February 13, 2024 • 52 mins
Imagine transforming a profound personal loss into a beacon of hope and a thriving career. That's the story of Crystal MacLeod, a dance teacher who danced her way into becoming a national award-winning event planner. Our latest episode takes you behind the scenes with Crystal, as she recounts her journey from the depths of grief to the heights of entrepreneurial success. She has orchestrated nearly 800 events, earning a stellar reputation in the events industry. Tune in to get intimate with the resilience and raw passion that shaped Crystal's life and RSVP Event Design, her acclaimed business.
When you think of event planning, it's not just about the glitz and the glam—it's an intricate ballet of logistics, creativity, and hard work. Crystal sheds light on the emotional heft of weddings and the splendor of galas, all while navigating the tumultuous waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her tale is not just about surviving but thriving through adversity, adapting to change, and holding onto the dream that sparked her journey. This episode is a masterclass in the art of event planning, revealing the tenacity and versatility needed to succeed in this dynamic industry.
But what is success without balance? Crystal's business savvy shines through as she shares the strategic choices that led to a more manageable and fulfilling work-life balance. She walks us through the tough decision to downsize and streamline her operations, focusing on what truly matters. Our conversation dives into the meticulous construction of her team and the refinement of business etiquette—a testament to the finesse and professionalism at the core of RSVP Event Design. For aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs alike, this episode promises a trove of wisdom on aligning business with personal joy and the power of creating enchanting experiences for clients.
Mackenzie Kilshaw Co. offers comprehensive business coaching, and consulting tailored to your needs.
With Mackenzie's award winning entrepreneurial expertise in strategy, leadership, business development, branding, website development, social media management, SEO, sales and customer service training and more, clients receive personalized guidance to drive growth and success.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Shauna Foster (00:06):
Winning is your guide to making it in business.
Join our award-winning host andentrepreneur, Mackenzie Kilshaw
, and special guests in casualconversations that will educate
and inspire you on your businessjourney.
Winning will help you learn thehard lessons the easy way, with
guidance from celebratedentrepreneurs and business
(00:26):
leaders.
It's fun, it's informative,it's inning Hello.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (00:33):
Welcome to Winning.
I am your host, MackenzieKilshaw, and today's guest is
Crystal MacLeod.
Hi Crystal, hi Mackenzie, happyto be here.
I know I'm so excited to haveyou on.
We always talk before andCrystal and I are like we should
have press record twiceprobably.
So here we actually go.
Crystal is a five-time nationalaward-winning event planner
(00:55):
whose work has been featured ina magazine.
She's also given her expertadvice on CBC radio, c news,
Global News and in the StarPhoenix, which is Saskatoon's
newspaper.
When I read this she hasexecuted over 600 weddings and
corporate events I actuallyalmost fell over, because 600 is
(01:16):
a lot.
Yeah, that is a lot.
And her creativity and the wowfactor that she brings into
every event is really what setsher apart, and I've been to so
many events that Crystal hasplanned and I can tell you there
you think of every littledetail.
I guess that's experience.
Crystal MacLeod (01:37):
Yeah, absolutely, when you've done.
It's actually now closer to 800events.
Actually, I should have updated.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (01:45):
Well, I will update that.
Crystal MacLeod (01:48):
Yeah, it is getting closer to 800.
And yeah, when you've done thatmany events for sure, details
that you're repeating over andover again, they just come to
your mind, that's so cool.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (02:03):
Crystal, I gave you a little bio, but
really why don't you tell theaudience a little bit more about
yourself and how did you get todoing 800 events?
Because that is amazing.
Crystal MacLeod (02:17):
Yeah, my entrepreneurial story is well.
Actually it's a little bitdramatic.
So I was a dance teacher and Itaught dance for 10 years I
guess.
But I always wanted to be anevent planner.
That was always in the back ofmy mind as like my dream job.
I just didn't think it was anactual job.
(02:39):
I didn't think it was somethingI knew it was a job, but I
didn't think it was somethingthat you could do as a career in
Saskatchewan.
I didn't think you couldactually get paid to do that.
So another interest of mine wasbroadcast journalism.
I was ready to leave the danceworld and wanted to be an event
planner.
Didn't think that was a thing.
Other thing I considered wasbroadcast journalism.
(02:59):
So I applied to broadcastjournalism school in Calgary.
I was accepted.
I was ready to move to Calgary.
I was engaged at the time and myhusband was diagnosed with
sorry, my husband to be myfiance was diagnosed with cancer
.
So we had to rethink what wewere doing.
(03:19):
So he's going through treatment.
We postponed our wedding.
Well, he was supposed to begoing through treatment and
getting better and then hebecame terminally ill.
So we got married reallyquickly.
He passed away a month after wegot married and I was supposed
to be moving to Calgary at thatsame time.
(03:41):
I was in no position to move toCalgary at that time.
I was trying to figure out mylife and a new life without him.
So they held my position at theschool in Calgary for the year.
I was going to kind of take theyear and then I was going to
move to Calgary, go to schoolthe whole time in the back of my
mind I'm thinking I actuallywant to be in a band.
(04:02):
What am I doing?
Still not thinking, yeah, stillnot thinking that this is an
option.
So the year comes and goes andit's time for me again to move
to Calgary and I just couldn'tdo it.
There was just something thatwas stopping me.
So I cold called TammyForrester, who was the owner of
our RSVP event design at thetime.
(04:22):
We met and hit it off instantly.
You know when you just connectwith somebody.
We just connected immediately.
She hired me on the spot,started working for her.
A year later she invited me tobe her partner.
So we became business partners.
Eventually Tammy left thecompany.
(04:46):
She's now the CEO of RonaldMcDonald House Saskatchewan.
undefined.
o .
.
of .
Mackenzie Kilshaw (04:51):
I never knew this.
Okay, first of all, I've knownyou for many years.
I never knew this story, so I'mjust like, I'm like listener,
just really.
I never knew this.
That's so cool, Tammy's awesome.
Crystal MacLeod (05:02):
And Tammy's an incredible, incredible person.
She has taught me everythingthat I know about being a
business owner and being anevent planner.
I learned so much from Tammy.
She is my mentor and we arestill very close.
I still reach out to her,sometimes in tears Tammy, what
do I do?
(05:22):
And she hasn't officially beena part of the company for many
years like 12 years or somethingbut I still keep her picture on
our website as our founder,because she just deserves that
recognition, because she is theone that created RSVP.
So yeah, my entrepreneurialstory.
(05:43):
It's dramatic.
I guess it was me.
It was taking something verydifficult.
It was taking something verysad.
It was taking somethinglife-changing to make me step
out and fulfill my dream.
Again, it sounds very dramatic,it is kind of dramatic, but
(06:07):
that is how I came to be anevent planner.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (06:11):
Yeah, it's just so kind of crazy, I think
to, when a huge life-changingmoment like that happens.
You can kind of take two pathsright.
You can take the I'm juststaying where I am and never
doing anything because grief cankind of take over your life.
(06:31):
Or you can go the path that youtook and you knew that the
broadcasting wasn't really foryou, even though you were
interested in it.
You knew right and look whatyou've done.
I mean, you have, like you'renationally acclaimed, like
clearly this is the path youwere supposed to be on.
Crystal MacLeod (06:52):
This is the path that I was supposed to be
on and it all unfolds the waythat it is supposed to unfold.
So, everything you know, thereare certainly a lot of skills in
the dance world that weretransferable to event planning.
Putting on a recital or a showis putting on an event, yeah.
So a lot of the skills werethings that I utilize all the
(07:17):
time in events, and also the youknow creating, because we
create experiences right.
Yes, and we create moments forpeople and I love creating
beautiful things.
Like I loved creating beautifuldances and beautiful shows, I
love creating beautiful events.
So it all leads you to.
(07:39):
You know the place that you'resupposed to be.
So I am remarried and I'mhappily married to my husband,
Mark, and we have two children,Ellie and Anderson.
And after my first husbandpassed away, I said three things
.
I said I wanted to be marriedhappily again and I wanted two
(08:04):
children.
I even said I wanted a boy anda girl, and that's what I have.
And I said I wanted to own anevent planning company.
And I'm here.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (08:13):
Yeah, exactly , you know, usually what you put
out into the universe, you getback.
We were talking about thatbefore.
But it is true, right, when youenvision something and you
could have said, no, I can't dothe event stuff, I have to go to
become a broadcast journalistand went that path and probably
(08:33):
you wouldn't have met Mark andhad you know like your life
would have been so muchdifferent.
But you're where you want to be, which is really what
entrepreneurship is about.
Right?
It's the lifestyle that youwant and you're doing something
you love every day.
Crystal MacLeod (08:50):
Like I truly am , I truly love what I do.
Like my husband and I will jokearound about, like if he won
the lottery and like what wouldyou do?
And things like that, and I'mlike I kind of feel like I would
still want to do a lot, butlike maybe, maybe not as many,
or something, but like I cannot,I cannot imagine a life where
(09:14):
I'm not doing this and you knowwe were talking before the,
before we started recording.
But it's the relationships,like events have brought so many
incredible people into my lifeand I get to celebrate moments
with people.
And how kinds of moments, right, like we do weddings and we do
(09:35):
corporate events and we do galas.
And you know, doing thenonprofit gala for the nonprofit
organization, that everythingit means, it means everything to
that organization, right,raising funds for their
organization that they believein, that they care about so much
(09:57):
, is just as important ashelping a bride get down the
aisle to get married on one ofthe most important days of her
life, right?
So all of these moments I getto celebrate and help people
celebrate beautiful moments intheir life, you know, we've got
to do even some like memorialsnot necessarily funerals but
(10:18):
memorials and what a privilegethat is to get to create a
beautiful experience for peopleas they are honoring somebody.
So I just, yeah, I love my job.
I still love my job.
If I get to the point where Idon't love my job anymore, then
I will absolutely have to stop,because it's too stressful of a
(10:40):
job.
You have to keep doing it ifyou don't love it.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (10:43):
Well, I was going to say, because I've
planned events nothing to thescale that you have done
although I did say it could be awedding planner because I did
have to replan my weddingbecause I got married during
COVID, so I had to be planned mywedding about 10 times.
