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

Dee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I launched my wedding planning company in January of 2020—just weeks before the world came to a screeching halt. When COVID hit in March, every event was canceled or indefinitely postponed, and like so many others in the industry, I found myself staring at an empty calendar wondering what came next.

Then, a friend called. A local food kitchen had just closed, and hundreds of people were lining up outside with nowhere else to turn. She asked if I could help make food. I’m a trained chef, so I reached out to a few chef friends, secured the use of a commercial kitchen at the Elks Lodge, and we got to work—making hundreds and hundreds of bag lunches, delivering them directly to the folks who had been left behind.

That moment changed everything. What began as a wedding planning company quickly expanded into something deeper. We started making and delivering home-cooked meals to a small group of elders in a nearby town. We began with two families, and within a few months we were delivering to over 100 households every week. By the time the world reopened, we weren’t just event planners—we had become a full-service catering company with a loyal client base, ready to transition into special event bookings.

Out of our outreach work, our nonprofit NoHungerHere was born. Today, a portion of our event revenue funds hot, nourishing meals for unhoused individuals in our community. But more than just food, we bring beauty and dignity: we set tables with linens and flowers, and we serve each meal with the same care we’d offer a wedding guest.

At Dee Wagner Events, our mission is rooted in heartfelt service and connection. We work with locally grown, seasonal ingredients and design deeply sustainable events with intention. We respect the food we cook and prepare it with love—and that’s something people notice. We hear it all the time: “I can’t believe this came from a caterer.”

We do things the hard way because it’s the right way.

I’m surrounded by bright, energetic, committed individuals who believe in our mission—to nourish not just our clients, but our community. Every day, I feel grateful to be walking this path with them.

Dee, 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?

I didn’t start out in hospitality—I actually began my career in television news, with a degree in broadcasting and political science. But when I moved to the West Coast, I felt a pull toward food service—something that had always lived in my heart. I grew up spending summers with my grandmother on a farm in rural Arkansas, where we grew everything we ate. That early experience taught me the rhythm of the seasons, the value of hard work, and the magic of a shared table.

Over the years, I managed restaurants and inns and eventually co-founded another event company before taking the leap to launch my own. Dee Wagner Events was supposed to be a wedding planning business—until COVID hit just months after I launched. I’ve had people’s faces fall when they hear that part of my story, but honestly, I see it differently. That moment revealed everything about who I am and what this company stands for. When you’re truly committed—when you know you’re on the right path—nothing can stop you.

Instead of walking away, I pivoted. I started cooking for people who needed food. I built a community. I turned a moment of crisis into a calling.

Today, Dee Wagner Events is a full-service production company that includes planning, catering, and floral design, with a strong emphasis on seasonal ingredients, sustainable practices, and heartfelt hospitality. We serve weddings, corporate clients, and nonprofits—and a portion of everything we earn goes directly into our nonprofit, NoHungerHere, which provides nourishing, home-cooked meals to unhoused individuals in our community.

What I’m most proud of is that everything we do—every plate, every petal, every table—is crafted with care, intention, and a belief that hospitality is a form of love. That’s the heartbeat of our brand.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’m six years sober this April, and I can honestly say that choosing sobriety was the most transformative step I’ve ever taken. It opened the door to real peace and meaningful connection—with myself and with others.

COVID disrupted my life in ways I could never have imagined, but it also gave me something rare: the gift of stillness. In that stillness, I began to hear my own voice again. I found the confidence to trust my intuition—and to know, with absolute clarity, that I’m on the right path.

If I could give one piece of advice to anyone searching for their purpose, it would be this: Take time to truly know yourself. Not the version you perform for others—but the quiet, vulnerable, honest you underneath. That’s the hardest and most worthwhile work I’ve ever done—and it’s a place I return to every single day. It’s the only way it works for me.

Books have been my companions on this journey. A few that have shaped and supported me along the way:

Eckhart Tolle taught me I am not my mind.

Pema Chödrön helps me still my mind through daily meditation.

Deepak Chopra reminds me to live from my heart and to ask the universe for guidance.

Brené Brown is a beacon for brave, wholehearted leadership.

Louise Hay’s Power Thought Cards are part of my daily grounding practice.

Martha Beck’s The Way of Integrity is a must-read for anyone wondering how to follow their heart.

This path—of sobriety, of self-awareness, of building a values-driven business—hasn’t always been easy, but it has been deeply rewarding. Everything I do through Dee Wagner Events and NoHungerHere is rooted in that work: to show up with intention, to serve with love, and to build connection through beauty, food, and community.

Any advice for managing a team?

Slow down. Listen from your heart. And no matter how many times you try to justify a decision by saying, “I know what’s right,” “I have the experience,” or “I’m the boss”—at the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is your generosity of spirit.

You have to give. And then give some more. If you’re not willing to put the people who work for you ahead of your ambition, I believe you’ll fail in the long run.

Now, I’ll be honest—I’m a total control freak. Letting go has been one of the hardest parts of leadership for me… and also the most rewarding. Because every single time I step back, I’m absolutely amazed by the competence, creativity, and dedication of the people around me. Watching them rise and lead in their own way has been one of the great joys of this work.

In practical terms, I try to include my team in as many decisions as possible. I share my challenges—not to overwhelm them, but so they understand the big picture and know that we’re all in this together. I tell them often that they’re important and valued. I give raises before they ask, offer more PTO than is required, and try to stay aware of what’s happening in their lives outside of work so I can show up with understanding when something seems off.

I avoid making unreasonable demands, but when I do have to ask something hard, I give them all the context. I don’t just hand down orders—I bring them into the situation, explain why it matters, and trust them to rise to it.

I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about control. It’s about care. The people who work beside me are the heart of everything we do. When they feel supported, seen, and inspired, it shows—in the food, in the service, and in the spirit of the events we create.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deewagnerevents.com
• Instagram: @deewagnerevents
• Facebook: deewagnerevents
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ deewagnerevents

Image Credits

Susan Adler Photograpy