We recently had the chance to connect with Leah Nadu Reasinger and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Leah, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
The most mis-understood thing about a wedding venue is the cost. The overall attitude of most couples planning a wedding is that venues charge so much money “because we can.” While that may be true for some venues, it is not true for my family-owned venue. The costs associate with operating, maintaining, and marketing a 10-acre private wedding venue is high. Consider the costs to mow weekly, taxes, cleaning fees, etc., a lot of costs that couples may not ever see or consider. I challenge couples to consider the VALUE of their venue or prospective venue. How does what the venue charges align with you & your partner’s needs, wants, and overall vibe for the day.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My late father was the epitome of a hardworking, self-made person. My Dad dropped out of high school on the second day of his freshman year and he built a multi-million dollar empire through hardwork, discipline and passion. He knew he wanted to give his kids everything he didn’t have and worked tirelessly to make that happen. He taught me the most about discipline, leadership and sweat equity. The best piece of advice he gave me about work in general was to always be the person who can and will do everything, lead by example. This became especially true for me when I Started my business. Despite being “the boss” and in charge, I would never ask my team to do anything I wouldn’t be willing to do- yes, even cleaning toilets!
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
It’s supposed to be hard; your education, work, life, etc. Whatever you’re pursuing is supposed to be challenging, even test you sometimes. Taking your “hard” (for me it was starting my own business) and using that as motivation and determination is what’s going to get you past it and onto bigger and better things. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Trust me, it’s hard for everyone, and, it most likely will always be hard because as your business grows (so do you) and while you may grow on to bigger things, you also get the bigger problems. 😉
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
My education (Bachelor’s in Business from Temple University & a MBA from Elizabethtown College) has taught me the difference between fads and real foundational shifts. By looking at the shifts from a macro and micro economical position, you can see the trends vs. the market shifts in terms of quality vs quantity, pricing, etc. For example, the size of weddings is a real foundation shift we are starting to see in my market. While “microweddings” were a fad in 2020, the overall size of weddings has been declining for past few years. In my opinion, both micro and macro environmental changes are causing this. From a macro perspective, taxes, inflation and the job market are contributors, while in the micro sense, parents are no longer paying for weddings for their children in such high proportions. I believe I read that 30% of couples are paying for their own wedding and are prioritizing quality over quantity (less people, better experience).
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I was born to lead, so, yes I am doing that. My dream was always to create something synonymous with my name, be in charge and lead people to do something great. I believe what we are doing at Ashland is great, and we contribute to something bigger than ourselves. You may be shocked to hear, but a wedding venue wasn’t my dream business. I wanted to be in charge and run a business- a wedding venue was just the right thing at the right time!
Image Credits
Caroline Morris Photography
Megan Stone Photography
EB & Co. Photography
Alyssa Bunton Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
