We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Weinshanker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
We often hear that success takes hard work, which if true. But more importantly, it takes real, raw determination, ambition, and follow-through. Success comes so much easier when you’re doing something you WANT to be doing. With this, patience and a positive attitude are key. Remembering that sometimes things are out of our control, but many things are within our control – so choose your focus wisely.
Talk to people, talk to everyone! You never know who you may meet, or who you can connect with. Most people out there WANT to help, they want people around them to be successful in achieving their goals. Be selfless (and sometimes selfish, that’s ok too!) but remember your goal. Once you reach your goal, set another one. And another one. Even the smallest successes are successes. If your goal or dream seems intimidating, start small. Build from there, and take your time.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to others in your ideal industry. Most people want to share their knowledge. I’ve learned that in the wedding and events space, the folks willing to share their knowledge are the ones who are the most successful. It’s not about competition, because clients will always be getting married and celebrating special occasions. It’s about connecting with people. People like you and me :) and I want you to be successful, too!
Rachel, 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?
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! *Waves excitedly* My name is Rachel! You may have heard of me around town as “Rachel the Redhead” or “the fun wedding planner” or “the girl with the cool hair” or even “THE San Diego Wedding Planner.” (I’ll respond to any of the above! Hehe) I’m here to bring your wedding and celebrations to LIFE! Let me handle the stressful stuff, let’s make this fun and celebrate you. You deserve it!
I’m from San Diego, I grew up in La Jolla, and stayed local for my collegiate-level studies at San Diego State University. Interesting enough, I didn’t go to school for wedding and event planning (even though I am certified now.) My Bachelor’s Degree is in International Security and Conflict Resolution, with an emphasis on Cooperation, Conflict, and Conflict Resolution. I know, crazy, right?!! I loved studying a major that encouraged me to dive into conflict resolution and mediation. We also had a study abroad requirement, so I traveled quite a bit in college. Thankfully because of this, I fell in love with being immersed in other cultures, learning from people with wildly different backgrounds, and making friends with folks from all walks of life.
My professional background prior to starting my own Wedding and Event Planning company, San Diego Life Events, was primarily in different leadership and management capacities. I’ve had the opportunity to complete high-level management trainings with some of the most well known organizations, and lead successful teams in different industries. I have learned to work with all different types of people, not just manage, by working side-by-side with all levels of team members, leading by example, and getting in the trenches with my teams to get even the dirtiest jobs done. No task is too big or too small, as every piece of the puzzle is important to build a beautiful masterpiece.
Personally, I’ve always been a very creative thinker, ever since I was little. Outside-the-box, alternative, energetic, a little off-beat yet extraordinarily ambitious; these are all qualities that have consistently served me well in building and maintaining success. Not just for myself and my teams, but for my clients and vendors as well, regardless of the industry. It took me a long time to get to this place in my life, a lot of trials and tribulations, but I’ve spent so much time working on the person I want to be, and I feel like I’m finally her. I’m the woman I always knew I wanted to be. Here I am!!
Planning events for fun is where this all started. After many events and a very successful fundraiser for my beloved pup who was diagnosed with cancer, I began to set my sights on a different type of career path. Even though I had always had the security and predictability of working for others in large organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and other companies, there were some weeks where I would be working upwards of 50-60 hours, with no days off and very little time to myself. I literally woke up one day in 2015 to a thought; I’ve planned events, I’m great at it – why not do it professionally? And moreso – why not add a few weddings to my repertoire? I’ve jumped headfirst into other industries before with success, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Being from San Diego and not being afraid to meet new people, I’ve found myself very well-networked. I was able to connect with folks who had experience in the industry, who were more than willing to provide me with the opportunity to jump right in, with full trust and confidence in my abilities. I was absolutely hooked! It did not take me long to realize that THIS is what I had been waiting for. I would feel butterflies in my stomach. I’d have a big smile on my face. I felt more sense of ownership and pride than I felt even existed. I felt like I was doing something so important for others, something selfless but exciting, and I was loving every minute of it!
Fast forward to now: triple digit weddings and events completed. Multiple awards received. Recognition from some of the big names in San Diego. Reputation as one of THE BEST in San Diego. Featured wedding expert on the biggest “how to” site in existence. Mentor to many interns and college students (this one is my favorite!) And successful business owner.
I’m so proud of the work I’ve put into growing this vision, and so grateful to my past and present team members, my amazing clients, and my talented loyal vendors. Manifesting this for myself, leading with a positive attitude, and fighting for my clients every chance I get, has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my entire life. I can say confidently that I DID THAT!!!! And I’m here to tell you, YOU CAN TOO! Whatever you wake up one day wanting to do… Do yourself a favor and do it!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
In addition to really being an expert in what matters most within this market along with continuing education to stay on-trend, I think one of the most important things in this industry, and really any industry, is building genuine connections with people. It takes work, practice, patience, but I feel this has enabled me to build and maintain a positive, desirable reputation. It’s hard, but I try to remind myself to just be me. I know I’m a good person, loyal, dedicated, fun, and I feel my clients and vendors sense this about me early on. I feel it’s my job to continuously prove them right, celebrate their successes and not just mine, and fully commit to my clients that they have an industry expert on their side. Like we always say… “Come see why your best friend booked us” :)
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth! I love referrals. Especially second… Third… Fourth….. Fifth… Sixth generation referrals! (That’s when someone books me, refers me to someone who books me, who then also refers me to someone who books me… Who then they refer me to someone, etc.) This is my favorite way to connect with new clients, because I feel comfortable in knowing that my client has shared with this person their positive thoughts regarding our high-level of service, deep commitment to our clients’ successful wedding or event, and how much fun we have while doing it! This has also led to many forms of recognition, awards, and positive reviews, which in-turn has attracted even more amazing, loyal clients, who then also refer their friends and family to us. In addition to seeing my clients’ dream day come to life, these types of referrals bring me so much joy!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sandiegolifeevents.com
- Instagram: @sandiegolifeevents
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sdlifeevents
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/4hLY4M2WFnb
- Other: wikiHow expert page: https://www.wikihow.com/Author/Rachel-Weinshanker
Image Credits
Rugger Productions Berlynn Photography LzG Photography