Latest / Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney / It's now a wedding business not a hobby - Interview with Maria Vainella

Transcript

It's now a wedding business not a hobby - Interview with Maria Vainella · Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney

• 0:00
  Maria: So it was a bit of an idea in the beginning, just playing
• 0:03
  around.
• 0:03
  Really.
• 0:03
  I had no idea how to run a business or even where to buy supplies from.
• 0:07
  So it took a while, but the, the business was kind of
• 0:10
  efficiently born in, um, 2010 now.
• 0:13
  So I've been doing it for quite a while.
• 0:17
  Becca: I'm Becca Pountney, wedding business marketing.
• 0:19
  Speaker and blogger.
• 0:20
  And you are listening to the wedding pros who are ready to grow podcast.
• 0:24
  I'm here to share with you actionable tips, strategies, and real life
• 0:28
  examples to help you take your wedding business to the next level.
• 0:31
  If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion
• 0:35
  and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business, doing what you
• 0:38
  love, then you're in the right place.
• 0:40
  Let's get going with today's episode.
• 0:44
  Today I'm gonna be interviewing one of my longstanding wedding pro members.
• 0:48
  Maria is one of the loveliest down to earth.
• 0:50
  People you could hope to meet.
• 0:51
  She's hardworking, talented, and always looking for ways
• 0:54
  to move her business forward.
• 0:55
  I know many of you are gonna be inspired by her story today,
• 0:58
  so let's get straight into it.
• 1:00
  Maria is so good to see you so great to have you here.
• 1:03
  Why don't you tell everyone a little bit about who you are and what you.
• 1:06
  Maria: Yes.
• 1:07
  Hello, thank you for having me.
• 1:08
  So I'm Maria from a company called Bomboniere by Maria and I design and
• 1:13
  create Italian style, um, Bombonier wedding favors and stationery design as
• 1:19
  Becca: well for anyone who doesn't know what that means.
• 1:22
  Can you tell us a little bit more about it?
• 1:25
  Maria: Uh, yes, basically the Italian style Bomboniere is wedding favors.
• 1:29
  It dates back for many centuries and it's a really, really big part of the
• 1:33
  Italian tradition to give at weddings.
• 1:36
  It will always consist of five, um, sugared almonds.
• 1:40
  Which represent, uh, health, wealth, longevity, fertility,
• 1:43
  and happiness for the couple.
• 1:46
  So they're always included and they're either given on their own boxed
• 1:50
  or with a keepsake gift as well.
• 1:53
  So that's generally the tradition.
• 1:55
  Um, but nowadays I get asked, um, more for like chocolate favors and other
• 2:01
  confectionary, which we can package up, um, using still the pretty ribbons
• 2:06
  and flowers, um, as per tradition.
• 2:09
  Tell me
• 2:09
  Becca: then, how did you get started on that in the first place?
• 2:13
  It's quite a niche market.
• 2:14
  What was it that led you down that path?
• 2:16
  And how long have you been doing it
• 2:17
  Maria: for?
• 2:18
  Yes.
• 2:18
  I mean, being Italian, it's just been part of my, my life growing up, going to
• 2:22
  weddings and receiving the Bomboniere, but it was when my first child was
• 2:26
  born, I made his bomboniere to celebrate his birth.
• 2:31
  Um, and then for his christening as well, and I really enjoyed doing
• 2:35
  it and I've always been a creative person having studied art at school.
• 2:39
  So it was always the creative side.
• 2:41
  And so I kind of got thinking about it and I didn't really want to
• 2:45
  go back to work after I'd had my child, but I wanted to do something.
• 2:49
  So that's when the idea.
• 2:51
  Started that I thought I could make them, um, for other people.
• 2:54
  So it was a bit of an idea in the beginning, just playing around.
• 2:58
  Really.
• 2:58
  I had no idea how to run a business or even where to buy supplies from.
• 3:02
  So it took a while, but the, the business was kind of
• 3:05
  efficiently born in, um, 2010 now.
• 3:08
  So I've been doing it for quite a while.
• 3:11
  Becca: That's so often what happens, isn't it, people just almost fall
• 3:14
  into business in the wedding industry.
• 3:15
  I think we, we go to an event or someone asks us to do something
• 3:18
  and we realize this is kind of more fun than my actual day job.
• 3:22
  So what was it that you did before, before you got into your own business?
• 3:25
  Maria: Before I always had office jobs, I was always been in, um, customer services.
• 3:30
  Um, I was a PA and I.
• 3:33
  Spent the, the bulk of my career, I did about seven years working for my local
• 3:37
  newspaper in the advertising department.
