THE Podcast for Wedding and Events Industry Professionals
All Episodes
All Episodes
259 MICAELA ERLANGER/Celebrity Stylist: Wedding Gowns And Fashion Design During The Pandemic
“Bridal is inherently timeless.” Listen as Andy and his guest Micaela Erlanger discuss what she means by this and how the pandemic has affected timelines for the production of bridal gowns. Micaela also shares why she believes that designers will see a rise in demand for wedding dresses for the fall and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles. She was named one of the most powerful stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has sustained the title for five years. Honored with the Style Influencer Award by the Council, Micaela is also a Marie Claire Image Maker Award winner. She has styled Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong’o, Common, Jennifer Hudson, and Hilary Swank, to name a few.
Listen as Micaela shares the disappointment she felt when she had to postpone her own wedding and how she is supporting the brides she styles with her unique insight. Micaela also discusses the trends she sees emerging during the pandemic and how ready-to-wear collections are getting more popular.
Micaela gives some advice for planners around preparing their brides for delays in wedding gowns and to not be afraid of Zoom fittings because, as a stylist to the stars, she was doing them before the pandemic. Micaela also speaks about her Live Instagram series.
Listen to Micaela’s insights into this whole situation that has affected so many brides. She shares the bright side of postponing her wedding. She knows it will happen and it will be just as beautiful as she originally planned, if not better.
258 MEGHAN ELY: PR, Getting Published And More!
“Advertising says hey I’m great, PR is when somebody else says you are great.” Listen as Andy and his guest Meghan Ely discuss what this means and how important it is to have the recognition if you are interested in being published. Meghan shares a simple formula that can help you get your name recognized with the media as an expert in your field.
Meghan is the owner of OFD Consulting, an award-winning publicity agency that focuses on the wedding industry and the B2B market. Their client portfolio ranges from top tier planners and venues to well regarded national brands, and industry thought leaders. Meghan is a long time industry speaker and writer, a wedding wire education expert, and is a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine and others.
Listen as Meghan discusses the generational shift, a hot topic in the industry, what it looks like, and who is affected by it. She also talks about transparency with social media, letting potential clients get a sense of who you are, and how technology can free up your time and make life easier.
Andy and Meghan share their insights on setting boundaries around your time to let clients know when you are available but also when you are not. Meghan shares some final thoughts with the listeners and gives us an idea of what the OFD Collection is all about. This is a great conversation with many tidbits you won’t want to miss.
257 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses BILL BAKER, Storytelling to Persuade, Influence, and Inspire
Could you be more productive with honing your storytelling techniques? Listen as Andy and Sean Low discuss Bill’s insights into storytelling and how doing it more effectively can help you with prospective clients. Sean’s consulting firm, The Business of Being Creative, focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the who’s who of the wedding industry and design community.
Andy is announcing the official launch of his new podcast network called The Wedding Biz Network, in which Andy will produce podcasts for other people in the event industry, with Sean being its first member. Sean’s show will come out within a week or two, so be on the lookout for it because it is fantastic!
Bill Baker is a wonderful consultant who says that behind every leader, brand, strategy, idea, or initiative is a story. Bill teaches us how to make those stories strategic and have ideas come to life. Bringing people together with a story is an art, and Bill is the artist.
Listen as Andy and Sean speak about Bill’s definition of storytelling, how to define the pillars of your brand through storytelling, and the importance of emotion to bring humanity to the story. They discuss how to bring stories to presentations to set the stage and get the audience more involved in what you are sharing with them.
If you didn’t realize how vital storytelling could be, you need to listen to Bill’s interview on The Wedding Biz then listen to Andy and Sean break down some nuggets of greatness that Bill shared.
256 BILL BAKER: Storytelling to Persuade, Influence and Inspire
When you hear a story, does it engage your brain? Listen as Andy and his guest Bill Baker discuss how to use storytelling in your communication to persuade, influence, and inspire people and the importance of making sure that your team, creative partners, and clients are clear on the story of your brand and mission.
Behind every leader, brand, strategy, or idea, there’s a story, and Bill makes these stories real. Listen, as Bill shares his definition of storytelling, how to use it to bring your company’s ideas to life, and how to use storytelling to bring in prospective clients effectively.
What do you need a story to do? Listen as Bill shares why knowing this is important, and some tools that you can use to become a better storyteller. Bill also shares the building blocks of how to put a story together; he relates this to the event industry and talks about how effective this can be with potential clients.
