Vendor Besties Podcast

When should our clients consider the topic of staffing?    Daniel from The Waitstaff Team gives us some great tips on what kinds of details his team needs to provide an accurate quote, and when it makes the most sense to start the conversation! 

What happens when clients hire us for things that are not in our purview and shouldn't be our responsibility?   How do we explain to clients that every aspect of their day is going to require labor in some way?  Enter the role of The Waitstaff Team! Staffing for every aspect of your event. Guest: Daniel of The Waitstaff Team

Conflict happens when there are more than two people. What happens when you have to work with another vendor that you are currently in conflict with?  What happens when you fight with a vendor bestie and need to work with them immediately? How do you resolve the tensions in a professional way? 

Going into Season 2 of the podcast, and reflecting on how our businesses went in 2025!  We are firm believers in learning from our mistakes, so the off-season is definitely where we take the time to reflect and improve our systems and contracts, and build better boundaries for ourselves!  This episode focuses on the positive changes we're making so 2026 levels up! 

Never do business with family! We dig in to why, and how to protect your relationship if you DO need to (or want to) do business with family and friends! Final Episode of Season 1, coming to you from VBHQ.

The Vendor Besties are coming at you from VBHQ!  In this episode we tell our train wreck stories and what valuable lessons we learned from them, because there's nothing like learning lessons the hardest way possible!  These stories have nearly everything except something actually on fire, but they are dumpster fires nonetheless, and we hope you will be as entertained (or scarred) as we are.  

We welcome back Diana from the Victorian Belle for Episode 10! What kinds of things should you invest in for your business? How do you justify those costs? If you're *one of us* you thrive on dopamine and we know spending money on our businesses is dopamine-generating... so we really have to buckle down and learn to control the dopamine monster and make sure our investment purchases benefit the business and aren't just cute. Another major cost can be hiring additional people in order to scale... but we need to be sure how much of a benefit they are vs. how much of a liability they could be. This is the last of the Victorian Belle episodes. (for now!)  

Can you lie and say it's not a wedding in order pay less? Sure. And possibly negate your vendor contracts, and have your day go sideways.   The truth is the majority of business in the wedding and events industry are small businesses just trying to keep the lights on, and our pricing is just math.   What does it cost to wash all those rentals? To pay the power bill? To invest in and replace equipment? What is our experience worth in dollars?  It's all just math.  Just make sure the math is mathing and you're not undercharging just to fill your calendar or overcharging without having a product or service that meets that higher price standard!    The fourth episode taped at the beautiful Victorian Belle!

How the heck do you decide on pricing?   We're back at The Belle and welcoming Diana as our guest! Diana wears many hats at The Victorian Belle but is primarily in charge of the wedding side of the business.   We discuss how our individual resources and situations make a big difference in how we determine our pricing structures, including where to start and fast you can raise your prices!

Shot on location at The Victorian Belle, welcoming our first guest Joelle Dardis Photography!  We talk about burnout and how to balance business with keeping our lives on track. Know when saying yes might put money in your bank account but take from your sanity, health, and relationships!   

Overselling your product or service means underdelivering... and that just means you become the butt of the joke and the leaf of the tea.   We're dissing on vendor mistakes and how they can go wrong for the rest of us. (And we don't hate all DJ's... promise!)   And bottom line, what is our responsibility to pick up the pieces when we didn't break the vase?   The first of the Victorian Belle Sessions! Guest: Joelle Dardis of Joelle Dardis Photography

In the final chapter of our cozy living room sessions, we dive into why your professional network isn’t just about who you know, it’s about how you work together. We unpack how familiar vendor relationships can elevate every part of an event: from planners and photographers creating a seamless timeline, to bakers and coordinators ensuring every dessert table is picture-perfect (and wrinkle-free). Your Vendor Besties show up with the service, standards, and resources you expect... because that’s exactly why they’re in your circle in the first place. It’s a quick 11-minute listen packed with insight on leveraging your connections for better collaboration, smoother events, and top-tier results.

Styled Shoots vs. Content Days: Knowing how and when to say no... and yes... and no again. Is it all about the money? Yes! and No! How you say no matters. Sometimes you should say yes even if you hate the project. Playing Devil's Advocate with which bucket list opportunities are worth putting up with things we don't like.

If you're trying to expand your network and want to ask a potential connection to collaborate, don't just send a cold DM that says "can you put me on your preferred vendor list?"... actually invest in the relationship and learn how to make an appropriate and effective request. We're breaking down how to send a GREAT cold DM and why doing it the right way matters!

Networking matters! Vendor referrals are possibly the greatest potential for future business. Connecting to a Planner is important, but making real connections with like-minded industry pros will take you farther than simply getting on a "Preferred Vendor List."   Don't go it alone, even Batman had an entourage!

Who are the Vendor Besties, and how we met.