The Celebrated Life

Today's podcast is all about Jonathan Garcia, a live wedding painter. His purpose is to capture those moments that you never want to forget on canvas. He loves using color and different techniques to not only express emotions, but to exhibit true beauty. DISCOVERING HIS TALENT Growing up, Jonathan always expressed himself through sketchpads and […]

Today we are talking with Jennifer Stein, Co-founder of Destination Media, LLC. In 2014, Jennifer helped create Destination I Do. She had a longing for an intimate wedding away from home and also realized that there were scarce magazines covering the topic of weddings. She has a background in publishing and loves weddings and traveling, […]

Mara is the owner, principal planner and designer for Fuse Weddings and Events, a boutique studio serving destination brides planning their celebrations in the Park City mountains as well as social clients looking for a ‘more is more' approach to their planning and decor. She also currently serves as the VP of the WIPA International […]

Welcome to episode 77 of The Celebrated Life! Today we're talking with Jordan Kahn of Jordan Kahn Music Company. The Jordan Kahn Music Company has become the fastest-rising entertainment house in the world, establishing themselves as the new standard in luxury entertainment for every kind of celebration. Jordan Kahn's bands have performed for George. W […]

In today's episode, we are talking with relationship expert, Rachel DeAlto. Rachel appeared as a relationship expert on Seasons 4 & 5 of Lifetime's Married at First Sight, and TLC's Kate + Date. She's also represented Match, Comfort Suites, and TD Bank as a national spokesperson, and is presently engaged with Match as its Chief […]

Today's episode is extra special because it is our 75th episode of The Celebrated Life Podcast! We're so honored to talk with one of the wedding industry pros, Kevin Dennis, on this milestone episode. Kevin chatted with us about how to create the offerings that clients are looking for. KEVIN'S BACKGROUND As an event industry […]

In today's episode we are talking with Stephen Polando. Stephen was one of the people who launched State Forty Eight, but stepped away earlier last year. He is still a supporter and friend of the company! He published a memoir this year titled, Ten Twenty Ten about battling addiction, the importance of support and meaningful […]

In today's episode we are talking with Matt Miller. Matt is a former Brophy College Prep 3-sport athlete. In 2002, when he was 22, Matt suffered a horrific fall down the Pico de Orizaba Mountain in Mexico. Eighteen years later, the thing that nearly killed him has brought him back to life. HIKING UP THE […]

In today's episode we are talking to our good friend from the wedding industry, Reagan Johnson. Reagan is the owner of Copper and Bloom Floral. Her goal is to make your experience one of a kind. Her florals are carefully designed with the natural shape of each flower and added textural twists. Each design is […]

Meagan Cole is the owner of Rise Up, Shine Bright, a brand and mentorship program. Her clothing line was created in mind as a reminder that you can be and do anything. Welcome to The Celebrated Life episode 71! Today we are talking with Meagan Cole. Meagan is the owner of Rise Up, Shine Bright, […]

In today's episode, we get to talk to Aaron Kes, of Aaron Kes Photography. Aaron is one of our good friends from the wedding industry. He's a phenomenal photographer and we always love getting to work with him! He lives in Phoenix with his wife and dog (who we love keeping up with on social […]

In today's episode, we have the honor to talk with Jove Meyer, founder of Jove Meyer Events. Jove and his team specialize in creating personalized weddings that are a reflection of each couple's unique style, personality, and relationship. His company is powered by partnerships with small businesses and is run by women, people of color, […]

In this episode, we are talking with one of our friends from the Arizona Wedding industry, Melissa Duerr! Melissa is the owner of Melissa Ivy Photography. Not only is she an amazing photographer, but she is also a mama bear to the Duerr household and she is doing something extra special, adopting a child! Melissa […]

Welcome to episode 67 of The Celebrated Life! Today we are talking with Mike Spangenberg, one of the founders of State Forty Eight. Mike, along with his friends Stephen and Nicholas, founded State Forty Eight in 2013. They bonded over their passion and appreciation for Arizona and then this amazing company was born!  State Forty […]

Our guest today is Andrea Eppolito, a Las Vegas Wedding Planner & Event Designer. Andrea creates extraordinary events for extraordinary people. She is taking the wedding industry by storm and redefining what it means to get married in Las Vegas. When she creates events, she entices the five senses and infuses that experience with the […]

Welcome to Episode 65 of The Celebrated Life! Today we are talking with Jill and Mary, founders of Girls Mentorship. Their mission is to create spaces where girls feel comfortable not only sharing but also learning & practicing important life lessons outside of the adults they interact with on a daily basis.  They give girls […]

