How To Handle Competition In Your Business

how to handle competition

This week I am focusing on competition, and more specifically, how to choose community over competition. When I first started The Heart Bandits a decade ago, there was hardly anyone doing it. After we started getting a lot of media attention, other Proposal Planners started popping up all over and I used to get so nervous. I would get so scared that they would take all of my business. But the truth is, they didn’t. My business continued to thrive in spite of more competition!

It took me a while but now I realize, there is more than enough business to go around. I am not scared or threatened by competition, I am THANKFUL for it. Competition is what pushes me to always stay on my game. If I didn’t have competitors, I might get comfortable and not push myself.

So today, I want to challenge you to think about your competition differently. Here are 4 mindset shifts that can really transform your business and your mental health if you implement them.

Choose Community Over Competition

I’ve been in the proposal game for a long time. I have a really positive relationship with most of the top Proposal Planners in the world. And that is by choice. There is MORE than enough business to go around in this world. I don’t feel the need to try to plan every proposal in every country, every time. So having a network of Proposal Planners that I can collaborate with is something I truly value. One day, Proposal Planning will be a huge industry. When it is, I want to be known as someone that helped create the industry and provided the platform for Proposal Planners to network and collaborate with each other.

Let Competition Push You

As I touched on earlier, allow competition to push you. When you have someone that is really great at the same thing as you, it pushes you to be better. When they get featured in media, let that drive you to try to get featured. When they are utilizing all of the latest and greatest technology, then you know you have to do it too. Don’t get intimated when your competition does something groundbreaking, let it inspire you to think how you can do the same thing but bigger!

Competition Raises Awareness

One thing to consider is that competition actually raises awareness of your industry which in turn, can help you get more business. So let’s say that someone starts a Proposal Planning company in an area I don’t do a lot of proposals in. And let’s say they make a name for themselves there. Well now, many people in that geographical area know that Proposal Planners exist! And some of them may end up coming to my turf to propose and when they look up a Proposal Planner here, they find me. It is a win-win and I am all about wins!

Have Confidence In Yourself

I have seen many Proposal Planners enter the scene. Heck, I have literally had people outright copy and paste my packages to their website. But I no longer let it concern me. Because the truth is, I KNOW what I bring to the table. I know that there are other Proposal Planners out there that are great. And still, I KNOW many people will choose me because they like me and MY style. I am not threatened or concerned with anyone else because I know my value. And you should too. Whether you are the first Proposal Planner in your country, or the 10th, all that matters is that you bring something different to the table.

And you are welcome at the table.

I find it exhilarating to teach Wedding Planners and aspiring entrepreneurs how to add Proposal Planning services. If you want to get started, here are 3 free resources to help you along the way.

Private Community – Proposal Planning Academy Tribe

Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services Now

Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy

I hope to see you there!

Top 4 Types of Venues Used In Marriage Proposals

new york romantic rooftop proposal
new york romantic rooftop proposal
Proposal Planner: The Heart Bandits Photographer: Wandermore Photography

In the course of planning over 4,000 marriage proposals over the last decade, I have set up proposals at all sorts of venues. But there are 4 types of venues that I am constantly planning proposals at and once you start offering Proposal Planning services, you will too.

If you are a Wedding Planner, you may have experience planning weddings at some of these types of locations. However, planning events for just two people is something you may not be used to so this article can still provide some new perspective for you. If you are just getting started in the Event Planning world, this may be all new to you.

1. Beaches & Parks

For the costal cities, setting up a proposal on the beach is probably the most common request. I always tell my clients, every single piece of land in the world is owned by someone whether it be the city, state, private property, etc. So you always want to check if you need a permit to set up items OR for photography. If there is no photography and the setup you are doing consists of things likely to be at a beach (like a picnic), you probably don’t need a permit. However, you should always check. For the non-costal cities, parks are also very popular and the same advice I just gave for beaches applies.

2. Rooftops

In cities like NYC and San Francisco, rooftops are frequently requested for proposals. I love a good rooftop, but a rooftop proposal comes with its fair share of challenges such as exposure to inclement weather. Also, even the smallest gust of wind can be amplified on a rooftop and keeping things down can be a hassle.

