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How to capitalize on the WEDDING BOOM - Hannah Bargas
85 Plays3 years ago
Calling all wedding pros that want to speak clearly to your ideal client. The only question they should be asking you after going on your website is...Where do I sign?
Meet Hannah:
✨ She has a Marketing Agency for Wedding Pros 💰 She is dedicated to bringing in your ideal clients 📍 Texas based
Hannah Bargas from Writefully Yours, is a multi-passionate female entrepreneur that strives to help wedding professional grow in front of their ideal client. She also owns a Dallas wedding publication called Something Blue Journal Dallas. She shares how she made 6 figures in 6 months. She is only 24 years old.
Hot Topic : Tips for wedding pros
Big offer
Right now they can grab any service of mine for 25% off
https://www.instagram.com/writefullyyours_/
Connect with Carissa
Coaching IG: @carissawoo
Photography IG: @carissawoophotography
Download a free guide on how to become a lead generating machine HERE
Watch my free 20 lead generation masterclass https://carissa-woo.mykajabi.com/registration-page...
Thank you to our sponsors Photobooth Supply. Buy the Photo Booth
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Transcript
Launch Excitement and Introduction
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, welcome to heck yes, the new year is off to a great start. And today is a very special day because it's launch day. I recorded this episode with Hannah from rightfully yours a month ago. And today my new coaching website goes live and I'm so obsessed. Go check it out. Hannah did such an amazing job. So I was buzzing with energy and excitement during this episode. I hope you love it.
00:00:27
Speaker
And while you're at it, watch my free 20 minute lead generation masterclass for wedding photographers. The link is in the bio.
00:00:38
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,
00:01:07
Speaker
time hacks 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.
Hannah Vargas' Journey to Rightfully Yours
00:01:30
Speaker
I'm Carissa, as you know, and I'm here with Hannah Vargas from
00:01:35
Speaker
rightfully yours, and she owns a marketing agency for wedding pros, just like me, similar. I was literally on her website for hours today. I'm just so inspired by her, and I actually reached out to her because we kind of do the same thing, so we're gonna really, truly get to know what she does for wedding pros. But a little bile about her, and she could go so much further into it. She is a multi-passionate female entrepreneur that strives to help wedding professionals grow in front of their ideal client.
00:02:04
Speaker
She also owns a Dallas wedding publication called Something Blue Journal Dallas. So welcome, Hannah. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited. I know when I saw your Instagram, I was like, oh my God, we do the same thing. I have to record on the podcast.
00:02:20
Speaker
You do your thing much better, but I'm just fan grilling over you just as much as I'm sure it's the other way around. Oh my gosh. I was just reading your question here. We'll talk more about your background, but you grew your rightfully yours business to six figures in six months. What the heck? Yes.
00:02:41
Speaker
Right. I know. I know. It's crazy. So, you know, initially what happened was I did stationary before I, that's kind of how I got into the industry.
Marketing Strategies and Authenticity
00:02:52
Speaker
And when I did stationary, I obviously did a lot of styled shoots, which helped me network as much as possible. And then, which was nice. And then I just kind of kept growing and growing. And then I was like, this is really slow. So what I kind of realized was, okay, let's,
00:03:10
Speaker
Let's market intentionally. Let's talk about the things that excite you and talk about the things that you're actually passionate about. And so when I started doing that, it worked, which I know it's kind of like a duh thing. But when you kind of just put yourself out there and you're just like, hey, this is me, show up and just show out.
00:03:36
Speaker
show up even if you're half dressed. That's like my motto. Even if you're half dressed, just show up anyway. Exactly. Same. Same. I'm like, I only have to look good from the top. And that's it. So, you know, I'm completely sweat. I love the black and black.
00:03:55
Speaker
I actually have my anti nine to five shirt on. Oh, I love it. All the entrepreneur vibes right now. Okay, so that's interesting. So I thought you were maybe like a photographer wedding wedding planner. So you're in stationary. Yes. Yeah. So my background's in graphic design, too. So so
00:04:17
Speaker
when I was doing the stationery, I loved it. And I actually didn't even want to get into the wedding industry. It's not like I was opposed to it, but I actually wanted to go like into card making because I'm a pretty good writer too. And I'm kind of like sappy. And so I like writing, you know, and that kind of thing. And so, um, it kind of started that way. And then I was engaged and I was like, wow, I could definitely make my own invitations.
00:04:43
Speaker
And that's kind of how it started. And that's how Rightfully Yours happened. And I didn't want to change my name when I started the agency because so many people knew me by this name. So I was like, we're just going to keep it like this. I think we're missing a little part. You're like, you're stationary, then you're engaged, and then Rightfully Yours happens. I know. Give us a little bit more backstory. How did you figure all this out and turn your business into six figures? And this website is freaking insane. Thank you.