• 3:40
  And that was fun.
• 3:42
  I just had so much fun in there.
• 3:44
  And I loved my clients.
• 3:45
  I ran a team of about 10 people.
• 3:48
  Um, and that was really, really good.
• 3:50
  And it was good for me to get like the customer service side of things.
• 3:54
  And I did a lot of training, um, through them.
• 3:56
  So that's generally what I did.
• 3:58
  It was mainly
• 3:59
  Becca: office based.
• 4:00
  Now I always say that people have things from their past, which will
• 4:03
  always help them in their business, whatever kind of career background
• 4:06
  they've come from, whatever family background they've come from.
• 4:09
  So are there things that you learnt during that time working in advertising
• 4:12
  that you now implement in your business?
• 4:15
  Maria: Yeah, I think it's, um, actually the office side of it actually, you
• 4:18
  know, because I'm quite organized and the whole even just like filing
• 4:22
  stuff and knowing how to be organized.
• 4:25
  And certainly, um, it gave me a lot of experience in, in speaking to clients and
• 4:30
  dealing with, with different situations.
• 4:33
  So it was the, the customer base really helped, helped a lot.
• 4:36
  Um, and the organization as well,
• 4:39
  Becca: if you are listening to this currently, and you are still stuck in
• 4:42
  an office job that you don't really wanna be in, or perhaps you're wishing
• 4:45
  your business was full time, just be encouraged to know that actually.
• 4:49
  It can be a superpower.
• 4:51
  That's an opportunity for you to learn right now, whether you are serving drinks
• 4:54
  in Costa, whether you are working in an office or working in a high powered job.
• 4:59
  And you're thinking, I just wish I was running my own business.
• 5:01
  It's really important to take absolutely everything you're learning.
• 5:04
  Now I remember when I was working at heart radio and I got kept getting
• 5:08
  put on training courses and I thought this is amazing, because I'm getting
• 5:11
  all this free training that I can now use in my business going forward.
• 5:14
  So it's always worth enjoying that time where you've got.
• 5:17
  So you started your business officially in 2010, but you kind
• 5:21
  of admitted you fell into it.
• 5:24
  Do you think you really thought of it as a business back in 2010?
• 5:28
  Or do you think it took you a little while to find how that was gonna be a
• 5:31
  Maria: business?
• 5:32
  Uh, yeah, it took me a little while, cuz I kind of started it then,
• 5:35
  but I was still working around.
• 5:38
  Babies and family.
• 5:40
  Um, so it was more of a, a kind of a hobby business, I guess people call
• 5:44
  it now, but it was something that I enjoyed and I kind of did it on the side.
• 5:48
  And I did that for a while.
• 5:49
  To be honest, while I was raising my family, I, I created my own website.
• 5:53
  So I thought, right, how can I do this without.
• 5:55
  Paying loads of money out.
• 5:57
  So I, I created my own website, so I did a lot of it myself and then life events
• 6:03
  happened a few years back and forced me to then make a decision and say, right.
• 6:08
  I either go out and get a full time job in an office, which I really didn't
• 6:12
  want to do, or I really make this business work, how it should work.
• 6:17
  So it was in 2018 that I.
• 6:20
  Uh, rebranded.
• 6:21
  I joined Facebook groups, which, yours was one.
• 6:25
  I still remember you letting me into your Facebook group.
• 6:28
  I'd never even heard of them before.
• 6:30
  I had no idea and I thought, right.
• 6:32
  You know, I've gotta kind of get myself out there.
• 6:35
  And, and it's really from 2018 that I can probably say.
• 6:38
  I've been running the business properly as it were.
• 6:42
  And that's when I started kind of investing in myself and learning
• 6:46
  and connecting with other people.
• 6:48
  Um, and I've not looked
• 6:49
  Becca: back.
• 6:49
  I think it makes such a difference when you make that decision
• 6:52
  in your mind to go, right.
• 6:53
  Actually, I've been doing this kind of on the side and now I've got
• 6:57
  the confidence to really go for it.
• 6:59
  And again, if you're listening to this and that's you, and you
• 7:01
  know, you're kind of playing at business right now, I encourage you.
• 7:04
  You have got the ability to make it a proper business.
• 7:07
  You've just gotta have the confidence to step out, try it and invest in yourself.
• 7:11
  So for anyone who's listening to you and realizing, right,
• 7:15
  she's, she's got it sorted.
• 7:16
  She's decided to take it from a hobby business and make it a proper business.
• 7:20
  Has it all been plain sailing or have you made some mistakes along the.
