The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Oct 20, 2022

The Missing Link Between Having an Events Certification & Building a Thriving Business

Thursday Oct 20, 2022

Many people believe that in order to have a good event planning business, they should get as many certifications as possible. And while it is beneficial to have knowledge and specific skill sets, host May Yeo Silvers can’t help but notice that people spend a lot of time and money investing in these certifications just to be able to utilize them in the real world. In today’s episode, May explains the missing link between having certifications and building a sustainable business.

According to May, being knowledgeable about how to plan enticing events is only half of the equation. If you have all of this knowledge, but don’t know how to MARKET it properly, then your business will not make any money. The other half to running a profitable business is knowing how to generate leads and then turn them into paying customers. To continue running her own successful events companies, May spends the majority of her time building her customer base and uses the time that’s left to plan events.

At the end of the day, you can be the best event planner, but if you don’t know how to effectively market yourself and close leads, you will not have a profitable business. Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about the importance of focusing on sales and business development so that you can utilize your talent and plan events that will continue to make you money.

Quotes

• “What I'm seeing among these people who have invested a lot of money in taking all these classes is that they aren’t applying the skills they have learned.” (03:45-03:59 | May)

• “You can be the best decorator or event designer, but if you don't know how to sell, you don't know how to build a business. And it won’t go anywhere.” (04:37-04:45 | May)

• “You actually learn more by doing it on the job.” (08:50-08:55 | May)

• “80% of the time, I’m building my sales pipeline. And the other 20% I’m actually using my knowledge to plan events.” (11:37-11:45 | May)

• “If you want to invest in yourself and your business, you shouldn’t spend all the money on just learning technical skills. You should focus a lot more of your time and money on business development.” (13:41-13:57 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Oct 13, 2022

Mindset About Building a Team

Thursday Oct 13, 2022

Thinking about expanding your business and building a team can be an intimidating part of owning a business. When you first began your business, you probably started it because of your passion. And while it may have started off good with just you, any business that intends to make more money will need to hire a strong and like-minded team. In today’s episode, host May Yeo Silvers shares with listeners the ins and outs of building your dream team.

When people think about the concept of building a team, they often begin to add up all of the expenses. Between the hiring process, training, and providing adequate compensation, putting together a team can seem time-consuming. While there is no easy way around some of this, May explains that you must shift your mindset and focus on the bigger picture. What are the roles and responsibilities that you need to fill? And how are you going to put together a compelling compensation plan? At the end of the day, when you hire a trustworthy team, you will free up more of your time to build your customer pipeline to make more money.

Whatever your end goals are, you will go farther with the right team beside you. Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about the importance of building a team, the difference between contractors and employees, and how to find your A-team so that you can grow and scale your business to meet your goals.

Quotes

• “I have a network of people whom I have built a relationship with who can execute events for me and I don't have to be there. But I still make the money.” (06:18-06:32 | May)

• “I'm very careful about who I work with and who I decide to hire to do my events. And my contractors do such a great job my clients will continue to do events with me.” (08:18-08:32 | May)

• “First, we need to shift our mindsets about building a team. Do not let the word “team” scare you.” (11:01-11:07 | May)

• “You have to know what roles you need to fill in, the responsibilities that go with it, what a compelling and fair compensation package is, and what things will attract people to your employee value proposition.” (12:59-13:14 | May)

• “Having a team is not a cost center if you know how to monetize your team and calculate the return on investment.” (14:37-14:52 | May)

• “I want you to understand that when you hire someone, it is not your responsibility to support the lifestyle of the person that you want to hire.” (18:39-18:44 | May)

• “When you are building a team, you're building a movement of people who support you, your mission, your vision, your team culture, your values, and the impact that you're giving to your clients.” (19:41-19:54 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Oct 06, 2022

Having Many Clients Doesn’t Mean You Have a Thriving Business

Thursday Oct 06, 2022

“Just because you have a lot of clients, does not mean that your business is thriving,” explains host May Yeo Silvers. In fact, you could have a lot of client’s and still not be living your desired lifestyle. In today’s episode, May discusses the qualities of a successful and thriving business owner.

According to May, many new event planners fall for the idea that in order to make money, they need to book as many clients as they can. While it is definitely good to have a steady flow of clients, it is more important to focus on the quality of them. Before you decide to take on a new lead, May says you must ask yourself what your return on investment will be. If you are working every hour of every day just to make 100k, you might want to reconsider how you structure your business. When you are more efficient in your business plan and marketing strategies, you will likely find clients who will pay you the hourly rate that you deserve.

At the end of the day, the goal of owning your own business is to live a lifestyle that suits you best. But in order to do this, you must be savvy in the way you handle clients and run your business. Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about the importance of setting an hourly rate that keeps clients coming but allows you to live financially free.

