YT07: Going Viral on TikTok and YouTube in the Wedding Industry with Adriana Brauckmann

Speaker A: I've been in the wedding industry for 8ish years. The prenup is a platform that I started, I guess, three years ago now. My lovely husband, who said, you clearly like to talk, you never shut the f up, so maybe you should start a podcast. I was like, can I still curse on the podcast? I would say consistency is super important. Bad comments aren't necessarily a bad thing. I spent a few hours for every guest in the interview. I just want them to feel comfortable. It can go wherever I need it to go. And that way it's like, even get in front of a window. Natural light works a lot better than having, like, the artificial bright light episodes that I do solo. I'm getting more comfortable, but if it's just me and the camera, I'm like,

Speaker B: I can't really do it.

Speaker A: It's really hard. The first video of mine that broke like 500,000 views, I was so excited about. I was like, oh, people are vulnerable. Watching this.

Speaker B: You remember what it was?

Speaker A: Yeah, it was about, um, this episode

Speaker B: is a collaboration between the NJ Content

Speaker A: Studio show, John's other podcast, and the niche marketing podcast. It may contain explicit language not suitable for all audiences.

Speaker B: And we're back with another episode of the NJ Content Studio Creators show. I'm, um, your host, John Bertino, here with Stephen Paanza. Stephen, say hello.

Speaker C: What's up, everyone?

Speaker B: And today we're super excited to have our lovely guest, Adriana Bruckman with Love Stories TV and the prenup.

Speaker A: Hello. Hello. Thank you for having me, you guys. Super excited.

Speaker B: Adriana, tell us about the prenup, what it is and how it fits contextually within Love Stories tv.

Speaker A: Sure. So the prenup is a platform that I started, I guess, three years ago now, and I just wanted to promote wedding planning and make it accessible to everyone. Not everyone can have a planner. Even if you do have a planner, it's a lot. It's confusing. And I've been in the wedding industry for 8ish years and I know a lot. And I just started kind of putting myself out pimp myself on TikTok. And I grew a little following. And then, um, it was my. My lovely husband Jake who said there might be room for something more long form for this. You clearly like to talk. You never shut the f up. So maybe you. You should start a podcast. I was like, yeah. So he was so sw. He got all the equipment and he set me up. And we're in my living room and I'm on zoom with people and it starts to, like, gain A little bit of traction. I'm like, oh, this is, this is fun. So probably like a year and a half in, I got an email from the then CEO of Love Stories tv. And Love Stories, if anyone doesn't know, is this huge platform they have across all socials. The, uh, the most followers or whatever that metric is. Clearly. I know what I'm talking about, but go on. In the wedding industry. So they have a huge, huge following across like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, the whole nine. So.

Speaker B: So they were already well established.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, they've been doing it for years. But their initial niche was, was wedding video because we focus so much on like, the photos of things and that's what gets promoted on socials. But seeing things emotional, you guys know, it's, it's super different. So they have the largest database of, uh, wedding video.

Speaker C: Like videographers.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, wedding videographers, sure.

Speaker C: Okay.

Speaker A: And that's kind of how their socials grew too, because they would post these amazing clips of different things that either went viral in weddings or just were really special, beautiful moments. But they got to a point where they were like, we kind of want to expand into some shows.

Speaker C: Adjacent. Adjacent category within wedding.

Speaker A: Exactly. Yeah. Some more wedding stuff. So, um, Rachel Silver, then the CEO, uh, reached out and I thought that she was reaching out for like, sponsored content, um, for socials. And I was like, oh, yeah, I'll take the meeting. I saw two other people on it who are now my producers, Nadia and Erica, um, who are amazing. But, uh, yeah, they were like, we love your podcast and we want you to join our network. And, um, I did. Last May, I joined with Love Story tv and, um, this past fall they were acquired by David's Bridal. So, yeah, it's been kind of a little whirlwind roller coaster, but it's been great.

Speaker C: Wow.

Speaker B: So that was a new, uh, relationship between David's Bridal and Love Story.

Speaker A: It's fairly new within the year. Yeah.

Speaker C: Pretty smart in David's Bridal.

Speaker A: They're doing pretty smart so much right now. They are like, what you thought of David's Bridal in the past, it's, it's so different. I just went to an event that they hosted during, um, New York Bridal Fashion Week. They did a line with Marquesa. So you guys probably don't know who Marquesa is, but she's this incredible designer. Georgina Chapman is the designer from Arquesa. Um, it's a super luxury brand, like all A Listers wear on the red carpet. And she has a line with David's and it's the only luxury bridal wear that you'll be able to purchase online now. So they've got their foot in a bunch of different. Yeah, different stuff. It's awesome.

Speaker B: So I want to go back to, um, when you were just getting started.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You were doing primarily short form content, is that right?

Speaker A: Yeah. Mhm.

Speaker B: And where did you focus your efforts, platform wise?

Speaker A: TikTok was where I started. So I did TikTok for about a year before I even went on Instagram. I've always had a personal, private Instagram for a friend's family. Private, rarely posted. Um, and posting on TikTok was like the scariest thing that first time. Yes. Tell us about the first hundred times. Yeah, I, I didn't tell anyone but my husband that I was doing it.

Speaker C: And we. Real quick. When you were taking the long form that you were doing on Zoom and making shorts out of that.

Speaker A: Not yet. So when I first started, I was just doing these little short, short form videos. Um, just about, you know, what's going to work best in your uplighting in your venue or, you know, what you should ask your caterer. These, these little videos that would be helpful to brides they wouldn't think of. Um, and then after I started the podcast, I would clip episodes, you know, like the most interesting parts, and I would put those on TikTok also.

Speaker C: Sure.

Speaker B: And how much of a following, how big did you get the following before you started to broaden into long form?

Speaker A: Um, it was probably about 10,000 followers around the time, so.

Speaker B: Nice.

Speaker C: How long did it take you to get to that 10,000?

Speaker A: Um, I think it was like a year and change. Yeah, it's.

Speaker C: It was slow going.

Speaker A: It was a slow roll. Yeah.

Speaker C: And it's.

Speaker A: And it still is, you know, and there are times where I'm like, oh, uh, I just want to be like the biggest and the baddest. And then there's also times where I'm like, it's going at the pace that it should and it'll get there. You know, nothing, nothing great happens overnight. Well, I'm sure some things do, but

Speaker C: it's that dopamine battle that's inside your head. You want to go full speed. But you, you know, I, I know it's logically, you're like, no, let's go slow. We'll grow at the pace we're supposed to grow.

