We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ann Koppuzha a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ann , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

In reviewing contracts for creative professionals, I’ve noticed something quite surprising: many contracts, particularly in the wedding industry, aren’t up to par. This is a bit of an eye-opener, considering that your contract is often the final touchpoint before a client decides to work with you.

It’s especially unexpected in the wedding industry, where attention to detail and aesthetics are paramount. We’re talking about packages that often cost thousands of dollars, centered around one of the most important days in a couple’s life. You’d expect the contracts to match that level of importance and polish.

Seeing this gap, I decided to take action. I’ve started offering custom contracts and templates tailored specifically for wedding professionals. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill, jargon-filled documents. Instead, they’re designed to be approachable and clear, while still being comprehensive enough to protect our hardworking wedding pros if things don’t go quite as planned.

My goal is twofold: to provide solid legal protection and to help wedding pros close deals more efficiently. After all, a well-crafted contract can actually enhance a client’s confidence in your services.

In essence, I’m aiming to bring the same level of professionalism and attention to detail to these contracts that wedding professionals bring to every other aspect of their work!

Ann , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Ann. I’m a lawyer and a former management consultant (focused on tech strategy). I’ve worked for an international law firm, an international consulting firm, and the U.S. government. I also attended Berkeley Law and Georgetown.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, so I finally built my own blog during the pandemic. I soon fell in love with the online world.

After over a decade in the corporate world, I left to start my own law and digital strategy design firms. I’m marrying my interests in law, entrepreneurship, and design by building an online design business and a law firm that helps entrepreneurs and creatives sort through their legal issues.

I’ve noticed many contracts that I reviewed, particularly in the wedding industry, lacked detail, finesse, and important legal provisions. This is a bit of an eye-opener, considering that your contract is often the final touchpoint before a client decides to work with you and your chief protection document! Your contract should be an effective sales document and protect you!

I’m most proud of developing custom contracts and contract templates for creatives, especially wedding pros. These contracts are well-written, friendly, and comprehensive, designed to help you book clients faster and show you off as the total pro that you are! Custom contracts are written in your brand voice, while contract templates are affordable and accessible. You can find custom contracts at https://www.powerhouse-legal.com/custom-contracts and contract templates at https://thebusinessreserve.com/.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I’m a big fan of Ramit Sethi, the personal finance expert, author, and entrepreneur. One of his key pieces of advice is to consider whether we’re dedicating enough thought to significant financial decisions (like renting vs. owning) while possibly overthinking smaller, less consequential choices (like buying that daily latte). Ramit encourages people to allocate more mental energy to major financial decisions and less to minor ones.

This philosophy resonated with me, and I realized it could be applied beyond finances—particularly to time management. I started asking myself: Am I investing my time in tasks that will truly move the needle for my business, or am I getting caught up in less impactful details? For instance, am I focusing on strategic planning and client acquisition, or am I spending hours obsessing over font choices that won’t make a substantial difference in the grand scheme of things?

Adapting this mindset has been amazing for my business growth. I’ve seen significant improvements by consciously directing my time and energy toward high-impact activities. It’s not about neglecting the details entirely – it’s about giving them appropriate attention without letting them overshadow the bigger picture. This shift in perspective has helped me prioritize more effectively, leading to more productive days and, ultimately, better business outcomes like higher revenue.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

We can all grow businesses in ways that align with our strengths. I’ve built my reputation in my market through thought leadership, as my forte is coming up with new ideas and public speaking.

I realized that contracts in the creative industries, especially in the wedding sector, sorely lacked protection, style, and finesse. I also noticed that few others were discussing contracts, which became even more crucial in an age where ChatGPT could generate weak contracts that looked good on the surface.

So, I set about to change this. I create content about contracts and share my insights on podcasts, helping my ideal clients understand how to use their contracts to close more sales and what provisions they absolutely need in their agreements.
Sharing my thought leadership on podcasts has been instrumental in building my reputation and growing my clientele. It’s allowed me to showcase my expertise while providing valuable information to creative professionals who need it most.

By educating and empowering my potential audience through my strengths, I’ve found a fulfilling way to carve out a unique niche, grow my business, and make a positive impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.powerhouse-legal.com/custom-contracts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerhouselegal/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akoppuzha/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@powerhouse-legal
• Other: https://thebusinessreserve.com/

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/camillealexandraphoto/