Month: July 2020

Andy’s guests today are three people who have been involved with forming and running coalitions to advocate on behalf of networks of hundreds of small businesses and contractors in the event industry during the pandemic. The one in Chicago is spearheaded by Michelle Durpetti, Ali Phillips, and Colin Pearson, and Jeannette Tavares formed the one in Washington DC.

Michelle Durpetti is a Chicago based wedding planner, venue owner, and restaurateur with Michelle Durpetti Events. Ali Phillips is also a Chicago event producer with Engaging Events by Ali. Jeannette Tavares is the owner of Evoke Design & Creative, an event planning and production company out of Washington, DC.

Listen as these amazing women discuss why they thought it was necessary to start these Coalitions to help small businesses and people in the event industry, what they see happening because of this pandemic, and the response they have received. Michelle, Ali, and Jeannette share what they want to happen and why they believe that the Coalitions will continue long after the pandemic has run its course.

They saw a need and have set out to bring the plight of small business owners, and people who support the event industry, to the elected officials in their cities. Could you do something like this in your area? We all have a voice and it’s time to use it.

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“We share the Perfete and the not so Perfete things about life.” Listen, as Andy Kushner and his guest Kunbi Odubogun discuss her backstory and this wonderful site she created. We also talked about when she appeared on an Engage panel discussing her perspective on racial injustice and so much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Kunbi is the founder of Perfete, a celebration centered digital publication, providing tips and tools for celebrating all of life’s joyous moments from stylish parties and weddings to decor, inspiration, and gift guides. Kunbi is also the host of the Perfete Podcast, a bi-weekly podcast featuring relatable stories from female thought leaders…Creatives and professionals who share their tangible takeaways for living one’s Perfete life.

Listen as Kunbi shares growing up in Nigeria and moving to Kansas at fifteen, why she got a business degree and then a law degree and how she got into the wedding industry by planning her two wedding celebrations. Kunbi blogged about her wedding as a way to stay in touch with her friends in Nigeria, and it turned into Perfete.

“Life isn’t perfect, but we can navigate the journey together.” Kunbi discusses what Perfete is all about and why she celebrates beautiful things but also talks about the hard things in life. Kunbi also speaks about how she is handling the pandemic with both Perfete and her legal blog as well.

“Do not be afraid to disrupt any place that you want to be.” Listen as Kunbi addresses racial discrimination, the inequality in the event industry, and what young people of color should do if they want to get into the industry. Kunbi says that now is the time to get your voice heard, so speak out.

We are all experiencing quite a bit of stress and other issues during this pandemic. Andy has put together a list of the top ten tips for dealing with stress, which he has compiled from interviews with icons of the wedding and event industry. If you would like a copy, go to www.theweddingbiz.com/toptips.

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“If you don’t have a star in the band, you are a cover band.” Listen as Andy Kushner and his guest Alex Le Roux discuss what he looks for when auditioning musicians and singers, what makes a band extraordinary, and why he keeps the same musicians together for every event plus much more on this episode of The Wedding Biz.

Alex is the Founder and CEO of ALR Music based in London. Alex and his team of music and wedding specialists provide entertainment for over 450 luxury events around the world each year. With high profile clients ranging from rock n roll to British royalty, their exclusive roster, and unrivaled level of service and expertise has led to an impressive client list including the United States Ambassador to the UK, Simon Cowell, Google, Chanel and more. 

Alex speaks about why he transitioned from singing to music production and management, and how he keeps his musicians loyal by keeping them busy, playing over 150 events a year. Alex allows each band to voice the music they play, their style, and the vibe that makes them unique.

Listen as Alex describes how he designed the music for Engage London, how the pandemic has impacted his business and what he sees happening in the event industry as the end of the year approaches. Alex’s vision for his company is intuitive, and where he is taking his bands is extraordinary, don’t miss this episode.

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This is a second appearance with Simon T. Bailey. His is a very popular Speaker, author and leader of the “brilliance movement” – helping more than 1 million people find their brilliance, shift their thinking and produce sustainable results. According to The Speakers Experts, Simon is one of America’s top ten most booked corporate and association speakers. In 2015 Simon was inducted into the prestigious National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. Speaker magazine cited Simon as one of the top 25 “hot speakers” shaping the profession.  And, in 2018, he was awarded one of  “25 successful people who’ll help change your life in 2018.”   His popular “Building Business Relationships” micro-learning course has been viewed by 10,000+ professionals in 100 countries. He has spoken on six continents to 1,000+ organizations.

In today’s episode, Andy discusses life during the current pandemic, with Simon, and asks how he keeps up his motivation during the slow-down. Simon gives his perspective on pivoting, how to consider whether or not it’s even necessary, and how he recommend we approach the concept.

Simon also has a frank conversation with Andy sharing his thoughts about the issue of racial injustice, given the recent and on-going national protests. Andy asks Simon what he would advise young people of color consider in navigating this difficult and challenge issue in today’s society. He also asks Simon how he recommend others think about and discuss the issue.

Simon is a gifted talent and we are so happy to have him on the show again!

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