Towards Eden, an Enneagram Podcast
The Enneagram is an amazing tool to help us have way better relationships - and grow emotionally + spiritually.
On this podcast you'll hear stories of people using the Enneagram personality tool
to understand themselves and the people in their worlds.
& I (Elyse) will teach you how to use the Enneagram system so that you feel empowered to use this tool in your own life.
Let's get curious about each others' stories and grow together 🌿
Towards Eden, an Enneagram Podcast
#18 - Mastering Wedding Magic with Katie (3) and Casey (1)
Today I interview Katie and Casey of Katie O’ Weddings & Events.
Katie and Casey of Katie O’ Weddings & Events are New York’s brightest planning duo. Katie O’Malley Maloney started her business 15 years ago, and Casey Benson has been with her for 10 years.
I introduced Katie and Casey to the Enneagram earlier this year at Amber Housley’s Bloom and Grow Live, which is a business conference for women. They determined that Katie identifies with Type 3 and Casey with Type 1.
Listen in as they share all about the wedding planning industry and dissect their Enneagram types (Katie is a 3 and Casey is a 1).
⚡ HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS EPISODE ⚡
- The 1-3 relationship in business
- How a Female 3 started her wildly successful wedding planning business
- How to delegate well when it means losing control!!
- Growing a business and hiring a team as a 1 and a 3
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Find Katie O’ Weddings & Events on Instagram @KatieOEvents and katieoevents.com
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For resource recommendations, click here.
The Road Back to You by Ian Cron- start here to find your type
Links for Towards Eden Enneagram 🌿
Instagram
Facebook
Website
Email me 📩
elyse@towardsedenenneagram.com
Get my FREE Guide to the 9 Enneagram Types 🌱
This guide is a great quick-reference to help you remember the types.
Today I interview Katie and Casey of KDO Weddings and Events. Here's a little bit about them. Katie O'Malley Maloney is the founder and CEO of KDO Weddings and Events, as well as the co-founder of With Grace Management. With over two decades of event planning and coordination experience, katie is known as an extraordinaire in her field. Katie prides herself on the meaningful partnerships and relationships she creates with her clients, which she accomplishes by keeping her process real, transparent and fun and by maintaining a fierce commitment to her company's core values. It's not just about booking clients for Katie, but rather the dedication to their happiness and sharing their unique story. Spirited and willful, casey Benson is the first person you'll hear from when you begin your journey with KDO weddings and events. You'll witness her unparalleled passion, optimism and skill. As you share your story and your dreams for your event with her, then she'll figure out how to make it all a reality. Casey fell in love with the world of events while working for a caterer during high school. When Casey discovered Katie O Weddings and Events, she knew it was where she was meant to be. Determined to get her foot in the door, casey offered to be an unpaid intern. She worked her way up the ranks and today she's Katie's right hand and partner.
Speaker 1:I met Katie and Casey earlier this year and introduced them to the Enneagram at Amber Housley's Bloom and Grow Live, which is a business conference for women. They determined that Katie identifies with type 3 and Casey with type 1. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Katie and Casey. You're listening to Towards Eden, an Enneagram podcast. The Enneagram is a tool that helps us tell our stories. I'm Elise and I'm here to teach you all about the Enneagram so that you can understand your own story better and have way better relationships. Story better and have way better relationships. Katie and Casey. Welcome to Towards Eden Enneagram, the podcast.
Speaker 2:Hi, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1:These are my New York bestie friends. They're besties we're not besties yet, but they're besties and they run a wedding planning business in New York. Bestie friends, they're besties. We're not besties yet, but they're besties and they run a wedding planning business in New York. We met a couple months ago in Nashville at a women's business conference, so it was awesome to meet them and feel very aligned with things like wanting a healthy work-life balance and wanting to embrace femininity in a entrepreneur world. So let's get into it, katie, and then Casey. Will you guys start by introducing yourselves?
Speaker 2:So I am Katie O'Malley Maloney. I have been in business. Coming up this Sunday, november 24th, will be my 15th year, so I've been doing weddings and events for quite some time.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Absolutely love the gift I've been given to be able to help people celebrate such an important occasion and any occasion in life really and do it in a way that allows them to feel less stressed and overwhelmed. And I love that I never had to find a job, because when I started my business I was like, if I fail, I'll always find a job. And I still haven't had to find a job, and I love that.
Speaker 1:Yay, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:And I am Casey Benson. I've been with Katie for 10 years now, which is a wild amount of time. But I came to Katie with zero background well, a little bit of background in events, but mainly like catering and I was just like I want to be a wedding planner and I'll do it for free. And she was like okay, you can be my intern. And so I interned for two weeks and she's like okay, let's like, let's make this for real yeah, like I couldn't look in the mirror.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, wow, yeah. So that was 10 years ago, so now we're just duoing it up.
Speaker 2:Yes, we are working together closely and building and growing the business and shifting the business and it's really been amazing, especially after the retreat, we've had some great changes in the past couple months well, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:What are a couple changes that you're really excited about for this next year?