Speaker A: Yes. But now I found that I have, you know, a good base and they're super engaged and it grows A little bit every day. Um, so I'm. I'm happy with where it is, but of course, always looking to expand and grow.

Speaker B: Did you have any real breakthroughs with the short form before you started to broaden in long form?

Speaker A: Breakthrough in short form. I would say that the first video of mine that broke, like, 500,000 views, I was so excited about. I was like, oh, people are watching this and liking it.

Speaker B: Do you remember what it was?

Speaker A: Yeah, it was about, um, dresses that you could wear to a bridal shower. M. Yeah.

Speaker B: Do you have a feeling. Any particular feelings about why that one might have broken through?

Speaker A: I think it's all about the style and the layout and the. I didn't know it at the time, but the visual hook. So, you know, the, uh, purple hook, of course, is always important. But this video particularly didn't have any speaking. It didn't have any caption. It was just like me in. I think it was a video of me from my own bridal shower, like, about to cut the cake. And then it cut to this reel of all different kinds of bridal dresses.

Speaker B: But no voiceover.

Speaker A: No.

Speaker C: And it was just like a montage, like a bunch of cuts.

Speaker A: Yeah. And at that time, um, there was a big value in the trending sound, too. I think it's kind of weird. Not that trending sounds aren't as.

Speaker C: Was it a trending music or sounds like asmr.

Speaker A: Trending music. Yeah. Yeah. And I can't remember what the song was, but it's on my TikTok. I could find it.

Speaker B: Have you seen that Mr. Beast clip that's floating around right now with Mark Zuckerberg? And he specifically says that one of his keys to going mega viral is not talking. And one of his theories behind this is because it gives it more international reach for people that don't speak English.

Speaker A: Interesting. That's really interesting.

Speaker B: So counterintuitive.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: The key to going viral is to shut the fuck up.

Speaker A: Well, I'm in trouble then.

Speaker B: So are we.

Speaker A: I simply cannot.

Speaker C: Right, right, right. That's really fast. Really fascinating. I would like to see the data behind that.

Speaker B: I mean, it's Mr. Beast on the call with Mark Zuckerberg. So it's like, I hear you too, Right? Exactly. By the way, 500,000 views is not nothing.

Speaker A: It's not nothing. No, it's not. And, you know, I'm still. I'm still proud of it. And anything, you know, that gets any views, I'm like, this is great. Even if it's not reaching a billion people. Like someone will ask a question and I get to answer it and engage with them.

Speaker C: And so even a video that has like almost no views, but if they're a, uh, good comment and there's value, you say that that quasi is success.

Speaker A: I think so, yeah. Because that, that builds a relationship between me and the person on the other side. And like that's what the whole thing is about.

Speaker C: M. So how many followers do you have now across the different platforms?

Speaker A: Across the platforms? Um, I think we're at like 50k.

Speaker C: 50k?

Speaker A: Yeah. Mhm.

Speaker B: Wow.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And that's just your show, let alone Love Stories TV, which has got. I know the YouTube alone is almost at a million.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, their YouTube's huge. And that's where my podcast goes to. On video.

Speaker C: Like syndicated out.

Speaker A: Exactly. Yeah. Um, yeah, their, their social channels are huge and my podcast clips go out to them as well. So um, they, they get a lot of traction just because of the, the followers and you know, the viewership that they have.

Speaker C: Have you seen a spike in your followers since you've joined Love Stories?

Speaker A: Like no, not a spike, to be honest with you. It's been, it's been still steady. Like I definitely the podcast clips do a lot better because the former were me in my house and it was iPhone footage and me trying to cap, cut these videos and put them together and it's like not great. So now I have professionals doing it and those videos do a lot better. But I focus a lot less on doing those talk to video short forms now because I have a lot of, a lot more traction with the podcast.

Speaker B: Okay, Two big things you said right there. You said the podcast clips are doing better.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Okay, so to start, I think there's this common mantra that production value means nothing. And you're saying you've seen definitively in the data that ever since you joined a podcast set, a studio like environment, you've seen a distinct difference in performance.

Speaker A: A thousand percent.

Speaker C: Wow.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: A thousand percent if I didn't mention it. We're here at NJ Content Studio in Hattonville, New Jersey.

Speaker C: We have three beautiful sets. Check out the walkthrough video. At some point they do.

Speaker A: I got the tour. It's so pretty amazing. It looks so good.

Speaker B: Now you said podcast clips. And before we jumped on the mic, I was saying to you, long form's a bitch.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: And the longer I do this, the more I'm just reaffirmed that long form is um, tough.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: So

Speaker B: starting with, I guess just short form, you see outperformance. It's night and day.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: Uh, in some ways. So, you know, the short form really feeds the long form. So that is our primary base for promoting the podcast. That's our advertising short form, getting it on Instagram and TikTok, and that's how I would say 99% of listeners find us.

Speaker B: No doubt. But I guess in terms of getting a video, too, as Mike Desmarais would say, pop off. Shout out. Mike Desmare M. In terms of getting a piece of content to pop off, is it been your experience that that's much easier with short form than long form?

Speaker A: I think so, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I. Other than the podcast, I barely have dabbled in long form just because it is. It's grueling. And there are. There are creators that I know who do a phenomenal job, and they do these vlogs, and they're incredible. Um, it's just, for me, other than the podcast long form, I can't. I can't.

Speaker C: It's a lot.

Speaker A: It's a lot more of everything. Yes.

Speaker B: And I mean, look, I don't. I'm currently having a moment.

Speaker C: You're having a moment. Let's explore your moment.

Speaker B: Well, it's just that, um, it's a lot of work, the long form. And then, not only that, but we tend to put. I tend. Look at this, look at my notes, look at the preparation.

Speaker C: It's like we're a high school football coach running plays. Go to play. B2, B2.

Speaker B: This is my preparation. Right. Um. Um. And, uh, I have no qualms about that because we have multiple layers of strategy behind what we're doing here.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, but it takes a ton of time. And then I go to Instagram, I have a buddy sit in Steven's seat or whatever, and we talk about dumb shit like sauce versus gravy. By the way, sauce or gravy?

Speaker A: I mean, it depends on what it is. Like, Sunday gravy is with the. The meat. If there's meat in it, in the red sauce on Sunday, it's gravy. Uh, yes, but if it's like, you know, if it's just a matter an hour, it's not gravy. You know what I mean?

Speaker C: I'm with Adriana.

Speaker B: What? You're a New York guy? I thought you were the sauce guy.

