Future-Proof Your Business: Financial Freedom for Wedding Planners

Wedding professionals pour their hearts into creating flawless celebrations for their clients, yet many overlook one critical detail—their own financial futures. In this eye-opening episode, Matt Mitchell, Master Certified Wedding Planner, Certified Educator, and founder of The Event Ledger, joins Krisy Thomas, COO of the CWP Society, to share how wedding planners can build lasting financial security while continuing to run thriving businesses.

Matt brings a rare dual perspective—over 12 years in high-level financial planning combined with eight years of firsthand experience running his own wedding planning company. This blend allows him to speak directly to both the creative passion and the financial realities of our industry. As he wisely points out, “We anticipate everything that could go wrong for our clients, but most of us don’t give that same level of preparation to our own future selves.”

Together, Krisy and Matt walk through practical steps that wedding professionals can take today, starting with the essentials: building personal and business emergency funds. Matt recommends automating just 5% from each client payment—a simple action that compounds dramatically over time. “You’ll hardly notice that 5% missing today, but your future self will thank you in a massive way,” he explains.

From there, the conversation reframes retirement planning as an act of empowerment—“paying your future self.” Rather than seeing retirement as stopping work altogether, Matt encourages planners to view it as buying freedom: the freedom to choose how, when, and even if you want to work down the road.

For those feeling overwhelmed or behind, the episode offers both encouragement and strategy. Open a dedicated account, set up small automated transfers, and schedule quarterly “CEO time” to track your progress. Matt’s parting challenge resonates deeply: “Treat your future self like a VIP client. Give them the same attention, intentionality, and care you pour into planning perfect weddings.”

Connect with Matt and learn more about financial services specifically designed for wedding professionals at TheEventLedger.com or on social media @TheEventLedger.

www.cwpsociety.com | info@cwpsociety.com | IG: @cwpsociety | FB: @cwpsociety

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

You're listening to the Wedding Planner Society podcast brought to you by the CWP Society. Welcome back to the Wedding Planner Society podcast brought to you by the CWP Society. I am Chrissy Thomas, master Certified Wedding Planner and COO of the CWP Society. I am Chrissy Thomas, master Certified Wedding Planner and COO of the CWP Society, and with me today and he's back again is Matt Mitchell, who is the co-founder and CEO of the Event Ledger, but he's also a Master Certified Wedding Planner and a Certified Educator as well.

Speaker 1 0:36

And with that, matt actually has a rare combination of experience Over 12 years in high-level financial planning for the elite clientele, but also eight years of running his own wedding planning company. That blend gives him a perspective that most creatives never get. He understands both the artistry of the events that we create and the financial realities behind running a business. Now. He founded the event ledger to solve a problem that many of us face working endlessly for our clients but never putting the same care into our own futures. And that's exactly what we're going to dive into today how to stop treating long-term planning as a someday work and instead start building the freedom and security that lets you run your business on your terms. Welcome back, matt, it's always so good to have you.

Speaker 2 1:24

Thanks, chrissy, your business on your terms. Welcome back, matt. It's always so good to have you. Thanks, chrissy. Always great to be here, and with not only you but your audience, because this group is such a passionate group of professionals who really pour so much into their business and, just like you mentioned today, often that's on the client side, but we want to make sure that they're also pouring into themselves. So that's exactly what we're talking about today, because in our industry we spend that time thinking of others, delivering for our clients, for our teams, for our vendor partners. But we have to remember to take care of ourselves now, and we'll be getting into it in the future.

Speaker 1 1:58

Exactly, and that's why long-term planning does matter. But I do want to start off first with a big question. So many creatives get caught up in the day-to-day hustle. Why does long-term planning matter for business owners in this crazy industry that we're in?

Speaker 2 2:14

As always, bring in the great questions. This one specifically matters because no one else is doing it for you.

