All Podcast Episodes

289 ABI MATESUN discusses ZAINAB ALSALIH/Carousel Events: One of Dubai’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs

by Andy Kushner | Sep 2, 2020 | 1The Next Level, Event Planners and Designers

“It’s not about how a wedding looks; it’s about how it feels.” Andy’s guest co-host today is Abi Matesun, Founder and CEO of Malekfoto Films and Malekfoto Weddings. Abi is a two time Emmy winning cinematographer, filmmaker, photographer, public speaker, and two time Telly Award winner. Listen as they discuss how Zainab honed her skill set as a child, the advantages of traveling to many countries and cultures, and much more on this episode of The Next Level.

Zainab Alsalih is the Founder and Creative Director of Carousel Events out of Dubai, one of the region’s best-known companies for event design. Zainab is also considered one of the most respected authorities on weddings in the middle east. She has been covered and quoted in countless regional and international programs and publications.

Abi discusses how traveling as a child opened Zainab to many cultures and languages, which gives her an edge in her designs. And she honed her skill by redecorating her bedroom frequently as a child.

Listen, as Abi and Andy share how Zainab sets up her office so that when she meets with clients for the first time, they get a feel for who she is and what to expect from her. Zainab believes that less is more because people don’t miss what they can’t see and luxury is a personal experience.

Abi speaks about what Zainab created for Engage!20 Dubai and shares some details about what made it breathtaking. Zainab is an amazing designer and any conversation about her is riveting, but when you add Abi Matesun to the conversation, you end up with the need to go further and find out more about both incredible creatives. Enjoy!

288 ZAINAB ALSALIH/Carousel Events: One of Dubai’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs

by Andy Kushner | Aug 31, 2020 | Event Planners and Designers

“I try always to make sure I design a wedding with the couple in mind and personalize it as much as possible.” Listen as Andy and his guest, Zainab Alsalih, discuss how she designs a wedding, why she transitioned from corporate events into weddings, her process when doing events, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Zainab is the Founder and Creative Director of Carousel Events out of Dubai, one of the region’s best-known companies for event design. Zainab is also considered one of the

most respected authorities on weddings in the middle east. She has been covered and quoted in countless regional and international programs and publications in various languages on radio, televisions, print, and online, including Harpers Bazaar, Martha Stewart, and Vogue.

Listen as Zainab shares how she got started in event planning and the transition to weddings. She speaks about how young couples today are leaning toward less traditional weddings and more towards western influences. Zainab also discusses her process from the first time she meets the client until the actual wedding.

“It’s not about how a wedding looks; it’s about how a wedding feels.” Zainab shares why this is the way she views weddings, why less is more is her main mantra, and what the definition of luxury means to her. She shares many details of major weddings she has designed and tells it with color and passion so you can visualize it as if you were there. You don’t want to miss this conversation.

We are all experiencing quite a bit of stress and other issues during this pandemic. Andy has put together a list of the top ten tips for dealing with stress, which he has compiled from interviews with icons of the wedding and event industry. If you would like a copy, go to www.theweddingbiz.com/toptips.

287 ROBERT SHERMAN discusses JOANN GREGOLI, The Godmother of Destination Weddings

by Andy Kushner | Aug 26, 2020 | 1The Next Level, Destination Events, Event Planners and Designers

Does giving back make you feel better? Listen as Andy and Robert Sherman, the President of Washington Talent, and Andy’s partner at Kushner Entertainment discuss JoAnn being the godmother of destination weddings, wanting to be an advocate for her clients and the Sewing Angles plus much more on this episode of The Next Level.

JoAnn is the owner of Elegant Occasions by JoAnn Gregoli. She has been included in Modern Bride Magazine as one of their Top Trendsetters of the year, and she was recently recognized as one of the top twenty-five most influential wedding planners in the World.

Listen as Robert and Andy share how JoAnn was a wedding crasher in her twenties because she loved love, how JoAnn took classes in every aspect of an event so she could talk to her creative partners in their language and her insights into getting to know every generation so she could market to them all in a way they would respond to.

They also discuss how JoAnn is giving back during the pandemic by sewing masks because her daughter was on the frontline with limited PPE. She got some women’s groups involved and paid for the materials out of her pocket because she says giving back makes you feel better.

If you want to be inspired to help JoAnn with shipping the masks, please go to her go fund me page at www.sewingangels.org and click on the Frontline Sewing Angles link.