3. Private Homes & Airbnb

I love planning proposals in my client’s homes because you don’t have to deal with getting permission in most cases. However, Airbnb’s can be a challenge because many owners specifically say you cannot hold events on their property. So you or your client need to clear anything you do with the owner so that there are no problems.

4. Ballrooms

Ballrooms in hotels are a great location for a marriage proposal. They are usually very grand and a lot of them have nice views. The challenge is that they are normally large so you have to create an intimate space within a space. But hey, that’s the fun part right….being creative!

So there you have it. The Top 4 Types of Venues Used In Marriage Proposals along with some pros and cons of using them.

Download my FREE resources below if you want to get started Proposal Planning.

4 Things You Can Start Doing Now To Start Proposal Planning

Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy

If you are a Wedding Planner, you have to check out this FREEBIE:

3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services NOW!

Be Fearless

be fearless
be fearless

I have learned a lot about myself since I launched Proposal Planning Academy. I started the academy knowing that I am an expert at creating a successful Proposal Planning business. I know that I can absolutely attract clients that are looking to propose to their partner’s and teach other people how to do the same. But what I didn’t realize, and what I have learned from my students, is that when it comes to my business – I truly am fearless.

What does being fearless in my business mean to me? Well, it means a few things. I want to share with you what I feel it means to be fearless in business in hopes that it may inspire even the slightest shift in your mindset to help you grow in your business.

1. Not Being Afraid To Take Risks

I say this a lot but it’s true, when I started The Heart Bandits, people used to laugh at me. They told me no one would ever hire a Proposal Planner and that what I was doing was ridiculous. 10 years later and 4000 proposals in, I can safely say I have proven them all wrong. But when I started the Proposal Planning Academy, more self doubt tried to creep in. “Am I crazy for teaching others how to compete with me?” “What if no one wants to learn how to be a Proposal Planner?” But instead of listening to the negative thoughts, I told them to go pound sand and defaulted to my motto, “the only true failure is never getting started.” I took the risk, I always do, and it is already paying off.

2. Not Being Afraid To Ask For What I Want

I never realized this about myself, but I ALWAYS ask for what I want. Though I am not a fan of rejection and it always stings a little, it doesn’t bother me enough to ever stop me from asking for what I want. In fact, my mom taught me when I was little, “What’s the worse anyone can do, say no?” I really believe this is something that sets me apart from the people that want to be successful but just can’t quite get there. And I believe it is something that a lot entrepreneurs possess that many others do not. This fearlessness gave me the courage to just outright ask the New York Times to feature me, it allows me to get deals with venues and vendors at rates that were not even offered to me because I am not afraid to negotiate, and so much more.

3. I Am True To Myself

How is this being fearless? Well, I think I am a little weird! I am very outspoken, I don’t have much of a filter, and I feel that I am 100% myself to everyone at all times. It is my downfall and my strength. It can turn off people and it can inspire people. I will talk about my messy hair on a Facebook Live. I will warn you that my son may chuck a truck at me during our conversation. I can’t help but keep it real. And I think it takes a certain level of fearlessness to be 100% real in business. I also believe it can also truly add value to your business when you just show up as your real, authentic self and build true, genuine connection.

I want to challenge you today to think of one thing in your business that you can try to work on being more “fearless” about. Is it adding a new service to your existing business like Proposal Planning? Is it charging that higher rate? Is it turning down jobs that don’t truly light you up? And think about how changing this one thing would it transform your business. I want to hear your one thing, so head over to my private group and let me know what is the one thing you can work on. I want to cheer you on!

Follow me on my journey from Proposal Planning expert to educator. I am learning a lot and you will too. Follow my journey here!

Proposal Planning During The Pandemic

proposal planning during the pandemic
proposal planning during the pandemic

I just wrapped up my 4th FREE masterclass this week called, “3 Simple Secrets You Need To Know To Effectively Market To The Proposal Planning Client.” (If you missed it and want the replay in the next 48 hours, email me at info@theheartbanditsacademy.com) One of the questions that my students kept asking is, “Are you still planning proposals during the pandemic?” And the answer is, YES!!!