00:05:11
Speaker
I, so what I kind of honestly, I mean, you know, we all go through it. I got really burnt out with stationery because I booked, I booked over 45 weddings in seven months and that right.
Balancing Life and Career Transitions
00:05:27
Speaker
And okay. So to kind of put it in perspective for you, I had rightfully yours, which doing the stationery, I was going to school full time, like 28 credits full time.
00:05:40
Speaker
And then I was working full time, like 40 plus hours as a marketing executive at 21 years old. Wow.
00:05:49
Speaker
huge, right? And I mean, I'm very proud of myself, but I was taking on way too much, right? So I did those three things for so long. And then I was like, you know, I feel like I kind of have to pivot a little bit, because I'm kind of tired of making stationary, like I'm tired of making the invitations. And I grew my business. So I kind of want to help other people grow theirs. And so I did three websites for free.
00:06:15
Speaker
And I was like, Hey, tag us when you, you know, launch and like on Instagram and Facebook. And honestly, that first week I had six inquiries for websites. Holy crap. So were they, um, were they photographers or what were they stationary? Yeah. So they were photographers. My first one was a photographer, a planner, and I think two photographers on a planner. Um, and then the rest just.
00:06:41
Speaker
kind of came. I mean, that's, that's been like 45 websites to go now, but I already have like an assistant and a copywriter and designer, but I already told them today.
Website Design and Copywriting
00:06:51
Speaker
I was like, I'm hiring you for my website. Yes.
00:06:54
Speaker
Yes, I am all the things like creative because like for me, what is really important for me and my team, because we're a whole agency. So we do all the things from website development, SEO, copywriting, graphic design, social media advertisement, whatever it is. And then of course, social media management too.
00:07:16
Speaker
But I want to make it a pretty website, but I think you should be pretty but productive. Because if your pretty website doesn't bring in any money, then why even make it pretty? Or why put in any investment at all?
00:07:35
Speaker
We really try to make it, you know, gorgeous, but actually have a reason, you know, be intentional, which is our kind of our whole mantra of our whole business is to be as intentional as possible. Yeah, I mean, your website really tells what you do. And I kept clicking through every link, like how to do SEO, because I need help with that and copywriting a website. So do you guys help with all the copywriting too? Or do you do that with the whole team?
00:08:03
Speaker
Yeah, so I am a wordsmith, as my family always tells me, but my team does too. I've always been a nerd about spelling things right, and I'm a grammar freak.
00:08:21
Speaker
I've always got that stamp of approval from all my English teachers, which is nice. But when I first started college, I actually went to school for journalism. So I know how to write. So I've been called a triple threat a few times, which I love hearing, obviously. Ooh, that gets me close. Yes. So yeah, we do all. I mean, we literally do everything. Oh, I'm so excited for my business.
00:08:47
Speaker
Yes, I would be too. So you were telling me before we started recording who you serve or who your favorite people to serve? What percentage is tell me a little bit more? Yeah, so you know, looking back because you know, every year you kind of look back like who did I work with this year and
00:09:04
Speaker
And, you know, we like to be intentional, as I've said multiple times now, but we'd like to be intentional in the fact of like, we're putting you in front of clients, but also clients that you actually want to work with, not just anybody who will listen or anybody who's engaged because just because somebody's engaged.
00:09:21
Speaker
doesn't mean that they are having a wedding, but it's maybe not a wedding you want to be a part of. So we like to put you in front of your ideal high-end client as much as possible. And we do the same thing with the magazine too. But I would say it's probably about like 70% photographers and then the rest planners, florists,
00:09:44
Speaker
Um, rentals, um, and venue owners would kind of take up. Okay. And tell me a little bit about your team now, because I'm sure you developed it super fast, but how did you do it on your team? Yeah. So as I'm sure so many people know, it's really hard sometimes to find good help. Um,
00:10:06
Speaker
And I have the best team. My sister, she's still going to school in kind of the nursing field. She's going to be a dietician now, but she's my full-time assistant. So she
Building a Diverse Team and Entrepreneurial Drive
00:10:20
Speaker
works full-time for me, which is so cool because I get to run this powerhouse right along with my sister and super excited about that.
00:10:30
Speaker
Um, I have two of my best guys who do, um, social media management, um, or not really the management, but more of the ads part. And they're actually in Brazil. Um, yes. Yeah. And then we have, um, two guys in Nicaragua that do our SEO, which they are gurus. Oh my gosh. I don't know where I'd be without them on like off. Oh.
00:10:57
Speaker
work. Upwork. Yes. Yeah. I love Upwork. Just because I mean, if you can, if you can grab someone who, you know, has the passion to actually apply for like a job, they have no idea what it's going to entail. Yeah. And then to help someone, you know, build their portfolio is, I mean, that's kind of how I got where I am. So if I can help someone else, I want to.
