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What It's About
Elementary school teacher moonlights as a highly organized wedding planner.
Business Model
Service
Skills Required
Wedding Planning & Coordination
Complexity
Low
Profit Potential
Medium
Words of Wisdom
Nicole believes that you should start by educating yourself on the business you want to grow. Then, use that knowledge and get very specific about who your ideal client is. For Nicole, her ideal client knows exactly what they want on their wedding day, and they are looking for a take-charge professional (like her) that knows their craft.
Fun Fact
There are an average of 2.4 million weddings in the United States every year. With a typical wedding these days costing over $30,000, this is a huge market. From flowers to function centers, there is a massive industry surrounding weddings with many angles to profit from!
Notes from Chris
Episode 880
When Nicole Gaskin got married, she organized everything herself, designed the centerpieces, arranged the flowers, and handled dozens of other important details. It was all the more complicated because hers was a destination wedding. Getting a group of guests organized in a place far from home is like herding sheep, albeit very well dressed sheep. The wedding took place in the summer. It was the perfect time to take a break because Nicole is a full-time grade school teacher. She had ample holidays at that time of year. When she returned home, she still had a fair bit of vacation left and nothing much to do. Her now husband returned to work and with the wedding planning over, she felt a little lost. Nicole is an extrovert who is always on the go, and summers as a teacher can be mundane. Rather than sit around with her feet up basking in newly wedded bliss, she decided to hustle. Nicole was reminded of a small venture she’d had in the past planning birthdays, family reunions, and baby showers. With her event planning experience, combined with her new wedding organization skills, she came up with a name: Weddings By Nicole G. The two skill sets were a perfect match. No one objected to their union! Nicole moved fast. Before the summer was even half over, she was off and running. And within just two weeks, Nicole had her first client. Through her online marketing efforts, a soon to be bride found her website and booked her services. The wedding was in August, just a month away. Nicole would be responsible for making sure the whole day ran smoothly. As the next few months went on, new clients kept trickling in. In addition to leads coming through websites, she began to receive referrals. She also occasionally worked to assist other local wedding planners to help get her name out there. After her first few clients, she got a little more intentional about the types of clients she wanted to serve. An ideal client for her became someone who knows exactly what they want already. They need a professional with an eye for detail who can carry out their vision and create the perfect ceremony for them. The more time went on, Nicole spotted another opportunity she’d been missing. Honeymoons! The planning for the actual day was great, but she realized if she could also arrange a dream honeymoon for the newly married couple she could earn a commission from travel companies. So, she began offering this as part of her services. She liked the feeling of not leaving money on the table. Weddings are known to be expensive, but for the savvy side hustler, this presents an opportunity. In Nicole’s case, that opportunity has meant an extra twelve thousand dollars profit outside of her day job over the last twelve months. Of course, she hasn’t made enough to quit teaching yet. It’s all been largely reinvested into her side business, to help 2019 be even better. For Nicole, the best part of this whole journey is that she is fulfilling her passion to create beautiful events and memories for her clients on their wedding day. Her side hustle allows her to know that she’s created an experience they won't forget—and she’s doing it on her own terms.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Weddings By Nicole G: Learn more about the work that Nicole is doing over on her website!
- The Knot, Wedding Chicks, & Thumbtack: Three of the websites that Nicole used to advertise her wedding planning services
- Government Employee Becomes Flash Mob Marriage Proposal Consultant: After receiving a “lame” marriage proposal, this former contractor sets up shop helping others create memorable proposal stories. Last year, she made a lot of people happy… and she also made $450,000
- Savvy Bride Turns Budget Wedding Into Six Figure Success: A frugal bride starts blogging about how to save money while planning a wedding. After a lot of hard work, she’s now generating over six figures per year
- From London With Love: A Tale of Diamonds and Espionage: From smuggling diamonds in a grocery bag on a fast moving train to secret meetings in the shadows of St. Paul Cathedral at sunset, this Special Agent dedicates her time to helping suitors looking for “yes”
Quote of the Day
"Educate yourself on the business you want to grow. Then, use that knowledge and get very specific about who your ideal client is."
—Nicole Gaskin #SideHustleSchool