But if you've never planned anevent, honestly, you have no
idea everything that goes intoit.
(11:05):
It's not just, you know, somepretty floral arrangements and
tablecloths.
That is a minuscule, little,tiny portion of it, right?
Crystal MacLeod (11:16):
Yeah, we say that people think our job is
about the pretty and it's 10%pretty, 90% logistics and
spreadsheets.
Yeah, I spend just as much timeon delivery schedules as I do
picking out flowers for awedding, Like it's just as
complicated as the flowers.
Yeah, more so probably right.
And when I think of theglamorous side of it.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (11:38):
That's right.
People wouldn't think about it,because all they're thinking is
oh, you get to go and you getto pick out the flowers with the
bride, and then the flowersjust arrive and you put them on
the tables or whatever it is,but really they don't just
arrive.
You have to plan that too.
Crystal MacLeod (11:57):
Yeah, that's jokingly.
hat I say to brides is likeyou're not going to know how
they get there, or what timethey got there, or how we got
them through the door or how wemoved them from one place to the
other.
You're just going to show upand they're just magically going
to be there.
But it takes a lot of planningto magically get them there.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (12:15):
Yeah, 100%, and I think that's the thing.
People see you at events andthey see you, you know, making
sure that everything's as itshould be, but they don't
realize everything, not justthat day, like months ahead.
Right that you're working on it.
Crystal MacLeod (12:35):
Yeah, absolutely.
It is the planning ofeverything.
So it's not just what does awedding?
You know, when I meet with acouple for the first time, I say
to them like what's your visionfor the day?
But not just aesthetically,like not just what you want it
to look like, what do you wantit to feel like, what do you
(12:56):
want your guests to experience?
What are those moments thathave meaning to you?
And that's more than flowersand a pretty tablecloth.
Right, there's other elementsthat are a lot of other elements
that are involved there.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (13:10):
Yeah, exactly , and whether it's a wedding or
a corporate event, it's all thesame, right?
Because at your corporate event, whether that's a gala or
that's, you know, a big eventthat a company's doing or
something that's as important tothem, right?
Crystal MacLeod (13:26):
Absolutely.
And I say like I get asked allthe time like what do you prefer
?
Weddings or corporate events?
I love like galas, I love theglitz and the glam and making
things beautiful and just makinga beautiful experience for
people.
I don't do a lot of conferences, that's just not my area of
(13:46):
interest for events, but a galais very similar to a wedding,
like all of the elements arethere, you have people, you have
food, you have music, you haveflowers, you have like they're
very, very similar and theemotional part of it is just as
(14:07):
significant, sometimes right, oragain the nonprofit, the.
They are invested 100%, just asyou know the family is and the
bride and the groom or thegrooms or the brides or whatever
.
Yeah, exactly.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (14:20):
Yeah, once again, before we started
recording, we talked about COVID.
I owned clothing stores.
No one was shopping.
You have an event planningcompany.
I shouldn't say no one wasgetting married, because there
was events and there was things.
But that would have been sodifficult because you kind of
had to press the pause button,didn't you?
Crystal MacLeod (14:44):
We did.
Yeah, Covid, it kind of feelslike this, like this fog of like
, oh right, what happened, like?
And you came through on theother side and it was like you
were in battle and we survived.
But it was, it was, it wasscary, it was just the
uncertainty that that was thepart of it right of.
(15:05):
I remember I was i in Vegasactually for an event planning
conference when the like, theshutdown first happened.
And I'm in the airport and I'mgetting a.
I had an event, a gala, thenext weekend and I'm getting
phone calls that it's going tobe canceled and I'm like, what,
what, what are you talking about?
(15:27):
Like, what do you mean?
And then more phone calls arecoming in and more emails and
I'm like, oh, wow, like this isactually real, this is happening
.
And I remember saying like,okay, well, if you know we're
just shut down for you know,kind of my, my projections for
the year.
And it's like, okay, well, ifjust these months shut down,
(15:48):
then we're fine.
And then it's like, oh, andthis month and this month and
this month, and you keep addingon.
I will say that I thought therewere a lot of initiatives in
place for small businesses thatthe government helped out and
that really, that really helpedme tremendously.
(16:09):
For a very long time, though, Ididn't have to lay anybody off
and I kept them at their fullsalary.
It wasn't until, like thesecond lockdown down down kind
of happened.
I think again, this is kind ofa blur, so trying to remember
how it all went down so we wereable to do like a few events and
(16:31):
weddings, you know, came backfirst, I think, the corporate
events.
Those were a little bit slower,and then 2022 happened, and it
was insane because we had all ofthese contracts to fulfill of
people that had been, likeyourself, postponing their
wedding three, four or fivetimes, you know.
(16:51):
Yeah, so 2022 was just off thecharts.
It was crazy.
It was so great to be back, beback celebrating with people
again, and we did like a Fridaywedding, Saturday wedding,
Sunday wedding.
We were just like busy, busy,busy, and then corporate events
in 2023, I feel like really cameback strong.
(17:12):
So now it's just we're justkind of back to normal, whatever
normal.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (17:17):
I know it's like the other day was talking
to someone and I'm like it'slike it was.
If you've ever had surgery andyou wake up from surgery and
you're like where, I know I'mhere, but what up, where am I,
whatever?
That's kind of what COVID felt.
Like you know, it's like youremember it.
Yeah, like you remember it,like I remember it, but I'm like
(17:39):
I can't tell you what happenedthere.
Like I'm the same as you.
I was so fortunate to get therent subsidies and the employee
wage subsidy a subsidy formyself, because I still that's
my income, right being myselfand, to be truthful with you, if
those things wouldn't have beenthere, I really don't think my
(18:03):
business would have survived,and I think that's the same for
many, many people.
Crystal MacLeod (18:09):
Yeah, absolutely.
For me it was day to day lifebecause we have two children.
So my husband is a teacher, sohe was teaching from home,
trying to do the online teaching, and we had our son was in
grade two so we were trying toteach him be his teacher and
(18:29):
then our daughter's daycare shutdown, so we had no childcare
and I was postponing andcanceling 50 something events so
it's, and we had no, no helpwith our kids.
Yeah, so it's like both Mark andI having these full time jobs.
Our daughter was three, so it'snot like you can just, you know
(18:55):
, say go do something, no three,right.
And then our son we're supposedto be teaching him, we're
supposed to be doing the onlineschool thing.
So it felt like we had likefive full time jobs.
Yeah, so, the day to day life,that that was really difficult,
maybe even more so than theuncertainty of of everything
(19:17):
that was happening with mybusiness.
But yeah, yeah definitely.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (19:22):
I think many, many people worked harder in
that COVID year.
I'll say year, but you know itreally was a year until things
came and I don't even know whatnormal is really anymore.
But that COVID year, I think,was harder for many people than
when they first started out.
Right, because when you firststart out, you don't know what's
(19:44):
going to happen, so you justtake everything as it is.
Okay, this happened, what arewe going to do?
Right, good or bad.
But then once you're likeyou're a really well oiled
machine, right, Like you, youknew what you were doing.
You had done it for many yearsand all of a sudden it was just
like a hard stop, right.
And then, you have all theseother things that you have to do
(20:04):
, but for you to like, you stillhad to maintain those
relationships with people.
You still had to answerquestions.
You still you know people arelike, okay, well, maybe we're
not going to do what weinitially said.
We're going to change nowbecause we just want to be
married and that's that, orwhatever it is right.
Crystal MacLeod (20:19):
So you had a lot, a lot happening, yeah, and
the emotional part of it as well, for for all my couples, like
just trying to trying to bethere for them and I don't have
the answers they knew just asmuch as I did.
It's not like the governmentwas like giving us the you know
(20:41):
heads up of anything that wascoming, Like it was.
I was planning one wedding whenthe second lockdown happened
and we found out the week beforethat we couldn't serve food in
the area that we needed to.
So it was like okay, or it waslike five days out from the
wedding or something like that.
(21:01):
So it's like okay, the ruleschanged again.
Let's figure this out.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (21:06):
So yeah, a lot of problem solving, for sure
, I feel like you probably do alot of problem solving and I
don't know that people evenrealize it.
But when you are dealing withweddings and big events, there
are things like that that comeup right and you have to figure
it out, because you can't go tothe bribe and say, oh, we can't
serve food there.
So I guess, sorry, you know youhave to.
(21:27):
You have to figure it out.
Crystal MacLeod (21:30):
Yeah, it's really problem solving.
I think over the years but Ialso think it is a part of my
personality I don't get panickedvery easily.
I know there's always asolution for everything.
There really is.
There's a solution foreverything.
(21:51):
So, as long as you can andexperience too, I mean.
Sometimes I say, just when Ithink I've seen and done it all,
then all of a sudden somethingnew happens and it's like, oh
boy, well, like a pandemic, likedidn't see that one coming.
Yeah, exactly, it's just beingable to pivot and at the end of
the day, that's what it is.
(22:11):
It's solving problems.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (22:13):
Yeah, exactly , and in all reality, all
entrepreneurs and small business.
That's what, that's your job.
It's just solving a problem ortaking something and making it
an opportunity, right.
Crystal MacLeod (22:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (22:28):
I want to chat a little bit about
downsizing, because I know thatyou've talked about this before,
that you actually did downsize,so let's talk about that.
And first of all, why did youchoose that path?
And yeah, let's start there.
What, like what did you do todownsize and why did you choose
(22:51):
that?
Crystal MacLeod (22:55):
So years ago.
I mean, we are in our well now,going into our 26th year of
business as RSVP.
So a lot happens, right, in 26years.
You evolve, when you change andyour focus changes.
You know, when I came on board,we were a big company.
There was, you know, sixfull-time planners.
(23:17):
We had a storefront, we didrentals and there was, you know,
we did corporate events and wedid weddings and we did
conferences and we did like allkinds of events.
So when Tammy, when my business,one of my business partners,
chose to leave the company, itwas like, okay, let's figure out
(23:43):
what I want the company to looklike and what do I want my life
to look like.
