We rise by lifting others, welcome to episode 2, I'm so excited to share today's topic with you. I am chatting with Mark Wilson, and we're talking about community over competition. Hi friends, welcome to my podcast. Let's talk about it. My name is Akashi. I can seye party planner event designer business coach author and founder of Kesh events, and I am your host each week. I'm going to bring you conversations about life business events lifestyle weddings and everything in between. Thank For joining me for today's episode. Let's Dive In. Hey guys. So today's episode is going to be surrounding the topic of community over competition. I'm going to be chatting with an amazing amazing amazing floral designer event designer based in New York Mark Wilson, and he's going to tell us a little bit about his story and his business and how his made it through this industry for 22 years. I look up to him as a mentor a friend and what actually brought up this. Episode was a recent experience. I had I had to design an event in the Bahamas and I can tell you that I probably face every challenge every designer could to the best of my ability. It was a very tough for days everything we can think of went wrong deliveries went wrong, you know, just everything but what happened in the end was just beautiful. Everyone came together like Mark Wilson was there shout out to others are at Eddie's are at Sea and he's going to be in another episode. But what happened was everybody came together being a designer doesn't mean that you can't help other people like it was a very stressful situation. However, Everyone came together and this episode I wanted to bring in Mark so he can share his story has such an amazing story and very successful highly successful not only in New York, but also in DC and Miami, so he has a wealth of knowledge. I wanted to bring him on and just share stories and you guys will see me bring on other planners other designers because everyone has a story that's unique we can learn from everyone communities. So Stronger than competition. I believe that we Thrive by coming together and you will one day find yourself in a spot where you're going to need your community and if you isolate and you don't get in that sense of community, you're going to find yourself in the very very tough spot. I talked about this a lot in my workshops and in my coaching sessions. I preach community over and over again. It would come in handing in at times. You never even think of I can tell you that if if it wasn't for the sense of community we had if this recent experience we probably wouldn't have made it. So I'm so grateful for everyone. I'm grateful for Mark. I'm great grateful for every other designer that came in. It is around ten was one of them. He's an amazing designer based in La so we're going to have a part to discussion with Him on another episode but this time were talking with Mark and we had such a fun chat Mark is amazing his so sweet and talented and amazing. But I want you guys to please get in the mindset of community get in the mindset of embracing other people don't look at them as competition. Look at them as inspiration. Look at them as your family look at them as as people that you know you as a community T I can't stress that enough on a daily basis I engage and interact with planners and designers and creatives in my field and we share advice would bounce ideas off each other we help each other out whether it's you know from name it and sometimes it could just be a situation where you need to talk to someone that's in your space that's in your workspace that literally understands what you're talking about whether it's a challenge or victory. So we need to get shipped from that mindset of competing so much in a negative way and shift that into a sense of building a community. The reason why we're lunching creatives corner is to create a sense of community where you feel safe, but he also feel like you have resources within your peers So within your colleagues other designers don't look at them as don't be intimidated to make friends with planners and designers people. Will that do what you do? Everyone brings something unique to the table? And if you do not, you know embrace them and make friends and engage and celebrate with them. You're losing out you are depriving yourself of growth you're depriving yourself of that sense of community. There is so much warmth in and comfort knowing that people are doing what you do and go through the same challenges as you do and also experience. Same successes. So when someone in your field is doing well his has a statute that's been featured or posted a beautiful wedding. They just did give them a compliment leave a comment, you know engaged, you know, like their photos send them DM's and tell them how beautiful the work is and encourage them as you would want to be encouraged. So this episode is really about again embracing the sense of community and taking away that negative thought of competition. Ocean where everything is is so competitive but it's in a negative way. So we need to change our mindset. So again, I'm going to be bringing so many creatives in my space that I love and cherish from photographers to planners and designers and I feel like you're going to hear from each episode. You're going to gain something new and you're going to hear A New Perspective you're going to learn something and I respect all these all these creatives that are going to be coming in on the podcast. And I hope that you get to listen and learn from them as well as I do every day. So take a listen