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218 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses JOHN EMMANUEL – Australia’s Premier Floral Designer

218 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses JOHN EMMANUEL – Australia’s Premier Floral Designer

In this episode of The Next Level, Andy welcomes back Sean Low. 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.

John Emmanuel is the premier floral designer out of Sydney, Australia. He is best known for creating exquisite grand scale floral installations, and whatever he creates has a stunning element of luxury. A known leader in his market, John has worked alongside many high profile Australian wedding planners in continuous collaboration to some of Sydney’s most luxurious events. He also hosts “The John Emmanuel Luxury Wedding Masterclass.”

Listen in as Andy and Sean discuss John’s insight on being uncomfortable and how that keeps you from becoming complacent. They talk about how staying on brand is more important than losing clients and how being passionate about what you do is essential, but ultimately it is about making money.  John believes that when posting pictures of an event on social media, they need to be exquisite to showcase the finished product.

They talk about John’s comment about the rush of and how once you get it going, the importance of slowing down and really connecting creatively with your clients and how that allows you to know on a deeper level what they want the outcome to be.

It is always great to listen to Andy and Sean discuss icons of the industry, and this one is no exception. Listen as they chat about the brightest nuggets in John’s interview and give their insights and comments.

217 JOHN EMMANUEL – Australia’s Premier Floral Designer

217 JOHN EMMANUEL – Australia’s Premier Floral Designer

In today’s episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy is excited to welcome John Emmanuel. John is the premier floral designer out of Sydney, Australia. He is best known for creating exquisite grand scale floral installations, and whatever he creates has a stunning element of luxury. A known leader in his market, John has worked alongside many high profile Australian wedding planners in continuous collaboration with some of Sydney’s most luxurious events. He also hosts “The John Emmanuel Luxury Wedding Masterclass.”

John takes us on a journey of his childhood, the tragedy of losing his mother at age three, and working at his grandma and aunt’s floral shop at thirteen. He speaks about going to trade school on an apprenticeship at the age of fifteen to learn the floral business and why he has such a strong passion for weddings. He has a strong drive to succeed and he believes he got that from wanting more for himself and his children.

Listen in as John discusses how he felt when he sold the retail part of his business to concentrate on the wedding event side. They chat about his personal signature and how he defines it, the procedure he goes through from start to finish with a client, and why the reception flowers are the most critical part of the wedding for him.

Have you heard about John’s new line of luxury silk flowers? He says that they have been very well received and allow people, who wouldn’t be able to afford fresh flowers, to have the wedding of their dreams. John also describes his masterclass and what he will be teaching to the attendees.

The passion that John has for what he does is contagious. You feel this intense desire to go straight to his website and see his amazing floral design images. Look him up and then listen to this episode, you will be glad you did!

218 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses JOHN EMMANUEL – Australia’s Premier Floral Designer

216 THE NEXT LEVEL: SEAN LOW discusses CLANE GESSEL/Photographer: Capturing The Essence of Clients And Creating Fine Art

Andy welcomes Sean Low to this episode of The Next Level. Sean’s company, The Business of Being Creative, focuses on providing practical advice to those in the business of being creative. His client list includes the whos who of the wedding industry and design community.

Clane is an award-winning international photographer. His images have been featured in dozens of magazines, including PDM, National Geographic and Smithsonian. And he was inducted into all of the National Geographic Fine Art Galleries across the world!

Sean and Andy talk about Clane’s vulnerability, his perspective on people living the life they allow themselves to live, and why he believes that we should try to live in the moment. They speak about what Clane told us about his upbringing, leaving the Mormon church to be able to live the life he wanted and the hardships that came from it.

Listen in as they discuss and bring their insights into some of the fantastic things that Clane said in the interview. How he captures the essence of a client’s wedding in “one shot,” the way he picks his clients and how he gambles when he thinks he can get the perfect unexpected photo.

There are so many fantastic details about Clane’s insights that you won’t want to miss this episode. The conversations between Andy and Sean are always entertaining, so put your feet up and live in the moment!

215 CLANE GESSEL/Photographer: Capturing The Essence of Clients And Creating Fine Art

215 CLANE GESSEL/Photographer: Capturing The Essence of Clients And Creating Fine Art

Andy is excited to welcome Clane Gessel to this episode of The Wedding Biz. Clane is an award-winning international photographer. His images have been featured in dozens of magazines, including PDM, National Geographic and Smithsonian. He was also inducted into all of the National Geographic Fine Art Galleries across the world!

Clane speaks about growing up in a Mormon family in Seattle, where he got the inspiration to get into photography. He also talks about the reason he lived in his car during some tough times. Growing up the way he did allows him to understand vulnerability, and believes that you have to understand vulnerability to understand art. Clane feels that behind each of his iconic images is a fantastic love story.