• 7:25
  Maria: Yeah, I've certainly made some mistakes.
• 7:27
  Um, I think the one thing which, and I know a, a lot of people, I speak
• 7:31
  to fell into that initially as well, is that when you start your business,
• 7:35
  you feel like you have to service everybody and be out there for everyone.
• 7:40
  So when I kind of did my website and I was saying, you know, I kind of.
• 7:43
  I liked the bomboniere but then I was thinking, but I'm in the UK.
• 7:48
  Are people gonna understand it?
• 7:49
  I need to appeal more to the English market.
• 7:51
  So I was putting out just so many different things and my
• 7:54
  message was completely mixed.
• 7:58
  So, you know, one thing is to kind of.
• 8:01
  That I wish I'd probably done a little bit sooner, was really
• 8:04
  decide who am I targeting?
• 8:06
  Who's my niche market.
• 8:08
  Who's my ideal client.
• 8:10
  Believe in what I believe in and go out there and push it.
• 8:14
  Because once I did decide that then my business has absolutely
• 8:18
  boomed because I know how to direct my messaging to get the clients.
• 8:23
  Becca: That's really important for people to listen to because so often
• 8:26
  people say to me, I don't wanna niche because then I'll lose clients.
• 8:29
  but actually so often it's the opposite.
• 8:32
  Exactly.
• 8:32
  Like you've just said that when you niche and you're really the specific
• 8:35
  person, who's really good at that specific thing, then actually you
• 8:38
  attract more people rather than trying to be a Jack of all trades.
• 8:42
  So at what point did you make that decision and what
• 8:44
  was it that made you decide?
• 8:46
  Right.
• 8:46
  Now's the time I need to niche down.
• 8:48
  I need to go after the market that really wants my product.
• 8:52
  Maria: Yeah, I think it was when I, um, decided to kind of rebrand
• 8:56
  in 2018 and I spoke to, um, a business consultant actually.
• 9:01
  And he just said to me, I haven't got clue what you do.
• 9:03
  I'm looking at your website and I just don't know what you do.
• 9:05
  Like you need to like decide what the products that you have is beautiful.
• 9:10
  It's stunning.
• 9:11
  You need to be pushing that out there.
• 9:13
  So it was through sort of conversations.
• 9:16
  So it was from there that I thought, yeah, actually that's where my passion lies.
• 9:20
  And I've gotta just go with it because I know I've got a good product.
• 9:23
  I know that it's not even that, you know, because there's
• 9:26
  lots of Italians in the UK.
• 9:29
  So many other nationalities buy from me because they like that style.
• 9:34
  So I don't just do Italian weddings, you know, which is really lovely.
• 9:38
  It's people just like the presentation.
• 9:41
  So, yeah, so it's probably going back to 2018 and that's when I, I said
• 9:46
  realized, and, and then my brand and my messaging started going out and it's
• 9:50
  been a, a work in progress up until now.
• 9:53
  Really it's, it's always ongoing and trying to push it out there
• 9:57
  a little bit more each time.
• 9:59
  Becca: And you mentioned earlier on how, when you first started,
• 10:02
  you wanted to save money.
• 10:04
  So you did your own website yourself.
• 10:06
  Are you still working with that ethos?
• 10:08
  Is there ways that you're finding to keep those costs down or have you started
• 10:12
  investing more in your branding and your
• 10:13
  Maria: marketing with the website?
• 10:15
  I still do my own.
• 10:16
  Um, I think that's probably the control side of me, because I like to just
• 10:19
  be able to jump on anytime and make changes and because I'm quite creative.
• 10:23
  So I'm always.
• 10:24
  Sort of changing imagery and stuff like that.
• 10:26
  So the website, yeah.
• 10:28
  I still manage and run it myself.
• 10:30
  I do, I do everything myself, but as the business is growing and I'm getting
• 10:35
  busier and doing more and with the changes I've now got coming later on
• 10:40
  in the year, I've just invested in a social media manager and a, a VA to
• 10:47
  help me with that particular launch.
• 10:49
  But then I'll see how we go from there because it, it is
• 10:52
  just too much for me to do.
• 10:54
  Becca: Yeah, there definitely comes a point.
• 10:55
  Doesn't there where you get so busy that you realize if I don't get
• 10:59
  any help, I'm never gonna grow.
• 11:00
  So that's an important message too.
• 11:02
  What do you think it is then?
• 11:04
  That's made the biggest difference to your business over the last few years?
