Own Your Business

Hosted by Sam Jacobson with Ideaction

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

250

Latest episode

Jun 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

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.

June 1, 202618 min

The 90-Day Sprint: Planning Quarters to Get Sh*t Done

Your January goals called. They want to know if you're coming back.Mid-year is when most wedding pros quietly abandon the plan and go into reactive mode until the holidays. In this episode, Sam and Katy make the case for 90-day sprints over annual goals, and why right now, in the middle of busy season, is the best time to plan your next quarter. They break down how to pick the right priorities, how to build projects your brain can actually execute, and how getting one extra planning cycle done per year compounds into a serious competitive advantage.You'll learn:Why annual goals fail and what a 90-day sprint does differentlyHow to narrow your focus to the one or two things that actually move the needleWhat breaking a project down to its smallest tasks does for follow-throughWhy the vendors pulling ahead right now are planning while everyone else is just surviving

May 25, 202629 min

The Client Experience Map: Touchpoints That Create Raving Fans

Most wedding vendors think the job starts and ends on the wedding day. Your clients disagree.In this episode, Sam and Katy walk through the full client journey, from the moment a couple signs a contract to long after the wedding is over. They cover what clients actually need at each stage, why so many vendors lose the plot between booking and the big day, and how small gestures at the right moments turn one-time clients into people who talk about you for years.You'll learn:Why the welcome experience right after booking is your biggest missed opportunityHow to anticipate client needs before they even think to askWhat separates a three-star client experience from a five-star oneHow the post-wedding touchpoint drives referrals more than almost anything else

May 18, 202632 min

Energy Management for Wedding Season: Protecting Your Peak Performance

Peak season has a way of grinding people down. Not dramatically, but slowly, week by week, until you hit November running on empty and wondering why you do this.In this episode, Sam and Katy talk through four categories of energy — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual — and what it actually takes to protect each one across a full busy season. Sleep, hydration, client boundaries, scheduling buffers, letting go of outcomes you can't control…all contribute to preventing burnout.You'll learn:How your physical habits directly determine how much mental energy you have at workWhat smart scheduling boundaries look like before busy season locks inWhy emotional over-investment in clients quietly drains you and how to manage itHow recovery rituals at the end of a long day change everything

May 11, 202633 min

Decision Fatigue: Why You're Exhausted and How to Fix It

Decision fatigue is real, and it hits wedding solopreneurs hard.In this episode, Sam and Katy talk about why running a solo wedding business is so mentally exhausting — and it's not just the hours. When you're the CEO, the creative director, the accountant, and the marketing team all at once, every role brings its own set of decisions. Add constant task-switching and you've got a compounding mental load that drains your energy before the day is half over.You'll learn:Why decision fatigue hits wedding solopreneurs harder than mostHow to recognize it before it starts affecting your work and your salesWhat batching your tasks does to your brain — and why it worksHow to use AI, systems, and environment design to protect your mental energy

May 4, 202655 min

Client Case Study: Chris J. Evans

Has your business stopped working but you're not sure why? The leads dried up. The inquiries don't convert. You're working harder than ever but booking less.Chris J Evans knows that feeling. He went from triple-digit wedding volume in Hawaii to a complete business standstill. Instead of blaming the market, he rebuilt with small changes that had a big impact and this episode walks through exactly how he did it.You'll learn:Why adapting your portfolio to show risk instead of safe work attracts better clients How to diagnose when your business model has stopped working (and what to do about it)The specific positioning shift that took Chris from stuck to fully booked with luxury destination weddings Why taking ownership of your business problems is the only way forward when the market shifts

April 27, 202628 min

Saying "No" Without Guilt: Boundary-Setting for People Pleasers

You said yes again, even though you knew it was a bad idea. Now you're overextended, resentful, and wondering why you keep doing this to yourself. In this episode, Sam and Katy get real about people pleasing in a hospitality-driven industry, why setting boundaries feels so hard, and how to say no without the guilt spiral that usually follows.You'll learn:Why wedding pros are especially prone to codependent people pleasing patternsHow to say yes with conditions instead of just caving completelyThe bigger, better offer strategy that helps you focus on what you gain

April 20, 202631 min

Decision-Making Timelines: Why Some Couples Book Fast and Others Ghost

You nailed the discovery call, the chemistry was there, they loved your work, and then crickets. Or maybe they're still texting back, but it's been three weeks and you still don't have a deposit. In this episode, Sam and Katy unpack why some couples book in 48 hours while others take two months, and how to manage your own anxiety when the sale drags on longer than you'd like.You'll learn:Why booking speed has nothing to do with your sales skills or their interestThe psychology behind maximizers versus satisficers and how they decide differentlyHow to remove friction points and use micro-commitments to speed things upWhy 3 to 7 follow-ups is the right range before you cross into annoying

April 13, 202622 min

Case Studies v. Portfolio: How to Use Client Stories to Sell

Your portfolio is beautiful. But is it actually selling anything? In this episode, Sam and Katy break down the difference between portfolios and case studies, and why case studies are one of the most underused, high-impact tools for justifying premium pricing and closing hesitant clients. If you're tired of clients not understanding your value or you're working with NDAs and can't show much work, this one will change your approach.You'll learn:Why pretty pictures don't prove expertise or justify high pricesHow to structure a case study using the hero's journey frameworkWhat obstacles to highlight and which ones will backfire on youWhen to use case studies in the sales process for maximum impact