What Do You Get Out of Your Own Work?

May 17, 2013

 ”It’s art if it can’t be explained. It’s fashion if no one asks for an explanation. It’s design if it doesn’t need explanation.”-Wouter Stokkel

Dear Readers:

Today, I want you all to think about what motivated you to get into this business and what you get out of it. As artists, we design because it is an extension of who we are, and a piece of ourselves goes into our work. I believe that is why artists are often uncomfortable explaining their work and have such a hard time placing a dollar value on their work. How do you describe your deepest feelings? How much do you charge for a chunk of your soul?

This afternoon, please take a few quiet moments to connect with the designer who lives inside of you, the one who feels his or her work long before there is movement in the hands. Think about the joy you receive when working, the challenges you have faced (and overcome), and the pain you have suffered both to ego and spirit when you feel you have failed to meet the expectations of your client or they have missed the message.

Remember that all of these experiences have worked to make you a better artist (though you may not have felt it at the time).

Question: What gifts has your work given you?  How have you grown as a result of your work?  Does it hurt you when you have to explain your work?

Blessings,

Preston

(Photo: Light & Porcelain Margaret O’Rorke Courtesy of Ann Linemann)

 

2 Comments

Do You Judge Mothers Who Choose To Work or Those Who Stay Home?

May 16, 2013

 

Dear Readers:

It’s imperative that I start this blog by saying that I am not in any way looking to offend anyone. Whether working in a career or doing your “work” at home, the role of mother is one of great honor, if unbelievably challenging.

Being a working mother, I can sympathize with those who wonder if we’ve made the right decision in choosing to pursue a career they love (and I truly empathize with those who must work in jobs they may not love just to keep food on the table). Though it is sometimes a struggle to find a balance, speaking truthfully, my career, just like my children, is just another part of me.

 

If I were to make a personal assessment of these two incredible human beings, they would be:

 Working mom: A woman in constant motion. One who divides her time between her many loves and aspirations. She who unapologetically believes she can have it all and is endlessly evaluating her options to provide unconditional love to her family while making her dreams come true. I’m obviously in this category and I love it!

Stay-at-Home mom: A woman who exhibits a natural ability to nurture. She has chosen to selflessly care for her family in every sense of the word and constantly finds ways to improve the manner in which her children and her family see the world. The amount of respect that I have for mothers who have chosen this route is incalculable. My hat is off to you.

Today I am going to address something that’s been on my heart for a bit. I would like so much for us stop pointing fingers at one another and to start supporting our individual choices. Our children, family, and our feelings will be better off. It’s easy to disrespect one another’s decisions. At times we’ve been guilty of passing judgement, and I think this is partially because neither party gives the other the credit deserved. This is unfortunate to me.

For those who are wondering why I am writing about this topic on my blog, let me explain. It’s been one of those fabulous wedding seasons where I’ve had to juggle meetings, little league games, clients, bed time stories, being a good wife and partner to husband, and well, just life. As of late, my travel schedule has been a bit hectic, but I remain determined to make it all work. Last week, after several client and staff meetings, avoiding taking a minute to relax or eat, I rushed out of my office, caught the train, and showed up to my son’s baseball game at the tail-end (out of breath and with a guilty conscience).

One of the team moms greeted me by saying, “The game is almost over” with a quizzical expression on her face that clearly meant why did you even bother. For a split second the comment made me feel horrible, but I immediately bounced-back and asked what the score was. “Honestly, I don’t know,” she replied. I was instantly vindicated. We all have reason to judge, but why should we?

I think we both learned from her indiscretion. You see, the fact that she had been there for the entire game really didn’t matter because she wasn’t truly in the moment. On the other hand, my son came up for his last at bat and I cheered and gave him the infamous you got this nod with no words attached. Those few seconds meant the world to both of us.

Stay-at-home moms and working mothers alike make unbelievable sacrifices in order to fulfill our roles and responsibilities. My hope is that we will always be mothers first, but the truth is that our decisions stem from our upbringing, culture, financial status, preferences… The list goes on and on. The one common thread is that we believe these decisions will provide a better life for all. Embrace what works for you with all your heart always and don’t allow doubt to rob you from your ability to be genuinely happy.