Welcome to episode 64 of The Celebrated Life! Today we are talking to designer and engineer, Shu Lambert. Shu is the founder of Thrive Knives. They are official partners of Action Against Hunger. Not only are these kitchen knives thoughtfully designed, each knife that is purchased, provides a full day of live-saving nutrition to an […]

In today's episode, we are talking to Lori Baker!  Lori has been in the catering and food industry for many years. Her most recent business, Connect & Nourish is focused on health and lifestyle. She, “learned there is no linear road map to health and every human is unique. In today's fast-paced digital world it […]

We are so excited to introduce you to Lindsay Wrege, co-founder & CEO of 321 Coffee. 321 Coffee is a nonprofit coffee shop that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their mission is to provide meaningful employment for adults with IDD and to model inclusion for other businesses to follow. Lindsay is about to […]

In this episode of The Celebrated Life Podcast, we have the pleasure of talking to Quinn Tempest. We came across Quinn like we did a couple of other guests, through the virtual Bright Side Conference. Our team spent a couple of weeks watching this and we listened to so many amazing people, we're so lucky […]

Welcome to today's episode of The Celebrated Life Podcast! We are so excited that we got to sit down and talk with the wonderful Rachel Sheerin, public speaker, team trainer and one of the people we absolutely adore! Rachel is known for her keynotes and coaching for entrepreneurs, hospitality employees and organization leaders to pursue […]

We are thrilled to be talking with Amanda Chay. She is the founder of, Wonderment, a company that empowers teams to take responsibility for their health. Her mission is to keep your business's whole team happily productive and infused with health. She's found that the more a workplace focuses on health and invests in wellness, […]

In today's podcast, we have the pleasure of talking to the talented women of the Creative Label. These ladies are social media gurus and their company is a full-service agency specializing in branding, marketing, and public relations. It is their mission to provide their clients with the tools they need to be the best version […]

Today we get to talk to Kristine Sickels, founder of Her Story. Her Story is a marketing agency that is run by women, for women. They help female entrepreneurs succeed through launching new ideas, growing their business, and building their brand. We first heard about Kristine while watching The Bright Side virtual conference. Her segment, […]

Welcome to The Celebrated Life Podcast. Today we get to talk with Kate Rosenow, owner of Work Well with Kate. She helps service-based business owners organize their operations and implement the right systems so they can have more freedom and flexibility. We first found out about Kate while participating in the Brightside Conference where she […]

Welcome to the Celebrated Life Podcast Episode 55. In this episode we are doing things a little bit differently. Over the last few months we have been releasing pre-recorded podcast episodes, meanwhile there has been a life changing event to one of the host lives. Today we are going to get very real as we […]

Welcome to the celebrated life podcast Episode 54! Today we get to talk with Cora of Tailored In White, a luxury bridal alteration and redesign team! We have had multiple clients use them for their alterations on their wedding dress, additionally, Ashley had a jumpsuit done by their team and she is constantly referring her […]

Welcome to the celebrated life episode 53, today we are continuing our series “Planning for Pandemic.” This episode is all about your creative team.  In today's episode we talked to photographers, videographers, photo booths, bakers, DJ's, and catering to get their take on how weddings will continue in Arizona.  COVID CHALLENGES  The challenge is not […]

Thank you for joining us for episode 52 of The Celebrated Life Podcast! We are continuing our series, Planning for a Pandemic, on the Arizona wedding market and what things are looking like as the state has reopened and what that means for the wedding and hospitality industry.  Today we are talking through  “All Things […]

Welcome to the celebrated life podcast Episode 51! Today we started a new series called Planning for a Pandemic. We are diving into what is happening within the wedding industry in the state of Arizona as it is beginning to open back up and weddings start to happen again. We hope this information helps you […]

Welcome to the celebrated life podcast Episode 50! Today we get to talk with Blake Nolan, the author of “I Love My Happy Mama!” Blake used her experience with postpartum depression and turned it into a children's book that is aimed at sending moms a message that they are not alone. We have known Blake […]

Today we are with one of our favorite fellow planners, Jessica Mitschele with Modern Grace Events! If you are newly engaged or just love hearing about weddings, listen up because we are talking about all things wedding related this episode!  MODERN GRACE Modern Grace has been a company for two years, but they have been […]

Today on the podcast, we welcome Candace Gorgen with I Organize You! After climbing the corporate ladder for years, Candace didn't feel satisfied and wanted to do something she was passionate about. After pushing aside her own inner critic she finally created a career that made her feel fulfilled and proud. Candace has some words […]

This week on the podcast we get to talk with Alexis Brown with The Sweet Life by Lex!  We talk about how she has turned from a dental hygienist to cavity creator, the Gentry Foundation for autism, and how she turned sweets for a cause into a full-time business.  Alexis has some great nuggets for […]

