Over the years I’ve read blog posts, articles, and tweets from industry professionals (mostly planners, designers and photographers) educating clients on why they should hire specific vendors. Event Planners vs. Venue Planners, what experience means in the industry, why a wedding planner is valuable to begin with, what to look for when hiring a professional photographer. All valid arguments geared toward educating the client on why they need to a.) use our services and b.) understand why our services cost so much.

But I wonder– would your time be better spent setting up your business to target the kind of clientele that doesn’t need to be educated in the first place? You know, the client who says, “I need a wedding planner because I need someone professional to guide me,” or, “I need to hire an experienced and professional photographer whose work I really admire.”

So, my friends, I ask you– is spending all this time writing eloquent “rants” and “advice” to couples seeking your services really going to pay off in sales– or are you better off focusing your energy on the client that is already sold on your experience, validity and price point?

Because, let’s face it, most ideas don’t happen from start to finish with just one person. The lone genius is rare.

Claude Monet (admittedly my least favorite painter) was the founder of Impressionism, but the movement itself arose from a group of fellow artists. You’d be surprised to hear that this creative group was composed of Monet, Renoir, Bazille, and Alfred Sisley, later expanding to include Manet, Degas and Cezanne. The original group of four often lived and worked under the same roof, harnessing their resources, inspiring each other to take risks, and learning from each other’s mistakes.

The idea of creative groups isn’t new— writers do it, super secret Yale societies do it, and photographers do it too. What really compelled me to write this post was the ah-ha moment I had on page 135 of Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky, which you should all immediately download on your iPad. In this chapter, Scott details all the merits and rewards you can obtain with being part of a creative group that does just what the Impressionists set out to do in the late 19th century: change the world.

I had always known I was part of a diverse and rewarding creative group, but I never really KNEW the power that it had over me personally, professionally, and creatively. I’m really proud to say that I am part of an amazing creative group. My creative group is composed of business owners in the wedding industry who I consider to be visionaries. They’re all really smart, hard working, motivated people who just so happen to be creative idealists. We talk about everything from business (branding, employees, clients) to creative (projects, ideas, pie-in-the-sky-dreams, collaborations) to personal (babies, marriage, friendships, struggles, triumphs).

I started out on my journey in self employment as the lone genius, thinking that every great idea had to come from me— mostly a product from my upbringing as an only child. Art school had taught me to collaborate with people, and when an opportunity arose to do so, I was easily able to re-transition. My creative group has refined my business strategy, made my work with clients better, propelled my event design beyond what I thought I was capable of, and allowed me to lead an exceptionally rewarding career. I couldn’t have done it without my creative group. There, I said it. I’m not 100% responsible for my happiness or success. Some of the great ideas that you see out there with my name on them didn’t come from me— but from others— who planted the seed and motivated me to do something.

My creative group talks everyday by phone and email. We’re ingrained in each others lives. We don’t have any kind of formal meeting or schedule— we just exist in our individual worlds and together. But don’t use our format as an example— maybe structure and formalities will work well for your creative group in the beginning. Forming a creative group isn’t easy and I have to say, I am really lucky. Lucky to be surrounded by so much talent, enthusiasm, drive, and brilliance. My hunch is, though, that you are too. If you are not in a creative group right now, look around you. Look outside your industry if you have to. Start introducing your friends to one another— get together for dinner, lunch, cocktails, a project and see where it goes. All it takes is a little movement on your part to get the wheels spinning. The possibilities are endless!

A portion of my amazing creative group!

I’d love to hear about your creative group, what you work on together, and how you function. Are you part of a creative group?

Once we started to book events, I enlisted the trusted help of family and friends. People I could really count on. They all had experience in the service / hospitality industry, so, for “day of” help they were wonderful! Plus, they had my back (one of them was my mom!) and my best interest in mind. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been able to pull together those first seasons.

Then, my business grew to the point where yours might be now— I needed people. Lots of people. As the weddings get more elaborate, expensive, and detailed— so do the number of hands. It was a scary moment for me as a business owner when I realized I needed to start hiring people. Hiring people? What, I can’t do this all alone? I’m not sure why it didn’t dawn on me before, after all, I must receive 5-10 inquiries a week for an internship, job opportunity, or the ever exciting “can I pick your brain for an hour or so about the industry? I want to be a planner!” I did save them all, as I had been taught to in my corporate HR job.

