We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jennifer Culp. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jennifer below.

Jennifer, appreciate you joining us today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. So, we’d appreciate if you could open up about your growth story and the nitty, gritty details that went into scaling up.

When I first made the decision to formally start my wedding planning and design business, after 3 years of doing so for family and friends only, there was enormous pressure to scale up and demonstrate to the industry, that I was a reputable company with sound profitability. Understanding that the management of growth is an art, of sorts, it was also challenging. In reflecting upon my 15 years, there are a few stratagems that encapsulate how I successfully scaled up.

#1: Strategic Plan
Thinking you can ‘do it all’ and actually putting that into practice, are two VERY disparate things. While I was a known multitasker, I knew I had to find tasks and projects for my Team to manage while I oversaw those and the broader, high-level components. Thus, I initially hired two Independent Contractors (Event Planners), one to handle incoming inquiries from the website and social media, and the other to post relative social media content to Instagram. After three months, I analyzed bookings and Google Analytics for all online platforms and noticed significant growth. It was then that I first understand how much I needed to continue valuing my time as CEO, and thus, additionally hired two Student Interns per semester. This enabled me to stay committed to only performing those taskers that I had time for, expertise in, and were important in maintaining a sustainable business.

#2: Focal Acumen
As a newly established business, there were a plethora of options when it came to advertising, and of course, every one wanted money in which to be “listed” on their platform. It is in the research of this, that I I found myself mentally unequipped to decide what options were best AND would render a positive return on investment. Knowing that the two largest and leading industry companies offered content, tools, products, and services for Clients and Vendors, I attended various webinars in order to ascertain what efforts were not going to make a difference in my business so that I could focus on those that would. It was through those interactive sessions that I narrowed my concentration to Pinterest, Instagram, WeddingWire (now WeddingPro) and building a solid team. Since, I have not made significant changes to this methodology because they rendered exactly what was intended to come therefrom.

#3: Networking
In every successful business, networking within the industry, and even outside where relevant, is imperative to client growth. What started as connections from webinars, I branched out to local Venues and offered a social media highlight if they referred one Client who booked us. The intent behind this idea, was to showcase our abilities in hopes that they would continue referring thereafter, and/or ask us to be added to their Preferred Vendor List. I also enveloped Styled Shoots into my off-season bookings so as to connect with other vendors (photographers, florists, etc.) so as to further enhance referrals. It is through these means that I have been the Preferred Planner for a local Venue since 2016, as well as have established a cadre of professionals with whom refer all of their clients to me, and I do the same in return.

Through the combined efforts of each stratagem, I quickly expanded our profit margin by 36% the first three years and 60% between years 4 and 6. Financially, this sound practice has continued to expand our bookings each year. Having started at 10 Full Service weddings per year, 15 Month-Of weddings, and 23 Day-Of weddings, we have, on average, increased by 40-45% for each service type. Additionally, we have earned the WeddingWire Couple’s Choice Award each year from 2017 to present, have been published in several magazines and blogs, maintain an established reputation of excellence whose mission remains providing innovative and professional event planning, management, and design services with an emphasis on quality and detail, and create comprehensive solutions through the use of honed and imaginative concepts, immeasurable resources, and certified proficiency.

Jennifer, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

About Me: As the CEO, Lead Designer and Certified Planner of Sculptable Design, I graduated with a B.A. from the SUNY at Oswego and have an M.A. from American Military University. While completing my coursework, I quickly realized that my proficiencies and commitment to success were profound goals I could utilize as an event planner and designer. Being a Member of the Alpha Phi Sigma and Pi Gamma Mu Honor Societies, further enhanced these skill sets, and thus, made the decision to start my own Company.

Products/Services Offered: Day-Of Coordination, Month-Of Coordination, Full Service, Event Design, Event Styling, Virtual Planning, Destination Coordination, and a la Carte services.

What Sets us Apart From Others: We strive to be the Event Planners and Event Designers of choice, who not only provide the highest value by delivering exceptional management, coordination, and service, but also execute a comprehensive solution that enlivens a client’s vision utilizing established stratagems, innovative concepts, limitless resources, and professional expertise.

What do we Want Others to Know About our Brand: We revolutionize event planning and design with elevated paradigms of style, defining our client’s vision through unrivaled quality, attention to detail, and a distinctly exquisite approach.

How did you build your audience on social media?

While social media has grown significantly since we established, and tailoring there because was necessary, we began building our audience by developing a clear strategy for all SM accounts, creating a solid brand that spoke to who I was and what the company was founded to do, exercised patience and did not seek to race to get everything figured out immediately, solicited a student intern to photograph headshots and website pictures, built online relationships through recommended engagement suggestions, connected with industry vendors via webinars, Styled Shoots, and networking.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

From the first time we connect with a potential client, to booking them, executing the day-of, and fostering brand loyalty, we do so by demonstrating unrivaled versatility and excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.sculptabledesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sculptabledesign
• Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/sculptable-design/38a3b1a5c8e2d93b.html

Image Credits
Karen Pagano Florence Photography, Carrie Elizabeth Photography, Elizabeth Hill Photography, Lily & Lime Photography, Heather Adams Photography, Lexi Moore Photography, and MADBOU Photography & Films.