00:11:23
Speaker
Um, so I love upwork and I would definitely recommend that to anybody who's looking for a virtual assistant for social media, you know, managers, whatever that is. And us at the agency, we're on there too, to get hired by these other people as well.
00:11:38
Speaker
Oh, I love how you're outsourcing like overseas and you have your family member and sister on board. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This whole conversation is giving me chills. Okay. So Oh yeah. As in podcasting anywhere. Like I want to ask like good questions, but I really want to know cause you're so young, like what inspired you? Like were you always just hungry since you were like 14 or like, what is it? You have mentors. I,
00:12:03
Speaker
That's a good question. And you'd be surprised I get asked that quite often. Because I do a lot of speaking events, too. And people always have questions at the end, and they always ask me. But I have always had this kind of mentality that I didn't really want to work for anyone else. I always had this intramreneur spirit. And even when I worked for the big company where I was a marketing executive,
00:12:32
Speaker
Um, I loved it. I love working, you know, as a team with a ton of people from different backgrounds. I love it. I thrive off of people. Um, and all the ideas that people bring, but I didn't like the idea that there was, as, as long as I was in corporate, there's always a cap on what you could earn. And I just feel like I'm worth more than that. Um,
00:13:00
Speaker
And I believe I don't have any children of my own yet, but I feel that to raise my family how I want to, I want to show my, if I have little girls or if I have little boys, I want to show them you can be anything that you want to be in this world. And literally no one can take anything away from you if you're educated and you believe in yourself. And that's really kind of what's driven me.
00:13:29
Speaker
Oh, yeah. So you're married, you said you were engaged. Yeah. Does your hubby help you out with the business or does he have his own thing? He so he just got out of the military. So he he is there for kind of like my confidant. He's just kind of like, you're the boss lady. I don't really, you know, he's always there for any ideas, you know, which I love. Yeah.
00:13:55
Speaker
Yes, I'm sure you understand. And he's like, well, you know, if you ever need any help, you know, and, and it's just so difficult. And I'm sure you can attest to this, but it's like, when you're talking to someone, like you can tell that they understand like what you're talking about, but like, they don't understand to the degree of like, how big this client could be or how big this project is going to be, you know? So, you know, it's always great, but, uh,
00:14:24
Speaker
No, he's not directly in the business. Yeah, I think we're speaking the same love language and that's business. Tell me I'm doing a good job and that's that's pretty much it.
00:14:41
Speaker
Tell me if I'm awesome and I'll do everything. You right. You right. Oh my gosh. Okay, so this question before we get into our hot topic. Yeah, we're gonna go deeper into a bunch of stuff. But what was like the biggest struggle of your business? And how did you overcome that? Yeah, you know, I was thinking about this question, because obviously, you know, I was like, wow,
00:15:09
Speaker
looking back into like how fast it all happened. You know, that's, that's huge. And then from this post going viral that, you know, is just like growing our Instagram so fast, it makes me realize kind of like the biggest struggle that I have in my business.
Managing Anxiety and Spiritual Practices
00:15:26
Speaker
And it, I don't know if I've ever overcome it, but I work towards it every single day. I have anxiety pretty bad. And for me, and I think a lot of
00:15:39
Speaker
you know, entrepreneurs, but also female entrepreneurs can really relate to that because, you know, for a while there, I was kind of, I was the breadwinner and I kind of felt like it was all on my shoulders and I had to do everything and I couldn't take a break because if I did, then I would miss out on opportunities. If I took off a weekend, would that push me back? You know, um, I'm going to cry. Yeah. Yeah.
00:16:07
Speaker
It's hard. So many people talk about it's that work-home-life balance. But also, if you think about COVID, I mean, I'm working from home, obviously. I know so many people are working from home. It's really hard to separate that because I work in my office, love my office, but then sometimes I come in here just to decompress. But it's hard because you have to kind of separate them.
00:16:37
Speaker
And I think for me, I have anxiety on most things and I go to therapy, which would always recommend therapy. Even if you don't have problems, just have someone to talk to and learn how to communicate every Monday. We'll do one today too. We'll be mental health Monday posts and we always do those. I think it's really important to talk about it.
00:17:02
Speaker
Um, so I would say my anxiety for sure. Yeah. And I'm going to talk to you like again, maybe we'll do another episode about anxiety and after kids, it gets even worse. So you have to like nip it in the bud. Beautiful.
