Your Legacy

A recent challenging experience with a church caused me to think a lot about what I contribute to the wedding industry, who has come before me and who will follow. And it occurs to me that if more of us thought that way...about the legacy we leave with every event...we would have fewer challenges all around.

Policies that seem crazy to us (professionals) were earned by someone. While it's unfair to judge every wedding planner, or every DJ, or every florist based on the actions of a vocal minority, which of us wouldn't feel it was the only way to stop bad stuff from happening again in the future if the tables were turned?

We can't fix what happened to our venues or churches in the past, but we can model the standard that we hope everyone in our industry will follow in the future. We're the uncomfortable "present". How we handle the situations that we think should change today will impact opportunities tomorrow.

So, today, as you wade out into the world of weddings and you encounter challenges that are the result of someone else's bad behavior, remember the legacy that you leave. Handle every situation with dignity, and endeavor to leave the circumstance better than when you arrived.

Baby steps - we'll get there!

~Shayna

 

Comments

[Angela Welch]

This is SO true!! Starting my business in a smaller area has come with it's own set of challenges, but one of the largest has been overcoming the negative perceptions created by my predecessors. My goal with every event is to turn that perception to a positive, through effective & ongoing communication, practicing a high level of professionalism, and being respectful. It really seems to come down to simply remembering to treat people the way you'd like to be treated yourself!