• 11:09
  Maria: Uh, connecting, I think just, just plain and simple, just connecting
• 11:14
  with other people, um, you know, mixing with the right people, going
• 11:18
  to networking, um, and just learning.
• 11:21
  And I've invested in myself a lot.
• 11:23
  Um, and actually for me, I know it wasn't a great thing, but I kind of
• 11:28
  thank COVID to be honest, because it made me stop and really look
• 11:33
  at my business again and invest.
• 11:35
  And so I did a lot of training, a lot of learning.
• 11:39
  Yeah.
• 11:39
  Just getting involved and, and having the time to network and make connections
• 11:45
  with other business owners where.
• 11:47
  You know, we talk about each other.
• 11:49
  We recommend each other.
• 11:50
  We use each other when we are doing certain jobs and that's really helped
• 11:55
  me as well, because it can be really lonely doing it all on your own.
• 12:00
  And it's so lovely now that if I need help with something.
• 12:03
  I know who to call or I know I can pop onto a group and just ask a question and
• 12:07
  there's always somebody that can help.
• 12:09
  So definitely surrounding yourself with the right people is, is a big
• 12:13
  Becca: thing.
• 12:14
  Yes, Maria, you know that I love talking about connections.
• 12:18
  Connections is what it's all about.
• 12:20
  And again, if you're listening to this and you're thinking I don't have a
• 12:23
  wedding business community, get involved in one, come and join my free group.
• 12:27
  There's loads of communities out there with other wedding
• 12:29
  business owners, just like you.
• 12:31
  Don't do it alone, because it can be really isolating having your own business.
• 12:34
  And actually there's a real ethos of that community over
• 12:38
  competition in the wedding industry.
• 12:39
  If you find the right groups and the right people, so don't stay doing it alone.
• 12:43
  Now I remember Maria, you came on a training session, um, with me that I did.
• 12:48
  And I remember saying to you, after that session, you've
• 12:50
  got to make these connections.
• 12:51
  you've got to connect with the more luxury market.
• 12:53
  You've got to talk to these wedding planners, just put yourself out there.
• 12:56
  And I know that you took action on that and you did it.
• 12:59
  So just tell us about how that's kind of transformed your
• 13:03
  business over the last year
• 13:04
  Maria: or so.
• 13:04
  Yeah, well, as, as I said, it is just, um, you know, just connecting with
• 13:08
  people and putting myself out there.
• 13:11
  I've ended up actually doing lots of styled shoots, which
• 13:15
  is something that I realized.
• 13:17
  Because I take my own photographs every time I make something, but
• 13:20
  it's never gonna be the same as a professional photographer to have
• 13:23
  it in an actual wedding setting.
• 13:26
  So I kind of threw myself in and by making connections for the first time.
• 13:31
  I actually had people contacting me and saying, I really love your product.
• 13:37
  I want, I want you to design something for me, for my shoot.
• 13:41
  And that was just amazing, because normally I'd be like knocking
• 13:44
  on doors saying, hello, it's me.
• 13:46
  I, I want to get involved in stuff, and now it's, it's a bit of, you know,
• 13:50
  a nice balance of both where people.
• 13:52
  You know, getting to know me and my, my product and asking me to be part of, you
• 13:57
  know, either whether they've got a client they want to forward to me or they're
• 14:01
  organizing a shoot, um, and want some of my designs, which has been great.
• 14:06
  And it's given me some beautiful images to, to put on my website
• 14:10
  on my social media, which has definitely attracted my ideal clients.
• 14:16
  I.
• 14:16
  Had it on my kind of goals that I wanted to design for weddings like
• 14:21
  top London, hotels, and I've ticked most of them off in the last year.
• 14:27
  because of
• 14:27
  Becca: that.
• 14:28
  That's incredible.
• 14:28
  I think that's really important.
• 14:30
  I'm glad that you shared your story there about how now people invite you,
• 14:33
  but at the beginning you were knocking on doors and you have to do that graft,
• 14:36
  don't you, if you are new or if you've got a product or you're
• 14:40
  desperate to get in styled shoots.
• 14:41
  To start with you do just have to put yourself out there on knock on the
• 14:44
  doors and start getting those images.
• 14:46
  You can't sit back and wait for people to come to you because they might never come.
• 14:50
  If they don't know you exist.
• 14:51
  But over time as you get involved and people realize you're a good person
• 14:55
  and you're fun to work with, and you have a great product, then people
• 14:57
  will eventually start coming to you.
• 14:59
  You talk there about.
• 15:00
  Goals and setting those goals and setting those intentions to get
• 15:04
  those London, uh, venues, which is amazing that you've got them.
