Life Concierge Podcast

Host Sarah Hider extends an invitation to wedding planner Alex Hamilton (@willowandivyevents) and her plus one, Courtney Bowlden (@courtneybowlden)!Alex Hamilton is originally a Midwestern girl hailing from Ohio but is all in on events in the PNW these days. As owner and lead designer of Willow & Ivy Events, she draws design inspiration from fresh flowers, vibrant color stories, playful patterns, and anything that sparkles.Courtney Bowlden is an award winning international fine art wedding photographer who started her business back in 2009. She's an enneagram 3w2, which means she never stops working or helping others. Recently, Courtney has started mentoring and educating photographers who are looking to start their business or keep their photography business thriving.Alex and Courtney share a behind-the-scenes perspective in starting and growing their business… and YES we're talking MONEY and knowing your value. These wedding industry experts share their tips in choosing a wedding planner and photographer, how to collaborate with other vendors or partners, and we wrap up with fun wedding-themed rapid fire questions! What to wear for an engagement photoshoot, what colors to choose for your wedding, and which celebrity is a favorite are all questions these ladies are answering for you to inspire your own wedding or event!

“Take every chance you get in life because some things only happen once.” Today's episode is all about bullet journaling and how it helps me set goals and stay organized. Click here to view all the tools I use to make my bullet journal both useful and FUN!Follow @lifeconciergepodcast on instagram and visit www.lifeconciergepodcast.com to learn more!

Kasie Kelly is the owner and designer of Jutie, a reusable product-line that's purpose is to inspire and enable you to live a more sustainable life! All products are reusable, timeless, and durable. Kasie was deeply inspired to create this brand and product-line after living in Western Australia and being exposed to people who greatly value sustainability and reusable products. She now calls Charleston, South Carolina home and is focused on sharing these sustainable habits she learned with others through Jutie.Check out @shopjutie on instagram or www.shopjutie.com and use code LCPODCAST20 for 20% the Reuse and Radiate market tote! Offer valid through Friday, November 26, 2021.

I know who I am, but now I'm doubting if I can go to events because they might not accept me because of the way I look,  and they're going to make a judgement about me based on the way I look before I open my mouth. -Aimon Ali, Fashion TalksNow based in Cleveland, Aimon Ali (@aimon.ali on instagram) is a fashion entrepreneur as well as an experienced Fashion Runway Show Producer, Stylist, and Creative Director from Toronto, Canada. With 7+ years of experience in the Canadian Fashion Industry, she has done events in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver.  After her move to Cleveland she started exploring the creative industry in her new city in search for the fashion she loved and that was used to. She soon realized there was something missing. There were so many amazing creatives with some amazing work but no outlet when it came to elevated fashion.So she made it her goal to bring elevated and diverse events to Cleveland. Events you don't have to think twice about before attending. Events based on quality, high fashion and community. Listen to this episode to learn more about Fashion Talks (@the_fashiontalks)!Follow Life Concierge Podcast on instagram @lifeconciergepodcast

This episode is PART 2 of our 30 & Thriving special with Morgan Pelt and Paulette Burks! Each of these episodes can stand alone but I promise, you will love and appreciate what we have to say so much more in this second episode if you make sure to listen to the first episode of this series. In this episode, we're sharing some of the mindset practices and quotes that have helped us get to where we are today at 30 and Morgan shares a few advice submissions from her Instagram @ColumbusLivingBlog! A special thank you to Paulette and Morgan for sharing in this conversation with me, and being open to sharing our 'real truths.'  And a special belated happy birthday goes out to Paulette whose birthday was this month! If you listen to the podcast, please take a moment to leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. We're trying to take Life Concierge podcast to the next level, and those reviews really help. Thanks again for listening and hope you enjoy part two of thirty and thriving.   

