Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 140 - Relatable, Fierce and In-real-time instagram - Cynthia Banh
93 Plays6 months ago
Happy Woo Wednesdays! I have @beautybybonbon by in the HECK YES House. (Makeup and Hair Artist) Cynthia is super relatable and makes sure her clients know that she has their backs.
Hot topic today: Relatable, Fierce and In-real-time instagram
Cynthia Banh - business owner, artist, your best gal pal, energy generator at events/parties, lover not a fighter, hopeless romantic, sushi and french fry lover…
I've gotten to know Cynthia though seeing her at WIPA parties and she is so much fun to be around. I love her story of becoming a wedding singer and getting paid just enough to pay for a boba drink. The hustle is real.
Check out episode 123 with Carol from Blushingdetails - Cynthia's sister.
Connect with Cynthia and mention Woo to get a discount
Connect with Carissa
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and free coaching offer
00:00:00
Speaker
Happy Woo Wednesdays. Love it or hate it. We are talking all things social media today with my girl, Cynthia from Beauty by Bon Bon. And speaking of social media, go to my Instagram at Carissa Woo and DM me the word coaching. I will send you a 20 minute video on how to get 10 to 15 quality leads a month in your inbox. And this is only for wedding professionals. So our conversation today is going to get you unstuck
00:00:29
Speaker
with social media and sharing the world your authentic self. You are going to love it.
Podcast focus and guest introduction
00:00:40
Speaker
Welcome to Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. I'm your host, Carissa, and I've been a Los Angeles wedding photographer for over a decade. I've traveled the world, built my team, and seen it all. I now coach wedding photographers hit 10K a month and build a thriving business. In this podcast, we are going to deep dive into how top wedding creatives get that heck yes from their dream clients. We are not holding back on the struggles of the business and how to push through the noise. Some healthy hustle, mindset shifts, up-leveling your money story,
00:01:08
Speaker
time-packed because I'm a mom of two, a little bit of woo-woo, and most importantly, self-love and confidence are just a few of the many things we will talk about. I want to give you a genuine thank you for following along my journey. I hope to inspire you every Woo Wednesday so that you say heck yes to listening to this podcast. See you guys soon!
00:01:31
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome back to Get a Heck Yes with your girl Carissa Wu. I have the beautiful Cynthia Bond in the Heck Yes house from Beauty by Bon Bon. Bon Bon, amazing makeup artist. She is a business owner, an artist.
00:01:48
Speaker
your best gal pal, which I felt like that like the first time I met you her she's an energy generator. She's gonna bring the energy today at parties. She's a lover, not a fighter. She's a hopeless romantic, a sushi and french fry lover. Well, welcome Cynthia.
00:02:05
Speaker
Thank you, Carissa. I do hair as well, so it's hair and makeup, so I appreciate the intro. And also, I just want you to know, Carissa, I've known you for a long time. We didn't meet in person, but I already knew of your reputation and your work and all that good stuff, so I'm very excited to be on.
00:02:23
Speaker
Oh, thank you. That means the world to me. And I think it was at the Charleston, the gala the whip event. I really feel like you just had this crazy energy about to like,
00:02:39
Speaker
When you're around, everyone's more hyper and having more fun. And we made the cute fun reel. We're holding hands and starting their stuff, doing the catwalk. And I was like, wow, I feel so connected to you when I barely even know you. So I'm excited to get to know you more today.
Cynthia's family dynamics and early influences
00:02:55
Speaker
Yay. It is actually, I think both our energies together is infectious because I felt like I've known you for already such a long time. So when I saw you in person, I thought we already met before.
00:03:06
Speaker
Yes, oh my god. Okay, well, we're gonna get into it. But before everything with our conversation, I really want to get to know you as a kid, what you're like growing up and anything you want to share to our audience. Okay, you want me to keep this upbeat or you want to keep this for real?
00:03:28
Speaker
To answer that question, I would say 50-50. Yeah. Okay. Youngest of three. So I think, and I'm very lucky because Carol, my sister, the blushing detail is also in the wedding industry too. So even in this industry, she's kind of like a big sister to me as well, but she kind of paved the way. Then my brother, the middle child, and then me. So by the time I came around, like things were a little bit easier for me growing up.
00:03:52
Speaker
But I would want to say in general, I'm the peacemaker in the family because like everyone's just including myself has very strong personality. So I just try to foresee certain like dynamics that might go array or like awry. And then I try to like put out the fire beforehand. So that has brought me to like a survival like mechanism that I have as an adult today.
00:04:21
Speaker
Oh, I love that. Yeah, but I've always been outgoing, but believe it or not, I'm an introvert with extrovert tendencies. So I love being at home. I get my energy from recharging at home. Yeah, so just kind of a little bit about me.
00:04:36
Speaker
I love that. Yeah, shout out to your sister. She is on a podcast. I'll link her up. She's an amazing wedding planner. So cool, cool, cool. Okay, so as the third child, and growing up with like these powerhouse personalities, like your sister and brother, like what was the biggest lesson that you learned from being the youngest child?
00:05:02
Speaker
how to properly communicate what my needs and wants are.