• 15:08
  How important is it for you to set goals in your business?
• 15:12
  Maria: Yeah, it's really important.
• 15:13
  And it's something that I've only just realized.
• 15:16
  Not that long ago, you know, I was one of those people as a lot.
• 15:19
  Are that just kind of.
• 15:20
  Sat there and waited for things to come in.
• 15:23
  Whereas now setting goals, it, it kind of gives you a bit of accountability as well.
• 15:27
  because you can kind of look at your year and have things put in and if
• 15:31
  you set a goal, then you can figure out how you're gonna get to that
• 15:35
  goal, how you're gonna reach it.
• 15:37
  What do you need to do to get there?
• 15:39
  And, and actually the very first.
• 15:41
  The ever strategy session I did was with you when we did an in
• 15:45
  person one and it was brilliant.
• 15:47
  And that's the first time I'd ever even looked at strategy and goal setting.
• 15:51
  I'll be honest, I'm not as kind of militant with it, you know, like really
• 15:56
  specific, but I do map out an idea of what I wanna do in the year and then
• 16:01
  figure out how I'm gonna get there.
• 16:03
  And it helps you to move forward.
• 16:05
  Otherwise, the years just fly.
• 16:07
  And you haven't done
• 16:07
  Becca: anything.
• 16:08
  Yeah, that's so true.
• 16:09
  And actually, even though you might not be militant with it, just having
• 16:13
  an idea of where you want to go.
• 16:14
  Even just that simple thing of, I'd like to have a photo shoot in XYZ venue.
• 16:19
  If you have that written down, it makes you actually start going
• 16:22
  ahead and contacting the right people or trying to find the right
• 16:24
  connections with those people.
• 16:26
  Whereas if you don't have that written down, Honestly, you'll just never do it.
• 16:29
  So that's really good to hear.
• 16:30
  It's funny that you mentioned that first strategy session that you came
• 16:33
  to with me because I had that on my notes to talk about, because I
• 16:36
  remember really vividly being in that room with you and taking you through
• 16:40
  this kind of sales target training.
• 16:43
  And you saying to me.
• 16:44
  I can't believe, I never thought to do this in my business when I did
• 16:47
  it in my day job all of the time.
• 16:49
  So talk to me about that.
• 16:51
  Why do you think sales targets and thinking about the financial side of
• 16:55
  your business is really important now?
• 16:57
  Maria: Yeah.
• 16:58
  It just, it just gives you something to work towards and I think just kind of
• 17:01
  mapping out your figures and, and I think also over time, you know, there's a lot
• 17:05
  of things out there that say do it, like.
• 17:07
  Do it like that, but over time you just figure out what works for you.
• 17:10
  And there's some things that do, and, and don't work for me.
• 17:14
  And even just having a simple spreadsheet and having all your
• 17:17
  months set out and just putting in what you wanna, you know, hit every
• 17:21
  month in terms of financial goals.
• 17:23
  And then I've got personal goals as well.
• 17:25
  And just seeing it, I'm a very visual person.
• 17:29
  And also now what I do, because I'm now in an actual office.
• 17:33
  I've got post-it notes on the walls and things like that,
• 17:35
  that just having it visual.
• 17:37
  And it just, it just, it just reminders that it's like, this is what I need to do.
• 17:42
  And it's been, yeah, really important to have.
• 17:44
  However you do it, whatever works for you, but have some kind of idea.
• 17:49
  And it's not always gonna map out in the year.
• 17:52
  I'm now reviewing my kind of last six months that I've got left of the
• 17:56
  year and it's constantly changing.
• 17:58
  But you've always got something to, to work towards.
• 18:01
  So definitely
• 18:01
  Becca: do it.
• 18:02
  And when you have a financial goal, I think it becomes kind
• 18:05
  of more exciting in a sense.
• 18:06
  I think when we have our head in the sand about our business and we think,
• 18:09
  oh, I don't wanna look at the figures.
• 18:10
  I don't wanna know if this business is costing me money or making me money.
• 18:13
  We're kind of hiding away.
• 18:15
  And we don't have that confidence when we lay it all out on the table,
• 18:18
  like we did at that mastermind day.
• 18:20
  And I'm sure you've done since.
• 18:21
  And you say, right, this is actually how much my business is costing me.
• 18:24
  This is how much I'm making, and this is how much I want to make all.
• 18:28
  You can see the gap there and you can see, right, I need to do something about this.
• 18:32
  I need to get excited about my business.
• 18:34
  And then when you start bringing those, those finances in and you start taking
• 18:38
  off some of those goals, suddenly the money side of the business becomes
• 18:42
  exciting rather than terrifying.
