Be Sage Conference Speakers: Xochitl Gonzalez and Mayra Castillo, AaB Creates
We are thrilled to partner with a range of amazing speakers for our Be Sage Conference this August. When we sat down to set our curriculum for Be Sage, we asked ourselves: “What are the challenges that experienced business owners have in the wedding industry?” We came up with a list of questions and found the best people to speak on these topics.
QUESTIONS:
HOW DO I DIVERSIFY MY SERVICES?
HOW DO I ADD REVENUE STREAMS?
HOW DO INTRODUCE A SECOND BRAND TARGETED TO A DIFFERENT MARKET?
Introducing: Xochitl Gonzalez and Mayra Castillo, Owners of AaB Creates
Xochitl Gonzalez and Mayra Castillo founded AaB Creates (formerly, Always a Bridesmaid) in 2003 after cutting their teeth producing the International Clio Awards. Using niche marketing, media savvy and social media they have grown into one of the country’s most sought after Design and Planning firms for clients seeking creative, out of the box wedding experiences with understated luxury. Their global client roster is a who’s who in the worlds of finance, film, tech and fashion.
In 2010, after watching the wedding landscape shift, the ladies formed a new company called Just About Married that offered one service only- “Day-of” coordination. Together the women launched their award winning blog AlwaysaBlogsmaid.com in 2006. Xochitl is one of the few in the wedding industry to sit on both sides of the editorial table: She is the newly minted Wedding Expert for About.com, and has served as a contributor to RealSimple.com and the Huffington Post. Simultaneously AaB’s “Real Weddings” and Expert Opinions have appeared in over 100 publications, both online and in print including The New York Times, WMagazine.com, Latina Magazine and Fox News. Their TV appearances have included MTV Europe, The Style network and ET’s The Insider.
5 How To’s you’ll gain from Xochitl and Mayra:
1) How you can grow your business by reducing your service offerings.
2) How to get your name Off the Door without damaging your reputation.
3) The benefits/drawbacks of operating two distinct brands in the wedding space.
4) The benefits/drawbacks of 1099 employees.
5) Using a business partnership to tactically play to personal strengths.
We feel pretty strongly about partnering with companies and individuals that mirror and augment our own core values. Here are 6 core values that are fundamental to Xochitl & Mayra and how they do business:
1) Understand our clients’ unique needs.
2) Committing to our clients’ goals for their celebration.
3) Use our expertise in the field to elevate our client’s celebrations.
These values are distinctly unique to AaB:
1) Commit to functional design that is as comfortable as it is stunning.
2) Creating solutions where none currently exist and presenting clients with creative, relevant ideas.
3) Working with Vendors of the same commitment level and integrity as ourselves.
We hope you’ll join us this August!
BE SMART. BE BRIGHT. BE SAGE.
Ticket sales are open for Be Sage Conference.
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Here’s a little refresher if you missed our post last month about our new conference:
We want you to have a deeper business strategy that will take your business to the next level. This isn’t a business theory conference. And, while you will certainly be inspired, we aim to prepare you with actual tools to use in your business (not just a hope and dream.)
We will continue to add conference details at: www.besageconference.com
Greenhouse Loft, Chicago | August 3-5, 2014
Tickets go on sale February 10th at 9am PST