00:05:08
Speaker
And yeah, I think, you know, a lot of people, it's really easy to just get upset, angry or frustrated. And I used to be the frustrated one to hold everything in, but that didn't really help because then I wanted people to be my mind reader, even in a relationship, but growing up realizing like, okay, you have to tell people, spell it out. But then I had to identify what my feelings were first. So I think I have a little bit more emotional intelligence when it comes to,
00:05:37
Speaker
like understanding myself um yeah so i think that's that's what it is oh i love that that's so intuitive and your dogs are going crazy outside so i hope it's not interfering with your head i'm so sorry you know it's so funny like literally right when we got start like when we linked up before we got started she started barking and i'm so sorry about that
00:05:57
Speaker
It's okay. Is it messing up with your energy or are you good? No, I'm good. I just, I understand like the professional side. I feel bad cause you're recording it and it's for a podcast. So unless she's going to see right now, it's okay. Dog life, dog mom. So yeah, I love that answer. Just being, um,
00:06:14
Speaker
you know, having good communication, I think that will set you apart in business and, you know, a little trailer, but we're going to talk all things social media in a bit. But walk me through like what you're like in high school, like what you're into and maybe college days a little bit.
00:06:30
Speaker
um i think i was a choir geek um don't ask me to sing because once youtube came out and we realized that there were like actually so many bomb bomb singers like i just enjoy singing so i was just singing from the heart but um it was like a community for me um and fun fact that actually where we lived they zoned it out to where like
00:06:53
Speaker
different cities have to go to certain schools but the school that I really wanted to go to which had a really amazing like um like what is it performing arts program um I was redirected to another school so long story short I had to like go through interviews with like the district and all that and they allowed for me to be part of it and I have no regrets because that's like my family until today.
00:07:19
Speaker
Really? You're a quiet club. And part of that, I don't know if you know Kate Young. She is an MC and planner as well in the industry. Her and I were wedding singers and performers and in the same choir. So she's also in the industry as well.
00:07:37
Speaker
Wow oh my god okay so this is a fun fact about you Cynthia. Yeah okay so choir um and then college did you sing as well? I only went to like one or two years of college because by then I already started working in a marketing company that was making helping me make money and I felt like it was time to like spread my wings so I didn't finish college I had like two years of college but honestly
00:08:05
Speaker
This is the truth about me. I don't really like institutionalized training. I'm not good with sitting down and learning academically in that way. I'm more hands-on in the field, so I really got more life training, I think, more than anything else.
00:08:22
Speaker
Yeah, definitely. I agree. I did. I was an econ major and I know nothing about econ does supply demand. I don't know what to just do econ. Oh my god, that's so funny. Okay, so tell me a little bit about your wedding singer era and what that was like, like, what, what timeframe in your life was that and how'd you even get your first gigs and anything you want to share?
00:08:47
Speaker
Okay, so I'll roll it back just a little bit. The youngest of three and with immigrant parents, they had to work a lot. So Carol and James, in order for them to go out with their friends, they had to take little sister along because they were my babysitters and also I was on the lookout for mom and dad, right? So I was literally little Carol growing up. Like she would take me everywhere. I would meet all of her friends and she was the one that was inquired first.
00:09:14
Speaker
in part of this high school and shout out to Aztec singer so funny we just had a wedding for them this past week one of the one of the members but anyways um yeah so Cara was in it and she made friends and she was she's always find some way to be part of like the board and like one of the important people right
00:09:34
Speaker
And for me, I'm just like there to like enjoy the company and just, you know, live my heart out, right? So I've always hung out with like older people and I get along with them best. And then, so then from there, like we met Kate and a group of people. And when we would go and perform together during this Lunar New Year festival, there was a production company that saw us and they're like, oh, we like the way you guys perform. Would you guys form a little small group?
00:10:03
Speaker
And maybe we can hire you guys as our backup singer, backup dancers to add variety to weddings that we're doing. Because at that time, a lot of Chinese Asian weddings at the Asian banquet halls were popular, right? The seven course meal and all that. And then they were hired people that had the karaoke machine and if you had a little bit more money, you'd hire the band. So we do both.
00:10:27
Speaker
And this company, production company wanted to be a little different because there's always just one singer with a mic, but this time it was like one singer and like four or five people dancing in the background. So be me, Kate, my sister was in the group for a little bit.
00:10:44
Speaker
And then she found something better, so she exited out of it. But I continued to do it, and I was an MC, I was a singer, I was a dancer for a while. And that was during beginning of high school, well, actually junior high, all the way till maybe a year or two after high school, so like 18, 19 years old. Oh, that's really young. Yeah, and then that was just a different part of my life. And then I moved on to other things. So yeah, that was during the time of wedding performer.
00:11:13
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I guess with immigrant parents, I always worked all the time and having this love for choir, it's kind of like you're just put in this world to be like, just do it. Like you have this confidence like, hey, I gotta make it for myself because no one's gonna do it for me.
00:11:30
Speaker
it's true and we literally did it because we had so much fun we didn't really think about the money at the time we got paid like because there was five of us they gave us enough money to get boba afterwards that's right and we didn't care because it was just a time for us to hang out with each other
00:11:46
Speaker
Oh my god, I love it. We have to see like some footage or I won't post it but I want to see it so bad. I think we're at a good time where when we were growing up there wasn't like easy at that time because there'll be a lot of embarrassing footage that I'm glad. Oh my god. Please don't recover it. Nobody, don't look for it. Oh my god, that's so funny.