00:17:15
Speaker
Yeah, but there's different techniques that I've learned over the days and I go to therapy every every other week too. So it helps a lot. But we're just drivers. Like I think our biggest weakness is there's too many opportunities for us. We're, we're smart, we're driven, we're resourceful, we could add team members, we could do it all. But like, where does it stop? And like, when do we write mental breaks? Right? Yeah, right. And then when you do take up, yeah, how do we take off, you know, and when we do take off, it's like, how do we get over that hump of not feeling guilty about it?
00:17:47
Speaker
I want to hug you right now. I know, I know. But it's so true. Yeah. And I'm like 10 years older than you. So I just I feel like I have like, want to protect you, you know, I know, I know. And I feel that same way about like my clients. I'm a spiritual person. So I like to manifest a lot. And
00:18:06
Speaker
you know, just pray a lot over my clients. I have a prayer book that I put every client that ever comes on. Even after we're done, I manifest for them. I pray over them. It's just really important to me and it gives me kind of peace of mind. Um, you know, just, just to, you know, always look over them, you know, business wise and personal lies. Um, just cause when, when you come on, rightfully yours, your, your family, you know, you, you are, it's inevitable. So.
00:18:30
Speaker
Oh, I love that. I was gonna tell you something I do to help myself is instead of like, of course, daily goals, weekly goals, but I try to get myself like monthly goals instead. Like only four podcasts a month and then like this many times I work out a month and it comes down to a week. And then so when I hit the goals, I actually feel like a sense of accomplishment instead of I have to do more.
00:18:59
Speaker
Yeah. And it really helped me I just keep writing, journaling out like the monthly goals turns into the weekly goals. And then when you see it like as a month, and you could actually like eliminate things like, okay, well, I need to take a break at this time, because you have all these clients coming in, okay, maybe it's time to just stop. And you have to say for a couple, three weeks, hey, I'm not taking out any clients, like, get back to me in three weeks, or we'll follow up with you. Because for us, it's like,
00:19:28
Speaker
it's like we want to help everyone. And we want to keep going and then in return, it's going to like create this negative energy where we're like resentful towards our business and we're like doing too much and your husband's going to resent you. So we need to like really plan like for the month and then yeah, the year. Yes, 100% to all of that, that would definitely help. And I
00:19:51
Speaker
I think just being able to, you know, also take like a mental break and just like take, I mean, it doesn't have to be for an hour, you know, take 10 minutes just to like breathe and just realize, you know, everything that is coming to you, you are worth every, all that your success is, you know, you are worth every inquiry that comes in because you are putting out the work.
00:20:12
Speaker
So you should get that in return. But if it's gonna cost your mental health or your time that you don't wanna spend away, just know that something else will take its place in time. And I like to think of that as much as possible. Oh, totally. Is there like a spiritual book that you like or a podcast or a YouTube? I don't have one that I kind of go by. I watch a lot of TikToks, but I'm like,
00:20:41
Speaker
every spiritual TikTok you could think of. Can you send me some? Yes, of course. Yeah. And I think that could be probably like a post. I think that would be so cool. Maybe that could be like a Mental Health Monday post where I like share my favorite TikTokers that do some manifestations or mantras. Yeah, I love it. Okay, so tell us about the viral post before we get into our hot topic.
Social Media Success and SEO Insights
00:21:06
Speaker
Yes. Oh my goodness.
00:21:09
Speaker
So I had to turn my phone on do not disturb it still is on because you would probably be able to hear it ding every second. But it's oh, I'm getting like, at least one but one to seven followers a minute. And it's crazy. Which I love, you know, everyone wants this. But I
00:21:36
Speaker
literally saw this on TikTok and then I saw it in some articles coming up, you know, coming through. Cause I like to read my news rather than watch it. And I saw from NPR that in 2022, there's going to be 2.5 million weddings and that's more than 1984, which is like 40 years ago, which is crazy because that's why I started following you.
00:22:04
Speaker
Yeah. Yes. And it's crazy because it's like, you know.
00:22:08
Speaker
I didn't think that would blow up. I literally did it because I saw that, you know, people should know about this, you know, and no one was talking about it. I thought it was interesting. So I was like, I told Jenna, I was like, we need to make this post. And that was like two weeks ago and I kind of forgot about it. And I was like, we need to make that post. So I did, I didn't think anything of it at all. And it was like doing pretty well and people were saving it. And I was like, wow,
00:22:36
Speaker
Um, and I had like 950 followers. And then at 11 o'clock this morning, I hit 2000. What the hell? Yeah. And it has like, bikes and 130. Good Lord. I'm going to like it freaking out. Right. Literally. Oh my God. That's so interesting. Yeah. I shared it like on both my accounts and I thought it was interesting. Yes. And, and I think it's, I think it's interesting because also like,
00:23:05
Speaker
There's a lot of demographic that can attest, you know, and like relate to it because, you know, it's the people who are obviously in the wedding industry, you know, and then these business coaches like yourself. And then three, the, the brides, you know, the people can, you know, tag their fiance, which they are already. I mean, like, oh my gosh, we're going to make history. And it's like, I didn't even think about that, you know, like that they would post or want to comment that, but that's so cool.