• 18:44
  And actually it doesn't matter if you don't always hit those goals, but just
• 18:47
  having them and having something to aim towards is a really good thing.
• 18:52
  Be honest with us.
• 18:53
  If you want to, do you feel like you are achieving the goals that you
• 18:57
  set for this year or are you feeling like you're behind or ahead of them?
• 19:00
  Maria: I feel like I'm a little bit behind financially if I'm honest, but
• 19:04
  I think this year, I mean last year was an amazing year because everyone was
• 19:09
  all of a sudden coming back after the lockdown and getting on with their events.
• 19:13
  So it, it was a really, really good summer.
• 19:15
  Whereas this year, It's kind of leveling out a little bit.
• 19:19
  So I think last year I was a little bit kind of spoiled with
• 19:22
  everything that came in um, and now I'm like, oh, I want that again.
• 19:26
  So it's in a good place, because again, over the last couple of years, I've
• 19:30
  looked at, you know, adjusting my prices, charging what I'm worth, you know?
• 19:35
  So the things that are coming in are all like really good.
• 19:39
  Decent orders.
• 19:40
  So I'm okay.
• 19:41
  But then as I said, I'm, I'm now sitting and looking at the last six
• 19:44
  months of the year and looking at, you know, well, what can I do now to
• 19:48
  just kind of level it out by the end?
• 19:51
  And
• 19:51
  Becca: that's why goals are so important, because if you didn't have the goals,
• 19:54
  you wouldn't be able to even know whether or not you're behind ahead or
• 19:57
  on target for the rest of the year.
• 19:58
  And now you can.
• 19:59
  Proactively do something to make sure you carry on getting ahead.
• 20:03
  I think that's the same for everyone across the industry.
• 20:05
  Last year was kind of a, a weird year.
• 20:08
  This year is also sort of a weird year.
• 20:10
  It's kind of quiet in a sense and busy in another sense.
• 20:13
  So I definitely think I'm hoping that by next year, we'll start
• 20:16
  to level out and see a little bit more about what's going on.
• 20:19
  And I think it's important as well.
• 20:21
  I think a lot of people took their foot off the gas because of the
• 20:25
  end of COVID and suddenly all these inquiries were coming in.
• 20:28
  I'm not saying you did, but a lot of people's marketing dropped off because
• 20:31
  they sat back on their laurels and now people are realizing, actually
• 20:35
  I need to do something about this.
• 20:36
  I need to keep making connections.
• 20:37
  I need to get my name back out there.
• 20:39
  I need to keep on going with these venues because things
• 20:41
  are changing all of the time.
• 20:43
  The connections are changing all the time.
• 20:44
  The venue coordinators are changing all the time, so we just
• 20:47
  have to stay on top of things.
• 20:48
  And I have.
• 20:49
  No doubt, Maria, that you are definitely doing that because
• 20:52
  you are one of the most proactive people I know, which is incredible.
• 20:56
  Now I said at the beginning, you've been part of my world
• 20:59
  for quite a number of years.
• 21:00
  Now.
• 21:00
  You've been part of my members lounge for quite a long time now as well.
• 21:03
  And it's an absolute privilege to walk alongside you and watch you on your
• 21:07
  journey and watch you as you kind of step out towards that luxury market.
• 21:12
  How have you found that's helped and supported you over the last few years?
• 21:16
  Oh, yeah.
• 21:16
  Like
• 21:17
  Maria: I said before, it's just about having people around me.
• 21:20
  I'm not always kind of very active in in the group, but that's because
• 21:24
  kind of, you know, life happens and you get busy or whatever, but I'm
• 21:27
  always reading like posts and things.
• 21:29
  And it's, it's that, it's almost like a safety net that I know that if I do
• 21:34
  need something, which I've done before.
• 21:37
  I can just pop a post in the group or contact you direct if I need to, you know,
• 21:41
  and I will always get help and advice.
• 21:44
  So, um, like I said before, just surrounding myself with people that
• 21:49
  you don't always talk to them every day, you know, but you know, that
• 21:51
  that community is there and the help and support is there as well.
• 21:56
  And that's yeah, that that's definitely.
• 21:57
  Help me a
• 21:58
  Becca: lot.
• 21:59
  And I'm definitely there for you, Maria.
• 22:01
  I am always at the end of my Instagram direct messages or
• 22:03
  an email, if you need anything.
• 22:05
  So yeah.
• 22:06
  Do always reach out.
• 22:07
  It's funny.
