How To Establish Yourself As The Expert In Your Field

This week one of my companies, The Heart Bandits, was featured in Brides Magazine. The article was called, “6 Major Proposal Mistakes to Avoid, According to Experts.” In the article, I am cited as the expert in Proposal Planning. Every time an article like this comes out, at least one of my peers shoots me a text or email to ask me how I got featured in XYZ. And my answer to them is that the magazines, websites, and media COME TO ME!

But it wasn’t always that way. There are a lot of things that I had to do to establish myself as an expert in the Proposal Planning and Pop-Up Wedding Industry. I teach you many of these steps in my courses that are going to be LIVE in February!! Sign up for the waitlist here.

For now, here are 3 free tips on how you can establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Actually Become An Expert

This may seem obvious but when wondering how you can get featured in media, you have to really ask yourself, “Am I actually the most knowledgeable person in my field about this subject matter?” If not, you need to become one. Take courses on the subject matter, read all of the blogs and interviews you can find, follow all the leaders in the industry on social media, and stay on top of all of the trends. If you are in a competitive space, try to niche down so that you are the expert at a specific niche in your market. Or become an expert in your field in your city specifically. That way, when someone starts looking for an expert in your field or area, they are lead to you.

Show Your Expertise

Once you feel like you truly are the expert in your industry, start showing that off in your social media and blogs. When you start sharing valuable tips and content on social media, so many great things happen. You start to seem like an expert in your field, people start sharing your content, people start following you, and most importantly, people start seeking you out when they are in need of your services or when they want to feature your service in the press.

By now, you know I am a HUGE believer in the power of SEO. When clients or journalists look for an expert in your field, they are looking in one of two places; Google or Social Media. I’ve already talked about showing your expertise on social media. To show your expertise on your website, you are going to blog about your expertise in a way that benefits your reader. In turn, you will eventually establish yourself as an expert to Google who will start rewarding you with rankings. SEO tips and tricks is a huge focus in my courses for this specific reason.

Get Media

The most powerful way to show you are an expert in your field is to be published somewhere. If you can get featured in major media, you will instantly have clout not just with your clients but with other media. And it completely snowballs. For example, I got featured in New York Times very early on after I started my business. Did I get clients from that interview? Absolutely. But what’s more is the other big things happened. Good Morning America saw the article and wanted to interview me. Hotels saw it and wanted to partner with me. When you finally get a major piece of media, a lot of things can change.

And that is why one of the Modules in my courses focuses on how to get media. Because getting media can create such big opportunities for your business. And the truth is, it really isn’t that hard to get.

Cheatsheet: Social Media Trends in 2021

If you are a Proposal Planner or Pop-Up Wedding planner, social media needs to be a huge part of your marketing strategy. But even though keeping up with the trends is completely necessary, it can be daunting. So I have decided to create a little cheatsheet for you and cover the biggest social media trends in 2021.

Instagram Reels

No doubt you have seen Instagram’s version of Tic Tok. Every time you open you open your search tab in IG, you are bound to see the newest Reels from your followers. That is because Instagram LOVES video and pushes video content over all other types of content. If you want to increase your visibility and engagement on Instagram, you need to post reels frequently. 4-7 posts a week would give you the most ROI for your time. To make one, simply hit the + button on the top of your account, choose Reel, and get to creating.

Clubhouse

I am sure you have heard of this new platform because everyone is talking about it. And more importantly, people are talking about how to get in because it is invite only! I think that is part of the appeal and why this new social media platform is blowing up, because it feels exclusive. But what is it? It is an audio-based platform where users can hop into various virtual chat rooms and talk with other creatives about a range of topics. It may not be a practical way to connect with your target market, but it is a great way to build your referral partners (people that will refer clients to you.) Download the app and apply to get in. If someone you know is already on the platform, you will get in faster.

Microblogging

This year, Instagram announced that they were changing the way they display search results and now they actually will present posts to users based on content. So that means IG is no longer only presenting posts that have hashtags that match the users inquiry, they are also presenting posts that have CONTENT that match what the user is searching for. And that is why you may have noticed that people are posting longer, blog-like captions on their social media profiles. This is known as microblogging and if you want more exposure, you need to include it in your marketing strategy.

Social Causes

In the past, businesses have often been careful about using their platform as a way to voice their own opinions on social causes. However, according to Forbes, 70% of Gen Z buyers attempt to purchase goods and services from brands they deem socially responsible. So don’t be afraid to use your platform to talk about the causes that are the most important to you. Not only will you feel good and do good, you will be rewarded for it.

