Wedding Empires - Grow and Market Your Dream Wedding Business
Step into the dynamic world of the wedding industry with Wedding Empires, your indispensable podcast companion crafted exclusively for ambitious wedding professionals eager to elevate their businesses to unprecedented heights. Led by Jac Bowie, the forward-thinking CEO of The Wedding Academy, and Ben Connolly, a distinguished award-winning wedding photographer and esteemed educator, this podcast is your gateway to a wealth of invaluable insights, expert interviews, and actionable strategies tailored specifically for wedding planners, florists, celebrants, photographers, and every other wedding professional under the sun.
In each exhilarating episode, Wedding Empires delivers a meticulously curated masterclass in success, meticulously designed to empower professionals at every stage of their journey. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking to carve out your niche or a seasoned veteran aiming to stay ahead of the curve, Jac and Ben have you covered. From mastering the intricacies of branding and marketing to navigating the labyrinth of legal considerations, and from unlocking the secrets of scalable growth to crafting unforgettable client experiences, every facet of wedding entrepreneurship is dissected and explored with precision and expertise.
Yet, Wedding Empires is more than just a podcast—it's a movement. A vibrant community of like-minded professionals united by a shared passion for excellence and a collective commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the wedding industry. Here, you'll immerse yourself in the stories of industry luminaries, glean invaluable insights from real-world success stories, and forge invaluable connections with fellow professionals who share your unwavering dedication to creating magical moments that last a lifetime.
But the journey doesn't end with the podcast. Delve deeper into the minds behind the microphones and uncover the remarkable stories of Jac Bowie and Ben Connolly. Explore Jac's visionary leadership and groundbreaking initiatives at The Wedding Academy, and gain exclusive access to Ben's unparalleled expertise in the art of wedding photography. Visit jacbowie.com and bcphoto.com.au to explore their worlds further and connect with two trailblazers who are redefining the very essence of wedding entrepreneurship.
So whether you're a seasoned wedding planner looking to revitalize your business or a budding florist eager to make your mark on the industry, Wedding Empires is your ultimate destination for inspiration, education, and community. Subscribe today and embark on a transformative journey toward building the wedding empire of your dreams. Your journey starts here—seize the opportunity and join the ranks of those who dare to dream big in the ever-evolving world of weddings.
Wedding Empires - Grow and Market Your Dream Wedding Business
WNTT An Update from Us and Overcoming Wedding Professional Hurdles
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Exclusive episodes and resources for your wedding businessCurious about the latest shifts in the wedding industry and some juicy behind-the-scenes stories? We kick off with a story of resilience and adaptation as I share my journey from the turbulence of Bonza's liquidation to finding new skies as a content director for a major radio network in Bundaberg. Joined by Benjamin Connolly, we reflect on the hurdles currently facing wedding professionals, from the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to economic uncertainties. Plus, we chat about why recording in person makes all the difference and the frustrations of remote setups.
Get ready for some laughter and chaos as we announce our brand-new podcast, "I Do Disasters!" We're diving headfirst into the wild and wacky world of weddings, featuring real-life disaster stories from those who’ve lived to tell the tale. Whether it’s suppliers, brides, grooms, or guests, everyone’s got a story, and we want to hear yours! Send us your brief yet hilarious accounts, and brace yourself for unfiltered reviews, gnarky comments, and our take on Bridezillas and other wedding mishaps. Don’t miss out on the exciting episodes of Wedding Empires coming up, and stay tuned for potential guest appearances!
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Benjamin Connolly.
Speaker 2:It's been a long time.
Speaker 1:It's been a long time. I vaguely remember you vaguely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I walked up on the balcony here, and who's that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, looks different. So sorry guys, we've been a little bit MIA, haven't we?
Speaker 2:Well, no, I haven't, I've still been around, you have. Oh, I have Just going to pump that one in. So have we got some stories, I know yeah.
Speaker 1:Fun fact everyone, I got a job. I mean, I had a job before, but I got a different job. That was a lot more hours working in radio, which is great.
Speaker 2:So I'm terrorising listeners in Bundaberg with my Because previously she was just working on cardboard boxes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, obviously outside of Wedding Academy. I was flying with an airline called Bonza, and poor Bonza.
Speaker 2:Oh Bonza, what happened with Bonza? Sorry, we're going to go off on a few little tangents here we are going to go off. This is not going to be your average Wedding Empires episode. Okay, because we're just catching up after like what, how many?
Speaker 1:Four or five weeks, six weeks, yeah, something like that, and I'm having a wine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she is. She's tanked already. No, she's not. I'm only kidding. Not going to be your average episode. No, just want to let you know that right from the start.