Speaker C: I'm a sauce guy, but it's funny. So my. One of my grandmothers was from the Bronx, and the Sunday sauce was the gravy.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker C: And that. That's exactly what it is. But my dad Being from Italy, everything was just a sauce because you make it real quick. He never believed in the gravy.

Speaker A: Right, right, right. I'm torn. You know, I, I always just say gravy because I'm not going to just eat mad. Yeah, well, I'm, um, I'm going to eat either a Boynese or like, you know, this is. I don't know if this is like just a family thing or if this is something that like all Italian families did or just mine, but sometimes my dad would make tuna gravy.

Speaker C: Oh, I've got. I do that. Yeah, it's very Italian. That's very Italian tuna gravy. You know, I do it. I absolutely do it. We can do that maybe twice a month in the olive oil or in the water.

Speaker B: The water.

Speaker A: The m. Water's disgusting.

Speaker C: It really is. You open up a can of tuna in water and it's.

Speaker A: No, just kill me.

Speaker B: All right, so back on track. Point being that goes viral.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And might be 10 people that watch the long form.

Speaker A: Right, right.

Speaker B: And that is. That can be just absolutely maddening. So I mean, I'll just leave it at that for the moment, but I'll segue to this key point. I'm curious in general, uh, what are some of the tricks you've learned in doing this now for three, four years?

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: About keeping people watching. How do you keep them engaged?

Speaker A: So, I mean, I still struggle with this. Consistency is obviously so important. Um, just making sure, even if it's not every day that it's like if you're a three times a week person, then that's what you're doing. Because when I, um, mean most creators, I would say, have like full time jobs and other things that they're doing. So it's not really possible to just be so in all day, every day until you can make that your full time job. Which, you know, if that's the goal, that's awesome. But I would say consistency is, is super important. Just seeing what does well. So just for example, that bridesmaids video. Okay. Well, people like to. That maybe they'll like more fashion bridal things. And they do. Um, so just seeing what does. Well, paying attention to it and paying attention to what people are saying in the comments. Yeah, bad, um, Comments aren't necessarily a bad thing. They're uh.

Speaker C: Controversy is good, right?

Speaker A: Controversy is good. Yeah. And sometimes people say something in my video and they're like, I don't agree with that at all. I think this, this and this. I'm like, that's Pretty good point. Yeah, you're right. You know, and you get these different opinions. Um, yeah, but I would say for. For keeping people coming back, just paying attention less to yourself, which sounds crazy because it's your content, but paying attention to what people are gravitating towards.

Speaker B: Yeah. It's really important to put the audience first. Cliche to say, right?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: But I have noticed the more I've started to focus on, okay, is the audience going to give a shit? Is this just my pet talking point, that other. Right. And trying to get away from what's most important to me and making sure I'm putting the focus on the viewer.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: It really does make a difference. I want to double click on this, though.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, have you thought at all about little tactical things you can do with the short form that gets them to stop turning away? You mentioned before visual hook, for example. So maybe expand on that, among other little tactics.

Speaker A: Visual hook. So, like, for example, you know, you start the video, you're sipping a water, and then you're coming away from your sip and you're just talking right into it.

Speaker B: Really? You've seen a difference?

Speaker A: It's something.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: Or like, for girls, it's a little easier. Maybe boys can do chapstick or lip gloss if you want. But, like, sometimes I'll start and I'm putting on my lip gloss as I'm

Speaker C: talking, so it seems, like, super natural, and it's not like a staged, uh, thing.

Speaker B: Producer Jim, you got any chapstick over there?

Speaker C: You might have some lip gloss. What do you got?

Speaker A: I do have lip gloss. I do.

Speaker B: Oh, wait a minute. You're from Washington Township. You got chapstick.

Speaker A: I. You know what? I have aquaphor. I keep aquaphor at all times. Because chapstick dries out your lips. Yeah, yeah, nowor keeps them, you know, moist and hydrated.

Speaker B: Uh, you're.

Speaker C: I.

Speaker B: You're actually testing this. Like I'm going to be doing in motion at the beginning of the clip.

Speaker C: I think you see it, too. You see people grabbing, like, a microphone and putting a microphone up or doing something that's interesting.

Speaker A: Or I'll. I'll just set up my camera. Like, as I'm setting up, I start talking. And, you know, I. I've tried it a bunch of times, and it does. It does work.

Speaker C: Not always, but there's like, a natural authenticity about that. And what I've gotten from you, Adriana, is like, for example, a couple minutes ago, you mentioned that people are commenting on your post and you'll admit, like, that's a really good idea or. I didn't think about that. Like, you're not. Yes, you are the expert, but you're not coming in on it. Like, I've been married 15 times, like Zsa Zabor. You know what I mean? And like, let me tell you all the things. There's like a humbleness about it.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: I mean, the whole point of the prenup is that I'm not the star, the bride is. So I want to. I want to do what's best for the bride, and I want to hear what people are saying. Sometimes people come in with really mean, personal stuff, um, which is weird, but, like, you know, you don't pay attention to that. But yeah, I do think, like this morning or yesterday I posted something about lab grown diamonds. I happen to think lab grown diamonds are genius. It's a big regret of mine that I don't have one myself. But it was like before I knew what they were, which is a whole other conversation. But, um, I posted something about them not holding their value and someone was like, well, real diamonds don't hold their value either. And I was like, touche. You know, it's. That. That is true.

Speaker C: Right, right, right, right.

Speaker B: On that point of choosing subject matter, do you have a clear formula for this or do you kind of just go, this is interesting, I want to talk about it?

Speaker A: Um, yeah, I, I don't really have a formula. Like, I'll keep a notes of content, ideas and things that I think would be interesting. And, um, you know, sometimes I hit it, sometimes I don't. But a lot of what I end up talking about or I'm doing short form content on outside of podcast clips are kind of inspired by what I'm talking about on the podcast. So if I'll have a guest on who is, let's, uh, say they're a florist. Like, I start thinking about floral things and like, what do people need to know about floral? So I, I don't have a great strategy of like, oh, this is gonna be, you know, Monday we talk about florals, Tuesday we talk about food, Wednesday we talk about fashion. That's not me. One thing I do plan for is just, um, on Instagram, just because the feedback matters a little bit more aesthetically. Um, I use an app called Planoly so I can at least see what the thumbnail is gonna look like on the.

Speaker C: Amongst the whole.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, but that's as far as planning goes. Like, kind of the extent of it.

