In this module, we talk about what we’ve been hearing from wedding venues all over the U.S. about the pandemic. We’re also going a bit “behind the scenes” and talking really honestly about what we did as a company to respond to the crisis. Finally, we’re covering tangible things you can do to continue to change your mindset and find some purpose in the pain—including walking you through how to come up with your list of Core Values.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN WHEN YOU DIVE INTO THIS MODULE:

HOE TO NOT JUST SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE IN A CRISIS

HOW TO NOT JUST SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE IN A CRISIS

2020 VBBC • MODULE 3

Refer to the time-stamped show notes below when you want to revisit any particular portions of the episode.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

SHOW NOTES:

2:48 The second week in March - the week everything starts to hit the fan.
3:50 The very first decisions we made for our company.
4:35 The moment when things got really personal and really scary for Lisa and Meredith.
6:02 The first decision we made was to take care of our employees.
7:16 Our first Core Value: “The Sisterhood first, always.” How we lived this value during COVID.
8:46 Everyone’s trying to figure out how to walk the line between protecting your company financially and helping others in their time of need.
9:13 Our second Core Value: “our client’s success is our success.”
10:18 How Lisa and Meredith have leaned on each other to stay on course and in a positive mindset.
11:17 Why it’s important to learn to be vulnerable during a crisis.
12:24 The importance of the “all-hands meeting”.
12:43 The uncertainty of the pandemic is its single biggest challenge.
15:01 Leaning into another of our Core Values: “Everything is figure-out-able.”
16:00 The projection spreadsheets we created to help manage through the pandemic.
17:10 What are your company’s “input points” that help you steer your ship?
18:37 Gallows humor becomes a coping mechanism, living out another Core Value: “Laugh often and wear yoga pants anytime you feel like it.”
19:15 How we figured out “ok, this is horrible, but where is the purpose in the pain?”
20:00 How can wedding venues find the opportunities during this crisis? Can we begin to shift the mindset?
20:33 The opportunity of found time.
21:50 The opportunity of incentive. It’s useful to have a fire under your booty.
22:20 Take the opportunity to go over your marketing collateral.
22:47 Small weddings and elopements will be on the forefront of the recovery. Are you ready to service those kinds of events?
24:27 Word of mouth and goodwill will be exponentially more powerful as we come out of the pandemic.
25:22 All-inclusive packages are going to be key for events in 2021. These new wedding couples are going to want things to be quick and easy.
29:55 Switching from an inward focus to an outward focus.
31:40 Managers: how you can stay focused on building your team and deepening your connections with each other.
33:45 People want to be connected to each other more than ever.
35:18 People want to do business with humans.
35:41 Why it’s important that you create a list of Core Values for your team.
38:00 How we created our Core Values and how we felt after doing it.

We’re going a bit “behind the scenes” and talking really honestly what we did as a company to respond to the crisis.

At Here Comes The Guide, we’ve relied heavily on our Core Values during this time and we talk about why every company should have a list of their most important values.

FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS SPREADSHEET

This Google Sheet helps you make some educated guesses about revenue over the coming months to help make good decisions. It then helps you track your revenue projections against what funds actually come in.

This is very useful both during a financial downturn and when times are good.
Be sure to watch the video below to help you find out how to use this powerful tool!

SPREADSHEET

This worksheet this walks you through, step-by-step, how to come up with your venue’s list of Core Values.

CORE VALUES CHECKLIST

WORKSHEET

YOUR TOOLS FOR THIS MODULE

FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS SPREADSHEET TUTORIAL

This 8 min video, made for you by our own Spreadsheet Guru, COO Lisa Shields, will help you start getting all the goodness out of this very useful tool.

VIDEO

Lisa Shields came to Here Comes The Guide in 2012 from the trenches of the local PTA, where she learned how to run a meeting, negotiate a conflict, plan a fundraiser, and control a room of third graders—all while hopping on one foot. She quickly became pivotal to HCTG's success—moving from sales to our Chief Operating Officer in the span of just 9 years. Proving once again there is nothing a smart, multi-tasking mom can't do.

LISA SHIELDS

Meredith Monday Schwartz started at Here Comes The Guide in 1997 (we didn't even have a website back then—there might also have been dinosaurs running around!) and was a wedding venue specialist for 10 years before taking over as Chief Bossypants in 2007. In the years since she joined HCTG, she's learned a lot about wedding couples, wedding venues, and running a company profitably—and well.