September 25, 2024 • 38 mins
My next guest is Adrienna McDermott of Ava And The Bee. As a former wedding professional and current agency owner who has served over 250 vendors around the world, Adrienna is a sought-after thought leader in the world of wedding marketing and strategy. After spending many years as a bridal boutique owner, wedding planner, and florist, she intimately understands the challenges that vendors face in the always-changing digital world and how important it is to stand out from the rest.
Ava & the Bee, is the in-house marketing studio for wedding professionals ready for inclusive, results-driven marketing that creates freedom in their business and cultivates a client connection and experience before they even speak with you.
In this episode Adrienna shares her story and how she got an early start by leaping into a wedding business and partnership. She shares how an impactful moment in her life led her to shift gears and how Ava and the Bee was born.
As I am sure you can tell by the guests we have on here, I love experts that are or were formerly planners. I think it’s so helpful for us all to hear their stories and to learn from experts that really understand the unique struggles the wedding industry faces so you have solutions to those challenges as well as the advice and insight into how to improve your business strategies.
In this episode:
- Adrienna’s Story
- Balancing the Client Experience and Business Strategy
- Reinventing Yourself in the Wedding Industry
- The Importance of Supportive Wedding Community
- Starting a Marketing Agency for Wedding Professionals
- The Importance of a Strong Website
- Building Trust and Consistent Messaging
- Advice for Planners at Different Stages
- Leveraging Your Vendor Network
- Services Offered by Adrienna's Agency, Ava & the Bee
Connect with Ava and the Bee
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest
DIY Website & Social Media Audit
https://avaandthebee.myflodesk.com/website-audit
Today's episode is brought to you by the Planner Life Academy online course.
What is the most important thing to do when you want to become a successful wedding planner?
Whether you're just starting out or you're ready to level up, these questions constantly creep in. How can I charge more? How do I book more clients? How can I do this better? This must not be this hard. Everybody else seems to be doing better than me. I've been there.
And I've learned so many things the hard way so that you don't have to. The thing is, the path to overcoming doubt is different for everyone, and you can't Google your way to success. I have done over 900 weddings and events, and I've learned so many ways to improve my customer experience, organization, design skills, and wedding day process.
And after years of hosting in -person workshops for planners, we created an online course so planners can learn what they need to succeed from the comfort of their own home.
If you want to do this, you can, and we're here to show you how.
And this just isn't any wedding planner certification. It's everything I have learned over the last 20 years poured into an easy to lear
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Heather Hoesch Olsen (04:30.52)Hi planners, welcome to today's show. I have a very special guest and we're gonna dive into one of the topics that I think we all struggle with. And so welcome to the Planner Life podcast, Adriana, hi.
(00:01):
Adrienna (04:43.659)Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited about today.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (04:47.682)Me too. I feel like I've been a fan for probably a little over a year. I think I came across you on Instagram and was like, this girl knows what she's talking about. And so I'm excited to finally connect and have this conversation where planners can listen in because even before we got started and started recording, we're chatting about all of these struggles that planners go through. So.
But before we dive into that too too much, let's talk about you. If you wouldn't mind introducing yourself, where are you located, who are you, and what do do?
Adrienna (05:23.787)Hey guys, I'm Adriana. I'm the Ava behind Ava and the Bee. The Bee is my cat, Brutus, in case you're wondering. We are a marketing agency for wedding professionals. Specifically, we only work with wedding bros all day, every day, and a lot of planners. I am currently living outside of Philadelphia in New Jersey.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (05:47.244)Wonderful. And I love that your cat is part of your name.
Adrienna (05:52.309)He's my B. I closed my door because he will jump on in the middle of a podcast recording.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (05:58.06)Yeah, same. I have two that listeners are fully aware of because occasionally they hear them in the back. So did you grow up in that area where you live now or where did you grow up and what were you like as a kid?
Adrienna (06:10.275)So I grew up in Northeast Ohio. I'm from a very, very small town outside of Akron, if anyone's familiar with Ohio. I actually, as a child, I was always incredibly creative in terms of I was an only child and I just lived with my mom and she loved instilling creativity and artistry. Like she was the kind of mom that was like anything you want to do, like you can create it.
And my first business was I was making MySpace layouts. That's literally how I learned design was I was, I mean, we're dating myself. Y 'all know how old I am now, but making MySpace layouts in high school. And that was my first time. And my mom like actually like had me set up a PayPal. Like she was like, yeah, okay. Like $5 here. And so I think that kind of is still that business.
And then when I went to college, I originally went to a state school and then transferred to Savannah College of Art and Design because I knew I wanted to do something in art. And so I got my start in weddings actually working in millinery. So millinery is hat making. I thought I was going to be a milliner. So in high school, I started making hats like Kentucky Derby hats, wedding hats, wedding accessories. So I actually started in the creator side.
And then I transferred to SCAD, was going to do the millinery program, ended up switching to textile design and really found a fascination with textiles and fabric. to pay for college, I worked in retail. worked in bridal shops. So my beginning really was starting on the creator, creating for clients and then paying for college by working at David's bridal and then a private smaller owned boutique in Savannah, Georgia.
Adrienna (08:05.631)So I started in just this creation phase and then I went to school for textile design. And then my senior year of college, while I was working at a bridal shop, I met a wedding planner who also worked at David's bridal and we did a style shoot together. I did the accessories. She planned the style shoot down in St. Augustine. And on this call, I mean, on this drive, we're just chatting because I had managed a salon in town that had closed and the space was still open.
And me being 22 still in college are like, how fun would it be if we opened a shop and then we did planning weddings and then we had this bridal shop? And I thought this girl would say I was crazy. And she looked at me and she's like, wait, we can do that. And like, so we did it. So my senior year of college, instead of applying for jobs, my final senior class was presenting logo concepts for this company. Like I was literally like presenting logo concepts of like,
We're thinking moonbeam this. was, the boho days. This is back in 2013. So just to get an aesthetic style of what we got going on. so anyway, long story short, we opened up Ivory and Bo. We got our business loan approximately 30 days before market. We literally booked our flights to New York city and we're like, well, we don't have money, but we're going to have money. We'll get a loan. We were young and wishful thinking and we opened and within a few months we got into floral.
designed. So we eventually did floral, wedding planning, and the bridal shop. So we had an in -person store and we did it all. And that's kind of how it evolved was it started creating and then just meeting someone who had the same feeling of, yeah, we can totally figure that out. We're young, why not? And then that's kind of how I ended up in the industry was I kind of just got thrown in.
$100,000 business loan and we figured it out. We made it work.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (10:03.408)my gosh, I can't believe someone gave you guys that.
Adrienna (10:07.029)The SBAC of Savannah, Georgia, like, cause we came in with a business plan. We came in with statistics. Like we came in it with the, are going to crush this and we have the five year plan to do so. So we came in very business minded and not like we're just going to open.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (10:24.908)Yeah, not just like woo -woo about it. I think one of the things that's so interesting there is, I think, first of all, I also started in bridal salon. I think that's one of the best ways to learn how to deal and work with brides because that is one of the most emotional times and one of the most like emotional experiences. It's about what they look like and it's about how they feel. so catering to that, I think is such a master class in weddings.