Get ready for a conversation with three ladies who all turned 30 this year.  We're talking about milestone birthdays, and particularly sharing the lessons we wish we knew before we were 30, as well as the lessons we learned in our 20s that we'll carry with us the rest of our lives. Though we all turned 30 this year, I hope this vulnerable conversation around societal pressures and the paths our lives have taken because of the choices we've each made resonates with anyone at any stage of life. In today's episode we'll talk about Turning 30 and what that looks like in a pandemic, learning to love yourself and then relearning to love yourself over and over again, and learning to say no for your own healthy and safety.  On the next episode we'll continue the conversation of ego vs. spirit, answer questions submitted to Morgan's IG stories, and talk about our favorite quotes and philosophies we're planning on carrying into our 30s. Check out our guests:Morgan Pelt is a Social Media Manager for a Fortune 500 company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. More recently, she became a first-time homeowner and new mom, all within six months, during a global health pandemic. For fun, she manages a lifestyle blog, called Columbus Living, which she started in 2014, which has grown organically to more than 12K followers. She uses her platform to connect with the Columbus community, while sharing her real experiences of navigating motherhood and womanhood, and all things fun throughout the city. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelors degree in Communications and a certificate in Public Relations. Her professional experience includes a decade of working in communications, marketing, and media relations across various industries. She's been together with her husband for 12 years, and happily married for four. Her passions include: supporting women's rights (with an emphasis on pay equity and transparency), and supporting local businesses (specifically women-owned, Black-owned, and LGBTQ-owned). Paulette Burks is an experienced corporate social responsibility leader in the Central Ohio community - from working for two national non-profits to serving as the Community Affairs  & Philanthropy Specialist for a well known fashion and home accessories brand, she is now continuing her servant leadership as the Sustainability Specialist at Alliance Data! As a dedicated member of her community Paulette served as the 2017 – 2019 Marketing Co-Chair for the Columbus Urban League Young Professionals Board. In April 2019 Paulette earned a Master of Public Administration from Wright State University and now affectionately refers to herself as Master P. When Paulette is not championing causes for women, children, education, and hunger you can find her with her twin sister brunching in the city!    

Rose Gabler is an author, speaker, and creativity coach. Growing up in a family of artists, she felt pressured to be artistically expressive but didn't know how to connect her innate creative strengths with her desired business goals. She began a lifelong journey trying to bridge this gap and faced many challenges in discovering a solid link. After acquiring her master's degree in Business of Arts and Culture, traveling the world for three years, and interviewing hundreds of people in various industries about creativity, she discovered that there were five universal contributing factors that empower our ability to be creative and to utilize it as a skill. She was recently named one of the Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs to Look For in 2021 and her newest book The Creativity Gene achieved best seller status in the first day. Now, she lives in Chicago with her husband and two golden doodles, working with entrepreneurs, artists, and individuals to hone their creative strengths and align them with personal and professional goals to achieve success. 

Sarah had the unique opportunity to have a reading with celebrity aura reader and psychic medium, Mystic Michaela. If her name sounds familiar, it's because she's been featured on episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County, Off the Vine Podcast with Kaitlyn Bristowe and featured in Cosmopolitan, ELLE, and Shape. After following Mystic Michaela for several years, Sarah shares what it was like to have her aura read and how she'll apply what she learned from her reading to her professional and personal life. 

This week's episode is all about following your passion, and learning - as - you - go to ultimately find success! On this episode my friend and guest Amber shares her fashion philosophies, what it's like to start a business and be your own boss, and be a working mom.Amber is the owner + buyer of Maren May's Boutique, an online women's clothing and accessories boutique based just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. Their mission is to help women look and feel their best no matter where your day takes you. Whether you are a stay at home mom chasing after kiddos, heading to work, to church on Sunday morning, or a date on Saturday night- she wants to be your go-to choice for looking and feeling your best with functional, accessible, and sophisticated clothing. Amber is married to her wonderful husband Daniel, and is the mama of 2 littles- Maren and Otto. The boutique is named after her daughter Maren May, who she describes as a cheeky little ray of sunshine and a huge inspiration behind following her dream of opening her boutique. Be sure to check out her shop @marenmays.boutique on instagram and marenmaysboutique.com. And if you're like me and love a good deal, be sure to check her pages on Fridays when she has her weekly deal- I just got a great piece that can be worn as a dress or as a duster for 15% when that was her Friday deal and I love it! Enjoy the episode!