Yes, so I don't enjoy managingpeople.
It's not one of the parts ofowning a business that I really
enjoy doing.
So now I have a manager to dothat aspect of the business.
(24:06):
So it's like we were having allthese full-time planners and we
were planning all of theseevents and we had this huge
storefront, this huge space, wewere doing all of this rent and
I'm like I don't want to haveall of these employees because
that's not the part of mybusiness that I like.
I don't want to plan thingslike conferences and outdoor
(24:27):
festivals, and we were doingthat.
Tammy was great at it.
It was not what I enjoyed doing.
I was doing events to pay staff.
I don't necessarily want tohave to be in a space where I
have to have, you know, nine tofive hours, so I have to have
somebody there and so I don'thave the flexibility either.
(24:48):
It's like this is not, this isnot working, and I have a young
family, right, yeah.
So it's like how do I worksmarter and not harder?
So, really focusing in on theevents that I loved doing I love
doing weddings, I love doinggallows, I love the glitz and
(25:13):
the glam and making things lookbeautiful.
I don't love doing conferences.
So let's stop doing those kindof events.
Let's downsize our staff,because if we're, you know,
booking these events to pay thestaff I don't necessarily want
to have, well, now that I don'thave those events, I don't need
this staff.
So we can downsize that.
(25:33):
And then having the storefrontwith the rentals.
So the rentals are still a partof our business, but now we
only rent to the clients thatwe're planning events for,
whereas before we rented to thegeneral public.
They could come and rent a cakestand from us or whatever.
So now I didn't have to havethis storefront and these hours
(25:56):
and I got an offsite storageunit and bought an office
downtown in the Second Avenuelofts.
So now I had an investmentinstead of, you know, paying the
rent and we were paying a lotof rent at the time.
So, anyhow, all of these thingshappened and I was working less
and I'm like I have lessoverhead now and I'm working
(26:20):
less and I'm making more money.
Yeah, this is amazing, likethis is amazing.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (26:26):
Before you did it, were you scared, were
you, were you like I want to dothis.
I think we have to, but I'mterrified, yeah.
Crystal MacLeod (26:34):
Terrified, absolutely terrified, because it
was like we're going to startsaying no to events, we're going
to start saying no to business.
Like that goes againsteverything as an entrepreneur in
your core.
You don't.
You don't say no to potentialbusiness right Now.
I say no all the time, likeeven more so than that, like now
(26:57):
it's even from when we downsizeto where we are at now.
Now it's like if, sincerely, ifI feel like I am not a good fit
for an event, I am the firstperson to say I don't think I'm
the right person for this event,but I know some other people
that are more than happy, and Ido it all the time.
(27:20):
So I'm not the right person forthis, I'm not your girl.
I'm not your girl for this.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (27:25):
Isn't it crazy how, like, yeah, you learn
that right.
Like when you first turn out,you're yeah, I'll do this, yeah,
I'll do that, yeah, for sure.
Because you, just you, becomekind of a yes man, because I
can't say no, because thenthey'll never ask me again or
I'll lose that group of peopleor whatever it is.
You realize, like you saidyourself, you were more
(27:46):
profitable and you worked less.
That's the dream of everyentrepreneur, right it?
Crystal MacLeod (27:52):
i.
It was like you know wherewe're at now and where we've
been at different points.
It's like, oh my gosh, this iswhat I wanted my life to look
like, you know.
So, taking it even then thenext step further, I sold my
(28:14):
office downtown in the Second ALofts and then my husband and I
built the home that we're in now, with a separate entrance for
our clients.
So I moved the office and Isaid I would never have a
home-based business.
I would never do that.
Never say never.
Shauna Foster (28:32):
Yeah because I was.
Crystal MacLeod (28:34):
I am.
I had this Exactly.
So I had this office, which wasdowntown.
So I'm, you know, w we e r.
Doesn't take that long to drive, but I'm driving, you know,
back and forth downtown and only50% of my clientele is really
coming to the office, so it wasjust my wedding clients, because
I'm always going to thecorporate client.
Yeah, of course I have this, asyou know, expensive space and
(28:57):
I'm driving back and forth, yetI'm only meeting with wedding
clients there.
Like, let's think about this.
How could we downsize, you know, even further?
Yeah, so we did.
So we built this house.
It has a separate entrance,it's a really nice big, big
office and it has workedbrilliantly.
(29:19):
So downsizing again.
Covid hit a year and a halfafter we moved into this space
and into our home and I was like, oh, I didn't know that that
was even a better move.
I didn't know there was apandemic coming.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (29:35):
So really glad I did that when I did
Interesting a enough.
I remember when he moved hbecause Crystal and I actually
lived not even a block from eachother.
And I remember when you saidwe're building this home and
moving and I thought that was soexciting and yeah, like I mean,
had you never would have knownCOVID was going to happen.
But imagine if you still hadthat space and I mean you're
(29:58):
still paying your mortgage forthat space and you couldn't even
have any events.
Crystal MacLeod (30:05):
Like, yeah, that would have been, yeah, we
could have been in a verydifferent situation.
Your podcast, my old, yourpodcast well, we could have been
in a in a really differentsituation than what we ended up
in.
So it again it is.
It all works out the way thatit is supposed to work out in
the end.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (30:26):
Exactly, and I love how I mean so many people
too are.
I know other business peopleI've talked to are like well,
I'm going to buy a building andthen I'm going to have my office
in that building.
And I'm like, okay, and one,for example, was a realtor on
her own and I said do you need abuilding?
(30:46):
Like it's just you, you knowyou're probably.
If you want to buy the buildingas an investment, you're
probably better off to buy itand rent it out to somebody else
, because it's just you in theoffice and you know, and
sometimes it just doesn't makesense and it might be a good
investment or a good idea, butfor your business model it just
(31:08):
doesn't work.
Same as when Tammy left, yourleft RSVP and you took over,
your business model actuallychanged.
Whether you said it did or not,it did because you didn't want
to do those corporate events,you didn't want the rental space
.
You actually changed yourentire business model.
(31:28):
Look how well it turned out foryou.
Absolutely.
Crystal MacLeod (31:32):
Yeah, business models, they have to evolve.
You have to change.
Things are going to change.
We've been in business for 26years.
It's not remotely realistic tothink that what we started out
with is going to be where we'reat right now, exactly.
And now, the quality of my lifeand being able to say no to
(31:54):
events and sometimes we weretalking about this again before
we started recording it's likesometimes you're in the season
of your business where you'relike, okay, I'm energized right
now, I'm given 110% and I wantto really focus on this aspect
or whatever, and then sometimesyou feel like you know what?
I'm a little bit, I don't havethat energy right now.
(32:17):
So downsizing gave me thatfreedom.
Where it's like, okay, I'm not,I don't have all of this
overhead.
So if I choose to not do theseevents, I'm still going to be
okay because I'm not paying allthe things that we were paying
before.
(32:37):
Yeah, so we're really lucky.
Yeah, so we're really lucky alsoin that we do a lot of repeat
corporate events.
So the very first clients wehad 26 years ago we still do
that same event.
So that is.
It's amazing.
I'm really proud of that.
(32:58):
Like this was obviously Tammy'sfirst client is an event that I
still do 26 years later, andthe only years we missed,
obviously, were the two COVIDyears.
So having those repeat corporateevents are really important to
me, because I kind of knowwhat's coming, for you know,
(33:22):
obviously, weddings are all newevery year, but with the repeat
corporate events it's great, andonce my kids get a little bit
older, if I want to grow mybusiness, I could.
Right now I could, because Idon't do any advertising
actually, I do like zero.
You don't have to, though,because I don't wish to take on
(33:46):
more events at this point.
Growth is not my focus rightnow.
It is just not my focus, and Idon't want to bring on more
staff, and I myself don't wantto be doing more events than
what I'm doing.
When my kids are a little bitolder, maybe it will never say
never, but for the moment I amreally happy with where I'm at
(34:09):
in terms of as busy as I wantthis business to be.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (34:14):
And I think the thing too is growth.
Like we all just kind of havein our mind.
Growth means more clients, moreevents for you.
Right, that's not necessarilywhat it is, because you can grow
your business withoutincreasing your client base.
Right, absolutely.
Maybe those corporate events orthe galas or whatever it is,
(34:41):
maybe they add an additionalevent in a year right, it's
still, you're still working withthe same people.
It's just another thing, butit's not necessarily growing
your client base.
Crystal MacLeod (34:53):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's the idea that bigger isalways better it is.
In my experience it has beencompletely opposite.
Yeah, like completely opposite,that bigger has not been better
, not just for the bottom line,but also for me and my personal
(35:13):
life and just really the lifethat I want to live.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (35:16):
Well, I think , too, when you're looking at
events, a lot of those events,especially weddings, happen on
weekends.
You have a family.
When do your kids events happen?
Weekends, right.
So for you, you still want tomaintain that family life and
the ability to do things withyour family and kids, but you
(35:38):
also have to maintain the eventsRight and that you know that
that's when a lot of thosehappen.
What other yeah, yeah, no, Iwas just going to ask, like with
the downsizing, that did giveyou freedom and other benefits.
If you want to talk about thata little bit, yeah, absolutely.
Crystal MacLeod (36:02):
I mean people talking about like the weekends
and evenings.
Yeah, like a wedding doesn'tnormally happen on a Monday
afternoon, a corporate galadoesn't usually happen at 10 am
on a Tuesday, right, yeah, and alot of people like say to me oh
, you must like, you must worklike every single weekend or
whatever.
But so my husband's a teacherso I jokingly say that was one
(36:25):
of the best career moves I evermade, because he has the summer
off.
So we treat a Wednesday like aSaturday.
If I'm doing a wedding on aSaturday, we can, you know, do
kind of whatever would turn theWednesday into the weekend.
It doesn't really matter.
Yeah, I've also built a reallysolid team.
Like we have an incredible team.
(36:48):
My like most senior planner hasbeen with me for seven years
now.
She's exceptional.
Lauren, she's incredible.
She does, you know, just asgood or, you know I often say
better than me.
That happens sometimes.