Bill speaks about the difference between reporting information and telling a story, and how pulling a story from your own experience is an effective way to bring an idea to life for a client. He also shares some ways you can use storytelling when giving presentations and suggests some questions a planner can ask a client to get a better feel for what the client wants their guests to feel and say about the event.
Telling a story is what planners do when they produce events, and even though it is part of our everyday lives, Bill sheds fresh light on ways to use it more effectively. You will walk away from this conversation with a new purpose for showing your clients what you envision instead of telling them.
255 THE NEXT LEVEL: JULIE NOVACK discusses STEVE KEMBLE, America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru
Andy has Julie Novack as his guest co-host today on The Next Level. Listen as they speak about Steve Kemble, who is known as “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru,” and how he brings his unique perspective to the events he plans. Julie is the CEO and Co-Founder of PartySlate. PartySlate is a photo-rich website where leading event professionals share their work, build their brand, and drive leads.
Steve has been the magic behind countless corporate events, weddings, and other ventures for over two decades. He is also one of the industry’s most visible, vocal, and unique personalities. Steve has appeared on numerous TV and Radio programs, and has received over 25 industry accolades.
Andy and Julie discuss how having a PR and Advertising degree helped Steve grow his business and why now is the time to reinvent yourself and your company. They also speak about the importance of getting your creative partners and team members on the same page, when planning an event, and how critical communication is with everyone.
Is your company diversified? Listen as they share Steve’s insight into having diversification and how important it is to expand into different areas of your industry so that if one area is slow, you can use the others to keep the company running.
Steve is one of those brilliant planners that you can discuss for hours and never get enough of, but Andy and Julie dive in and pull out the golden nuggets from his interview. Get on Julie’s mailing list to receive PartySlates’ regular weekly newsletter.
254 STEVE KEMBLE: America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru
How about a jungle-themed corporate event with elephant rides? Listen to Andy and his guest Steve Kemble, who is known as “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru,” as they discuss how he takes a client’s idea and creates a fabulous event. Steve shares one of his favorite corporate events and how he made the jungle theme come to life plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Steve has been the magic behind countless corporate events, weddings, and other ventures, including events for Oprah, Presidents’ Obama, Bush, and more for over two decades. Steve has been dishing out fashion disses at celebrities for over three years as a top cop for the U.S. Weekly Magazines Fashion Police. He has also appeared on ABC’s Extreme Makeover Wedding Edition, Style Network’s Whose Wedding Is It Anyway, and Married Away.
Listen as Steve shares about working with Lee Iacocca, on the Statue of Liberty project, and how he was able to launch his own company in his mid-twenties. He speaks about his process when vetting a client and the research he does to make sure he is getting the right creative partners for every event.
“We need to tell their story,” is what Steve believes when he is planning weddings. He talks to the couple together before he starts the planning process so he can get a real feel for who they are. Steve also speaks about wanting his events to be perfect and the most significant challenge he ever faced, just days before an enormous event.
Steve has received over 25 industry accolades, including being inducted into the Event Industry Hall of Fame, so when he talks about his processes for events, you need to listen. Being known as one of the most visible, vocal, and unique personalities in the industry shows that he knows how to stay relevant and successful. This very successful man will leave you with a smile.
253 THE NEXT LEVEL: JOHN EMMANUEL discusses WENDY EL-KHOURY – Wedded Wonderland & Growing an Extensive Business in 7 years
Do you have a strong brand identity? Listen, as Andy and John discuss Wendy El-Khoury, her insights into a brand identity, and how she believes it starts before the ring ever hits the hand. John is Australia’s premier floral designer, and John was on The Wedding Biz on January 13th, 2020, so check out his episode if you haven’t already.
Wendy lives in Sydney, Australia, and is the owner of Wedded Wonderland, which gives its followers exclusive on-trend and immediate access to the latest celebrity news, wedding advice, beauty tips, and lifestyle inspiration. Wedded Wonderland allows the audience to engage with creative suppliers, knowledgeable experts, and influential bloggers who set trends and create the benchmark for the bride and wedding community.
Listen as Andy and John speak about Wendy’s belief in brand identity and how she believes it starts before a couple even gets engaged. John shares how the pandemic has affected him and his business and how he now has people booking two years out for events because they do not know how long this pandemic will last.