Listen in as Clane tells us his process for picking clients to work with, how he gets the amazing unexpected shots, and how he uses the rules of the camera against it to get the pictures he wants. He describes what he means when he says he wants to capture the essence of the wedding in one photo, how he uses light to the best advantage, and why he believes that color and light are both essential tools when telling a story.

Traveling the world taking amazing photographs seems so glamorous and it is yet Clane says that success to him is just getting to do what he does with the people he respects in the industry. Being able to touch people’s lives is why he loves photography, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Being passionate about capturing just the right photo is what makes Clane the best in the world at what he does. If you want a glimpse into his genius, you don’t want to miss this episode, he lays it all out there for us, and you want to hear what he has to say.

213 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses

213 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses

Andy is speaking with Carrie Goldberg on this episode of The Next Level. Carrie is the Travel and Weddings Director at Harpers Bazaar. She oversees all things, bridal, weddings, and travel for Bazaar.com. Carrie is also responsible for content strategy and visuals for Bazaar’s digital travel and wedding verticals, and is the editor of Bazaar’s new program called Bazaar Brides.

Rime is a wonderful designer whose company is known as the “bridal house for rebel goddesses.” Greg has been running the business side of Rime’s business as her general manager for a little over a year, and they are engaged. Greg is a wonderfull photographer who was interviewed on The Wedding Biz this past October. 

Carrie and Andy speak about the edge that Rime’s designs have, the different types of brides designers face, and how sometimes planners can focus on the person writing the check and not the bride herself. They also chat about the inherent issues with business that creative people can sometimes have and the challenges that can test your partnership in business and life.

Do you use Instagram to market your business? Listen as Carrie and Andy talk about the benefits of Instagram, how it should be a part of every marketing campaign, and how your posts and direct messages should be authentic and personal. Enjoy this episode as they bring to life the thoughts and ideas of Rime and Greg.

212 RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses

212 RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses

In this episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy is speaking with Rime Arodaky & Greg Finck. Rime is a brilliant designer based in Paris. She calls her Maison the Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses, inspired by women who are unapologetically themselves. Rime has been designing wedding gowns for and considers herself part of the new generation who decided to shake up the traditional wedding codes to bring style and attitude to a very static and conventional industry. Greg has been running the business side of Rime’s business as her general manager for a little over a year and they are engaged. Greg is also a wonderful photographer who was interviewed on The Wedding Biz this past October. 

Rime tells us about growing up, knowing that she wanted to be a fashion designer. As a child, she designed gowns for her barbies and made up fashion catalogs with her designs for her mother and sister. Her father told her, when she was eighteen, that if this is what she wanted to do, she needed to pay her way through design school. So, she took a year off, worked, saved her money, and said she felt empowered by her ability to pay her own way. 

Rime discusses her first company and why she closed it, how working with other designers helped her learn the business and why she feels like she designs gowns for “rebel goddesses.” Rime talks about her ready-to-wear ceremony collection, being the first to extend it to the international market and about Megan Markle being the first celebrity to wear one of her creations.

Greg speaks about what he felt he could bring to the table for Rime’s company, how it affected his photography business and the challenges of doing both. He says the most challenging part was getting Rime’s twenty employees on board with him taking over and the changes that needed to be made.

Listen in as Rime and Greg talk about building a business, where they see themselves in five years and how they incorporate Instagram into their business every day. This is a unique conversation from both the fashion design and business sides that you won’t want to miss.

211 THE NEXT LEVEL: SHANNON LEAHY discusses ADAM SCHAEUBLE – Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience

211 THE NEXT LEVEL: SHANNON LEAHY discusses ADAM SCHAEUBLE – Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience

The Next Level welcomes Shannon Leahy to the show. Shannon is the owner of Shannon Leahy Events, based out of San Francisco and Los Angeles. She designs weddings and events worldwide and has been named one of the top wedding and event planners in the world by Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Harpers Bazaar. Shannon has also authored an online course called WED School to teach aspiring wedding professionals about the world of high-end weddings and event design.

Although Adam isn’t in the events industry, he has a lot of great ideas on how to most effectively use Instagram. He speaks about how to improve your Instagram presence, gives great tips on how to engage followers, and advice for people who conduct workshops or even just a creative way to partner with friends in the industry. He also talks about IGTV and how to use this to your advantage to gain followers.

Have you ever left a voice DM instead of just writing a message? Andy and Shannon give their insights to Adam’s thoughts on why a voice DM is better, his ways of using Instagram Live, how to use Q & A’s to engage followers, and conduct mini-summits. They also discuss the fact that posting on IGTV will significantly help you grow your audience.

