We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jillian Pohlman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jillian, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
It started when I began my first job working in a restaurant, where I fell in love with hospitality. It brought me so much joy being of service to others and having the ability to make someone’s day through my interactions. After leaving the restaurant industry after 15 years for the corporate world and to start a family, I always felt unfulfilled in my career. Several years later, when searching for something that would satisfy my love of hospitality and delivering exceptional customer service, I found wedding and event planning. I had always been an organized and planful person, loved love, and enjoyed design – which turns out is a perfect combination for being a Wedding and Event Planner.
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?
I am a Master Certified Wedding and Event Planner offering services from coordination-only to full-service planning. My approach to planning and event execution is hospitality-driven, with customer service being the main focus. I believe I am in business to not only be a good Planner for my clients, but to be a good Partner to other wedding professionals and venues.
The most exciting part of my job is seeing everything come together on one of the most important days of my clients’ lives – and knowing that I have the ability to reduce stress for my clients and their families so they can truly be present.
Something new that I am working on is developing relationships with owners who are interested in marketing their luxury residence/vacation home as a micro-wedding and event venue. Colorado is a huge destination for weddings and events, and more and more clients are seeking alternative venue spaces to create an intimate experience for their guests.
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?
The three things that helped me discover and develop my purpose were my passion for hospitality and delivering a high level of customer service, ability to read people and adapt quickly, and problem-solving capabilities.
The hospitality industry isn’t for everyone, but for those who truly enjoy serving others and have a passion for going above and beyond, I would encourage you to incorporate that into everything you do.
The ability to problem solve is one of the main qualities I look for in Partners, and is something I believe benefits everyone. Whether it is a small challenge such as getting a customer’s order wrong or something that could turn into a catastrophe such as a hired professional not showing up on event day, someone’s ability to stay calm, get creative, and work together to solve the problem is such an important skill to learn. Challenge yourself to do this next time you are faced with a challenge and surround yourself with others who do the same.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Everyone has strengths and areas of opportunities. I think it’s wise to highlight your strengths and play into them as much as possible, while also taking time to identify and improve on your areas of opportunity. Seeking feedback, even when you may not want to hear it, is a huge part of identifying your areas of opportunity and is a strength in itself.
What has helped me prepare for receiving feedback after an event or interaction, is to first communicate with others what I view as something I could have done better or what I learned. Sharing these things with others opens the door for them to provide you with constructive feedback. It is important to evaluate all feedback received and identify what is true, what you can do differently next time, and how you can work on improving your skills.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jillianmarie.events
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianmarie.events/
Image Credits
Mary Ann Craddock
Madison Cotten
Bree Woolly
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