Speaker 3:well, well, we are working with Ashley from the abundance group for as a coach, which has been like game changer for us. And then Katie is hoping to really focus more in on family.
Speaker 2:She has two kiddos.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we're really looking, I'm looking at, we're going to get there, but as a three, I'm looking to eventually you know, be able to be more of an owner operator per se than being in the ground doing everything and having my hands in all the things. And you know, I want to build out our team. I want Casey to take on a lot more responsibility and we want to work together still, because it is, you know, very much a business I started and I'm running and your name's on it and my name is on it, but I really just want to be able to be present in other ways, and not just for my family, but for other opportunities that I don't even know about yet.
Speaker 1:I love it and we are going to, in a minute, go to talk more about your Enneagram types, but first could you educate us a little bit more. For people who are, like, all I know about wedding planning is that you help me plan a wedding question mark Like. Tell us about what goes into that process and all the services that you provide.
Speaker 2:So we see it kind of as typical. Typically, couples come to us. Like couples come to us is either they're very busy and overwhelmed overwhelmed or they just don't know and obviously have never planned a wedding. So we find it to be, we find our service to be something that allows people peace of mind, freedom to not feel bogged down by details when it comes to planning a wedding, as well as helping with the family dynamic.
Speaker 1:Ooh.
Speaker 2:What do you think? Yeah, that was good.
Speaker 3:No, and we have two different types of services really. We have like we help you with everything. We're your project manager, we're holding your hand through the entire process, doing everything for you, alongside with you, and then we have more of the day of coordination so people can do all the work prior by themselves. We're here to like ask any questions etiquette questions, vendor referrals all day long, but we're not involved in, like, the planning of it, and then at the end we put together all the puzzle pieces into a nice big puzzle for them and help them have a beautiful, stress-free wedding day.
Speaker 1:That's great. So I heard project management day of coordinating, helping planning, helping connect with vendors and mediating family perhaps family drama.
Speaker 3:There's always a little bit.
Speaker 1:That can be a very stressful part of planning. So those are all awesome things that I'm sure it's a whole package thing in your industry, right Like people are hiring you for the holistic service that you provide.
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Nashville when I met you guys because we were kind of doing some Enneagram conversations and it was fun for me because you know we were in a room full of 30-ish, strong, independent, intelligent women who are running businesses, but all different Enneagram types a lot of diversity in terms of personality, and I love that. So whichever one of you wants to start, tell me about your Enneagram type and how you found it and maybe, if you can remember, how did you even ever hear of the Enneagram in the first place?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean, I never paid attention to it. And then it was so awesome because a lot of other people around us at the retreat knew theirs. I was like, well, what do they know? What do I want to know. I want to find out Like what is this all about?
Speaker 3:And then we did it for each other. Yes, so we took a quiz online. I think that you recommended and then. So we took it for ourselves and then we took it for each other, because we know each other so well and sometimes you take a quiz hoping you're like well one day.
Speaker 1:I hope to be more relaxed in these situations.
Speaker 3:So, yes, if someone's taking it for you, that's how you're being perceived. That's what you're actually are so yes and we got it spot on. Yeah, oh, absolutely, yeah, yeah, so I'm a one wing nine.
Speaker 2:I'm a three, I don't know my wing two, two, three, wing two. Yes, there you go yes, amazing.
Speaker 1:I love what you said about how you know we have this ideal of ourselves. There's you know who we are right now, and then there's an ideal of what we want to grow into. And sometimes they match. In some areas of life they match and in some areas they don't. But to bring somebody that you really trust into that process, it could be really vulnerable, but that can be so effective. You know, and you two you've been working together for so long. You obviously trust each other and you know each other really well and I think that's really cool how you brought each other into your own typing process really well and I think that's really cool how you brought each other into your own typing process.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think it's funny because I was reviewing again, like my description or descriptor as the achiever, as the three, and I was looking at it. Obviously sometimes they highlight the relationship and obviously you know your love relationship I, I mean, I love Casey, but romantic, romantic, your love relationship in a romantic level.
Speaker 2:But I was reading it and realizing like, wow, I really need.
Speaker 2:I was reading mine and was like I need to read Casey's again, be reminded how to come to her and how to approach her when things are a certain way right.
Speaker 2:Like I can recognize you, know, as an achiever, like they give you the tips like how do you talk to an achiever, how do you make them feel better If they're saying this? It's like it can really, you know, kind of have to brush back up on that, because I was reading it as if like oh, I want Nate, my husband, to do this. I want to send this part to Nate and be like pay attention to this, like and I'm like I can have you see too, and she could do it to me and be like right, these are things that I pulled out of me and my description that I want you to pay more attention to. And it wouldn't be again in a trust way. It wouldn't be like a you're doing it wrong, but it's more like hey, this is how I am, so how do you, how do I receive you and how do you receive me? Does that make sense?