Speaker 1:All right, so let me rewind.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So, for those who don't know, aside from having the Wenning Academy, I was also a flight attendant with Bonza, which was kind of great because it was only a few days a month that I was really working and it was a nice social gig or whatever. But yes, they've. Recently my airline went into administration and, as of about two days ago, went into liquidation. So I lost my job and, coincidentally, in the weeks before I lost my job I met a manager for a major radio network. He was a passenger on my flight and it must have been my dazzling PA. So let's be honest, sparkling personality.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, we got chatting and I told him about it the fact that I used to be in radio and I really enjoyed it and I missed it and you know, maybe one day I'd go back to it. So, yeah, it was kind of strange. Then, yeah, weeks later, Bonza went into administration and then I messaged him and said so, Ryan, about that job.
Speaker 2:She had a whole sliding doors moment on an airplane.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, right, and yeah, I thought we were going to be talking about just a sort of part-time radio gig or something. And he's given me a role as a content director, so I have a little daytime shift but then I'm also managing announcers, but it's two hours 50 up the road.
Speaker 2:So for everyone that's listening, it's not on the Sunshine Coast where we're based. It's two and a half or three hours up the road in Bundaberg. So if you're wondering why we've been a, little bit quiet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because the logistics have just got a little bit more difficult, so I'm pretty much there during the week and then try to get back to the sunshine coast as often as I can, which seems to be about every second weekend, that sort of thing.
Speaker 1:But so if anyone's got any teleportation devices, let us know yes, and we've we found that we need to be together, like that is the best thing this whole remote recording stuff is just it's just not as magic you know, no, there's, there's just not the sparks there is there anyway, ben, what's what's been happening with you?
Speaker 2:tell me nothing at Nothing at all. I'm done Back to you. No, do you know what? It's a little bit quiet at the moment, the whole. I don't know what it's like for other wedding suppliers but the wedding industry is not imploding on itself, but it's gone super quiet. There's not as many, I think, brides and grooms getting married. They're not spending as much as what they used to do and I've never been ghosted more in my life than I have in the last sort of six months. So I was over in the US at the beginning of the year and they all seemed to think that it was because there's that four to three or four sort of five-year cycle of people get, they meet each other, then they go through the you know the relationship thing, then they get engaged and it's like a four-year.
Speaker 1:How long have you been?
Speaker 2:with Hayley, yeah, so there's that. I can't swear on here, but I would tell you. So there's that kind of four-year thing and in the US they were kind of four-year thing and in the US they were kind of under the impression that because of COVID, people didn't get out and meet each other. So there's that slump of people haven't met, so there's not as many weddings happening. And then you've got the economy and all that sort of stuff going on at the moment, which I think is probably more relevant than people not meeting, because I think if I was cheap and nasty I would be busy.
Speaker 1:So do you think it's COVID? Do you think it's?
Speaker 2:Well, that's what the consensus was in the US like with a lot of people I spoke to. But you know there was the other 40%, 50% that were like, oh, the economy is hurting everyone and blah, blah, blah. And everyone I've spoken to like friends in the UK and friends in the US and everywhere, and they're all saying that they're down. So if you are a wedding supplier and you're down, then it may not necessarily be you, so don't freak out and think it's all you. So I think everyone's sort of struggling and hurting a little bit at the moment.
Speaker 1:So when you said that you've never been ghosted before, does that mean you're still getting? The inquiry level is the same.
Speaker 2:I have been ghosted quite a lot before. But you've got people inquiring and then they're disappearing. No inquiries have gone the whole mayday sort of thing as well. So there's not a lot of inquiries coming through, and then those inquiries are very budget-oriented.
Speaker 1:It's interesting, even at the Wedding Academy we've noticed that it's been quite so much so that I'm exploring a new pricing at the moment that I don't know if I'll stick with it for how long. But, for example, one of our courses was normally $6.97. It's $2.97 as of a few days ago because I just feel like people yeah, the cost of living is so high and people quite often in our situation are, you know, if they're starting a new career or changing a new career, maybe they can't afford, you know, a $700 course they can't afford, you know. So, yeah, just a few days ago, I've slashed the prices of courses at Wedding Academy just to see if that sort of is where people are at at the moment. You know, we'll have to adjust our level of support a little bit along with that product. But I know that that's something that you told me about your courses, that you do.
Speaker 2:I started at very low.
Speaker 1:Yeah, share with everyone your strategy.
Speaker 2:I thought you were shushing me then.