Super interns, Diana & Amanda at our 2009 holiday party

My first experience with hiring netted in the ever amazing Diana Chouinard, so one could say that I have been not only lucky, but blessed. My first round of intern interviews was held in October of 2009 and I met with a lot of smart, interesting people. I posted about our internship online (google: internship postings for a list of sites students cruise for opportunities) and made note of it on twitter, facebook, and our blog. I also saved all the inquiries that we’d received up until that date and contacted the people who had a good resume and pitch. I looked for prospective interns who had: design / art backgrounds, event planning backgrounds, were involved in a lot of college activities, worked in the service industry, and who had taken the time to research my company. I also took note of small things: spelling, grammar, email addresses, and their facebook profile picture. All important items of consideration when you meet with someone for perspective employment.

My round of intern interviews went exceptionally well, and it was a difficult decision. Some wore passion on their sleeve, others were clearly on the fence. I trusted my gut, sat with their resumes, and reached out to the women I thought would be the best fit. I turned out to be lucky, but I believe I set the stakes and standards high. I don’t have tolerance for lateness, looking sloppy, and not being a team player. Anyone who showed up to their interview a moment late didn’t get considered— in this business, you have to be reliable and dependable. I also found responsible and dedicated people who wanted to work— whether it was at an event or doing all the leg work beforehand. They really wanted to learn.

Our interns had a good solid 5 months before the first wedding of the year— so we got to know each other, worked together, and I was able to teach them a thing or two in the meantime. It made our first event together easy and exceptional. I believe that to be key: you can’t hire someone and expect them to do a job without any standards, discussion or training. If you are lazy about the way you hire and manage staff, they in turn will be lazy about the job they do.

I also pay my interns and you should too. Why? Because the law in your state might require you to do so, and because people work harder when they get paid. It couldn’t be more simple! You know you work harder when you get paid — so why wouldn’t your interns?

Utilizing your interns and teaching them can be a challenge— you have to do what works best for your company. My interns would come in during wedding week and help out with all the preparation of items, details, and itineraries and were of course there on the day of the event. Spending time in the office is a valuable teaching tool and they should come in to coexist in your day to day operations. I often give out projects that have to do with business, which is equally as important as the job you do within it. Marketing, social networking, PR– all great jobs for your eager interns!

Last night I asked on twitter what you’d like to hear me talk about on this blog. I could write about a lot of things— but I really want to talk about things that are important to you! I received such great feedback with a lot of thoughtful questions and ideas for discussion. I plan on addressing them all! You can email— tweet— text— or call me with any ideas that you have on topics you’d like to hear explored here. Thanks for the enthusiasm!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

2010 was the year of travel for me. I traveled more this past year than any other year before. Taking a look at this map is humbling to me— and exciting all the same. I’m so proud of the incredible year I’ve had, both personally and professionally.

JANUARY: New Orleans for our New Orleans Photoshoot

MARCH: Paris with Beth Chapman and The Trenske’s for their international Taking Off Seminar

APRIL: Costa Rica for our Costa Rican Photoshoot and then Indianapolis for Eventology 2010

MAY: Watch Hill, Rhode Island for mine and Carla Ten Eyck’s workshop, Collaborate & Create 2010

AUGUST: Kennebunkport, Maine for a brief visit to scope out some locations for a client— and find some rest in between for my one year anniversary!

OCTOBER: New York on two separate occasions— once for the Trenske’s second Taking Off Seminar and then the following week for bridal market with my good friend, Beth Chapman

NOVEMBER: Costa Rica (again!) for another editorial project and to scope out locations for our clients’ upcoming event

DECEMBER: New Paltz, New York at Mohonk Mountain House to work on a special project with my friends and colleagues, Beth and Carla

At the end of 2009 there was a part of me that could have never imagined how diverse my passport would become, or how many hours I’d spend traveling to a new destination. Like most, I wrote down goals I had for 2010— one of which was to travel. My friend Beth says that when you vocalize your goals… they’ll happen without question, reservation, or hesitation. By just stating what you want, or what you want to do, your more likely to excel at achieving that goal. It’s putting your wants and needs out there in the universe. I’m a believer in this method and for whatever reason, it works.