Speaker 1 2:22

Ah, good point yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 2:25

So some people may have started out, you know, working for a big corporation. Maybe this is not where they started out, and back when they were working for that bigger corporation, they probably had a 401k, maybe even a company match, Maybe they even had stock options. But as business owners, that responsibility is 100% our own. And here's the kicker Event professionals are some of the most hardworking, creative people that I know. But this industry is so unpredictable. We have the seasons that have ebbs and flows. We certainly know that life happens and if you don't create a plan for that future, 10 years can really go by in a blink of an eye.

Speaker 2 3:05

I don't know about you. I can't believe that we're already halfway through September. It's nuts. So I mean, before you know it, things just pass you by. So that's why it's very important to start thinking about this right. I've seen people build these beautiful businesses and serve their clients incredibly well, but they haven't built that future for themselves. So, as you mentioned, this long-term planning just isn't about maybe retiring someday. It's about really buying yourself freedom, that freedom to slow down without panicking, that freedom to invest in new opportunities if that's something that you want to do, that freedom to make choices because you want to, not because you have to. So the key takeaway in this little section here is treat your future self like your most important client.

Speaker 1 3:56

Yeah, and Matt, I love how you worded that framing or creating your freedom. And again, it's because we don't think about us at all at all. We're never on the equation. So now that we're having this conversation and we are putting ourselves first, for now, while we're having this conversation, what is that first step in creating the kind of freedom that you're talking about?

Speaker 2 4:19

Yeah, and you know when I was starting to think through, yeah, and you know, when I was starting to think through what I was going to say here, I was going to say, it's easy, we'll create a personal emergency fund, we'll also create a business emergency fund. But then I got to thinking well, matt, it's not necessarily easy. Now, the concept is pretty easy. It's pretty straightforward, that makes sense. Pretty easy, it's pretty straightforward, that makes sense.

Speaker 2 4:47

But I did want to pause, and I know that entrepreneurs, when you're juggling with paying your expenses, paying your staff, dealing with that unpredictable cash flow, the idea of setting aside more money and savings can feel overwhelming. So I didn't want to sit here and say, oh, it's simple, create a personal emergency fund, create a business emergency fund. Yeah, okay, it's not easy, the concept is straightforward. But I just wanted to make that clear that if you're feeling that stress, just know that it's okay to feel that stress. We're going to talk about how you can really start looking at this in smaller, bite-sized pieces where it takes a lot of that burden off of you. So I just wanted to acknowledge that up front.

Speaker 1 5:30

And I love this advice coming from someone like you because we can hear this all day from any other type of financial advisor but coming from someone who has been in our shoes, who knows that there are some droughts during our wedding season where we're not getting any money at all that honestly makes it feel a little less overwhelming. And also, I would say I feel like people who work with you feel more open to talking with you about hey, I know this is easy, but this is actually quite hard for me to do and it's because you understand exactly what they're feeling and I don't think you really you sometimes don't get that with a lot of financial advisors who may not understand how crazy this industry actually is.

Speaker 2 6:06

Yep, I totally get it, and that is that's the kind of safety, that space that we want to create is. It's okay for you to come and tell us, hey, this is not working for me. Or you know, I know this is a simple concept, but how can we make it work for me? Because I do know that it takes that dedication and that discipline in order to get there. But the good news is that these things don't have to happen overnight.

Speaker 2 6:31

I guess let's just think of it as we're training for a marathon. Right, you don't start by running the full 26 miles. You start with those smaller, consistent steps needed to train yourself over time to build in that cushion that protects not only you, also your business. So I did want to share with you that this really isn't optional, it's mission critical. So if you haven't thought about this, it's definitely something that you should. One of the things that, as I was preparing for this, I looked at some research and it showed that nearly one in four Americans have no emergency fund at all. We're not talking about business owners, we're just talking about Americans. So one in four have no emergency savings at all and only about 46% have enough to cover three months of essential expenses.