Mark Wilson is the founder and creative director of the style Mark by mwd. Lifestyles. Mark is an amazing floral and event designer with offices based in New York DC and Miami with over 22 years of experience. Mark is known for transforming venues into classically elegant stylish. And unique environments from destination weddings to corporate events Mark those at all. Mark's work has been published in a variety of media including Grissom on Town and Country New York weddings Brides New York Times the not Essence and more his designed events for celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez Magic Johnson Gwyneth Paltrow in the list goes on. I'm so excited to share my interview with Mark with you today. Take a listen. This episode is sponsored by anchor. If you haven't heard about anchor it's the easiest way to make a podcast. It is free and an amazing and easy creation tool that allows you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or your computer and could also help you distribute your podcast through Outlets like Spotify Apple podcast and many more it is everything. You need to make a podcast all in one place download the free. Anchor app or go to Anchor that afem to get started. Hi Mark. Thank you for joining me on this episode. So excited to have you thank you sweetheart. I'm love. I'm happy to be here. What part of the world are you in right now? I'm still in New York off to Florida at the end of the month right after Christmas. Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for joining me and makes cited for a car. Over seishin. I was just sharing in the previous part of the episode about the event that we had and how our community showed up and how especially you showed up for me and that you know, it was just such a way that touched me so deeply so I want to stop and just Express a heartfelt. Thank you for being so amazing and being a leader in I'm so grateful grateful to have you in my life and thank you so much for the love. You showed me. Tom please sweetheart. It was my honor. It's like really Community is really about about being there for each other first and foremost, don't you think absolutely I completely agree that actually leads me to some questions I have so I would like for us to talk about what community over competition really means to you. I think that community over a competition for me personally means exactly what we did together when we were down and in NASA it's there was a situation where you needed help and it's and there was no, you know, there was really no conversation about do you really need help? It's just about jumping in and helping that person for you know complete the task at hand communities is really about picking up the phone and asking each other for not necessarily favors, but for advice and in do you have experience in this or that situation within our industry format? And hopefully we can help and share with each other. That's me is that that to me is really what come Community is about there really is no competition. At least there never has been in my world only because for me there's a place at the table for everybody everybody gets what they get the piece of the pie. They're supposed to get so that I acknowledge a little I agree and that's so true. It's like you said it's not just about favorites about friendship said it's about being there for each other and just you know sense of community. So because we're so much stronger if we trust each other and support each other and become and and build a community within our own within our own group that allows us to all be good at what we do and to all be better at what we do. That's what community is. Absolutely. Wonderful. So you have 22 years and more years of experience is being an event designer and you were in multiple locations not only New York Miami TCC and you travel all around the world. So first of all, like how what inspired you to become? designer that's a really interesting question because my background my studies. I studied Fine Arts in college. So I studied textile design and I studied painting. So when I got out of art when I got out of Art School, excuse me, I actually ended up moving to New York City and I wanted to become a fine artist. I wanted to do what what I want. What how do I say this? It was sculptural textiles, which is kind of hard to explain to people because it's Capture but using materials natural materials that textiles artists use in a natural format. So that was my goal in life. I quickly found that I was going to starve to death. I continued down that road. And so I ended up getting a job and a small textile design company which started my my eight-year career in the textiles and Home Furnishings industry. Wow, so that's how I ended up in New York and that Is how so that started it and then through a through the eight years the company I worked for was sold. I really wanted to get back to doing more be more creative Because by the time the company I worked for sold. I actually had been traveling nationally and internationally doing meetings and stuff for these textiles for the textile company. I work for for mass-market retailers, and I was exhausted so I was 35 years old I made more money than anyone in my family had ever imagined or even more money in the I had imagined. I was sitting in a sitting in a cafe in Paris 35th birthday with my best friend and I said to him I turned to him and I said, you know, I have a life I never could have imagined and I hate it. Wow. So so a year later almost a year to the day later. The company was sold the game a year