Wedding planning wasn’t the first business I tried to start.

I tried my hand at starting a plethora of business prior. Everything from a graphic and marketing company to a funeral design business . And when I say I tried creating these businesses, these weren’t just ideas, I went all in on them – I’m talking printed brochures and business cards, building a full on website, and going door to door (in person, with cookies in hand) trying to get clients. I say this because some of you say you’ve really tried everything. Don’t tell me that unless you really mean it because I know what all in looks like and half-ass all in doesn’t count.

With the first few businesses I went all in on – It sort-of worked.

I got some business here and there, but not nearly enough for me to quit my 9-5 job. Maybe you know the feeling. A little job here, a little job there, random small chunks of money, nothing consistent, and a whole lot of disappointment and feeling like it’s just never gonna happen 😫

This wasn’t a question of whether I knew this was the right path or not. I always knew I wanted my own business. I actually didn’t even care what it was. I just didn’t know how to go about actually making that happen. And that drove me INSANE for years!!!!

So, here’s the secret I want to share with you and some insight after the fact that could really help you if you’re in the position I was once in where you can’t quite get your business to a space of actually being profitable enough to not have a side gig.

Looking back at it now, I had a very different feeling (and attitude) building the wedding business than I did with the other businesses. I know this is was the key to my actually being able to succeed in it. And by “succeed” I mean, make enough money to make ends meet, quit my day-time job and actually be all-in. For me this was $20k. It didn’t matter that I was making $70k as a Creative Director at a Marketing firm, I could live off of $20k and that was what I counted as successfully being able to quit my day job.

You ready? Here’s what it was –

I decided with absolute conviction that “I’m fucking doing this”.

Those were the exact words in my head I said over and over and I meant it. I was DETERMINED to make this happen no matter what. I was done working for someone else. I was done wasting my entire day making money for someone else. I was done doing shit that gave someone else successes, a rich life, and more freedom. I was just done and I was fucking doing this.

I decided right then that I was going to do whatever it took. I was going to figure it out. I was going to make it happen. There was no going back. If I was going to be working my ass off, I was going to do it for myself. And I believed in myself. I fully believed that I could make this happen.

And I did.

I didn’t know wtf I was doing. I knew I could plan weddings. I’d planned my own and got letters upon letters from guests saying how amazing it was and how it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. I knew I could do the job.

So, I just starting doing stuff. Seeing what other wedding planners offered and sort of copying the packages that they did, but making it slightly my own. Trying to figure out SEO. Trying to learn copywriting. Trying to get in the room with other wedding vendors. Trying to make connections in the field. Putting myself into spaces that were totally uncomfortable. Working for peanuts, just to get some experience and testimonials. Learning a little bit day by day, hour by hour. Making a list of all the things “I thought” needed to be done and then just doing them. Things like …

• Sign up for this wedding industry meeting, meet 5 people, join the club
• Go visit 3 new venues this week – introduce myself
• Spend 3 hours researching SEO
• Set up a styled photo shoot so that I have some professional photos

I didn’t have a roadmap, I was making my own way. Guessing and re-evaluating. Guessing and re-evaluating until I got my first bride, then 2nd and then 15th. It wasn’t easy but I was DETERMINED to make this happen and I held the belief until I did.

I tell this story because I’ve met so many people trying to start a business who are wishy washy, feeling sorry for themselves, ready to give up, questioning their path and not knowing where to start.

Newsflash – nobody knows where to start.

And there’s no right place. You just have to start and be all in.

You have to hold the belief in yourself all the way til you get that first sale. You have to feel DETERMINED, FOCUSED and decide to believe in yourself no matter what even when you fail and fail and fail. Holding the belief for yourself in the failures is KEY to that first success. It doesn’t need to mean anything about you. It just means you haven’t figured out the sequence yet, somethings off, you just need to try something else. ❤️

Why don’t you deserve that belief? Do you think someone else is going to hold it for you?

I don’t think so. In fact it’s going to be just the opposite. People are going to doubt you and question you at every turn.

• “Why don’t you just get another REAL job”
• “Why are you wasting your time doing this anyway?”
• “What about insurance and retirement?”
• “Wouldn’t it be easier to just get a better corporate job”

No. No and NO.

You gotta start getting used to hearing these kinds of things, and be ready with quick comebacks (in your brain) that address each one. You gotta believe in yourself hard.💪

It isn’t going to be easy but if you really want to make this happen, you can. I believe in you, and you should too.

I’m holding the space for this dream to expand.

Lets GOOOO!!!

🤗 ~ Nicole
Wedding Mentor & Coach
www.WeddingProAcademy.com