This week I’ve taken off from the studio to focus on re-energizing after an incredible year. Part of that is writing down my goals for 2011 (which I plan to share), and revisiting some of my goals that might not have come to fruition.

Have you set goals for yourself, both professionally and personally for 2011? If so, what are they?

A few months ago we added a notation to our employee handbook regarding facebook. Whether you love it, hate it, or just don’t care about it— facebook is not going to go away. It’s use by over 400 million people and growing. For those of you with interns and staff out of college— I’m 99% certain they have a facebook page.

Have you ever considered how their facebook page will represent your business?

I know it seems like an innocent concept, but if you haven’t, you are making a big mistake.

So much of our interaction with people is digital now— from email, to twitter and facebook. Our first impressions are formed on a screen. Have you thought about the impression clients and vendors might get from your employees facebook? I have.

In our company, as soon as you begin using facebook as a networking tool by “friending” vendors, colleagues and clients, your facebook page is no longer private. It’s public. A public representation of our company. Every status update, wall post, comment exchange, like, and picture is a direct reflection on our brand. Therefore, our employees’ facebook pages are no longer their own and they need to be mindful of every piece of information published.

My policy is pretty strict: publish something that reflects poorly on Jubilee Events and you’ll be asked to remove it. Consistent disregard for our brand = termination.

What is your company’s policy on facebook and social media— and have you had a situation with an employee that was negative with regards to facebook? I’m curious to hear.

Xo!

I’m really excited to share with you a workshop put together by my talented and extremely smart friend, Saundra Hadley, an event professional who has been in the business of selling for many years. Saundra has put together a smart workshop to teach professionals like us how to sell our services to potential clients. The power of selling is something that we’re all trying to perfect. When I get into this business I didn’t realize that I’d be selling myself on a daily basis to potential clients– I just wanted to plan and design pretty events and weddings. I first heard Saundra speak at the 2009 Eventology conference and found her presentation to be the one that resonated most with me. In fact, every time I am in a sales consultation, I always utilize a technique in her presentation that affected me the most: shut the $#@& up! AKA: stop talking so much you loose the sale. It’s helped me tremendously, as I had a tendency (like most of us) to over talk in a sale and kill it by selling the milk, cow, and farm for very little profit.

Saundra will be presenting a one day intensive in Stamford, Connecticut at the gorgeously renovated Holiday Inn. It’s conveniently located right near the Stamford Train Station for all you city folk and also right off I-95. I’ll be there– will you be? Hurry, registration is filling up quick! This sales workshop is for all industry professionals: event planners, photographers, make up artists, designers… you name it! Find out more about Saundra by visiting her website. You can register for this workshop here. I hope to see you all there!

XOXO!

photography by carla ten eyck

In a conversation with my assistant we were discussing how a client’s attitude toward cost can affect their overall experience. In a consultation, when a client says to me, “you’re expensive,” or “you’re more than we budgeted for,” my response is, “Well, yes, we are certainly not the least expensive option you’ll consider.” I think that resonates with clients, and most of them then “understand” what they are purchasing.

Sometimes, though, you have a potential client who just wants the best deal. Forget about the service— they just want the lowest cost possible. If your new to the business, you might give in and lessen your service fee to gain the client. If you have a hard time of saying no, you might do the same. For whatever reason, I think we’ve all given in and said, “okay, here’s what I can do for you.”

The problem that I see with this is that the client has no value for your price or service. When a client doesn’t value your service— what’s the sense in working for them? I’ve often found that when a client undervalues your price and service, they tend to question every thing you do. There is no appreciation, value, or trust— and without that, your setting out on the wrong foot to provide a bad experience for the client.

Have you ever noticed that when a client values your price and service they trust your judgement and your experience with that client is the best that your company provides?

Have you also noticed that when a client undervalues your price, low-balls your quotes, and questions every thing you do, that they set up their experience with your company to be the exact opposite of what you want to provide?