salary and I walked away and That's when I decided I took a six months off. I rented a house down in Tortola for about three and a half weeks and chilled and had friends come down and we chilled and and then I came back to New York and I decided okay, Mark, what do you want to do? So one of the things that I had been doing through the course of the textiles industry is entertaining a lot with clients so through that entertaining I had dealt with flowers all the time. I dealt with planners and dealt with all of this. This kind of format and I thought this is something I really enjoy doing. I don't know if I'm going to be able to be a good florist or not. I don't even know how to do flowers. So what did I do? I went I got online and I checked out the top five florist in New York City and I quietly went to every single one of their shops to check them out and in doing so I landed on one floral company that I thought fit my My you know where I wanted to go and where I thought I could learn and I came back to them. I said hi and introduce myself. I said, I don't know about flowers, but I'm willing to learn I said I would like to know internship or a part-time job for you or whatever. And so the guy who owns it said Olivier who I'm still friends with to this Labor Day said to me well and it's very French accent. We don't pay people who don't know what they're doing and I think I said that's okay. I'll work for free and he looked at me and he says you'll work for free and I said yes, I'll work for free for the he says you have a job you can start tomorrow. So that's how I started in this industry. So that's when so few months into that actually the summer into that I then ended up learning enough that I met other people in the industry. I started freelancing for people like Preston Bailey who everybody knows and who I'm still friends with today as you as you know, and there were oh my god, there was there was some of the great he's there seven most of the ones that I actually work. That's old news. That's how I started long-winded story. But that's actually how I started in the industry. Okay. So leave you did you research it's you know, just talking about your history and how you got started. So you were willing to do the research you did the research and you were willing to work for free to learn your craft. Right because one of the things that I said, I always try to tell people look I was fortunate I had money in the bank I could afford to do that. Not everybody can afford to do that. But one of the things that I really feel that people are not doing in our industry is they're not putting the time in to learn their craft and they're not they're not putting their time in to learn how to run their businesses because one of the things that I even you and I've talked about this this is a business person. For most this is a business. You have to learn your craft or else. How are you going to say into? How are you going to be able to stay in business for the long run great. So it's not just a short term thing you saying you have to learn it to last in the industry for years and using your things at 22 years is no joke and in a competitive industry for that matter, right exactly because if you don't understand what am I? What are the things like one of my art? Teachers always says you have to understand the path. To be able to move on to the Future by understanding the past you can manipulate the things that you understand and know and build on that and create something new from it. Wow, that's deep. When did you know? So you did all your research you in turn, you know, you reached out to the right people you're getting experience. But when did you know that this was for you? Like when did it hit you? Oh my God. That's a great story. So. So one of my best friends owned a catering company called simply Grand catering and I think I was like, maybe three maybe four years in at this time and you know all these times I was working for all the big Design Studios and and learning my craft. So a friend of mine said to me. Hey, you know, my friend Jerry says I have big fundraiser that I'm doing and it's not a lot of money, but it's a good opportunity for you. Would you be interested and I said, course, I would be interesting interested little did I realize it was 200 tables. Oh my God, 200 tables and it was at Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan on 34th Street and 8th Avenue and it was a fall. I created a fall Harvest themed table setting and all it was worth fall leaves Bittersweet branches pumpkins and gourds and With so young in the business that I didn't know I had no fear. I didn't know that I should be scared of 200 tables, right? All right, I just did it. I did the job and they were ecstatic and I looked back at it and I realized wow, this is for me. I love this that want you know what it is. I stand I still get this today that moment when you're just insane and then right before the doors open, it's all done and you Step back for that quick second and you look at everything. You've just created and you're like, wow, I just did that. Wow. Yeah, that's correct. It was for me. That was your aha moment. And that's what union. So did you have any doubts after that day like you felt like okay should never miss but did you have any doubts at all? Never ever? Not once not never not in my entire life of doing this. Have I ever doubted my decision? Regretted my decision ever. That's amazing. Not one when you know you okay. So my next question for you is as a person of color and LGBT what successes and challenges