Ep. 128: [RS Spotlight] Expanding Your Impact Without Losing the Personal Touch w/ Katie Painter & Carrie-Ann Kloda
In an era where many in-person service providers have had to pivot toward being mostly online, it can bring up a lot of challenges, but also lots of opportunities. In this special Rebellious Success Spotlight episode, I bring on two clients who've done a beautiful job of navigating these waters.
Carrie-Ann Kloda is a Wedding Coach and Katie Painter is a Doula & Birth Expert who both have a background in solely serving their clients in person. Pre-pandemic both had started to sell virtual offers, but understandably that ramped up when they had to shift solely online.
What ended up happening for both women is they were able to create really beautiful and supportive online communities and lots of high-quality resources and support for their clients and communities. Quality of care didn't have to suffer AND they were able to serve more people and have a much wider impact.
Tune in to hear their journeys and their experiences in Rebellious Success.
Carrie-Ann has been working in the wedding industry for over fifteen years. She’s known for her problem-solving, honest advice, and ability to calm stressed-out brides and anxious in-laws. Her business, Kith & Kin Weddings, was founded on the notion that it is possible to love both the engagement and the wedding day. She helps her clients to figure out their wedding values and to establish boundaries with their friends and family, setting them on the path to married bliss with her one-on-one coaching and wedding planning.
Katie is a pregnancy guide who believes everyone deserves support at all stages in life, but especially during the childbearing and raising years. She supports all families all they need to know to have empowered birth experiences
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/kithkinweddings https://www.kithandkinweddings.ca/journey https://www.kithandkinweddings.ca/weddingbudget
www.thekatiepainter.com IG: @thekatiepainter
Additional Links:
Rebellious Success: http://rebellious-success.com/
-
Welcome to this episode of the sell it sister podcast and another installment in the rebellious success spotlight series. Oh my gosh. What a mouthful. So this is another episode where I am interviewing two people, two clients, who I have worked with in my rebellious success program.
They are so awesome. Their story of how they actually work together this year and grown as friends and support to each other is really special and really cool. So I hope you listen all the way through to the end, so you can hear about that. Um, but we we're tight on time as you're recording. And so you'll hear me say at one point in there, I'm like, okay, Oh, my gosh, I, I'm going to have to tell this story of how I worked with each of you prior to rebellious success.
So I really, I wanted to share that here because I think that it's really important to see how getting clients can really be fun and not, uh, not this huge uphill battle. And you can do it just by being a regular human connecting with people being yourself. And then actually. By doing this and by serving people really well, uh, and you know, keeping in touch with them over time that when you launch something new, it actually does not have to be, uh, as hard as it may seem to fill that new offer, because you will have people who will come back and want to work with you again in the future.
It's really. Really cool. So I want to tell you a little bit about them, and then I'm going to tell you about how we each first work together. Then it will go into the interview as well. And again, these ones where it's like multiple people on zoom, trying to get the timing. All right. And everything. So a little bit, it's a little bit.
But I think we made it think we made it work. It ended up being great. Uh, so Katie painter is a pregnancy guide who believes everyone deserves support at all stages in life. But especially during the childbearing and raising years, she supports all families by helping them with what they need to know to have an empowered.
Birth experience and Carrie and quota is a wedding she's been in the wedding industry for over 15 years. She is now a wedding coach, which is so awesome. And she explains what that is. And the. And she's known for her problem solving honest advice and the ability to calm, stressed out brides and anxious.
In-laws her business, Kith and kin weddings was founded on the notion that it is possible to love both the engagement and the wedding. She helps her clients to figure out their wedding values and to establish boundaries with their friends and family, setting them on the path to married bliss with her one-on-one coaching and wedding planning.
And of course, all of their links and everything will be in the show notes. So if you resonate with them, definitely go check them out after. So a little bit of backstory. So in 2018, I had created my conversations that can be. Conversations that convert many course, um, all around sales conversations. And I was like, I'm going to do it in the webinar launch style.
And I tried to run. Paid ads and they didn't do really well because of course they didn't really know what the heck I was doing, but I, I did get a few sign-ups from them. One of them was Katie painter. She came from Instagram and overall like I, the launch was okay. I sold a few and, but, you know, I, it also helped me add some new people on my list.
It gave me the experience of practicing. All of those really important things, but one of the benefits of low enrollment was I kind of knew everyone who was there from other areas of my life and the ones that I didn't know. I actually followed up with them personally afterwards to hear what they thought.
