Meet Bethany Patrick

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Bethany Patrick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Being a Wedding Planner, we are the only ones who do what we do associated with each event. In order to be successful in that role, you have to lead with confidence. I’ve learned that the things that have made me the best at being in such a big leadership role are: Being well-prepared, treating people with respect, and not being afraid of being not liked. I have to know what I’m doing and what everyone else should be doing ahead of time. Flying by the seat of our pants does not work in this industry. I have to make people/other vendors feel valued (because they are) and respected. These relationships work much better and people work harder for you when they feel like the respect is mutual. Lastly, when you are in a position of running an event, you have to understand that a lot of people aren’t going to like you. People don’t like being told no, being bossed around or being called out when not doing their jobs adequately and timely, but at the end of the day, it’s not your job to be liked. It’s your job to deliver and execute a flawless event for your clients.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Ever since I was little, I loved planning parties and making people feel special. Six and a half years ago, I decided to take the leap into starting a wedding planning business. I naturally have a personality of someone is not afraid to lead and take risks, so that part came easy. However, I was not prepared for everything that went into planning and coordinating weddings. I very quickly learned that it was not as glamourous of a career as I had anticipated. In my second year is business, Covid hit and all weddings were canceled. It was really discouraging. However, as people learned they were going to be able to start having weddings again, my business really blew up quickly. Since then, I have planned and/or coordinated upwards of 125 weddings. I continue to learn something new all the time and love what I do. I have also become comfortable with adjusting my workload to what I feel comfortable taking on and that has been a game changer.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Confidence – Sometimes you have to “fake it til you make it”. I tell people that all the time. If you don’t carry yourself in a way that reflects confidence in yourself, how can you expect anyone else to be confident in you?

2. Being adaptive – You have got to be open to adapting when you need to. Which, in my line of work, is very often. Being stuck in your ways will not benefit you when it comes to being successful in your career.

3. Having a calm demeanor – One thing my team and my clients comment on very often is my calm demeanor. I’ve even been asked, “Are you always like this?” It’s naturally part of my personality, but I’ve been surprised how much it has positively impacted my career as well. I never thought of it being something that would be so beneficial leading and team and executing events. As a leader, people are naturally going to follow your lead. Being high strung and easily stressed out will impact everyone around you negatively.

When thinking about being successful, think about the people you’ve known in your lifetime and think about what qualities you admire in them and which you don’t. Adopt those good qualities into your life and how you view success.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

Both of my parents are entrepreneurs. Successful ones, at that. I watched both of my parents work really hard to succeed. I saw them make sacrifices, work long hours and have to give up things they wanted in order to be successful. I think watching my parents start businesses and see them through to fruition was more important than anything anyone could’ve told me with words. It was their example of hard work that I credit with so much of my success as a business owner today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bjaneevents.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjaneevents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bjaneevents

Image Credits

Grace Pike Photography