286 JOANN GREGOLI – The Godmother of Destination Weddings

by Andy Kushner | Aug 24, 2020 | Destination Events, Event Planners and Designers

Andy and his guest, JoAnn Gregoli, discuss how she educated herself to speak the language of her vendor team, how she approaches destination weddings, how she approaches marketing for her services, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

JoAnn is the owner of Elegant Occasions by JoAnn Gregoli. She has been included in Modern Bride Magazine as one of their Top Trendsetters of the year and was recently recognized as one of the top twenty-five most influential wedding planners in the World. Elegant Occasions creates events that tell the story about the couple.

Listen, as JoAnn shares how she was obsessed with weddings in her twenties, the wedding she did for Rupert Murdoch’s daughter, and why she has been called the Godmother of destination weddings. JoAnn speaks about how she creates a team for destination weddings and her process for local and destination events.

JoAnn discusses her company’s business side, how she determins how to price the events she plans, and her strategy for using social media. JoAnn says to stay relevant she goes to conferences, to continue her own learning, and isn’t afraid to reinvent herself and her business.

JoAnn speaks of her grassroots effort to make sure anyone who needs a face mask has one. She started sewing masks, then reached out to some women’s groups to help her, got some of her brides got involved, and now they have shipped out over 50,000 masks at no cost. Her main focus has been providing them to homeless shelters and to battered women. They have been sewing for over seventeen weeks with no plans to stop until the pandemic is over.

JoAnn is an amazing woman. She doesn’t sit back when something needs to be done; she jumps in with both feet. She did it for brides that lost their venue during 9/11, and she is doing it now with the pandemic. This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

285 A Conversation With: CARRIE GOLDBERG

by Andy Kushner | Aug 19, 2020 | 1The Next Level, Media

Andy is happy to have Carrie Goldberg back on the show to discuss how COVID-19 has affected her personally and professionally, what she is hearing from both brides and planners, and the challenges planners have with managing their clients’ expectations, but also keeping them safe and socially distanced.

Carrie is the Digital Travel & Weddings Editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she oversees all things weddings and travel for HarpersBazaar.com. She is in charge of content, strategy, and visuals for Bazaar’s digital travel and wedding verticals and editor of their membership subscription program called Bazaar Bride.

Listen, as Carrie discusses the different ways some brides are viewing their weddings and how planners are coping with wedding guests while trying to keep them safe. Carrie believes that this pandemic has made couples ask themselves what’s really important and whether now is the right time to take a chance on a large wedding or wait until it’s safe.

She also believes that some changes, she sees now, will continue in the future because people are realizing what is important and much of it is about getting back to basics. Carrie shares advice for planners and stylists around shopping and talks about where she will be for the next few months. Carrie has great insight into what is going on in the wedding and event business during this pandemic. You don’t want to miss what she has to say.

284 A Conversation With: DAVID TUTERA

by Andy Kushner | Aug 17, 2020 | Event Planners and Designers

“You must reinvent yourself by expanding your vision and allowing yourself to do new things.” Listen as Andy and his guest David Tutera discuss his last two jobs before the pandemic put a stop to everything, what he’s doing both personally and business-wise during the shutdown, what he’s doing to adjust his business and reinvent himself, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

David’s uniquely creative talent and outstanding reputation have made him a tremendous success in the lifestyle arena, including multiple hit TV shows. His client list includes Elton John, Prince Charles, Jennifer Lopez, The Rolling Stones, Kenneth Cole, the Kennedy Center, the official post-Grammy parties, and so much more.

Listen, as David talks about the last event he did before the pandemic, how he is enjoying being home with his husband and kids and taking this downtime to reevaluate, reinvent and take the time to come up with new ideas. David shares what a typical day was like before COVID versus a typical day now and if he will keep some new routines once he can get back to work.

“Lead with personality and emotion” when speaking with potential clients, oversell yourself to impress potential clients. David believes that even though it is tempting, don’t devalue your services by reducing your prices. Stay strong and keep them where they were before the pandemic, your value hasn’t changed so why should your prices.

283 THE NEXT LEVEL: ZAINAB ALSALIH discusses ABI MATESUN, Emmy-Winning Cinematographer, Filmmaker, Photographer & Speaker

by Andy Kushner | Aug 12, 2020 | 1The Next Level, Photographers, Videographers

“Success is not about the destination, but rather the journey.” Listen as Andy and his guest, Zainab Alsalih, Founder and Managing Director of Carousel Events, a bespoke event design and wedding planning company based in Dubai, discuss the way Abi sees and photographs a wedding, his need to find the love-story with his clients and the importance of good visuals plus much more on this episode of The Next Level.

Abi is the Founder and CEO of Malekfoto Films and Malekfoto Weddings. Abi is a two-time Emmy-winning cinematographer, filmmaker, photographer, public speaker, and two time Telly Award winner. His wedding visuals have attracted over 60 million viewers around the world.