Speaker B: Speaking of content strategy, and planning. Have you noticed if any of the content from your show or the rest of the love stories TV network is making its way into David's Bridal's site?

Speaker A: It is. Yep. Yep. So, um, this was last week and I'm sure things filter through, but the prenup was on that first page of David's Bridal and on the homepage. Yeah, yeah, it was really cool. And I, um, I met Kelly who was the new CEO of David's and she's amazing and hysterical. But, um, I met her for the first time. She's like, oh, she's got this great Texas accent, like big hair and she's just fabulous. But she's like, oh, I feel like I know you because we have you on the David's TV in the office. And it is, it is cool to see that because I grew up with David's. You know, that was like, you pass. It's like I always loved weddings from when I was a kid. Um, so I saw him like, oh, wedding dresses and you know, it's, it's kind of a cool full circle moment.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker C: Did you get your wedding dress from David's Bridal?

Speaker A: I did not. I did not got my wedding dress from David's Bridal. Um, but in today's day, like it's, it's just so different. Especially because they're expanding into that luxury market now and they are, I think I mentioned this earlier, but the only place that you can purchase luxury online from. And that's been a big complaint that I hear from my audience. Like I wish I could just order a dress instead of this whole like

Speaker C: bridal shop experience, the production and theater of it.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker C: Isn't that part of the allure? Isn't that what like as uh, I love as a little girl, like, isn't that what you're like, isn't that the moment sometimes even more important than the wedding is going with your girls getting a little half blazed and baked and drunk and trying on dresses.

Speaker A: You know what, it's, it was my favorite part of the process. Once I picked my dress, I was almost sad because I was like, now I can't like play dress up anymore. But I do get the other hand where it's like, I mean you guys probably don't have this, but for a lot of girls it's like swap shopping for swimsuits and you go into the store and like everyone's ogling at you and maybe you're not super comfortable with the way your shoulders look or whatever it is and you're like, I hate that part. Staring at. Yeah, I hate it too. I can't get my lats, you know, just the way I want them. But, um, no.

Speaker B: Steven, how are your lats?

Speaker C: The lats are okay. You should really see my calves though. I have a hard problem with my calves.

Speaker A: Um, what's the issue with the calves?

Speaker C: They're huge.

Speaker A: I have big calves too. I'm m. A big calf girl. I am. Yes.

Speaker B: The big calf club.

Speaker C: What part of the boot are your people from? Maybe we come from the same part of the boot.

Speaker A: My dad's the calf.

Speaker C: The calf above the boot.

Speaker A: Maybe we're related.

Speaker C: Maybe we are brutalise regions where I think the calf is when you look at the whole boot.

Speaker A: But you know what, I used to be so self conscious of it, but now I'm like, I love, uh, it, it's great.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: I mean, at least I have calves.

Speaker C: Right?

Speaker B: All right, calf crew, back to, back to marketing here. Right? So this seems like a long term strategy, a brilliant long term strategy executed by David's Bridle to not just sell dresses but build community.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Do you think it's working?

Speaker A: I do, I do. I mean they're, they're kind of in babyhood. So they acquired this company called Pearl and that's their media company and Love Stories kind of, kind of feeds Pearl. Um, so their content does that. But I, I do, I think it's really, really smart. Just in this evolving world of content and you know, it's social media and you know, how are we going to differentiate ourselves? This brand that people have known for such a long time for this one thing? Um, I think they're already doing a great job of getting their name out there in a different way, but I think they're only going to expand.

Speaker B: Do they pull you into like strategy meetings with the other creators or just let you do whatever you want to do?

Speaker A: So I have two producers, uh, for the prenup and we talk about. They mostly give me creative control but you know, they, they handle a lot of the behind the scenes things and the advertising and all that good stuff. Um, but a lot like, um, Tegan Gerard who has the Half baked half, ah, Baked Harvest. It's a blog. Um, like everyone follows her. She has like 5.5 million followers or something. People who probably don't even know they follow her. Follow her because she just has these great recipes. But my producer Erica was able to get her on the show. So sometimes they'll have connections with people through different media companies and you know, PR and, um, and they do help with that. So mostly it's just, you know, prenup meetings or prenup meetings. But the other shows, I have relationships with those people and we have our own little, like, group chats and ideas and.

Speaker B: But at least as of yet, it's not as though the marketing team is coming to you and saying, okay, here's our objective across all channels. We want you guys to do more of X.

Speaker A: No, no. They give us a lot of creative control. In fact, one of the things that. Interesting, um, was a question and concern of mine when Love Stories was being acquired by David's, because I always have, like, a lot of creative control and freedom. Um, I said to Rachel, who she still is with David's, but she was the Love Story CEO. I was like, can I still curse on the podcast? Like, she's like, yeah, you can still do whatever you want. But that's a concern of mine because David's is like this huge, huge corporation. Like, can I. Is that like PC? Can I do. I have to tone myself down, but I haven't had to yet.

Speaker C: Good. Don't ever lose that control.

Speaker A: I.

Speaker C: That is you. It makes you, you.

Speaker A: Thank you.

Speaker C: So David's acquired Love Stories. Where's Pearl fit in?

Speaker A: Pearl is like the media, uh, portion of, um, of Davids. Excuse me. And then Love Stories media feeds the Pearl aspect of.

Speaker C: So Pearl is maybe running their advertising, running their digital media buys, like, strategically figuring out where we show up. Yeah, Love Stories is just curating and creating the content.

Speaker A: Yes. But it's all under that. David's umbrella.

Speaker C: And. And David's acquired Pearl around the same time as Love Stories.

Speaker A: So I don't know when Pearl was acquired or if it was something that they started in.

Speaker C: Within David's.

Speaker A: Within Davids. Yeah, I. I would have to check on that because I don't know for sure, but, uh, yeah, m. I come

Speaker B: across this content, this concept recently of content as a CRM. Have you ever heard this before? It's this idea that if you have a content publishing network, across the various aspects of that content network, you can use that to nurture buyers through the buyer's journey. Everything from your stage, which is the, uh, prenuptial wedding planning, to the wedding itself, to honeymoon, to planning for the next baby. And with the right data insights, you can track that actual individual or viewer, track the viewer down to the individual and serve them certain types of content that moves them through that, that very real buyer's journey. I just think that's such a Clever premise. I have no doubt that that's ultimately what they're up to here.

Speaker A: I'm sure that is, like, what it actually is. I hadn't heard that term, but yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what they're doing. And I love it. It's brilliant. Makes so much sense.