Have you ever felt judged unfairly by your peers or others? Do you find yourself judging others? Please share your thoughts.

 

With a Happy Heart,

Kathy

Kathy Romero is the Director of Event Planning for Preston Bailey Designs. She shares her thoughts and advice on Preston’s Blog every Thursday.

(Photo courtesy of Gina Zeidler photography)

3 Comments

Dear Planner: Would You Consider Doing This For Me?

May 15, 2013

Preston Bailey Bride Ideas, Lady with Shoes

Dear Readers:

We can never really know what it feels like to walk a mile in the shoes of someone else, but in the spirit of understanding, I thought we might do our best to give it a try. There’s no denying that planners are the leaders in any event, but what about other vendors working with the planners?  Since seamless events require synergy and respect, I thought it might be useful to reach out to several colleagues and ask them what they would like to ask a planner to do in the spirit of getting the (best) job done. Here are their requests:

Florist

There are times when guests will take home items such as vases, candles, and other elements. Since these items are a part of our inventory and we make a living by reusing them, it would be helpful if you could let your clients know that they will be charged for missing items.

Event Designer

It’s often easy to overlook the time required to set up an event properly. When you are negotiating contracts and deals, please consider telling clients that they might need to rent the locations a bit longer.  We do not like to be setting up when guests arrive.

Lighting Professional

Because lighting is the first thing that goes up, please do your best to get us in the night before. Most hotels do not mind this. Also, please consider the benefit of existing hanging points when choosing a location.

Cake Maker

Please do your best to explain that it takes a long time and a whole lot of effort to make those beautiful sugar flowers. These kinds of details turn a cake into “art”. Also, please be considerate of the time and temperature required when serving a cake. They need to be served at the agreed-upon time. We had one planner leave the cake out in the sun and it started to melt!

Bands and DJ

Please have the hotel or client consider that we are there early and usually stay quite late and would appreciate being fed.

Caterers

Many times we have clients complain that the food was served late. In order to do this, we need a proper wait staff. Please do not cut the amount of servers to cut costs. Your guests will suffer.

Invitation Professional

Triple-check the names of guests, especially if doing calligraphy.  Also, last-minute changes are common so have a calligrapher on-site.

Hair and Make-Up

We are happy to do make-up and hair trial, but they take time. Please consider including a fee for this time in your budget.


I believe this to be a healthy list of suggestions, do you?

Planners:  What are the challenges you face when trying to accommodate these suggestions?

Vendors:  Do you have any more to add?

 

Blessings,


Preston

 

Monday:  Planning Contracts.

 

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

 

5 Comments

What Sets A Good Planner Apart From The Rest

May 14, 2013


Dear Readers:

As we continue our discussion about planning, pricing, and good service, I would like to spend today talking about the difference between a bad planner, a good planner, and a great one. Having spent the past three decades working with hundreds of vendors, I have experienced my fair share of all of the above, and I can say without the slightest hesitation that Marcy Blum is one of the best planners I have ever had the worked with.

Marcy and I are currently collaborating on a few projects (including a couple of major weddings). I respect and trust her so much that I asked her to plan my wedding to my beloved husband, Theo, and was thrilled when she graciously accepted the task (and put up with me when I moved from 0 to Groomzilla on a few occasions).

But Marcy is not the only great planner I have worked with. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the most talented, gracious, and hard-working planners in this business. Sadly, the opposite is also true. I have had to deal with huge egos, a lack of organization, dishonesty–you name it. As a designer, it can be especially difficult to deal with a bad planner. In today’s blog, I would like to share my humble opinion on what traits make a great planner.


Transparency

This sounds obvious, but think about it for a minute. How many planners do you know who aren’t entirely honest with their clients about the prices of their vendors. Now, I do appreciate the need of planners to stay within the budget of their clients, but I do resent it when a planner expects me to lower my prices in order to help them keep their word. Marcy has always handled this wonderfully and realistically. I have heard her tell clients, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that is exactly what things cost.”  I respect her being honest with her clients and respectful of the vendors who work hard to earn their living. She also does her due diligence and research, and matches the clients with vendors who can accommodate the budget of her clients.