(37:09):
It feels like it because she'slike incredibly focused and she
brings things to the table and Ibring things to the table.
So when we work together, youknow we compliment each other.
But we also have like anincredible contracted team.
So we have about 15 to 20 staffthat we regularly contract to
(37:31):
help us just with the executionof events, and some of those
people have been with us forseven, eight years, so we have,
like, really good processes inplace.
So like, yes, events are hardand we work really hard and
they're long hours, but it's notthe same as when I started
doing events, because I havelearned so many things over the
(37:54):
years on how to be moreefficient and how to you know.
So we're executing, you know,sometimes three events in a
weekend, but it's not killing methe way that it used to,
because we've figured out how todo it smarter and just putting
(38:15):
you know processes in place andputting in you know company
policies as to how things yeah,just all of it you know.
So that really that also helpeda lot with in the downsizing as
well.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (38:30):
Yeah, I think two people don't realize behind
the scenes how much policies,procedures and processes those
are like.
When I'm talking to people, I'mlike, well, what's your
procedure for this?
Like, well, we don't reallyhave one.
I'm like, well, you need to get.
Like you need one, because theneverybody does it the same way,
Everybody knows what to do,that's just what it is right,
and you don't even think aboutit.
(38:51):
It becomes second naturebecause it's just what everybody
does.
When you don't have that,everybody does their own thing,
and that's when you haveproblems right, so I love
hearing that.
Crystal MacLeod (39:01):
Well, especially, yeah, especially
with events.
I mean what right Like it?
It I mean the events are allincredibly important to us, but
an event is an event likeweddings have the same elements,
right?
Yes, as we talked about,weddings have the same element
elements, pardon me, as acorporate event.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (39:20):
So follow the process, yeah exactly, and
that's experience and haveeverything you know structured
like that and that gives youfreedom to have a life and to do
things and to say no.
Right, Like you said, you cansay no to things now because you
don't need to have them, whichis very free.
(39:43):
That's right.
Crystal MacLeod (39:46):
And you can't be everything.
I can't be an event planner toall people, right, I can't be
the cheapest and the mostefficient and the most
experienced and the most youknow all of those things, like
you.
There are clients that I workreally well with and there are
(40:09):
events that are just totally upmy alley where it's like, oh,
I've got this.
And then there have been eventswhere I'm like struggling
because it's like this doesn't,this event doesn't speak to me,
this event doesn't you know,it's just, it's just not my
skill set, and so figuring outwhat that was and then not
having to do those eventsanymore was like oh, so
(40:31):
liberating.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (40:33):
Yeah, it's like a weight off your shoulders
.
Yeah, yeah, I want to justquickly, because I know that you
do a lot of with businessetiquette and I think that
people don't think about itespecially now we're a lot more
casual but how important it is.
(40:54):
So do you want to just kind oftouch on and if people are like,
what is business etiquette?
Exactly just what it is and whyit's important, because this it
it's kind of separate fromevents in a sense, but we all
are living these jobs, whetheryou're on a zoom color, you're
in an office or you're going toa dinner for a work dinner,
(41:15):
right that there's things thatare really important.
So just touch on that a littlebit because I find it so
interesting that you're you haveactual like training in this,
which I think is so awesome.
Crystal MacLeod (41:28):
I do, yeah, so.
So I would disagree with you insaying that etiquette is not
with events, because that isexactly what led me to do it to
etiquette training was because Iwas often the person on the
outside of events looking in atawkward things that were
happening and it was like, oh,this feels like a great added
service I could offer to myclients because I see a lot of
(41:48):
awkward things happening.
I'm on the outside looking in,right, yeah, that's true.
So, yeah, I did my training atthe Protocol School of
Washington in Washington DC andthen furthered my training at
the Charleston School ofProtocol in Charleston.
So, etiquette etiquette is likea scary word for people.
It sounds pretentious and itsounds like perfection and it
(42:12):
sounds stuffy.
But like, etiquette is reallyabout kindness and respect and
social awareness, and that is inbusiness as well.
Yes, right, etiquette, socialetiquette, business etiquette
it's all the same.
Business can be very social attimes.
So having etiquette skills aregoing to it's just really going
(42:37):
to help you elevate yourpersonal brand and how you
interact with people.
It helps to build teamworkright by defining inappropriate
and inappropriate behavioramongst clients and colleagues
and friends.
So, like, business etiquette issocial etiquette.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (42:54):
They're the same thing, yeah it's so true
and I can only imagine some ofthe things that you've seen at
some of these events.
But it's true, I remember inuniversity we did a.
I think actually you did it, Ithink we figured out one time
you did it.
It was at the Saskatoo at atthe top of the inn and yeah, and
it was.
(43:14):
I was in College of Commerce,now Edward School of Business,
but it was everything from howto talk to people and greet them
and eating, like eating at adinner meeting, and the proper
way to actually.
Well, we don't really learnthat.
I mean, you teach your childrento eat but not what pork to use
and you don't realize how, ifyou don't know that stuff and
(43:38):
someone can tell you don't knowit, that could affect your
career, right yeah.
Crystal MacLeod (43:44):
And I like I always say to people when I'm
doing the etiquette training,like okay, so there's, there are
rules like etiquette rules thatare suggestions.
They're just suggestions so youcan.
You know there's a.
There's two different styles ofdining that I teach.
There's suggestions.
It is not that this is a rulethat you have to follow, but,
(44:06):
again, following you know, theusing proper etiquette just
knows you've covered the basis,so you're always treating
everybody with kindness andrespect and being socially aware
, which is very important.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (44:19):
Yep, I couldn't agree more.
Crystal, do you have a mostimportant lesson that you've
learned along the way that youwant to share?
Crystal MacLeod (44:30):
Oh boy, how, how many lessons have I learned.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (44:33):
I feel like you learn a new one and you're
like dang, that was important.
I should have learned that along time ago.
Crystal MacLeod (44:39):
Yeah, exactly, I think in the way that my
business life and my personallife, you know, as an
entrepreneur they're sointertwined, right A business
you don't just, you know, closeyour laptop at the end of the
day and go home and I recognizea lot of jobs are like that, for
sure, but when you're anentrepreneur, it's all on you
(45:02):
right, at the end of the day,it's all on you.
So for me, the biggest, thebiggest lesson and wish that I
had known this years ago was thelearning to say no, like to
things, learning that like Idon't, I'm not interested in
(45:23):
that event, why am I doing thatevent?
So it kind of comes all back tothe downsizing and figuring out
in a business, in my businessin particular, what are things
that I can eliminate so that Ican live the life that I want to
live with my husband and withmy family and my personal life.
I work really hard, but I don't.
(45:45):
People probably think I work alot more than I actually do.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (45:50):
Yeah, I think it's.
I think it's entrepreneurshipis so funny, because people are
either like that person works 20hours a day or it's what does
that person do every day?
There's seen it right.
There's seen.
There's no in between.
There's no in between.
Is that true?
Crystal MacLeod (46:09):
Yeah, you are bang on with that, where it's
like what do they actually do,right?
Yeah, I mean, when I work, forme it's the, it's the.
When I work, I work hard.
When I'm at an event, we'll putin a 16 hour day, like we will
absolutely do that, but then I'm, I'm not putting in a, you know
(46:31):
, even an eight hour day thenext day.
It's.
You know, you, you choose thosemoments.
So I give a hundred percent andthen take a few days to not
give a hundred percent, exactly.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (46:44):
That's awesome, and is there anything
you wish you had known or wishyou had known sooner?
Maybe not to downsizing, butyeah the same.
Crystal MacLeod (46:53):
No that I can like that.
I can say no to to events andopportunities, but not every
opportunity is meant for me.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (47:02):
Yeah and really the saying no.
And, as I say, breaking up withsomeone, business breaking up.
I literally only learned thatprobably in my last two years of
having a business because,really it's like I'm the same as
you.
You can't be the the cheapeststore, have the nicest stuff, be
(47:24):
open the latest hours, haveunlimited return policy.
Like you just can't do allthose things and I really just
realized it's okay to say no orit's okay to say we're not
really the store for you, butyou would love this place in
this place.
Check them out, right.
Crystal MacLeod (47:39):
Yeah.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (47:41):
It's a hard lesson, but it's important.
Crystal MacLeod (47:44):
It's a really hard lesson and I think is maybe
this is the generalization, butI think that, as women as well,
we always want people to likeus right.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (47:54):
Yes.
Crystal MacLeod (47:54):
We don't want to be that person.
We want people to like us.
We want to for people to thinkthat we're nice all the time.
And I'll say to people well,one of my favorite quotes is you
can be the ripest, juiciestpeach in the bunch, and some
people still aren't going tolike peaches, and that's okay.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (48:11):
Isn't that true?
Crystal MacLeod (48:13):
Right, I'm not the event planner for everybody,
and that's all right.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (48:18):
Yeah, I agree .
Thank you so much for being on.
This was so good to connectwith you again and just learn
from you, and I think whenpeople hear downsizing they get
kind of freaked out, but it'snot necessarily a negative thing
, as you've told us.
It's actually been really greatfor you.
So thank you for sharing withus.
(48:39):
Where can people find you?
I know that, especiallybusiness etiquette.
I think they need to look thatup for sure.
But maybe we've got some peoplegetting married or something.
Where's the best place for themto?
Shauna Foster (48:50):
find you.
Crystal MacLeod (48:53):
So our website.
There is a little bit ofinformation about the etiquette
training that we offer, as well,obviously, as the event
planning.
So just RSVP event design.
And our social media, samething, just @RSVP event design.
Instagram were a little moreactive with weddings, I would
(49:13):
say so.
People like to look at thepretty pictures.
Sometimes.
Corporate events don't alwayshave all the pretty pictures,
although the Galas do they doyes.
Yeah, and on Facebook as well,but we do probably upload more
pictures of weddings ontoInstagram and Facebook.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (49:34):
Yeah, and you do beautiful events.
I don't ever plan to getmarried again, so I had four
weddings.
This is never going to happenagain, but I knew that, a Gala,
you're my girl, Crystal.
Crystal MacLeod (49:47):
Thank you, thank you, I really appreciate
that.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (49:51):
Well, thank you for being on and for
everybody listening.