Adrienna (10:26.966)Yes.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (10:52.386)despite it being such a small sliver of the industry. And so how did that business go? Did you love it? Were you overwhelmed? Three sections of wedding, like the industry is wild.
(00:22):
Adrienna (11:03.841)Yeah, like you said, it's such an intimate purchase. And it's honestly how I learned sales was you had 10 seconds to find out about a person and then you had to undress them. Like you are literally in an intimate environment talking while also selling, while also figuring it out. I was fascinated by it. Like I was obsessed with this. how can I figure out how to like sell, sell, sell? And it was, it was...
It was a really good experience. I will say when you're young, you don't look after your body. You don't look after your mental health and you don't listen to your intuition. So I unfortunately was in a business partnership that did not go well. So it just, we saw very different things. We had very different ideas of success and it was really becoming the point where I was physically unable to, to live. I started getting kidney stones to the point where I'm going to specialists and they're like, you're literally destroying your body. Like you physically are working seven days a week because we'd be at the shop all day and then you'd have a wedding and then you'd have cleanup and then you'd have to do it literally the next day. Like there wasn't days off and we were a small team. It was just like three of us with subcontractors. And so after a few years, I actually created even the be literally from a Mona burnout. So back in 2017, I was in an Ulta parking lot. There was an Ulta right by our shop. And I had a complete breakdown. My car broke down and I lost it. Like it wasn't a normal breakdown, but it was like every single emotion was coming through. On the outside, we looked so successful. We actually had TV stations like major.
TV stations, like the big ones, not like local TV, coming to us for shows because they were like, how do you do it? You're young. Like, this is what, you know, say yes to the dress meets blah, blah, blah. And so like, it looked like that on the outside that we were just crushing it. But I was emotionally not able to handle anything. It destroyed a relationship. I am in, it was awful. And in that moment, I'm literally sitting in my car and I call my friend, Jenny, and I'm like,
I don't know, I'm just inconsolable. And she just looks at me so calmly and she knows me and she's like, you have to leave. And that had never crossed my mind. Never once did leaving this thing I created cross my mind because I didn't want to be seen as a failure or a quitter because in our industry, we work so hard.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (13:51.734)or a quitter. I know that exact feeling.
Adrienna (13:59.499)that we don't wanna express weakness. I didn't want anyone to know how sad I was or how depressed I was or any of this. And I was scared and I was very fortunately in a great relationship with who is now my husband. And I just remember coming home afterwards, he was in the military at the time. He was like, I came as soon as I could get off base. And he was like, well, yeah, you have to leave. Like to everybody else, it was this most obvious, like it's okay. And I was so scared and I...
started Ava and the B just simply because once I decided to leave and sell my share of the business, I didn't know what to do. So I got a job at a law firm doing like creative engagements, like events and stuff, not expecting to ever work in the wedding industry again, because I was like, I'm old news. I'm a dropout, right? Like I'm college dropout. Like I'm a wedding dropout.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (14:55.148)Isn't that so interesting that this industry, I think you're not alone in feeling that. The optics are sometimes so strong, but the reality has such a disconnect and the way we feel about those two are just not accurate. I've watched people reinvent themselves in this industry over and over again. It's just when it's us reinventing ourselves, we think it's not possible, but it really is. And honestly,
I think it's easier to reinvent yourself in the same industry than going to a new one.
Adrienna (15:27.017)Yes, and that's kind of how it happened was I just was on Wednesdays. I could work from home and so I would go to a coffee shop with a bunch of friends who are all wedding people because all your friends are in the wedding industry when you work in it. Like you don't know people outside the industry and they were like, I've been looking for a virtual assistant. Will you write my blog so you do my Pinterest? Like you already know it. And so was like, well, yeah, like that's that's how we grew our business was, you know, website blogging Pinterest. I was like, I can back in my hand.
And within six months, I was making more than my full -time job. And I had a wait list. Like people were referring me. I never had to advertise Ava and the B. It was simply, I just told a few friends and they told their friends who told their friends. And it was incredible. Like I get goosebumps when I think about how scared, like I wish I could have told Adriana back then that like she would have still been supported by the community because in my mind I was like, they're never going to hire someone who left.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (16:29.496)See, and I agree. I think that a lot of people feel that way, but it's just not true. I think more than ever, you are now filling a gap in the industry for all these planners who are so busy working for their couples, they don't have time. I don't even have an interest or a blog right now. I know, I don't, Like, I don't have time for that. But does that mean that I know that it's important and I know that it's a top priority? and I know that it should be something I'm doing. So outsourcing that to someone who I know gets it, obviously that's such a slam dunk. So how quickly did that kind of evolve and how much were you focused on then like, this is what I'm gonna do now. Like, was that an overnight thing or was that, when did you start to build the confidence in this is a good idea?
Adrienna (17:29.333)No, would say I, my husband, my boyfriend at the time, my now husband was the one who realized this was a great business, was, I would say within six months when I started realizing, my gosh, like the need. I think when I realized how high of a demand was, cause I was like you, I had almost forgotten how much time marketing was because sometimes you just do it and you're behind and it's a whatever. I'll do it next week.
And then I was hearing from all these clients who are like, I haven't been looking for this for the last five years. I didn't even know this existed. Like I didn't know that I could just hire someone who understood the industry and just did it. Like you didn't have to explain what a wedding day looked like. Like you just got it. And so within about, within about six, seven months, I quit my full -time job and started doing this a hundred percent. And in 2018 is when I started and then yeah, by like fall of 2018, this was at full time.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (18:32.236)I love it. I that planners get to hear stories of you don't have to do this forever if you don't want to. And if you do want to stay in the wedding industry, you just need to find your little part in it. And then also that being a planner doesn't have to be your only identity. These skill sets are super transferable inside this industry and out.
Adrienna (18:57.959)Exactly. And for me, it's been so gratifying because I can grow a team and my team are all wedding professionals. So they can understand, like I can transfer these skills into all these things. the answer is, yeah, you definitely can. Like it's, it's you understand it and your clients will love that.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (19:17.442)And I think a lot of planners are either good at marketing or we're not. Like there doesn't seem to be an in -between. And so what about you? Do you have a marketing background? You went to school more for design, right?
Adrienna (19:29.121)Yeah, zero marketing background. So one of my favorite Facebook memories is from like 2014 when we were building a website on Squarespace and I literally posted on Facebook. How do I get on the first page of Google? So like I have intimately been there Googling. How do I get on Google? And so every single thing I have learned has literally been from us learning it.
to then implement it for my own business and then now for our clients. And I think what's been unique is we've worked with over 250 vendors since 2018. We're gonna be close to 300 by the end of the year. And so that means I see intimately the behind the scenes of marketing, hundreds of businesses. So I'm able to decipher what works for some, what won't work for others because I'm able to see such a shift.
and I'm able to see that inside of their business. So much of what we are able to do as marketers just comes simply from working with hundreds of vendors and being able to kind of dissect all the pieces.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (20:32.404)And when you say marketing, that's such a big umbrella. What specifically are you talking about for the wedding industry?
