Every client communicates and makes decisions differently, friends, and that means our planning process needs to be flexible too. In this episode, I’m talking about the overwhelm that comes with endless wedding inspiration and how our team breaks design decisions into manageable pieces. We’ll explore learning styles, timelines, and the ways we adapt communication for couples and their families. I’m also sharing a recent design moment that surprised us, and why experimenting, listening, and changing the recipe can lead to something special. I’d love your feedback on how you like to communicate throughout the process.

Working with wedding partners can be a wonderful mix of friendship and professional responsibility, friends. Today, I’m sharing how I navigate that balance, from trying out new collaborators to having honest conversations when something doesn’t go to plan. We’ll talk about why I pick up the phone, how a voice memo helped me clear the air, and why I think of some vendor relationships as dating and others as marriage. I’ll also share what clients should know about the trust, expectations, and hard conversations behind the team we recommend.

This year, I said yes to five industry events, and each one has given our new team a chance to stretch, experiment, and learn together. I’m sharing why I call it the year of mistakes, how our vendor partners help us grow, and what happened when a WIPA event in the Texas heat took an unexpected turn. With a lead technician unavailable, I found myself learning to manage power and leading a team I don’t normally oversee. It was intense, humbling, and a reminder that trying something new can open up a whole new set of skills.

After two deeply personal episodes, I needed a bridge before we return to wedding talk. This week I’m sharing what it feels like to release a story I’ve held close for years, and why saying it out loud can feel both freeing and vulnerable. We talk about sobriety, shame, and the work that happens behind closed doors so that life on the outside can look effortless. I’m also reflecting on the choices, therapy, and support that helped me move forward. If this conversation helps one person feel less alone, that’s why I’m here.

Content note: This conversation touches on abuse, trauma, and suicidal ideation. I’m sharing a part of my story that I had never made public, from childhood abuse and the years I spent trying to change who I am to conversion therapy and the journey toward accepting myself. I talk about moving to Israel and China, coming out, finding sobriety, and rebuilding a relationship with a higher power of my understanding. This is a conversation without a neat bow, but I hope sharing it helps someone feel less alone. Thank you for being here.

Every year around my sobriety birthday, feelings show up on schedule. This year, after a busy season and an adventure with Francisco, they arrived when I finally slowed down. I’m sharing what it felt like to sit with grief, gratitude, doubt, and the weight of ten years sober alongside ten years of Julian Leaver Events. We talk about therapy, meetings, and the conversation with my sponsor that helped me recognize what was happening. Just like wedding-day emotions, these feelings can’t be planned away. Sometimes you have to give yourself room to feel them.