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yes, we all need to know these so we all can just share them with the people we're surrounded by. Oprah Oprah's a famous three, I know.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 3:Oh my God, Lucky Reese Witherspoon. I know all the people I love. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:The famous people and their types are fun. Yeah, who am I like Me, and Martha Stewart she's a bad bitch. Did they? Say she's a one.
Speaker 2:Sorry, are we allowed to swear?
Speaker 1:Yes, did they say, martha's a one.
Speaker 3:Sure is.
Speaker 1:Oh funny.
Speaker 3:Four hours a day. Did you watch her documentary?
Speaker 2:Did not. She's crazy girl. Kate Middleton, brene Brown.
Speaker 1:Tina Fey, love her. That's so fun. So I'll talk a little bit about uh, just briefly about your two types and then we'll kind of dive into some dissecting, which I can already tell you're going to be good with because you are so open with each other. And so the, the three and the one. So we've got the three, the achiever, and the achiever is motivated by a desire to be successful, to achieve and to accomplish, and they care so much about their people. Very often, for the three, it's their family that they want to provide for and want to care for. And they also find a lot of worth and value in their achievements and in their accomplishments and they find that achieving the next thing at work or making big moves is a way that they can take care of their people in a way that they can show love. They can get to a point of thinking that those accomplishments are the way that they earn love from the people they care about. Right, like, I'm worthy and I'm valuable only if I'm doing XYZ and doing enough.
Speaker 1:And you can see that achievers the type three. They're so great at running businesses and running companies and being leaders. They have future vision, they're forward thinkers, they can be fast movers. They're good at seeing the big picture again. And then let's swing over to Enneagram One, which is the improver, and it's kind of the inverse of the bigvers are motivated by a desire to improve everything. They want to improve themselves, they want to improve the world, they want to improve other people's lives and they can see ways to do that. They're good at seeing you know where a project is. Or, if we take your business, they can see where the wedding planning process is and see what needs to be changed, what needs to be fixed, what can I make better, what's not good enough yet? Are you relating to this?
Speaker 2:No, she isn't, but I am for her. I feel like you are when we look at the big picture. Right, I'm like let's do it this way and you're like, okay, but then I tell you the words and then you make it happen.
Speaker 3:Okay, that's what we do.
Speaker 2:That's kind of how I feel like. I'm like what do you think about this? And I want this to look like this, or put a spreadsheet together, right. And you're like this is what it looks like and this is how it gets done, like that's kind of our relationship, so you relate to that part of it.
Speaker 1:Yes, well, let me talk through nine and see if you relate to nine more than one. I think nine like a lazy girl. Okay, so unhealthy nines can be lazy girls but that's not all nines.
Speaker 3:Okay, it's not a healthy nine, because I'm not a procrastinator.
Speaker 1:Okay, yes, that's good. So you're not a procrastinator, and that's one thing that I see you already know about nines is that they can tend to procrastinate, and a lot of that has to do with prioritizing, is that nines can struggle with priorities. But let me start with the big picture and the good things about nines. They're motivated by this need to maintain connection with other people. They really value stability and that can be stability in the environment, stability in their relationships, stability inside themselves. So inner peace and inner wholeness is very important to them and they fear tension and conflict because because conflict leads to disconnection with others. So it's not they don't like conflict just because it's conflict. It's because they don't want to be separated and disconnected and severed and they want to, kind of like, maintain harmony in their relationships.
Speaker 1:And now when we look at your business, enneagram nines is a number who, with their one wing if a nine has a one wing they can really bring in that detail orientedness. But I think, if I'm just speculating, an Enneagram nine in your industry is probably going to be really good at. They're great at seeing everybody's perspective, so probably the nine is going to be great at any bride you bring in. They're going to be able to see from their perspective and see what that bride needs and see what that bride wants and be able to kind of like form things to match their vision. How's that hitting you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's hitting, that's hitting. I'm sitting, I'm all of them, you're all the numbers.
Speaker 2:I'm all numbers.
Speaker 3:I'm just kidding, no, that one. What I really liked about, what I feel so deeply about one, is when, like you explained it, when I met you, you were like she is like the like, the good girl, like she needs to make sure everything's like in their rows, or like you're failing, and that's exactly how I feel all the time, so like that's why I really relate to a one. But nine also like I am very afraid of tension and afraid of conflict, and so that also that that they're very me both of them yeah, and it's okay to kind of like bounce between them and maybe explore both right and and see which one continues to fit.
Speaker 1:Um, because nines and ones do have a lot in common and sometimes people have a hard time typing between nine and one.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But yeah, the other thing about ones is that they could be hard on themselves and they do want to keep making. They want to make things right and you know, if they make a mistake, they're very sensitive to it. If they mess up, they're very sensitive to it. Do you relate to that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I'm always like it.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, and I was like it's okay, no, like we're good, like we're not carrying brain cancer here, you're all right. It's so good to have a partner who's a three, right, right, yeah, like, okay, a quick story. This is this is coming to mind. Is I? So?