(00:43):
Adrienna (20:40.171)So a lot of marketing, so marketing is just simply getting your business in front of the consumer. It's getting your business in front of the consumer. So the ways that typically we do this in a broad sense, our most popular would be blogging, Pinterest, newsletters, Instagram, other ways that we've been able to help our website, brand design, copywriting, SEO. But it's really any narrative or platform to just. get in front of your audience. in terms of an agency, we're able to do kind of what are all the pieces that we're going to be touching specifically for them.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (21:15.604)Mm -hmm. And for planners listening, what should be the one thing, if you were to say, there's this one piece of advice, what should be the one thing they're focusing on the most? Obviously, in an ideal world, it's a holistic approach and we're focusing on all of it. What's the one thing?
Adrienna (21:35.201)100 % your website right now. And this is not something that I would have told you a years ago. So if you would have asked me three or four years ago, I would have said your website is important. It is not the end all be all. What we have seen from the back end of these businesses and from our inquiries, because we track obviously data wise, what are they asking us for? And this is one of the first years where one of our biggest changes and inquiries is vendors coming us to say,
I am missing out on business because my website is outdated. I am actively losing business because of my website now. Because referrals just quite aren't looking like they used to. They are doing extensive research. And if the website doesn't present as well, it doesn't stick in their mind and they have pause. And the second we give them pause, it's over.
Adrienna (22:30.433)So what we have really been seeing is the website because it's your salesperson 24 seven. As you're listening to this podcast, there's probably someone on your website. What do they see? Like that is what they're looking at. So that is where we have seen a huge shift and it's regardless of price point. So I think a lot of times there's a stigma around, well, I'm luxury. Well, of course we could talk about for days. What does luxury mean? Because that's a interesting word.
But let's say you're working with half a million dollar clients, which some of ours are, that website's still one of the most important things we're doing for them because couples are still searching. I know Sarah was just on and she explained it the exact same way. People search regardless of what money they make. Like it is in a fundamental decision. So regardless of where you're at, beginner to 35 years in the business, it's your website.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (23:26.892)And I, I don't know why planners don't necessarily believe that or take the time to really invest in that. I all too often see like a hodgepodge website up with not a lot of thought in the copy, in the imagery, and really, like I said, kind of a holistic approach to making sure that their brand, their voice, that someone's coming there and immediately falling in love with how they do it, who they are and meeting the need of that client on their site. And so I think one of the things that planners can get really easily overwhelmed is like, well, where do I start? How do I even begin that? And what if I don't have, you know, thousands of dollars to invest in this? What are some of the like small tips that you might share of?
Heather Hoesch Olsen (24:48.014)So planners are often overwhelmed by this entire concept and they look at their website and they're like, I'm not getting the leads I want to, I'm not getting the type of leads I want to. But what are some of the small things they can do if they don't feel like, they have thousands of dollars or they're not in a season where they're quite ready to make a big change? What are some of those little small, what's that advice?
Adrienna (25:13.661)Yeah. So one of the first things that I think it's overlooked the most is what you mentioned was messaging. A website has to have words. We have to convey. We have to sell. There's psychological data behind selling and it comes down to words. So I think one of the first things we have, we ask people to do is who, who do you want to hear themselves in your copy? And then they go, well, I'm not quite sure. So we tell them, look at your reviews.
Adrienna (25:43.711)I want you to pull all your reviews. want you to throw it into something like ChatGBT and I want you to ask it to highlight five things that your clients say again and again and again about you. That's what I want you to focus your messaging on because our clients are actively telling us what they're looking for. Actively, they're telling us in reviews or they're telling us in their initial questionnaires, you know. turn that into talking points. So for example, if they are continuously saying how you were able as a planner to help wrangle all of the family members because you do really big weddings with a lot of people, that is a gift. I never touched a wedding over 250 people because that is not my gift. So how could we lean into that? Like how can we have your messaging being talking about how you're able to handle all of these logistics and the people? It's also something to think about is
What are different ways that we can communicate value outside of just we're there on the day of your wedding? Because at the end of the day, a planner isn't just there to be at your wedding. How can we communicate the value of having a sounding board, of having a logistical partner, of having a designer? We have some clients, we have one in particular, where she loves the design, but that's not what she's selling. She's selling that she's a logistical magician.
What is your one special thing that we're gonna be communicating? And the chances are it's in your testimonials already. We just have to find it.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (27:16.128)I love that. I feel like. In general, we probably underestimate the value of testimonials in reviews. And for some planners listening that are like, I'm struggling to even get my clients to give me those. What advice would you have? Because I think that often couples are thrilled with services, but then the wedding's over and they're kind of just done and they're moving on to buying a house or planning their lives and.
family planning and all these things that come next, that it's not always easy to get those reviews. What advice would you give there?
Adrienna (27:55.777)So we have a few different things that we recommend. So first is try to get a review during the planning process. There is no reason to wait till the end to get a glowing review. So let's say, I mean, I utilize this when I was a planner. So let's say, for example, you just dealt with a difficult situation. Maybe it was, we had to decide a certain vendor and we weren't quite sure, or maybe it's a design decision that required a bit of work, but they're really excited. Anytime you get a positive email like that, we are like, thank you so much. That was amazing.
Paraphrase it, write a little couple of sentences and be like, does this kind of reflect how you're feeling? If so, I'd love to save it as a testimonial for later. You do the heavy work, you write it out, 99 % of the time they're happy and they're gonna be like, yeah, of course, like, yeah, use it, screenshot it, whatever. Throughout the planning process, get that type of feedback from them so that way you're not worried about at the very end. now I have to try to get reviews.
So we usually recommend throughout the process, try to get some good ones.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (28:59.16)Great advice. I love that. So for the audience listening, we have planners that are just getting started. We have planners that have some experience in running their businesses, and we have some that are really, really experienced. Do you have different marketing advice for each of those depending on their season? And what, especially for someone who's ready to up level to that next kind of tier of wedding?
Adrienna (29:24.851)Yeah, so one of the biggest misconceptions about marketing is that it can work for everybody. So I get asked all the time, can you just sell me a strategy? Like, can I just buy one in your shop? And the answer is I wish, but unfortunately that is not the case. So for example, we have in Austin, we have multiple photographers we work with and someone from the outside might go, wait, how are you working with photographers in the same city? And the answer is their marketing is vastly different. Their audiences are vastly different there is no cannibalization happening because they're not gonna be talking to the same people on a discovery call. So your strategy, whenever we're creating it for a client, it is incredibly varied. So it depends on where you're at in your business, but also your audience and what they're looking for. A lot of times when we build businesses as artists, we take a me approach. What do I want? What do I dream of? And while yes, that's obviously a valid point, someone has to pay those bills. So we have to also figure out how can we combine our marketing to not just be, about me and be about the client. And often when people work with us, we do find that they are at that up -leveling. So for example, it could be raising prices, niching down. So possibly deciding, I only want to take 15 weddings a year, or I want an associate team. Very different strategy. So someone who wants to grow an associate team and someone who wants to take 10 weddings at a percentage base. we'll have very different strategies because from a percentage base, we're obviously marketing a very different experience than a team where we're marketing a team. So it definitely depends, but I think the biggest thing, regardless of which one you're doing is to be thinking about every single touch point and making sure they all match. So often when people up level as planners, they of course think of things like sales and up leveling the CRM and that's great. And a hundred percent do that.