See if they had any questions. All of that. So that is how Katie and I initially became friends. And then when I created my first group program in the fall of 2018, it was called success squad. I did a really low key beta launch for that. And one of the people I reached out to directly was Katie. And I said, Hey, your.
We've been chatting for a bit. We'd been chatting back and forth in the, in the DMS on Instagram for a bit. And I was like, would you be interested? Here are the details. And she joined. So now fast forward 15 months, I'd already run that program five different times because it was a quarterly program. And I was relaunching for.
Q1 of 2019. And so I think the math adds up right. Either way I might be wrong on the years, doesn't really matter at any rate. It was 15 months later. I'm relaunching that program again. I was kind of feeling like I was ready to be done with the program, but I was like, I'm going to give it one more launch.
It had been really successful, but I was just kind of like ready to move on to different. And Carrie Ann had found me actually through a true crime related hashtag. So if you listened to the rebellious success spotlight episode with Jillian O'Keeffe, we actually tell the story in there, but it was just a post that had to do with true crime.
So she found me, she started following me. I was promoting another free webinar, online training. And she messaged me a question about it. So we started talking, she signed up, she attended, she signed up for that final cohort of rebellious success as it ha not rebellious success. I'm sorry. Success squad. As it happened, I didn't hit my minimum.
Number that I would have wanted to have in there in order to run it as a group coaching program. So I reached out to Carrie Ann and I said, Hey, here's, what's going on. Um, group program is not happening, but I would love to work with you. I will honor, you know, the same investment you chose to make. You don't have to pay me extra and we'll meet once a week, once a month, we'll get, you know, you'll get yourself some private coaching.
She was like, Hey. I am all in. Right. So that is how we each worked. Um, I worked with Katie and then how I worked with Carrie Ann later, both, we just genuinely like we connected on the gram. Very cool. And then when I was launching rebellious success in the fall of 2020, because they already had worked with me and they talk a little bit about this in the episode.
They were like, yes, I am. I'm all in. I want to work with Erica again. So it was really nice. Like it made that launch. It was really fun to see people come back and want to work with me again. Uh, it, it just, it felt really rewarding. I was so excited to get to work with each of them again, and then it really made me so happy that they connected so deeply in the program.
So I know there was a lot, it's like a longer intro than usual. But I really wanted to put that story in there because I think it personally, or it, it really illustrates the importance of not overlooking how powerful human, like authentic human connection with no strings attached. So without further ado onto the episode, Hey Kerrianne and Katie, welcome to the, sell it sister podcast.
I am so excited to have both of you because I've known each of you for a very, very, very long time. And so this is going to be a fun, fun conversation. I know it. Uh, so I want to hear, obviously the listeners have heard. Your bio's, uh, in the intro, but I would love to hear from each of you, just in your own words a little bit more about what you do.
And then I want to talk about how in the last, you know, 18 months, really with lockdown and everything, how you had you each had very in-person centric businesses and how you have shifted what you do. Online to be able to support your clients virtually. So Carrie Ann, I'm calling on you. Okay. So, um, do you want me to answer all of that at once?
No. No, no. Just tell us a little bit more, you know, in your own words, like about, you know, just what you, what you do for your clients and what you love about it. Well, my favorite thing to do with my clients, um, Is to support them while they're planning their wedding. So, uh, I'm a wedding planner by trade, but I started calling myself a wedding coach for a couple of reasons.
Number one, being that I do things a little bit differently than other wedding planners. And so far as like, I I'm very much down to hold emotional space for my clients and talk to them about their issues with their in-laws. I'll never say something like, well, that's not my job, you know, I'm not your therapist.
Um, and I'm not a therapist, but, uh, but I'm an empathetic person. Yes. I've seen this time and time again. And I kind of seen the same stuff over and over. And, and I think just for Mary's, it's good to have an outside perspective because everybody that is in your wedding party or the parents, your friends, they all kind of have a little bit of their own vested interest in what's going to happen on your wedding day.
Everyone kind of thinks the wedding's about them too. So it's nice to have somebody who's just purely on your side and believes the weddings really just about you and what you want and reflective of you and your. And so my favorite way to do all of this is, uh, is wedding coaching, where I just create a timeline for you while you plan your own wedding.