00:23:35
Speaker
What does that mean for me and you as people that help wedding pros? I personally think that if you don't have yourself up on a pedestal with SEO, if your brides can't find you, then this whole plethora of weddings that are about to happen, if you're not booked out yet, there's a reason why. There is a for sure reason.
00:24:02
Speaker
What I want to be able to do is, you know, I do marketing coaching, but I also do marketing director positions too, which, you know, I will coaching is obviously I'll help you through it. And then marketing directors, like all actually wear the hat and do all of your marketing for you, which I love both of them. But I think what we have to realize is if you're not booked out, it's because one, they probably can't find you or two, a lot of brides get really turned off when you don't have your pricing on your website.
00:24:31
Speaker
I just, oh my gosh, I pledge that in every coaching call and every speaking event, just because if you, if you don't have your pricing on your website, it's either because either one, you're ashamed of it and you think people are going to be turned off by it, or two, you want people to like sign up for your pricing guide to like increase your emails. And that to me seems shady. So I always say, don't do that.
00:25:00
Speaker
because I think that gatekeeping is like not a thing anymore. They want you to be open and honest. And I think, I mean, I think it's gonna blow up, honestly. I think we have to. I coach like the opposite, but it's all good. We have different approaches. Yes, and I think that's great. I think it's good to be able to have both approaches. And I think for me, having your website be kind of just
00:25:30
Speaker
When they come to your website, this is just my philosophy. When they come to your website, I want them to have no other questions, but are you available for my day and I'm ready to book you? Just because, one, it helps SEO because you have way more keywords than you ever. And it kind of lowers your back and forth. It kind of eliminates that back and forth so you don't have to negotiate yourself so much either.
00:26:02
Speaker
I've tried different ways and I think...
00:26:05
Speaker
I met this girl, Cherie Davenport. She's really good at Pinterest, but she has her prices on the website. And when you go there, you get what you see type of thing. I think it didn't work for me, but I think because I didn't maybe have you. I do like the old school way where I get people on the phone and I break down walls and they ask questions. So it's interesting.
00:26:31
Speaker
And I think it really is for every niche that's in this industry, you know, in the wedding industry alone, whatever niche that you're in, you can be a photographer, but only want to photograph elopements, you know, or whatever your niche is. I think for me, what really helped my clients was being upfront about the pricing and don't negotiate. But
00:26:55
Speaker
realize that these are real people on the other side. You know, these are people that are spending a pretty penny for the wedding, right? Yeah. Um, think about it though. Like, what if you asked for that good amount of price, but you have payment plans? Why? That'd be perfect. You're still getting the amount that you asked for. And if you did it on like, even like a 12 month, you can rely on that payment every single month, just have them
00:27:24
Speaker
If you're going to be on a monthly plan, you have to be on auto pay. Like if you do honey book or whatever that is, you have to be on auto pay. And that kind of alleviates a little bit of that stress. It's like, oh, it's not three grand all up front. It's maybe 300 bucks a month. I can do that. I'm so excited to work with you. Yes, I am too. I am too. So what is our hot topic today?
00:27:50
Speaker
Hey guys, you all know me. I'm Carissa Wu and I'm a coach for wedding photographers. I've also been a wedding photographer for over a decade so I've been through it all. I was a shy, awkward girl and I've come so far. I'm now beyond passionate about helping wedding photographers not struggle how I did for so many years.
00:28:09
Speaker
It was six years into my business, and I was so tired of being ghosted, nickel undimed, and hearing the dreaded words, we went a different direction. I also knew I needed to find a way to not rely on referrals or paying $350 a month for the knot to get my leads. I didn't want to have anxiety about when my next payday was going to come, and I wanted to scale my business. Fast forward to now, I created my very own stack system to help wedding photographers get constant leads
00:28:37
Speaker
and master the dreaded sales call and get a heck yes in 24 hours or less and charge more than $4K or $5K or $6K. No more waiting around guys, this is our livelihood, our artistry and our passion and we deserve to be respected, valued and paid for what we are worth. I've helped so many wedding photographers.
00:28:56
Speaker
watch my 20 minute masterclass all about lead generation and closing the sale. the link is in the bio. you don't want to miss out on the wedding boom and you don't want to miss out on booking your calendar for 2022. it's engagement season guys so you don't want to miss this. see you guys soon! so i think for today's kind of hot topic if you will kind of you know
00:29:22
Speaker
three tips that I would tell the listeners that if you're in the wedding industry, it really doesn't matter what niche that you're in.