But what about the rest of the pieces? What about the touch points? When they go to your social, does it match the voice? So many times I look at someone's social and I look at their website or I get on a phone with them and I'm like, this is the same person. Like had no idea. Have we upleveled the value that we're giving them? How we actually made it express? We can't just raise pricing. You can never just raise your pricing and hope they will come. Last year,
Adrienna (31:53.825)Probably because we had one of the biggest years we're going to see probably for another decade or so. But moving forward, no, we have to be really cognizant when we're raising prices that every little piece gets up leveled.
(01:04):
Heather Hoesch Olsen (32:05.984)It's so true. And I think it's one of the things that as a coach, I hear planners struggle with the most. I actually am doing a workshop next year completely dedicated to this topic of making sure your entire brand, all of your marketing, all of your strategy, your portfolio, who you are right now in your business in order to raise your prices and packages and really serve the audience.
making sure you're actually attracting that audience, all of that. So I think that that is something we can all relate to. And it almost is something that planners are struggling with year in, year out, because the client keeps changing and the industry keeps changing. And like you said, last year is very different from this year and it's going to be very different from next year. And so what are some of the things that you're seeing that are working and what are some of the things that
we no longer need to focus on because that's just not where the industry and the client are anymore.
Adrienna (33:09.323)So definitely really considering when we're doing, when they're in the research phase, what are they looking at? One of the first things I have people do in their mind blown is they just Google your name because there's a really good chance there's very outdated profiles and our couples are digging more than ever before. So one of the biggest shifts we're seeing is on websites. The time on websites actually increasing. I know all we hear about is how no one reads anymore or Gen Z, they're so quick.
Not necessarily, because we are seeing website times go up considerably, which means they're reading and digesting more, which then means they're scrolling a lot more on Google. So if you have stuff that's outdated, you got to get it up to date or get rid of it because you again are showing an inconsistency. And I think that's kind one of the biggest things is we really have to be consistent. And we also have to build trust. think one of the biggest things vendors forget.is that every couple, even getting married now, got burned by a vendor, like had a friend who got burned by a vendor in the last few years. This is more for photographers too, but if you just go on a Facebook group or a Reddit thread, there will be every single day someone saying they're photographers behind on pictures. You know who reads that? The person in your inbox. So when you're getting a lot more questions and they're not trusting you, it's because you're not giving them any reason to trust you.
So that's where we have to really be leaning into how are we gonna be able to build that trust, whether it's through our messaging, whether it's through making sure we're five steps ahead. A lot of times we're like, just fill out my contact form, we'll set up a call. Well, what does that call mean? I don't know what that call means, I just met you. Is it video, is it phone? Do I have to come in with questions? Are you gonna ask me questions? When do I figure out if you're a good fit? We have to be the ones that guide them. And I think it goes to that fact of,
Adrienna (35:11.851)They feel needier because they don't trust us. So I get to hear that all the time. Everyone's needy. And I'm like, well, cause they don't trust the industry right now. So they're gonna be really, really needy. We have to take ownership of that and guide them through it.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (35:28.43)A hundred percent. I, in my most recent coaching sessions, we're talking about trust a lot. And to me, I always say education is 60 % of this job is education. 40 % is planning. And one of the biggest disconnects I see is planners forget that that education starts with that very first email and it should start even sooner on your website and on your socials and all of those things so that there you're just planning those seeds of trust.
And by the time you do get to that scheduled video call or phone call, they know what to expect. They know how it's going to go. They're ready to have that conversation. You can dive deeper into that conversation. That conversation becomes a massive key touch point in building trust because you can't sell if you haven't at least established some trust or they're going to price shop. Now granted, sometimes people are going to price shop only no matter what.
Adrienna (36:21.505)100%.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (36:25.024)And that is what it is. And that's a piece of this industry for sure. However, if you want to get someone through the door and you want to make sure that they're going to choose you because of you, you have to educate and build that trust. Trust just doesn't happen. Trust isn't built on your portfolio. Trust isn't built on the amount of years you've been doing this. It's you talking directly to them, listening to their needs and meeting them.
Adrienna (36:53.441)100 % and that's where that messaging component. So many times as vendors, we just rely on our pictures where like my pictures will sell my work. No, it will not because people aren't the wedding industry is an emotional transaction. Nothing we do is like really that like it's an emotional purchase. It was just like when I was in a bridal shop was I selling a physical dress or a gown or a suit? Yes.
But what was actually selling was a feeling, was when they woke up and they put that on. That's what I sold. I did not sell the person standing there with bridesmaids and wedding party hanging out. Like I sold that moment. So we have to remember that as sellers is we have to build that trust because we're selling something that is incredibly emotional, regardless of how much you charge.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (37:44.14)And regardless of what our day was like or what our week is like or what we need for our business, you have to take a deep breath and go into every sales process ready to serve, ready to educate, ready to be excited for them. And it's easy to kind of forget that, especially when you're burnt out. When you're telling your story of feeling burnt out and not caring for your body and your mind, I think every single one of us listening can relate to that.
And so one of my last questions for you is if someone is sitting in their car listening to this right now, they're on their way to a meeting, they're exhausted, they forgot to have breakfast, and what advice would you give other than leaving your business right now?
Adrienna (38:33.377)No, I think one of the things I would say is first, it is okay to ask for help. And I'm not saying you have to necessarily outsource, but it's okay to ask your friends and be like, hey, I'm really struggling to show up on social media. Can you just help me write a few captions? It'll just help me feel 5 % better, right? Because you know for a fact, so many of your vendor friends would be like, my gosh, yeah, I got you. It'll take, cause it's so much easier to do stuff for other people than your own business. But being willing to also,
Tell vendors, hey, I'm not as booked as I want to be. I think a lot of times we forget that our vendors can also help bring us business. So if you're sitting here thinking, I'm really slow, well, maybe let your friends know, hey, I'm available for some fall weddings. I'm not sure if you like realize that. And that it is okay if you do want to decide to pivot and offer other things inside of your business. A lot of times we meet people who are like, I would love to be able to do something on the off season or not take as many weddings right now. So there are
alternatives if you're looking to kind of do different things inside of your business and that it's going to be okay and that at the end of the day you're already doing really incredible things.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (39:48.266)Mm -hmm. So well said. I think so many of us need to hear it's gonna be okay. I actually make my husband say that to me every night before we go to sleep. He's like, good night, love you. Everything's gonna be okay. And I just told him, I was like, I need that. I know that it may sound silly to you at times and there may be good days where you're like, this doesn't feel necessary. I need it every day. And I want every single person out there listening to know that
We collectively as this industry are here to remind you that it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. Ava, that's, or Adrienne, sorry. Does everyone just call you Ava? Yeah. Got it, okay. So lastly, for planners listening that are really excited about what you offer, how can they find you and what sort of...