Speaker C: There's actually a good example of that strategy, I think, that failed. Right. No, I'm m showing all my notes.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker C: Nobody can see this. What you got for number four? But think about, think about, um, Bed Bath and Beyond.

Speaker B: Sure.

Speaker C: Wedding registry. Get them in and then into Bye Bye Baby.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker C: But they, they have their strategy up right now. They're all basically out of business, which

Speaker A: I'm so sad about because I love Bed, Bath and Beyond. And, uh. But the knot did the same thing. Like they have.

Speaker C: Yes.

Speaker A: The bump, which, like, I go into my. Because I'm pregnant. Um, the bump app. Every day I'm like, oh, today baby is the size of.

Speaker C: I remember the bump. Yeah, yeah. Ah.

Speaker A: I don't know if the knot started it or they just acquired it, but it's. You know, you're right.

Speaker C: It's that CRM thing to, um, basically get you. You know, they want you to go back to the. It's the mechanic. They don't want to necessarily be the car salesman.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: They want to be the mechanic. They want you coming back every 3,000 miles for an oil change, tune up, your tires rotated. You have a kid. They need clothes, they need this, they need that.

Speaker A: It's smart. It's really smart.

Speaker C: When they need a divorce, you go to postnop, whatever it is.

Speaker B: I love, by the way, the cleverness of the prenup.

Speaker A: Oh, thanks.

Speaker B: Very clever. Very clever.

Speaker A: Some people get it, some people don't. But we've come this far with it and, you know, I love it. It's fun.

Speaker B: Now, something that I've noticed that a lot of brands are missing out on. And I don't think David's Bridal is doing this yet.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: There's a lot of the content that can be extracted from the video and audio.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: That find its way into the site to make incredible m montages of content. Or in other words, like roundup style posts on, you know, Adriana and even the other creators on Love Stories tv. There's been this recurring theme of, oh, how to deal with, um, a mother in law. Mother in law. Right.

Speaker A: We deal with a lot of that now.

Speaker B: Extract those insights across the various videos, pull them into a piece of written content, get Those words on the site, which is incredible for SEO. Right? And Google really appreciates. And now the LLM AI chatbots really appreciate, um, the aggregation of content from multiple sources and multiple subject matter experts.

Speaker A: Huh.

Speaker B: Rather than David's Bridal just raising their hand saying, we are the foremost authority on how to deal with a mother in law issue during the wedding. Here's 500 words on that.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Instead you're pulling in insights from different individuals that have known credibility across the web on these topics and citing them and linking to them and referencing them in the actual content. And it is a game changer for SEO. Game changer. And no one's doing it.

Speaker A: Oh my God. I need to pick your brain on this more because I am like an SEO failure and I just cannot understand

Speaker C: it for the length of yourself short,

Speaker B: they didn't teach SEO at Washington Township High School.

Speaker A: I went to Paul vi. I was a Catholic school girly. So, you know, the curriculum was a little, A little different. No, but SEO, it just like right over my head. And you know, for me, social media is a little bit different because you can kind of try to learn the algorithm a little bit and it changes and you kind of can like do these little tricks. But the keywords and stuff, that's like.

Speaker C: Well, uh, John, real quick to, to what you just said. For a brand like David's Bridal, is it, is it better for them just to maybe just run ads on Google around that key topic than putting together a whole long form? Like, does that monetarily make better sense for them?

Speaker B: I would say no. A band's, uh, a brand like Davis Bridal should be doing all the above.

Speaker A: So they should be. Right, so to speak.

Speaker B: Yes. And you might be thinking, or listeners might be thinking. Is, are, aren't blogs dead? Isn't SEO dead? But here's the thing. The, the LLM models, the chat GPTs, the clods of the world, they're relying on many of, if not all of the same signals as a traditional search engine. We're saying traditional search engines now, can you, can you believe it?

Speaker A: Where have we gone to?

Speaker C: So, for example, search engines.

Speaker B: If you go to ChatGPT.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: If you go to ChatGPT and you search. New Jersey marketing consultant, we're number one. Okay, why did we do a bunch of AI search engine optimization? No, it's our legacy SEO still resulting in higher visibility and rankings within ChatGPT. Because they're looking at most of the same factors.

Speaker A: Right?

Speaker B: So, yes, going through the effort to extract key insights from blog posts From, From. From social media videos, from interviews, from multimedia content. Extracting those insights, getting them into the website can still pay and does pay massive dividends for brands and within, you know, the LLM models.

Speaker A: Super, super interesting. Yeah, that's. That's not something I had thought of. You know, I don't, I don't know what they're doing at that back end, but have you noticed if you go into Instagram and you search for something you want to see, you know, photos or video on, and it'll just give you like an AI answer. Do you guys see this happening?

Speaker C: Oh, yeah.

Speaker A: So I don't want that. Like, I really. That. But if I wanted to have an AI answer, I would go to ChatGPT or whatever the, you know, Grok or whatever it is. Um, but that's not what I want from social media. Do you know what I mean?

Speaker C: But social media wants you to stay on the platform, so now they're gonna offer it in the platform so you don't go off the app.

Speaker A: It makes sense, but, like, I mean, I'm sure I'm the only crazy person, but I find myself, like, getting. So I'm like, I gotta get.

Speaker C: This isn't my assistant.

Speaker A: Yeah, I don't want this.

Speaker C: My assistants in. Are you a Grok gal or.

Speaker A: My husband is.

Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: Smart man.

Speaker C: Well, what is your AI of choice?

Speaker A: I mean, I, I use Gemini because I'm. I don't use AI a ton yet. I'm sure I'll be using it more and more every day. Find myself using it a little more.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: But, um, yeah, I, I, sometimes I'm like, oh, can you, like, teach me how to do this thing? And I'm just like, whatever. I. But I have to learn it because you gotta evolve at the times or you're gonna get left behind.

Speaker C: Right, right, right.

Speaker B: Um, I wanna go through a few just common things that come up in our interviews with creators.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: So first of all, planning. We touched on this earlier. I'm a big planner, but not everybody is.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: I recently interviewed Natalie Brunel from Coin Stories. I don't know if you know who she is. Uh, she's a major figure in the cryptocurrency bitcoin space.

Speaker A: I'm sure my husband knows who she is.

Speaker B: She's incredible. I was out in St. Louis hanging out with her, and when the subject of planning came up where I told her, I asked her what makes the. I asked her what makes people watch? And she said, the guests. And I said, okay, but how do you get the most traction out of those interviews? And she said, I invest hours into planning for every single guest.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And yet I have no doubt that other creators, you'll ask them and be like, hours of planning. What are you talking. I mean, Stephen just rolled out of bed for this interview.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: Basically, like, I'm just. I'm just. I'm doodling on this sheet of notes. I don't know what the hell I'm looking at. I can't even read Beautiful flower.