If you haven’t yet started your Proposal Planning or Pop-Up Wedding planning services, check out my freebies below. The Heart Bandits Academy offers the only Proposal Planning school and we also have a course teaching you to create pop-up wedding packages.

Top 3 Clients From Hell

After planning marriage proposals for 11 years now, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any clients that were a royal pain in the you know what. But there are a few that stand out and belong in my secret “wall of shame.” So why am I sharing this with you? Well I am sharing these hellish client stories for 3 reasons. 1, If you are a seasoned planner, I know that you have had your own clients from hell and I want you to know you are not alone. 2, if you are new to Proposal Planning, I want you to know that these things WILL happen and you should never let it get you down or make you question yourself. 3, I believe that the worst client experiences help shape you as a professional and help you define your future business practices. So without further ado, here are my top 3 clients from hell.

Why Don’t You Answer My Calls Guy

This client hired us on Friday late in the afternoon. We emailed him to let him know we looked forward to working with him and that we were getting right to work. Immediately upon hiring us, he started calling us non-stop without leaving a message. He would call, hang up, and call right back over and over. On the weekend, he would call all day and night and not leave messages. On Sunday we received a text message that he couldn’t believe that he paid us “this much” and we don’t return his calls. On Monday we called him and addressed his text message. We explained that we do keep normal business hours and that if there was something urgent going on and he left us a message, we would have gladly made an exception. He informed us that he expected call backs right away, day or night, weekday or not. We politely offered him a refund and told him we probably aren’t a good fit.

We felt he didn’t respect or value our time or the fact that we also valued our own family time which that is something very important to us. So we learned that if a client shows signs of that early on, we would rather not take the booking at all.

I Want A Refund Guy

You may know this guy all too well, but this particular client was extra special! He booked a rooftop in NYC for an hour proposal and it turns out his girlfriend said no. However, there is more to that story. He had proposed 3 times before and she had said no each time. So after enjoying the rooftop, even running over his time by a whole hour which we didn’t charge him for because we felt bad for his situation, we were shocked to receive an email where he was requesting a full refund. His reasoning was even crazier. He wanted a refund because there were water spots on the rooftop. NYC is a very old city and midtown is an old area. A true rooftop is exposed to outdoor elements and could obviously have water spots. Also, we include photos of the space and the water spots are not even noticeable unless you are looking hard to find something to complain about. His second reason was that he didn’t like that there were offices in the building on his way up to the rooftop. Tenants in high rise buildings constantly change and he wasn’t renting the building, just the rooftop. We politely declined the refund and he did a chargeback through his bank. We fought the chargeback and provided evidence that it was a frivolous claim. We eventually won!

We learned that it is important to always stand your ground. I would 100% offer a refund in any case that my service was lacking. But not for things I can’t control.

Indecisive & Cheap Guy

We were hired to plan a New Year’s Eve proposal for a guy with 4 days notice. The client did not appreciate the time restraint we were under, that we were planning a proposal on a holiday, and planning an event during a pandemic. He wouldn’t make any decisions and he wanted multiple scenarios presented for every option before he could make decisions. He didn’t even end up finalizing until a day and a half before. He changed his mind so much that the violinist ended up pulling out because they just couldn’t deal with all of the changes. His proposal ended up being a success but that wasn’t the end of it. After the proposal he requested that we return all props that he had used for his proposal to get a refund. After our service had ended, he continued to text us asking to help him return the used items.

Be sure to put a clause in your Proposal Planning contract that if your client causes delays in the planning, you can’t be held liable.

Although these clients were a bit of a nightmare, most of my clients are amazing. My clients generally are very appreciative of the fact that we are there to help them through one of the most stressful moments of their life. They typically send me heartfelt emails, cards, and sometimes gifts as they are so grateful for our service. If you want to be a part of an amazing industry, check out my free resources below. In my Proposal Planning school you will learn all about being a Proposal Planner and how this profession can change your life.

How To Diversify Your Wedding Business

Whether you are a Wedding Planner, Florist, Photographer, Videographer, venue or any other type of wedding vendor, diversifying your wedding business is a must.

We all saw it first hand during the pandemic. Businesses that relied solely on income from large weddings sadly took a big hit. And while I pray this ends soon and never comes back again, none of us can predict the next thing that will come and impact the wedding industry.