Client Engagement and Personal Connections
00:29:31
Speaker
One is be prepared to be ghosted. Be prepared. When you do, have that kind of in your marketing plan.
00:29:47
Speaker
I think for the past like four months, I've been working with a lot of my clients on a plan for action for ghosting. And I was like, I never thought I would be, I never thought I would be, you know, making a marketing plan with the title ghosting in my life. I thought it was always like a Tinder term, you know, like, you know, if you ghost someone on Tinder, but you know, I guess it could go both ways.
00:30:13
Speaker
But I think, you know, when you put a plan in place about, okay, if someone ghosts you, meaning you reach out and then you don't, it's like crickets, right? For like a week, you're like, I don't think they're going to book with me. You know, go ahead. And if you don't have honey book or, you know, Deb Sato or something like that, that kind of reminds you to, you know, maybe do a checkup or a followup. Um,
00:30:40
Speaker
Mark on your calendar when you send out your brochure or your pricing, and then make sure you do a reminder to follow up that week after. If you don't hear something, then I always have in my marketing plan to go ahead and send them a last chance. Before I book my final weddings for 2022, I want to make sure that I for sure have an answer from you.
00:31:10
Speaker
And, um, you know, always, always, always have three testimonials in your follow-up. I don't know why the number three always works with people. Um, but having three testimonials from past brides that you've worked with, um, has always helped people because they're like, okay, well, other brides have like had a great, you know, situation or, you know, a great wedding with them, no matter if it's a wedding planner, a florist, whatever.
00:31:40
Speaker
People like to relate to someone else before they make a big purchase like that.
00:31:46
Speaker
Yeah, I love that. The fortune is in the follow up, I totally agree. And I went, I would talk to like wedding photographers long time ago, my career and they would get so bummed out of people goes to them like, good crime, you're like, Oh my gosh, like you, you have to focus on just getting more leads. Like you should have like 10 to 15 leads inquiries per Saturday. I'm like, especially during the summer. So you don't have to cry about the people that ghost you. But that's a really good way to like, um,
00:32:13
Speaker
you know follow up with them and just because some people totally forget like they're just in research mode and they forget about you and if you follow up they're like oh this photographer really cares about me and she really wants my business. Yeah it makes them feel you know special because I can't tell you how many brides that I talked to like when I did stationary because I kind of came towards the end you know like about three four months before the big day whereas the planner comes like you know like maybe a year a year and a half before the big day.
00:32:42
Speaker
So they've already obviously had and have all their planners or all their vendors before they get to me. So they kind of talked to me about like how the planning has been going. And they're like, when I was looking for stationary or when I was looking for photographers, no one ever got back to me. Or like, you know, I was waiting two weeks to hear something and I was like, what? I was like, I'm on it when I.
00:33:10
Speaker
I just, I mean, we live in such like a go, go, go kind of world that it's like, why wouldn't you, you know, why, why don't you want to like reach out as soon as one comes in and, and, you know, maybe that's the people pleaser in me too. But I feel like, you know, if, if you don't respond that they don't feel important and then they're already going to be turned off by you anyway, you know? Yeah. I've gotten so many bookings lately because they just said, Oh, you actually want to get to know us.
00:33:40
Speaker
I actually got back to us. I'm like, all right. Yeah, which is sad, kind of. Yeah. But that's like, I think that has happened to me too. Like, you know, they're like, you're just so personable. And one other time I got three bookings for some reason, because I have two German shepherds and people thought I have really cute dogs. I was like, what? I
00:34:05
Speaker
They're like, Oh my gosh, you're a dog lover too. Like, and then dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, like I've always wanted to work with you. And then inquiry. I'm like, what? What? Like, how does that even make sense? Like, I don't understand. But, but I love it. I told you I read everything. I have a big golden retriever. So for the best, they're so loyal. I love Goldens. They're so loyal. Yeah, I love it. So
00:34:32
Speaker
kind of like little recommendation I have for you for your social is to keep writing your name. Because yes, it's taking a while to figure out. Yes. I it's it's funny that you say that because where I had like, I think it's marketing
00:34:52
Speaker
pro for wedding pros. I think that's what my name is on there. For the longest time, it was Hanna-Bargas on there. And people were like, what do you do? And I was like, it's in my bio.
