their thoughts on how they felt about the workshop happening this year
• What their roles are for the workshop
• The format they did to host a COVID friendly event
• What they teach students during the workshop
• The feedback they’ve gotten from students who attended 
• The number one takeaway that planners get from the workshop
• Special moments that happened during the workshop

Can’t wait to hear more? Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you can be the first to know when we release a new episode! Get to know us even more by following along with us on Instagram @lindsaylongacre and @heatherhoesch. We’d love for you to visit us online on our website. Ready to uplevel your wedding planning business? We have so many resources and goodies available for you at The Planner Life Academy.