Speaker 1:Just shush Ben, okay, okay, why are you even here? No, no, no, but something that you told me a few weeks back or whatever that is probably really interesting is your strategy around your pricing for your courses. I found that really interesting. Can you share that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I set it up quite low to begin with and a lot of people who saw it and saw how much was in there from all around the world said, oh, you should be charging $3,000 and $4,000 for that. But my idea was that I didn't want to. I'd love to charge that for it, but that's not going to make it accessible to the people that really need it. And when I first started I didn't have the $3,000 and $4,000 to throw at a course or a program that was going to teach me what I'm teaching in the program that I've created. But I wanted it to be really accessible for people that were just starting out that didn't have that $2,000 and $3,000 and $4,000 disposable income. So that's why mine is like $3,900.
Speaker 2:And we've even added another one that there's another sort of addition to the whole program that's that's just basically a better photos bundle. So it's for people that aren't necessarily interested in the business side of it, aren't necessarily interested in in, you know, making a career or anything, but just want to take better photos of their kids, their pets, their, you know, family, family and do all that sort of stuff. So, and that translates from cameras to iPhones or to smartphones and stuff as well. So that's at an even lower price point again.
Speaker 1:So we've just that's kind of good, isn't it? For people who are like oh, I think I'm interested in this. I don't know how serious I am, but just to dabble in it. I know, izzy, my daughter is really interested in photography and she just bought like a vintage camera from an op shop or something like that and she's taking some cool shots and stuff.
Speaker 2:But looking into the metrics of it, though, like We've just run a Facebook ad campaign for end of financial year and the metrics of that were predominant well, not predominantly. There was like 60% were over 65-year-old males. Wow, that were looking at it and I'm like, wow, okay.
Speaker 1:What's that? A change in career.
Speaker 2:No, I think it's just retire, like thinking about retiring looking at something to do. Looking at you know how they can get some fulfillment from doing something else because we don't know, if you retire and you do nothing, you kick it straight away. So who wants to kick it straight away like you want to?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, interesting so anyway, surprise so, so that's been going on, guys, and look absolutely head to my website and head to Ben's website if you're up for upskilling or changing your career or, you know, adding a new feather to your boat, so to speak. Because, yeah, we're both doing deals at the moment.
Speaker 2:We're both wheeling and dealing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but look what's on the horizon. I think we should probably talk about that. So Wedding Empires will be back. Look, there's going to be a little bit of a break. We do have a series of very exciting guests lined up, including Really, yes, who's that? It's so long ago that river.
Speaker 2:Sorry for everyone that's listening. I just breathe in, sit here on the couch and then breathe back out.
Speaker 1:Pretty much. Yeah, I do all the work. No, we have Taylor Cusick-Holman coming back, my great friend who owns Engie and Sourced Co. Then we have oh Hayley's got to come on too. Hayley's coming on, which is your better half?
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And what's she going to talk about again?
Speaker 2:Dealing with and coping with stress and stress management. I mean, she's with you, so she'd be an expert, she'd be stressed out the eyeballs, like mental sitting in the corner, fetal position rocking, rocking she doesn't drink, so oh, wow yeah um, but yeah, professionals sort of dealing with stress, managing things and that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1:So which, of course, we're all stressed out doing weddings, especially when it's a disaster wedding, oh my god that was what a segue.
Speaker 2:what a segue, what a segue.
Speaker 1:I love a corny segue. What a segue. So.
Speaker 2:So we alluded to this in a previous Wedding Empires and I got all excited about it and just about laid an egg. But we were talking about something that was coming that again I was very excited about and we didn't sort of say too much about it. But now we've got a bit of ammunition and I think we're ready to sort of kick something off soon. So do you want to?
Speaker 1:You can share. I know you're looking at me just busting at the seams, so for all of you wedding suppliers out there. Hang on. Is it busting or bursting at the seams?
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 1:Anyway, sorry, continue.
Speaker 2:More wine, please, waiter. So there was an idea thrown around about wedding day disasters and some wedding day disaster stories from brides, from guests, from suppliers. Because I know I've been in the gig 20 years this year and I'm going to have a party too.
Speaker 1:To celebrate your 20 year anniversary.
Speaker 2:That was a very ADHD moment, wasn't it? I've got a really funny ADHD joke. Do you want to hear it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, how many ADHD. You've totally digressed from what you were talking about.
Speaker 2:But that's just me, was that it? No? How many ADHD kids does it take to change a light bulb? How?
Speaker 1:many Want to go swimming Anyway.
