Author: James
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Katherine Gray – Michelle Rago Destinations
In this episode hosts James and Otto are joined by Katherine Gray, Senior Event Producer at Michelle Rago Destinations, a globally renowned luxury wedding planning firm. To begin, explains her title as senior event producer, emphasizing the full-time, collaborative nature of her role compared to freelance event producers. Katherine aligns her professional identity with a…
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Bianca Hall & Erica Vanco – Estera Events
In this episode hosts James and Otto are joined by Bianca Hall and Erica Vanco, the powerhouse duo behind Estera Events, a luxury wedding planning and design firm based in Chicago. To begin, they recount their journey to becoming co-owners of Astera Events. In 2010, Erika interned for the original owner, Hillary, while in college.…
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Kelsey Connely – Downey Street Events
In this episode James and Otto are joined by Kelsey Connely, the owner and creative director of Downey Street Events, which is a luxury wedding planning firm. Downey Street Events was started by Lauren Geissler and Emily de Ayora, who met and became best friends in law school. They started the company in 2008 and…
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Melissa Sullivan – Studio Sully
In this episode James and Otto are joined by Melissa Sullivan, the owner and founder of Studio Sully, a design and production firm focused on events that is located in Los Angeles and New York. Melissa had years of professional experience in the wedding and event industry with top designers, and after the tail end…
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Colin Cowie
In this episode James and Otto are joined by Colin Cowie, a renowned figure in the event industry and Founder of Colin Cowie Lifestyle. Colin reflects on how the pandemic led to a surge in demand for events. Many people were unable to celebrate or get married during the pandemic, resulting in an unusually hectic…
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The Fourniers
In this episode James and Otto are joined by Joshua, half of the incredible fine art wedding photographer duo The Fourniers. To begin, Josh shares that he comes from a background in medicine, with a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He recounts how his venture into wedding…
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Lea Stafford
In this episode founder of Stafford Creative + Co and Seven-Eight Living, Lea Staffod talks about intentionality and what it takes to produce events that have a soul. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Shownotes: When you work in the fast-paced, demanding world of luxury weddings, it’s easy to run on reactivity – to…
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Augusta Cole
In this episode Augusta Cole talks about her journey, the beautiful roots of her approach to weddings, and the process of starting her own business after working with Easton Events. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify A special event is made up of 3 types of experiences – the atmospheric, the tangible and the…
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John Moler
In this episode We’re joined by Colorado photographer, John Moler. He shares how he tripled his price tag by simplifying everything he does. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Offer a discount, drop your rates, or put more into the package – this is what most people will do when they want to get…
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Jack Ezon
In this episode We’re joined by travel industry icon and founder and partner of EMBARK Beyond, Jack Ezon. He shares his journey, what sets his team apart, and why travel matters. He also shares luxury trends in the wedding industry and beyond. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify As luxury shifts from conspicuous consumption…
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Sofia Crokos
In this episode We’re excited to be joined by the luxury event planner, restaurateur, and founder of Sofia Crokos Events & Lifestyle. Sofia shares how she went from fashion to weddings, how her restaurant came about, and all the incredible ways she chases beauty and inspiration in everything she does. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen…
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Lindsey Morgan
In this episode She talks about her journey, the power of taking action, and how she has created multiple streams of income in her business. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify When your successful planning business has a thriving floral arm, why would you shut it down? To make room for more creativity and…
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James x Schulze
In this episode We talk about the value of curating our brand around serving others instead of ourselves. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify When it comes to branding and approach, most photographers are focused on themselves. It’s all about their aesthetic and getting clients to fit into it. We make ourselves the thing…
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Nathan Holritz
In this episode We’re joined by the CEO and Founder of Photographer’s Edit and host of the Bokeh podcast, Nathan Holritz. We talk about simple and practical steps we can take to make our services pull in the buyers we want. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Get to know your client and match…
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B&H Photo
In this episode We’re joined by photographers and co-hosts of the B&H Photography Podcast, Allan Weitz and Jill Waterman. We talk about luxury weddings, how to build a successful business in that space and the skills that take you to that next level. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify For many photographers, weddings are…
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Alicia Fritz
In this episode The founder of A Day in May Events talks about her story, her process and what she attributes her success to. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify At the luxury level of weddings, it’s easy to think you have to live in an epicenter city and have a ton of notoriety…
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Jennifer Zabinski
In this episode We’re joined by leading wedding planner, Jennifer Zabinski. She shares how she makes her events so magical, and the thinking behind her approach. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Creating a magical wedding is a dance of balancing contradictions. You have to saturate the senses without over-producing, steep the event with…