There are always exceptions to the rule– we’ve done a lot of nice things for our clients and had a great experience with them. But the client’s we didn’t book were asking too much of us and expecting a lot for a very little.

I have a question for you: how often do you lessen the cost of your service to meet a client’s request, and has it affected the overall experience you’ve BOTH had?

xo

photography by Carla Ten Eyck

After I purchased my iMac I knew I wanted to continue with the ease that a laptop brings. I didn’t want to be too chained to my desk, and love to answer email and work on small projects from a comfortable place (i.e. bedside and near the air conditioner!). With that said, I only wanted ONE computer. After all, I switched over to apple for efficiency, and having two separate computers for business didn’t seem very efficient. Plus, I didn’t want to do any heavy work in my comfortable spots anymore. So, it was quickly apparent that a laptop/notepad wasn’t for me. So, I bought an iPad.

Here are five reasons why an iPad might be really great for your business:

1. I’m using my iPad (with free WordPress application) to write this post. Holla!

2. I have our entire image portfolio at my fingertips. Our new iPad has become a very powerful tool in consultation with a potential client. I’m able to show them a catalog of our work that they can hold at their fingertips and flip through themselves. I think this can be incredibly powerful for planners who are meeting clients in a location that is not their office / workspace.

3. I’m able to answer emails from anywhere that has wifi (like the comfort of my chaise lounge) without having to boot up a laptop. For Internet/Email usage my iPad is ideal because I work mostly from my desktop where all my hard information is stored. The iPad automatically BCC’s me to every email so I have a record of it on my main machine (just like the iPhone).

4. I can easily book clients on ShootQ (our studio management software), process their payments instantly, update their information in BaseCamp, and show consultations our PDF package files digitally without having to print them (which I especially love not only for environmental reasons but also practical and financial).

5. The applications make my life easier…. For either work, or play (because it isn’t always about business, right?)

I’m interested in those of you who have an iPad– what do you find most useful about it?

The day I went to go buy my mac (and I have to be honest, it was really on a whim) was the second time I had been in a Mac store. The first time was about two weeks prior with a group of friends. Had I visited a mac store before this date, it’s likely I would have made the conversion long ago. I realized an important difference in the mac vs. PC experience just as a customer browsing in the store: the focus was on me—the customer. I had the worst experience buying my PC from Dell three years ago. They got the order wrong, took 1 ½ months to build my computer, didn’t deliver it to the correct address—so this was an entirely new experience for me! Customer service + instant gratification? Hallelujah!

As I began to develop a repertoire with my sales person, Matt, we examined the iMac and discussed the benefits. I asked the smart questions: Will I be able to use excel? Will I be able to transfer all my emails from outlook? Would I miss my start button? Where’s the computer tower on this thing?

Matt answered my questions—and many more. I was sold. But as we began to purchase my new iMac and accompanying accessories, I realized another huge difference between the PC and mac—I could bring my computer down to my local apple store and get on site training on how to use it. Seriously? You mean I won’t have to talk to someone in Dispur, India for technical support???? I wouldn’t have to open up my computer with a screwdriver and try to fix it myself, as Dell has made me do countless times before? Holla!

My experience in the mac store ended with a quick zip of the credit card on Matt’s iPhone and then the offer to carry my 27” iMac to my car. As I exited I received a round of applause from everyone in the store for having made the switch. True story.

Why did I reach my breaking point? What made me switch? Well, a little guidance from some friends who are also in the industry—but in all honesty—I needed a computer system that could make me more efficient. My laptop had reached the end of its life and I knew I had to invest in a desktop sooner or later. I didn’t like running my business on a laptop anymore either. It didn’t feel reliable to me—not as reliable as a desktop. I probably first realized that when the battery overheated the computer so bad it forced itself to shut down—but also burnt my leg. Plus, the laptop afforded me too much flexibility and I found myself not really working on it. Yeah, I’d answer emails in front of Tuesday’s Dr. Phil episode on the chaise lounge, but I wasn’t really working.

