Own Your Business

Your next couple has studied your work, your website, and your Instagram before you ever know they exist. Will they find enough to reach out?Daria Neretina started as a wedding planner in Russia 18 years ago and built Wed Vibes Media to give wedding creatives a bigger voice. Alina Krupenina brings a career in consumer marketing for brands like Nutella and Nescafé. In this episode, Sam, Daria, and Alina break down how Gen Z couples research and choose their vendors, and what wedding pros need to show on social media to make the shortlist.You'll learn:Why Gen Z couples treat their wedding as an identity purchaseHow to turn a finished wedding into a story people will watchWhat to share about yourself, and what to leave outThe two posts every wedding pro should publish first

Why isn't a beautiful portfolio booking clients the way it used to?In this episode, Sam sits down with Anja Winikka, CEO and founder of the Freeda Network, a company that places established wedding industry business owners into small, confidential peer groups for ongoing support. Anja has spent over twenty years in the wedding industry and has a front row seat to the conversations business owners are having behind closed doors. She and Sam dig into why AI has made polished portfolios table stakes, and what's replaced them as the real reason couples choose who to hire.You'll learn:Why couples are comparing pricing and vendor notes with their friends before they ever call youHow showing your pricing logic builds more trust than a perfect photo galleryWhat separates business owners who thrive from those stuck chasing likes and contentWhy peer community, not more content, is becoming the real competitive edge

Most discovery calls get through the checklist but never reach the truth. In this episode, Sam and Katy break down why a discovery call is where you guide a couple to discover what they want, not where you pitch, and walk through the specific open-ended question to ask for seven different vendor categories.You'll learn:Why couples often don't know what they need until the right question surfaces itThe difference between an open-ended and a closed question, and why it matters on a sales callSpecific questions to ask couples if you're a photographer, planner, florist, or videographerHow to turn a couple's answer into a pitch, without ever sounding like oneTwo quick newsflashes: AI is changing how couples search. A new generation of buyers is changing what they expect. And a flood of new business owners is changing who you're competing against. Shift how you do business, or watch your traction slip away.If you're feeling like you're flying blind — you're not alone. But you can't afford to wait and see what happens next.So here’s the second PSA: If you love this podcast, then push pause on it and go sign up for our annual State of the Industry panel on Monday, September 14th at 12pm ET. Don't worry, I'll wait. Now, seriously — push pause and go to our Instagram @ideactionconsulting and sign up through the link in our profile. Okay, good, now that you're back. I'm sitting down with five of the savviest people in this industry — Anja Winikka, Kate Turner, Jason Rhee, Malike Adigun, and KT Merry — to talk about what's really going on in 2026, and what's coming in 2027.Hard truths. Honest conversation. No sugarcoating.And it's free. It's virtual. So put on your stretchy pants, pour yourself something — coffee, wine, no judgment, depends on the time of day — and sign up now.