have you had? Huh as a person of color in a predominantly white dominated industry, especially in New York City. It has been there have been many many challenges on many different levels throughout my career. You know, there's been there was an incident where I was doing when I was younger and early on in my career when I was doing flowers for this very high-end design company interior design company. I would go in and do their flowers for them and I do all their orchids and and so and I've done that for about a year and a half and then I ended up meeting at one point the owner of the The company wanted me to come in and do some flowers for one of her clients. So she met me we did the work. She was very pleasant to me and then they never use me again. Hmm, so there have been many instances and that's just one story there have been many instances throughout my career in New York City, which is considered a very liberal City. Yeah that things like that have happened not because I'm good are not good. But because I am a person of color so that that's a factor. But with that said those are there issues. They're not mine right harpa. I don't let that be to get under my skin. It's a reality and you move on because not every person is going to be for you. So I get off the question and I can't answer that for you. Pretty cool. Perfect. So, how do you how do you like dealing with that? Which is I feel like it's it's hopefully goes away at some point. But how do you how do you overcome that? How do you stay motivated? How do you how do you wake up again? When you experience something like that, including your best effort in you? Don't get the jump again because of your color and it doesn't you know because Person of color it could be it could be because I'm black it could be because I'm gay. It could be because of multiple things but I walked through the door as a professional first and foremost and that's how I look at things as how I treat things as how if I don't get a job. I look at it in those terms, you know, it wasn't the right job for me. That's how I wake up every moment every day and and get up and do it all over again by telling myself. Is that what? Good job that God wanted me to have I would have gotten a job and went nuts. I'm not supposed to have that job. Yeah period and move on and I keep concentrated on the next what I what I can do next. I like it. I get more being gay and being black is is both a positive and a negative depending on who you talk to. You know, it's like I mean, I laughingly get people who don't think I am gay. He will like you're like the straightest gay guy we've ever met. I'm like dude. I just kind of this is like how I look this is who I am. I can't pretend to be something I'm not right. Oh man, but I love what you said. And walk through the door as a professional. I think that's key and I think sometimes we forget that we're going into a job with no assumption just walking is a professional and if it's for you it's for you. So I love rap. I would never assume that I'm going to get a job when I walk I'm never I don't I don't assume. Well, I never said I think that the that's the kiss of death is when you start assuming that you should be getting everything that you put your hands on. No, you're not supposed to get everything you put Hands off. Wow. So how do you balance family life and work as you do a lot of destination weddings have a lot. How do you balance it? All I'm incredibly fortunate that I have a partner who is incredibly strong and self-confidence. That's how I do because he does not mind that I'm gone. I'm doing my thing. All he cares about is like baby. Go ahead. And do you This you know, it's I if I didn't have that support system at home. I don't think that I could be doing what I'm doing. It's just too hard, you know, you need to be you need to have somebody that you can go home too and that you can just you know, and and when you need to blow off some steam you can blow off some steam privately and the competence of your own home privacy of your own home without knowing that it's going to slip out the door, you know. Wow, yeah. Wow, so the support we saying support system is key having a strong suit. Yeah, so important and it whether it's your partner your husband your wife your family members with somebody that you can have who's who who you can have their trust in their confidence that you can say things that part of, you know are not necessarily always PC and and know that it won't go any further, right, but that kind of support system is Is key I think for all of us and for the people who who are Workaholics called designers and event planners and the crazy people that's us crazy the crazy. So Mark you and your partners in several museums in New York. You tell me tell us a bit more about that. I'm sorry, my what so you have a partnership with different several museums in New York, right? Yes. Hey right again. Yeah, so we are again report. We are preferred vendors each of the in each of these institutions in New York City and basically what that means for us is that you know, as a preferred vendor, we are the first words first line. Vendors that they would have their clients who want to do a particular event at the Museum. They would reach out to us first we they are required to use one of us and there are a number of us on that list. I am not alone. There are there are three other very talented good Design Studios that are on the list along with me. And so they have and we're all very different. So Have a choice to either reach out to me or to reach out to one of the