And I'm there available all the time to support you. Like it's like if your best friend was a wedding planner, I like to see it that way. So I'm not planning the wedding for you necessarily, even though I do that for some of my clients, but my favorite thing is you're planning the wedding, but you can ask me anything anytime and get an answer really quick so that you can make the right decisions and just have sort of a stress-free engagement.
I love that. And I love that. It's like, It's kind of like having the expert in your back pocket. And I know you talk about this a lot, getting that like big sister energy that like supportive big sister energy, which I love and actually. Uh, I know this is something that we're going to talk a little bit more about, like how the work that you and Katie do is it's so good to have that outside perspective because you are each in industries that are not lacking for information, which also causes a lot of overwhelm.
So we'll get to that in a minute, but first Katie, why don't you talk a bit more about which you do. Sure. So it's funny because when actually when I first met Kerrianne and heard her talk about what she does, I went, oh, you're a wedding doula, that's it, you're a wedding doula. We do the same thing, but you support people through their engagement and their wedding.
And I support people through their pregnancy birth and early parenting. Um, so pretty much everything that Carrie Ann said I do in a similar way. Um, just for. Pregnancy and for birthing people. So I provide education, um, because I think that a lot of times, like you said, it's not that there's a lack of information, but it's hard to sort through what is evidence-based, what is somebody.
Very loud opinion. And, um, also like Carrie Ann said, your family, your friends, all also kind of have a little bit of a vested interest in the way things go, or they have clouded opinions based on their own experiences. Or, and then they. That their personal experiences to your pregnancy and your birth. And maybe that's not what you want, or maybe that's not what you need.
Maybe what they're saying is scary to you. So my job is to be there kind of as somebody who does care, I love all of my clients. I care for them all so deeply, but I'm not, I'm not. Big sister or their mother, or, you know, I am I'm on their side. I, I work for you. I don't work for the hospital. I don't work for the doctors.
I don't work for your midwife. I work for you and helping you have your best first possible. I love that. And I think what's really cool about what you. Both do. And I feel like this is probably why you have been able to connect so well personally and professionally, which we'll also talk about, but as you each kind of have these, you have these businesses that really touch on.
Sort of to, of like the top, most big events in people's lives, right? Like weddings and births. Like, those are definitely, I would say like in the top three and maybe like death, I guess, would be the third, right. Like, or graduating from, you know, education, different like, uh, schools or stuff like that. But like, they are so important and they.
Really only happen for like a moment they culminate in a moment in time. It's not something that is like an ongoing thing forever, like which with my clients, it's like, they're gonna hopefully keep having their business after we worked together and they've probably had their business, like they almost certainly had had their business before we worked together.
So I just like dip in for like a moment. But you really support them for like a specific moment in time. And. I'm sure that there are some people wondering, like, how are, how are you able to do this in this shift of moving from such a high touch? Traditionally, in-person very like emotional service to being able in these last 18 plus months to supporting online and actually being able to go.
Like outside of just your immediate area in terms of serving clients. Yeah, go ahead, Katie. Um, so I actually, I have found an even bigger community going virtual, which has been such an unexpected. And lovely surprise. Um, I started, so I personally, I also, in addition to being a doula and a childbirth educator, I am also a prenatal yoga teacher.
And so one of the first things I did when everything locked down was I just took my classes right online and I taught them free on Instagram live or in a Facebook group. And those people who had been coming to my class just showed up online. But then the other people who maybe I knew from high school who were starting to have babies who were not really, you know, friends anymore.
As his social media, you still kind of follow along. They were able to join me from five states away. Having other people show up for themselves. And for each other allowed me to show up even better for them, because I got to kind of just hold that space for this whole community of people who are all kind of in the same stage of their life.
I feel like sometimes pregnancy can feel a little bit. Lonely. Um, if you're not kind of pregnant with, along with all of your friends, I think about, um, people who I used to know who would come into my class and they love being here because when they went to happy hour or whatever, with their coworkers, they were like, well, this is not fun for me.
So I'm going to go home and I'm going to put on sweat pants and get comfortable, but they really enjoyed being in, you know, 'cause they got to be with people who were going through the same things as they were. And so I having that kind of community that we built was so great because it lets you kind of make it feel even less alone, like kind of, it just became this, this like really maybe carry on has a better word for it.
Well, I can agree that. I mean, I was just pregnant during the pandemic and I can attest that it was extremely lonely prior to signing up for your prenatal yoga classes. Throughout my pregnancy. I got a lot of support. I was, um, the crier every week and Katie was always quick to point out, made it okay for everybody else to cry.