00:12:05
Speaker
Okay, so this is all making sense to me because you do have such a stage presence and we're going to talk more about that through like your videos and your reels and your social media. And then performing and then starting your own business.
Entrepreneurial journey and social media growth
00:12:20
Speaker
So let's get into how you started Beauty by Bon Bon.
00:12:24
Speaker
How did I start? Well, so in 2015, I got married to my now like best friend. We're not together anymore, but we happily uncoupled. And at that time, for me, hair and makeup was always important. I was always like kind of like the go-to person for like events, even all the way in high school, like for formal, like winter formals or like prom, people would ask me.
00:12:50
Speaker
and they'll pay me a little bit for me to use that money to, you know, whatever I wanted to use it on. Um, so I kind of always did it as a hobby. And then when I got my service done by somebody for my wedding afterwards, you know, I'm pretty sure for you too, after planning your own wedding, you have all this time in your hands. You're like, wow, what do I do now?
00:13:15
Speaker
I was working at a staffing agency. I knew that wasn't going to be my end goal. I was there for already five years. It helped me pay for a new house. It helped me pay for like my wedding and all that, but it wasn't.
00:13:29
Speaker
It wasn't making me happy. I knew that wasn't my end goal. So now that I have so much time on my hands, I had to come to Jesus Talk with myself. And yeah, and then I just started taking some classes to brush up on light hair and makeup skills. I got certified for it. And then social media was booming at the time. So I just post it as I normally would, just to show my work off. And then now it was strangers that were hitting me up.
00:13:56
Speaker
So then I was like, okay, I think I might be able to do this as a side hustle. And then a side hustle grew into like, oh my God, like I need to take some work time off of work because I love doing this so much. And if I want this, I gotta tell the universe, yes, heck yes to this and heck no to other things, right? So after a year, I was able to save up three months worth of like cushion fund.
00:14:22
Speaker
And I was able to say bye to my job. And from there, it took off. Now I'm here for eight years now in business. Oh my God, that's so crazy.
00:14:32
Speaker
Yeah, when I was in high school, I would always try to do something different. Like I had like corn rolls and like, um, it was really into makeup too. And I always had to wear like some crazy outfit that was unconventional. So I think we're kind of parallel lives and I got married 2015 too. But I wanted to ask you in your words, if you could even remember that time in 2015, what social media was like and what you were posting then?
00:14:58
Speaker
Oh my god, maybe I should post it on my social media now on my stories to show like what I did before I didn't know about photography at that time and when I was posting it was just Like the the courses that I took I actually took like like an eight-week course for like makeup They had you do like different
00:15:17
Speaker
Like areas like it was like the twenties or forties or fifties and all that stuff. So I would showcase all my work. They were terrible. But at that time I felt like it was amazing. Yeah. And my poor photography work too. So I was posting that at the time. And luckily it was still new to a lot of people.
00:15:35
Speaker
I don't know. I guess on the Discover page, my stuff popped up. Oh, crazy. Yeah. And the cool thing about it too is like high school is like the gift that keeps on giving because I moved away to work with a marketing company for 10 years. Came back and I think the word got around and maybe also a social media people saw that I was doing it. So like I'm very fortunate that like I didn't
00:16:00
Speaker
burn too many bridges or was it mean to anybody to where people were willing to give me a chance and I was like halfway decent at my work?
00:16:08
Speaker
So yeah, whenever I get referrals, like I don't expect it, but when I get it, like I just, I'm super humbled by it, you know? Aw, I love that. Yeah. Never broom bridges, never be mean to people. Good thing they'll tell you. Oh, sometimes you want to. Oh my God. Okay. So, um, maybe one last question before we get in to hot topic, but like, what does your business look like today? And like, what is your best heck yes technique to get your drink client?
00:16:38
Speaker
Pardon this short interruption, but guess what? I have a new program. It's for all wedding professionals. It's called The Triple Threat. We redo your brand messaging, the homepage of your website. Part two is we do all your marketing.
00:16:55
Speaker
create a beautiful brochure so you could start getting on Prefer venue vendor list and we do all your sales so we actually make you a sales presentation leading your client to the heck yes so you get paid. I have a free 20 minute demo training. It's only 20 minutes. Go to my Instagram at Carissa Woo
00:17:18
Speaker
and DM me the word DEMO. I will send it right over. It's how to get 10 to 15 quality leads in your inbox per month. Enjoy guys. Krista Wu is a LA based wedding photographer who's actually turning business coach. She helped me grow and change and I'm so proud to call you coach.
00:17:41
Speaker
tell us how you're feeling. Like, I want to just know a little bit more about your thoughts. Yeah, it's beautiful. And you're, you're awesome. It's beautiful. I'm speechless. I just like the fact that it feels like myself. I can I feel myself when I see this. Oh, man. Well, you got me pumped and excited for
Business management and social media authenticity
00:17:59
Speaker
this. Carissa, thank you.
