Take a deep breath, smile, and pour a glass of wine. You, yes you made it through (or are in the home stretch) of a turbulent, unpredictable year. As an industry we handled it with style, grace and smiles on our faces. Although the year is winding down, we can always continue to prep, educate, and take advantage of the slower season to better prepare ourselves for what the future has in store! We have a few simple tips to help make the most of your down time!
1. Disconnect
First and foremost disconnect, set those away messages to “on”, and take some time for yourself. Whether that be booking a spa appointment, taking a vacation, connecting with loved ones, or binging on the couch with your favorite takeout and reruns. No judgement here if you choose to binge with takeout, peace of mind is essential to be productive in your everyday work flow. Once you are refreshed there is no better time to analyze your goals for your business for the upcoming year.
2. Learn
Have you been interested in taking a few educational courses, or expanding your services? Now is the time to do so – check out a virtual class, get a certification, or jet set to a conference and continue to gain knowledge of our ever evolving industry. Try checking out the following educational resources!
Wedding MBA
Some of you might know this conference and love it, while some of you might be new to the game. Nonetheless, Wedding MBA offers a variety of courses with like minded pros to help you build skills where you see necessary. From design tips, marketing skills, to social media courses – this conference is like none other! We are an industry that works hard and plays harder. After the courses find time to catch hosted parties and networking event – a great way to cast your net further than you’ve ever expected!
Life Planner Academy
If you are looking for something more intimate, Lindsay LongAcre with Life Planner Academy would be perfect! Life Planner Academy helps planners build a foundation of skills all while providing helpful resources to utilize in every aspect of the planning process. With 20 years of experience, Lindsay welcomes everyone who takes her course, “to know your worth, and build a business model that will support your dreams of having a successful business”. Elevating your business, and respecting community over competition is the foundation of Planner Life Academy. With a variety of templates, online courses, and in-person workshops to up the ante of your business, planners can pick from a variety of offerings and determine what best suits their business needs. We all see the reports that 2022 bookings are bonkers (eek!) and Lindsay encourages you to “lean on your community, and never be afraid to ask for help”.
The Bridal Society
As the world’s largest wedding planner membership and leading certification program, The Bridal Society is a no-brainer for new planners looking to establish their systems and processes – as well as seasoned pros looking to brush up on their knowledge! The program is 100% online so you can work on it from home – in whatever schedule suits you best!
Refine for Wedding Planners
Refine offers not only a library of extremely valuable templates, resources, and courses – but it is also an incredible facebook community of planners to collaborate and learn with! “Refine is an inclusive place that believes in equality, anti-racism and supporting each other. We have a community full of new and seasoned planners, all looking to make a difference in our industry.” That mission really resonates with us! And we hear that many Refine members become life-long friends! We couldn’t be happier to have such an incredible and supportive resource in our industry!
3. Organize
Lastly, time to clean out those folders, prior emails, archive old clients, and update those contracts. Set yourself up for success from the sales pitch through the planning process, and executing the event. Trust us, starting the next event season with a fresh slate will have you elevating your events year after year. There is usually something we want to change in our admin process or workflow, but in the midst of the busy season we typically put it off because we are truly too busy juggling all of the things. Take a few days to address and check off those items that have been on your brain, you wont regret it!
Most importantly, remember why you love this industry so much. We are an industry that supports each other at all costs! Have questions? Give us a shout at Rock Paper Coin, we would love to point you in the right direction or give you helpful tips!
Shout out to Lynsey, our West Coast Member Success Manager for another wonderful guest blog!