When we had, you know, she has a, in her prenatal yoga classes, we have like the first half hour where we just chat. Um, and then after I gave her. Being able to support other people made me feel so good about my experience overall. And so in control of it. And I also, those friends that I made, you know, you're not going to connect with every single person you meet that's pregnant.
And when you limit it to people that are local to you, you're maybe really not going to, but I was able to find some people through the, through the classes who are now my friends that I go to and I'm like, oh, I'm experiencing this. And some of them are second time parents, so they can give me advice. You know, I had.
When one person suggests a sleep coach for, for me and the baby. So it's just been really incredible. Um, Yeah, but to speak to what you were asking, which is like, how has it been to do this virtually? I think, uh, number one is something that, that you taught me when we first started working together, which was that it's okay to show up, um, and sell what you're, what you're offering, because you're, you're leading from a place of providing people with a service that they need.
Yeah. I was really like, what, what started me working virtually with people was a really small offer. Um, just one coaching call that I called the jumpstart and I made it with our mutual friend, hunter welling. Who's the agent. She, um, because she had this offering early on in the pandemic to like create a virtual.
And I had just done this exact thing with one person. I had a kind of colleague friend who was like, I have to change my whole wedding plan because of the pandemic. And so I had a call with her and came up with a plan to help her, um, navigate this changing. Field of event planning and the uncertainty of it, and all of the questions that people were asking her.
And I used that as a blueprint to create something that I thought would be valuable for, for anyone. And it was something that I could do virtually. And so it really was more just about providing something that I saw a need for that I saw wasn't being provided. And that I knew I could do well for people.
Um, rather than like, how am I going to make money during the pandemic? You know, especially because. I have the luxury, as we've said of being Canadian and our government really supported us. So I wasn't, I also didn't feel this like sense of urgency about it other than I really want to help people with this.
Um, and then the upshot of all of that, like Katie was saying is that I just got in front of more of my ideal people. And so now I have clients, um, you know, in the U S which I never thought. Just it's on my vision board that I'm a traveling wedding planner, but I didn't think that it was going to happen.
And now I have clients in the U S where I know I'm traveling in 2022 and 2023 to do their weddings. And they're exactly the kind of weddings that I want to do. And they're exactly the kind of people that I've want to work with, who want to open up to me in. Ready to receive that kind of coaching and doula ship.
Let's say that I provide, you know, that those warm and fuzzy it's like, not if you're just like a straight up logical, let's just get her done, uh, kind of person. I'm probably not the right person for you, but if you want to dig deep, if you have a lot of fields, I might be your wedding coach, you know? Yeah.
And I love that. It really has been, uh, What felt like at first, this like tragedy, uh, for, in person businesses. And obviously, you know, for some, depending on what certain people did there, you know, there is no way to really pivot online, um, as well, but that you have, you both could have easily said, like, I guess that's just, it.
Kind of thrown in the towel on all your hard work, leading up to this point, but you really were like, no, I still want to serve my people because I love what I do. So what can I do to actually make that happen? So I love that. And I love to kind of carry on that. You were talking a bit about the people who you really want to work with, and also in the sense of like just the larger conversation around.
There's so much information out there on both of the things that you both do that, like, why would somebody need an expert? Why would they need a doula? Why would they need a coach? I mean, I have my 2 cents on it, but both as people who like you have hired me to guide you and you have people hire you to guide them.
So what is sort of the dichotomy between somebody who's like, it's cool. I'm just going to like Google versus somebody who's like, I am shutting down because I'm overwhelmed with information and I really just. The hell I need a guide, Katie and I love to rant about this and I love to rant to you about this Erica, because I'm, I like marketing now, but when I first had to do it, I was like, why do I have to do this?
I'm already an expert at what I do. Um, I shouldn't have to be an expert in this too. And I think that's the one end of the spectrum, which is something that I learned. And that again, supported me so well through my pregnancy childbirth and now new parenthood where. I learned that I need to lean on an expert and that when I do this is the key.
When I pay an expert for their advice, I get that back. When I chose to pay you and work with you, I got more visibility. And when I chose to pay hunter and work with her and create my new offer, I got people buying my offer. So I had nothing to sell and then I had something to sell. So you have to see the expert.
You know, that side of the dichotomy is there's a huge payoff to doing it. Like, and then on the other end of the spectrum, You know, you're going to those peoples also come to me because now they've, they've tried to DIY and this is so common with wet things, right? You try to DIY something and you realize that it takes way more time, energy, and money than you expected, and you should have just paid the expert in the first place.