00:18:02
Speaker
my best heck yes technique is you know i guess i will link up to our hot topic because i don't think i'm that great at it but the main thing i will try to do is just showcase like
00:18:14
Speaker
the personality that I have and also a collective team because I have a team of six wonderful women and they come from all walks of life and there are majority of them are moms and we just somehow found like a groove together and when we come together where there'd be like only the three of us, the two of us, all of us like this past Thursday,
00:18:39
Speaker
We're like a well-greased machine and like we make people feel good. And we, you know, do good service as well. And we, we are done early, if not on time. And I try to showcase that through my videos, you know, my reels that I post. And I think it's just relatable to people. Yeah. Interesting you said that because I met one of your team members and it's just,
00:19:07
Speaker
When you know someone likes their boss, you could tell, you know what I mean? And they're like your best friend and they're rooting for the whole team as a whole. You could really sense that. So I get it. I totally understand like you are just like a family with your girls. So that really shows in just hanging out and meeting those people because
00:19:31
Speaker
When someone really loves working with you, they want to like share it to the world and they just want to be there and show up and show up for your clients. So I commend you for that. Thank you. And you know, I don't want to take too much credit because these girls are already like amazing on their own. So it was just a matter of me finding good people. And I always say that you can't train good people. You just have to find them.
00:19:53
Speaker
Oh, I love that. Okay, so this is funny. But me and you were talking about hot topic through text this morning. Yeah, I came up with this topic. So you could change it or revise it. But I want to just share what I think about you or what I see you as a person. But I picked the top hot topic, relatable, fierce, and in real time social media. What do you think about that?
00:20:19
Speaker
Well, thank you. I appreciate that. You know, some days I feel like superwoman and I'm like, yes, heck yes, all that and more. Let me tell you and I'll start listing other things. And then there's also those days where you're just like, it's good to get a reminder and you feel like an imposter because you're just like, is that really me? You know?
00:20:40
Speaker
So to hear you say that is like amazing and I'm glad that that's what comes across because sometimes you don't always feel that way but you know you want to always put out a positive message in what you know your podcast does so Yeah, I mean I bend your stuff and just to give everyone that's listening to perspective before you go to beauty by bomb bomb when you have are in the stoplight Part your car, but it's just so fresh like you give tips about your outfit
00:21:10
Speaker
sometimes during your sweats. I love the reel about California wedding day, just like your outfits and showing that off and then it cuts to like winning, your sister winning the award. So, you know, good editing skills, good personality, really in real time like you got that real out like
00:21:31
Speaker
you know, right away. And the the real that you posted about me and you like, just like your caption was so much better than mine. And it was such a better hook with better music and you did it so fast. So I kind of just want to banter about how you got to that level and give a lot of value to our listeners. So I guess first question. Describe like your social media, your Instagram, what it means to you.
00:22:01
Speaker
Oh, I know how important it is. So that's why I keep it alive. But it's kind of hard because sometimes you want to do a social media detox for you personally. But then you like just for you, how do you stay genuine and be consistent with your content? Because sometimes you're in a rut and that's how I've been feeling lately, you know? So that's why when we were talking about like the hot topic and you suggested it, I was like, I don't know, Carissa, like sometimes
00:22:30
Speaker
I don't feel that way, but in general, I know how important it is for me as a viewer to other people's content. Whenever it's relatable and it gives you a laugh or you feel connected to it and you feel engaged, I try to replicate that in my own way. But it's hard to be consistent, though, I have to say. But the ones that I do feel that are very super genuine, those are the ones that you see really
00:23:00
Speaker
capture a lot of attention but i also want to just say really quickly when you go to my social media it still is a hair and makeup business site so i still centralize that but i've been adding more of my own personality because i do have a separate account for my individual like self but i was like you know what
00:23:22
Speaker
Just like me, I like to know more about the people behind the scenes, who's doing the work. So that's why I've incorporated that. But you will not see me in like tens of thousands. I'm not there just yet. I'm still hovering at the 5,000, so to be super transparent. But what's important to me is when I look at my business insight, when you have your own business insight, I see the people save it. I see the people forward it to other people and I see that they replay it. So that's the most important to me. So above,
00:23:50
Speaker
views, it's when people save the content down. That's what I value most. Interesting. Yeah, I save all your content because I'm like, Oh, I love the outfit. Like, you know, I, I want to, I just asked you how to make a rule about how do you do your hair because my look at my hair is so flat and gross.
00:24:06
Speaker
So I need help. My husband's like, give me more volume. Oh, we should also take a poll. Remember we were going to do a live with me doing your makeup and hair. Yeah. We'll just do that. Yeah. You want to see Clarissa in your greatness? Yes, yes, yes. Glam me up.