We will see you on the nextepisode.
Thanks for listening to Winning.
Be sure to subscribe to get allof our new episodes.
If you enjoyed this episode andyou'd like to help support the
podcast, please share it withothers.
Talk t on social media andleave a rating and review
wherever you listen to winningTo catch all of the latest from
(50:12):
us.
You can ou Winning podcast onInstagram at Winning a inning,
at Winning Facebook and onPodcast at Winning pod.
a Winning was created and isproduced by me, mackenzie
Kilshaw Music, Mackenzie createdby Summer Furby, editing by
Firby Seth Armstrong.
Thanks to Shauna Foster forvoicing our opening and, of
(50:35):
course, a huge thank you to thisepisode's guest.
Thanks again for listening andI'll see you on the next episode
.
Winning is your guide to making it in business.
Join our award-winning host andentrepreneur, Mackenzie Kilshaw
, and special guests in casualconversations that will educate
and inspire you on your businessjourney.
Winning will help you learn thehard lessons the easy way, with
guidance from celebratedentrepreneurs and business
(00:26):
leaders.
It's fun, it's informative,it's inning Hello.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (00:33):
Welcome to Winning.
I am your host, MackenzieKilshaw, and today's guest is
Crystal MacLeod.
Hi Crystal, hi Mackenzie, happyto be here.
I know I'm so excited to haveyou on.
We always talk before andCrystal and I are like we should
have press record twiceprobably.
So here we actually go.
Crystal is a five-time nationalaward-winning event planner
(00:55):
whose work has been featured ina magazine.
She's also given her expertadvice on CBC radio, c news,
Global News and in the StarPhoenix, which is Saskatoon's
newspaper.
When I read this she hasexecuted over 600 weddings and
corporate events I actuallyalmost fell over, because 600 is
(01:16):
a lot.
Yeah, that is a lot.
And her creativity and the wowfactor that she brings into
every event is really what setsher apart, and I've been to so
many events that Crystal hasplanned and I can tell you there
you think of every littledetail.
I guess that's experience.
Crystal MacLeod (01:37):
Yeah, absolutely, when you've done.
It's actually now closer to 800events.
Actually, I should have updated.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (01:45):
Well, I will update that.
Crystal MacLeod (01:48):
Yeah, it is getting closer to 800.
And yeah, when you've done thatmany events for sure, details
that you're repeating over andover again, they just come to
your mind, that's so cool.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (02:03):
Crystal, I gave you a little bio, but
really why don't you tell theaudience a little bit more about
yourself and how did you get todoing 800 events?
Because that is amazing.
Crystal MacLeod (02:17):
Yeah, my entrepreneurial story is well.
Actually it's a little bitdramatic.
So I was a dance teacher and Itaught dance for 10 years I
guess.
But I always wanted to be anevent planner.
That was always in the back ofmy mind as like my dream job.
I just didn't think it was anactual job.
(02:39):
I didn't think it was somethingI knew it was a job, but I
didn't think it was somethingthat you could do as a career in
Saskatchewan.
I didn't think you couldactually get paid to do that.
So another interest of mine wasbroadcast journalism.
I was ready to leave the danceworld and wanted to be an event
planner.
Didn't think that was a thing.
Other thing I considered wasbroadcast journalism.
(02:59):
So I applied to broadcastjournalism school in Calgary.
I was accepted.
I was ready to move to Calgary.
I was engaged at the time and myhusband was diagnosed with
sorry, my husband to be myfiance was diagnosed with cancer
.
So we had to rethink what wewere doing.
(03:19):
So he's going through treatment.
We postponed our wedding.
Well, he was supposed to begoing through treatment and
getting better and then hebecame terminally ill.
So we got married reallyquickly.
He passed away a month after wegot married and I was supposed
to be moving to Calgary at thatsame time.
(03:41):
I was in no position to move toCalgary at that time.
I was trying to figure out mylife and a new life without him.
So they held my position at theschool in Calgary for the year.
I was going to kind of take theyear and then I was going to
move to Calgary, go to schoolthe whole time in the back of my
mind I'm thinking I actuallywant to be in a band.
(04:02):
What am I doing?
Still not thinking, yeah, stillnot thinking that this is an
option.
So the year comes and goes andit's time for me again to move
to Calgary and I just couldn'tdo it.
There was just something thatwas stopping me.
So I cold called TammyForrester, who was the owner of
our RSVP event design at thetime.
(04:22):
We met and hit it off instantly.
You know when you just connectwith somebody.
We just connected immediately.
She hired me on the spot,started working for her.
A year later she invited me tobe her partner.
So we became business partners.
Eventually Tammy left thecompany.
(04:46):
She's now the CEO of RonaldMcDonald House Saskatchewan.
undefined.
o .
.
of .
Mackenzie Kilshaw (04:51):
I never knew this.
Okay, first of all, I've knownyou for many years.
I never knew this story, so I'mjust like, I'm like listener,
just really.
I never knew this.
That's so cool, Tammy's awesome.
Crystal MacLeod (05:02):
And Tammy's an incredible, incredible person.
She has taught me everythingthat I know about being a
business owner and being anevent planner.
I learned so much from Tammy.
She is my mentor and we arestill very close.
I still reach out to her,sometimes in tears Tammy, what
do I do?
(05:22):
And she hasn't officially beena part of the company for many
years like 12 years or somethingbut I still keep her picture on
our website as our founder,because she just deserves that
recognition, because she is theone that created RSVP.
So yeah, my entrepreneurialstory.
(05:43):
It's dramatic.
I guess it was me.
It was taking something verydifficult.
It was taking something verysad.
It was taking somethinglife-changing to make me step
out and fulfill my dream.
Again, it sounds very dramatic,it is kind of dramatic, but
(06:07):
that is how I came to be anevent planner.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (06:11):
Yeah, it's just so kind of crazy, I think
to, when a huge life-changingmoment like that happens.
You can kind of take two pathsright.
You can take the I'm juststaying where I am and never
doing anything because grief cankind of take over your life.
(06:31):
Or you can go the path that youtook and you knew that the
broadcasting wasn't really foryou, even though you were
interested in it.
You knew right and look whatyou've done.
I mean, you have, like you'renationally acclaimed, like
clearly this is the path youwere supposed to be on.
Crystal MacLeod (06:52):
This is the path that I was supposed to be
on and it all unfolds the waythat it is supposed to unfold.
So, everything you know, thereare certainly a lot of skills in
the dance world that weretransferable to event planning.
Putting on a recital or a showis putting on an event, yeah.
So a lot of the skills werethings that I utilize all the
(07:17):
time in events, and also the youknow creating, because we
create experiences right.
Yes, and we create moments forpeople and I love creating
beautiful things.
Like I loved creating beautifuldances and beautiful shows, I
love creating beautiful events.
So it all leads you to.
(07:39):
You know the place that you'resupposed to be.
So I am remarried and I'mhappily married to my husband,
Mark, and we have two children,Ellie and Anderson.
And after my first husbandpassed away, I said three things
.
I said I wanted to be marriedhappily again and I wanted two
(08:04):
children.
I even said I wanted a boy anda girl, and that's what I have.
And I said I wanted to own anevent planning company.
And I'm here.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (08:13):
Yeah, exactly , you know, usually what you put
out into the universe, you getback.
We were talking about thatbefore.
But it is true, right, when youenvision something and you
could have said, no, I can't dothe event stuff, I have to go to
become a broadcast journalistand went that path and probably
(08:33):
you wouldn't have met Mark andhad you know like your life
would have been so muchdifferent.
But you're where you want to be, which is really what
entrepreneurship is about.
Right?
It's the lifestyle that youwant and you're doing something
you love every day.
Crystal MacLeod (08:50):
Like I truly am , I truly love what I do.
Like my husband and I will jokearound about, like if he won
the lottery and like what wouldyou do?
And things like that, and I'mlike I kind of feel like I would
still want to do a lot, butlike maybe, maybe not as many,
or something, but like I cannot,I cannot imagine a life where
(09:14):
I'm not doing this and you knowwe were talking before the,
before we started recording.
But it's the relationships,like events have brought so many
incredible people into my lifeand I get to celebrate moments
with people.
And how kinds of moments, right, like we do weddings and we do
(09:35):
corporate events and we do galas.
And you know, doing thenonprofit gala for the nonprofit
organization, that everythingit means, it means everything to
that organization, right,raising funds for their
organization that they believein, that they care about so much
(09:57):
, is just as important ashelping a bride get down the
aisle to get married on one ofthe most important days of her
life, right?
So all of these moments I getto celebrate and help people
celebrate beautiful moments intheir life, you know, we've got
to do even some like memorialsnot necessarily funerals but
(10:18):
memorials and what a privilegethat is to get to create a
beautiful experience for peopleas they are honoring somebody.
So I just, yeah, I love my job.
I still love my job.
If I get to the point where Idon't love my job anymore, then
I will absolutely have to stop,because it's too stressful of a
(10:40):
job.
You have to keep doing it ifyou don't love it.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (10:43):
Well, I was going to say, because I've
planned events nothing to thescale that you have done
although I did say it could be awedding planner because I did
have to replan my weddingbecause I got married during
COVID, so I had to be planned mywedding about 10 times.
But if you've never planned anevent, honestly, you have no
idea everything that goes intoit.
(11:05):
It's not just, you know, somepretty floral arrangements and
tablecloths.
That is a minuscule, little,tiny portion of it, right?
Crystal MacLeod (11:16):
Yeah, we say that people think our job is
about the pretty and it's 10%pretty, 90% logistics and
spreadsheets.
Yeah, I spend just as much timeon delivery schedules as I do
picking out flowers for awedding, Like it's just as
complicated as the flowers.
Yeah, more so probably right.
And when I think of theglamorous side of it.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (11:38):
That's right.
People wouldn't think about it,because all they're thinking is
oh, you get to go and you getto pick out the flowers with the
bride, and then the flowersjust arrive and you put them on
the tables or whatever it is,but really they don't just
arrive.
You have to plan that too.