Adrienna (40:30.527)Yeah. I would say like most of our clients end up calling me Ava too. And it's totally fine. It's the family nickname. like, yeah.
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Heather Hoesch Olsen (40:46.427)things do you offer directly to industry that you're helping?
Adrienna (40:51.445)Yeah, so you can come find us at ava in the bee .com and just on Instagram at Ava and the bee. I'm big in the DM. So pop over with any questions you have. I love the DMS and we can serve you a few different ways. So we can serve you in a monthly marketing container where we take off as much marketing as you want to give us. We can do it for vendors. And then we also work with a lot of coaches, educators, those who might need assistance with both sides of their business.
We also offer just strategies. So if you're someone who's like, can implement it, give me the tools. We can do that. And then you can also, we can support you through website branding and copy design.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (41:32.096)Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your story. I think a lot of us needed to hear it today. Have a wonderful day. Be well. Bye.
Adrienna (41:41.259)Thank you.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (04:30.52)Hi planners, welcome to today's show. I have a very special guest and we're gonna dive into one of the topics that I think we all struggle with. And so welcome to the Planner Life podcast, Adriana, hi.
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Adrienna (04:43.659)Hi, thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited about today.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (04:47.682)Me too. I feel like I've been a fan for probably a little over a year. I think I came across you on Instagram and was like, this girl knows what she's talking about. And so I'm excited to finally connect and have this conversation where planners can listen in because even before we got started and started recording, we're chatting about all of these struggles that planners go through. So.
But before we dive into that too too much, let's talk about you. If you wouldn't mind introducing yourself, where are you located, who are you, and what do do?
Adrienna (05:23.787)Hey guys, I'm Adriana. I'm the Ava behind Ava and the Bee. The Bee is my cat, Brutus, in case you're wondering. We are a marketing agency for wedding professionals. Specifically, we only work with wedding bros all day, every day, and a lot of planners. I am currently living outside of Philadelphia in New Jersey.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (05:47.244)Wonderful. And I love that your cat is part of your name.
Adrienna (05:52.309)He's my B. I closed my door because he will jump on in the middle of a podcast recording.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (05:58.06)Yeah, same. I have two that listeners are fully aware of because occasionally they hear them in the back. So did you grow up in that area where you live now or where did you grow up and what were you like as a kid?
Adrienna (06:10.275)So I grew up in Northeast Ohio. I'm from a very, very small town outside of Akron, if anyone's familiar with Ohio. I actually, as a child, I was always incredibly creative in terms of I was an only child and I just lived with my mom and she loved instilling creativity and artistry. Like she was the kind of mom that was like anything you want to do, like you can create it.
And my first business was I was making MySpace layouts. That's literally how I learned design was I was, I mean, we're dating myself. Y 'all know how old I am now, but making MySpace layouts in high school. And that was my first time. And my mom like actually like had me set up a PayPal. Like she was like, yeah, okay. Like $5 here. And so I think that kind of is still that business.
And then when I went to college, I originally went to a state school and then transferred to Savannah College of Art and Design because I knew I wanted to do something in art. And so I got my start in weddings actually working in millinery. So millinery is hat making. I thought I was going to be a milliner. So in high school, I started making hats like Kentucky Derby hats, wedding hats, wedding accessories. So I actually started in the creator side.
And then I transferred to SCAD, was going to do the millinery program, ended up switching to textile design and really found a fascination with textiles and fabric. to pay for college, I worked in retail. worked in bridal shops. So my beginning really was starting on the creator, creating for clients and then paying for college by working at David's bridal and then a private smaller owned boutique in Savannah, Georgia.
Adrienna (08:05.631)So I started in just this creation phase and then I went to school for textile design. And then my senior year of college, while I was working at a bridal shop, I met a wedding planner who also worked at David's bridal and we did a style shoot together. I did the accessories. She planned the style shoot down in St. Augustine. And on this call, I mean, on this drive, we're just chatting because I had managed a salon in town that had closed and the space was still open.
And me being 22 still in college are like, how fun would it be if we opened a shop and then we did planning weddings and then we had this bridal shop? And I thought this girl would say I was crazy. And she looked at me and she's like, wait, we can do that. And like, so we did it. So my senior year of college, instead of applying for jobs, my final senior class was presenting logo concepts for this company. Like I was literally like presenting logo concepts of like,
We're thinking moonbeam this. was, the boho days. This is back in 2013. So just to get an aesthetic style of what we got going on. so anyway, long story short, we opened up Ivory and Bo. We got our business loan approximately 30 days before market. We literally booked our flights to New York city and we're like, well, we don't have money, but we're going to have money. We'll get a loan. We were young and wishful thinking and we opened and within a few months we got into floral.
designed. So we eventually did floral, wedding planning, and the bridal shop. So we had an in -person store and we did it all. And that's kind of how it evolved was it started creating and then just meeting someone who had the same feeling of, yeah, we can totally figure that out. We're young, why not? And then that's kind of how I ended up in the industry was I kind of just got thrown in.
$100,000 business loan and we figured it out. We made it work.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (10:03.408)my gosh, I can't believe someone gave you guys that.
Adrienna (10:07.029)The SBAC of Savannah, Georgia, like, cause we came in with a business plan. We came in with statistics. Like we came in it with the, are going to crush this and we have the five year plan to do so. So we came in very business minded and not like we're just going to open.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (10:24.908)Yeah, not just like woo -woo about it. I think one of the things that's so interesting there is, I think, first of all, I also started in bridal salon. I think that's one of the best ways to learn how to deal and work with brides because that is one of the most emotional times and one of the most like emotional experiences. It's about what they look like and it's about how they feel. so catering to that, I think is such a master class in weddings.
Adrienna (10:26.966)Yes.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (10:52.386)despite it being such a small sliver of the industry. And so how did that business go? Did you love it? Were you overwhelmed? Three sections of wedding, like the industry is wild.
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Adrienna (11:03.841)Yeah, like you said, it's such an intimate purchase. And it's honestly how I learned sales was you had 10 seconds to find out about a person and then you had to undress them. Like you are literally in an intimate environment talking while also selling, while also figuring it out. I was fascinated by it. Like I was obsessed with this. how can I figure out how to like sell, sell, sell? And it was, it was...
It was a really good experience. I will say when you're young, you don't look after your body. You don't look after your mental health and you don't listen to your intuition. So I unfortunately was in a business partnership that did not go well. So it just, we saw very different things. We had very different ideas of success and it was really becoming the point where I was physically unable to, to live. I started getting kidney stones to the point where I'm going to specialists and they're like, you're literally destroying your body. Like you physically are working seven days a week because we'd be at the shop all day and then you'd have a wedding and then you'd have cleanup and then you'd have to do it literally the next day. Like there wasn't days off and we were a small team. It was just like three of us with subcontractors. And so after a few years, I actually created even the be literally from a Mona burnout. So back in 2017, I was in an Ulta parking lot. There was an Ulta right by our shop. And I had a complete breakdown. My car broke down and I lost it. Like it wasn't a normal breakdown, but it was like every single emotion was coming through. On the outside, we looked so successful. We actually had TV stations like major.