Those Who Respect Everyone’s Space and Talents

I have had planners hire me to design an event for their clients but then turn around and try and tell me how to design it. This often turns into a tricky situation. Yes, planners tend to have a strong understanding of the vision of their clients, and it is their job to communicate that vision to the vendors they help hire. However, once that has been done, it’s time to step aside and let us do our job. We were not hired to plan and you were not hired to design.

Experience

Talk to any experienced planner and you’ll likely hear that it was their mistakes that helped them to polish their professional selves and move closer to success. Being a planner is a great career, but as with any career, you pay your dues. That’s not hazing; it’s about learning and growing. You had to learn basic arithmetic before you jumped into pre-algebra, algebra, and so forth. One step makes the next less daunting (and helps it to make more sense). Take this as a warning not to try and take on too much too fast. It’s nice to be ambitious, but it can backfire.

I have and continue to work with a number of planners in many different countries and still work very closely with my in-house planner, Kathy Romero. I do this for a few reasons. First, I am a control freak and I sleep better knowing that I know every detail of a job.  The second and most important reason is that I believe that when a planner and designer work together, the client benefits. Isn’t that the point?

Blessings,

Preston

Question: What do you feel makes a great planner?  Have you ever lost work to a less experienced planner based on their having a lower rate?

 

(Photo Courtesy of Pinterest)

12 Comments

Charging Options For Planners

May 13, 2013

Preston Bailey Blog, Anne Hathaway, Devil Wears Prada, White Coat

Dear Readers:

I hope all of you had a nice weekend. In reviewing the challenges, lessons and mistakes I have encountered throughout the design and planning process, I will spend today’s blog speaking directly to planners.

What do you think is the biggest mistake planners make? You guessed it: Not charging enough for their services. Though most of my clients understand the value of a planner, I still encounter those who come to me and say, “Preston, I do not think I need a planner since I have already done most of the leg work.” My response is usually the same. I sit there quietly and think, “You have got to be joking.” After seeing the extraordinary amount of work done by my in-house planner, Kathy Romero, I am in awe of the workload a planner takes on. Most of the time, Kathy (who is a mother of three) is on-call 24/7. This simple truth took me years to explain to clients in a way they could understand and take in. Investing in a good planner not only saves you time, money and lots of headaches, but also is instrumental to the level of success you enjoy during your event. Though it often takes a bit of explaining at the beginning, most clients admit they could have never pulled off their events without a planner. It’s unfortunate that most planners do not get this kind of appreciation until after the events.

In the next few blogs, I will be sharing what I believe makes a good planner (and what makes a planner not so good). Having worked with the former and more than a few of the latter, I have plenty to say on the subject. We will also discuss how to create a planning contract.

Today, we will discuss the positives and negatives of various approaches to pricing.

The Flat Fee

After giving their best estimate as to the amount of work they will need to do for an event, a planner will name a price and hope they aren’t too far off.

Positive: The client has clarity.
Negative: Most of the time, planners work many more hours than they initially anticipated.

Charging By The Hour

Positive: Aside from the flat fee, this is the most popular choice with clients as they feel they have more control over their budget.
Negative: Most planners are thinking about their client’s job, even when they are not “on the clock”.

Planners Who Work Only The Day Of The Event

Positive: Proactive clients who have done most of the legwork appreciate this method.
Negative: Speaking candidly, it’s not easy to jump into a job and plan only for the day. Planners may need to work a week to a month before the event in order to manage it effectively. Successful planners will take this into consideration.

Charging a Commission Based On The Cost of The Entire Job

Positive: Again, this is a positive in terms of the clients feeling in control of their budget and clear on cost.
Negative: The more the client spends, the more the planner makes. This is not a great situation for clients.

Charging a Small Commission While Collecting a Fee From Vendors (sometimes 10 to 20%)

Positive: This is not a problem if your client has complete transparency.
Negative: Make no mistake about this: unless your client knows, you are stealing money.

Planners, please share with us the method of charging you prefer and the one you like least. Tell us why you feel this way and a few lessons you have learned from your experiences. Lastly, all of you work so hard that I want you to know that, in my humble opinion, you all deserve more – regardless of your current fees.

Blessings,

Preston

(Photo of Ann Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada Courtesy of IMDB)

16 Comments