I’ll be honest, in March when the pandemic first hit it shook the entire world. No one was calling that month to get engaged. Everyone was in shock and getting used to our new world. And as a business owner, I was using that time to brainstorm how I could pivot my business when people were ready to buy again – just like you!

Fortunately for me, proposals typically only involve the couple, so we were able to get back to work pretty quickly. And you know what, I think the pandemic made people realize even more that they were with the right person, because we got very busy. But still, things looked a bit different. Instead of renting out elaborate venues, our clients were asking us to come to their homes and either completely transform the inside OR to decorate the facade of their houses. I actually found it refreshing to be able to plan such intimate proposals in the environment where the couple had shared so many memories.

When things opened a little more, we started doing really pretty setups on the beach, parks, airbnb’s, hotel rooms, and venues (depending on the city we were planning in). We also got to be creative and do social distancing flash mobs and musical performances where the musicians had on masks that spelled out “Will You Marry Me?”

So as you can see, Proposal Planning during the pandemic is very much still going on. And this is why I encourage you Wedding Planners, no…. I URGE you, to start offering Proposal Planning services. Not only will it help you get through this time period but when life goes back to normal, you will already have this service set up and working for you.

===>>>Not convinced yet, download my FREE Resource, “Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Services Now.”

If you are convinced and you are ready to get started, you have 2 options.

Option 1: You start setting up Proposal Planning services on your own

Download my FREE Resource, “4 Things You Can Start Doing TODAY TO Start Proposal Planning.”

Download my FREE Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy and get started working on that marketing plan.

Option 2: You want a step-by-step implementation guide with proven results so that you launch quickly and do it right the first time

Introducing Proposal Planning Formula™.

In Proposal Planning Formula™, I’ve taken everything I have learned over the last decade about Proposal Planning and marketing marriage proposal services (over 4,000 proposals planned and $5M revenue earned), and channeled it into a comprehensive, step-by-step implementation plan teaching you not only how to effectively start offering Proposal Planning, but to actually EXECUTE a marketing strategy that provides results.

Proposal Planning Formula™ is the only course of its kind that teaches you how to launch quickly, provides you a complete marketing plan, and focuses on maintenance.  

To learn more, all you have to do is head to www.theheartbanditsacademy.com/proposalplanningformula

Whichever option you do, I fully support you and just know you will do great things.

How To Be Inclusive In Your Proposal Planning Marketing

LGBTQ marriage proposal
LGBTQ marriage proposal

June is Pride Month, and it is the perfect opportunity to talk about inclusion. When you plan marriage proposals, the majority of your clients will be men proposing to women. However, you will also have same sex couples asking you for your services and you want to make sure that your messaging feels inclusive to them as well.

One thing that has always made me sad and cringe is when a person asks me, “You are ok with same sex couples right?” It literally hurts my heart that someone has to ASK if I am OK with THEIR choice on who they love. So I really do my best to use gender neutral pronouns in my marketing on my website, The Heart Bandits.

I am not always perfect, but when I am writing copy on my Proposal Planning website, I try to always say “they” instead of “he” or “she.” And I always try to say “partner” instead of “girlfriend.” It doesn’t make any difference to the heterosexual couple, but it makes ALL the difference when someone from the LGBTQ community is reading my messaging and doesn’t feel alienated.

Here is an example of how I do it! Let’s take The Heart Bandit’s Mission Statement for example:

“Our mission is to create a marriage proposal that is as unique as your love story.  We ensure that when your partner experiences their proposal, they know that it was created just for them and more importantly, it was created by you.  To do that, we use a holistic approach in our proposal planning.  We don’t just focus on your partner and what they would like, we also focus on what makes you unique as a couple.  We also take great care to focus on what is unique about you, the Proposer, so that the proposal is truly reflective of your style and persona.

See how easy that is? Just a small change in your marketing can really make a difference for someone else.

If you want to learn more tips on how to market to the proposer, I am actually doing a Facebook Live on Tuesday, June 16th at 10am PST. Here is a link and you can set up a reminder.