And now you're paying even more because you don't spend nothing on. You know, you go to Michael's and you pick up all the crap. And at the end of the day, it costs almost as much as having bought it. Plus you wasted all your time doing it. Plus now you're super frustrated. Like it was so costly. So I find, I get people on both ends of the spectrum, the ones who know what they need and the ones who didn't know, but are now realizing I cannot handle this myself.
And it sucks. Yeah. And because of the industries, you both are in, like I already mentioned, like you work with people. On something that has a specific like deadline, like there's no, I mean, I get, yes, you could push out a wedding a little bit longer, but like realistically, uh, there's a, there's a due date for both of the things that you do.
So I feel like having that expert early on is really crucial, like for those who kind of need and want that support, like it's better the earlier you can get. The better so that you're not butting up against the last two months and then panicking. So what about, what about you Katie? Cause I know you've been educating for a long, long, long time.
So long now it's a little bit crazy. Um, also though, just listening to Carrie and talk about it's like, oh, and it still costs a lot and it's this and that and whatever. And like, all I'm thinking is cries in all of the DIY projects that I've done in my house, man, though, I'm very proud of the things that we've done like that it's a little different.
I don't, I didn't need an expert for all of that, that we did hire an expert for our bathroom because I don't do plumbing, do a little electronic. Anyway, sorry. Yeah. So, um, you know, I haven't been teaching for a long time now and I think what happens, especially with birth, what happens is, like we said before, there's so much information and there's a lot of opinions, but not a whole lot of.
Evidence-based information out there or it's out there, but it's hard to kind of Wade through what it is. And then I feel like everything gets overwhelming. Like when you have an expert and you hire somebody who knows you, or, you know, who knows your business. So like I've been working with you for a really long time, you know, my business and you know me.
So you know that like certain advice is not gonna work for me, like certain things or it's just not, I have two small kids. So the. And with unpredictable wake-up time. So like kind of that old adage of like, oh, we'll get up at four. And it's like, well, if I wake up at four, my kids are gonna wake up at four and then I'll be grumpy and tired and still have nothing to do.
So, you know, like I think having somebody who knows you and knows kind of your wishes, your plans. Can help, uh, hiring an expert who knows their field, knows you, your wishes, your plans can help guide you and take out all of that superfluous stuff. All of that, all of the extras that really just kind of like, hold you down, buggy down, make you question what you really already know in your gut.
Like, I feel like, uh, a true expert in their field can make it. Make it simple. Like they can, you know, it's like they can make it simple for you. They can make it seem easy. That's actually one of the things I like to say all the time to people is like my goal as your doula, especially when I'm in person, my goal as your doula is to make you think that you don't need me next time, but your spouse or your partner who I have helped kind of from the sidelines is like, oh no, no, no, no, no.
Like that, that's where I get all my second. Couples why ended up calling me or by second time, parents wind up calling me at like, like the second after they pianistic, because their partner is like, call her and make sure she's available. But from the background, it's like, all I'm doing is supporting your choices.
I'm helping you really here. I'm laying out your choices. These are, you know, these things will work. How do you feel about this? And like supporting your autonomy and your decision-making skills and that's where, like what KerryAnn was saying before, this is, that's the stuff that makes you feel empowered and knowledgeable.
Not somebody just telling you exactly what to do, but working with you to make the best decision. For you for your birth, for your business, for your wedding. You know, it's like not somebody coming in and being like, oh, if you are kind of like punk rock boho, chic, whatever. And then like, you're going to bring in like the Kardashians wedding planner.
That's like, that's not going to be the right vision for you because they're not taking into, they're not taking your stuff into consideration. Right. Yeah. And I, and I love that and I think. Just kind of like hearkening back to you, both being able to serve people all over, like obviously not everyone can or wants to hire an expert for different things.
Um, and not every expert is right for every person, but I just imagine like, like people who can work with you now, who vibe with you now can, whereas like there could be somebody who is. Pregnant or trying to conceive, or they just got engaged or whatever, who they might be in an area where they're like, yeah, the doulas here, the birth educators, the wedding planners event, planners, whatever, I don't vibe with them.
And then like, it used to kind of be like, you would be screwed. Like you would just either have to DIY or you would have to just settle. And I think it's, it's so cool to me that that's. I dunno sometimes, uh, you know, the world of online business can be frustrating in its own. Right. But I also. It's exciting to see the possibilities that it's opened up for people too.