• 22:08
  We were talking in my accountability Monday video this week about the
• 22:11
  members group and about whether you need to be in there all the time,
• 22:14
  or if it matters, if you are quiet.
• 22:15
  And I was saying actually, Exactly what you said.
• 22:18
  I always see it sort of like an insurance policy in a sense that yes,
• 22:22
  you might not be having all the time now, but when you need that support
• 22:25
  and you need that question answered in a hurry, it's great to have a
• 22:28
  place to be able to go and do that.
• 22:31
  Now, I know that you are looking forward to this year and looking
• 22:35
  to take your business in a slightly different direction.
• 22:38
  Do you wanna just tell us a bit about why that is, how that's come about and
• 22:42
  what it is you're looking to do next?
• 22:43
  Maria: Yes.
• 22:44
  I'm going to be launching a course in the autumn matching.
• 22:48
  End of September, uh, cause I've decided to now teach people to do
• 22:53
  what I do in terms of not running the business, but decorating their
• 22:57
  own favors and presenting them.
• 23:00
  because I kind of felt like there are a lot of people out there that do.
• 23:04
  Make their own favors or bomboniere whether people are creative and
• 23:09
  they want to make them themselves and kind of, you know, get the
• 23:12
  girls together, bottle of wine or whatever, and make a night of it also.
• 23:16
  Or I think with everything that's going on now, people do want to
• 23:20
  have the lovely details and the beautiful things that their event.
• 23:24
  But they might not be able to afford it.
• 23:25
  And sometimes I think the favors and the bomboniere is something that kind of
• 23:29
  gets, oh, actually we don't really need it because it's gonna cost us too much.
• 23:33
  So I'm now going to, um, I said, be putting out a course where
• 23:37
  people can buy it and learn how I.
• 23:41
  Box the gifts or the confectionary tie, the, the ribbons perfectly put the
• 23:46
  flowers on, really looking at finding your style, um, and matching colors.
• 23:52
  So we go through a lot.
• 23:53
  It's not just making favors.
• 23:55
  It's basically taking you through the journey.
• 23:58
  That I take my own clients on when I, when I get that initial phone call right.
• 24:03
  To the very end.
• 24:04
  So I'm quite excited about that.
• 24:06
  So that's launching end of September.
• 24:08
  Becca: That's very exciting.
• 24:09
  Well, make sure you keep me in the loop about that so that I can
• 24:12
  share it on Vicinity weddings or on my Becca Pountney page as well.
• 24:17
  We also talked a little bit earlier about the importance of niching and
• 24:20
  how you realized that niching was really important for your business.
• 24:23
  You've also just set up a new Facebook group as well.
• 24:25
  Haven't you tell us a little bit about.
• 24:27
  Maria: Yes.
• 24:27
  It's a Facebook group called my Italian style wedding.
• 24:31
  So kind of going back basically to what I do.
• 24:35
  And it's basically for couples that are planning a wedding and want
• 24:39
  to add Italian touches, you don't have to be Italian to do that.
• 24:44
  As said, I, I work with a lot of clients that just like my
• 24:46
  style and want to include it.
• 24:49
  I have couples.
• 24:50
  Might be their Italian and their partner isn't but it's
• 24:54
  just like a nod to their roots.
• 24:56
  And I wanted to create a community where you can just talk to like-minded
• 24:59
  people, people that are going on the same journey as you Italian
• 25:03
  weddings do tend to be quite big as well up to sort of two, 300 guests.
• 25:08
  So all the kind of issues that go with that.
• 25:10
  And so, yeah, I wanted to create community where people have something in common.
• 25:15
  I go in there live as well once a week and you can ask me anything,
• 25:20
  you know, we have a bit of fun.
• 25:21
  I share what I'm doing.
• 25:23
  I give tips and advice.
• 25:25
  So yes, it's a nice.
• 25:26
  A nice community just to help you on your, your wedding journey
• 25:30
  in, in when you are planning something, you know, quite specific.
• 25:33
  Becca: So if there's anyone out there that's listening and feels
• 25:36
  like they fit into a similar kind of niche, they're targeting a very
• 25:38
  similar kind of client, or they're excited about what you're doing.
• 25:42
  Is there any ways that they can collaborate with you, reach out with
• 25:45
  you, uh, or even join the Facebook?
• 25:47
  Yes.
• 25:47
  A
• 25:47
  Maria: Facebook group is my Italian style wedding.
• 25:51
  You can always find me on my Instagram at bomboniere by Maria or on Facebook under
• 25:57
  the same handle, Bomboniere by Maria.