00:35:07
Speaker
So I feel like I can never win, but I think I could definitely do in the post a whole lot more, especially now that I've gained so many more followers. Thank you so much. I don't know you, but I feel like I've known you for so long. I feel that. I feel that. And I think another great tip also for everyone that's listening is don't be afraid to be completely and utterly yourself because
00:35:38
Speaker
I feel that, like you just said, make sure, say your name and tell about yourself. I get pretty vulnerable when I talk about my mental health and some people might be kind of turned off by that maybe, but those aren't the people I want to work with anyway. So it's fine. I want to help everyone that I can, but at the end of the day, you got to work with people who vibe with you too. And I think
00:36:04
Speaker
Be yourself through and through because there are people out there that do what you do, but they can't be you and they can't do exactly how you do it. And I think it's incredibly important to be authentic through and through. So people are never surprised, you know? And I think when you are authentically yourself is when you actually can find that ideal client because they can relate to you based on the posts that you put out there.
00:36:35
Speaker
you know, totally like when I was online dating, and like though I was before Tinder came out because I'm a little older. But yeah, it was like this guy had, we had the first date and he's like, Oh, you're like exactly like how you present yourself on your profile. And you're like, why is this?
00:36:54
Speaker
Yeah. So I was like, okay, that's cool. Yeah. It translates to my business because all my like second shooters I have like, you know, just started shooting with me. They're like, you get like the best chillest brides. And I think maybe I just present that on social media. Like I'm really chill and like, I'm not super professional and I talk about inappropriate things and yeah. Yeah. So then I get these, like the most chillest brides ever. And they're like, how do you get these brides? I'm like, I guess I just attract them.
00:37:23
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, you do. And I think also like when you are just yourself and like, I remember like my mom's like, don't cuss in your posts. And I'm like, but I would literally do that in my life. So yeah. Um, but I, I think for me, you know, I really grew my business when I was intentional and, and was myself and was able to just be like, Hey, this is me. And this, this is what I can bring to the table. And I want to help you grow to how I grew.
00:37:52
Speaker
And people are like, I love how authentic and real you are because you kind of just tell it like it is. And it's kind of like a no bullshit kind of thing, you know?
00:38:00
Speaker
And you're really 25. You have an old soul. I've heard that so much. I feel like you're my mentor. Okay, so these are all our hot topic was three tips for wedding pros. So the first one was be prepared to be ghosted, and always follow up with them with like three testimonials, which is freakin genius. And then the second tip is be yourself, utterly authentically yourself. And it'll resonate with your ideal clients. And what is your tip number three?
Social Media Strategy and Client Success Plans
00:38:31
Speaker
I think tip number three would be, you know, when you're going through your social media and thinking about, you know, who do I aspire to be kind of like, or, you know, like, if there's anyone, I mean, we all have somebody, you know, that we kind of like look up to when it comes to social media. Sometimes some people try to look too much like someone else.
00:38:59
Speaker
But I think for me, for everyone listening, what I would recommend is when you're looking at hashtags or you're looking at what these other people who maybe do what you do and you want to be just as big as them or you want to be as worthy as them as far as getting all the big sales or whatever it is.
00:39:28
Speaker
don't use the same hashtags that those people do. I have been, I have been told by so many people, they're like, well, so-and-so uses these hashtags. Like I want to use these to like exact hashtags. And I'm like, no, like you can use some of them, but don't like copy and paste because if you think about it, what I like to tell a lot of my clients is if you
00:39:53
Speaker
have some unique hashtags. When someone clicks on that hashtag and you're the only one who uses it, it's like you have two social platforms or you have two social accounts because that hashtag has all of your posts. So you have your Instagram and then you have this hashtag that is literally like your whole other Instagram feed, which I think is cool. So yeah, I love that. And then, um,
00:40:19
Speaker
I just think that when you're doing hashtag research, Pinterest has always been my favorite for some reason. Hashtag research. So there's keyword researches that you can research tool on Pinterest that you can use. And I use that to find my hashtags for Instagram. Oh, okay. I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. The keyword tools are amazing.
00:40:45
Speaker
I'm learning so much from my Gen Z fan. Cool. OK, any other tips for wedding pros before we go into rapid fire questions? I don't think so. I think that's pretty much it. So that's perfect. OK, so what is your woo factor? How do you stand out your wedding pro marketing agency? Yes. Yeah.
00:41:15
Speaker
So I think, you know, how we kind of stand out is being able to, first of all, we're really, really lenient with all of our clients as far as like, we offer payment plans with every service that we do. And I've never seen that even when I was in the corporate world, obviously, agencies are really expensive. And rightfully so. They have a lot of great people that have great minds. And this is all that they do is just market. And I think
00:41:45
Speaker
you know, being able to have a group of people that want to just see you grow and want to know you as a person and genuinely want you to win. I think that's what's different too, you know? So yeah, yeah, I love that.