Speaker 1:I'm a one, and I always had this mindset since I was a kid the most important thing is that I keep getting better and I correct my mistakes and I improve, improve, improve and I always like, for some reason, I had this thought like oh, whenever I get married or find somebody to be with, it's got to be someone who they're going to keep me in check and challenge me and also help me to keep getting better. And then I met my now husband Brayden. He's a three. He doesn't treat me like that at all. He is like he's my cheerleader, right, yeah. And I didn't know that that's what I needed, like I didn't need another person to bully me and say I'm not good enough. I needed somebody to say here's the things you're doing great at, and like let me help you in the spots that are harder for you.
Speaker 3:For sure it's so good it is so good.
Speaker 1:So do you guys see any of that in your relationship? Yeah, are you a cheerleader, katie?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, I am a big cheerleader. Yeah, I was a cheerleader was a cheerleader, it was captain oh oh amazing, he was co-captain, I was co-captain because I didn't know you could vote for yourself, but that's another whole podcast.
Speaker 2:Um, you would have voted for yourself had I known there was a tie, so I had to be the co-captain that's amazing. Another girl voted for herself and I didn't know like you were allowed to go first. I thought that like she'd do a really good job, so we tied and we ended up having to be co captains, is that?
Speaker 1:so there's three I mean I I think threes don't have any problem being in charge, being in the spotlight, leading it's like you're a big cheerleader, right, like you just want other people to be yeah, and you know th they have this energy.
Speaker 1:that's like they almost have this energy that says, hey, we can do anything, because they're so success oriented, they're so good at seeing the thing they want to accomplish and going for it that they can then transfer that onto other people. Right, they'll be like you, can do it. I believe in you and that's the best version of the three is a three that's not just achieving for their own sake, but cheering others on and helping other people like reach their dreams that is my favorite part of what we're doing, honestly, is with this realization and this help we're getting from coach um.
Speaker 2:That's what we call our coach. Coach um is I. I think I've always wanted to build the team out, but I've just never done it because I've never had like again the three that's in the coach cheering us on. I look at like the future and I am so thrilled that I get to take, say it's three to five, to however many people it is that are individuals that want to do what I do and I have done for so long, and do it and have ownership of it and do it on their own and teach them and train them and show them all the good stuff so they can go out and do it. And not only can they do it, and it's going to serve themselves. We as a company and a firm will be able to serve more people. When I came to that realization, I was like there is no stopping me us, I should say, but like it was like this light bulb moment.
Speaker 2:That's what I want to do now Like I never wanted to do that before until literally like the past couple of months, and I was like this is this is my call.
Speaker 1:This is what I should be doing. Wow, that is amazing.
Speaker 2:Yep, yep, and it, yep, yep and it's, and it's Casey having Casey by my side, being able to like systems and this, and we have to do this and we have to make sure this happens. And you know, like it's just been, like we're very we're just scratching the surface, so, um, but it's exciting what are the gifts that you two see in each other that help your business run successfully?
Speaker 3:we always say that, like each relationship, whether it's romantic or like professional, it's like someone's the anchor and someone's the balloon and katie's the balloon, like she's the dreamer, like she can just what she was saying right there, like she can see, just like you were saying, with threes they can like see the big picture. And then there's the anchor, like keeping them down, but like organized into the ground and like how are you going to get all of these big dreams? How are we going to make them happen?
Speaker 3:So I think that's what makes us work so well together is because she'll dream it up. And then I'm like okay, but like how are we going to do it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, like she doesn, and it doesn't threaten me when she criticizes an idea, right, because?
Speaker 3:I'm like, okay, let's poke some holes so we can make it stronger, right?
Speaker 2:I'm like I know this might be crazy, but and I'll like throw it out there and she'll be like, okay, I hear what you're saying, and but what about this?
Speaker 1:And maybe this bit like and then I'll hear her and I'll be like, okay, I come down a little and we'll still be good. Yes, like we're very dependent in that way. Yeah, yeah, it's great to have that with each other, right, because if it was just katie, it might be any idea I come up with. Let's just go for it right, without a lot of discerning. And if it's just casey, then I don't know, maybe it's hard to get all the big ideas in the first place.
Speaker 3:Right yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:Katie, is it easy for you to see all the potentials of where things could go Like if an idea comes up? Is it really easy for you to say, oh, but here's all the potential dangers with that idea.
Speaker 2:I don't know if I would say easy. I would say that if somebody brings me, it's also a very interesting concept, it's my idea or someone else's idea.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I feel like if it's someone else's idea, it's easier for me to see it and easier for me to kind of be the authority or the expert on saying like, okay, this is a great idea, but did you think about this, this and this? If it's my idea, it's harder for me to unpack that Like I just I definitely think about it, but if it's like a good idea that I love and think is great, I probably will find less flaws in it off the bat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, does that make sense? Yeah, oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And then about you, casey, same question what was the she's like?
