Libsyn Directory

512 REVISIT COLIN COWIE: The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted

Release Date: 08/05/2024

519 TWB – BROOKE KEEGAN: Building a Dream Wedding Business

The Wedding Biz

Andy is happy to be welcoming to the show! Brooke is the visionary owner and creative director of Brooke Keegan Special Events, a leading firm specializing in custom, multi-day destination weddings, and since founding her company in 2009, she has garnered recognition from Harper's Bazaar and Brides as one of the world's top event planners! She is here with Andy in this episode to share, amongst other things, her invaluable insights from her years in the industry! As Brooke and Andy catch up, Brooke reflects on challenges faced, particularly the significant downturn in wedding engagements...

518 TWB – BRYAN RAFANELLI: The Art of Lasting Success & Self-Fulfillment

The Wedding Biz

Andy really hopes that you will join him for this episode of The Wedding Biz as he welcomes back to the show Bryan Rafanelli of ! Bryan is a renowned designer and planner and is the founder and chief creative officer of Rafanelli Events, and he has been behind some of the most high-profile events in recent history, including Chelsea Clinton’s wedding and several of President Obama’s White House state dinners. His team has also worked on key campaign events for Vice President Kamala Harris! Bryan opens up about the pressures of maintaining excellence in a saturated market, admitting...

517 DAVID STARK: Self-Actualization in Event Design, the Importance of Scale and Simplicity, Balancing Art and Business, and More!

The Wedding Biz

guest of the show returns for this episode of The Wedding Biz! David is a renowned event designer and planner with over 25 years of experience in the industry, and as the founder and chief creative officer of David Stark Design and Production, his impressive client list includes celebrities such as Glenn Close and Brad Pitt, SNL’s 40th Anniversary, The Whitney Museum of American Art, and The Metropolitan Opera. Listen in as David shares insights into his creative process, discussing the balance between designing for clients and creating art purely for himself. He reflects on collaborations...

516 MEGHAN ELY: Aligning Your Brand for Luxury Wedding Publicity

The Wedding Biz

Longtime listeners of the podcast will likely be familiar with today’s guest as she has been on the show several times already! Join Andy as he welcomes back Meghan Ely, the owner of ! Meghan is a longtime industry speaker and writer and is a wedding pro educator with regular contributions to Wedding Planner Magazine, The Knot, Wedding Business Magazine, Catersource, and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan joins Andy for this episode to discuss defining and achieving luxury in the wedding industry. With years of experience and numerous accolades, including but certainly not limited to being recognized...

515 ROBERT SHERMAN: How to Build Loyalty and Retain Employees

The Wedding Biz

Andy is so thrilled to be welcoming his business partner, Robert Sherman, to the show! Robert is Andy’s business partner at and is also the owner of , a legendary entertainment company established over 55 years ago. Together, Andy and Robert tackle the topic of employee retention, discussing how to keep employees engaged, happy, and loyal over the long term. Robert shares some valuable insights from his decades of experience, explaining how hiring for company culture is just as crucial as hiring for skill sets and emphasizing the importance of communication, ensuring that employees not...

514 TARA GUERARD: Global Tastemaker with Southern Hospitality

The Wedding Biz

If you have been a longtime listener of the podcast, then today’s voice may sound familiar to you as it is her ! Andy is so thrilled to welcome back , owner and creative director of headquartered out of Charleston, South Carolina (and with an additional office in New York City). Tara is recognized as one of the nation's leading tastemakers globally, and she is here to share some exciting updates since she was last on the show. Listen as she and Andy reflect on the profound changes brought about by the pandemic and how it has influenced their approach to client relationships. Tara shares her...

513 ANDREA EPPOLITO: AI for Wedding Professionals

The Wedding Biz

Andy is thrilled to once again be sitting down with , a renowned luxury wedding planner and author of . Andrea shares her initial hesitation toward AI and recounts how she dedicated daily time to understand and leverage this technology, highlighting its comparison to the invention of the internet in terms of impact. Hear Andrea's take on how AI, particularly ChatGPT, can serve as a powerful creative assistant, sifting through data, spotting patterns, and offering insights that would take humans weeks to uncover. She stresses the importance of training AI to emulate one's personal style,...

512 REVISIT COLIN COWIE: The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted

The Wedding Biz

Join Andy as he revisits his with this week! Having had celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore, this episode’s returning guest has enjoyed quite the career so far. has also had many corporate clients such as Dom Pérignon, Warner Brothers, CBS, Whitney Museum of American Art, Architectural Digest, and so many more! Colin is also a published author, having written books such as , , and . Colin, as he discusses with Andy in this episode, is all about making sure that he delivers the ultimate experience...

511 LIENE STEVENS: Current State of the Wedding Industry and Investing in Yourself

The Wedding Biz

In this truly enriching episode, join Andy as he connects with Liene Stevens, the acclaimed author, behavioral psychologist, and CEO of Think Splendid! Liene brings a wealth of knowledge from her extensive experience in the global wedding market, having collaborated with clients across 97 countries and revolutionized operations for numerous luxury brands and resorts! Tune in as Liene shares her unique journey from an unexpected promotion at a nonprofit right out of high school to becoming a key player in negotiating the release of hostages with the U.S. State Department! Her unorthodox path...