That is exactly why diversifying your wedding business should be on the top of your to-do list. In fact, if you ask any wealthy person what their secret is, 9 times out of 10 they will say, “diversification.” It is critical to have income coming in from different avenues. So HOW do you diversify your wedding business? Here are a couple of options:

1. Proposal Planning

Offering Proposal Planning is such an amazing way to diversify your services. The market is huge and the earning potential is too. It is also such a great compliment to your existing wedding business! A photographer, florist, planner, videographer, or venue can easily adapt their marketing plan to start attracting clients looking to propose. And who will that client call to photograph their wedding day? Provide their wedding flowers? Plan their wedding? YOU!!

Download my FREE resource, “3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services To Your Existing Services NOW!!”

2. Pop-Up Wedding Packages

When I started my Proposal Planning company, The Heart Bandits, I knew I needed to diversify. Wedding Planning made sense but the market is so saturated and bridezillas are not my jam. So I decided to start a pop-up wedding business where I sell simple, streamlined pop-up wedding packages. This is a great way to diversify because once the packages are built, they are so streamlined that they are a really simple way to get a nice cash injection into your business. And these types of weddings don’t follow any traditional wedding rules. They are popular during off-seasons and they don’t take much time to plan. These packages are great for any wedding vendor to add on and pop-up weddings, microweddings, and elopements are all the rage right now due to the pandemic. When it ends, you will have a whole new source of revenue coming in!

Download my FREE resource, “The Ultimate Guide To Selling Pop-Up Wedding Packages“

The Heart Bandits Academy is the only educator teaching you how to become a Proposal Planner. Sign up here and follow my journey from being a Proposal Planner to educator teaching students around the world how to market their business to clients looking to propose.

How Getting Featured In Media Can Boost Your Biz

My absolute favorite module of my Proposal Planning course is “Getting Featured In Media.” Why? Well because getting featured in media can really boost your business in ways you may not even know about. I want to talk about some of the ways that being featured in media can really boost your biz.

First, let me define “media.” Media is the main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively. So this means TV, radio, print, and Internet.

When you are featured in media, there are 3 things that can happen that can really boost your biz:

1. Potential Clients Will See The Media

This is probably the number one reason people hope to get PR. When you are featured in a major media outlet, you are going to get your name in front of potential clients. Some of them may contact you right after the feature and some of them will save your information for later. They may even tell their friends about your services weeks or months later in conversation. So the more media exposure you get, the more potential clients will hear about you. Now this is an amazing benefit to be featured in the media, but not the only one.

2. Potential Partners Will See The Media

One of the things that typically happens when you are featured in the media that you may NOT think about is that potential partners will see the media. Now what do I mean by this? Well let’s look at my business The Heart Bandits. After I was featured in New York Times, I had restaurants, jewelry stores, and many other vendors reaching out to me. They emailed me to say they saw my feature and they wanted to collaborate with me. Creating a partnership can not only boost your sales, but can get you in front of a whole new audience.

3. Other Media Outlets Will See The Media

Unless you have been featured in a lot of media, this may never even cross your mind. But when you are featured in major media, there is a high probability that other media outlets will see it. Again, let’s take my company as an example. After I was featured in Good Morning America, I was contacted by the Oprah Network, Time Magazine, and LA Times. They wanted to feature me as well!

All of these reasons are EXACTLY why I urge all of my students to try to get media when they launch their Proposal Planning businesses or services. Not only that, but I walk them through my PROVEN techniques on how to get featured. And believe me, they work.

Just ask my student Jasmine from Jasmine Rose Events who just emailed me that she is going to be featured in The Boston Globe and she JUST LAUNCHED!!!!

If you want to find out how starting a Proposal Planning business can transform your life, download my FREE guide here:

How The Pandemic Inspired The Heart Bandits Academy

When I was 7 years old I turned my first profit. I created a neighborhood circus and I recruited the talent, marketed the show, sold tickets, and made money.

I got my first taste of being an entrepreneur then and have been chasing that thrilling rush ever since.

I know EXACTLY what it is like to be an entrepreneur with no business idea. Or an an entrepreneur with an idea but feeling much too overwhelmed about getting started.

I know what it is like to want something so bad but not have a clear path to get there.

Because of this, I always wanted to create a training program for entrepreneurs that wanted to follow my path and start their own Proposal Planning biz.

After spending a decade running the world’s most successful Proposal Planning business, and after receiving hundred is not thousands of emails from people all around the world asking me for advice on how to start Proposal Planning, I believed this was my next calling.

But I just never had the time to do it.