Speaker B: So, um, I'm curious. What's your take on planning? How much is necessary? What level do you get into?

Speaker A: So I said earlier about, you know, on. On socials, I'm not like, so, oh, plan, plan. It's just kind of like, oh, this thing comes up, and, like, how does it fit in? But for long form and for podcasting, I spend a lot of time. A lot, a lot of time on prep. I just want to know the person as well as I can before I have a conversation with them. That's, like, that's my goal to. Because in the interview, I just want them to feel comfortable. I want them to be able to say whatever they feel like they can say. And, um, I know them, and it's not this, like, whole intro of, you know, we're here for a certain purpose. So I don't need to know your whole life story on the podcast, but I do want to know it personally so that I can ask the right questions to you and get the best information out of you. So I do. I spend. I spend a few hours for every guest, um, just trying to get to know them on the Internet as much as possible. Um, and then curating questions that are going to be best for them.

Speaker B: Interesting. I don't feel so bad then, for some of the time, I'm investing genuinely, because I question myself.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Is this really worth it?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: You know, now, granted, I could organize my research better. I'm trying.

Speaker A: Well, it depends, too, you know, and it depends on the guest. Like, I have my sister. Come on. You know, every six or seven episodes, and we do a movie recap and review of a wedding movie.

Speaker C: Like a wedding movie?

Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. And the most research that I do is we watch the movie and we just riff. And it's a different format than my typical podcast. It's a little bit more fun, but people know when Big Vic comes in, it's, like, more silly and fun and lighthearted. And maybe we're not gonna get as much dense wedding information, but we're gonna have a good laugh. We're gonna talk about some wedding stuff.

Speaker C: Uh, during your episodes. Are you fine? Uh, do you have any canned questions that you ask everyone?

Speaker A: Yeah, I do. I have, um. We call it, um, our after party. And we do, um. What's your honeymoon hotspot? Um, what living guests would you invite to your wedding? Your signature cocktail. Cocktail. What hors d' oeuvre would you never pass up? Song that gets you on a dance floor at a wedding? And one practical piece of wedding advice.

Speaker B: So, something I want to ask you about, speaking to Naval Ravikant.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: He has a tangent, which I've heard him revisit on multiple occasions, about how ultimately your true competitive advantage is tapping into your most authentic self. What that self likes to do, the of type, the type of thing that other folks might find is work, but for you, it doesn't feel like work. And when you tap into that, you're truly maximizing your competitive advantage over everyone else.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: What's your take on that?

Speaker A: I. I think it's brilliant. I. I don't know if mine. Because I think about this from time to time. I've. I've heard this. I don't know if mine is, like, real or not, but I. I hear people often say, like, oh, it's such work to, like, meet with people. Like, be on. Have conversations where I'm like, that's my piece. Like, if I can go talk with people, that's like. I'm like, oh, thank God. I don't have to be, like, sitting alone, bored. I'm. I'm learning something from someone else. Or m. I'm like, you know, talking about something interesting or new that I haven't yet. Um, but I think that is brilliant. I mean, Nevada Ravicant is brilliant.

Speaker B: Have you found that to be. Do you feel as though you're in your, um, in the right place in what you're doing? Because you certainly come off as incredibly natural in your recordings, in your videos. I've watched that, and you seem right at home, like, you're not even trying.

Speaker A: Thank you for saying that. Yeah, I feel like I am. And, you know, when people ask, I'm sure people ask you guys, like, oh, are you nervous to record? Like, people are going to see it. And I was definitely more nervous. I think I told you guys when I started on Tick Tock, like, doing the short form stuff, um, and just feeling like I was maybe not, um, being inauthentic, but you're exposing yourself. Yes. Like, you feel a little bit nude. Um, but when I'm sitting down with a person, I'm like, oh, this is. Yeah, I do. I feel natural even. As opposed to episodes that I do solo, I'm getting more comfortable. But if it's just me and the camera, I'm like, I can't really do it. It's really hard. It's really hard. I've had to do it a couple times. If a, uh, guest cancels just because studio time's pretty expensive, I'm like, all right, we're getting in there. We're doing a solo, you know, and I'll do it. And the last one that I did was the best yet. But before, I'm like, so many cuts, so many, like, in betweens. I'm just like, uh, what was I talking about? I just. I don't know. Being with. Having the conversation is more comfortable for me.

Speaker C: I got. I got two things to this. Number one, the Japanese have a term for what John, you're referring to. And when naval referred to, it's called ikigai.

Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker C: So ikigai. And I don't. And I can't. There's a diagram where.

Speaker B: Creepy guy.

Speaker A: Creepy guy.

Speaker C: We got to that in a second. It's like, what the world needs, what you're good at, what you could be paid for, and what doesn't feel like work. And when you can, like, look at the Venn diagram that overlaps that, it's ikigai. It's a great book. Highly recommend, that book. I've gifted that book to so many people because I believe in that concept. And actually, uh, the centurion, the center, the people who live to be 100 in the blue zones and whatever they're called, um, often they attribute that them having longevity in life. Obviously, it's location, it's diet, but it's the fact that they have their purpose. They know what their ikigai is.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: So you could be 95 years old, walking uphill both ways to go tend to your garden, but that's your fucking purpose in life. And you have a reason to wake up every day.

Speaker A: Totally. And I think that is such an important thing, too, to. To figure out what your purpose is. Because some people, it's like, you know, um, everyone's priorities, they're not better or worse than each other. But maybe, like, your number one priority is work, but that's what's able to fuel you to be the best family person that you can do.

Speaker C: Exactly right.

Speaker A: It's not that work being your number one priority makes you Like a bad dad or husband at all. It's just that that is your purpose and that's what fuels you to, like, do the best in your life.

Speaker C: Exactly. Right. The second thing you were saying, Adriana, was about like the. You sit there and the camera's on. You don't have a gas or you have to carry that gas. And it happens a lot. I, I used to do improv comedy. I did improv for like, God bless you, 10m plus years.

Speaker A: I don't know how you do it.

Speaker C: Well, I gotta, I gotta be honest. It has a, uh. I don't know either how I did it. I actually, Okay, I did this weird. I lived. I was living in San Diego at the time, and I, I joined a dinner theater troupe that was called Joey Maria's Comedy Italian Wedding. And like, I, I entered an ad in the newspaper legit that said, wanted Italian mal East coast accent. I was like, that's me.