I first met Matthew Meade through our love for and involvement in the Miss America Organization, and Matthew was Mr. Gay Ohio 2017. During his year as Mr. Gay Ohio, he witnessed first-hand and heard countless stories of hate, discrimination, and violence-- all because of a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. Matthew continues to feel a deep pain for his community, and for every community and individual who faces prejudice and hatred- which has fueled his drive to now run for United States Congress. Views expressed by my guest do not necessarily reflect that of Life Concierge podcast. I wanted to use this episode as an opportunity to showcase someone who is giving every ounce of their being into accomplishing their goals, and doing so with the goal of helping their community in the way they feel will make the biggest impact. I also want my listeners to be interested in the topics that effect all communities in our country and beyond, and even if you don't necessarily agree with our guest, I hope you'll take a second to reflect on why your feelings on certain topics are what they are- is it because of your personal experience? Are you considering how other may be effected by this issue? I hope that this episode will make you stop and think and perhaps even learn something or think of something in a way you hadn't before. *We welcome any political candidate to be interviewed on life concierge podcast should they express interest*

We're checking in with Caroline Grace Williams just before her historical 2 year reign comes to an end. What's it like to be a titleholder during a pandemic? What's next for Caroline Grace? We're sad to see her reign come to an end but exciting for the opportunities that lie ahead for her! 

Elika unknowingly started her path to health and wellness in 2007 and is now a life coach and mentor. As a teenager and young adult, she struggled to find her own way to authenticity and she’s personally experienced the ups and downs of not living in one's own truth.With a background in social work, school counseling and non-profit community programming, in addition to her experience in integrative wellness practices like yoga, Reiki + jiu jitsu, Elika brings a unique perspective and approach to her style of coaching and support.  Elika makes it a point to meet her clients where they're at and bring fun, easy-going energy to what tends to be a dreaded process. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @coachelika and visit elikawhitneycom. Every time Sarah has the chance to chat with her friend Elika, she feels a bit more relaxed- Elika is the type of person who puts you at east and we hope you get that same feeling listening to this episode.

Alex is originally a Midwestern girl hailing from Ohio. With a wedding planning background rooted in Washington, D.C., Alex is all in on events in the PNW these days. After living and working in the nation's capital for two years, Alex wanted a change but wasn't ready to give up the wonderful world of weddings and so Willow & Ivy Events was born!Alex draws design inspiration from fresh flowers, vibrant color stories, playful patterns, and anything that sparkles.When she's not planning, organizing, and executing events, she can either be found out training for an upcoming half marathon weekend or staying in with a good book. Alex also enjoys checking out new restaurants, watching baseball, traveling the world, and hanging out with her Maltipoo, Kip and her boyfriend, Brandon. Be sure to follow her on Instagram @willowandivyevents and while you’re there, be sure to follow @lifeconciergepodcast as well!

“It’s seeing the completed project. That’s what I just thrive off of.”Lee is a modern day homemaker or the male Martha. Lee had the incredible opportunity to intern for Martha Stewart in New York City. He’s an interior designer my trade, and has worked as a stylist for Nordstrom and for designers during multiple New York Fashion weeks. He says he likes to think of himself as an entertaining expert- and let me tell you from experience, Lee’s eye for detail in combination with his warm and charismatic personality make him just that. He’s also working on a new highly anticipated project which we discuss in our conversation. Be sure to follow him on instagram- @essentia_lee

*SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE* Happy First Monday in May! Today would’ve been the Met Gala, but the event has been moved to September. So if It feels like something is missing today because your Instagram feed isn’t getting blown up with met gala prep and looks, I hope this walk down met gala memory lane with my friend Lee will fill the fashion moment void in your heart. Lee and I worked together as personal stylists, and he’s also done styling for new York fashion week, and he’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to fashion, design and entertaining. This is a special episode celebrating met gala fashion, but our full interview with Lee comes out on Thursday! I’m posting all the looks we’re talking about on this episode so you can see what we’re referencing. Enjoy! 