Speaker 2 7:21

Not discretionary, not fund money, the essentials that you have to have in order to make ends meet. So that means that more than half of households are just one unexpected event away from serious financial strain. But also for business owners, the stakes are even higher. The studies consistently show that 82% of small business failures involve cash flow problems. So here's the framework that I would recommend is Looking at both your personal emergency fund and I would say, aim for three to six months of your household expenses, those essential expenses. This not only protects your family, but your rent or your mortgage, your groceries, everything that you depend on, and also making sure that you have a separate business emergency fund and for that one I would aim between one to two months of operating expenses. This protects your payroll, if you are, if you're paying a payroll all of your software, your insurance and the systems that help keep your business running. That ensures that all of that stuff is paid for.

Speaker 2 8:26

And again, I know that that Ooh you're like Ooh, three to six months or one to two months. That's a lot of money, but the good thing is we don't have to get there today. We could just make those small incremental things. So I usually say let's start with I don't know 5% of every client payment that you make and you move that into a savings account earmarked for that safety net. If that 5% feels too high right now, start with 2% and on the other side, if maybe 5% is okay and you can do more, do more, do it when you can.

Speaker 2 9:01

Just kind of putting this in perspective we just said a percentage, but what does that mean in dollar terms? So if you sold maybe a $5,000 package, if we were looking at that 5% or 2%, that's just $100 to $250 set aside. But if you do that consistently, those small deposits really add up fast. So what I would say here is that gut check question for the pros that are listening If you didn't book another client for 60 days, could your household and business still operate without stress? You're like maybe, or if the answer is a is an absolute no, then this is certainly your signal to begin starting this process.

Speaker 1 9:40

Exactly. And one thing too, matt, about your your suggestion of the 5% every time that you get a client payment if you set that up where it's automatic, where you basically don't even see it similar to how, when you think about if you've ever worked in corporate America it's automatically taken out of your check anyway, so you never really see it to begin with. If you apply that same mindset to your own business where you just automatically, once a deposit goes through, you set it up within your account, where it just automatically takes it out, you don't even know any better. And, like you said, when you do this consistently over time, that building up of that three to six months or that one to two months within your business, you're going to be able to get there before you know it. And when you find yourself in a situation where it's been 60 days since you booked a client, you're not going to feel as stressed out because you've taken those necessary steps. And again, if it's automatically done, you don't even see it.

Speaker 2 10:33

Yeah, and just one thing that I'll say, because we did talk about those seasonal ebbs and flows, right? So maybe when you're in your peak season you retain some more, right yeah, maybe it's 7% or 10%, and then when you start to get into your slow season, maybe you dial that back a little bit, just so that you don't feel that crunch but you're still consistently saving. Which is the important part is the consistency.

Speaker 1 10:54

Yeah, oh, I love that so much. That was really good advice, matt. So once we have all that in place, what, at that point, comes next to creating this beautiful future that we want?

Speaker 2 11:03

Yeah. So once we've kind of we checked off the box, we have that emergency savings. The next step is what I call paying your future self, and I always like a reframe right. So I'll talk about this reframe because too often I think that retirement savings feels optional to people, or that they'll get around to it when things settle down. But, as we talked about, before we know it, we blink and it's the end of the year.

Speaker 1 11:27

No, exactly, I think when you think about your own career, like I look and I'm like.

Speaker 2 11:36

I've been doing this for well over a decade. When did that happen? Yeah, how did it happen? I know it's, it's, it's crazy. I start looking at, um, you know, my nephew or other people's kids and I'm like, wait, they're how old? Wait, they're going into what? What grade? So it just flies by. It flies by, but so's the truth, though.

Speaker 2 11:52

Retirement savings isn't just owner pay with a longer timeline, right. It's important that you realize that you're not just putting money into a black hole. You're choosing to pay yourself in year 2045 rather than just here in 2025, which is super, super important, and we'll talk about it in just a minute. But that compound interest is your friend. So the earlier you can get it going super important, and we'll talk about it in just a minute, but that compound interest is your friend. So the earlier you can get it going, the better.