other three design companies. I I can say that I've been incredibly fortunate because at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019, we averaged two two events a month at the Museum, which is pretty darn good at the other Museum that the brand new relationship the New York Historical Society. We just got on board this year. So we're hoping that 2020 is going to be a very fruitful year for all of us again the same situation. I'm one of two or three different Design Studios that are on that list and they, you know, they reach out to us first if if a client wants to reach out does not reach out to us. They actually end up having to pay the Museum's a stipend of some sort to not use one of the in-house people that are preferred we are preferred. We understand all of the rules and regulations that are required to get into the museum and what we can and cannot do. So. Yeah, so just kind of in a lot of our listeners are planners event designers floors creative entrepreneurs and a lot of questions that I get is one of the questions I get is, how do you skill? How do you get into these venues? How do you network? So what advice can you share to creative intrapreneurs on how? To build these relationships how to become preferred vendors because a lot of people struggle with that. That's a really there is no there is no rule book for this are there though ambulance going by welcome to Manhattan. Yeah, there is no rule book for this. I'm fortunate to because I worked in corporate for eight years. I understand the culture. I understand and and all I did was working side-by-side and sail with people who are in that corporate mindset and stuff and and and major Museum institutions and a lot of these institutions corporate or whatever. They have this level of corporate mindset that you know, you have to kind of figure out how to tap into it and that's by and that's really just just by listening by paying attention and listening to what they're saying to you so that you can interpret that in a way that that's going to be favorable for you. I got into the Metropolitan Museum of Art partially because the client of mine had been telling who does a lot of business there had mentioned it to them probably three years ago. Two years ago. I was at a cocktail party and the some of the girls were there. My client it was their client. It was my clients party. They introduced me we said hello exchange cards, no biggie and then six or seven months later. I reached out to them said hey, it was lovely meeting you guys. I would love for you guys to come over and have a studio visit with me probably three or four or five months later. They actually did come into my studio. Had a lovely afternoon and I had said to them and this works for me. This is not does not work for everybody. But my MO is this when I'm eating on the site important client somebody at the stature of the Metropolitan Museum of Art where if you screw up once you're never going to get another chance for the rest of your life, it just won't happen. So what I said to them in the course of that meeting is this why don't we Why don't you guys consider giving us a small job? And the reason why I'm saying this to you is because you guys don't really know me and I don't know you so I think by doing a small job together. It'll give us a chance to grow into each other and get an understanding it pulp if we feel that we are a good fit for one another because honestly I said I may not be a good fit for you and you may not be a good fit for me. So by doing something small and seeing how it goes and building that relationship that way I think that we might have a better chance of building a much longer last longer lasting relationship. And so the girls looked at me and they were like, wow, okay done. Wow, so that's all they gave me my first job and I've been working for them ever since and so that happened for so for about that the first year I just got small small $2,500. Nods, you know, I don't even do $2,500 jobs anymore. But for the Metropolitan Museum of Art I'm going to do a $2,500 job because it's the mats. Yeah. It's a prestigious institution in the United States of America. Hello. I'm going to do that. I mean, I'm the only black company that that is a preferred vendor in one of the best museums in the world. Hello. I'm going to do that job, so We did that job. We did little small jobs for them for a year. And then at the end of that year that December the 12th December 2018. They emailed me and says we're going to add you if you want as a preferred vendor at the Museum. And of course I said yes, and then the rest is history. So basically what I'm saying to you and again, this doesn't work for everybody. I take it slow. I'm not a pushy salesperson. I built I try to build relationships gingerly. And organically and not try to push it. So and if it works, it works, sometimes it takes a little longer but it by building a relationship organically and not feeling like you're pushing them. You'll have a much better stance chance of having a very long lasting relationship business-wise. I rarely ever lose a client once I get them. Most of my clients have been with me my whole career. So you're saying build relationships organically and so you're saying also the keys and networking and building relationships. Yeah networking a card. Yeah, go ahead. I'm sorry. My apologies. Oh, yeah, so just building relationships and network. You said networking is hard. So even for you, would you consider yourself an introvert and extrovert? Oh total interval. I don't You're gonna laugh when I say