Speaker 2:what was the question?
Speaker 3:oh is trying to think of what katie was saying and like how sorry how when I was exampling what was the question?
Speaker 1:um, how do you, is it easy for you to see all the? You know all the potential dangers with an idea, all the ways it could go wrong.
Speaker 3:I don't know. No, I don't think so. Like I'm a pretty optimistic person, like, oh, okay, that could work, um, like we're.
Speaker 2:But we're very plan b, plan c, plan d people, because that's our job yeah, we need to know that there's more than one way, and what will happen if?
Speaker 3:yeah, like I'm just thinking like weather, I don't know, like, if you're just thinking of like, okay, if you bring us like this wedding and this wedding is a really cool idea they want to do in the middle of Italy, next to this ocean cliff Like I mean, our first reaction, my first reaction was like hell yeah, like that's incredible.
Speaker 2:What do you do do?
Speaker 3:it. And then we have to think about plan b, plan c, plan d plan e right for your guests wind, sun, rain, guest comfort, client comfort, accessibility bathroom parking, like that's where it comes into play, right? Yes, yeah man and right off the rip.
Speaker 1:We're both pretty like optimistic about things okay, that's the beauty of like hiring a service, like hiring you too, right Is that you have so much experience that you know all the contingencies and everything to watch out for.
Speaker 2:It's been funny, elise, because the more we've been doing our duo level, which is our highest level investment as well as level of service. It's fun because we build relationships with our couples, with their parents, like so they see us like this a lot, right, like we're always together and we're all in the meetings together. And as we get farther down the path like I love watching like a mother or the bride like see us interact and kind of chuckle because she's literally like, oh, that's Katie, that's Casey, that's good, that's why we have them both.
Speaker 3:Like, yeah, exactly like the balance, or we'll just be in a meeting. We'll finish each other's sentences, you know like, or be like oh right, yeah that that, oh no, no, no, we can't yeah, okay so fine, yeah, and we'll have like a word.
Speaker 2:That's fun, one of the best parts show.
Speaker 1:I love it. So, katie, enneagram threes they are infamous for taking their achieving energy to the next level of workaholism, and that is in the unhealthy levels, right. Threes can become workaholics and make work like their full identity. And I'm just curious, like how has that journey been for you of learning to cultivate a work-life balance?
Speaker 2:So I will always, always, start with there is no such thing as balance and trying to find it is crazy and it's not worth your energy. I think what you need to find is and I did this not ever intentionally, which is funny, I feel like a lot of things in my business and my life don't necessarily come to me intentionally. They just kind of come and I figure it out and that's just my, my vibe. So, starting my business, it was all I did. All I did was work for just about five years. I put everything, my heart and soul, into it. I was helping other people get married and I was watching friends get married, I was watching friends have babies until finally I realized I was like I don't want to not do, I don't want to have that, I want this myself, I want the family, I want the relationship, I want kids. But I had finally gotten comfortable in the fact that you know what? I have a great business, I have beautiful friends, I have nieces, I have nephews. I have a great business, I have beautiful friends, I have nieces, I have nephews, I have. I have this beautiful life.
Speaker 2:As opposed to looking at it negatively, I was like, if this happens, it happens, but if not, I can't have a pity party anymore, right, and as soon as I did that, um, I found my husband and when we started um dating, you know he was very he's very into like hospitality and planning and events and everything. So he's very similar in that regard. So he actually, I think, liked it. He was like, oh, what can I do to help and how can I be involved is cool. It was less like, oh, work less because I want to spend time with you. It's like let's do more together. You know, so great. But I think what happened was, you know, once we started, you know, we got married and the team and I was starting.
Speaker 2:Every year I grew, I was growing my team or I was keeping people with me that trusted the process and were, you know, wanted to be a part of the team and I think, the start of family life and when I got pregnant and having Casey come on board, it was just like, oh wait, I can have people I trust do this so I can do less.
Speaker 2:And it wasn't easy at all and I still feel like, up until probably, what? Like this past year, last year, this last year, because I did do less this last year, but I think I was toying with the idea of committing, like I did in the past couple of weeks, like it was in my mind somewhere that I wanted to do less and be more present in other ways, but I don't know that it took. It took me until now and realizing that this is an okay time to do it and even if it fails which is not going to, everything's still going to be okay, right, like we are going wildly successful. I have no doubt that we are going to meet the goals we're setting and by building this team and making it happen. But, like the appeal to me now that I've never been, I've never looked forward to, is that all of this is going to happen but I'm not going to have to work 50 hours a week to make it happen. That's really cool, really Really cool and.
Speaker 3:I think when like you said do you do like threes, make their job, their personality Right? And I think, like having her name on the on the door is a really difficult I'm losing a piece of my personality my identity by like taking a step back and doing less weddings. Taking a step back, focusing more on, like the internal business and like the growing of the business, but not doing weddings like KTO weddings those go together Right. So she's like I'm losing my identity which is like such a three to learn.