So I love that. And I know Katie, you have, um, a thing that you do, and I know like, cause we'll, we'll talk about kind of how, like we all like our relationship and stuff together in a second, but you Katie we're Carrie Ann's doula and educator for the birth of her daughter, her beautiful daughter. Um, But you have this like very simple, which I love, I'm such a geek for simplicity strategy of like the one pregnancy book rule, which I feel like this, like we could all just kind of adapt it for the, for like the thing that we do as experts.
Like you said, like you really kind of quiet the noise and simplify it for people. So explain what that is. This is actually it, I think Kariana actually really kind of started it because she was like, I don't want to read all the books. I am an expert at what I do. I don't want to be an expert in birth.
This is like, there's too much information. That's stressing me out. If I had to read one book, what is the one book? And I told her it was the birth partner. Uh, by penny Simkin as like this one book, if you're only going to read one book, this should be the book, but I love the idea of it's like, okay, you don't need to read every article that pops up.
Um, and in fact, Facebook in particular gets real mean when you are pregnant, because all of a sudden, it just shows you like the most heart-wrenching or gut wrenching stories. And they're like, why are you showing this to me? Now I'm afraid. And now I'm panicked. Cause its algorithm will be like, oh, you're pregnant.
You should read this story about a pregnant person. Um, so I usually recommend people just like, turn it off. Don't read anything. Don't listen to anything that anybody wants to tell you, unless you ask them specifically to share their story. Because like I said before, people will just cloud that people will use their experience and.
Not that it's not fact that was fact for them, but then they'll use it as kind of, well, all birth is this way and that's just not true. Even from one birth to my first labor with my oldest two, my second was similar, but not, not at all the same. Um, but yeah, I think that one book has enough. To get you through what you need to do and you don't have to Wade through the articles.
And that's another benefit in hiring an expert that you don't have to just figure out what that is. Somebody can point and say, here, this one is the right one for you. Totally. Cause you've, you've done the work on the backend and it makes me think of Ann as well. Like with your jumpstart is you're kind of like putting guard rails on the planning experience, right?
Like your, your life. Yeah, you carry. Yeah. I just love that word. I love that. You said guardrails? Yes. Oh yeah. Yeah. My marketing. Okay, good. Good. I was like seeing you pointed to Katie on the zoom. I was like, wait, are you, did I, it was just like, that was a one finger up. Like it was light bulb. It was the light bulb.
That's what I was like. Are you pointing to Katie? No, it was the aha. I don't know where she is on. It was is the. So since you can't see it carry, um, like did a, like a pointer finger in the air, like the aha moment and around the guardrails, but yeah, that's really, it's like, because you're the expert and I feel very much like this is my role too, is like I have.
A like breadth of knowledge that like most, you know, people who are running businesses don't and nor do they need to, but like, I get to put personalized guardrails on and I know for you to like, so if you're, if your people are like spinning out down a Pinterest panic rabbit hole, and they're like, you know, do we need.
Whatever, fill in the blank thing, because I saw that it's like trending, you can be like, Hey, remember what we did in the jumpstart. Remember the guard rails? Like, does this fit, does this align or no. And it like takes that, uh, it, I feel like it just like, it allows us to just stay focused on the destination and not have so much of that.
Squirrel brain panic all the time. Yeah. I bring that up with my clients all the time. I'm so in the jumpstart, we come up with your wedding mantra, which is a combination of the values you have with your partner, the boundaries you want to set with the people around you, the vision that you have for your day, uh, it can even incorporate like your budget because what are we, what's the goal here.
And I had a client recently who. After the event was looking back at like what could have been different and, you know, something that like a mistake that the restaurant made it, like just little things. And I said, what did you set out to do? Like, what did we set out to do with this event? I think we set out to do, you know, a, B and C.
And what do you think? And they said, I think we accomplished that. You're right. You know, it's really easy to look back on an event and pick it apart and look for the one thing that didn't go well. But it's, it's important to remember what you set out to do and that you will accomplish it. And that goes through all the planning.
And I say this to my clients throughout when they go, well, I really, it has to be this. And it has to be that because they see, they get their eyes on something like pop has grass on Pinterest. And I know we were all like, kind of making a face when you brought up Pinterest. Cause you know, I get real salty about Pinterest.