510 REVISIT JOSE VILLA & LAURIE ARONS – Discuss Working Together As Photographer & Planner/Designer and More!

The Wedding Biz

Listen in to this revisit as Andy chats with two guests, both of whom have been featured on the podcast multiple times in the past. Laurie Arons is a planner and designer of and has been featured in numerous magazine publications and has been listed in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Martha Stewart Weddings as one of the top worldwide planners. Her clientele is made up of trendsetters such as Sophia Coppola, Vanessa Getty, and Christy Turlington as well as prominent business moguls like Gary Friedman, Frank Caufield, and Eddie DeBartolo. Laurie has also created and runs a very successful...

More Episodes

Join Andy as he revisits his September 2021 interview with Colin Cowie this week! Having had celebrity clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian, Lil Wayne, Nicole Kidman, and Demi Moore, this episode’s returning guest has enjoyed quite the career so far. Colin Cowie has also had many corporate clients such as Dom Pérignon, Warner Brothers, CBS, Whitney Museum of American Art, Architectural Digest, and so many more! Colin is also a published author, having written books such as Dinner After Dark: Sexy, Sumptuous Supper Soirees, Colin Cowie Chic: The Guide to Life as It Should Be, and Colin Cowie Wedding Chic: 1,001 Ideas for Every Moment of Your Celebration.

Colin, as he discusses with Andy in this episode, is all about making sure that he delivers the ultimate experience for his clients. Colin and Andy also talk about Colin’s new book, The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted, which is Colin’s eleventh published book! Colin discusses luxury and what it means in any business – that it is about customer service and not just the product that you are selling. He discusses how to ascertain what customers want so that you can provide it to them before they even realize what they want. We also hear Colin talk about the importance of not only having good relationships with your clients but also with the employees of your company, how important that protocol and consistency are to him, how to get customers to keep coming back to you, and so much more!

Andy has known Colin for nearly two decades and is so impressed with everything that he has accomplished. He always has such a blast with Colin, when he has him on the podcast, and is grateful for his time. Andy encourages you to go back and listen to his previous episodes with Colin and to also check out his new book The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted. Please share this interview with at least three good friends who might also enjoy it, and leave a top review of the podcast wherever you listen!

Have you heard about Stop and Smell the Roses with Preston Bailey on The Wedding Biz Network? Listen as Preston shares the secrets, tools, and technologies behind his extraordinary ability to create a theatrical environment out of any space. Also, don't forget about Sean Low's podcast The Business of Being Creative, where Sean discusses the power of being niched, pricing strategies, metrics of success, and so much more. You can find both shows on The Wedding Biz Network.

SUPPORTING THE WEDDING BIZ

Become a patron and support Andy and the show! If you are so inspired, contribute!

Time Stamps

[0:40] – Andy reveals that this episode is a revisit of his September 2021 interview with Colin Cowie!

[2:22] – Colin explains why he decided to write his new book The Gold Standard.
[5:17] – Colin expounds upon his belief that customer service is the new luxury.
[6:24] – We learn how to deliver to customers what they didn’t realize they wanted.
[8:55] – Colin gives examples of how to build relationships with clients.
[10:16] – Colin affirms that you need to make sure that your employees have an emotional connection with you.

[12:20] – Andy enthuses over how the COVID-19 pandemic gave us opportunities to reform company culture.

[13:27] – Colin emphasizes how crucial teamwork and communication are.
[16:48] – Andy and Colin agree that creating and owning your brand is important.
[19:19] – We are persuaded of the importance of including everyone in meetings, even receptionists.
[21:45] – Colin asserts how important protocols are to him.
[24:39] – We discover that Colin is always updating protocols based on new things that are learned.
[26:25] – Colin gives an example of great customer service provided by a pilot.
[29:24] – We learn how we can get customers to keep coming back to us.
[31:49] – Colin provides insight on failure and both its inevitability and its importance.
[33:07] – Colin reveals what about the future excites him.

[35:21] – Andy shares where online we can find Colin.

LINKS AND RESOURCES

Colin Cowie – Dinner After Dark: Sexy, Sumptuous Supper Soirees

Colin Cowie – Colin Cowie Chic: The Guide to Life as It Should Be

Colin Cowie – Colin Cowie Wedding Chic: 1,001 Ideas for Every Moment of Your Celebration

Colin Cowie – The Gold Standard: Giving Your Customers What They Didn’t Know They Wanted

The Wedding Biz – Episode 128 REVISIT: Colin Cowie: Part 1 Creating Groundbreaking Luxury Experiences

The Wedding Biz – Episode 135 Colin Cowie: Part 2 Creating Groundbreaking Luxury Experiences

The Wedding Biz – Episode 267 A Conversation With: Colin Cowie

Ryan Holiday – The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

Find Colin:

Colin’s Website

Colin’s Instagram Page

Colin Cowie Lifestyle – Instagram Page

Colin Cowie Lifestyle – Facebook Page