this, but I don't really agree. I don't really like people I don't I don't really like you I am see I told you you were more. Oh, I'm sorry. Am I telling servings expand? Please? Tell us more. I am social for a living. So it's exhausting because we are social for a living. I'm I just I just don't have the patience of the time anymore and plus now that I'm older and I've done this for so long. It's very hard for me to go out there now and be that bubbly, you know, go get them kind of kid that I was 20 years ago when I was starting my business. So yeah, it's tough. It's tough, but it's something that you have to do one of the things that disappoints me. With what I'm with people and I'm eating now who are younger and it's not everybody. I'm not I'm not trying to generalize this statement is that people are not taking time and investing in conversations that could build on future relationships that make sense. They're not taking the time. Basically the people are not taking the time to get to know each other. They're making Assumption of bond, whatever the assumptions are making and then they're moving on instead of trying. Trying to build relationships that could garnish them business and long-lasting friendships in the future. Hmm. So investing in conversations that can build long-lasting relationships right on the phone. We're very dependable now, everything is like very fast and they judge you in a few seconds and they move on thinking that you're there might be of any value to them. But that's that's not a smart way to go. We're in a hurting. Yeah. Yeah. Way too much in a hurry. So Mike top so you have three locate like you've had Studios and Miami and DC and you start York. Is your home base? So when when did you know that it was time to expand? When did you know that? You know you wanted to do multiple locations and how have you managed to keep it all together and stay profitable all these years. Well, I think that it Was I think that I again I let that happen organically as well when my clients were having me go to DC all the time a few years back. Okay, then it's time to start to open up the studio down there or open up a little office that we can use and the same with Boston and now even more so in Miami, I actually have a physical location in Miami. So it's really I've just been following and I've been paying attention to my clients. Needs and following them as they travel around and move around. So why am I going to let a very good client walk away from me just because I'm not interrupted my not in a particular City that they want to do business in well, you know what? I'm going to make sure I don't lose that business by partnering up with either a design studio are opening up my own location there to make that happen so that my clients know that no matter where they are in this country. Re I can be with them. Hmm. So smart, you know, yeah. Hey and how do you you obviously in order to have multiple locations you have to have a solid team behind you. So how do you keep your team? Because we work this is a very challenging job being an event designer or planner is not for the faint. It's not for the faint of heart. Then it takes a special kind of person. But how do you as you manage your business? But also keep your team motivated and you know excited to come to work every day we go to so our challenges. Hmm good question. I think I'm really fortunate because the women that I have around me are exceptional human beings. They're very strong opinionated and full of fun and full of fire. So that's probably why I love you. I'm hired for me to retire a lot longer before you honey. I'm sure but I think that showing them respect and giving them a voice at the table because it's not that it's not just about me. It's about the overall design. I mean I come up with great ideas and and stuff with the ladies. So extrapolate off of what I'm come up with and we all as a group. Collectively come up with a better concept and better idea for our client experience. And I think that they respect the fact that I respect them and that I trust them and and I think because of that and and I always think thank you. It's one of the things that that simple thing this saying thank you at the end of a job goes a long way people want to be at the end of the day respected and and that's I think that it's just that simple and because of that my they've been with me a long time and I'm very very fortunate and I could not do it without my team. Wow. So respect trust in the simple. Thank you. Yeah, wonderful. Wow. So what keeps you motivated still 22 years later what keeps me motivated still. Hmm what keeps me motivated still I mean I still love this job. I still love what we do. I still love creating creating these moments for people to remember, you know, and hopefully they remember them a lifetime. I mean tree, you know, entertaining having creating a level of entertainment because that's what we are. We are entertainers were visual entertainers. We're a part of This much bigger picture of Life Experiences. So I think that knowing that I can create these moments for people that they'll look back years later specially on the wedding side more so than the corporate side that they'll look back and they'll be like, wow. That was the most amazing evening. I can I've ever had are one of the most amazing evenings I had are when you open that photo book or there you go online. Look at those photos from the past from that past event and you smile and you remember how beautiful a big experience it was? That's what keeps me doing what I'm doing. That's