They discuss Wendy’s idea of staying busy during this time, such as writing tasks down to keep yourself involved. John agrees with Wendy that a trend will be designing destination weddings at home venues and that celebrity weddings affect how brides look at their weddings. John is entertaining and insightful; don’t miss this episode of TNL.
252 WENDY EL-KHOURY: Wedded Wonderland & Growing an Extensive Business In 7 Years.
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to go to a website you already follow for celebrity news and beauty tips to plan your dream wedding? Listen to Andy and his guest, Wendy El-Khoury, as they discuss how you can do all of this on the Wedded Wonderland website. They also chat about the challenges she faces with the pandemic and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Wendy lives in Sydney, Australia, and is the owner of Wedded Wonderland, which gives its followers exclusive on-trend and immediate access to the latest celebrity news, wedding advice, beauty tips, and lifestyle inspiration. Under Wendy’s direction, Wedded Wonderland is the brides, socialites, and women’s inside guide to the transformative periods of one’s life. She is often credited with the elevation and reinvigoration of the wedding industry in Australia.
Listen, as Wendy shares how she went from managing a wedding venue to creating a substantial online business in just seven years. She tells us how she got interested in the wedding industry and why she added beauty tips and lifestyle inspiration to the website. Wendy believes that when a woman is planning her wedding, it is a transformative time in her life.
Wendy discusses how she is handling the pandemic, and what she recommends that people consider. She believes, during this downtime, set yourself a series of tasks to do each day so you are feeling productive and don’t get bored. Wendy also speaks about how she is bringing in entertainers to showcase talent to keep everyone engaged.
Wendy speaks about the online course she is launching in May and how they will run the annual conferences they have scheduled. Wendy is a very upbeat person with a lot of splendid ideas for dealing with the situation we find ourselves in right now.
251 THE NEXT LEVEL: NAYRI KALAYJIAN discusses MONTE DURHAM – Star with TLC’s Say Yes To The Dress Atlanta
Picking a wedding dress is hard, and you need an expert to make sure you look and feel your best. Listen as Andy and Nayri discuss Monte Durham, his humble upbringing, his great success as a fashion expert and TV star, and his love of being a hairstylist. Nayri Kalayjian is a wedding fashion expert with Lovella Bridal, she is also a best-selling author, celebrity stylist, and she coaches and educates with a series of fantastic online courses.
Monte is a very successful fashion expert and one of the stars of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, Atlanta, where he had been the fashion director at Bridal’s By Lori, the south’s premier bridal salon. Monte is also getting ready to launch a new reality show and open a new hair salon.
Listen, as Andy and Nayri speak about her ability to gain a bride’s trust quickly, how location sets the tone sometimes but how she feels a bride should be able to wear the dress she feels most beautiful in no matter the place. They also talk about how the front of the dress is more important than a plunging back and train when it comes to wedding photographs.
Nayri shares who she believes brides should bring with them when picking out a dress and how excited she is for every good thing that is coming Monte’s way. Nayri has known Monte for a long time and has even worked with him. Listen as she shares some things about him that you might not know.
250 MONTE DURHAM – Star with TLC’s Say Yes To The Dress Atlanta
Have you heard an excellent rag to riches story lately? Listen to Andy and his guest, Monte Durham, discuss how he went from growing up with no running water to becoming a hugely successful fashion expert and one of the stars of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress, Atlanta, where he had been the fashion director at Bridals by Lori, the south’s premier bridal salon.
Monte shares his life in small-town West Virginia, how he was bullied and how that contributed to the man he is today. He discusses going to junior college, then a fashion program that led him to dressing mannequins before he started dressing people. Monte also speaks about wanting to style hair and going to beauty school when he was thirty-two.
Listen, as Monte discusses his position at a bridal salon where he met Lori Allen, how she got him to work for her, and how she insisted that he star with her in the pilot for Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta, which had 10 seasons! Monte gives us insight into the show from the psychology involved with helping a bride find a wedding dress to dealing with the entourage and the drama they bring.
Monte also shares about the new salon he is opening up in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, and all the unique details he has researched to make sure it will be the best experience you can have when going to a salon. This is an excellent interview with a fascinating, humble, down-to-earth yet charismatic industry star who you most certainly do not want to miss.
