Pros Share What Really Helped Them Achieve Their Goals

Somewhere between your third venue walkthrough of the week and the string of "just checking in!" emails, goal setting probably isn't top of mind. When you're knee-deep in wedding season, it's hard to think past the weekend's timeline, let alone where you want your business to be by December.

However, the end of the year has a way of sneaking up on all of us, and right now is the perfect moment to check in. There's still enough runway to make progress, but enough of the year behind you to see what's working and what needs to shift.

We asked wedding pros who've moved the needle on their goals what helped them get there. Here's what they had to say.

Chatting with other industry pros

There's something about talking to someone who gets it that no amount of Googling can replace. Other wedding pros know the pressure of a big wedding and the particular joy and stress of managing someone's most emotional day.

Ian Ramirez, Co-Owner of Madera Estates, shares, “Owning a business can be isolating, and it's easy to get stuck working in the business instead of on it. Having other entrepreneurs to brainstorm with, celebrate wins alongside, and work through challenges with has helped me stay focused on my goals and continue growing both personally and professionally.”

When you talk shop with people who live in your world, you get advice that's usable rather than generic business tips that don't account for the realities of this industry.

Brian Franklin, Co-Founder of Vows & Speeches, confirms, adding, “Every person I talk to has a story that involved similar goals and similar obstacles. As you hear the different approaches each one has, you understand the various options and can decide if there's someone or a particular approach you want to model or deploy.”

It's also just good for your head. Building relationships with other pros, whether through a local networking group or an online community, gives you a sounding board when you're stuck and a cheering section when things go well.

Learning how best to manage your time

Time management sounds like an obvious answer until you sit down and figure out where your hours are going. Mapping out your own rhythm makes a bigger difference than any productivity app ever will.

“We are often so busy, and days become consumed with tasks, staff needs, and new leads,” reminds Michael Thomas, Owner of John Michael Catering and Weddings. “Be sure to manage your time wisely and block time to accomplish your goals. I often attack goals first, then in the AM, and then open my emails and start my day. Staff knows in the AM I am on do not disturb mode.”

The other piece of this is being honest about how much time your goals require. It's easy to say you want to grow your business, but if every hour of your week is spoken for, something has to give. Learning to manage your time well is about making sure the tasks tied to your goals don't keep losing to whatever’s loudest that day.

Not making decisions based on popularity

We’ve all been tempted to chase what's working for everyone else. If a certain style, platform, or business model seems to be the thing right now, you might wonder if you should pivot too.

Michele Schwartz, VTA, CTA, CEO, Chief Experience Officer at Jet Setting with Me, reveals, “The moment I decided to stop compromising my values to stay 'popular' within a certain professional association I was a member of, everything else fell into place. Clarity about who you are and what you stand for feels better. When you feel better about yourself, your business reflects the same integrity.”

Remember: building a business around what's trending, rather than what's true to you, is a fast way to end up successful on paper and unfulfilled in practice.

Kristin Hubbard, CEO of Our DJ Rocks, echoes, “It’s easy to chase revenue, awards, growth, or someone else’s version of success that you see on social media without asking whether you’re building a business that actually supports the life you want. If you’re not intentional, you may end up building yourself a prison instead of the freedom you were hoping entrepreneurship would give you.”

The pros who reach their goals tend to be the ones who can tune out the noise and stay anchored to their own vision. Your goals are yours for a reason, and sticking to them, even when it seems like you're going against the grain, is exactly what gets you there.

Practicing patience

Big goals rarely happen on the timeline we want, and that gap between ambition and reality is where many business owners talk themselves into rushed decisions. Maybe that's saying yes to a partnership that doesn't quite fit or raising prices too fast without the systems to back it up.

“Patience,” emphasizes Meaghan Cody, Owner/Planner at Sweet Pea Events. “Owning a business in the wedding industry can sometimes feel overwhelming and daunting, but patience and persistence when achieving these goals will always get you where you want to be!”

Wait for the right hire instead of the fast one, or wait to launch a new offering until it's actually ready. Neither of those things is exciting in the moment, but it tends to be the difference between building something sustainable and constantly starting over.

Working backward from your goals

A goal without a plan is just a nice thought. Working backward means taking that big-picture goal and figuring out the smaller steps that will get you there.

Julian Ribinik, Creative Director at Julian Ribinik Studios, outlines, “Pick one specific, clearly defined goal and build backward from it. When I wanted to be in the New York Times, I did not pursue it by pitching editors cold. I focused entirely on the quality of the work and on building relationships with people who were already getting that caliber of press. The placement came eventually, and it came organically because the foundation was already there.”

This approach also makes big goals less overwhelming. Instead of staring at a massive number or milestone and not knowing where to start, you get a roadmap with checkpoints along the way.

Outsourcing when you need help

As entrepreneurs, we wear a lot of hats. But trying to be the photographer, bookkeeper, social media manager, and client concierge all at once can cost you the time and energy you need for work that grows your business.

“Ask for help,” encourages Kelly Hornberger, Owner of Kelly Hornberger Photography. “And be willing to pay whatever you can to get the help you need. Learn to be openhanded with your business so it can bloom and grow.”

Outsourcing can start small: a virtual assistant for a few hours a week, a bookkeeper during tax season, an editor to take some of the post-production load off your plate. The goal is to free yourself up for the parts of the business only you can do, and to let go of the parts that keep you busy.

Allocating budget for growth

Growth spending might seem optional, especially when there are always other costs competing for that money. Yet investing in yourself, whether through a course, coach, or just better tools, pays for itself many times over.

Tabitha Roberts, Event Planner at Roberts & Co. Events, highlights, “Allocating business budget to funnel back into the growth of my business that is outside of the realm of advertising or specifically to gain clients. This means having money set aside that I can use for hiring a business coach, new networking opportunities, or going to a conference that allows me to gain insight and grow within the industry. This ultimately helps me with my goals by pushing me to find new solutions for my goals by talking and learning with others outside of my current network.”

You’re also signaling something to yourself here: your goals are worth putting resources behind. Even setting aside a small amount each month for your own growth creates a habit of treating your development as a line item instead of an afterthought.

Remaining flexible

No matter how solid your plan is, this industry has a way of humbling you. Weather changes, vendors cancel, clients change their minds, and sometimes the whole market shifts under your feet.

“The best advice I could give another wedding professional trying to achieve a major business goal is to go into it with a great deal of planning, expecting the unexpected, and learning to be flexible and roll with the punches,” says Kim Moody, Director of Events at The Estate at River Run. “Over the years, we have learned that there will be a LOT of disappointment along the way, no matter what the goal is.”

Flexibility means holding your plan loosely enough that you can adapt the how while staying committed to the what. Expecting curveballs helps you problem-solve from a much calmer place, which gets you back on track a lot faster than panicking ever would.

Achieving your goals in this industry is about staying curious, asking for help when you need it, and giving yourself permission to grow at your own pace. The pros who've done it will tell you it wasn't one big breakthrough that got them there. Really, it was the small, steady choices, made over and over, that eventually added up to something big!