• 26:00
  So social media is generally yeah.
• 26:03
  Where you'll find me kind of hanging out and seeing what I get up to every day.
• 26:07
  Becca: and are you up for some collaborations or
• 26:08
  people reaching out to you?
• 26:10
  Maria: Yes, absolutely.
• 26:11
  Yeah.
• 26:12
  Yeah.
• 26:12
  And yeah.
• 26:13
  Anybody wants to get in touch, whether it's for, you know,
• 26:16
  business, business related or any couples that are listening to this.
• 26:19
  Um, yeah, absolutely.
• 26:21
  Becca: It's always important to keep on growing your network.
• 26:23
  And I know if you reach out to Maria, she would love to hear from you now,
• 26:26
  Maria, before we go, there's two things I finish every single interview with
• 26:30
  the first one is my quick fire quiz.
• 26:32
  So I'm gonna give.
• 26:34
  Two options and you've just gotta decide as quick as you can,
• 26:37
  which option you would go to.
• 26:38
  So there's no time to think.
• 26:40
  You've just gotta give me your first answer.
• 26:41
  Does that make sense?
• 26:42
  Okay.
• 26:43
  Yes.
• 26:43
  Right?
• 26:44
  Let's do this.
• 26:44
  Let's find out a little bit more about you and your preferences.
• 26:48
  So would you rather get married in a barn or a Manor house, Manor house?
• 26:52
  Would you rather have live music or a DJ DJ?
• 26:55
  Would you like light and airy weddings or dark and moody?
• 26:57
  Dark and moody
• 26:58
  Maria: moody
• 26:59
  Becca: summer or winter wedding, summer chocolate cake or lemon
• 27:02
  cake lemon, Instagram or Facebook?
• 27:05
  Instagram.
• 27:06
  Would you rather promote your business at a wedding fair or on a directory?
• 27:10
  Oh
• 27:11
  Maria: directory.
• 27:12
  Becca: Are you an early riser or a night owl?
• 27:14
  A night owl.
• 27:15
  And do you think you work too hard or are you easily distracted?
• 27:19
  Easily distracted.
• 27:21
  well, at least you're honest.
• 27:23
  I think as entrepreneurs, we're all a little bit of both.
• 27:26
  We work too hard and then we suddenly get easily distracted.
• 27:29
  Absolutely.
• 27:30
  Now, before you go, Maria, the final question to finish this chat with is
• 27:35
  always the same, which is, is there something in your wedding business
• 27:38
  that you wish you'd known sooner?
• 27:40
  Maria: Yeah, I think making connections, if I'd kind of realized sooner that
• 27:46
  connecting with people would've pushed me forward a lot quicker then I would've done
• 27:51
  Becca: that.
• 27:51
  Maria, it's been such a pleasure to talk to you.
• 27:54
  If people wanna find Maria do find her on social media, I'll link to her
• 27:57
  in the show notes as well, because honestly, I can never remember how to
• 28:00
  spell your business name.
• 28:01
  So I'll make sure that the link is right there in the show notes.
• 28:05
  So you can click ahead and go and find and connect with Maria and Maria.
• 28:09
  Good luck with the course launch later this year.
• 28:11
  Make sure you keep me up to
• 28:11
  Maria: date.
• 28:12
  Thank you.
• 28:13
  Thank you for having me.
• 28:15
  Becca: Isn't Maria, just one of the most lovely people you could
• 28:17
  hope to chat to and listen to.
• 28:19
  I hope that her story has inspired you in your business today.
• 28:23
  And if that resonates with you, that you realize now maybe is the time to take
• 28:26
  your business from being like a hobby and actually treating it seriously and
• 28:30
  giving it the time and effort it deserves.
• 28:32
  So it can make you money.
• 28:33
  Then do get in touch with me.
• 28:35
  That's what I'm here for.
• 28:35
  I can help you with the confidence, the connections and the marketing ability to
• 28:39
  get your business where it needs to be.
• 28:41
  Just find me on Instagram.
• 28:42
  @beccapountney drop me a DM saying I'm ready and I'll have a chat with you.
• 28:46
  I'll see you next week.
• 28:50
  One thing I love about the wedding industry is the other amazing
• 28:53
  people you get to work with.
• 28:55
  If you want to meet like-minded wedding pros, just like you, then
• 28:58
  why not join my free Facebook.
• 29:00
  Wedding pros.
• 29:01
  We're ready to grow.
• 29:02
  Come meet some new connections, hang out with me and hopefully
• 29:05
  learn some new things too.
• 29:07
  Just search for us on Facebook.