Quotes

• “The question that you should be asking yourself is ‘how much money am I making from each client?’” (02:07-02:17 | May)

• “There is no point to booking so many clients, and working so many events, but making the same money as another business owner who makes the same amount of money as you, but is working much less.” (05:09-05:23 | May)

• “Every time you take a lead, you have to ask yourself, ‘What is the potential revenue I'm going to get from this client? And what is my return on investment?’” (07:55-08:10 | May)

• “You need to pay attention to your numbers, not to the vanity matrix of ‘Oh, I have a lot of clients.’ I don't care if you have a lot of clients. All I care about is how much are you making and keeping.” (16:48-17:05 | May)

• “Do not confuse a thriving business as one that has a lot of clients. No, a thriving business is one that has clients that have a high yield value and a CEO who knows how to calculate their worth.” (18:28-18:40 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Sep 29, 2022

Is Your Client ”Coachable?”

Thursday Sep 29, 2022

Are your clients not giving you the information you need to plan their events within an orderly timeline? According to host May Yeo Silvers, not communicating realistic timing expectations will negatively impact you, the client, and the event itself. In today’s episode, May helps listeners learn how to manage their clients successfully to avoid any unnecessary consequences of poor planning.

As event planners, it’s normal not to want to seem pushy or rude. However, it’s essential to be clear with your clients about what you need and when so that nothing important goes by the wayside. If you let your clients know how you work and your expectations of them, you can ensure that you have the partnership needed to do your job. Since the event results ultimately reflect on you, you must create an accountability timeline for you and your clients to follow.

For you to do your job, your clients need to do theirs. Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about how to “coach” your clients into fulfilling their end of milestone planning.

Quotes

• “Lack of planning at your end does not constitute an emergency at my end.” (1:46-1:52 | May)

• “When I say how coachable your client is, it's not you coaching the client per se. It's more about from the very beginning when you're qualifying your potential client. You have to be totally honest with yourself and ask yourself this question. After your interaction with the potential client, do you think that you are a good fit for them, and they're a good fit for you? When do I ask if you are a good fit for them? Are they a good fit for you? I'm not talking about whether are you able to do what they asked you to do. Do you have the capability to do what they ask you to do? It goes beyond that.” (2:50-3:38 | May)

• “I manage the client. I do not let the client manage me.” (8:18-8:22 | May)

• “You have to hold yourself accountable by ensuring that you check your timeline week after week. And you also have to have a system where you set a reminder to chase the information from your client.” (11:20-11:37 | May)

• “What your clients can expect from you is important, but what you need from them is equally important. Planning an event is a partnership.” (18:03-18:14 | May)

• “Vendors and venues appreciate planners who have a handle of their client.” (20:01-20:07 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Sep 22, 2022

Watch Out for That Victimhood Mindset

Thursday Sep 22, 2022

Do you let your current reality affect how you approach your business and your life? According to host May Yeo Silvers, having that mindset turns you into a victim in your own life. In today’s episode, May warns listeners the dangers of having what she likes to call, a “victimhood mindset.”

While there may be things in your life that make achieving your goals a little more difficult, it doesn’t mean that it can’t change. According to May, when we allow ourselves to think this way, it means we have already allowed ourselves to be defeated. Rather than blaming outside sources, it is more effective to take accountability and understand that we can make things happen for ourselves.

At the end of the day, if you don’t have control of your life it will be hard to find success. Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about how to reshape your mindset, so that you can find the happiness and success that you’ve always dreamed of.

Quotes

• “In my perspective, the reality is if you're not getting any momentum it is because you're letting all of your circumstances, which may be your current reality beat you. You are letting your current reality control your faith and control your destiny.” (06:23-06:42 | May)

• “There are things that you can do to change your reality. The question is, are you willing to make the effort and the sacrifices to take control of your life?” (07:43-07:59 | May)

• “When you lack control or don’t want to make the effort to gain back control, you become the victim of your circumstances.” (09:10-09:20 | May)

• “When you think, ‘my circumstances are very different from yours. Therefore, I'm not able to be as successful as you,” you are claiming victimhood.” (09:27-09:39 | May)

• “Instead of blaming the circumstances or blaming others, how about taking some accountability and understanding that you can make things happen for yourself.” (11:02-11:20 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Sep 15, 2022

The First and Last Dollar Amounts Are What Your Lead Will Remember

Thursday Sep 15, 2022

Have you ever been ghosted by a lead after sending over a proposal? According to host May Yeo Silvers, the first and last dollar amounts are the only thing your clients will remember. In today’s episode, she explains why all event planners must use caution when they are quoting their prices.

Most potential clients will want to know how much it is going to cost them to plan an event. And while it may be easy to give a ballpark number, it is important to understand that a client is going to recognize the first number you give them as a final price. To avoid any price objections, or loss of business, May explains that you need to have a conversation with your client about what their final price is going to be before you send them a proposal. When a lead clearly understands the cost of your fee, supplies, and set up and tear down is, they are less likely to ghost you.

Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about the importance of price transparency so that you can turn your proposals into revenue.