Paulette Burks is an experienced corporate social responsibility leader in the Central Ohio community - from working for two national non-profits to serving as the Community Affairs  & Philanthropy Specialist for a well known fashion and home accessories brand, she is now continuing her servant leadership as the Sustainability Specialist at Alliance Data! As a dedicated member of her community Paulette served as the 2017 – 2019 Marketing Co-Chair for the Columbus Urban League Young Professionals Board. April 2019 Paulette earned a Master of Public Administration from Wright State University and now affectionately refers to herself as Master P. When Paulette is not championing causes for women, children, education, and hunger you can find her with her twin sister brunching in the city!Sarah hopes this conversation inspires you to step out of your comfort zone and meet new people to create genuine relationships. Don't forget to add Paulette on Linkedin! 

Karolina Ciepiel is a Russian-American immigrant in pursuit of The American Dream, blogging her way through life to share her journey on her instagram and website Karolina State of Mind (@karolinastateofmind, http://karolinastateofmind.com)Karolina is known for her sophisticated take on fashion trends and her Instagrammable Travel Guides, while remaining authentic in sharing her imperfections and fun sense of humor. In this episode Karolina shares her unique story of immigrating to the US as a child, and the roles that both Russian and American culture played in shaping her life and her choices. Karolina openly shares how her pursuit of perfection and success led her to a unfulfilling and sad place. But once she learned to trust and enjoy the journey of life, she's flourishing and happier than ever. 

Aren't we all looking for ways to make our lives easier or to implement new practices that bring us peace and happiness? Sarah sits down with her friend Lauren to hear more about her journey through motherhood and how implementing Montessori methods has brought her family joy. Lauren documents her journey in living a Montessori lifestyle with her young children on her instagram account Modern Montessori Mama (@modernmontimama) with over 65K followers!! Though Sarah is not a parent, she believes that Montessori principles can by applied in all of our lives. Lauren discusses the balance between meeting the needs of her family and meeting her own needs. Sounds like something we could use in our lives? Agreed!

We've been enchanted by the 'Markle Sparkle' since Meghan stepped on the royal scene. There have been many unanswered questions about Meghan and Prince Harry's lives as royals and now their lives in the US, until now. Sarah and her friend Paulette sit down to recap and share their opinions regarding the statements made during Meghan and Harry's interview with Oprah. We discuss Meghan's mental health in this episode. You can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a councilor. Life Concierge Podcast supports breaking the stigma around mental health and Sarah personally advocates for people to pursue therapy. This conversation is based on the allegations and experiences presented during the CBS special with Meghan and Harry hosted by Oprah. But here's what we do know:1. The importance of being actively anti-racist2. Questioning 'the way things have always been'

Sarah sits down to answer the questions YOU submitted on instagram! Why did you want to start a podcast? Who are your upcoming guests? Listen to find out! Sarah will also take a deep dive into the new hobby she developed in 2021... bullet journaling! She shares the resources she used to get started so that you can create a bullet journal of your own, and also shares an outline of her bullet journal- everything from workout tracking to her manifest list!

This episode is definitely not just for pageant fans! Heather's story is one that will inspire you to chase your dreams (no matter how many times you have to try). She was also generous in being open and sharing her perspective as a biracial woman. We share our opinions on the Miss America swimsuit competition, how we’d like to see the Miss Ohio and Miss America organizations evolve, and Heather shares her story of being Miss Ohio through her lens as a biracial woman. I know this episode will definitely get you thinking! I hope you learn something and enjoy our conversation. Let us know what you think of the episode by sharing it on Instagram and using #lifeconciergepodcast.

Welcome to Life Concierge Podcast! Allow me to introduce you to people you can relate to, learn from and connect with through conversations that are fun but grounded in truth, growth and perspective. It could be an unexpected story of compassion or kindness, a zig-zag tale of how someone made their lifelong dreams come true, or tips about the small day-to-day choices that culminate in a desired lifestyle-- Each person and their story is important and very important to me and I’m honored to share these stories with you.