Listen in as they bring out the highlights of this very informative interview. If you are as in the dark about all the ways to use Instagram as we are, you need to listen to Adam’s interview on The Wedding Biz. Take notes because he gives step-by-step instructions …you can’t miss this episode.

210 ADAM SCHAEUBLE – Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience

210 ADAM SCHAEUBLE – Using Instagram to Grow Your Audience

In this episode, Andy is speaking with Adam Schaeuble. Adam is the host of the top-ranked podcast, The Million Pound Mission, where his goal is to inspire one million pounds of healthy results. However, Andy met Adam at PodFest 2019 in Orlando, where Adam gave a dynamic presentation on expanding your Instagram presence. Since wedding and event industry professionals use Instagram more than any other social media platform, it is fascinating to have Adam on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Have you ever thought your Instagram page could do more? Listen in as Adam gives tips that event professionals can use to increase their audience on Instagram. Asking questions, an Instagram story poll, use voice messaging, and how to use an Instagram live event quiz to grow your audience. He also explains how bringing in other people to your live event can get you exposure to not only your audience but also theirs!

Adam discusses Instagram TV and how to use it to your advantage for your events, or by showing behind-the-scene videos. Learn how to use Instagram Live as a brainstorming tool and how having a unique hashtag can help put your page higher in the Instagram algorithm.

If you want to use Instagram to grow your audience, this is the episode for you! Adam gives expert advice, tips, and tricks about Instagram, Instagram TV, and Instagram Live. He is willing to share with us what he has learned, so if you are ready to grow your audience and business sit back, relax, and learn.

213 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses RIME ARODAKY & GREG FINCK – Bridal House For Rebel Goddesses

209 THE NEXT LEVEL: CARRIE GOLDBERG discusses MICAELA ERLANGER/Celebrity Stylist: Bringing Styling Into The Spotlight

The Next Level welcomes back Carrie Goldberg. Carrie is the Travel and Wedding Director at Harpers Bazaar. She oversees all things, weddings, and travel for Bazaar.com. Carrie is also responsible for content strategy and visuals for Bazaar’s digital travel and wedding verticals, and editor of Bazaar’s new program called Bazaar Brides.

Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles and is the best selling author of the book, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit. Micaela was named one of the most influential stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has styled Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Hudson, Hilary Swank, Blake Lively, and many more. She recently styled Amanda Hearst for one of the most talked-about weddings of 2019. 

Carrie discusses Micaela’s idea to have a backup dress and an emergency kit at events, the fact taht what can go wrong will go wrong, and so you always need to be prepared. Also, how important it is to manager your client’s expectations, and being the one to tell your team what should be worn at events so that you look professional and represent your brand well for future clients.

Andy and Carrie touch on a few of the best parts of the interview as they speak about Micaela, but there is so much more to hear. If you haven’t already listened to The Wedding Biz for Micaela’s conversation with Andy, you need to, and if you have, you won’t want to miss them taking it to The Next Level.

208 MICAELA ERLANGER/Celebrity Stylist: Bringing Styling Into The Spotlight

208 MICAELA ERLANGER/Celebrity Stylist: Bringing Styling Into The Spotlight

Andy is speaking with Micaela Erlanger on this episode of The Wedding Biz. Micaela is a celebrity stylist based out of New York City and Los Angeles and was named one of the most influential stylists by the Hollywood Reporter and has sustained that title for five years. Micaela has been honored with the Style Influencer Award by the Accessories Council, and she is also the Marie Claire Image Maker Award winner. She has styled numerous celebrities like Constance Wu, Lupita Nyong’o, and Jennifer Hudson, to name a few, and she recently styled Amanda Hearst for one of the most talked-about weddings of 2019. She is also the best selling author of the book, How to Accessorize: A Perfect Finish to Every Outfit.

Micaela tells us about growing up and her passion for putting together outfits to wear to school, dressing up her baby sister, and styling girls for prom. She went to college for pre-med before she decided that it wasn’t for her and changed her major to design and management. She intended to be a fashion editor and interned every summer at different publications to get exposure to the industry.

She discusses her mentor Annabel Tollman, and how she taught her all there was to know about the business from the bottom up. Micaela speaks about styling Amanda Hearst for her wedding and how she was the first bride for the new bridal styling and consulting company she launched.

Listen, as Micaela tells us what her process is when talking with a client, that you are an extension of your brand, so make sure you always dress the part and her advice to new stylists in the industry. There are so many fantastic details in this exciting episode that you don’t want to miss, so plugin and enjoy!

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