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Weddings For Real has officially rebranded to
For Real: Life, Leadership, and Unlearning

After 7 years and 300+ episodes, the podcast has evolved... because so have you! What started as a show for wedding pros has  has evolved into a bold, no-BS space for high-achievers to unpack identity shifts, quiet the inner critic, set boundaries that stick, and navigate the messy (but powerful) moments of growth and change.  

For Real is still hosted by Megan Gillikin, and it’s here to meet you in this next chapter as a whole human, not just a business owner.

Click the button below to check out the latest For Real episodes, or scroll down to dive into the archive of Weddings For Real, featuring 300+ episodes on client experience, team building, social media, SEO, branding, and the real-life lessons of entrepreneurship in the wedding industry.

For Real Podcast
wedding industry podcast
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300+ Episodes

5 star reviews

Over 250+ five star reviews

Podcast downloads

350,000 Downloads

POPULAR EPISODES:

290

10 Life Hacks for Squirrel Brain Entrepreneurs

239

219

279

What You Need To Know About Growth + Burnout (Part 1)

Use This Strategy For Standing Out In A Crowded Market

5 Truths Every Business Owner Needs To Hear

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CHECK OUT OUR RECENT EPISODES

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

136: Book More Weddings with these Marketing Tips, with Heidi Thompson

What are some of the challenges you’re running into when marketing your business? For many of the wedding pros I talk to, it’s that there are just so many different places that you could spend your time and money – is it in social media? Which platforms? Is it in networking? Is it paid media like Google ads? Is it redesigning your website? Is it Clubhouse? Maybe you want to think about who your ideal client is and where they tend to show up. But then….how do you figure out who your exact client is?

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

135: How you can leverage podcasting (even without having one)

We have been podcasting for over 3 years now! Crazy but true, we dropped our first 5 episodes on April 4th, 2018. Over the years, we get asked a lot of questions around podcasting, all related to how can someone leverage their business by using podcasting. Well, Jason and I have a lot of lessons to share!

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

134: Building a Business Exit Strategy, with Donald Thompson

Take a moment to reflect on your business – are you working a job that pays your bills? Or are you building a company? Either answer is ok, but for those of you who want to scale your company to one day have the option to sell it or have someone else be the face of your business, we have some actionable tips from Donald Thompson – angel investor, mentor, CEO…and someone who has sold companies because he’s figured out a way to scale.

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

133: Selling Styles for Wedding Pros, with Ideaction’s Sam Jacobson

We all have different sales styles – what works for one wedding pro might be different than what works best for you. And it’s those different selling styles that we need to lean into so we can turn our baseline personalities into our selling superpowers. But look out, each selling style has a blindspot as well that we need to be aware of. Wonder what your style is?

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

132: 3 Pinterest Myths and Misconceptions, with Gabby Pinkerton

You all know the reasons why to focus on Pinterest – it’s great to generate traffic to your website, it’s another platform to get in front of potential couples, and it’s a way to network with other vendors when you’re engaging with or sharing their work.  While Pinterest can be amazing, it can also be confusing. Enter Pinterest expert Gabby Pinkerton.

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

131: Relationship Marketing and StopTheDoubleTap

Over the past year, with the wedding industry in shambles, Don Mamone has come up with a new outlook on his professional life – People First, Then Profit. Today on the show, Don talks about what relationship marketing means to him and why he’s on a mission to #StopTheDoubleTap.

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

130: Marriage or Mortgage? Meet the hosts of Netflix’s new show

Sarah Miller and Nichole Holmes are the hosts of Netflix’s new show, Marriage or Mortgage, where couples have to choose whether they want to spend their budget on a down payment on a house or a big wedding.  They have a hard decision to make, and today, we’re sharing both sides of the debate with Sarah and Nichole!

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Megan Gillikin Megan Gillikin

129: 3 Step SEO Checklist, with Sara Dunn

We all want to know – how can I have better rankings on Google so more couples come visit my website?  The answer of course is a little SEO (search engine optimization), but that seems complicated – unless Sara Dunn from Sara Does SEO is explaining it.  And today, Sara shares her 3 Step SEO Checklist specifically for wedding pros.

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WHAT LISTENERS THINK

  • This podcast has been one of the greatest resources that I have.

    I absolutely love this podcast! It is the completely real side to having a wedding planning business and it’s so nice to know that I’m not the only one who struggled starting out. I have learned so many things that have implemented into my business and this podcast has been one of the greatest resources that I have.

    — JANE S.

  • I learn something new every time I listen

    I learn something new every time I listen, and I'm also reminded that I'm not in this alone! I own a ceremony music company, and sometimes it feels like our experiences are not common to other vendors. However, every time I listen, I am reminded that we all experience the same things....just in different ways, and it's funny and comforting at the same time. Thanks, Megan, for providing valuable and entertaining content. I appreciate that it always feels like time well spent when I finish an episode.

    — REGINA F.

  • I’ve taken something valuable away from every. single. episode.

    I’ve been listening to Megan on Weddings for Real for years now, and I’ve taken something valuable away from every. single. episode. The topics are so relevant to both wedding planning and business in general, the guests are informative, and Megan’s delivery and personality make me look forward to every new show! Highly recommend!

    — LIBBY S.

  • This podcast and Megan are both such gems.

    This podcast and Megan are both such gems. She has this kindness about her when approaching the topics and makes you feel comfortable and takeaways doable. You can’t help but feel energized and refreshed after listening to the episodes.

    — LISA N.

  • You seriously NEED Weddings for Real in your life!

    This podcast is so easy to listen to and every episode has at least one nugget of wisdom that sticks with me and some actionable advice I can use to improve my wedding business today. If you're the owner of a wedding business, and especially if you're a planner, you seriously NEED Weddings for Real in your life!

    — KARITSU

  • This podcast has everything you need to expand your mindset and learn

    Where has this podcast been all my life? I was introduced to Weddings For Real a few days ago and I think I've already binged 30 episodes. Megan is such a great host. She has actionable advice and asks her guests really good questions. You won't find fluff here. The information that guests and her share is priceless. If you don't have a business mentor I would come here for inspiration and tips on good business strategies. This podcast has everything you need to expand your mindset and learn.

    — ANASTASIIA P.

  • This is by far my favorite "business" podcast!!!

    This is by far my favorite "business" podcast!!! It's packed with info, great guests and filled with content from start to finish. I sometimes go back and re-listen when I am implementing something she has suggested, or stopping and taking notes. Other pods I've listened to seem to be just about selling things or they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for content. This is the real deal.

    — SUZZANNE B.

  • This podcast is PACKED with helpful, actionable information in EACH and every episode

    WFR Podcast is the absolute BEST podcast if you're a wedding professional or an aspiring wedding professional. This podcast is PACKED with helpful, actionable information in EACH and every episode. After starting this podcast and joining The Planner’s Vault my confidence in the industry has sky rocketed.

    — BRITTANY B.

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