Speaker 2 12:18

So, if you are a business owner listening to this episode, I want to make sure that you remember that you are the CEO of your company and you are carrying the responsibility and the risk of that business. You're paying your team. You're paying that business. You're paying your team. You're paying your contractors. You're paying your vendors. You're investing in your business. You're signing the contracts, you're carrying the insurance. Everyone else gets compensated for their role in your business, so why would you not pay your future self? Why would you be the only one that's left unpaid? If we reframe it like that, it's like well, that's silly.

Speaker 1 12:56

Yeah, why would I do that? It's almost like you get mad at yourself. What do you mean? I'm not paying my future self, Exactly so.

Speaker 2 13:03

I just want to do that reframe because in that context it seems silly.

Speaker 2 13:07

But I know that we have so much going on in our brains, it's just like, oh, we'll get to that, but let's not. Let's get to it today and again. That's why I also encourage us to think in percentages, not necessarily those dollars. So maybe 5% of your owner's pay. Again, if let's just say that we paid ourselves $80,000 in a year, so that's $333 a month, so we don't have to really think about the dollar amount, but let's go for the percentages to make it a little bit easier for ourselves. But over those 10 years, if we were to save that 5% with compounding interest, that certainly adds up and as you pay or your savings percentages increase, the impact is even greater.

Speaker 2 13:48

I don't want to really overthink the mechanisms here, but I will go back to what you just said, which is the secret of automation. Just like we've automated our subscriptions or maybe some things that we do in our CRM, our software, it's important that we look at these monthly payments as a way to automate it, to get it off of our to-do list, to make sure that it's being done. If we can automate it, it's automatic. Just like you said, if you worked for a big corporation, those funds were taken out before it even hit your bank account, so you didn't even know about it, right? So let's do the same thing, because we can't rely on our debt to be disciplined every month.

Speaker 1 14:27

We're not going to be, because we're going to say, oh, I'll deal with that next week. And then next week happens and you get paid from another client, I'm going to deal with that next year. You haven't saved for a whole year because you keep putting it off.

Speaker 2 14:39

Yep, and going back to those percentages, right? So you'll hardly notice that 5% missing today, but I guarantee you that your future self will thank you in a massive way for setting that aside for that future you right. So the takeaway here I would say is that paying your future self isn't optional. It is your CEO responsibility, just as you pay everyone else who supports you in your business. You owe it to yourself to ensure that you're also being compensated, not just today, but for those decades ahead.

Speaker 1 15:11

I want to say that one more time Paying your future self isn't optional. It is your CEO responsibility, and I think that is a mistake that a lot of us planners make who are operating our own business. It's we forget to put that CEO hat on.

Speaker 2 15:23

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 15:23

And this is that reminder that you have to put it on where you can't just focus on the day-to-day planning weddings. You have to focus on your business and, again, your future self Because, like you said, matt, you're going to thank yourself if you take the time to put that CEO hat on now and make this a priority in your business.

Speaker 2 15:42

Absolutely.

Speaker 1 15:43

And I do want to talk about, since we're talking about the future. I want us to talk about retirement and I do want to talk about, since we're talking about the future. I want us to talk about retirement because I think some of our listeners, matt, may not see retirement as just stepping away completely, like they don't want to fully disengage. How do you speak to that?

Speaker 2 15:59

Yeah, I see that often in this industry, people love what they do. I mean, come on, this is the top five most stressful job in the world, so you kind of have to love what you do in order to do this right. So people just have such a pure passion and joy for this industry that a lot of times they don't see themselves completely leaving, so that's totally okay. Retirement for entrepreneurs doesn't necessarily have to be an absence, right? But I want to make sure that it is your choice and that you're doing the things that you need to do in order to be able to have that freedom of choice that we talked about earlier. So it's true that things certainly look different for everyone. Maybe you want to scale back and maybe you only want to take on certain passion projects. Maybe you want to pivot into consulting or mentoring or education, or maybe you want to step fully just into a leadership role and let your team handle that day-to-day operations while you just guide the ship.