huge because again, like you said staying inspired stay inspired in our industry could be tough, especially after 5, 10 15 20 years 22 years. So it's interesting to hear your take on what keeps you motivated still and it's still back to what you meant the court the client right? So your client is your consonants duration. Yeah in a way they are because the one thing about what we do is that what we we have the honor of creating things and what we do is never boring because it's always a challenge like it's like opening up the puzzle and trying to figure out all the pieces, you know, and putting all the pieces together. That's what's exciting about it. I mean, we don't people people have to do this because either whether consciously or subconsciously we we love challenges. Yeah, and it's always something new we learn something new every event. I feel right. That's the other thing after 22 plus years. I still learn and that's what's key. I'm always learning something and I love that amazing. I'm so amazed by you. I think that you're you are one of the most Talented people I've met and the sweetest and the movie Just So humble and so eager to continue to share your experiences and your knowledge and your education. So super impressed and just applaud you for that. So I have some fun questions for you if you if you could have lunch with anyone. Who would it be? Well, I always say would be God. God would be first. Okay, and then I think the second person I would love to have have lunch with is I would love to have lunch with probably Van. Gogh are go gone are are you know a famous artist? I would love to have lunch. Artist harshly because the creative mind is is infinite and its possibilities to come up with new ideas and create because we as human beings as the as being reason why we're first on the food chain sort of speak is because we know how to create and manage and just we just come up with the most amazing freaking things ever. So so God created us all and then like a famous artists like Gauguin or Van Gogh. I do understand there are processes. You know, hmm how their mind works. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. How can I listen as find you? You could actually find me on our Instagram page which is more the style Mark our website. Our company website is the style Mark.com. I don't really do Twitter that much so but I'm also on Facebook same the style Mark so through all the style Mark platforms it also actually I'm you'll start being will see us on party slate. I don't know if you guys are at Actually tapping into party slate but party slates a new platform. That's pretty cool. Yeah, I love parties late. I think they're doing amazing things and yeah exactly eons like at a pace like no other and another, you know few years from now and be Beyond but I know I think I think honestly I think party slate is going to be our platform the future. I really do. Awesome, Mark. You are fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and your expertise with us. Looking forward to bringing you back for another episode and setting so much love from Chicago to NYC. Thank you. It's my pleasure. Thank you so much for inviting me. I love you sweetheart. I truly do and then all and I'm always going to be there for you much. Love to everyone to have a great holiday you too. Happy holiday much love child. If you love today's episode share with your friends and tag me on Instagram Facebook or Twitter at Cash events to learn more about our guests. Check out the show notes from wherever you listening catch you next week.
About Episode 2: In this episode, host Akeshi Akinseye features special guest Marc Wilson, Founder & Creative Director of The Style Marc by MWD Lifestyles. With over 22 years of experience, Marc is known for transforming venues into classically elegant, stylish and unique environments. From destination weddings, corporate events, and more. From destination weddings, corporate events, family celebrations, fashion events, galas, experiential marketing, meetings and consultancy. Marc and his team are producing events at all levels, with recognitions coming from around the world. Marc is a New York City Big Apple Award winner. A member of the International Live Events Association, a Board member of Project Brownstone, a Youth Development Program using Education, art and music to empower Harlem youth and has written for World Bride Magazine. As an internationally recognized, upscale event producer and floral designer, with offices in Miami Florida, and Washington DC. Marc’s work has been published in a variety of media, including: Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Town & Country, New York Weddings, Brides, New York Times, Essence, The Knot, and more He has designed events for celebrities such as: Jennifer Lopez, Magic Johnson, Gwyneth Paltrow and the list goes on. We discuss how creative entrepreneurs can embrace a sense of community over competition. Marc also shares tips for staying successful in the event design field, keeping your team motivated and more. To learn more about our guest, Marc Wilson, follow him on: Instagram @thestylemarc : https://www.instagram.com/thestylemarc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MWDLifestylesinc Website: http://www.thestylemarc.com/  If you loved today's episode, share with your friends and tag me on Instagram, facebook or twitter @keshevents Follow Akeshi on instagram @keshevents If you would like to featured as a guest on the "Let's Talk About It Podcast" or have feedback or questions, send an email to info@keshevents.com 