249 JORDAN KAHN- Bringing Events Alive With Music
“A lot of musicians and bands make the performance about themselves; we make our performances about our clients and their audiences.” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Jordan Kahn, with Jordan Kahn Music, discuss how important it is to know your audience and play what will resonate with everyone that attends plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Jordan and his business partner Chris have ten bands with the premier one being the Jordan Kahn Orchestra. They perform events worldwide and Jordan, as the face of the company, is known for his promotional and sales savvy. He has also performed for many of the most significant event industry showcases around.
Listen, as Jordan shares when he realized music was his path in life and what he learned at Berklee College of Music that still helps him today. He speaks about managing multiple bands once he graduated and how much he loves singing, seeing the audience’s reaction, and getting people on the dance floor. Jordan also shares why he brought on a behind-the-scenes partner.
Jordan gives details on what working in a foreign country is like, he talks about his friend Chris and why they became partners and some conflicts they had when they first started working together. He also chats about where he sees music going in the events world and where Jordan Kahn Music Company will be in the next few years.
Jordan and Andy speak the same language and give us their insight into music and events that we might not get to hear otherwise. This one of those great conversations that you don’t want to miss.
248 SEAN LOW – Your Voice Matters
In this stand-alone episode of TNL, Andy and his guest, Sean Low, discuss how the pandemic is affecting the event industry and much more. Sean is the owner of The Business of Being Creative, which focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the who’s who of the wedding industry and design community. Sean was on The Wedding Biz in February of 2018, so check out that episode if you haven’t already.
Listen as Sean speaks about the constraints the pandemic is putting on everyone, the issues people in the event industry are struggling with, and how to do a hard reset during this time of forced separation. Sean also shares about a business exercise he does that allows people to redefine their businesses.
Sean believes that at the end of the day, your voice matters. No one needs what you offer; they want it. Your job is to make them need it. It’s not a question of if you are going to use your voice, the question is when are you going to use it. Sean shares a lot of tips and ideas to help you take advantage of this pause in time to do a re-evaluation of your business so that when this is over, you will come out stronger than you were before.
247 BRYAN RAFANELLI – Always Having a Plan B
“What would you do if you lost everyone and everything in your life and then got it all back again?” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Bryan Rafanelli, discuss this and how Bryan is handling the effects of the pandemic both personally and professionally, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Bryan is the go-to planner for some of the nation’s most exclusive and high-profile events. He has been named an innovator and Event Producer of the Year by BizBash, was one of Out Magazines One Hundred Most Compelling People, a Top 25 Trendsetter of the Year by Modern Bride, and more. Bryan was on The Wedding Biz in September of 2018. It was a fantastic episode so if you haven’t listened to it, you should.
Bryan shares how the pandemic has impacted the events he had scheduled this spring and summer and how they are getting everyone rescheduled. He speaks about talking to his clients and how he reassures them. Bryan also talks about how he communicates with his team and keeps them motivated.
Listen, as Bryan describes how his days now differ from a few months ago, his advice to people new to the industry who are scared they are going to lose their businesses and what he believes the event industry will look like once the country reopens. Andy and Bryan have a great conversation that is both uplifting and real, so sit back and enjoy.
246 THE NEXT LEVEL: DARREN OLARSCH discusses NORMA COHEN Part 2 – Creating Positive Energy While Planning Elaborate Events
“If you don’t have lighting, you can’t see the beauty you’ve created.” Listen as Andy and Darren discuss Norma Cohen, her elaborate designs, her attention to lighting and how it affects her vision and more. Darren Olarsch founded On The Move Entertainment in 1993, an event production company that specializes in entertainment, and appeared as a guest on The Wedding Biz on July 15th, 2019.
Norma started her company, Norma Cohen Productions, nearly thirty years ago. She is a powerhouse and has planned numerous events at New York’s most iconic spaces and Europe’s most luxurious destinations. Norma believes that you have to get rid of the negative energy in your life and the company to thrive.
Listen as Darren shares how involved Norma is with her events, from lighting to wardrobe and everything in between. She even makes sure the lights and music are choreographed and work together. He says that he has seen Norma stand by the Lighting Director and verbally make changes to match what she wants to see.
Andy and Darren discuss Norma’s views on live bands versus DJ’s and how a great stage for the band can make all the difference. Darren speaks about wardrobe and how instrumental Norma was in his company having different looks from stock-looks to custom-looks depending on what the client wants.