Crystal MacLeod (11:57):
Yeah, that's jokingly.
hat I say to brides is likeyou're not going to know how
they get there, or what timethey got there, or how we got
them through the door or how wemoved them from one place to the
other.
You're just going to show upand they're just magically going
to be there.
But it takes a lot of planningto magically get them there.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (12:15):
Yeah, 100%, and I think that's the thing.
People see you at events andthey see you, you know, making
sure that everything's as itshould be, but they don't
realize everything, not justthat day, like months ahead.
Right that you're working on it.
Crystal MacLeod (12:35):
Yeah, absolutely.
It is the planning ofeverything.
So it's not just what does awedding?
You know, when I meet with acouple for the first time, I say
to them like what's your visionfor the day?
But not just aesthetically,like not just what you want it
to look like, what do you wantit to feel like, what do you
(12:56):
want your guests to experience?
What are those moments thathave meaning to you?
And that's more than flowersand a pretty tablecloth.
Right, there's other elementsthat are a lot of other elements
that are involved there.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (13:10):
Yeah, exactly , and whether it's a wedding or
a corporate event, it's all thesame, right?
Because at your corporate event, whether that's a gala or
that's, you know, a big eventthat a company's doing or
something that's as important tothem, right?
Crystal MacLeod (13:26):
Absolutely.
And I say like I get asked allthe time like what do you prefer
?
Weddings or corporate events?
I love like galas, I love theglitz and the glam and making
things beautiful and just makinga beautiful experience for
people.
I don't do a lot of conferences, that's just not my area of
(13:46):
interest for events, but a galais very similar to a wedding,
like all of the elements arethere, you have people, you have
food, you have music, you haveflowers, you have like they're
very, very similar and theemotional part of it is just as
(14:07):
significant, sometimes right, oragain the nonprofit, the.
They are invested 100%, just asyou know the family is and the
bride and the groom or thegrooms or the brides or whatever
.
Yeah, exactly.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (14:20):
Yeah, once again, before we started
recording, we talked about COVID.
I owned clothing stores.
No one was shopping.
You have an event planningcompany.
I shouldn't say no one wasgetting married, because there
was events and there was things.
But that would have been sodifficult because you kind of
had to press the pause button,didn't you?
Crystal MacLeod (14:44):
We did.
Yeah, Covid, it kind of feelslike this, like this fog of like
, oh right, what happened, like?
And you came through on theother side and it was like you
were in battle and we survived.
But it was, it was, it wasscary, it was just the
uncertainty that that was thepart of it right of.
(15:05):
I remember I was i in Vegasactually for an event planning
conference when the like, theshutdown first happened.
And I'm in the airport and I'mgetting a.
I had an event, a gala, thenext weekend and I'm getting
phone calls that it's going tobe canceled and I'm like, what,
what, what are you talking about?
(15:27):
Like, what do you mean?
And then more phone calls arecoming in and more emails and
I'm like, oh, wow, like this isactually real, this is happening
.
And I remember saying like,okay, well, if you know we're
just shut down for you know,kind of my, my projections for
the year.
And it's like, okay, well, ifjust these months shut down,
(15:48):
then we're fine.
And then it's like, oh, andthis month and this month and
this month, and you keep addingon.
I will say that I thought therewere a lot of initiatives in
place for small businesses thatthe government helped out and
that really, that really helpedme tremendously.
(16:09):
For a very long time, though, Ididn't have to lay anybody off
and I kept them at their fullsalary.
It wasn't until, like thesecond lockdown down down kind
of happened.
I think again, this is kind ofa blur, so trying to remember
how it all went down so we wereable to do like a few events and
(16:31):
weddings, you know, came backfirst, I think, the corporate
events.
Those were a little bit slower,and then 2022 happened, and it
was insane because we had all ofthese contracts to fulfill of
people that had been, likeyourself, postponing their
wedding three, four or fivetimes, you know.
(16:51):
Yeah, so 2022 was just off thecharts.
It was crazy.
It was so great to be back, beback celebrating with people
again, and we did like a Fridaywedding, Saturday wedding,
Sunday wedding.
We were just like busy, busy,busy, and then corporate events
in 2023, I feel like really cameback strong.
(17:12):
So now it's just we're justkind of back to normal, whatever
normal.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (17:17):
I know it's like the other day was talking
to someone and I'm like it'slike it was.
If you've ever had surgery andyou wake up from surgery and
you're like where, I know I'mhere, but what up, where am I,
whatever?
That's kind of what COVID felt.
Like you know, it's like youremember it.
Yeah, like you remember it,like I remember it, but I'm like
(17:39):
I can't tell you what happenedthere.
Like I'm the same as you.
I was so fortunate to get therent subsidies and the employee
wage subsidy a subsidy formyself, because I still that's
my income, right being myselfand, to be truthful with you, if
those things wouldn't have beenthere, I really don't think my
(18:03):
business would have survived,and I think that's the same for
many, many people.
Crystal MacLeod (18:09):
Yeah, absolutely.
For me it was day to day lifebecause we have two children.
So my husband is a teacher, sohe was teaching from home,
trying to do the online teaching, and we had our son was in
grade two so we were trying toteach him be his teacher and
(18:29):
then our daughter's daycare shutdown, so we had no childcare
and I was postponing andcanceling 50 something events so
it's, and we had no, no helpwith our kids.
Yeah, so it's like both Mark andI having these full time jobs.
Our daughter was three, so it'snot like you can just, you know
(18:55):
, say go do something, no three,right.
And then our son we're supposedto be teaching him, we're
supposed to be doing the onlineschool thing.
So it felt like we had likefive full time jobs.
Yeah, so, the day to day life,that that was really difficult,
maybe even more so than theuncertainty of of everything
(19:17):
that was happening with mybusiness.
But yeah, yeah definitely.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (19:22):
I think many, many people worked harder in
that COVID year.
I'll say year, but you know itreally was a year until things
came and I don't even know whatnormal is really anymore.
But that COVID year, I think,was harder for many people than
when they first started out.
Right, because when you firststart out, you don't know what's
(19:44):
going to happen, so you justtake everything as it is.
Okay, this happened, what arewe going to do?
Right, good or bad.
But then once you're likeyou're a really well oiled
machine, right, Like you, youknew what you were doing.
You had done it for many yearsand all of a sudden it was just
like a hard stop, right.
And then, you have all theseother things that you have to do
(20:04):
, but for you to like, you stillhad to maintain those
relationships with people.
You still had to answerquestions.
You still you know people arelike, okay, well, maybe we're
not going to do what weinitially said.
We're going to change nowbecause we just want to be
married and that's that, orwhatever it is right.
Crystal MacLeod (20:19):
So you had a lot, a lot happening, yeah, and
the emotional part of it as well, for for all my couples, like
just trying to trying to bethere for them and I don't have
the answers they knew just asmuch as I did.
It's not like the governmentwas like giving us the you know
(20:41):
heads up of anything that wascoming, Like it was.
I was planning one wedding whenthe second lockdown happened
and we found out the week beforethat we couldn't serve food in
the area that we needed to.
So it was like okay, or it waslike five days out from the
wedding or something like that.
(21:01):
So it's like okay, the ruleschanged again.
Let's figure this out.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (21:06):
So yeah, a lot of problem solving, for sure
, I feel like you probably do alot of problem solving and I
don't know that people evenrealize it.
But when you are dealing withweddings and big events, there
are things like that that comeup right and you have to figure
it out, because you can't go tothe bribe and say, oh, we can't
serve food there.
So I guess, sorry, you know youhave to.
(21:27):
You have to figure it out.
Crystal MacLeod (21:30):
Yeah, it's really problem solving.
I think over the years but Ialso think it is a part of my
personality I don't get panickedvery easily.
I know there's always asolution for everything.
There really is.
There's a solution foreverything.
(21:51):
So, as long as you can andexperience too, I mean.
Sometimes I say, just when Ithink I've seen and done it all,
then all of a sudden somethingnew happens and it's like, oh
boy, well, like a pandemic, likedidn't see that one coming.
Yeah, exactly, it's just beingable to pivot and at the end of
the day, that's what it is.
(22:11):
It's solving problems.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (22:13):
Yeah, exactly , and in all reality, all
entrepreneurs and small business.
That's what, that's your job.
It's just solving a problem ortaking something and making it
an opportunity, right.
Crystal MacLeod (22:27):
Yeah, absolutely.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (22:28):
I want to chat a little bit about
downsizing, because I know thatyou've talked about this before,
that you actually did downsize,so let's talk about that.
And first of all, why did youchoose that path?
And yeah, let's start there.
What, like what did you do todownsize and why did you choose
(22:51):
that?
Crystal MacLeod (22:55):
So years ago.
I mean, we are in our well now,going into our 26th year of
business as RSVP.
So a lot happens, right, in 26years.
You evolve, when you change andyour focus changes.
You know, when I came on board,we were a big company.
There was, you know, sixfull-time planners.
(23:17):
We had a storefront, we didrentals and there was, you know,
we did corporate events and wedid weddings and we did
conferences and we did like allkinds of events.
So when Tammy, when my business,one of my business partners,
chose to leave the company, itwas like, okay, let's figure out
(23:43):
what I want the company to looklike and what do I want my life
to look like.
Yes, so I don't enjoy managingpeople.
It's not one of the parts ofowning a business that I really
enjoy doing.
So now I have a manager to dothat aspect of the business.
(24:06):
So it's like we were having allthese full-time planners and we
were planning all of theseevents and we had this huge
storefront, this huge space, wewere doing all of this rent and
I'm like I don't want to haveall of these employees because
that's not the part of mybusiness that I like.
I don't want to plan thingslike conferences and outdoor
(24:27):
festivals, and we were doingthat.
Tammy was great at it.
It was not what I enjoyed doing.
I was doing events to pay staff.
I don't necessarily want tohave to be in a space where I
have to have, you know, nine tofive hours, so I have to have
somebody there and so I don'thave the flexibility either.
(24:48):
It's like this is not, this isnot working, and I have a young
family, right, yeah.
So it's like how do I worksmarter and not harder?