My goal is to teach Wedding Planners and Entrepreneurs how to market to the client looking to propose to their partner. I am a Proposal Planning coach that has been planning proposals for a decade and now I am here to help you get started on your Proposal Planning journey. If you are ready to get serious about starting your Proposal Planning company or adding it on as a service, I have created a completely FREE resource for you called, “4 Things You Can Start Doing TODAY To Start Proposal Planning.”

I can’t wait to see what you do with what you learn!

Think Proposal Planning Is Just Like Wedding Planning? Think Again!

marriage proposal in ballet theater
marriage proposal in ballet theater

For the established Wedding Planner, you’ve planned elaborate weddings with a lot of moving parts. (If you are new to Wedding Planning, don’t worry, this article is still for you!) You have executed flawless weddings with complicated timelines. And yes, that experience WILL definitely help you as you embark on this how to be a proposal planner journey.

But I am willing to bet that MOST of you haven’t had to organize the entire cast of the Nutcracker and make sure the proposer hits his knee as soon as the song crescendos with NO REHEARSAL! I am getting hives just thinking back on it.

Or has anyone had to work with a magician and make a client disappear in a cloud of smoke to set off a scavenger hunt? Coordinate a rose petal shower with a drone? Dress up as a Knight to play a role in a medieval proposal?

These are just some of the few crazy things I have been asked to do in my 10 year career as a Proposal Planner. And this is one of the reasons I want to address a misconception that if someone plans weddings, they can easily also plan proposals. Now, I am not saying they can’t do it, but it is not as EASY as a shift as one might think. Here are a few reasons why:

1) No Rehearsals

One aspect of Proposal Planning that is COMPLETELY different than Wedding Planning is that with a marriage proposal, there are no rehearsals. Sure, if you are a lucky and your client actually lives nearby the proposal location AND they can sneak away from their partner, they may do a walk through. But the person he is proposing to will never be there so there will always be a chance that things could go in a direction you never saw coming. And because of that, you have to see everything coming.

2) One Person Is In The Dark

As I mentioned above, one huge challenge to Proposal Planning is that one person that will be experiencing the proposal is always in the dark. With weddings, for the most part, the Bride and the Groom are in on what is going to happen that day. Sure there might be a surprise here and there, but mostly they are on the same page. However, with Proposal Planning, the person being proposed to is NOT on the same page. They are not even on the same book. They have no idea what is going to happen, which way they should walk, how they should stand, how to react, how to dress, etc. And because of all of this, the Proposal Planner has to anticipate what she will do, how she will walk, where she will stand, how she will react and then have a plan B if she does not do any of that.

3) Requires Different Vendors Often

One thing that I love about Wedding Planning is that you can use the same vendors over and over again. You always need a venue, officiant, photographer, florist, musicians, and rental company. And with Proposal Planning, you do use some of the same vendors too. But as a Proposal Planner, you will be frequently asked to find vendors you have never worked with before. One day you may be researching a helicopter or private jet, the next day you are asked to find an opera singer, a fire dancer, or to rent baby pugs. You are just always on your toes with Proposal Planning, there is never a dull moment.

4) Demands A Different Marketing Strategy

The first 3 reasons I gave above are all in regards to how different it is to actually PLAN a proposal. The obvious elephant in the room is that before you can even start planning proposals, you have to adapt a completely different marketing strategy than what you use for Wedding Planning just to get the clients in the door.

And this is why most of Wedding Planners will throw in the towel and say, “I don’t have time,” “I don’t know how to market Proposal Planning,” “Or this sounds too hard.” But not you!

You are here because you are an innovator.

You take risks when you believe the risk will be rewarding.

So today, I challenge you to download my FREE “Top 3 Reasons You MUST Add Proposal Planning Now” PDF. You see, there is a way to learn how to leverage your existing skills and apply it towards being a successful Proposal Planner and Proposal Planning marketer. All you need is a coach, a cheerleader, a mentor. And I got you!! I am confident once you see the benefits to adding Proposal Planning to your services, you will be motivated to make time to get started.

I wish I had a Proposal Planning Coach 10 years ago when I first started Proposal Planning. But I am passionate about sharing everything I know about Proposal Planning with you so that you can learn from my mistakes and launch quickly.