Own Your Business

Sam Jacobson with Ideaction
  • 4.9 (64)
  • Marketing

A podcast for wedding professionals who want the knowledge and skills to grow a business with confidence. Industry authority Sam Jacobson hosts solo or with fellow sales and marketing expert, Katy Taylor Jacobson, with bite-sized, 20-minute episodes. Listeners take away one big idea with simple steps to put what you learn into action. Topics focus on sales, pricing, websites, and growing a team.

  1. 5d ago

    How AI Is Misleading Your Couples

    Sam set a trap for an AI chatbot: a series of wedding questions he already knew it would get wrong, just to see how wrong. The answers were bad enough to bring straight to the show. In this episode, Sam and Katy break down real AI responses couples are getting right now, and what that misinformation does before a couple ever picks up the phone. You'll learn: Why couples are asking AI instead of Googling, and what changed The real dollar figures AI gave for a Napa wedding, and how far off they were How AI's overconfident answers set couples up for a bad first conversation Two places vendors can leverage to correct the misinformation Two quick newsflashes: AI is changing how couples search. A new generation of buyers is changing what they expect. And a flood of new business owners is changing who you're competing against. Shift how you do business, or watch your traction slip away. If you're feeling like you're flying blind — you're not alone. But you can't afford to wait and see what happens next. So here’s the second PSA: If you love this podcast, then push pause on it and go sign up for our annual State of the Industry panel on Monday, September 14th at 12pm ET. Don't worry, I'll wait. Now, seriously — push pause and go to our Instagram @ideactionconsulting and sign up through the link in our profile.  Okay, good, now that you're back. I'm sitting down with five of the savviest people in this industry — Anja Winikka, Kate Turner, Jason Rhee, Malike Adigun, and KT Merry — to talk about what's really going on in 2026, and what's coming in 2027. Hard truths. Honest conversation. No sugarcoating. And it's free. It's virtual. So put on your stretchy pants, pour yourself something — coffee, wine, no judgment, depends on the time of day — and sign up now.

  2. Aug 24

    5 Ways You're Sabotaging Your AI Output

    Most people using AI regularly have no idea they're making these mistakes, because none of them come with a warning. In this episode, Sam and Katy break down five habits that quietly sabotage AI output: an AI that agrees too easily, copy-pasted output that doesn't sound like you, chats that run too long, bloated files, and prompts too vague to work with. You'll learn: Why AI agreeing with you almost every time isn't confirmation, it's a design choice Why copying AI's first draft costs you more than it saves What a chat's memory loses the longer a conversation runs What a bloated file in your project folder costs you without you noticing

  3. Aug 17

    You're Talking to AI the Wrong Way

    Most people ask AI to solve the problem they think they have, without ever stopping to check if it's the right problem in the first place. In this episode, Sam and Katy explain what makes a question work well with AI, and why the four words they use more than any other change the entire quality of the answer. You'll learn: Why narrow, one-shot questions produce flat, forgettable answers How to use AI as a brainstorm partner instead of an order taker What asking for a sample first changes about the final result The two words that turn a first-response into something worth using

  4. Aug 10

    AI Starter Kit for Wedding Pros

    Most wedding pros are using AI like a fancy search engine and leaving most of its value on the table. In this episode, Sam and Katy walk through their own switch from ChatGPT to Claude, why they made it, and the information business owners need to give AI before the output stops sounding generic. You'll learn: Why picking the right platform matters more than most people think How to hand AI the details it needs about your business before asking for results What changes once your ideal client and brand voice are part of the setup Why so much AI output still sounds like nobody in particular

  5. Aug 3

    Website Red Flags Couples Notice Right Away

    Couples decide whether to keep browsing your website in about the time it takes to read this sentence. What are they seeing that's making them leave? In this episode, Sam and Katy go through nine specific red flags on wedding websites that quietly push couples away before they ever reach out, and what to fix first. You'll learn: Why your hero section matters more than your branding for that crucial first impression The services page mistake that leaves couples stuck and unable to take the next step How an outdated font or dated design signals more than you think to a scrolling couple What to put on your About page instead of a list of credentials

  6. Jul 27

    Why Couples Say "Yes" (and It's NOT Your Portfolio)

    There's a moment couples decide to book you, but it's not the moment you think. It's not the portfolio, not the pricing, not even the proposal. It's dozens of smaller moments stacked on top of each other, and most wedding pros are only paying attention to one of them. In this episode, Sam and Katy trace the buyer's journey couples go through, from the second they realize they need help to the second they sign, and where deals get won or lost along the way. You'll learn: Your portfolio gets you in the room. It's rarely what gets you the booking. Couples move through three distinct stages before they decide, and each one calls for something different from you Pricing triggers loss aversion in the brain, which is why value has to come first A weaker portfolio can still win the client if the trust-building moments are handled better

  7. Jul 20

    Your inquiries are up, but your excitement about them isn't. What's really going on?

    In this episode, Sam and Katy dig into why content that doesn't speak to the right audience keeps filling your calendar with the wrong clients, and what to do about it before you scramble and make it worse. You'll learn: Why chasing what's working for a competitor almost always backfires How AI-written copy makes your messages sound like everyone else's The real reason conversion rates drop when the wrong leads fill your inbox What it takes to understand your ideal client beyond surface details

  8. Jun 29

    Listener Fave: Perfectionism's Upsides and Downsides

    You've probably told yourself you're a perfectionist like it's a badge of honor. Detail-oriented. High standards. Won't put your name on anything that isn't right. But what if perfectionism isn't your superpower? What if it's the reason your website still isn't live, your inquiry response takes three hours to write, and you've been "almost ready" to raise your prices for six months? This episode is one of our most listened-to episodes ever, and we're bringing it back because summer is exactly when perfectionism tends to win. Busier schedules, less margin, more reasons to delay the thing you know you should do. Katy and I are both perfectionists. Different kinds, it turns out. And in this episode, we get honest about what that actually looks like in a real business and a real marriage, including how each type quietly sabotages your growth in ways you might not even recognize yet. If you've ever delayed a decision because the timing wasn't perfect, or finished something only to immediately wonder if it was good enough, this one was made for you. You'll walk away with language for what's actually happening when you stall, overthink, or avoid, and a clearer picture of where your particular brand of perfectionism is costing you the most. Summer is short. Don't spend it stuck.

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4.9
out of 5
64 Ratings

About

A podcast for wedding professionals who want the knowledge and skills to grow a business with confidence. Industry authority Sam Jacobson hosts solo or with fellow sales and marketing expert, Katy Taylor Jacobson, with bite-sized, 20-minute episodes. Listeners take away one big idea with simple steps to put what you learn into action. Topics focus on sales, pricing, websites, and growing a team.

Information

  • Creator
    Sam Jacobson with Ideaction
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    259
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sam Jacobson with Ideaction
  • Show Website
    Own Your Business

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