When I asked Jeannie for an interview, she added a note that said, “I’m living my dream, and each day is magical.”  Jeannie has been in business for 11 years!  This really struck me.  Owning and running a business is not easy.  There are highs and lows every day.  And, if at the end of 11 years you can still say that you are living the dream… then you really ARE living the dream.  Read on to learn more about how Jeannie is doing this…

Jeannie Ward
Owner, Wedding Jeannie
www.weddingjeannie.com
Los Angeles & Orange County
Established in 2000 as a floral design firm
In 2005, the company became a full service wedding planning company

Why did you start your business?

Starting my business, was not a calculated decision. It was part of a journey, in which all of the pieces fell together, and my purpose became clear. As a young girl, I was exposed to the wedding industry by my mother. In my 20’s I became a business owner, in my 30’s I fulfilled a goal of becoming a paralegal. When my beloved mother passed, I wanted to honor the creativity she nurtured in me. Floral design became the vehicle for that creativity. Weddings were the focus. I became a sought after floral designer, in the arena of weddings and events. It was my clients who re-awakened the other talents I possessed. Before I knew it, they were turning to me for advice on vendors, venues, organization. The only choice was to take all of the skills I mastered in my life and turn them into my passion. Now I wake up every day, immersed in the world of weddings. I’m the luckiest person in the world.

What book do you recommend to new business owners?

Confessions Of an S.O.B., by Al Neuharth. He was the founder of USA Today. His book is written with a sense of humor and wit that engaged me. I don’t subscribe to being an S.O.B., but loved his philosophy of DESTINY. Along his journey in business, he was told there were limits to what he could do. He was repeatedly told no, and kept coming across people who wanted him to stay on a box. Al didn’t take no for an answer. Instead he thought outside the box, and changed the way people think. That’s the inspiration I took from it. What I learned from this book was to take the word NO, work around it and turn into YES. I use those lessons in everything I do, especially on behalf of my clients. Many venues and vendors are stuck in a box. It’s my job to show them that our client’s visions need to be realized. Even if we have to change the way they think. This is the best part of my job, turning no into YES YES YES.

Do you have any cool goal-setting tips to share with us?

At the beginning of every year, I re-write my goals. I set goals for 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. I even formulate how I would reach those goals. My goals have to be written in order for me see them and attain them. Each year, I’m amazed at how I have achieved the goals from the previous year, and how my efforts are bringing me closer to my future goals. Writing my goals allows me to visualize what I’m striving for. Visualization is a powerful tool towards believing and achieving.

What do you find to be the biggest challenge as a business owner?

Besides the business of wedding design and planning, my biggest challenge is staying current and relevant. In today’s world, social networking is the difference between a successful business that moves forward, or one that get’s lost behind the pack. Being my own PR Agent, Marketing Director and CEO, takes a lot of dedication and hard work. The hardest part for me is to be a good blogger. Some days I just run out of ideas. Just when I think I have nothing left to say, I dream in creativity. Something always comes to me in my dreams, and I’m able to write a new blog post to keep potential brides engaged in my world.

If you were starting your business all over again, what would you have done differently?

I would have branded and marketed myself first. Instead I established a business, and hit the ground running. I learned the hard way that I didn’t represent myself to my target market. Potential clients had no idea who I was, what I stood for, or what I as offering. Once I created a philosophy, a logo, and a web presence that projected the joy that is Wedding Jeannie, did my client base respond to. My advice to anyone who is just starting a business would be to establish your brand from the start. My branding makes me happy. It’s fun and fresh. It says a lot about me. Have you heard my ring tone? Seriously, it makes people happy!

Thanks Jeannie!

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