We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Callie Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Callie, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I developed my confidence and self esteem by believing in myself and my abilities, and I trust that I can handle whatever challenges come my way. I have become more assertive and willing to take risks, I learned how to be more comfortable speaking up and sharing my opinions. My confidence comes from many sources, such as past successes, positive feedback from others, and a strong sense of self-worth. It is important to remember that confidence is not the absence of fear or doubt, but rather the ability to move forward despite those feelings. When you are confident, you are more likely to achieve your goals and succeed in life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
This year I am going to focus more on the planning aspects of weddings. When it comes to planning – most of my clients already have a venue, or photographer and they just need me to find a few more vendors (usually the harder ones) and we fill in the gaps. Last year I was able to plan a wedding from venue, photo, flowers and design. AND I LOVED IT! I loved that the clients trusted me fully and I was able to bring their unique characteristics to their wedding. It was one of the funnest weddings of the year. So fun that all the vendors stayed to hang out. Even the hair and makeup gals – who usually leave immediately. This gave me the drive I needed to say “hey, I gotta have my hands more in the planning” and pull back from doing just the “day of” stuff.
So this year I pulled back. I decided to take a limited number of weddings and make sure that the weddings I am taking on are the ones that are going to trust me fully and have everyone excited for the day.
What makes me the most exciting about this is that I am not having a better opportunity to get to know my clients. I want to know it ALL. I always say “hey I know this sounds crazy, but I gotta know what the drama is in the family, because yes… it will stick its ugly head out on your wedding day”. If I know everything – I can keep that negative stuff away and only allow the positive vibes to cross the path of my couples on their wedding day.
Getting to this point with my clients means they have to have open communication with me. So I allow my clients from those who are only hiring me to decorate to full planning – to have unlimited communication. Let’s talk! Let me be your wedding BFF!
And with a limited number of weddings, I know my clients are getting all of me and the best of me!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back on my journey, one of the biggest skills I had to learn was saying “NO!” When I first started, I said yes to it all. Backyard wedding. Yes! You need me to move 20 tables and 200 chairs. Yes! You don’t have anyone to pick up the cake? I’ll do it!
It got to the point where I noticed these small “gestures” or “acts of kindness” were not getting me anywhere. In fact, they were creating more work for me and the clients almost “expected” it when they knew it was only a favor to them. I noticed people were taking advantage of me and I was losing time away from my family and friends.
I think its easy when you first start out to want to help everyone and anyone who is willing to hire you, but over time – learn your worth!
Another skill I learned was treating a wedding like a restaurant. I know that sounds crazy. But I have a lot of restaurant experience. Ive worked in every title from hostess, to dishwasher to manager in a course of 12 years. I see the wedding party and guests as front of the house and the vendors and I as back of the house. If the back of the house is sinking, then eventually so will the front.
So I’ve learned that you MUST take care of your vendors first.
I always make sure my vendors have what they need, are taking breaks throughout the day and I even provide snacks and water to them. They are the first to be served (after the bride, groom and immediate family) so that they can sit down and eat a meal before jumping into the next formality. These simple things make everyones day so much more enjoyable.
With these skills I know they have given me great qualities and stand me out from other planners and coordinators in Southern California. I always hear from my clients and vendors about how they appreciated I always had their backs and made sure everyone was being taking care of.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Right now, the number one challenge I am currently facing is still saying “NO!” Last year I took on a record of 68 weddings. I said “yes” to every inquiry. But I was never home with my family. The biggest challenge I have now is just telling clients that I’m booked. It’s really hard to get an inquiry and know I have to tell these people I can’t be their planner.
One way that I am overcoming this challenge is reminding myself of the ultimate goal. I have my clients who love that they can chat with me any time – and they do! Keeping the conversations going with my clients has allowed me to get to know them on more of a personal level and gain friends after their special day has come and gone.
With the limited amount of weddings I have its allowed me to spend more time with my family. I have two small girls who absolutely love what I do, but they are also happy Mama is home a lot more with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kroseevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.roseevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k.roseevents
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/k-rose-events-redlands-2?osq=k+rose+events
Image Credits:
Crista Ekstrand Photography Kadi Tobin Photography Amanda and Nico Photography
