I think planning is probably one of the most complex and layered parts of the event industry. Years ago when I first started, I made the mistake of accepting a job as a planner in addition to doing the design, and I remember spending a whole afternoon making 20 phone calls just to set up one meeting. This was just one minuscule part of planning, but for me it was an eye opener.

I have had the pleasure (and pain) to work with many planners in my 30 years of business, and I can safely say that getting the wrong planner can be a huge pain in the ass. Not just for me, but also for the unsuspecting clients. Saying that you are a planner does not make you a good one. If you designed your own wedding or party and you enjoyed it, great, but that does not make you a planner.

Here, in my humble opinion, is what makes a great planner:

• Experience, experience, experience. I think one can safely call him or herself a good planner after working on at least 20 events. (Even then, it depends on what kind of events.)
• Knowledge. Knowledge can be acquired through practice or by taking a very informative course to give you a base. (The best course I know of is offered by the Wedding Planning Institute.)
• Great attention to detail and the ability to improvise. I think a good planner is one that can turn a bad or tense situation good without the client ever knowing. (In every event, something always goes differently than we planned.)
• Last but not least, leave the drama at home. Again, maybe it’s just me so forgive me, but I have encountered more than one planner who was a crazy maker.

I am completely in awe of the business of planning with all its layers and intricacies. I applaud everyone who wants to get into this exciting business, but please remember it takes time and effort. Yes, you can go ahead and call yourself a planner and start your journey, but it takes a bit longer to become a good one.

I’d love to know what you think determines a good versus bad planner. Please share in the comments.

Just like when I’m a designing a room and want to create something that makes a guest say, “Wow, I want to see more,” I try do the same with the headlines on my blog posts.

Headlines on the web are tricky, though, because they have to both be utilitarian (i.e. being SEO–search engine optimization–friendly) and convey some sort of personality.

I personally would like to try and infuse more humor into my headlines, but sometimes it’s hard to achieve that goal in such a small amount of words. That’s one thing I’m working on, and one thing that belongs on my list of what makes a good headline.

This list is ever expanding, but so far, this is what I have.

A good headline is…

• Funny! Or maybe I should say it exudes some kind of fun or humorous personality. Examples of my attempts at funny headlines are: To Do: Become a Cross Dresser and Frequently Asked Questions: What happened to your hair?
• Informative. It tells you what you’ll be getting right away. These types of headlines do best with your SEO. If you know that people have been searching for certain types of keywords relevant to your content, but they aren’t landing on your site, try using those keywords in headlines. Some examples of this are: Your Turn: The Best Local Wedding Planners In Your Area and What’s in or out? Design Style Trends
• Mysterious. Not to be totally contradictory, but sometimes you don’t want them to know exactly what you’re talking about right away. You want to add a little mystery into the equation to keep them reading. (Though, frankly, I must admit that I hate teases. I just want to KNOW right away!) Examples of this are: A Little Note About Today and ‘Til Death Do Us Part.
• Number friendly. People love lists. They love top 10 lists, top 5 lists, top 20 lists… If you incorporate a number into your headline, you’ll probably get them to click to read more. (Notice how I incorporated that trick into my headline for this post. Here are more examples too: 6 Tips For Creating A High-End Website and 7 Must-Do’s for Your To Do List.)
• Sometimes in the form of a question. Web content is all about engaging and interacting with the user. If you ask a question, they’ll automatically seek answers. Examples of this are: Sometimes I ask myself…why do I have to put up with bad service? and Is it better to go naked or covered?

Bottom line: spend a little extra time thinking about your headlines. Since they’re the gateway into your content, and sometimes the only thing people will see, it will be well worth the effort. Oh, and take note: in general I think a good headline only needs one of these things to be considered “good”, but if you can somehow incorporate more than one from this list, even better.

I’d love to hear your tips on what makes a good headline. If you have any examples, please share those too (especially if they’re from your own blog.)

(Photo via)

While writing this week’s to do list this morning, I thought I’d start by writing three things I want to change and will actually change, and three others I want to change yet thought was too risky. It’s so much easier to think things are going to be to difficult to change, rather than actually trying to change them. In actuality, we have no evidence that what we want to change is going to be challenging at all.

So, this week I was hoping we could work on getting rid of all those excuses we are so invested in believing in. Those excuses that impede us from moving ahead with our dreams.

A few of mine are (feel free to add to this list):

• I am too old to start a new business.
• The economy is bad. (This is a big one now.)
• If I charge what I deserve, I am not going to get any clients.
• I do not have a college degree.
• I have no talent. (When “talent,” I think, is mostly about practice and doing.)
• My family and friends are going to think I am crazy.

