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

Alright, Coralie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

In the very beginning, it was just me.

No team. No safety net. Just a vision and an almost stubborn belief that it could become something meaningful.

Those early days were intense. I was wearing every hat strategist, creative director, operations manager, customer service. It was exhausting, but also incredibly clarifying. When you build something alone, you understand every layer of it. You learn the DNA of your business before you ever delegate it.

Hiring the first team members was both exciting and terrifying. It felt like inviting someone into something deeply personal. I wasn’t just recruiting for skills. I was recruiting for alignment. I looked for people who believed in the vision, who had emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a certain elegance in how they approached their work.

The process wasn’t corporate or conventional. Instead of rigid interviews, I preferred conversations. I wanted to understand how they think, how they handle pressure, how they interpret responsibility. In some cases, I gave small real-world tasks rather than hypothetical questions. I believe action reveals more than words.

Training was immersive. I didn’t just explain processes, I explained why we do things the way we do. Culture mattered more to me than structure at that stage.

If I were starting today, I would probably hire a bit earlier. For a long time, I carried too much myself because I wanted everything to be perfect. But leadership is not about control, it’s about trust and multiplication. I’ve learned that bringing the right people in sooner actually accelerates growth.

Looking back, those early days shaped me as a founder. They taught me resilience, clarity, and the importance of building not just a business but a team that reflects your values.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My journey into this industry was completely unexpected.

Before this chapter of my life, I was working in IT, a world built on logic, systems, and precision. It was structured, analytical, and very different from the creative space I’m in today. But in hindsight, that foundation shaped me more than I realized.

Everything changed through a friendship. I became close with a French wedding planner, and through her, I was introduced to a world I had never considered professionally, the world of weddings, aesthetics, emotion, and storytelling. I began observing the industry from the inside: the pressure, the beauty, the chaos, the artistry.

What fascinated me wasn’t just the events themselves, it was the branding, the positioning, the experience design behind them.

I realized something powerful: this industry needed strategy just as much as creativity.

Coming from IT, I saw things differently. Where others saw decoration, I saw systems. Where others saw trends, I saw brand identity. Where others focused on execution, I focused on structure and long-term positioning.

What sets me apart is exactly that contrast. I didn’t grow up in this industry. I chose it consciously. And because of that, I approach it with both curiosity and discipline.

I’m most proud of the fact that I reinvented myself. Transitioning from IT to the wedding and creative world required courage. It meant stepping away from security into something more intuitive and emotional. But it also allowed me to build a career that feels aligned with who I am today.

If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s this: your background does not limit you, it differentiates you. My technical foundation didn’t disappear; it became my advantage.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Leaving IT was not impulsive but it was terrifying. I was stepping away from a stable, structured career into an industry where I had no formal background, no established reputation, and no guaranteed income. I went from being “the expert” in one room to being the beginner in another.

There were moments of doubt. Moments when I questioned whether I had made a mistake. Starting over challenges your ego. You have to prove yourself again. You have to build credibility from scratch.

I remember early conversations where I could feel people wondering, “What does someone from IT know about weddings? and she is French and know nobody here.” Instead of taking that as rejection, I used it as motivation. I focused on mastering the industry from the inside understanding not just the beauty of it, but the business mechanics behind it.

Resilience, for me, wasn’t loud or dramatic. It was quiet discipline. It was showing up consistently even when things felt uncertain. It was investing in learning, building relationships, and trusting that my different background was not a weakness, it was my edge.

That period taught me something essential: resilience is not about avoiding fear. It’s about moving forward despite it.

Looking back, I’m grateful for that discomfort. It shaped my confidence. It taught me to adapt. And it reinforced that reinvention is possible at any stage if you’re willing to do the work.

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

If I’m being completely honest, my reputation wasn’t built through one breakthrough moment. It was built through hard work and humility.

In the beginning, I accepted projects that were not always the most exciting or the most profitable. But I saw them differently. I saw them as classrooms. Every project was an opportunity to learn the industry more deeply, to refine my standards, and to understand how everything truly works behind the scenes.

I wasn’t focused on immediate prestige. I was focused on growth.

Those early experiences allowed me to build relationships, expand my network, and gain practical insight that you simply cannot learn from the outside. I listened carefully. I observed. I improved with every collaboration.

Over time, people began to notice the consistency. The professionalism. The evolution.

Looking back, I don’t regret accepting those early projects at all. They gave me credibility, resilience, and perspective. They helped me understand that reputation isn’t built by chasing visibility, it’s built by showing up, delivering well, and continuously improving.

Sometimes the less glamorous seasons are the ones that quietly build your foundation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://whitetieplanner.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitetieplanner/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitetieplanner/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coralie-schauviller-b60909159/

Image Credits

Cliche Photography