00:24:23
Speaker
Yeah, like I feel like as a consumer, your dog was barking now my kids crying, but I'm still focused. I'm a bride that's engaged and I'm planning my wedding and I want to pick my photographer, my florist, my makeup artist, my DJ, and they see your feed. They're really going to hone into your personality, what you're like, what you're like working with. And then so when they hire you and they meet you, they almost feel like
00:24:50
Speaker
like excited to like meet meet you in person right because they've been following you all this time so i feel like you do a really good job about that well i i would hope so but because i'm also doing hair and makeup like my my other side of my brain is working too so i'm like i i genuinely say this i hope that it comes across um but like when i'm in work mode i'm pretty sure you know like you're in the zone right so there are quiet moments but in general you know i'm really hoping that comes across
00:25:19
Speaker
Yeah, no, it totally
Creating engaging content on social media
00:25:21
Speaker
does. Okay. I know content is very hard for people. I think me and you probably have been practicing maybe a little bit longer than other people. And we have that content brain or we're kind of always on where we're at events. But a lot of people that I talked to, they're not like that. And
00:25:38
Speaker
it's totally fine being fully present but it could be fun to create content like Gary Vee always says like don't get document don't create document everything you're going through like people want to see that do you have any tips and tricks for the audience to kind of like get out of their head and just start creating
00:25:56
Speaker
Yeah, the first thing that comes to mind is just buy like a camera stand like a phone stand and you don't even have to hold the phone just set it on the side and just let it run even if it's a time lapse because just like from what I hear reality stars at first it's intimidating because you're like oh they're recording me so I want to be perfect but after a while you're just living your life and you forget that there's a camera there
00:26:24
Speaker
and that's eventually what happened with me like i'm i feel i'm pretty comfortable now because i'm just like whatever i put out is like literally like 10 of how much i record i have so much content but i'm just like i'm very particular about what i put out you know so i saw i think like the less least intimidating way is to just
00:26:47
Speaker
If you don't want to bother anybody, just have a phone stand that you can buy on Amazon or wherever, and then just clip your phone in, press play, and then just let it roll. And then from there, just watch it through. It might be cringy at first, but there might be some nuggets. You're like, whoa, I didn't know because it was such an organic conversation you had with somebody or you were just doing your own thing. Interesting. You know how many people have asked me what B-roll is?
00:27:13
Speaker
Yes, gotta be like five people in the past month, two months, but FY everyone, I'm sure people listening know what B-roll is, but it's just video of everything like behind the scenes. Like you said, you having a conversation, letting your guard down, you working,
00:27:32
Speaker
what you're going through, maybe some of your clients, maybe some of your makeup. So it's just B-roll, have a folder, make a folder in your phone that says B-roll. So anytime that you need to make a real or unique content, it's there for you. Oh my God, I have to write that down. I don't think I really put it in a folder that's not very organized.
00:27:52
Speaker
And sometimes, you know what, you record so much, but then because you've been recording, those things you may not use, but you're in the flow of it. And then you're like, that one time you record it, you're like, oh, I'm so glad I recorded it. Whatever I just did inspired me. So then that makes you want to put together the real and edit it a little bit and put it up.
00:28:13
Speaker
Yeah, I yeah, that's what I wanted to talk about like in real time because every time that I see you post like you get that reel out right away. And it's very you're already you're inspired at that time. So you want to post it right away. Like do you have any like editing hacks or like mindset hacks to
00:28:35
Speaker
to get it out as soon as possible because that's like the name of the game right now yeah well first off i don't have kids so i don't have really responsibilities to go home to i can just mindlessly scroll on social media but um it really is just like a photographer just like yourself i'm sure when you're like shooting through throughout the day of the wedding you know which shots are like that's it right there
00:29:00
Speaker
I'm going to edit that one. I'm going to bookmark it. I'm going to like favorite and then I'm going to turn that one into black and white in their album too. So whenever I'm shooting certain things, I just now intuitively, it just feels like.
00:29:14
Speaker
right? So I just kind of like make a mental note of that. And then I'll come back to it later. Sometimes I post it, sometimes I don't. But if it's a busy weekend, that's where I fall into some challenges. Because, you know, you want to post out the content and show people right away, but you also need to be mindful of like, your time and your energy. And also for me, like sleep is super important. So I try to get all of that in first. Well, it has to do with
00:29:43
Speaker
beauty too. Because when you get good rest, you look good. Oh my yes. Yes. It's just like a natural like facelift when you get enough sleep. Exactly. I want to talk about what you wrote in your bio energy generator. I feel like like I said in the beginning, you have this vivacious energy about you where people you make people feel good. But you also do that on social media. Do you have any tips to bring the life out of people? Like
00:30:13
Speaker
I think just be yourself. And some people are like, I'm not a good person. I don't like myself. Well, then maybe do some things to start liking yourself, I think. And just have fun. Sometimes I'm afraid to turn on the camera because
00:30:32
Speaker
you know this takes some time to get ready you know and i'm i'm feeling better about like just you know waking up and loving that person that i see but there are times where i'm just like oh man i don't look too good i'm not camera ready right but then sometimes you just gotta roll with it you know and and if you i guess we're talking about social media but on the flip side if you don't feel like doing it don't do it because like you don't want to put your whole life on there it's fine you can be completely the opposite and do something else but then you have to find a way to
00:31:01
Speaker
still engage and connect with your audience if you're looking for business that you want to be able to lead, generate, or have retention with people that are viewing your work and your life, I guess.
Personal development and client support
00:31:18
Speaker
social media was kind of getting boring for me. So I was posting I would take B roll, someone I would have someone take a video of me like when I'm at a shoot. So I'm kind of dressed decent and have makeup on and then I would post like a trending audio on it with some sort of tip and trick. Yeah, it was getting a little monotonous to me. So I just started doing like day in the life. So I become more of like a storyteller. I'm like, okay, so tomorrow we have the whip event and they're going to be talking about sales a guy from the not
00:31:47
Speaker
So I'm going to be taking notes, taking some B-roll, and I'm going to take a little audio as soon as I get in my car and then send it to my VA to make the real. So it's kind of cool. And I posted one about Reiki this morning, and I'm like, is it good enough? But then at the end of the day, maybe next year, I'm going to look back at it and be like, oh, that's so cool that I did that. And we forget some events that we go to. So it's so nice to have this documented for ourselves.