Speaker 2:That is so interesting, yeah, so yeah, it's hard, but I I finally feel like it doesn't matter if I'm there or not. I mean it does for some people, but in the big picture, like it's the KDO weddings and events isn't KDO, it's the people that make it up, right, the people that do the do the work when I'm not there, I think it.
Speaker 1:What's coming to mind for me is, even as you're moving into this next phase of business, you get to forever be proud of all the work you put in to get to that point. Right, it's just, you've put in so much effort and work to build it to this point where now you're able to enter a new phase.
Speaker 2:And I appreciate you calling that out because a few people over the past when I've started sharing this with people, that's everyone's kind of reaction and to hear that is like extremely reaffirming that I'm making the right decision and that's again I'm like a decision by committee. It's very hard for me to just like say this is how it's going to be and nobody has an opinion, and so to feel that acceptance from the people that matter the most it really it does it means a lot.
Speaker 1:Casey, what's it going to look like for you with the business shifting and your roles, responsibilities, and how are you feeling about all the shifts happening?
Speaker 3:I'm a little afraid of like handing things off and being like, okay, you're going to do this, but like, are you going to do it my way? Are you going to do it, katie away? Like, cause I, when I started Katie, I didn't start senior coordinating, so I wasn't doing my own weddings until like three years in. So I was like under Katie watching everything she did for three straight years. This time we're doing a little different model, but like people are coming in and they're going to do a go, do their own wedding. So I'm like, but wait, it has to be perfect and it is going to be perfect in their own way. So, trained under us, trained, yeah. So that's going to be like a big shift for us. But I'm excited to like watch our business grow and like do this together and it's going to be. It's going to be a big change.
Speaker 1:But it's like exciting. It's hard to delegate because you want things to be done right. You care so much about quality and what if the next person doesn't do it how I would, or doesn't do it well enough? So that's a very real fear.
Speaker 2:Yes, but I had that fear. Yeah, and Casey, you know, rose above like was a superstar, right Like. I was always fearful and I'll still be fearful of it, but as long as we do our job and we bring the right people in, and we hire right and we train right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everyone gets again. We get our expectation and the client gets to experience like we get to offer. That's the thing we get to do. So much more Obviously yeah, it's going to be great. We're going to make more money, yes, but in the same respect, we're not going gonna have to say no to business people that want the kdo way yeah they want to hire us and want that, that level of service and that reputation that we've built.
Speaker 2:We can say, yes, here you go, we have a coordinator, have fun, you're gonna have a great day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because we trust our coordinator what I love about that is it just sounds like the way you talk about your business and your clients. It's so from the heart of wanting to care for them.
Speaker 3:It's very personal, yeah, and you don't have to be.
Speaker 2:I'm sure there are plenty of firms that are more like you know, cut and copy and paste, but we just will always be. You know, our thing has always been that we want to share their love story.
Speaker 1:We want to know their love story and who they are so we can share that throughout the process. How do you convey that vision?
Speaker 3:and passion for your business when you are bringing new people onto the team. The interview process we're learning the three.
Speaker 1:C's Okay, tell me more.
Speaker 2:Well, ashley taught us Character, charisma and competency Chemistry.
Speaker 3:Chemistry.
Speaker 2:Sorry, Characters, charisma and competency Chemistry Chemistry.
Speaker 3:Sorry, chemistry, competency, character, character. So you make sure they have all those three things. Usually, like, our interviews used to be just like oh my God, what TV show are you watching? I'm like, oh hi.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we like you. You're nice, come work for us.
Speaker 3:So now, like it's going to be way more in depth and we want to know that these people are going to show up and show up for us and show up for their couples and have great interest and like a desire to do this, because it's not for everybody.
Speaker 2:No, no one was. A lot of people don't want to spend 14 hours on a.
Speaker 2:Saturday on their feet running around, like helping others, necessarily. So I think, like character is something that we've. We've done a good job and we've been lucky in a lot of ways, um, finding people with strong character, uh, integrity or work ethic. And many of the people that are on our team at least four or five of them have been with us for five or more years working with us. So they're like going to be the first ones that we go to, but we want to be able to do more, so we'll bring more people in and you know they're competent, they have the character. The ones that exist already Chemistry, chemistry Is that right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Okay, I don't know why I keep forgetting it. Yeah, competency and interview, but is the character there and like, how do we kind of feel our way through that? Um, but we do think that if we follow kind of this framework, um, that we will be successful in that I like that the three c's go ashley no, that's right literally I heard recently from a lady that I I she's called the Lazy Genius and she said that how did she say it?
Speaker 1:It's more important to learn. Learning to pivot is more important than learning to plan I think that's how she said it, or something, or maybe. Like pivoting is just as important as planning, and I've heard you kind of touch on that a couple of times. But can you guys think of like any stories where you've just really had to pivot or really go to a new plan?
Speaker 3:think fast on your feet the best one, oh my god. No, it's the best story, oh okay, okay it was about 11 years ago.