And then the pandemic hit. And my industry was ravaged by a blow of event bans and gathering size limitations.

I knew I had to step up.

I created The Heart Bandits Academy and quickly launched my first course designed to help Wedding Planners pivot their business and offer Proposal Planning. And in about a month, I am going to launch The Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™which will teach entrepreneurs how to start their own Proposal Planning biz from the ground up.

In The Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™, I teach:

  • Everything you need to know about the Proposal Planning industry
  • How to choose your Proposal Planning target market, niche, and style
  • Create a solid Proposal Planning Business Plan
  • Develop a business naming strategy and tools to create your website
  • How to plan a proposal from A-Z
  • How to price your Proposal Planning services
  • Develop a robust Proposal Planning marketing strategy
  • How to maintain the momentum and continue to grow

If you want to be the first to know about the launch, make sure to join the Waitlist here.

Avoid This Mistake That Can Cost You Thousands

There is one mistake I see aspiring Proposal Planners make time and time again. This is a mistake that can cost you thousands of dollars AND waste weeks or months of your time. That mistake is……signing up for a Wedding Course or Wedding Certificate program.

Now don’t get me wrong, if you are hoping to be a Wedding Planner then these courses might be just what you need. But a Wedding Course will simply NOT teach you how to be a Proposal Planner. Proposal Planning is its own specialty and if you are going to learn how to be a Proposal Planner, you need to learn FROM a Proposal Planner.

Here are the ways that Proposal Planning is very different than Wedding Planning

  1. Completely Different Target Market – Wedding Planners typically target females and brides. You will be targeting males.
  2. Different Marketing Strategy – I have spent 10 years marketing to the proposal client and believe me when I say, marketing to guys is completely different than marketing to a bride.
  3. Each Event Is Different- A Wedding typically follows the same itinerary. There is a ceremony then a reception with cake cutting, dancing, bouquet toss, etc. With proposals, things are always different. One day I am organizing a 50 person flash mob, the next day I am organizing a helicopter landing on a skyscraper, and the next working with the cast of The Nutcracker to create the perfect ballet proposal.

This is why it is CRITICAL that you learn how to be a Proposal Planner from a Proposal Planner. To get started, I have some free resources for you below.

What is the ONE thing you need to know to about Proposal Planning?

to know the ONE thing you need to know about Proposal Planning to be successful? Of course you do! And I am so honored to be in a position to be able to share that with you.

When I first started Proposal Planning 10 years ago, there were absolutely no resources out there for me.

There were no mentors, no courses, no content ideas, no guidance whatsoever. I had to figure out how to do everything on my own.

After spending a decade planning over 4,000 proposals and earning 7 figures doing so, I can say with absolute confidence that if you want to be successful at Proposal Planning, there is one thing you must understand…

Marketing to the Proposer!

I see so many mistakes from other Proposal Planners in this area. There is a misconception that simply putting up proposal pictures and saying you’re a Proposal Planner is enough and that if you do that, clients will just start pouring in.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you want to succeed at being a Proposal Planner, you must truly understand the Proposer. You need to understand their wants, their fears, and what motivates them to buy. And I know just how to do that. If that interests you, I have a great FREE resource for you. Download my Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy here.

If you want me to show you how to set up your Proposal Planning business step-by-step AND teach you my effective marketing strategies, then join the Complete Proposal Planning Blueprint™ waitlist below.

Join the Waitlist here

Join my Private Proposal Planning Community

How To Handle Competition In Your Business

how to handle competition

This week I am focusing on competition, and more specifically, how to choose community over competition. When I first started The Heart Bandits a decade ago, there was hardly anyone doing it. After we started getting a lot of media attention, other Proposal Planners started popping up all over and I used to get so nervous. I would get so scared that they would take all of my business. But the truth is, they didn’t. My business continued to thrive in spite of more competition!

It took me a while but now I realize, there is more than enough business to go around. I am not scared or threatened by competition, I am THANKFUL for it. Competition is what pushes me to always stay on my game. If I didn’t have competitors, I might get comfortable and not push myself.

So today, I want to challenge you to think about your competition differently. Here are 4 mindset shifts that can really transform your business and your mental health if you implement them.

Choose Community Over Competition

I’ve been in the proposal game for a long time. I have a really positive relationship with most of the top Proposal Planners in the world. And that is by choice. There is MORE than enough business to go around in this world. I don’t feel the need to try to plan every proposal in every country, every time. So having a network of Proposal Planners that I can collaborate with is something I truly value. One day, Proposal Planning will be a huge industry. When it is, I want to be known as someone that helped create the industry and provided the platform for Proposal Planners to network and collaborate with each other.