Darren has worked many events with Norma and gives us a look into her events from the inside. Her attention to the smallest detail and the trust she has in her creative partners is unique, and it’s those qualities that make her the success she is today.
245 NORMA COHEN Part 2 – Creating Positive Energy While Planning Elaborate Events
“Growing is my daily goal, and I live every day to be better.” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Norma Cohen, discuss why she strives to grow daily, how getting rid of negative energy has helped her, some wild challenges she has been through since the last time she was on the show and what she does for fun on this episode of The Wedding Biz.
Norma started her company Norma Cohen Productions nearly thirty years ago. She has planned numerous events at New York’s most iconic spaces and Europe’s most luxurious destinations. Norma has never needed to promote herself and has never even had a business card. Her success has always been through word of mouth.
Listen in as Norma shares how she handles stress when producing elaborate events and how she handles challenges. Norma shares a story about building an event on a beach during hurricane season and how she overcame the challenges. She also describes what having three weddings in the same neighborhood at the same time looks like and how she made it all work.
Norma and Andy speak about how important music and lighting are when doing events and why she likes to use live bands. They also talk about how she finds her creative partners when she is planning and designing destination events. Norma has done it all and keeping each event different and unique is an art she has perfected.
Norma has so much to share in this Part 2 episode. So grab a drink, relax and push play.
244 THE NEXT LEVEL: LEWIS MILLER discusses SOFIA CROKOS – Connecting With Clients And The Beauty Around Her
Listen as Andy and Lewis discuss Sofia Crokos and her love of fashion and beauty. Lewis Miller is the founder of Lewis Miller Design, a floral design company based in New York City. Lewis’s clients include the world’s leading industry professionals in fashion design, photography, art direction, and architecture.
Sofia is a planner/designer based in New York City. She has also partnered with The Heritage Collection behind four exclusive private properties in Europe. She shows us her vulnerable side while explaining who she really is.
Andy and Lewis discuss who has mentored them over the years, their insight into what Sofia said about attracting who you are and what you put out and disconnecting from their businesses for a time so they can reconnect with more passion for what they do. Andy shares a story about being alone on Maui and what he found out about himself.
With all of us being instructed to shelter at home, are you taking this time to rethink your life? Lewis believes that right now is a great time to be fearless and take a chance in your business, do what you have been putting off, and don’t worry about what other people think.
243 SOFIA CROKOS – Connecting With Clients And The Beauty Around Her
“I love fashion, and I appreciate everything beautiful because I love to surround myself in beauty” Listen in as Andy and his guest, Sofia Crokos, discuss personally connecting with clients, her love of fashion, and creating beautiful events. Sofia is a planner/designer based out of New York City. She has also partnered with The Heritage Collection behind four exclusive private properties in Europe.
Sofia discusses her journey from fashion to planning, where she got her love of everything beautiful and the mentor that gave her the knowledge she needed to plan events. Sofia speaks about being a mentor herself and the joy it brings her. She tells us she lives by connection, and without a link to her clients, she wouldn’t be able to plan their weddings.
Listen as Sofia shares her process for opening the lines of communication with her clients, and why she studies the dynamics of the couple when planning a wedding. Sofia shares a story about the wedding she did for Robert Downy and the catastrophe she had to overcome with only four days until the event.
Are you a seeker and curious about life? Listen as Sofia shares her belief that you need to reinvent and keep up with what really speaks to you. Sofia talks about where she sees herself in five years and her being the U.S. Ambassador for The Heritage Collection properties in Europe.
Sofia has learned, through years of running full throttle, that you have to take time for self-care, or you will burn out. Sofia shares what she did in the year she disconnected from her business, and why she is now ready to connect again. This conversation is a joy to listen to and you don’t want to miss it.
242 DAVID STARK: Dealing With The Impact Of The Pandemic
This is a bonus episode featuring my conversation with David Stark, a renowned NYC-based event producer and designer whose team creates events worldwide for weddings, entertainment, fashion, publishing, arts, media, and for consumer product industries. We discuss his personal response to dealing with the pandemic as well as how he’s handling it with his business. David talks about what he’s learned from the experience as well as how he’s dealt with reducing the number of employees and how he keeps his current team motivated.
David also gives advice to those of us who don’t have the level of experience he has in dealing with an economic challenge. I believe we’ll all get a lot out of this special appearance with David Stark.