Zainab shares how attuned to his couple’s love story that Abi always is, the way he is involved through the whole process, and why knowing how the planners are designing the decor and lighting, for the event, helps give him the best visuals. They also speak about his use of storyboarding when preparing to shoot an event.

Listen, as Zainab and Andy speak about Abi’s definition of success and how he believes that it’s not just about the wedding day itself but also about the journey to the event that’s important. Abi is very dedicated to telling each couple’s love story through photographs and film. He thinks of each event like a cinematographer, with the couples as the stars and the guests as the supporting cast.

282 ABI MATESUN: Emmy-Winning Cinematographer, Filmmaker, Photographer & Speaker

by Andy Kushner | Aug 10, 2020 | Photographers, Videographers

“Everything you see in life that has impacted the world in any form or way started as a dream.” Listen as Andy and his guest Abi Matesun discuss what Abi means by this statement, why he left Nigeria, how he started in photography and the transition into film, and much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Abi is the Founder and CEO of Malekfoto Films and Malekfoto Weddings. Abi is a two time Emmy-winning cinematographer, filmmaker, photographer, public speaker, and two time Telly Award winner. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Abi studied Management and Information Systems at the University of Texas.

“Catching all the moments between the moments.” Listen as Abi tells the story of how he films weddings, and his process when he meets with the couple for the first time. He and his team then do a storyboard so they can make life easier for the wedding planner. He says they want to be like a special forces team. Their footprint is very small, but their impact is unforgettable.

Abi speaks about the story behind his documentary Inner Conflict, the love story Fire and Ice, that he filmed in Iceland, and how important the music is to his work. Abi also speaks about how he handles the business and artistic side of his business and how the pandemic is affecting him both personally and professionally.

“Success is doing better tomorrow than you did today.” Abi is so insightful and passionate about his life and his work, and the way he views his art is so different from anyone else you will ever meet. Take the time to listen to the brilliance of Abi Matesun.

281 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses ZAMEER KASSAM, Designing Fine Jewelry and Telling Love Stories

by Andy Kushner | Aug 5, 2020 | 1The Next Level

“Designing jewelry is all about family and connecting emotionally.” Listen as Andy and his guest Carrie Goldberg, the Travel and Weddings Director at Harpers Bazaar, discuss Zameer’s refugee family upbringing, his ability to create an experience when he designs jewelry, how he comes up with ideas for engagement rings and much more on this episode of The Next Level.

Zameer is the Founder and CEO of Zameer Kassam Fine Jewelry. In 2018, Zameer designed the Times Up ring worn by Ashley Judd at the Oscars and, later that year, the cast of Crazy Rich Asians wore Zameer’s designs at the global premiere in Singapore. Last year, he was commissioned to celebrate the groundbreaking movie, Black Panther, by designing the Wakanda Forever ring worn by its lead actress Lupita Nyong’o throughout the awards season.

Zameer’s passion and enthusiasm for what he does are apparent in the time he puts into his designs. Carrie talks about Zameer’s entrepreneurial spirit, how he can design an engagement ring that is so special between the two people in the relationship, and the jewelry he has designed for celebrities.

The demand for Zameer’s designs has increased since the beginning of the pandemic. His way of telling a story, with a beautiful piece of jewelry, draws people to him and is what makes his designs the perfect way to capture memories that last a lifetime. Zameer’s approach to design is unique, and the way he tells stories with those designs are one of a kind…you won’t want to miss his story.

279 THE NEXT LEVEL: MICHAEL RANTISSI discusses PHILIP CARR, Event Architect and Stylist

by Andy Kushner | Jul 29, 2020 | 1The Next Level, Event Planners and Designers

The menu for one of Philips events has to be an experience from the food perspective, the fragrance perspective, and total essence of the event. Andy welcomes Michael Rantissi to The Next Level. Michael is an award-winning chef of Kepos Street Kitchen and Kepos & Co out of Redfern, Australia.

Philip is the owner of Philip Carr and Associates out of Sydney, Australia. Philip calls himself an event architect and stylist, completely transforming ordinary spaces into multi-layer theatrical environments, and turns his clients’ fantasies into breathtaking reality.

Listen as Michael speaks about some events he has worked with Philip, why he believes that Philip is truly an event architect, what it’s like creating a menu for one of Philips events, and how they both strive to create an experience. Michael also shares his insights on why Philip likes to extend the experience as long as possible by providing something special at the end of an event.

Michael and Andy discuss combining the business and creative aspects of a business, how Michael is handling the pandemic, and what he is doing with his downtime. Michael describes his restaurants, the differences, and how they came up with the names. Positivity is key during this global crisis and listening to Michael; you can hear he has it in spades.

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