00:42:01
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, when you have a team that really wants you to win, like, I feel like it just makes your life like as people that want to win ourselves. Like we just feel like we're like doing this together, like not just by ourselves. 100% 100% and it's about team kind of feel to which is amazing. Yeah, I'm on Slack with like my assistant and my designer and I just
00:42:24
Speaker
Well, I had rested all weekend and I was just like, Oh, I want you to make a website like this. And check this out. Oh, crazy. But they know how crazy I am. I like that all the time. I'm like, message enter message enter. Yeah, me too. Like a slack account would be so fun. Yes. Okay. What is your favorite thing to do with you and your husband? Oh my gosh. Watch. I'd love to go to the movies.
00:42:54
Speaker
Um, mainly because I just love the popcorn. I'm a weirdo when it comes to like my popcorn. Um, I can't do like in the bag. Like I have to go to the movie theater, like that's so funny. And I, we will go to like the dumbest movie.
00:43:14
Speaker
And I don't care. I just want the popcorn. And I'll probably fall asleep, but I just want to eat the popcorn. So funny. I had this big fight with my dad in college. He wrote me this really mean email. And he said, I have a money problem because I had to get the $5 hot dog at the movie theater.
00:43:33
Speaker
I was like, I cannot wait. I have to have the hot dog at the movie theater. It tastes different from any other hot dog. I can't wait until I get home to eat. I need the hot dog. Exactly. Yes. Or the hot dog at a baseball game. Don't even get me started. It's completely different. Totally. That's so funny. What is your biggest accomplishment in business? Probably hitting six figures in six months. That was, first of all, crazy.
00:44:01
Speaker
I think also being able to give back, doing a lot of speaking events for young women entrepreneurs that are in high school and talking to them and talking about how you can grow.
Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs
00:44:17
Speaker
That's kind of where my aspiration for everything goes, is just giving back to young women.
00:44:25
Speaker
I come from a Mexican descent, so being able to show women of all ethnicities that you can literally do anything that you want. And there's no barriers. There's no glass ceilings. You can break through anything. I'm buzzing. I'm buzzing. OK, so this is a good question for you because you grow so fast. But the magic wand question, where do you see your company growing in three months? Oh, man. Well, three months is like five years for you. I know.
00:44:54
Speaker
I know, it's kind of crazy. So in three months, I could see, um, we are going to be rolling out some website templates, which I'm super excited for. Yes. And, um, also some Canva templates for people to use on, um, Instagram and Pinterest too, for them, um, to be able to get their Pinterest rolling because I don't know if you know this, but there's some really high Pinterest statistics. If I don't, are you, do you avidly use Pinterest? No, no. Okay.
00:45:23
Speaker
because I did a Instagram live and did you know 72% say Pinterest inspires them to shop when they aren't looking for anything? I didn't know that. Yeah. And 90% say Pinterest helps them decide what they want to buy, which is nuts. Yeah. So, and you got to think that's where the brides are too. You know, like, so I think for me,
00:45:50
Speaker
I would want to have all of our social media bundles that we just came out with. That's a $20 bundle, which is amazing. It's 28 pages long. And then having the website templates up and then having the Instagram and Pinterest templates up and running so that we can help as many people as possible without me doing everything custom.
00:46:14
Speaker
I think it would be a game changer for a lot of wedding professionals, especially with this huge boom that's about to happen. Oh my God. I'm going to buy that $20 bundle because I have, I'm the opposite of you. I'm like type of queen. I'm not a wordsmith. So help me so much. Yes. You can literally copy and paste, which is exactly why I made that.
00:46:37
Speaker
Yay. Okay, so tell us about your freebie or your what you're giving the listeners today and how everyone could find you. Yes. Okay. So right now with any of the services that we offer, you can get 25% off your total price. And then of course, as always, you can pick your own payment plan. And then
00:46:59
Speaker
It would be a reduced monthly rate for you. So 25% off. Um, and if you are listening to this podcast, um, I don't think I put this in there, but I was thinking about this last night. I wanted to be able to give back something else too. We will do a free audit of your website for free, which we usually don't do for free. But if you're listening to this, I, you know, and you come through and you say you came from this podcast.
00:47:23
Speaker
Um, you will get a free audit of your website and it's like no strings attached. I'm not going to try to sell you or anything, but I'll just let you know what needs to be fixed and, and how healthy your SEO is so that your brides can actually find you. Um, so we'll do that for free. The wedding boom hashtag wedding boom. Um, and I, I think, um, I mean, obviously everyone who's listening
00:47:51
Speaker
You guys are worthy of all the successes that you want in this business. Remember why you started this business. Stop making it a hobby. Stop treating it like a hobby. You are worth all of the investments that people put into you. And you can find me on Instagram at rightfullyyours.com for all the pretty things, websites and services, whatever you need.
00:48:18
Speaker
Yes, I'll link everything. All the listeners are going to spend so much time on your beautiful website. Thank you so much. It's so colorful. Thank you, Hannah. This is a great conversation. You're the best. Thank you so much.
00:48:37
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.