So, really focusing in on theevents that I loved doing I love
doing weddings, I love doinggallows, I love the glitz and
(25:13):
the glam and making things lookbeautiful.
I don't love doing conferences.
So let's stop doing those kindof events.
Let's downsize our staff,because if we're, you know,
booking these events to pay thestaff I don't necessarily want
to have, well, now that I don'thave those events, I don't need
this staff.
So we can downsize that.
(25:33):
And then having the storefrontwith the rentals.
So the rentals are still a partof our business, but now we
only rent to the clients thatwe're planning events for,
whereas before we rented to thegeneral public.
They could come and rent a cakestand from us or whatever.
So now I didn't have to havethis storefront and these hours
(25:56):
and I got an offsite storageunit and bought an office
downtown in the Second Avenuelofts.
So now I had an investmentinstead of, you know, paying the
rent and we were paying a lotof rent at the time.
So, anyhow, all of these thingshappened and I was working less
and I'm like I have lessoverhead now and I'm working
(26:20):
less and I'm making more money.
Yeah, this is amazing, likethis is amazing.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (26:26):
Before you did it, were you scared, were
you, were you like I want to dothis.
I think we have to, but I'mterrified, yeah.
Crystal MacLeod (26:34):
Terrified, absolutely terrified, because it
was like we're going to startsaying no to events, we're going
to start saying no to business.
Like that goes againsteverything as an entrepreneur in
your core.
You don't.
You don't say no to potentialbusiness right Now.
I say no all the time, likeeven more so than that, like now
(26:57):
it's even from when we downsizeto where we are at now.
Now it's like if, sincerely, ifI feel like I am not a good fit
for an event, I am the firstperson to say I don't think I'm
the right person for this event,but I know some other people
that are more than happy, and Ido it all the time.
(27:20):
So I'm not the right person forthis, I'm not your girl.
I'm not your girl for this.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (27:25):
Isn't it crazy how, like, yeah, you learn
that right.
Like when you first turn out,you're yeah, I'll do this, yeah,
I'll do that, yeah, for sure.
Because you, just you, becomekind of a yes man, because I
can't say no, because thenthey'll never ask me again or
I'll lose that group of peopleor whatever it is.
You realize, like you saidyourself, you were more
(27:46):
profitable and you worked less.
That's the dream of everyentrepreneur, right it?
Crystal MacLeod (27:52):
i.
It was like you know wherewe're at now and where we've
been at different points.
It's like, oh my gosh, this iswhat I wanted my life to look
like, you know.
So, taking it even then thenext step further, I sold my
(28:14):
office downtown in the Second ALofts and then my husband and I
built the home that we're in now, with a separate entrance for
our clients.
So I moved the office and Isaid I would never have a
home-based business.
I would never do that.
Never say never.
Shauna Foster (28:32):
Yeah because I was.
Crystal MacLeod (28:34):
I am.
I had this Exactly.
So I had this office, which wasdowntown.
So I'm, you know, w we e r.
Doesn't take that long to drive, but I'm driving, you know,
back and forth downtown and only50% of my clientele is really
coming to the office, so it wasjust my wedding clients, because
I'm always going to thecorporate client.
Yeah, of course I have this, asyou know, expensive space and
(28:57):
I'm driving back and forth, yetI'm only meeting with wedding
clients there.
Like, let's think about this.
How could we downsize, you know, even further?
Yeah, so we did.
So we built this house.
It has a separate entrance,it's a really nice big, big
office and it has workedbrilliantly.
(29:19):
So downsizing again.
Covid hit a year and a halfafter we moved into this space
and into our home and I was like, oh, I didn't know that that
was even a better move.
I didn't know there was apandemic coming.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (29:35):
So really glad I did that when I did
Interesting a enough.
I remember when he moved hbecause Crystal and I actually
lived not even a block from eachother.
And I remember when you saidwe're building this home and
moving and I thought that was soexciting and yeah, like I mean,
had you never would have knownCOVID was going to happen.
But imagine if you still hadthat space and I mean you're
(29:58):
still paying your mortgage forthat space and you couldn't even
have any events.
Crystal MacLeod (30:05):
Like, yeah, that would have been, yeah, we
could have been in a verydifferent situation.
Your podcast, my old, yourpodcast well, we could have been
in a in a really differentsituation than what we ended up
in.
So it again it is.
It all works out the way thatit is supposed to work out in
the end.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (30:26):
Exactly, and I love how I mean so many people
too are.
I know other business peopleI've talked to are like well,
I'm going to buy a building andthen I'm going to have my office
in that building.
And I'm like, okay, and one,for example, was a realtor on
her own and I said do you need abuilding?
(30:46):
Like it's just you, you knowyou're probably.
If you want to buy the buildingas an investment, you're
probably better off to buy itand rent it out to somebody else
, because it's just you in theoffice and you know, and
sometimes it just doesn't makesense and it might be a good
investment or a good idea, butfor your business model it just
(31:08):
doesn't work.
Same as when Tammy left, yourleft RSVP and you took over,
your business model actuallychanged.
Whether you said it did or not,it did because you didn't want
to do those corporate events,you didn't want the rental space
.
You actually changed yourentire business model.
(31:28):
Look how well it turned out foryou.
Absolutely.
Crystal MacLeod (31:32):
Yeah, business models, they have to evolve.
You have to change.
Things are going to change.
We've been in business for 26years.
It's not remotely realistic tothink that what we started out
with is going to be where we'reat right now, exactly.
And now, the quality of my lifeand being able to say no to
(31:54):
events and sometimes we weretalking about this again before
we started recording it's likesometimes you're in the season
of your business where you'relike, okay, I'm energized right
now, I'm given 110% and I wantto really focus on this aspect
or whatever, and then sometimesyou feel like you know what?
I'm a little bit, I don't havethat energy right now.
(32:17):
So downsizing gave me thatfreedom.
Where it's like, okay, I'm not,I don't have all of this
overhead.
So if I choose to not do theseevents, I'm still going to be
okay because I'm not paying allthe things that we were paying
before.
(32:37):
Yeah, so we're really lucky.
Yeah, so we're really lucky alsoin that we do a lot of repeat
corporate events.
So the very first clients wehad 26 years ago we still do
that same event.
So that is.
It's amazing.
I'm really proud of that.
(32:58):
Like this was obviously Tammy'sfirst client is an event that I
still do 26 years later, andthe only years we missed,
obviously, were the two COVIDyears.
So having those repeat corporateevents are really important to
me, because I kind of knowwhat's coming, for you know,
(33:22):
obviously, weddings are all newevery year, but with the repeat
corporate events it's great, andonce my kids get a little bit
older, if I want to grow mybusiness, I could.
Right now I could, because Idon't do any advertising
actually, I do like zero.
You don't have to, though,because I don't wish to take on
(33:46):
more events at this point.
Growth is not my focus rightnow.
It is just not my focus, and Idon't want to bring on more
staff, and I myself don't wantto be doing more events than
what I'm doing.
When my kids are a little bitolder, maybe it will never say
never, but for the moment I amreally happy with where I'm at
(34:09):
in terms of as busy as I wantthis business to be.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (34:14):
And I think the thing too is growth.
Like we all just kind of havein our mind.
Growth means more clients, moreevents for you.
Right, that's not necessarilywhat it is, because you can grow
your business withoutincreasing your client base.
Right, absolutely.
Maybe those corporate events orthe galas or whatever it is,
(34:41):
maybe they add an additionalevent in a year right, it's
still, you're still working withthe same people.
It's just another thing, butit's not necessarily growing
your client base.
Crystal MacLeod (34:53):
Yeah, absolutely.
It's the idea that bigger isalways better it is.
In my experience it has beencompletely opposite.
Yeah, like completely opposite,that bigger has not been better
, not just for the bottom line,but also for me and my personal
(35:13):
life and just really the lifethat I want to live.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (35:16):
Well, I think , too, when you're looking at
events, a lot of those events,especially weddings, happen on
weekends.
You have a family.
When do your kids events happen?
Weekends, right.
So for you, you still want tomaintain that family life and
the ability to do things withyour family and kids, but you
(35:38):
also have to maintain the eventsRight and that you know that
that's when a lot of thosehappen.
What other yeah, yeah, no, Iwas just going to ask, like with
the downsizing, that did giveyou freedom and other benefits.
If you want to talk about thata little bit, yeah, absolutely.
Crystal MacLeod (36:02):
I mean people talking about like the weekends
and evenings.
Yeah, like a wedding doesn'tnormally happen on a Monday
afternoon, a corporate galadoesn't usually happen at 10 am
on a Tuesday, right, yeah, and alot of people like say to me oh
, you must like, you must worklike every single weekend or
whatever.
But so my husband's a teacherso I jokingly say that was one
(36:25):
of the best career moves I evermade, because he has the summer
off.
So we treat a Wednesday like aSaturday.
If I'm doing a wedding on aSaturday, we can, you know, do
kind of whatever would turn theWednesday into the weekend.
It doesn't really matter.
Yeah, I've also built a reallysolid team.
Like we have an incredible team.
(36:48):
My like most senior planner hasbeen with me for seven years
now.
She's exceptional.
Lauren, she's incredible.
She does, you know, just asgood or, you know I often say
better than me.
That happens sometimes.
(37:09):
It feels like it because she'slike incredibly focused and she
brings things to the table and Ibring things to the table.
So when we work together, youknow we compliment each other.
But we also have like anincredible contracted team.
So we have about 15 to 20 staffthat we regularly contract to
(37:31):
help us just with the executionof events, and some of those
people have been with us forseven, eight years, so we have,
like, really good processes inplace.
So like, yes, events are hardand we work really hard and
they're long hours, but it's notthe same as when I started
doing events, because I havelearned so many things over the
(37:54):
years on how to be moreefficient and how to you know.
So we're executing, you know,sometimes three events in a
weekend, but it's not killing methe way that it used to,
because we've figured out how todo it smarter and just putting
(38:15):
you know processes in place andputting in you know company
policies as to how things yeah,just all of it you know.
So that really that also helpeda lot with in the downsizing as
well.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (38:30):
Yeah, I think two people don't realize behind
the scenes how much policies,procedures and processes those
are like.