I don't like it. I think it's, I think it's. It's just like a time vortex and it's going to, it's going to give you decision fatigue and I tell all my clients to stay off Pinterest. Um, but. Uh, sorry, I lost my train of thought. I have mama brain. It's all good. You, you have an infant, but yeah. Pompous grass, the new, the hot you exactly.
You see the hot new thing. Thank you. And you think you have to have that and you get all caught up in something that often you can't afford. And that is when I come back and go, now, is this thing that's outside your budget. That's clearly beyond your. Really going to ruin your wedding day if you don't have it, because here's what you told me.
I'm going to give your words back to you. This is what you told me. The first time we met, this is what's important about your day. This is what matters most to you. This is what matters most to your partner. This is what's going to make your day meaningful and memorable. Let's get back to that. And so it really, like you said, it puts guard rails on the event planning because like Katie, I don't have books on event planning.
I just, I just had experienced. My experience is vast in terms of like, I've done everything from, you know, a baby shower, to a bar mitzvah, to a million dollar wedding to a $10,000 wedding. So your wedding is going to be unique and I'm going to be pulling whatever knowledge I need to into this event plan.
Um, and that goes from like, uh, Not to like read you my resume, but from a background in catering and yoga to, um, day of event management. And if you're going to do this without an expert by your side, then you're going to have to try to learn what I've spent 20 years becoming an expert in. And that's that's bananas.
You can't, you can't learn it all. And a client said to me, I think in 20 18, 1 of my clients who hired me said, you know, I could become an event planner. Like I could become an expert in this and while planning my own wedding, which is how a lot of event planners start, they say, well, I planned my own wedding and now I'm an event planner, which, well, let's not get into that.
Um, yeah, I gave birth once now I'm a doula, but that's okay. Um, you could become an expert in it, but you shouldn't have to because you're probably only going to do this. Yes. Yes. A hundred percent. I love that. And I feel like that is always my goal. And I love that you mentioned it earlier on Kerrianne about, I don't want to have to be an expert in marketing.
I just want to be an expert in the thing that I do. And I feel like for, for me, my goal is very similar with the both of you just in my line of work. What is your vision? What is your goal? Who are you as the human, having the experience? And so when somebody is like, I think that I want to start, I don't know, a YouTube channel, like, okay, cool.
Like, let's talk about that. Let's talk about what is going to need to go into that and your current life and your goals, and like, does that support it? If yes, let's cool. Let's create a strategy for making it as successful as possible for you get you the result that you desire. But also if there is a simpler better way for you to achieve that same.
Cool. Like, can we visit, can we visit that instead? Right. Like to, you know, again, going back to like keeping it simple, but I feel like the, the benefit is that, like, I don't expect my clients to have those answers for themselves because like, why would they, they, they haven't, they also, yeah, like they haven't been running businesses for 17 years.
So like, it's, it's kind of a hard ask that. Somebody would just automatically know that for themselves. So, um, I love, I love that you both brought that up and I know we, we only have a few minutes left, um, and I want you to get a chance. I want to talk a little bit about rebellious success. Cause that's where you met.
And I was going to chit chat it, hear about it here, but I'll, I'll put it in the, the intro instead about how I met each of you individually, like a long time ago. Uh, but then. When you both were in the first cohort of rebellious success and you are both returning clients to me, I think in that cohort. You too.
Yeah. You were the two who were not new to me. Clients. You had both come back to work with me again, and then you became good friends and then you supported someone's birth, which I'm like, that's it I've peaked. Like I can, I'm all about bringing people together. It's my favorite thing. Like bringing good people together is truly like one of my biggest joys.
And now I'm like, well, one of my clients helped my other client birth, a baby. So like, it's all just gravy from here on out. That's like the coolest thing ever. Um, but you, you came together in rebellious success, which I. I have really loved getting to work for so long with the both of you, but that is really a container that emphasizes, like, what are the simple foundational principles that you need as an established entrepreneur to go from, like where you are now to where you truly want to be.
So I would love to hear from each of you, um, you know, briefly, like what your biggest takeaway. Was, and, you know, if somebody was thinking about joining what you would say to.
Either one, I'll go call on you like a teacher. So my teacher hat on, I think, you know, when Katie and I first chatted, uh, we had a four hour zoom call and we both messaged you privately after to say, I love the kind of people that you attract. And so I think that. First thing I would say about rebellious success is that if, uh, if you feel drawn to working with Erica then, um, and you, you know, Erica, you're so upfront with your values, you're so upright with what you stand for.