Do you own a small business or are you thinking about starting one? Then today's podcast is for you. Welcome to episode 46, we're talking to Lauren Ruiz, a local lawyer for small businesses.  We not only dive into all the things a small business owner might need to know about the law, but also […]

Welcome to episode 45! In this podcast Ashley and Meagan sit down with Nancy Mantei of Nancy Mantei Events. She has planned parties for GoDaddy, Kendra Scott, and families all over the valley. She is known for bringing the biggest and best balloon arrangements to the valley. ABOUT NANCY Nancy is originally from Mexico and […]

Welcome to episode 44 with guest, Stacey Poterson! Stacey is a local photographer, entrepreneur, wife, and mother of three (as if just one of those things isn't enough already). In this podcast, she talks about her background, business and even shares some solid relationship tips. WHERE IT BEGAN Stacey first got into photography when she […]

Welcome to episode 43! In this podcast, co-owners Ashley and Meagan sat down to talk with Jenni Thye the founder and co-owner of Imoni Events. Imoni is a wedding planner industry leader and has even been featured and recommended by Martha Stewart. GETTING STARTED Jenni was a pre-law major at the University of Arizona when […]

Today, we welcome Andrew Trego, an experienced DJ in the valley who has always had a passion for hosting! This episode focuses on the life that brought Trego to where he is now as well as how your hosts, Ashley and Meagan got to the point they are today.  We are excited to share with […]

Welcome to episode 41! Today we are excited to introduce you to Lisa Morrow, owner of Birdytell. Driven by a family of entrepreneurs, Lisa always knew she would one day open her own business. She believes that giving and connecting people together gives her the greatest joy in life. We are so excited that we […]

On this podcast, we sat down with Cameron Clark one of the best destination photographers and learned about all her insight on her tips and journey as a photographer.  START IN  PHOTOGRAPHY Cameron graduated college and immediately began working as staff photojournalist at a daily newspaper and has been a professional photographer ever since. In […]

Welcome to episode 39!  We are so insanely excited to talk with Sage, owner of Sage Aubrey and total woman crush!  Sage is such an inspiration for empowering other babes and a true example of staying true to values and authenticity.  For those of you who don't already know. Sage is a leather bag designer […]

A good photographer is everything. They capture the love, the light, the elegance in a day. They capture all the small details, and the big picture. They make the moments last.  Denise Karis does just that, and so much more, and if you take a listen to the episode you'll hear all the small details […]

In this episode, we had the pleasure of bringing in Veronica Novak from Avant-Garde Floral Studio!  You may already have known about Veronica from a recent episode with Will Novak! We love having the opportunity to speak with Veronica, Meagan's sister-in-law, and learn about her life beyond the flowers and her hilarious husband. She gives […]

Today we are so excited to share an incredible story about the bond between mother and son. Michelle is an avid hiker how wants to fill her son's dream of seeing every national park and monument. Her incredible story speaks enormously of the true bad-ass mom she is. She is so humble and inspirational and […]

Welcome to the celebrated life podcast episode 35!  We are so excited to introduce you to our friend, Curtis Whipple.  Curtis is a local wedding DJ in Arizona who strives to create memorable moments on the dance floor for his clients. Curtis has an immense passion for his job and for music as a whole. […]

Shannon can remember being an entrepreneur since she was in 3rd grade.  She would take her Dad's electric tape, draw designs on them and then sell them to her classmates. As an entrepreneur since day one, it isn't hard to believe the success she has found creating amazing companies throughout her life.  She created a […]

Today, we welcome Risa Kostis. Risa is a stylist with RiStyle and during this episode, she gives us great styling tips, what life is like in the fashion industry, and how she helps others pack for trips. Risa gives great advice on building relationships, being confident in your own skin, and how she is a […]

Today, we welcome Will Novak. Will is a former comedian turned public servant and dad that is experienced his fifteen minutes of fame (and coincidentally it is our host Meagan's brother). You may remember Will from the media coverage he received after he attended a strangers bachelor party across the country. Ultimately the experience and […]

Today, we welcome to the podcast Tasha Miller. Tasha is a wedding planner with Meant2Be events. She knew she has wanted to be a wedding planner since the age of thirteen and made her dream into a reality. Tasha talks about her experience in wedding planning, tough situations throughout her life, and what makes her […]

Today, we welcome Charity Maurer. Charity is known for her luxury photography brand. During the podcast, this devoted mom of two shares her past experiences including being the youngest of nine siblings and Irish dancing for a decade of her life. Charity strives to have a great balance of family and work in her life […]