I found myself wasting a lot of time trying to sync my PC with my iphone, never having necessary calendar information with me to add an appointment or check my schedule. They were working against each other and not with one another. My friend Rob Trenske gave me a brief lesson on a mac a few days before my purchase and described to me the benefits—operating system without errors, no viruses, intuitive design, efficiency in workflow, additional application accessories that would sync with my iphone (and now, my ipad)… the list went on. But Rob assured me that the computer would work smarter for me, in turn, making me work smarter. I trusted Rob because he is a really smart guy. And that’s what I needed. Plus, the iMac was shiny and pretty with pretty graphics. So yeah, I also wanted it because it would look prettier sitting on my desk. I’m not afraid to admit it!

So now I am roughly 75% comfortable with my new computer. It’s taken a lot of getting use to—I won’t lie. Mostly because everything is backwards on a mac, so it’s relearning everything down to exiting out of a program (.. or application ?). Do I love it? Yes. Do I recommend you make the switch? Yes—but when you are ready of course. And not in between 3 huge events and a workshop!

Some of the things I love about my new mac:

• MobileMe. This allows me to sync all of my apple hardware—iMac, iPhone, iPad, etc with MobileMe. And boy, do I LOVE MobileMe! The calendar and contact sync is incredible. For those of you who don’t know—whenever you update anything in your calendar, be it your iCal on your computer or on your iphone or iPad, it instantly updates all your other calendars to reflect the change. No more entering it into your computer and then syncing your iphone with the computer—or worse, entering it into your phone by hand. Not only that, but it automatically syncs my contacts. So when I am on the go, I always have people’s information. And for us wedding planners that is REALLY important! I can also share big files with MobileMe, which has really freed up a lot of time. Instead of uploading it to yousendit or an equivalent service, I just drag and drop it from the location on my iMac to the iDisk icon on my desktop. DONE.
• The Dock at the bottom of my screen. I thought I’d miss my start button. Truth is, I don’t. I can easily pull up an application that I want to use on my dock and keep going. No more Start >> Programs >> Adobe >> Photoshop. You don’t realize how much time you waste doing the simplest of tasks until you are shown an easier way to do things!
• Applications. I love that I can download one of my favorite iphone applications, evernote, right onto my iMac as a fully functioning program. Same goes for a variety of other programs that I use!
• Drag ‘n Drop. If I like a picture on a website. I just drag and drop it onto my desktop. It’s saved.
• Multiple Calendar Feature. My iCal allows me to have multiple color-coded calendars for myself, the Jubilee Events team, and whatever else I like. I am especially enjoying my “personal calendar” where I get to input things for myself to do outside of work!
• Preview. Simply put, I can preview a file or a bunch of files before opening them. So much nicer when going through pictures!
• Microsoft Office. I am able to run excel, word, and power point on my iMac, which helps me to keep file compatibility with PC users. Even still, I do have the mac equivalent programs pages, numbers and keynote which all open and save files in word, excel and power point extensions.

If you are a PC user in the market for a new system I really recommend doing some research on apple’s products. It isn’t going to be for everyone, but I can guarantee most of you will really appreciate the difference between the PC vs. mac. The price isn’t all that different and in some cases, it’s cheaper (my laptop cost $1500 MORE than my iMac three years ago!!). Don’t be fooled (as I once was) that Mac’s are ONLY for creative photography people who do high quality graphic design and art renderings. You can run a small business on a mac, no matter what industry you are in. The only downside is some industry specific software may not run properly on a mac—so do your research first to make sure that any imperative programs you use daily are compatible.

Next up… why you need an iPad!

xoxo

Collaborate & Create Workshop from Jim Altieri on Vimeo.

Carla Ten Eyck and I put together a workshop last week at the world renowned Ocean House called Collaborate and Create. Our friend, Jim Altieri, dropped in to film a little bit of our second day. The results? Awesome. Thanks Jim! Full recap coming soon, but for now, enjoy this video!

xo

On behalf of Carla Ten Eyck and myself, we want to take the opportunity to thank all our amazing vendors who contributed to this project!

The Ocean House of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, The White Dress by the Shore, Modern Trousseau, Datura: A Modern Garden, Just for You Floral Design, Dana Bartone & Company, Toria Dolce Cakes, Rentals Unlimited, Coral Pheasant, Stonington Design + Paperie, Lens Pro 2 go and SEVERAL more we can’t wait to tell you about!!!