That it's kind of impossible for someone to get that far to working with you and, you know, and agree with all of your values. Like you, you have us, um, uh, sign off on your values as well. Before we joined. It's impossible for someone to make it all the way into a cohort. And not vibe with the people there and not find people that they will really connect with, who share their outlook, who, um, you're not going to be in the exact same place in your business, but you will definitely appreciate the people that are inside the program.
So that's number one. And for me, the biggest takeaway, other than obviously meeting my best friend, Katie, and now. And aunt to my child, um, is, uh, for me, the biggest takeaway has actually been those trainings that you do at the beginning of every month. So there were six. Part of your framework. And I have actually found myself going back to those again and again, and now I'm looking at starting a new, um, endeavor, which is not a business, but a podcast, which is going to be different from my wedding planning business.
And I went back to the thrive framework framework and it was like, well, what is. And how am I going to incorporate this into my schedule and you know, how am I going to make sure that, um, I'm following all the steps basically. So it's a really good framework and you have those teachings for life. All you have to do is download them.
And then I have all of those trainings that you gave us forever. And I, uh, I think it's, it's a great way to. Get your business on track and re get it on track, because like I said, no matter where you're at in your business, whether you're new to business or you've been in it for a long time, going through that framework and looking at the health of your business and rest and, um, your values and all of the other things that you teach us are.
Are invaluable. Thank you. Thank you. That's so good to hear because that was my whole purpose of that framework. So I love it. Thank you. Good. Um, yeah, so I actually, I mean, I'm sure you will have talked about this already, but so we have been working together on an off for four years. Just about almost five.
No, for almost four years. Like, I think before I started working, you were the first business coach that I had ever really worked with and being in the online space and doing all of that have owning your own business can feel really lonely. And so like Carrie Ann said, you know, you attract. The best people.
So four years ago, when I joined your first group coaching program, I'm still friends with some of the people. I'm still friends with some of the people from that, from that group. And, um, you know, we still connect and cheer each other on, we still work together on other projects. And so I, a hundred percent agree that, you know, if, if you are.
If Erica is your people, then the people in this group will also be your people. Um, maybe some, a little bit more than others, but like they, they will all be your people and I'm going off of that too. So for me, I think my biggest takeaway with rebellious success, when I signed up, we had just gotten a puppy and I had stopped.
Like working because we had a puppy at home and we were also doing virtual kindergarten cause it's been a year. So we were doing virtual kindergarten. I had a puppy and I just stopped focusing on my own work and on my business. And so I signed up mostly for the accountability to have people. And because it's not even just, there is no, I don't want to say there's no tough love, but like it's a very supportive, tough love.
It's it's how I like to take criticism. Like. The compliment. And then like, I need, I need the shit sandwich. I need the compliment and then I need the poop and then I need the compliment. Um, so like, and I feel like that's how I get my feedback here. And I love that and appreciate that. I remember. Sorry. Do you remember me and Erica gently bullying you to post more on Instagram.
Yes and loving bullying. And that's, that's the kind of support that I need. Uh, but really, I, you know, when I feel like when you're in a group like this, and that's the benefit to the group versus even just kind of one-on-one coaching is. Like you want to be accountable, not just to yourself, but also to like to your team.
And not that if you don't hold, it's not a group project, you know, this is not like rolling out vaccines where if somebody doesn't do their part or whatever, you know exactly, it's not, this is not, you know, like if you don't do your part, then it's just your business. It's not somebody else's business, but like when you see everybody else.
Doing their stuff and showing up and asking questions. And it's like, you either one had the answer to the questions and can help them too. Or you want to work in your business. You want to be a part of that because you want all of these other perspectives from all of these other entrepreneurs, too. Um, and it has been, I mean, I've told you.
On and off for four years. My favorite favorite thing is all of the best friends that I make from, from Getty. And then like, I get great knowledge from you and I get great friends and I mean, What else could you want? I don't know what else you could want a pony. Maybe I'd like a pony, a miniature pony.
That's the goal? Uh, awesome. Well, thank you both. So, so, so much, uh, I just really appreciate your, your time and your wisdom and all of your awesomeness. And if anyone is interested in checking out rebellious success, you can just go to rebel. Hypen success.com and that will be in the show notes too. And also both, uh, Katie and Carrie Ann's.
Um, all their links will be there as well, if you want to check them out too. So thank you both for being on the podcast. Thanks.
