Own Your Business

Hosted by Sam Jacobson with Ideaction

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

257

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

A podcast for event professionals who want the knowledge and skills to grow a business with confidence. Industry authority Sam Jacobson hosts solo or with fellow sales and marketing expert, Katy Taylor Jacobson, with bite-sized, 20-minute episodes. Listeners take away one big idea with simple steps to put what you learn into action. Topics focus on sales, pricing, websites, and growing a team. Follow up questions answered in a private FB group.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 24, 202626 min

5 Ways You're Sabotaging Your AI Output

Most people using AI regularly have no idea they're making these mistakes, because none of them come with a warning. In this episode, Sam and Katy break down five habits that quietly sabotage AI output: an AI that agrees too easily, copy-pasted output that doesn't sound like you, chats that run too long, bloated files, and prompts too vague to work with. You'll learn: Why AI agreeing with you almost every time isn't confirmation, it's a design choice Why copying AI's first draft costs you more than it saves What a chat's memory loses the longer a conversation runs What a bloated file in your project folder costs you without you noticing

August 17, 202629 min

You're Talking to AI the Wrong Way

Most people ask AI to solve the problem they think they have, without ever stopping to check if it's the right problem in the first place. In this episode, Sam and Katy explain what makes a question work well with AI, and why the four words they use more than any other change the entire quality of the answer. You'll learn: Why narrow, one-shot questions produce flat, forgettable answers How to use AI as a brainstorm partner instead of an order taker What asking for a sample first changes about the final result The two words that turn a first-response into something worth using

August 10, 202639 min

AI Starter Kit for Wedding Pros

Most wedding pros are using AI like a fancy search engine and leaving most of its value on the table. In this episode, Sam and Katy walk through their own switch from ChatGPT to Claude, why they made it, and the information business owners need to give AI before the output stops sounding generic. You'll learn: Why picking the right platform matters more than most people think How to hand AI the details it needs about your business before asking for results What changes once your ideal client and brand voice are part of the setup Why so much AI output still sounds like nobody in particular

August 3, 202642 min

Website Red Flags Couples Notice Right Away

Couples decide whether to keep browsing your website in about the time it takes to read this sentence. What are they seeing that's making them leave? In this episode, Sam and Katy go through nine specific red flags on wedding websites that quietly push couples away before they ever reach out, and what to fix first. You'll learn: Why your hero section matters more than your branding for that crucial first impression The services page mistake that leaves couples stuck and unable to take the next step How an outdated font or dated design signals more than you think to a scrolling couple What to put on your About page instead of a list of credentials

July 27, 202625 min

Why Couples Say "Yes" (and It's NOT Your Portfolio)

There's a moment couples decide to book you, but it's not the moment you think. It's not the portfolio, not the pricing, not even the proposal. It's dozens of smaller moments stacked on top of each other, and most wedding pros are only paying attention to one of them. In this episode, Sam and Katy trace the buyer's journey couples go through, from the second they realize they need help to the second they sign, and where deals get won or lost along the way. You'll learn: Your portfolio gets you in the room. It's rarely what gets you the booking. Couples move through three distinct stages before they decide, and each one calls for something different from you Pricing triggers loss aversion in the brain, which is why value has to come first A weaker portfolio can still win the client if the trust-building moments are handled better

July 20, 202628 min

Your inquiries are up, but your excitement about them isn't. What's really going on?

In this episode, Sam and Katy dig into why content that doesn't speak to the right audience keeps filling your calendar with the wrong clients, and what to do about it before you scramble and make it worse. You'll learn: Why chasing what's working for a competitor almost always backfires How AI-written copy makes your messages sound like everyone else's The real reason conversion rates drop when the wrong leads fill your inbox What it takes to understand your ideal client beyond surface details

June 29, 202646 min

Listener Fave: Perfectionism's Upsides and Downsides

You've probably told yourself you're a perfectionist like it's a badge of honor. Detail-oriented. High standards. Won't put your name on anything that isn't right. But what if perfectionism isn't your superpower? What if it's the reason your website still isn't live, your inquiry response takes three hours to write, and you've been "almost ready" to raise your prices for six months? This episode is one of our most listened-to episodes ever, and we're bringing it back because summer is exactly when perfectionism tends to win. Busier schedules, less margin, more reasons to delay the thing you know you should do. Katy and I are both perfectionists. Different kinds, it turns out. And in this episode, we get honest about what that actually looks like in a real business and a real marriage, including how each type quietly sabotages your growth in ways you might not even recognize yet. If you've ever delayed a decision because the timing wasn't perfect, or finished something only to immediately wonder if it was good enough, this one was made for you. You'll walk away with language for what's actually happening when you stall, overthink, or avoid, and a clearer picture of where your particular brand of perfectionism is costing you the most. Summer is short. Don't spend it stuck.

June 22, 202629 min

Handling Objections that Are NOT about Money

Someone just pushed back on your price. Maybe they said they need to think about it. Maybe they told you they found someone cheaper. Maybe they went quiet. And just like that, your stomach dropped. That reaction is not a weakness. It's your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do. The problem is, a brain in fight-or-flight mode is a terrible negotiator. And if you don't know what's actually driving the objection, you're just guessing at the solution. In today's episode, Katy and I are getting into objection handling: how different buyer types push back, why "it's too expensive" is almost never the real issue, and a simple protocol you can run through every time a deal starts to wobble. If you freeze up, cave too fast, or just don't know what to say when someone questions your price, this is the episode you've been waiting for. You'll walk away with a repeatable framework and the language to use it. Now let's talk about what they're really trying to tell you.

June 15, 202626 min

The Profitability Audit: Are You Making Money or Just Staying Busy?

Peak season is here for many in the wedding industry. You're busy, you're booked, and you're making money. But busy and profitable aren't the same thing. And most wedding pros won't figure that out until they're burned out in October, looking back at a packed calendar and wondering why they feel so broke. Here's what nobody talks about: 80% of the things you spend your time on probably generate about 20% of your results. That's not a mindset problem. That's the Pareto Principle, and it's playing out in your business right now whether you know it or not. In today's episode, Katy and I are walking through how to run a quick profit audit on your time and your services so you can stop spending 95 cents to make a dollar. If you've ever had a full calendar and a thin margin, this one is going to sting a little — in the best way. You'll walk away knowing exactly which services to double down on, which ones to quietly kill, and how to stop letting sunk cost keep you stuck. Let's make sure your busy season actually pays off.

June 8, 202627 min

The Upsell Conversation: Adding Value After They've Already booked

Your clients already said yes. They signed the contract, they're on the books, and you're doing the work. But here's what most wedding pros leave on the table: the money that was never in the contract to begin with. We're not talking about squeezing clients or tacking on fees they didn't ask for. We're talking about the stuff they genuinely need and haven't thought to ask for yet. The rehearsal dinner without a plan. The day-of paper goods they assumed they'd DIY. The album they haven't considered ordering. Couples walk into a wedding without knowing what they'll need on the other end of it. That gap is your opportunity. In today's episode, Katy and I are breaking down how to ethically grow your revenue with clients who are already on your roster, where those conversations happen in the client journey, and how to bring up an upsell without sounding like you're fishing for more money. If your average booking feels like a ceiling instead of a starting point, this one's for you. You'll walk away with a practical framework for identifying upsell moments, and the language to make those conversations feel helpful instead of pushy. There's more revenue in your current client list than you think. Let's go find it.