All Podcast Episodes

In this episode of The Wedding Biz, Andy is speaking with Robert Sherman. Robert is the owner of Washington Talent, the iconic entertainment company out of the Washington, DC area. He and his partner purchased the company over twenty years ago and have transformed it, taking it to a whole other level. Robert is passionate about what he does and is in it to bring joy not only to his clients but also to his industry partners.

Robert graduated from college with an accounting degree but later decided he wanted to go to law school, during that time he also played drums with his band Onyx. The group was doing well so they hired Washington Talent to book gigs for them. He later worked with them as their in-house counsel. At a time when DJs were all the rage, their band was creating moments for clients and interacting with both kids and adults at events. Robert began building new bands in the ’90s and, over the years, became good friends with the owners.  When they decided to sell, he bought the company and now they are more prominent than they have ever been.

Making people happy, one event at a time is their motto, and Robert wholeheartedly believes it. He says that’s what it’s all about, it’s all about the why. You have to make everyone happy to be successful in the event industry, internally and externally. Understanding event planners and knowing that your job is just one small part of their large production is why he has the reputation of being so easy to work with.

Listen in as Robert and Andy also talk about forming partnerships and how it took them over a year to commit to becoming partners with Andy’s iconic music and entertainment company, Kushner Entertainment. Trust and synergy are essential when you are thinking about taking on a business partner, and the influx of new ideas can get you re-energized. You must reinvent or die in the event industry, and that is what they have both done. 

You won’t want to miss this exciting conversation about bands, partnership, and happiness. When you listen to Robert talk, you can feel how much he loves what he does and how dedicated he is to his music. Custom-designing music for every event is paramount for him and his company, and he gives us a little insight into how he makes it all come together. 

Andy welcomes Rachel Birthistle to The Wedding Biz. Rachel is the Owner and CEO of The Lake Como Wedding Planner based in Como, Italy. In addition to her own events, she has worked with people like Lisa Vorce on Chrissy Tegan and John Legends wedding and many others. She says she is predominately a wedding planner in a destination rather than a destination wedding planner.

Rachel’s father was in the fashion industry, and from a young age, she worked in his factory doing tasks like snipping thread and packing items. She found the place fascinating and knew that being in the fashion industry was where she wanted to be. She started making her own clothes in school even though her friends thought her fashion style was a little out there!

Rachel discusses going to design college, finding a job with a large retailer in London, traveling all over the world, and her decision to stay home. She speaks about going back to college for sports therapy and starting a clinic in her home. Her life took twists and turns but eventually led her to a position with a wedding planner and, ultimately, her decision to start her own extremely successful business.

Rachel strives to make each client’s wedding an event starting when they get off the plane for their first meeting with her. With an itinerary of possible venues in hand, she begins to analyze the client’s style, how they interact with each other, and begins the design process in her head. Creating a sequence of contrasting events for her clients is what she loves most.

What is your dream? If it’s to start your own business, what are you waiting for? You will never know if you can do it until you take a leap of faith and try. Rachel is someone who did just that; she found areas that were lacking in the wedding planning industry in Lake Como, Italy, and set out to change it. This is a learning experience for anyone with a dream, so sit back and listen to this very insightful episode.