00:32:17
Speaker
I'm excited to share with you all about our first Get A Heck Yes sponsor, Seventeen Hats. I've been using the CRM company for over a decade and I've been referring them to all my frienders for all this time. I always know when I'm going to get paid and most importantly, I get paid. So here is a question. What is holding you back? What's keeping you from finding success as a small business person?
00:32:43
Speaker
It's not passion. The fact that you're listening to my podcast shows that you're eager to learn and get better. Know what holds you back is all the chaos of business, paperwork, mailed invoices, and no system to handle at all. That's where Seventeen Hats comes in. Seventeen Hats is a better way to manage your small business. It's an all-in-one platform that streamlines everything from lead capture to client communication to clicking your done automated invoices.
00:33:13
Speaker
17 Hats paves a way for success you deserve by giving you back hours in your day. Find what success looks like for you with 17 Hats. Get started for free at 17hats.com and use my code HECKYES and it's going to give you guys 50% off your first annual membership. How amazing is that?
00:33:37
Speaker
So now that you're all organized in 17 hats, I have one more quick commercial, but this is really going to change your life. And it's with Kickstart Accounting. Go to episode 131. Check out the podcast all about how to change your finances.
00:33:53
Speaker
So yeah, ever since the podcast, I signed up for Kickstarter Accounting and wow, so much peace of mind in my finances. So if you are a wedding pro looking to streamline your financial processes and gain clarity on your business financial health, I have the perfect solution for you.
00:34:12
Speaker
Kickstart Accounting Inc. offers specialized bookkeeping services, designed by entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs. Their services are tailored to woman-owned businesses, focusing on providing clear, accurate financial records, allowing you to focus on what you do best, growing your business. I invite you to book a discovery call with Kickstart Accounting. The link is in the show notes. Mention, heck yes.
00:34:40
Speaker
And yeah, they are going to get your finances in order so you can continue to scale and succeed. Back to the show!
00:34:49
Speaker
Should I be interviewing you? Those are really good tips because it's so true. One of my most popular video was of me sharing about the time that I went to Hawaii and I had a transformation for myself. It was a solo trip.
00:35:11
Speaker
Yeah, I just dived into self-love and self-discovery. And I think it resonated with a lot of people. And I think those parts that we don't share about ourselves, most people don't share about ourselves. And I think that's the most relatable. So I would love to see, actually, like you said, the day in the life, I love to see the one with you and your kids and your husband when you were sharing. Yeah, I watched it and I was like, that is so awesome. I love that. I want to see more of that.
00:35:40
Speaker
Oh, thank you. It's so funny because I talked to a lot of people and I pick people's brains and a lot of people are like, you know, like leads are down these are slow. Yeah, I would talk I talked to my lawyer friend. And she's she's the only one she's like, Yeah, I get a ton of leads and it's from
00:35:56
Speaker
me making like bento boxes for my kids and she does like estate planning. So I was like, and then someone sent me this Instagram and it was about this boba shop in Torrance. I got like 50,000 views and I'm like, I'm doing something wrong. I need to just share like more about my life because I think that's what people maybe want to see instead of like sales tips. So it's really interesting. So I just feel like people should test the market a little bit.
00:36:22
Speaker
Yeah. And then where's the line of like sharing enough and not oversharing, right? Because sometimes it can feel invasive too, but is that what people want to see? You know, so it's like, that's what I toy with sometimes. I'm just like, is that too much or is that, you know, and am I just doing it for the sake of getting leads or am I really putting genuine content out? It's like just finding that nice dance, right? Totally. But it does take
00:36:53
Speaker
time to kind of you know gain that skill so I would say just you know my advice is just to like do it and then feel comfortable feel genuine to you like you know don't care about the outcome yeah so much I also allow for like you to be my teacher and then also social media I'll look at other people's real and like sometimes you just look through it and then if you find one that's like oh I think I might be able to do that like find the easiest one and just try it
00:37:21
Speaker
just like you said, to get yourself out the gate. And then from there, like you can kind of build upon it. And I don't really use any special tools when I'm doing reels. I actually just used Instagram editing.