Speaker A: Bingo, baby.

Speaker C: I walked into my audition with a box of cannolis and I didn't have to say anything. They're like, you're hired.

Speaker A: Amazing.

Speaker C: Uh, but by doing that, it kind of got me into studying improv. I did improv Olympics. I did a couple other improv troops. Um, and then I also like the idea of Toastmasters. Right. Being able to publicly speak, being able to do a 60 second speech when you're just handed a topic and you have to go. It is an incredible life skill that as podcasters and content creators, I cannot recommend enough for people to just be uncomfortable because you're going to be growing there and you're going to learn how to talk on your feet.

Speaker A: Uh, it's, it's really, really good advice because it's, it's tough. I commend comedians, uh, so much and just, oh, getting up there, it's. I don't know, it's. It's really tough. It's really, really tough.

Speaker B: So just to type a few loose ends before we get into the bonus content.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um, one thing left on my list is, uh, you know, just the technical studio setup. Yeah. Um, your content, aside from your podcast content, uh, the stuff you just do at your house or whatever. Yeah. Looks super solid.

Speaker A: Oh, thank you so much.

Speaker C: I mean, it looks legit.

Speaker A: Thank you so much.

Speaker B: So, and, and as we kind of referenced earlier, like, I'm not doing a lot of that yet. Straight to cam. And if I do, I've got this entire studio to use. But I'm always curious about, like, how do you jump on at home but make it look polished, but not too polished. The whole thing. So what's your at home setup and what's kind of your routine for making it, it easy to jump in and out without it being too painful and time consuming.

Speaker A: So I don't have a lot of equipment. I used to have like a little stand that I would set up and a little light.

Speaker B: Um, not anymore. You ditched it?

Speaker A: I, I ditched it. Do I have my phone? I do have my phone on me. So I have this little octo buddy thing and I'm.

Speaker C: Interesting. What is that?

Speaker A: It just connects to like a mirror or whatever.

Speaker C: Oh my God. It's like an octopus.

Speaker A: Yeah, it's like an octopus and it, it's a suction so it can go wherever I needed to go. And that way it's like even. And I, I usually will get in front of a window during the daytime because I find that the natural light works a lot better than having like the artificial bright light.

Speaker B: Uh, nuanced question, but you say in front of a window, window to your side, window, head on, window on me.

Speaker C: So you're putting that, you're just, you're attaching up to the window?

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. We're, you know, wherever the sunlight's coming in at that time of day. So I have to play with like where I'm gonna be.

Speaker C: Like a cat.

Speaker A: Like a cat. Like a cat. Yeah. But I, I'll, I'll set it up and I usually will wait for a moment like that. My husband's gone. Because I still cannot have him be around when I do short forms.

Speaker C: That's the reason why he's in the car right now, correct? Yes.

Speaker A: Long form, he can be here all day. But there's something about short, short form that is like. Because I script it.

Speaker B: Okay, so you do script it now, did you use a transcript, uh, tool? No.

Speaker A: No.

Speaker B: So you script it and memorize it.

Speaker A: I script it. I'll put it in notes and then I'll, I'll like come out of the camera, I swipe out of it and then I look at the next thing I'm gonna say if it's more than like, you know, 10, 15 seconds, something that I can't memorize, and I'll come back in and I'll do the little like. Okay. And then this thing.

Speaker B: Okay, so you're doing a, uh, sentence or two at a time, stopping when you need to go back to the notes.

Speaker C: Sends.

Speaker B: That's funny. That's how I used to do my intros upstairs. And then you'll just Rely on the editing to just get sentence by sentence by sentence.

Speaker A: Yeah. And then I trim it, like, as short as possible. So that's not, you know, these. These breaks and spaces in between. It's not sexy, but it is. That's. That's what I do.

Speaker C: So you're not using any apps like Big Vu or something where you can have, like, the teleprompter?

Speaker B: That would make your life a lot easier.

Speaker A: It would make my life a lot easier.

Speaker B: And Big Vu B I G Vu

Speaker C: is a legit, awesome app.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: They're like, five bucks, Adrian.

Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. I should just do it because it does. It is, like, a little bit time consuming. But even if I have to read ads on screen, like, in studio, for long form, for podcast, I can't see and I won't wear my glasses. So I'm like, give it.

Speaker B: Give it 10 years.

Speaker A: Brought to you by honeymoon.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: I don't know. But, yeah, it's. I. I could learn some tricks. So big view. All right. I'm gonna put that one in my pocket.

Speaker B: And then. So that's probably most of it. Right. So suction. Suction cup on a window. Natural light phone, camera. We glossed over that. Nothing special. Yeah, filters in. In pre. Like, maybe in post, but in pre. Anything.

Speaker A: No, no.

Speaker B: Usually, like, special settings on the phone now.

Speaker C: Just record audio, microphone rode.

Speaker A: Usually. Uh, no, like, sometimes. Um. If it's a certain time of day and I'm in a certain room, it's an echo. I do have a little lavalier mic that I just kind of go on.

Speaker C: Do you hold it like, uh, one of those.

Speaker A: I'll hold it like that. Or I'll just put my AirPods in and mic picks it up pretty good.

Speaker B: Maybe I need to look at your content more closely, but I'm actually shocked you don't regularly use the mic. You said sometimes.

Speaker A: Sometimes, yeah. Like. Like, I don't know, maybe one of.

Speaker C: I love how authentic you are. It's, um, not. It's not like, you're not so prescriptive. And if, like, oh, my God, if nothing's. If it's cloudy today, can't record you like it. See, we have the curse.

Speaker B: I'm sorry to talk. We have the curse of being marketers.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: When you're a marketer by trade, professionally.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: It's like. And maybe it's just in my head.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: But there's an expectation that your stuff looks that much better, that your approach is that much smarter, that your distribution is better than everybody else's, or most People. Yeah. And it's a tough standard to live up to. I wish uh, sometimes I was in another profession where I could just be like camera phone, I don't give a fuck. It doesn't matter. Nobody's holding me any expectations.

Speaker A: And I think it does depend on the type of content too because my podcast content does so much better professional quality. But a lot of times I'll just record in my car too. And then I'm like, I'm like parking. And I'm like, oh, I need to turn my car around because the light's not hitting right.

Speaker C: We all, when we, we started the podcast off by saying you're not a great driver. So let's.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker C: What are you doing?