Speaker 2 16:57

Whatever that version looks like to you, that common thread that I've talked about is what it's freedom Freedom to decide how much you work, who you work with and what kind of projects that you ultimately say yes to. But here's the hard truth that freedom doesn't come free. The only way to buy those future options is by consistently putting money aside now. So every dollar you set aside today isn't about giving up something that's important. Again that mental reframing here. You're not giving up something that's important. Again that mental reframing here. You're not giving up something You're purchasing future flexibility, security and the ability to design your future on your terms, not someone else's. So again, retirement planning isn't about stopping. It's about buying your future options.

Speaker 1 17:44

Absolutely, matt. And when you think about, when you look into the future and honestly, you think about our job as wedding planners, our job is quite physically demanding. Even if we love what we do, we can. Once we get to a certain point, our body is not going to allow us to do it.

Speaker 1 18:07

You have a team or you only take on a certain amount of products, but you won't even be able to have those options unless you start to think about your future self. Not, you're going to be. I'm going to have to be rolled in to a wedding to get it set up, because I physically have to be there, because I had to take on this wedding, because I didn't give myself that freedom to just allow my teammates to handle it. So we have to think about it that way too. It's not even if we mentally want to keep doing this, physically at some point our body is not going to allow us to do it, which is why retirement even exists.

Speaker 2 18:33

Yeah, and I mean I was at a wedding just the other weekend and I'm like, wow, it's past my bedtime and my feet hurt, so like, so you know it's already creeping in. So, yeah, go ahead and make those plans.

Speaker 1 18:52

Yep, Exactly, but I love to Matt that you mentioned that you're you know it's about buying your future options, and a lot of planners hear the words like retirement investments or savings and they are instantly overwhelmed. How can they simplify this process so it feels doable instead of being intimidating and, basically, how do we start without getting stuck in the stress and the overwhelm of it?

Speaker 2 19:12

Yeah, yeah, that's a great question and I do get it. Those words, they certainly feel heavy. Yeah, you're like oh well, you know. And sorry, this is a side tangent here, but you know, I just wish we did a better job of educating in public schools about retirement, because it's something that everyone is going to have to do and so many people don't quite understand it fully. Anyway, that's a sidebar, I just wanted to say it, but I do know that it does feel heavy, especially when you're in business and when you're constantly pouring that time, energy and creativity into taking care of your clients.

Speaker 2 19:47

But I do again want to issue that reminder that it's important to take that same level of care that you give your customers or your clients, because you deserve that same level of care as well. And we don't have to make it complicated. You don't need a 50-page plan to get started, right. I know also that some people have this over. I mean, come on right, we're a lot of us are planners, so we're type A, we want it to be perfect, but just know that just getting started is half of the battle.

Speaker 1 20:18

So don't feel like you the presentation that's on brand and has our font and our colors, and it's like it doesn't have to be all that. We don't have to be there next year like we always are.

Speaker 2 20:27

No, just let it be simple. Okay, don't let it freak you out, just let it be simple and really and truly. Turning that savings into a rhythm is what can run quietly in the background of your business and before you know it you're like, whoa, look what I've done. But the good thing is, I also want people to celebrate those wins, right? So if you just set up that 5% draw, congratulate yourself Like every month that you see it, go in there, give yourself a pat on the back, because it's those rewards that you give yourself that leads into hey, this is something fun, this is something that I enjoy doing. Hey, you know, not only am I seeing the benefit today, but I am giving my future self these options. But enough of the I guess, pep talk. Let me give you some actionable steps on, like, what you can actually do.

Speaker 1 21:17

So we need a pep talk, matt. Thank you for giving me All right. Good, good.

Speaker 2 21:21

All right, do it all sides here today. So the first thing that I would suggest, if you haven't already, is open up a I'm putting in air quotes here future self account you can name it whatever you want, you can.