TV stations, like the big ones, not like local TV, coming to us for shows because they were like, how do you do it? You're young. Like, this is what, you know, say yes to the dress meets blah, blah, blah. And so like, it looked like that on the outside that we were just crushing it. But I was emotionally not able to handle anything. It destroyed a relationship. I am in, it was awful. And in that moment, I'm literally sitting in my car and I call my friend, Jenny, and I'm like,
I don't know, I'm just inconsolable. And she just looks at me so calmly and she knows me and she's like, you have to leave. And that had never crossed my mind. Never once did leaving this thing I created cross my mind because I didn't want to be seen as a failure or a quitter because in our industry, we work so hard.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (13:51.734)or a quitter. I know that exact feeling.
Adrienna (13:59.499)that we don't wanna express weakness. I didn't want anyone to know how sad I was or how depressed I was or any of this. And I was scared and I was very fortunately in a great relationship with who is now my husband. And I just remember coming home afterwards, he was in the military at the time. He was like, I came as soon as I could get off base. And he was like, well, yeah, you have to leave. Like to everybody else, it was this most obvious, like it's okay. And I was so scared and I...
started Ava and the B just simply because once I decided to leave and sell my share of the business, I didn't know what to do. So I got a job at a law firm doing like creative engagements, like events and stuff, not expecting to ever work in the wedding industry again, because I was like, I'm old news. I'm a dropout, right? Like I'm college dropout. Like I'm a wedding dropout.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (14:55.148)Isn't that so interesting that this industry, I think you're not alone in feeling that. The optics are sometimes so strong, but the reality has such a disconnect and the way we feel about those two are just not accurate. I've watched people reinvent themselves in this industry over and over again. It's just when it's us reinventing ourselves, we think it's not possible, but it really is. And honestly,
I think it's easier to reinvent yourself in the same industry than going to a new one.
Adrienna (15:27.017)Yes, and that's kind of how it happened was I just was on Wednesdays. I could work from home and so I would go to a coffee shop with a bunch of friends who are all wedding people because all your friends are in the wedding industry when you work in it. Like you don't know people outside the industry and they were like, I've been looking for a virtual assistant. Will you write my blog so you do my Pinterest? Like you already know it. And so was like, well, yeah, like that's that's how we grew our business was, you know, website blogging Pinterest. I was like, I can back in my hand.
And within six months, I was making more than my full -time job. And I had a wait list. Like people were referring me. I never had to advertise Ava and the B. It was simply, I just told a few friends and they told their friends who told their friends. And it was incredible. Like I get goosebumps when I think about how scared, like I wish I could have told Adriana back then that like she would have still been supported by the community because in my mind I was like, they're never going to hire someone who left.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (16:29.496)See, and I agree. I think that a lot of people feel that way, but it's just not true. I think more than ever, you are now filling a gap in the industry for all these planners who are so busy working for their couples, they don't have time. I don't even have an interest or a blog right now. I know, I don't, Like, I don't have time for that. But does that mean that I know that it's important and I know that it's a top priority? and I know that it should be something I'm doing. So outsourcing that to someone who I know gets it, obviously that's such a slam dunk. So how quickly did that kind of evolve and how much were you focused on then like, this is what I'm gonna do now. Like, was that an overnight thing or was that, when did you start to build the confidence in this is a good idea?
Adrienna (17:29.333)No, would say I, my husband, my boyfriend at the time, my now husband was the one who realized this was a great business, was, I would say within six months when I started realizing, my gosh, like the need. I think when I realized how high of a demand was, cause I was like you, I had almost forgotten how much time marketing was because sometimes you just do it and you're behind and it's a whatever. I'll do it next week.
And then I was hearing from all these clients who are like, I haven't been looking for this for the last five years. I didn't even know this existed. Like I didn't know that I could just hire someone who understood the industry and just did it. Like you didn't have to explain what a wedding day looked like. Like you just got it. And so within about, within about six, seven months, I quit my full -time job and started doing this a hundred percent. And in 2018 is when I started and then yeah, by like fall of 2018, this was at full time.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (18:32.236)I love it. I that planners get to hear stories of you don't have to do this forever if you don't want to. And if you do want to stay in the wedding industry, you just need to find your little part in it. And then also that being a planner doesn't have to be your only identity. These skill sets are super transferable inside this industry and out.
Adrienna (18:57.959)Exactly. And for me, it's been so gratifying because I can grow a team and my team are all wedding professionals. So they can understand, like I can transfer these skills into all these things. the answer is, yeah, you definitely can. Like it's, it's you understand it and your clients will love that.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (19:17.442)And I think a lot of planners are either good at marketing or we're not. Like there doesn't seem to be an in -between. And so what about you? Do you have a marketing background? You went to school more for design, right?
Adrienna (19:29.121)Yeah, zero marketing background. So one of my favorite Facebook memories is from like 2014 when we were building a website on Squarespace and I literally posted on Facebook. How do I get on the first page of Google? So like I have intimately been there Googling. How do I get on Google? And so every single thing I have learned has literally been from us learning it.
to then implement it for my own business and then now for our clients. And I think what's been unique is we've worked with over 250 vendors since 2018. We're gonna be close to 300 by the end of the year. And so that means I see intimately the behind the scenes of marketing, hundreds of businesses. So I'm able to decipher what works for some, what won't work for others because I'm able to see such a shift.
and I'm able to see that inside of their business. So much of what we are able to do as marketers just comes simply from working with hundreds of vendors and being able to kind of dissect all the pieces.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (20:32.404)And when you say marketing, that's such a big umbrella. What specifically are you talking about for the wedding industry?
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Adrienna (20:40.171)So a lot of marketing, so marketing is just simply getting your business in front of the consumer. It's getting your business in front of the consumer. So the ways that typically we do this in a broad sense, our most popular would be blogging, Pinterest, newsletters, Instagram, other ways that we've been able to help our website, brand design, copywriting, SEO. But it's really any narrative or platform to just. get in front of your audience. in terms of an agency, we're able to do kind of what are all the pieces that we're going to be touching specifically for them.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (21:15.604)Mm -hmm. And for planners listening, what should be the one thing, if you were to say, there's this one piece of advice, what should be the one thing they're focusing on the most? Obviously, in an ideal world, it's a holistic approach and we're focusing on all of it. What's the one thing?
Adrienna (21:35.201)100 % your website right now. And this is not something that I would have told you a years ago. So if you would have asked me three or four years ago, I would have said your website is important. It is not the end all be all. What we have seen from the back end of these businesses and from our inquiries, because we track obviously data wise, what are they asking us for? And this is one of the first years where one of our biggest changes and inquiries is vendors coming us to say,
I am missing out on business because my website is outdated. I am actively losing business because of my website now. Because referrals just quite aren't looking like they used to. They are doing extensive research. And if the website doesn't present as well, it doesn't stick in their mind and they have pause. And the second we give them pause, it's over.
