“It takes more than passion to be successful in any industry, but especially in the creative world of wedding planning.”
A writer can get writers block, an artist can lose their muse or become un-inspired to create. Our will to show up and to meet & exceed the expectations of our clients no matter how full or empty our cup is in our personal lives. The dedication that it takes to succeed in an industry where you can’t simply call in sick or lose focus, that is what set’s the successful business owners apart from others.
Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash
With so many planners starting their business on the side of another full time job or perhaps after a major career change, the idea of being a planner can feel like this unicorn dream that you are chasing and someday you will get to be a full time, real-deal planner living the dream! I do believe this isn’t a dream, it is a reality for those who want to put the work in! We could talk all day about planners who are making over six figures and have grown a large team of associate planners, branched into florals & luxury design.. in other words killing it!
However that isn’t the focus of the post, because instead I wanted to talk about the un-sexy times of feeling the burn out and the self-doubt. Then how to get past those emotions and set yourself up for a path where you can have a long & successful career in the industry as a business owner.
Set clear goals in attainable steps
Focus on education & systems to improve efficiency
Limit distractions - You have plenty of time for social media after you get those emails out!
Don’t try to be everything to everyone - find your special strength or target in your industry & get to know your ideal clients that you work well with
Be clear on boundaries with clients to avoid burnout, keep relationships with clients professional
Under promise & over deliver - this advice will never get old. You can’t succeed if your clients aren’t satisfied with the end result
Learn to not take things personally! You might have one wedding that feels stressful or that you learned a lesson the hard way but take the lesson and apply it to your next wedding without it messing with your emotions.
Of course self-care & mindset are going to play a huge role in leveling up, if you are constantly having self-limiting thoughts and not taking good care of your mind & body it will take a toll on your work. No one wants to have a wedding planner who comes across as frazzled or stressed. Clients look for confidence, so it is important to start building your inner confidence in order for that to shine in your work.
Find your tribe, good people both in and out of the industry who can help you stay accountable, connected and focused. It can be hard to relate to friends and family who work an 8-5 type job where they aren’t always feeling like they are on-call or needing to challenge themselves to keep reaching for the next level all on their own. We can create a network of people who inspire us and challenge us to keep charging forward.
The biggest take-away is that work is work! It isn’t always going to feel like a dream job, but your clients are relying on you. Set the expectation that as a business owner you will have late nights, a little extra worry here and there but a whole lot of gratitude when you look around at the business you have built from the ground up. The best things take time - you got this!
xoxo- Veronica