Speaker 2 21:35

Like I said, you could do future self, you could do a freedom fund. We talked about freedom, that flexibility, whatever really speaks to you and will help you label in your mind how powerful it is for you to be saving for your future self. Name it that who knows if you can actually name it on whatever platform you're doing, but literally for yourself, post it somewhere. Don't forget contribute to my future self fund, contribute to my freedom fund, whatever it is, whatever resonates with you and really reminds you why you're saving. That's the important part, right, the why behind it. The next thing is what we talked about already automate those transfers. Don't leave it to willpower, because sometimes that willpower gets a little weak.

Speaker 1 22:22

It may not even exist.

Speaker 2 22:25

Well, we're getting into fall fall wedding season so that willpower is slowly just I mean it's it's maybe not even slowly, it's rapidly going away. So go ahead and make sure that we're automating those transfers, even if it's $50 a month, Just making sure that you keep it at a conservative rate at first to make sure that it doesn't create any kind of bumps in your, your regular cashflow for your business. And then, as you start to feel comfortable with it or you're in your busy season, you can kind of start to add to that rate of growth and those contribution amounts. But just remember, $50 a month for 20 years, that's typically just $12,000 that you saved. But if you just had it in a conservative account that was growing about 6% in 20 years that $12,000 turns into $22,000. So that's the power of compounding interest right there. So it's important that you start now and give yourself that leeway and that ability to grow those funds in the background for you.

Speaker 2 23:26

And then the next thing is setting a quarterly like money date with yourself. You could even name this your CEO time, whatever it is, but make sure you're blocking 30, 45, 60 minutes at least every quarter, so every three months, to just check in, look at your progress. Do you need to make any adjustments with that percentage? Is now the time to bump it up, or is now the time to bring it down a little bit? But most importantly, like I said before, celebrate it. You have done something that is so important for your future self, so make sure you pat yourself on the back for that. You deserve it, and every dollar that you put away is proof that you are taking care of that future self and you're being intentional about it, just like you bring that intentional care to your clients.

Speaker 1 24:12

Exactly, and I love that you call it the CEO time. So, again, like you mentioned earlier, we have to remind ourselves. That's who we are. So if you're automatically putting this on your calendar 30 minutes a month or every three months, like you mentioned even 30 minutes a month could be very beneficial. That's my CEO time, and I love the way that she worded all this, matt, because they're all labels and I feel like these are specific labels that are just going to almost trick your brain and motivate you to get these things done. I love how you're wording this, for sure.

Speaker 2 24:41

Yeah, I mean, we have to understand the why behind what we do in order for us to be motivated and disciplined to do it. So, yeah, if naming something, if it's that simple, do it, do it. So I guess, before we kind of wrap this up, I just wanted to again kind of put on that little aha moment for folks here. Remind yourself that it doesn't have to require any kind of big or painful sacrifices. It's really about building those habits that it can run on autopilot for you in the background. So you've already started. So you have that 10, that 15, that 20 years of running things in the background. That's helping you have that freedom in your future. So, whether you're again being able to scale back to look into those passion projects maybe you take on just more consulting versus in the weeds business, or you're stepping fully into the leadership and empowering your team to work on your behalf. It all starts with these building blocks. It all starts with this autopilot. It all starts with these consistent steps that we've talked about today.

Speaker 1 25:49

Yep, exactly, Matt. Before we wrap up, do you have any final encouragement for someone who maybe feels like they are already behind?

Speaker 2 25:58

Yes, yes, because I hear that a lot and I feel it right. It's people, people, people are so hard on themselves. They're you know, we always hear it that we're our own worst critics, and it's true. So we need to get out of that kind of thought of of always talking down to ourselves and we need to start talking good about ourselves, right, because we're the people that's showing up, we're the people that's really taking on this and we are doing great. Let's make sure that we're actually sure that we're actually celebrating ourselves and the accomplishments that we have made.