Quotes

• “When a potential client asks you what your fee is after they have told you their vision of the event, don’t expect them to understand that your fee is just for your time.” (07:19-07:30 | May)

• “When you send a proposal over without explaining FIRST what your fee is going to cover and without explaining how much their vision is going to cost, your potential client is just going to assume the very first number that they hear is the number they will see on the proposal.” (08:25-08:49 | May)

• “You need to prepare the potential client that your fee may go up or down depending on their final selections.” (10:07-10:20 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Sep 08, 2022

May’s Learnings From Her Past Events

Thursday Sep 08, 2022

Throughout her years of work, host May Yeo Silvers has encountered just about every situation. Good or bad, every event May has planned has been an opportunity for her to improve the way she runs her business. In today’s episode, May takes listeners on a journey from her past to share some of the things she has learned along the way.

May first shares an example of a time when she and her team had to deal with an unruly client. No matter what they did or said, this client was determined to make the situation terrible. Rather than letting her get to them, May told her team to focus on doing what they do best: running a successful event. In the end, you can’t always predict or control how things are going to turn out, but you can still show up as the best version of yourself and make the most of every situation.

Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur™ to learn more about the importance of rolling with the punches, having a positive attitude, and letting every experience be of value to you and your business.

Quotes

• “What is the point of arguing with someone who is unreasonable? What is the point of focusing on our anger and frustrations if a client is not able to receive what we have to say? So I tell my team to listen with an empathetic ear and heart.” (06:06-06:22 | May)

• “For every single contract that I negotiate for my client, I always negotiate with a worst-case scenario mentality.” (09:30-09:40 | May)

• “We can't fight Mother Nature so what is the point of getting upset and getting your client upset that the ‘perfect-picture ceremony’ didn't turn out the way they wanted? You have to roll with the punches.” (13:37-13:49 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Sep 01, 2022

People Pleasing is a Self-Sabotaging Act

Thursday Sep 01, 2022

As humans, we all want to be liked. However, if pleasing others hinders our business, sense of self, or well-being, we must reevaluate. Today, host May Yeo Silvers lays out how to move past our people-please tendencies that get in the way of our own goals.

May has repeatedly seen people lose who they are to make others happy, but if you’re a business owner who does this, you may lose out financially. As much as we want to do right by our clients, that should not mean that we have to lower our prices or alter how we work when we invest so much of our time and effort into our work. Instead, be clear about your operations and deliverables because it’s much more important to attract the right people than the wrong people at the cost of ourselves.

Although no one wants to be judged, remember that always putting others above yourself is a self-sabotaging act. Tune into this week’s episode of The Unstoppable Eventrepreneur for concrete examples of people-pleasing in both business and relationships and what you can do to stop being afraid of saying what you want.

Quotes

• “Self-development is a constant learning experience and work that I do every single day.” (2:49-2:58 | May)

• “It is normal to want to be a people pleaser. But if it hinders who you are as a person and as a business owner, it is going to cost you financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically.” (3:06-3:36 | May)

• “I’m not afraid to let the client know this is how I work, why I work this way, and the results I can deliver. I'm not afraid to be a straight shooter. There's a difference between being rude versus being clear.” (10:38-10:54 | May)

• “It's important to attract the people you want to work with. But it’s equally important to repel the people you don't want to work with. So by being who you truly are and expressing your thoughts, opinions, and personality, you will connect with people who are your people.” (15:09-15:36 | May)

• “You can't control what people think, say, and feel about you. But you can control how you feel, what you think and say, and how you can be a better person in the long run.” (20:05-20:18 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone

Thursday Aug 25, 2022

Family Does Not Compete With Your Business and Vice Versa

Thursday Aug 25, 2022

As host May Yeo Silvers has grown her Facebook community, she has had the opportunity to help many aspiring event planners open and grow the business of their dreams. However, among the many people she has talked to, the number one reason why people put their business on hold is due to family. While family is the most important thing, May explains that it’s possible to run a successful business and still prioritize your loved ones.

No matter where you are in life, you will always have obligations to someone or something outside of your business. But to be a successful business owner, your personal and work lives should never have to compete with each other. In fact, if you learn how to set boundaries and manage your time, everything on your schedule should be doable. May explains that the success of your business relies on two things: the communication between you and your inner circle, and your ability to maintain your schedule. When you know exactly how much time you can spend working on your business, there is no reason you can’t still spend quality time with your family.

In the end, to be a successful eventrepreneur, you must find the balance between your personal life and your business. Join May for an enlightening conversation on communication and time management so that you can stop putting your dreams on hold.

Quotes

• “I deliberately have to be mindful that I always put my family first because first, I'm a workaholic. Second, I really love what I do. And third, I am emotionally and physically invested in my business and in my clients.” (04:24-04:45 | May)

• “The people that I've spoken to have shared with me that they put their dreams of having an events business on hold for an indefinite period of time because they put family first.” (05:38-05:50 | May)

• “In life you will always have obligations to somebody or something, but there should never be a competition. Because if you have learned how to manage your thinking, your emotions, that means everything on your schedule has its allotted time.” (07:12-07:40 | May)

• “If your perception of how you split your time is unfair, then something has to change.” (08:56-09:00 | May)

Links

Connect with me at: may@events4anyone.com

Website: events4anyone.com