08/18/2026
COLLABORATION OVER COMPETITION — LET’S PUT IT INTO PRACTICE 🤍
Every so often, I find myself reflecting on what it really means to build a business with integrity—especially in an industry where so much of what we do is creative, collaborative, and influenced by the talented people around us.
We learn from one another. We share ideas. We ask questions. We seek advice from people who have been doing this longer than we have. We lend things, share resources, refer clients, step in to help, and sometimes work behind the scenes to help someone else succeed.
And I think that’s a beautiful thing.
There truly is room for all of us.
But collaboration also comes with responsibility. We should be able to learn from and inspire one another while still developing our own ideas, our own style, and our own voice. We should be comfortable giving credit, saying thank you, acknowledging the people who have helped us, and being transparent about where we are in our own professional journey.
There is no shame in being new.
There is no shame in still learning.
And there is certainly no shame in saying, “Someone helped me with this.”
In fact, some of the greatest knowledge we gain in business comes from the people who are willing to share what they’ve learned along the way.
And that got a friend in the industry and me talking…
What if we actually created a space to do more of that?
We’re considering putting together a Wedding & Event Industry Mastermind sometime in September, bringing together professionals from all different areas of our industry to share knowledge, experience, tips, words of wisdom, and those little nuggets we’ve picked up along the way.
Florists • Planners • Coordinators • Caterers • Bakers • Photographers • Videographers • DJs • Bridal & Formalwear Shops • Venues • Rental Companies • Hair & Makeup Artists • Officiants • Decorators • Bartenders—and all the other professionals who play a part in bringing weddings and events to life.
How can we help one another succeed while each continuing to grow our own individual businesses?
Maybe you’ve learned something through 20 years of experience. Maybe you’ve learned something in the last two years that completely changed the way you do business. Maybe you’ve made a mistake you can help someone else avoid. Maybe you’ve discovered a better process. Or maybe you have a challenge right now and someone else in the room has already walked through it.
We could talk about client experiences, vendor relationships, communication, trends, business practices, referrals, collaboration, lessons learned—and those priceless “I wish someone had told me this when I started!” moments.
Everyone has something to teach, and everyone has something they can learn.
I’ve already spoken with a venue that is interested in hosting us, so right now we’re simply trying to gauge interest and determine what days and times work best.
We’re also tossing around some ideas for food. We could do a potluck, everyone could contribute a small amount toward having a local restaurant deliver, or perhaps a few of our wonderful caterers would be interested in providing an appetizer or two.
So, who would be interested?
If you’d like to be part of something like this, comment below or message me and let me know what days/times generally work best for you in September. And please feel free to tag another wedding or event professional who might enjoy being part of it.
I will always believe in collaboration over competition—in sharing what we know, learning what we don’t, acknowledging the people who help us along the way, and helping one another become better at what we do.
Imagine what we might learn if we simply put a room full of talented wedding and event professionals together and asked: “What can we teach each other?” Please comment below if youre open to this idea! 🤍Nick ArbiaCorina McDonnellMC Events and EntertainmentShannon HumphreyMisty LynnCollins Close-Up Photography by Brooklyn WilsonBeautiful Brides of WilmingtonRiverview SheasThe Historic Herring HouseD'Xtira Brownn Katelyn tank ,Ray Becca,perfect touch rentals