Speaker 2 26:32

So, for everyone out there that's listening, if you do feel like you're behind, just remember that it's never too late to start. So just remember the important part is the starting. So maybe you don't have that account open, so go open that account. You know what? That is a win. You did that and that will start those things right. So you build upon these wins. So you open the account.

Speaker 2 26:59

Perfect, now let's start to. Let's put $50 in there, maybe $25, whatever it is, let's go ahead and fund that account. That's another step. You're going in the right direction. We can set up those automated transfers. We can build that first month of reserve. So let's think of it that way.

Speaker 2 27:16

Yeah, we talked about big numbers, right. Three to six months for your personal, one to two months for your business. Let's celebrate the small wins. Let's get to six weeks of it first, let's get to one month of it, two months, three months, and then we can go from there. Just celebrating those small wins is so, so important, though, and think about it this way In our industry, we certainly bend over backwards for our clients and making sure that we're caring for them. We're building out those timelines, we're carrying backup batteries for whatever might need them right, extra tape for whatever might need them right, extra tape for whatever might be needed on event day. We anticipate everything that could go wrong so that others don't have to worry. But here's the truth Most of us don't give that same level of preparation to our own future selves.

Speaker 1 28:04

Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's home cause. I need to restart my emergency kit today. And you're right, we do all of these steps for every single other person in our lives, but for us.

Speaker 2 28:16

Yep. So here's my challenge to those that are listening treat your future self like a VIP client, like your top tier client. That's how you should be treating your future self. Give them the same level of attention, give them that same intentionality. That's how you should be treating your future self. Give them the same level of attention, give them that same intentionality, that same care that you pour into your weddings and events that you execute. Make sure you're doing that for your future self, because the reality is that it is never too late to start, but guess what? It's always too early to wait. So every small step that you take today is a gift to your future self, and you will certainly thank yourself for it come that time.

Speaker 1 28:53

Yeah, and what's funny, matt, because the wait to me, that feeling like I'm so behind, that's almost paralyzing. And when you, that's your mindset. I love how you mentioned you got to shift your mindset. You got to be more positive about who you are and talk kinder to yourself, because if all you're doing is I'm behind, I'm late, you're going to stay in that and you're going to fester in that negativity and again there's no need for it. Small little steps, small little victories, small little celebrations is all it really takes for it to become where you thank yourself in the future and a beautiful gift, like you mentioned. So again, matt, thank you so much for reminding us to take care of ourselves the same way that we take care of our clients. Where can our listeners connect with you?

Speaker 2 29:37

Absolutely and number one. Thanks for always inviting me to the podcast. I always love having these conversations, but for those of you that want to keep learning or continuing the conversation, you can always connect with me at TheEventLedgercom. You can also follow us on Instagram, facebook or LinkedIn. At the Event Ledger, we share some practical tips, encouragement hopefully like this episode was and some resources designed specifically for event professionals so you can feel more confident about your numbers and more supported in your business journey. And, of course, if you're ever at the point where you know you need a partner to help with your bookkeeping, be sure to reach out. That's exactly why the event ledger exists it's to take the weight off your shoulder so that you can focus on the work you do.

Speaker 1 30:21

Absolutely, and the event ledger. What I love the most about it is because it's run by you. It's such a safe space. It's such an incredible safe space where you're going to take care of them in a way where they can be honest and vulnerable about. These are the situations I find myself in with my finances, and a lot of people aren't met with that. So thank you, matt, for being the phenomenal person that you are and, again, for sharing such powerful insights. But to every planner listening, here's what I want you to take away. If you are not yet certified with the CWP Society, now is the time to take that step today. Certification is not just the title. It's the foundation that sets you apart, protects your reputation and equips you with the knowledge and relationships like with Matt here that you need to thrive in this industry. The most successful planners you know they didn't get there by chance. They invested in themselves first. So don't wait. Go to cwpsocietycom and become certified today. Thanks again, matt.

Speaker 2 31:15

Thanks, chrissy, thank you.