Speaker 2:It was about no, it's been longer than that. I think it might have been like 13 years ago, um or so. I had planned a full service wedding for about 18 months. We were working together with this couple who are having people come in to the Berkshires from all over the world, so there was hotel accommodation.
Speaker 3:And Berkshires Massachusetts. Berkshires, massachusetts.
Speaker 2:Thank you. So they had people coming in from all over. So, like airplane transfers, hotel room needs, the venue that they selected for the family is like the host venue could also do their rehearsal dinner and welcome party and then the wedding would happen and then they'd all have the brunch on the last day. So it was extremely, you know, everything was in one spot. Thankfully there was a caterer that was needed for that venue.
Speaker 2:Um, so at like two, 30 or three, I was driving out for the rehearsal on the Friday of the wedding weekend and I had only brought my intern with me who was like hardly knew what was going on and was like, oh, I don't need my assistant, this rehearsal is going to be super easy. Like she can just come on the day of. So I'm driving out and the mother of the bride calls me and she tells me that we can't have the wedding at the venue the Friday, the Friday at like two o'clock before the wedding basically was going to take place, because of some fire code, some weird permit, local ordinance, I don't know. Yeah, so we got, got there, I arrived and we went through like about an hour and a half of like almost limbo, of like not knowing what to tell people and what was going to happen, and so there was accommodations at the venue. So the venue found some alternate accommodations so that was okay, worry about that.
Speaker 2:So we had gotten everyone off site that was going to stay there. But then we had to figure out what we were doing for the welcome party, the rehearsal, the wedding day, my goodness. The ceremony, the reception, everything.
Speaker 1:And this is like the day of the rehearsal. You also need to figure out what we're going to do for the rehearsal later that day.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah. So they allowed us to do the rehearsal outside, which was good, and it bought us some time. Thankfully the weather was good, but literally from about five o'clock until 1130, we called it the war, like the situation room. We all got in this room the rental company, the caterer, the florist, myself. I brought my assistant, who I was like you don't have to come. I was like I don't care when you get here, just get here. She's like I'm wearing jeans.
Speaker 1:I'm like you could be wearing.
Speaker 2:just get here that actually like, not that my internal wasn't capable, but yeah, clearly I needed someone. Um. So we in that, literally in that seven hour timeframe, we moved the entire wedding to a brand new location, communicated with all the guests, fixed transportation, moved, the catering, got everything like reset so that by the time that guests had to know where they were going on Saturday, everybody knew where they were going and it was completely new and brand new and flawless and amazing. And I got to some point at like after the toast, right. So the whole day has almost happened. And I'm like standing looking there and I turn to the photographer and I'm like how the hell did we get here? He's like I have no idea. He's like I don't know how you did this. And I was like holy crap.
Speaker 3:And my favorite part was when, from hearing the story a thousand times, my favorite part is the mother of the bride. When they're in the war room trying to figure it out with all the vendors, the mother's bride comes in with a martini in her hand. She's like and this is why I've hired you, I have guests to entertain.
Speaker 2:And she left yep, she's like, I trust you all, just let us know elise is like sweating that's so stressful. So pivot, yeah, that's a big pivot and then it was like eye-opening to like just reminding the client and the people that love them what's important yeah, what you're?
Speaker 1:you're still having your day, you're still getting married. You're the people who love you are still here. Exactly how did you actually? How did you practically solve that problem? Was it just literally making phone calls to see who else was available?
Speaker 2:yes, it was. I had, like I, because we didn't know. I was like, well, maybe where it could be if we can just find a piece of land. I was like I got to get a tent. I like we needed to like extra stuff, so I was calling in a lot of rental companies. Be like, just in case I might need this. What do you have an inventory? Are you available? Like yeah, like yeah, it was crazy. So like I was like I'll get back to you. And then what we did is we went to two or three different venues that evening and then someone was on a board somewhere at, like, the library. We actually ended up having their wedding, which was supposed to be at this gorgeous, you know, 10 to 12,000 square foot like a state. We had it in the public library thousand square foot like a state.
Speaker 2:Um, we had it in the public library. That is beautiful, it was stunning, yeah, yeah, but we had to definitely pivot, because I mean we had to. We were moving like these giant we my assistant, god bless her like we're moving like these giant stacks of periodicals out of the way and just like taking whatever was planned and remaking it work. And then you have to think about like people were already seated at tables and table numbers and there was a floor plan, so we had to try to recreate that floor plan in a whole new space. Yeah, it was crazy. It was crazy. It's I still can't even.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was great, great but yeah, the, the mother, the mother of the bride. You said that was yeah the mother of the bride said the moral of the story. I hired you guys. I trust you.
Speaker 2:I know you're gonna solve my problem yeah, let me know where I need to be I'm gonna go have a couple drinks yeah, and be with my family and friends. Yeah, can you imagine?
Speaker 3:though, like that is such a good story.