When I'm talking to people, I'mlike, well, what's your
procedure for this?
Like, well, we don't reallyhave one.
I'm like, well, you need to get.
Like you need one, because theneverybody does it the same way,
Everybody knows what to do,that's just what it is right,
and you don't even think aboutit.
(38:51):
It becomes second naturebecause it's just what everybody
does.
When you don't have that,everybody does their own thing,
and that's when you haveproblems right, so I love
hearing that.
Crystal MacLeod (39:01):
Well, especially, yeah, especially
with events.
I mean what right Like it?
It I mean the events are allincredibly important to us, but
an event is an event likeweddings have the same elements,
right?
Yes, as we talked about,weddings have the same element
elements, pardon me, as acorporate event.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (39:20):
So follow the process, yeah exactly, and
that's experience and haveeverything you know structured
like that and that gives youfreedom to have a life and to do
things and to say no.
Right, Like you said, you cansay no to things now because you
don't need to have them, whichis very free.
(39:43):
That's right.
Crystal MacLeod (39:46):
And you can't be everything.
I can't be an event planner toall people, right, I can't be
the cheapest and the mostefficient and the most
experienced and the most youknow all of those things, like
you.
There are clients that I workreally well with and there are
(40:09):
events that are just totally upmy alley where it's like, oh,
I've got this.
And then there have been eventswhere I'm like struggling
because it's like this doesn't,this event doesn't speak to me,
this event doesn't you know,it's just, it's just not my
skill set, and so figuring outwhat that was and then not
having to do those eventsanymore was like oh, so
(40:31):
liberating.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (40:33):
Yeah, it's like a weight off your shoulders
.
Yeah, yeah, I want to justquickly, because I know that you
do a lot of with businessetiquette and I think that
people don't think about itespecially now we're a lot more
casual but how important it is.
(40:54):
So do you want to just kind oftouch on and if people are like,
what is business etiquette?
Exactly just what it is and whyit's important, because this it
it's kind of separate fromevents in a sense, but we all
are living these jobs, whetheryou're on a zoom color, you're
in an office or you're going toa dinner for a work dinner,
(41:15):
right that there's things thatare really important.
So just touch on that a littlebit because I find it so
interesting that you're you haveactual like training in this,
which I think is so awesome.
Crystal MacLeod (41:28):
I do, yeah, so.
So I would disagree with you insaying that etiquette is not
with events, because that isexactly what led me to do it to
etiquette training was because Iwas often the person on the
outside of events looking in atawkward things that were
happening and it was like, oh,this feels like a great added
service I could offer to myclients because I see a lot of
(41:48):
awkward things happening.
I'm on the outside looking in,right, yeah, that's true.
So, yeah, I did my training atthe Protocol School of
Washington in Washington DC andthen furthered my training at
the Charleston School ofProtocol in Charleston.
So, etiquette etiquette is likea scary word for people.
It sounds pretentious and itsounds like perfection and it
(42:12):
sounds stuffy.
But like, etiquette is reallyabout kindness and respect and
social awareness, and that is inbusiness as well.
Yes, right, etiquette, socialetiquette, business etiquette
it's all the same.
Business can be very social attimes.
So having etiquette skills aregoing to it's just really going
(42:37):
to help you elevate yourpersonal brand and how you
interact with people.
It helps to build teamworkright by defining inappropriate
and inappropriate behavioramongst clients and colleagues
and friends.
So, like, business etiquette issocial etiquette.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (42:54):
They're the same thing, yeah it's so true
and I can only imagine some ofthe things that you've seen at
some of these events.
But it's true, I remember inuniversity we did a.
I think actually you did it, Ithink we figured out one time
you did it.
It was at the Saskatoo at atthe top of the inn and yeah, and
it was.
(43:14):
I was in College of Commerce,now Edward School of Business,
but it was everything from howto talk to people and greet them
and eating, like eating at adinner meeting, and the proper
way to actually.
Well, we don't really learnthat.
I mean, you teach your childrento eat but not what pork to use
and you don't realize how, ifyou don't know that stuff and
(43:38):
someone can tell you don't knowit, that could affect your
career, right yeah.
Crystal MacLeod (43:44):
And I like I always say to people when I'm
doing the etiquette training,like okay, so there's, there are
rules like etiquette rules thatare suggestions.
They're just suggestions so youcan.
You know there's a.
There's two different styles ofdining that I teach.
There's suggestions.
It is not that this is a rulethat you have to follow, but,
(44:06):
again, following you know, theusing proper etiquette just
knows you've covered the basis,so you're always treating
everybody with kindness andrespect and being socially aware
, which is very important.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (44:19):
Yep, I couldn't agree more.
Crystal, do you have a mostimportant lesson that you've
learned along the way that youwant to share?
Crystal MacLeod (44:30):
Oh boy, how, how many lessons have I learned.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (44:33):
I feel like you learn a new one and you're
like dang, that was important.
I should have learned that along time ago.
Crystal MacLeod (44:39):
Yeah, exactly, I think in the way that my
business life and my personallife, you know, as an
entrepreneur they're sointertwined, right A business
you don't just, you know, closeyour laptop at the end of the
day and go home and I recognizea lot of jobs are like that, for
sure, but when you're anentrepreneur, it's all on you
(45:02):
right, at the end of the day,it's all on you.
So for me, the biggest, thebiggest lesson and wish that I
had known this years ago was thelearning to say no, like to
things, learning that like Idon't, I'm not interested in
(45:23):
that event, why am I doing thatevent?
So it kind of comes all back tothe downsizing and figuring out
in a business, in my businessin particular, what are things
that I can eliminate so that Ican live the life that I want to
live with my husband and withmy family and my personal life.
I work really hard, but I don't.
(45:45):
People probably think I work alot more than I actually do.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (45:50):
Yeah, I think it's.
I think it's entrepreneurshipis so funny, because people are
either like that person works 20hours a day or it's what does
that person do every day?
There's seen it right.
There's seen.
There's no in between.
There's no in between.
Is that true?
Crystal MacLeod (46:09):
Yeah, you are bang on with that, where it's
like what do they actually do,right?
Yeah, I mean, when I work, forme it's the, it's the.
When I work, I work hard.
When I'm at an event, we'll putin a 16 hour day, like we will
absolutely do that, but then I'm, I'm not putting in a, you know
(46:31):
, even an eight hour day thenext day.
It's.
You know, you, you choose thosemoments.
So I give a hundred percent andthen take a few days to not
give a hundred percent, exactly.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (46:44):
That's awesome, and is there anything
you wish you had known or wishyou had known sooner?
Maybe not to downsizing, butyeah the same.
Crystal MacLeod (46:53):
No that I can like that.
I can say no to to events andopportunities, but not every
opportunity is meant for me.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (47:02):
Yeah and really the saying no.
And, as I say, breaking up withsomeone, business breaking up.
I literally only learned thatprobably in my last two years of
having a business because,really it's like I'm the same as
you.
You can't be the the cheapeststore, have the nicest stuff, be
(47:24):
open the latest hours, haveunlimited return policy.
Like you just can't do allthose things and I really just
realized it's okay to say no orit's okay to say we're not
really the store for you, butyou would love this place in
this place.
Check them out, right.
Crystal MacLeod (47:39):
Yeah.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (47:41):
It's a hard lesson, but it's important.
Crystal MacLeod (47:44):
It's a really hard lesson and I think is maybe
this is the generalization, butI think that, as women as well,
we always want people to likeus right.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (47:54):
Yes.
Crystal MacLeod (47:54):
We don't want to be that person.
We want people to like us.
We want to for people to thinkthat we're nice all the time.
And I'll say to people well,one of my favorite quotes is you
can be the ripest, juiciestpeach in the bunch, and some
people still aren't going tolike peaches, and that's okay.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (48:11):
Isn't that true?
Crystal MacLeod (48:13):
Right, I'm not the event planner for everybody,
and that's all right.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (48:18):
Yeah, I agree .
Thank you so much for being on.
This was so good to connectwith you again and just learn
from you, and I think whenpeople hear downsizing they get
kind of freaked out, but it'snot necessarily a negative thing
, as you've told us.
It's actually been really greatfor you.
So thank you for sharing withus.
(48:39):
Where can people find you?
I know that, especiallybusiness etiquette.
I think they need to look thatup for sure.
But maybe we've got some peoplegetting married or something.
Where's the best place for themto?
Shauna Foster (48:50):
find you.
Crystal MacLeod (48:53):
So our website.
There is a little bit ofinformation about the etiquette
training that we offer, as well,obviously, as the event
planning.
So just RSVP event design.
And our social media, samething, just @RSVP event design.
Instagram were a little moreactive with weddings, I would
(49:13):
say so.
People like to look at thepretty pictures.
Sometimes.
Corporate events don't alwayshave all the pretty pictures,
although the Galas do they doyes.
Yeah, and on Facebook as well,but we do probably upload more
pictures of weddings ontoInstagram and Facebook.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (49:34):
Yeah, and you do beautiful events.
I don't ever plan to getmarried again, so I had four
weddings.
This is never going to happenagain, but I knew that, a Gala,
you're my girl, Crystal.
Crystal MacLeod (49:47):
Thank you, thank you, I really appreciate
that.
Mackenzie Kilshaw (49:51):
Well, thank you for being on and for
everybody listening.
We will see you on the nextepisode.
Thanks for listening to Winning.
Be sure to subscribe to get allof our new episodes.
If you enjoyed this episode andyou'd like to help support the
podcast, please share it withothers.
Talk t on social media andleave a rating and review
wherever you listen to winningTo catch all of the latest from
(50:12):
us.
You can ou Winning podcast onInstagram at Winning a inning,
at Winning Facebook and onPodcast at Winning pod.
a Winning was created and isproduced by me, mackenzie
Kilshaw Music, Mackenzie createdby Summer Furby, editing by
Firby Seth Armstrong.
Thanks to Shauna Foster forvoicing our opening and, of
(50:35):
course, a huge thank you to thisepisode's guest.
Thanks again for listening andI'll see you on the next episode
.
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