Category: 1The Next Level

Andy’s guest co-host today is Maria Boustany, from Chateau Rweiss in Lebanon. Listen as they discuss the beauty of the Chateau, the weddings and events she has done with Yara Estephan, an extremely gifted planner and designer out of Beirut, and much more on this episode of The Next Level.

Maria and Andy discuss the 3D renderings that Yara uses when designing weddings and how the finished product looks like she envisions. Maria describes the fun wedding Yara planned for the owners of a major ice cream brand at the Chateau and how the design reflected the couple to perfection.

Listen as Maria speaks about how, because of the pandemic, the Chateau has had only about 10% of the weddings they usually have in 2020 and how the weddings they had were significantly smaller than what they usually are. Maria shares that although the weddings were smaller, Yara’s were exquisite because she could focus better on the details.

Yara and Maria have used the pause to focus on advancing their learning, and bringing Lebanon and the Chateau to the forefront as the place to have your destination wedding. Are you planning a destination wedding? The Chateau might be the hidden gem you’ve been looking for.

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Every year, millions of couples celebrate their love by getting married and millions of their family and friends celebrate with them. In the U.S. alone, Americans spend $100 billion on weddings annually. Think invitations, wedding dresses, rings, venues, flowers, gift registries, honeymoons and more all on saying “I do.” But at a time when a child is married somewhere in the world every three seconds, who’s invested in making sure that girls can say, “I don’t” or “not yet”? Let’s work together to create a world in which every girl can decide if, when and whom to marry.

Clay Dunn is the Chief Executive Officer of VOW To End Child Marriage, a nonprofit that mobilizes the multi-billion dollar wedding industry in support of ending child marriage and empowering girls around the world to choose their own futures. Prior to VOW, Clay held roles with No Kid Hungry, National Geographic and the City of New York. Amongst other topics, Clay tells Andy about VOW Pro – a network of passionate wedding professionals helping to give girls a voice and a choice.

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Andy’s guest co-host today is Sofia Crokos. Sofia is a planner/designer based out of Hamptons, New York City. She has also partnered with The Heritage Collection behind four exclusive private properties in Europe. Listen as they discuss the flower flashes Lewis he does to give back and creatively challenge himself. He also discusses his process with his clients, and much more on this episode of The Next Level.

Lewis Miller is a floral designer and founder of Lewis Miller Design out of New York City. His client list includes leading industry professionals in fashion, design, photography, art direction, and architecture such as Bulgari, Carolina Herrera, Mayor Blumberg, Chanel, Tiffany, Versace, Bergdorf Goodman, the Whitney Museum, and more.

Listen, as Sofia speaks about following Lewis on Instagram to see where his flower flashes pop up, how his client process is similar to hers and how important it is to talk to clients to discover how they want their wedding designed. Sofia also shares a story about purchasing one of Lewis’s flower boxes and how she paid it forward by sharing the beauty with a friend.

They discuss slowing down, getting off the hamster wheel, and reconnecting with friends, family, and nature during the pandemic. Andy and Sofia have a wonderful conversation, so tune in and enjoy!

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“When life gets tough, it takes guts to keep going.” Andy is excited to have Cindy Novotny back on the show. Cindy is the founder of Master Connections Associates, an internationally renowned leader in sales, leadership, and customer service. The Association of Talent Development has recognized her as one of the nine most powerful and innovative speakers. Cindy is also the author of the book Living with No Balance and Loving it. 

Listen as Cindy speaks about where she was when the pandemic hit, and how she immediately jumped on webinars with her clients at no charge to help them navigate the crisis. Cindy discusses some common issues she has been helping clients with and why she believes that non-stop communication with your clients and team is important.

“You have to be in charge of your own destiny.” Not everyone is in the same boat; some industries are busier than they have ever been. Cindy shares what she tells people in the event industry about looking at an empty calendar and how you have to be flexible with your business model.

“Never ever reduce your prices.” Listen, as Cindy says, that reducing your prices will take you five years to recover. Instead of lowering your rates, she says to take on more clients. Cindy also touches on the vaccine controversy and shares that she has gotten every available vaccine and will get the COVID-19 one when it is available.

Cindy believes that you need to be humble if you have no clients and are in trouble financially, use what you know, and get a job. She believes that you need to do what’s necessary and remember this will pass. What a powerful and inspiring interview! 

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“It’s not about how a wedding looks; it’s about how it feels.” Andy’s guest co-host today is Abi Matesun, Founder and CEO of Malekfoto Films and Malekfoto Weddings. Abi is a two time Emmy winning cinematographer, filmmaker, photographer, public speaker, and two time Telly Award winner. Listen as they discuss how Zainab honed her skill set as a child, the advantages of traveling to many countries and cultures, and much more on this episode of The Next Level.

Zainab Alsalih is the Founder and Creative Director of Carousel Events out of Dubai, one of the region’s best-known companies for event design. Zainab is also considered one of the most respected authorities on weddings in the middle east. She has been covered and quoted in countless regional and international programs and publications.

Abi discusses how traveling as a child opened Zainab to many cultures and languages, which gives her an edge in her designs. And she honed her skill by redecorating her bedroom frequently as a child.

Listen, as Abi and Andy share how Zainab sets up her office so that when she meets with clients for the first time, they get a feel for who she is and what to expect from her. Zainab believes that less is more because people don’t miss what they can’t see and luxury is a personal experience.

Abi speaks about what Zainab created for Engage!20 Dubai and shares some details about what made it breathtaking. Zainab is an amazing designer and any conversation about her is riveting, but when you add Abi Matesun to the conversation, you end up with the need to go further and find out more about both incredible creatives. Enjoy!

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