The list is endless.

Let’s work on a different mindset: Nothing is standing in the way of living fully. If I do not follow my dream in five years, I am going to be exactly where I am. If I do follow my dreams in 10 years there is a 50% chance I’ll accomplish my dream. (Those are good odds.)

Here’s the homework: Write down three changes you accomplished in the past year you are proud of (go ahead, be proud and thankful). Then, write down three things you think are “too risky” but start trying to make change anyway. What is the biggest excuse you always use?

By always thinking the sky is the limit. Restrictions are poison. An overinflated ego is also poison. But, the biggest poison? Fear. I recently read a wonderful quote by Michelangelo: ”The greatest danger is not that your hopes are too high and you fail to reach them, it’s that they are too low and you do.”

Making the decision to become a high-end business is only the first step. The next step is developing a new mindset for you and your company–giving it a soul. Always remember, whether you believe success is possible or impossible you’re right.

What has kept me going all this time, is what I call my “10 commandments:”

1. Mistakes are not a sign of stupidity, they are human ways of learning. (This simple truth still encourages me to keep improving my brand.)
2. Things are not always the way we want them to be, nor do plans always work out our way. (Once you learn this, nothing can keep you down.)
3. To accomplish success, we constantly need to shift “colors.” (If you design or your idea is not working, let go of it and change it.)
4. Focus less on your self-interest and more on how you can service your client in some way. (Establishing great service first is a great segue to raising prices later.)
5. Go with the flow of your failures instead of being devastated by them. (This gives you endurance and longevity.)
6. Always pay attention to the “teachers” in your life. (What you strongly admire in others may be exactly what you want and CAN accomplish.)
7. Daily Mantra: “Let things happen as they happen and do your best at all times.” (In other words, when you get lemons, make lemonade.)
8. I never seek to be the best, however my goal is always to be different. (This will always give you a business edge.)
9. Fear should never stop you. Some fears are obstacle to what you really want, other fears are signals that you are attempting something you do not want.
10. When “bliss” meets “talent” watch out. (Always work on improving your talent.)

Creating a soul for your company is one sure way to success. Once you have a strong soul, the big bucks will naturally follow. Without a business “soul” you might only go so far before feeling discouraged. On Thursday in our Common Mistakes, we’ll discuss the common pitfall of not knowing your own worth.

Which of my “commandments” do you relate to the most? And which ones, if any, do you have conflict with? Are you ready for the next step?

What I really wanted to call this post was: My name is Preston Bailey and I am a shoe junkie–but I figured you’d want to know more about getting the big bucks, right?

Confession time: I am capable of being incredibly superficial. Nothing gives me more pleasure than walking into Prada and dropping $1500 on a pair of shoes. (Long ago, this is what my father made in a year).

As I prance down the avenue like a very proud fashion peacock, I feel like a better person when someone acknowledges my new overpriced Prada purchase. (I am sure I am not alone–you know who you are.) However, I still have the first pair of Prada shoes I purchased 12 years ago. I can safely say that as overpriced we might think Prada is, the quality of the shoes is excellent and I always feel a bit more special wearing their brand.

This week, I’d like us to work diligently in improving the quality and perception of our business to ensure that our clients feel special and proud of using our services. In other words, work on becoming a high end business. The question is: How can you make yourself and your services so unique that you can charge the big bucks like Prada?

To Do this week (and remember, this is just an exercise to test if you are ready):

• Start by doubling the price of your services or designs.
• Choose one about how you feel: A. My customer will never pay this amount; B. I am not worth that much, I feel like I am robbing my clients; C. I deserve this and I can make this happen by giving a very unique design mixed with great service.

If you chose:
A. You are one-hundred percent right. They never will if you actually feel this way.
B. Again, you are right. It’s up to you if you think you are not worthy.
C. I can assure you (based on experience) that with time and determination you CAN make this happen. I am convinced that anything we want the Universe or God conspires with us (and the world) to help us achieve it.

Making this decision is only the beginning. Tomorrow in Frequently Asked Questions, I’ll answer the question: How did you become a high end business? I’ll also give you a few tips on how to make this happen.

Which did you choose? A, B, or C? Please share at least one example about how you managed to improve the quality of your services. And actually, I wonder: Are you interested in becoming a high end brand and getting the “big bucks” or are you just happy where you are? (A lot of artists are completely content with where they are, and of course that’s okay too.)