00:37:35
Speaker
Interesting. I keep it very practical. Instagram likes that when you use their tools. Oh, is that right? It bumps you up. That's what I hear. I'm not an Instagram strategist. Yes, I am not either. We're both trying to figure it out, right? I was going to say, I'm glad you mentioned the inner work because if you do
00:38:00
Speaker
have a little bit of issues with like self-love and stuff like and then you do start scrolling. It could be a little bit of bad for mental health because you get stuck in the comparison trap and you're just trying to maybe look like someone that you're not. So it could be a little bit dangerous. So like your trip to Hawaii and like my Reiki
00:38:24
Speaker
Getting certified in Reiki and like my self-help motivational seminars that I go to like all of this stuff Like doing the inner work and people throw that word around, you know for all the time Oh, I did the inner work, but it's like what does that mean? So I wanted to know like for you Like what does that mean for you like your inner work? I
00:38:47
Speaker
black self-worth growing up and still to today. That's always a battle that I have to work through. And sometimes I seek approval from the outside but that's why I love getting older because the older that I'm getting like I'm learning from other people and watching them and then you know trying it on for myself too to see like you know like I work hard you know like that's something
00:39:16
Speaker
that i can at least start as a like as my baseline you know and be proud of the work that i do and then i'm good to people you know in general i'm good to people and so like those now i'm starting to collect and acknowledge those compliments that others give and i give myself and like now i'm like really like
00:39:37
Speaker
really like getting grounded on it because before you know and then also as you know asian background too i was taught at least with my parents like stay humble don't accept any compliments they don't mean anything you know like just so i would just keep saying oh yeah thank you but not really accept it but now i'm just like
00:39:58
Speaker
Yeah, just like what I was saying before. If you compliment me, there's days where I'm just like, yeah, and then some, let me tell you what else I could do, you know? Yeah, so I think I'm gonna continually work on my self-worth, because that's always a constant battle that comes up for me when I don't have great days. But yeah, like doing the inner work is not just going to therapy, not just like learning the tools, but like really working on incorporating it into your life, you know? Aw, thank you for sharing. That's so vulnerable.
00:40:28
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I think I like what you said about telling yourself these main core values of you, like I'm a hard worker, I'm good to people. And then starting maybe your day, your affirmations with that. I think it can make a really big difference in self-love, self-worth. Yeah. I don't feel like I do anything like
00:40:52
Speaker
anything out of the ordinary it's just again we hear all these things but just just start applying it and that's the main thing i think that's kind of the overarching theme for us today right just go do it yes yes uh nike says just do it do you have any like tips and tricks because i know like you make up artists it's really about your personality same with photographers same with djs um do you have any tips and tricks on like how to
00:41:22
Speaker
I don't know, just make people feel good. Or just throughout the years, like, is there something like you say, or is there a question that you ask, or the mindset of just, you know, I'm sure on the big day, it's such like a, they're total stress balls of pride. There's so much going on. How do you, how do you make them feel at ease when they're in the chair? Load of question. I think it's more just,
00:41:51
Speaker
I think first grounding myself before going to a gig or meeting my client.
00:42:00
Speaker
So that way, my energy isn't gonna be wavered by other people, especially I have to be super honest about it. It's not so much the bride, it's usually the mother of the brides, because they are like anxiety-ridden and they come in and maybe the bride's already zen and then the mom comes in or another energy comes in. So I think if I'm grounded, then I can kind of weather the storm with them and kind of energy block too.
00:42:29
Speaker
And I tell them too, well, okay, here it is. I always let my clients know I'm with them. Like I'm here for you. This is your day. And I remind them of that too, because they get pulled every which way. I am so blessed to start the morning off with them. I'm like me, myself and my team are the first ones they see on their wedding day.
00:42:52
Speaker
So we don't take that lightly. We come in with a mission, yes, to get them all glammed up, but we also know they're humans too. And it's their wedding day. It's their most memorable day until, you know, the next day comes, another milestone comes. But for them, it's very important. They spent a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of plenty, and we want to start the day off right. So whatever that means, whether it be bringing them down and like, you know,
00:43:20
Speaker
for them to be at a relaxed state or a meditative state or as if, or to bring their energy up. So we just kind of flow with it, you know? Oh, I love that. Yeah. So just letting them know we're with you. We're here for you. I love that. I think when you start the day off with like a team that has your back, it could really make the whole day a lot more fun and a lot more seamless. Agree. Agree.
Advice for wedding professionals
00:43:49
Speaker
Yay. Okay. One last question before rapid fire questions, but speak to the hearts of wedding pros, um, struggling to get leads. We know social media is, you know, could be hard and could be kind of annoying, but what would you do? What would you tell them to do today to, um, kind of get all their heads and start making content?
00:44:14
Speaker
Oh, in terms of content or just in general? I guess content and in general. Okay, I always say in general first is just, again, put yourself out there. And this is, like you said, real time for me. I'm going through it right now, too. And I think the industry needs re-energizing.
00:44:33
Speaker
So just like you like going to events if I can to like network myself and remind people that I'm still around like and also be open to offering services to like sponsor and do create content like we are creators. So now we have a little bit of downtime. So why not join forces with other vendors and other wedding professionals and like create something beautiful from it.
00:44:59
Speaker
And that might create a noise so yeah, I think just like connecting yourself and Putting yourself out there in terms of content
00:45:14
Speaker
For me, I have a lot of content to dip back into. So I would say I would just go back into my archive. But if you're starting new, then I would just say, just post it and just say, you know, be transparent and say, I'm just starting my content now. So bear with me. Go with me on this ride. It might sink and, you know, you know, the ship might sink or it might just sail. We don't know, but go with me. It might be fun.
00:45:37
Speaker
Totally. Yeah. Sometimes when I make a mistake, I just kind of roll with it. Just like, oh shoot, like I can't talk right now, but just kind of tell the audience like, hey, I'm new to this, so bear with me. Some people like seeing that too. I like seeing it when I see them look so professional and then they cut to the other side and show like the real deal. Yeah, I love that trend. I'm like, I only have drawing pictures, videos of me.
