Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ja’el Mendez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ja’el, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
The Coordinated Collective is a wedding company created for couples planning their weddings. When I was thinking about my company’s mission, I thought back to my own wedding. I hired all of my vendors, but on the wedding day, I was telling everyone what to do–who to photograph, what time the cocktail hour ends, how we wanted to be introduced into the reception space, etc. I needed someone to be me to be present with my husband, friends, and family. And with that, the Coordinated Collective was born! We’re a team of 13 women and 1 gentleman who love weddings. Our niche is day-of coordination. From our 9-5 day jobs, we collectively have experience in non-profit management, event management, protocol logistics, mass communications, hospitality services, and venue management.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
After completing my Master’s in European Policy Studies in Florence, Italy, I knew I was heading towards Washington D.C. or Brussels, Belgium. After landing a job as a contractor at General Dynamics, I realized how rigid my day job was becoming, even though I was meeting some colorful international partners. I was having lunch with a colleague, and she asked me if I was ok with how things were. She highlighted my organizational skills and said that I could have been a wedding planner in another life. I chuckled, and then 3 years later, we became business partners, and I haven’t looked back since.
As my unofficial mentor in the wedding industry, I learned everything from Jasmine Smith, my company’s co-founder. As a result, she shapes many of our policies and practices that we still use today.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Having such a large team, each with a full-time job is HARD. Everyone on the team is an Independent Contractor. When they sign their yearly agreement, we have an orientation brief where I go over our successes of the previous year, my expectations for next year, and what I’m striving for. I offer touch points throughout the year, with a happy hour in the summer and a Christmas party. I can never get everyone together in one place, but I do try! So if we are not together in person, I send Christmas gifts directly to their addresses on file. Maintaining a high level of morale is easy for me because I love what I do. I love offering extra cash to a fantastic team who loves weddings. We have fun together, and I’ve made the process so simple–it’s templated.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
FRIENDS–also known as vendor relations. We call the wedding vendors we work with frequently friendors because if I see you every month for 2 plus hours or I’m calling or emailing you during the traditional work week, then we are friends. During my inquiry calls, I ask my clients who they have already booked. It’s refreshing to hear that you will work together again or that they referred you in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecoordinatedcollective.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayofcoordinators/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dayofcoordinators/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-coordinated-collective/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ2HDLDDHsA&t=133s
- Other: https://vimeo.com/fujiabrafilms/download/786558649/dbc7ded7a3
Image Credits
Stephen Reasonover Photography Kylie Renae Photography Gray Kammera Photography Firefly Imageworks