Adrienna (22:30.433)So what we have really been seeing is the website because it's your salesperson 24 seven. As you're listening to this podcast, there's probably someone on your website. What do they see? Like that is what they're looking at. So that is where we have seen a huge shift and it's regardless of price point. So I think a lot of times there's a stigma around, well, I'm luxury. Well, of course we could talk about for days. What does luxury mean? Because that's a interesting word.
But let's say you're working with half a million dollar clients, which some of ours are, that website's still one of the most important things we're doing for them because couples are still searching. I know Sarah was just on and she explained it the exact same way. People search regardless of what money they make. Like it is in a fundamental decision. So regardless of where you're at, beginner to 35 years in the business, it's your website.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (23:26.892)And I, I don't know why planners don't necessarily believe that or take the time to really invest in that. I all too often see like a hodgepodge website up with not a lot of thought in the copy, in the imagery, and really, like I said, kind of a holistic approach to making sure that their brand, their voice, that someone's coming there and immediately falling in love with how they do it, who they are and meeting the need of that client on their site. And so I think one of the things that planners can get really easily overwhelmed is like, well, where do I start? How do I even begin that? And what if I don't have, you know, thousands of dollars to invest in this? What are some of the like small tips that you might share of?
Heather Hoesch Olsen (24:48.014)So planners are often overwhelmed by this entire concept and they look at their website and they're like, I'm not getting the leads I want to, I'm not getting the type of leads I want to. But what are some of the small things they can do if they don't feel like, they have thousands of dollars or they're not in a season where they're quite ready to make a big change? What are some of those little small, what's that advice?
Adrienna (25:13.661)Yeah. So one of the first things that I think it's overlooked the most is what you mentioned was messaging. A website has to have words. We have to convey. We have to sell. There's psychological data behind selling and it comes down to words. So I think one of the first things we have, we ask people to do is who, who do you want to hear themselves in your copy? And then they go, well, I'm not quite sure. So we tell them, look at your reviews.
Adrienna (25:43.711)I want you to pull all your reviews. want you to throw it into something like ChatGBT and I want you to ask it to highlight five things that your clients say again and again and again about you. That's what I want you to focus your messaging on because our clients are actively telling us what they're looking for. Actively, they're telling us in reviews or they're telling us in their initial questionnaires, you know. turn that into talking points. So for example, if they are continuously saying how you were able as a planner to help wrangle all of the family members because you do really big weddings with a lot of people, that is a gift. I never touched a wedding over 250 people because that is not my gift. So how could we lean into that? Like how can we have your messaging being talking about how you're able to handle all of these logistics and the people? It's also something to think about is
What are different ways that we can communicate value outside of just we're there on the day of your wedding? Because at the end of the day, a planner isn't just there to be at your wedding. How can we communicate the value of having a sounding board, of having a logistical partner, of having a designer? We have some clients, we have one in particular, where she loves the design, but that's not what she's selling. She's selling that she's a logistical magician.
What is your one special thing that we're gonna be communicating? And the chances are it's in your testimonials already. We just have to find it.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (27:16.128)I love that. I feel like. In general, we probably underestimate the value of testimonials in reviews. And for some planners listening that are like, I'm struggling to even get my clients to give me those. What advice would you have? Because I think that often couples are thrilled with services, but then the wedding's over and they're kind of just done and they're moving on to buying a house or planning their lives and.
family planning and all these things that come next, that it's not always easy to get those reviews. What advice would you give there?
Adrienna (27:55.777)So we have a few different things that we recommend. So first is try to get a review during the planning process. There is no reason to wait till the end to get a glowing review. So let's say, I mean, I utilize this when I was a planner. So let's say, for example, you just dealt with a difficult situation. Maybe it was, we had to decide a certain vendor and we weren't quite sure, or maybe it's a design decision that required a bit of work, but they're really excited. Anytime you get a positive email like that, we are like, thank you so much. That was amazing.
Paraphrase it, write a little couple of sentences and be like, does this kind of reflect how you're feeling? If so, I'd love to save it as a testimonial for later. You do the heavy work, you write it out, 99 % of the time they're happy and they're gonna be like, yeah, of course, like, yeah, use it, screenshot it, whatever. Throughout the planning process, get that type of feedback from them so that way you're not worried about at the very end. now I have to try to get reviews.
So we usually recommend throughout the process, try to get some good ones.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (28:59.16)Great advice. I love that. So for the audience listening, we have planners that are just getting started. We have planners that have some experience in running their businesses, and we have some that are really, really experienced. Do you have different marketing advice for each of those depending on their season? And what, especially for someone who's ready to up level to that next kind of tier of wedding?
Adrienna (29:24.851)Yeah, so one of the biggest misconceptions about marketing is that it can work for everybody. So I get asked all the time, can you just sell me a strategy? Like, can I just buy one in your shop? And the answer is I wish, but unfortunately that is not the case. So for example, we have in Austin, we have multiple photographers we work with and someone from the outside might go, wait, how are you working with photographers in the same city? And the answer is their marketing is vastly different. Their audiences are vastly different there is no cannibalization happening because they're not gonna be talking to the same people on a discovery call. So your strategy, whenever we're creating it for a client, it is incredibly varied. So it depends on where you're at in your business, but also your audience and what they're looking for. A lot of times when we build businesses as artists, we take a me approach. What do I want? What do I dream of? And while yes, that's obviously a valid point, someone has to pay those bills. So we have to also figure out how can we combine our marketing to not just be, about me and be about the client. And often when people work with us, we do find that they are at that up -leveling. So for example, it could be raising prices, niching down. So possibly deciding, I only want to take 15 weddings a year, or I want an associate team. Very different strategy. So someone who wants to grow an associate team and someone who wants to take 10 weddings at a percentage base. we'll have very different strategies because from a percentage base, we're obviously marketing a very different experience than a team where we're marketing a team. So it definitely depends, but I think the biggest thing, regardless of which one you're doing is to be thinking about every single touch point and making sure they all match. So often when people up level as planners, they of course think of things like sales and up leveling the CRM and that's great. And a hundred percent do that.
But what about the rest of the pieces? What about the touch points? When they go to your social, does it match the voice? So many times I look at someone's social and I look at their website or I get on a phone with them and I'm like, this is the same person. Like had no idea. Have we upleveled the value that we're giving them? How we actually made it express? We can't just raise pricing. You can never just raise your pricing and hope they will come. Last year,
Adrienna (31:53.825)Probably because we had one of the biggest years we're going to see probably for another decade or so. But moving forward, no, we have to be really cognizant when we're raising prices that every little piece gets up leveled.