00:46:04
Speaker
What do you think you're hiring? What you're really hiring? Wait, I need to see more of that. I need to go back onto your content. Totally. Okay, so that was a really good answer. Thank you for sharing. Wrap it far more faster answers, but where did you get the name Bon Bon? Beauty by Bon Bon. Hey there, wedding pros. I want to tell you one more thing about a company that has changed my life. Strategic assistant staffing.
00:46:33
Speaker
or SaaS for short, or your go-to virtual staffing service based in the Philippines who can give you that extra hand when you need it most, picture this, reclaiming at least 20 to 30 precious hours of your life back in every week.
00:46:49
Speaker
Yep, you heard that right. They are a fraction of the price and so efficient at what they do and so talented. It's like $7 an hour. Super crazy. So after understanding my needs, I was paired up with a personal VA and he is amazing.
00:47:05
Speaker
He plans my social, helps me with my wedding albums, does a lot of my editing and helps me with my coaching deliverables and so much more. They team you up with someone that will suit your needs best. So say goodbye to burnout and hello to a more harmonious lifestyle. Ready to elevate and delegate like a boss? My friends at SAS would love to chat with you. Sign up for a free discovery call and mention the promo code WOO to unlock your perfect BA.
00:47:35
Speaker
www.strategic-assistant.com. It's in the show notes. Make sure you use my promo code back to the show as I head to the beat. See ya. My maiden last name is Bon. Oh yeah, duh.
00:47:52
Speaker
Yeah. My brother's name is James Bond. Oh, that's so funny. Oh my God. I'm sure it was like Bond, James Bond. So people call me Bond Bond. So some of them don't even really know my real name till this day. They just call me Bond Bond. Oh, that's so cute. I love it. Okay. Um, your next
00:48:12
Speaker
maybe solo vacation, any upcoming trips? I was planning on going to Japan. I don't know if that's going to happen, but maybe something around November for my birthday, maybe Bali. Oh, that's awesome. Yes, let's go. Okay. What's your favorite or your best maybe networking pack or networking tip?
00:48:37
Speaker
networking with people or what do you mean? Yeah I guess networking with other vendors. Okay good good question because I wanted to share this too because I am an introvert and I relate to those that hold the walls up like the wall like what is it wallflowers because I was a wallflower before but I'm like hey if I'm gonna be here I should make it count so to make it less awkward why don't I initiate the conversation?
00:49:01
Speaker
so not only to just like be part of a conversation like I initiated so then that way it's just like now in some ways it's a control thing I guess but because of that it's built like the confidence for me when I'm at events or like when I'm networking with other vendors or people dude I love that that's so special because yeah those people need attention to not just the the people like you know super
00:49:25
Speaker
super extroverted. So I love that. Best skincare hack because your skin is flawless. Oh, you're being so nice. My hack currently is my esthetician. I would suggest for people to, you know, have another expert to help out. But if not, I think the best thing to do is to make sure that you
00:49:52
Speaker
cleanse your face, use micellular water if you're using makeup, wearing makeup, that'll help remove a lot of the, not just the makeup, but the dirt. I think that's the biggest thing for me. Cause the reason why I have like acne prone skin or problematic skin, I didn't know how to clean my face before. It was all built up. So yes, I would say clean your face properly. Wow. Yeah. I just started getting like crazy acne on my chin. I never had this. And then, so I've been really deep diving into YouTube.
00:50:22
Speaker
And it told me to like, get the, I have to take the oils off at night. So yeah, we'll talk more about that later. Yeah. And I was just going to say, if it's down here, just like me, it's more like hormonal. Yeah. Okay. What is your, um, biggest woo factor, your bon bon factor? What makes you stand out?
00:50:44
Speaker
I don't know. I think maybe help me answer it already. Maybe just being relatable and like I'm okay with like embarrassing myself sometimes cuz I know I ain't perfect at the end of the day. So yeah, no, that was that's awesome. And I guess just tell everyone where to find you how to work with you and you have a little offer for our heck yes listeners. Oh, that's awesome. Okay, so You can find me on social media Instagram at beauty by bonbon
00:51:14
Speaker
B-O-N-B-O-N. Facebook, you can find the same thing under the same name to inquire about our service or book it. You just go on our website, beautybybonbon.com. Go on to the contact form because we customize every package. So fill out the short questionnaire and then I will shoot you back an email with our availability. If we are available, you'll know about the rates as well.
00:51:38
Speaker
Um, and then also, um, anybody that listened to this podcast with me and Carissa, let me know because I'll give you guys a nice little, um, discount. Okay. So just let, when you mentioned Carissa's name, there's a little discount. Thank you. You're welcome. It was a great conversation. My, my bomb, bomb girl. Yeah. I can't wait to see you at the next event. I swear whenever we link up, we're always doing a reel together. Okay. Yes. Thanks for having me.
00:52:10
Speaker
Thanks for joining me this week on Get a Heck Yes with Carissa Wu. Make sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, or tell a friend about the show. Take a screenshot and post to IG. Tag me. Also, don't forget to download my free guide on how to become a lead generating machine. See you next time, wedding pros!