Speaker 2:It's such a good story too, because it's like if we were not there, that mother would have probably like it would work.
Speaker 1:She would have worked all night, yeah she would have been working I also like the part of the story that's the collaboration with you and the other vendors. Right like you weren't on an island, you, you had a. You had some, some connections and some other people who could help with that yeah, yeah all right, so we're gonna start wrapping it up.
Speaker 1:Um, I I want to ask about what is the favorite part of your job, of what you do? But I think I want to ask, like, if, if each of you could think of a story or like a moment that really was so joyful or that really was, that really reminded you of why you even do this we have so many of those moments don't you think?
Speaker 2:we celebrate each other as much as we do our couples and our clients and our frienders and all that stuff.
Speaker 2:But like I mean, we have this picture that is my favorite picture of all time and it's in Napa.
Speaker 2:We did a wedding in Napa together for a beautiful client and the photographer captured a photo of us hugging, like after all, the hard part is done. It's like the moment where, like, we can literally kind of like take a beat and I just I love that because it was like we finally got through the biggest parts of planning a wedding across the country in a space we've never been before I was pregnant, right, or had just had a baby. Like there were just so many outside factors of it going one way or another and I knew we were going to do great, but it was such a relief and like we were watching everything unfold and everybody that was there, happy and just celebrating, and I like hugged, casey and I was like we did this and it was like a very monumental, monumental moment, moment and that the fact that the photographer we didn't even know the photographer was there. Oh, looking through the pictures and we're like oh my god, this is so good.
Speaker 2:Oh my god that's one for me that's so great.
Speaker 3:I know that's a fave for me, and the fact that there's a picture makes me happy I know I'm looking at past weddings to be like is something like hitting, that's like something we just have like good moments. Everyone. We do. It's true, we really do. Uh, well, maybe our relationship with them is one of my favorite things yeah um, like, obviously we do 30 weddings a year and you're part of somebody's very special day, a giant moment in their life, and you're part of their we call their love team.
Speaker 3:Um, because you're part of these vendors that you're like there for, like these very intimate moments and these moments that they're going to remember for the rest of their lives, and you're in the background like hey, you know, so, um, but I love when you're able to take that friendship and that relationship to the next like step, being like past the wedding Right, and there's like a couple that we worked with for probably like a year and they did like this beautiful backyard wedding and we, katie and I like bonded with them instantly and we were able to like really have like a quality friendship afterwards. Now I'm like we hang out.
Speaker 2:Game night.
Speaker 3:Christmas parties, birthdays, like all that backyard barbecues, and like I love when that happens, when you're able to make like real friendships after the wedding.
Speaker 1:That's amazing yeah I love it. I have had your guys instagram page open during this and I just love the top of your instagram with your beautiful headshots and your bios. Um, listeners, you guys got to check it out. They are at katie o events on instagram. Um, and you guys, I mean, what you're doing is so cool, um, and love you, we do we love you.
Speaker 1:And you're inspiring, and I think you're. I don't know that I am a person that would ever have so much energy to do what you do in the industry right, Because it's a lot. You put your whole hearts into it, but I really respect what you do. If people want to know more about you, where else can they go besides Instagram?
Speaker 2:Definitely KDO Events at Instagram and kdoev eventscom. Um, we have a pretty decent website that has a lot of great information on there. Um, and we're always willing to chat dm us if you have any questions or if you want to just think about stuff. We love ideas.
Speaker 1:We love big ideas um free for you right there I will end with a quick enneagram question for you, casey. What advice would you give to somebody who has a one in their life, or a three in their life? How can they love them well?
Speaker 3:For myself.
Speaker 1:Why don't you do for Katie and Katie do for Casey Well, like you kind of have to be their mirror, right.
Speaker 3:So if you want to encourage a three, you have to be their cheerleader, right so you'd be like good job.
Speaker 1:You're doing such a good job you are doing everything right, great job.
Speaker 2:I don't want to have to ask you, just tell me.
Speaker 3:I know when Katie's feeling love, she's like am I doing a good job? I'm like you're doing a great job, girl, like keep going. So I think you'd be a mirror for any of your numbers.
Speaker 2:So for me it's basically the same thing. Yeah, a little bit Also like I feel like it's acknowledging the hard work you're doing to keep it organized and keeping it straightforward, and all of the crazy floating ideas. It's like, oh my gosh, thank you. This is so much clearer. This makes more sense. This is a great system that you've created, and not looking it over or taking that for granted.
Speaker 1:I love it, acknowledging the hard work that each other are doing. Yeah Well, thank you guys. So much for your time and we'll talk to you soon. Thanks, elise, bye, bye, bye. This episode was recorded using equipment provided to the public by the LaPorte County Public Library System. If you liked this episode, let me know. I'd love to hear from you, tell me what other topics you'd love to hear covered on this podcast and, as always, you can find more content on my Instagram at Towards Eden Enneagram, as well as on Facebook Towards Eden Enneagram.