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Heather Hoesch Olsen (32:05.984)It's so true. And I think it's one of the things that as a coach, I hear planners struggle with the most. I actually am doing a workshop next year completely dedicated to this topic of making sure your entire brand, all of your marketing, all of your strategy, your portfolio, who you are right now in your business in order to raise your prices and packages and really serve the audience.
making sure you're actually attracting that audience, all of that. So I think that that is something we can all relate to. And it almost is something that planners are struggling with year in, year out, because the client keeps changing and the industry keeps changing. And like you said, last year is very different from this year and it's going to be very different from next year. And so what are some of the things that you're seeing that are working and what are some of the things that
we no longer need to focus on because that's just not where the industry and the client are anymore.
Adrienna (33:09.323)So definitely really considering when we're doing, when they're in the research phase, what are they looking at? One of the first things I have people do in their mind blown is they just Google your name because there's a really good chance there's very outdated profiles and our couples are digging more than ever before. So one of the biggest shifts we're seeing is on websites. The time on websites actually increasing. I know all we hear about is how no one reads anymore or Gen Z, they're so quick.
Not necessarily, because we are seeing website times go up considerably, which means they're reading and digesting more, which then means they're scrolling a lot more on Google. So if you have stuff that's outdated, you got to get it up to date or get rid of it because you again are showing an inconsistency. And I think that's kind one of the biggest things is we really have to be consistent. And we also have to build trust. think one of the biggest things vendors forget.is that every couple, even getting married now, got burned by a vendor, like had a friend who got burned by a vendor in the last few years. This is more for photographers too, but if you just go on a Facebook group or a Reddit thread, there will be every single day someone saying they're photographers behind on pictures. You know who reads that? The person in your inbox. So when you're getting a lot more questions and they're not trusting you, it's because you're not giving them any reason to trust you.
So that's where we have to really be leaning into how are we gonna be able to build that trust, whether it's through our messaging, whether it's through making sure we're five steps ahead. A lot of times we're like, just fill out my contact form, we'll set up a call. Well, what does that call mean? I don't know what that call means, I just met you. Is it video, is it phone? Do I have to come in with questions? Are you gonna ask me questions? When do I figure out if you're a good fit? We have to be the ones that guide them. And I think it goes to that fact of,
Adrienna (35:11.851)They feel needier because they don't trust us. So I get to hear that all the time. Everyone's needy. And I'm like, well, cause they don't trust the industry right now. So they're gonna be really, really needy. We have to take ownership of that and guide them through it.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (35:28.43)A hundred percent. I, in my most recent coaching sessions, we're talking about trust a lot. And to me, I always say education is 60 % of this job is education. 40 % is planning. And one of the biggest disconnects I see is planners forget that that education starts with that very first email and it should start even sooner on your website and on your socials and all of those things so that there you're just planning those seeds of trust.
And by the time you do get to that scheduled video call or phone call, they know what to expect. They know how it's going to go. They're ready to have that conversation. You can dive deeper into that conversation. That conversation becomes a massive key touch point in building trust because you can't sell if you haven't at least established some trust or they're going to price shop. Now granted, sometimes people are going to price shop only no matter what.
Adrienna (36:21.505)100%.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (36:25.024)And that is what it is. And that's a piece of this industry for sure. However, if you want to get someone through the door and you want to make sure that they're going to choose you because of you, you have to educate and build that trust. Trust just doesn't happen. Trust isn't built on your portfolio. Trust isn't built on the amount of years you've been doing this. It's you talking directly to them, listening to their needs and meeting them.
Adrienna (36:53.441)100 % and that's where that messaging component. So many times as vendors, we just rely on our pictures where like my pictures will sell my work. No, it will not because people aren't the wedding industry is an emotional transaction. Nothing we do is like really that like it's an emotional purchase. It was just like when I was in a bridal shop was I selling a physical dress or a gown or a suit? Yes.
But what was actually selling was a feeling, was when they woke up and they put that on. That's what I sold. I did not sell the person standing there with bridesmaids and wedding party hanging out. Like I sold that moment. So we have to remember that as sellers is we have to build that trust because we're selling something that is incredibly emotional, regardless of how much you charge.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (37:44.14)And regardless of what our day was like or what our week is like or what we need for our business, you have to take a deep breath and go into every sales process ready to serve, ready to educate, ready to be excited for them. And it's easy to kind of forget that, especially when you're burnt out. When you're telling your story of feeling burnt out and not caring for your body and your mind, I think every single one of us listening can relate to that.
And so one of my last questions for you is if someone is sitting in their car listening to this right now, they're on their way to a meeting, they're exhausted, they forgot to have breakfast, and what advice would you give other than leaving your business right now?
Adrienna (38:33.377)No, I think one of the things I would say is first, it is okay to ask for help. And I'm not saying you have to necessarily outsource, but it's okay to ask your friends and be like, hey, I'm really struggling to show up on social media. Can you just help me write a few captions? It'll just help me feel 5 % better, right? Because you know for a fact, so many of your vendor friends would be like, my gosh, yeah, I got you. It'll take, cause it's so much easier to do stuff for other people than your own business. But being willing to also,
Tell vendors, hey, I'm not as booked as I want to be. I think a lot of times we forget that our vendors can also help bring us business. So if you're sitting here thinking, I'm really slow, well, maybe let your friends know, hey, I'm available for some fall weddings. I'm not sure if you like realize that. And that it is okay if you do want to decide to pivot and offer other things inside of your business. A lot of times we meet people who are like, I would love to be able to do something on the off season or not take as many weddings right now. So there are
alternatives if you're looking to kind of do different things inside of your business and that it's going to be okay and that at the end of the day you're already doing really incredible things.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (39:48.266)Mm -hmm. So well said. I think so many of us need to hear it's gonna be okay. I actually make my husband say that to me every night before we go to sleep. He's like, good night, love you. Everything's gonna be okay. And I just told him, I was like, I need that. I know that it may sound silly to you at times and there may be good days where you're like, this doesn't feel necessary. I need it every day. And I want every single person out there listening to know that
We collectively as this industry are here to remind you that it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. Ava, that's, or Adrienne, sorry. Does everyone just call you Ava? Yeah. Got it, okay. So lastly, for planners listening that are really excited about what you offer, how can they find you and what sort of...
Adrienna (40:30.527)Yeah. I would say like most of our clients end up calling me Ava too. And it's totally fine. It's the family nickname. like, yeah.
(01:25):
Heather Hoesch Olsen (40:46.427)things do you offer directly to industry that you're helping?
Adrienna (40:51.445)Yeah, so you can come find us at ava in the bee .com and just on Instagram at Ava and the bee. I'm big in the DM. So pop over with any questions you have. I love the DMS and we can serve you a few different ways. So we can serve you in a monthly marketing container where we take off as much marketing as you want to give us. We can do it for vendors. And then we also work with a lot of coaches, educators, those who might need assistance with both sides of their business.
We also offer just strategies. So if you're someone who's like, can implement it, give me the tools. We can do that. And then you can also, we can support you through website branding and copy design.
Heather Hoesch Olsen (41:32.096)Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your story. I think a lot of us needed to hear it today. Have a wonderful day. Be well. Bye.
Adrienna (41:41.259)Thank you.
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