May 4 How Being Less Educated, Less Informed and Less Inspired May Save Your Wedding Business

Last year, I wrote a post on whether inspiration would ultimately be the wedding industry's downfall. I remember feeling nervous when I posted it, because let's face it, certain "movements" and hashtags have become wildly trendy among wedding pros and other creatives. I worried that, by questioning the motives of the people behind it, I'd be seen as some kind of wedding industry mean girl. as negative, as judgmental. (It wouldn't be the first time. Some people really don't like being called out.)

Still, as with most of my quasi-controversial posts on WeddingIQ, I felt the topic needed to be discussed. And I stand by what I wrote, as well as my follow-up piece on how sugarcoating the reality of business hurts wedding pros and aspiring entrepreneurs.

This post is similar, but a little more personal to me. And it's not an easy one to write, that's for sure.

Apr 22

Apr 22 WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why "Wedding Confidential" Should Make You Proud, Not Mad, Revisited

Guest Contributor

Wedding Industry, Ethics, Mindset

(Editor's Note: Our monthlong look back at WeddingIQ's most influential posts continues today, as Jennifer revisits her January 2013 article, "Why Wedding Confidential Should Make You Proud, Not Mad.")

If there's one thing I've learned in almost 20 years in the wedding industry, it's that the media will apparently never tire of not only vilifying wedding businesses, but also thinking it's original to do so. The January 2013 episode of the ABC News program 20/20, titled "Wedding Confidential," was no exception.

While the program link in my original article no longer works (evidently, ABC didn't feel the show was worth archiving anywhere - which is no big loss, trust me), my feelings on the program itself remain the same.

Apr 20

Apr 20 WeddingIQ Retrospective: Why Competition Isn't a Bad Thing, Revisited

Guest Contributor

Mindset

(Editor's Note: In Kyle's and Jennifer's May 2015 post, "Why Competition Isn't a Bad Thing," we explained how the new hot focus in the wedding industry and other creative fields, that of #communityovercompetition, was both compelling and confusing. Today, Kyle looks back at our original article and shares her current thoughts.)

I don’t know when competition became a dirty word in our industry, but it has done nothing but help me define my business, strive to create better products and services, and serve as inspiration to constantly improve my technique. When I began my business, I spent hours poring over competitors' websites and blogs to research the local market, gain an understanding of pricing structures, then work to set myself apart and create a viable (and competitive) offering to potential clients.

Apr 11

Apr 11 WeddingIQ Retrospective - It's Not the Economy, It's You, Revisited

Guest Contributor

Mindset

(Editor's Note: Throughout the month of April, we're continuing our look back at the most controversial, highly-visited and deeply personal posts ever written on WeddingIQ. On the hot seat today is Jen's post from April 2012, "It's Not the Economy, It's You.")

It's no secret that, in its early days, WeddingIQ could be a pretty rancorous place at times. (Okay, occasionally it still is.) I wrote my posts with a lot of passion, and often with a very black-and-white view of how things "should" be.

Apr 8

Apr 8 WeddingIQ Retrospective: Real Talk on Motivation, Revisited

Guest Contributor

Mindset

(Editor's Note: Today, we continue our monthlong look back at some of our most personal and popular posts of all time. Read on as Kyle reminisces about her July 2015 post, "Real Talk on Motivation: What Keeps Us Going When Life Pulls Us Down?")

When I originally wrote this post in July 2015, I felt very lost. It was five months after my mom had passed from a long struggle with cancer (among other personal and family tragedies), and despite my best effort, I was not where I wanted to be emotionally or professionally. I had the naive notion that I would immediately get back to my life right where it had left off and continue growing my business.