Speaker 2:So there was an idea thrown around wedding day disasters, because we wanted to hear from suppliers and from guests and from brides and grooms and all that sort of stuff, and we didn't really do a lot about it. We sort of threw around a few ideas and I had to put Jack in a headlock to come up with an idea for the name and that sort of stuff. And then so we've got all that and we've got about 10 or 12 kind of I wouldn't say disaster stories. But we've got sort of 10 or 12 sort of stories from other wedding suppliers that I've kind of reached out to. So we're going to kick that off and we're going to have a bit of a Wedding Day Disasters podcast chat.
Speaker 1:Now I don't believe it's PG.
Speaker 2:On an ongoing basis. It's not going to be PG, because that will allow me to be the real, unrepressed human being that I am.
Speaker 1:And I'll get to really share my genuine thoughts about Bridezilla's and whatnot. So we are very excited. We can kind of let loose with this other project.
Speaker 2:Yes, and it will be called. I Do Disasters. As I said, I had to put Jack in a headlock to get that name.
Speaker 1:I was very busy yeah, she was very busy With my professional radio career.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I was just very busy, not, so it's called I Do Disasters and we have an email address that I would love for everyone when you, when you hear this and obviously when when you hear the podcast going forward um, that I would love you to send in your I do disasters.
Speaker 2:Now because I'm a bit of a maniac and love to hear myself talk and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2:As we've all discussed, I kind of had the idea and the feeling that everyone else would love to hear themselves on the podcast as well, and in that regard, I think it's the best way that we can share your stories is for you to tell them, because no one's going to tell your story better than you. So in sending us your stories, I'd love you just to open up the record feature on your smartphone and record your story for us. Just talk into the phone, tell us your disaster, try and keep it to about two minutes, because then that means that you can email it to us and then we can play it and it's not going to sort of go too long. If they do go over two minutes, then I'm going to ban you and I'll never see you again. No, I will, don't spit your wine out. It's okay, we'll just have to chop it down a little bit just so that it's sort of two minutes, because we don't want things to drag on too long.
Speaker 1:We want it to be kind of fast, a bit funny disaster that just has a lot of detail. Then just give it to us and we'll make the edit decision.
Speaker 2:Unless it's one of those train wrecks you just want to stand by the tracks with popcorn and go oh, this is going to be awesome and watch. So record your disaster for us. Please send it to us. We have an email address, so that email address is idodisasters at gmailcom. So that's idodisasters at gmailcom. Send us your recording two minutes long and we're going to play like five or six per episode.
Speaker 1:The more disastrous the better. Give us all the gory detail. We're going to unpack it God, I hate that word. I know we're going to unpack it. We're going to talk, the better. Yeah, give us all the gory detail. Yep, we're going to unpack it. God, I hate that word, I know, I know we're going to unpack it. We're going to talk about it. We're going to tell you what you should have done. We're going to make some gnarky comments and we're going to give an unfiltered review.
Speaker 2:So if you want to hear who we really are, then head over there. Head over there as well.
Speaker 1:But for now, for those of you who are sticking with us with Wedding Empires Only, we will see you in due course. I promise it won't be too much longer.
Speaker 2:What are we wrapping this up already? What have you got places to be?
Speaker 1:Yes Wow.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry everyone.
Speaker 1:You want to just talk for 15 minutes about nothing.
Speaker 2:Well, isn't there more stuff we can talk about?
Speaker 1:I don't know. What do you want to talk about?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I thought you had content. That's what you do, anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do it all week. All the time.
Speaker 2:Jack's talking all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Look.
Speaker 1:I think that's it. I think we will be back. We've got at least five people lined up that are incredible. That are going to be very exciting episodes for Wedding Empires.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Probably before you see those you're going to see, I Do Disasters come out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there'll be some of those. Yeah, there'll be some of those come out.
Speaker 1:So keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, if you want to reach Ben or I, we'd also like to hear from any potential guests, obviously for either podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What's your website again?
Speaker 2:wwwbcphotocomau.
Speaker 1:Cool, and you can get me on jackbowiecom. Or, of course, weddingacademyglobalcomau.
Speaker 2:Cool and you can get me on jackbowiecom or, of course, weddingacademyglobalcom, and we might stick our email addresses down below so that you can reach out to either of us if you think about being a guest on Wedding Empires. Yeah, and don't forget the email address for the disasters, cool, yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, we'll see you soon.
Speaker 2:We'll put that down below too.
Speaker 1:In the show notes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. See, it's been a while and I want to keep sort of going, but Jack's ready to go.
Speaker 1:We've got more things to discuss because I already know there's a few things in that inbox, in that Gmail inbox. So, sorry guys, we're leaving it there because I'm having another wine and going to hear about some disastrous weddings. I'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2:Thanks for joining us guys. Talk to you soon.
Speaker 1:Bye.
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