Let Competition Push You

As I touched on earlier, allow competition to push you. When you have someone that is really great at the same thing as you, it pushes you to be better. When they get featured in media, let that drive you to try to get featured. When they are utilizing all of the latest and greatest technology, then you know you have to do it too. Don’t get intimated when your competition does something groundbreaking, let it inspire you to think how you can do the same thing but bigger!

Competition Raises Awareness

One thing to consider is that competition actually raises awareness of your industry which in turn, can help you get more business. So let’s say that someone starts a Proposal Planning company in an area I don’t do a lot of proposals in. And let’s say they make a name for themselves there. Well now, many people in that geographical area know that Proposal Planners exist! And some of them may end up coming to my turf to propose and when they look up a Proposal Planner here, they find me. It is a win-win and I am all about wins!

Have Confidence In Yourself

I have seen many Proposal Planners enter the scene. Heck, I have literally had people outright copy and paste my packages to their website. But I no longer let it concern me. Because the truth is, I KNOW what I bring to the table. I know that there are other Proposal Planners out there that are great. And still, I KNOW many people will choose me because they like me and MY style. I am not threatened or concerned with anyone else because I know my value. And you should too. Whether you are the first Proposal Planner in your country, or the 10th, all that matters is that you bring something different to the table.

And you are welcome at the table.

I find it exhilarating to teach Wedding Planners and aspiring entrepreneurs how to add Proposal Planning services. If you want to get started, here are 3 free resources to help you along the way.

Private Community – Proposal Planning Academy Tribe

Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services Now

Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy

I hope to see you there!

Proposal Planning During The Pandemic

proposal planning during the pandemic
proposal planning during the pandemic

I just wrapped up my 4th FREE masterclass this week called, “3 Simple Secrets You Need To Know To Effectively Market To The Proposal Planning Client.” (If you missed it and want the replay in the next 48 hours, email me at info@theheartbanditsacademy.com) One of the questions that my students kept asking is, “Are you still planning proposals during the pandemic?” And the answer is, YES!!!

I’ll be honest, in March when the pandemic first hit it shook the entire world. No one was calling that month to get engaged. Everyone was in shock and getting used to our new world. And as a business owner, I was using that time to brainstorm how I could pivot my business when people were ready to buy again – just like you!

Fortunately for me, proposals typically only involve the couple, so we were able to get back to work pretty quickly. And you know what, I think the pandemic made people realize even more that they were with the right person, because we got very busy. But still, things looked a bit different. Instead of renting out elaborate venues, our clients were asking us to come to their homes and either completely transform the inside OR to decorate the facade of their houses. I actually found it refreshing to be able to plan such intimate proposals in the environment where the couple had shared so many memories.

When things opened a little more, we started doing really pretty setups on the beach, parks, airbnb’s, hotel rooms, and venues (depending on the city we were planning in). We also got to be creative and do social distancing flash mobs and musical performances where the musicians had on masks that spelled out “Will You Marry Me?”

So as you can see, Proposal Planning during the pandemic is very much still going on. And this is why I encourage you Wedding Planners, no…. I URGE you, to start offering Proposal Planning services. Not only will it help you get through this time period but when life goes back to normal, you will already have this service set up and working for you.

===>>>Not convinced yet, download my FREE Resource, “Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services Now.”

If you are convinced and you are ready to get started, you have 2 options.

Option 1: You start setting up Proposal Planning services on your own

Download my FREE Resource, “4 Things You Can Start Doing TODAY TO Start Proposal Planning.”

Download my FREE Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy and get started working on that marketing plan.

Option 2: You want a step-by-step implementation guide with proven results so that you launch quickly and do it right the first time

Introducing Proposal Planning Formula™.

In Proposal Planning Formula™, I’ve taken everything I have learned over the last decade about Proposal Planning and marketing marriage proposal services (over 4,000 proposals planned and $5M revenue earned), and channeled it into a comprehensive, step-by-step implementation plan teaching you not only how to effectively start offering Proposal Planning, but to actually EXECUTE a marketing strategy that provides results.

Proposal Planning Formula™ is the only course of its kind that teaches you how to launch quickly, provides you a complete marketing plan, and focuses on maintenance.  

To learn more, all you have to do is head to www.theheartbanditsacademy.com/proposalplanningformula

Whichever option you do, I fully support you and just know you will do great things.