Speaker B: Suction thing on the windshield.

Speaker A: I know my husband on driving on the turnpike, he's like, cuz these things, they'll leave the marks. And he's like, what are those suction marks doing on my mirror? I'm like, I don't know, I don't know.

Speaker B: Plus you're from Jersey.

Speaker C: Jersey girls are going to say this to you though. John. Sorry, I actually am not like I think, I think it's a subjective, personal thing because you are a perfectionist. And I live by 80, 20 and I'm like 70, 30. Right. Like I have put out content out there that looks horrible and that is grainy. But like I put it out just because I don't give a. Yeah. You know what I mean? So I think it's a subject like uh, even as a market I know better. But I also know as a marketer that like paralysis by analysis, like I have content is going to push it out and move on to the next one.

Speaker A: And sometimes there's just like an X factor and if the content is that good and it's gonna resonate, like it can be a kind of piece of shit looking but like it'll get the traction.

Speaker B: Don't get me started on that. Um, and then last but not least on this same theme, editing. So these days I know you have an editing crew behind you.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: But this, the stuff you do at home, that goes. The editing crew too?

Speaker A: No, no.

Speaker B: So you're doing that yourself? What, cap cut or.

Speaker A: I do cap cut. Yeah.

Speaker B: And so I mean this might seem like an obvious question, but you've taken the time to get proficient in cap cut.

Speaker A: I mean if I'm proficient, I, I make my cuts basically in cap cut. I do my captions. Um, but that's, that's kind of about it.

Speaker C: That was John giving a dig to

Speaker B: me, because I'm anti.

Speaker A: So you hate Cap Cut.

Speaker C: I gotta be honest. I'm not. I'm really not even on social media. Okay. Like, I'm on LinkedIn and I do really, really, really well on LinkedIn. I publish a lot. Uh, but, like, I have an Instagram, but yeah, I use the studio Instagram, and I'm just. It's not my thing.

Speaker B: I would honestly say there's a gender gap here. I don't know if this is controversial, but I feel like women are more comfortable throwing down some stuff on their phone, throwing it in Cap Cut. Learning the tool. Um, and then there's also an age gap here too. So I'm talking women and men maybe in mid-30s or above. Women are more proficient or comfortable with this. What I'm ultimately trying to say is men over a certain age, Cap Cut. They're like, are you kidding me? The last thing I'm going to fucking do is stare at my phone and put stickers on it.

Speaker C: Ages. And John. But it's real.

Speaker B: It's real.

Speaker C: And it's why the oldest one in the room, John's aged me.

Speaker B: Ageism and sexism.

Speaker A: Now. It's. It's weird because capcut has so many capabilities. Like, you can do incredible things. I just don't know how to do them. Like all I know how to do his captions. And you can get like, so, so close with the editing. I love how you can just like, chop something off exactly where you want it. So. And it's. It's easy to do. So that's why I like it. But I know that there's other great things, so I wouldn't call myself Cap Cut proficient, but I do have a Cap Cut Pro membership.

Speaker C: But, but, but you've created content on capcut that have gotten half a million views.

Speaker A: Sure, yeah.

Speaker C: Then, yeah, you're professional as fuck.

Speaker A: But I'm. I'm not doing anything fancy on.

Speaker C: It doesn't matter. Your content is amazing. Thank you. You're personable, you're charismatic, you're. You're cutting it at the right point. So that's all that matters.

Speaker A: At the right point.

Speaker B: Listen to me. I feel like I need to. To. To stick up for this point and. And I just want to drive it home. If you're a man over the age of 35 trying to market your business, download Cap Cut. Right? Get proficient with it. Don't feel like you're wasting time on social media because you will have exponentially more success if you know how to get in that app and change things around yourself and just get stuff published than if you're relying on a marketing agency, a editor to do it for you. There's very real value in learning how to do it yourself. But for guys, a lot of them are resistant to it. They don't want to do it.

Speaker A: So what would you use as opposed to a cap cut? Is there a, uh.

Speaker C: Use an editor.

Speaker B: Right, exactly.

Speaker C: I'd rather pay for it because my time is worth. Then this is just me. Right. I would rather pay for it.

Speaker B: We're duking it out now.

Speaker C: It's about time.

Speaker B: I was secretly talking to Stephen the whole time.

Speaker C: I'm talking directly to John.

Speaker A: But that is something that I, I say to my brides all the time. Like, if you're DIYer, do it, like, do it all day if that's your, you know where you thrive. But if you're not, you're going to spend so much more time wasted time is wasted money. Just pay the professional to do it. And sometimes that is true.

Speaker B: Oh, totally. And I'm actually really not just talking to Steven.

Speaker C: No, I know that.

Speaker B: Um, in, in the sense that, um. The other thing is, is you're better at knowing how to instruct your editor on what you need or what you're looking for. Or what. Or you're better at understanding why they're charging you what they're charging you.

Speaker A: Ah.

Speaker B: What actually goes into it because you spent some time rolling up your sleeves and doing it yourself.

Speaker A: Sure.

Speaker C: And that's probably one of the most salient points here. Right. Uh, to be able to give direction better to an editor ultimately is going to be able to save you money.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker C: Therefore, you can't be ignorant to what it takes or blind to it.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker C: Um, you have to have some level of proficiency or proficiency in just giving direction as a creative.

Speaker A: Well, to both your guys. Points. Like, you know, obviously at my at home stuff I do by myself, but for the podcast, there's an editor who does it. And when I make the notes to the editor, I'll do timestamps. But I'm like, just cut this whole thing and then I'll cut the in between. Because it's easier for me to do that than do timestamps in between. And like, like it would take me forever to say like, oh, this sentence. Like, cut that out. I'm like, I'll just do it. It'll take me two seconds.

Speaker B: 100%. Me too.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: this point we've got a whole team of editors behind us. I definitely actually don't want to do it. Yeah, but there's times where it's like to type in an email. Exact. Basically reiterating what you just said. These little timestamps. I need you to remove these three words and inject this one thing. And it's like, no, no, like, I'll just do it it. Because I can.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. And eventually, you know, AI will just do it for us and we'll get that figured out. But, you know, until then, eventually, AI

Speaker B: will drive for you too. We're almost there, by the way.

Speaker A: Adriana, I can't wait. I'm so excited. I was somewhere.

Speaker C: Tell us more.

Speaker A: I can't. No, I.

Speaker B: This way she can have the sticky thing on her windshield the whole time.

Speaker A: Drinking.

Speaker C: A drinking kid in the back.

Speaker B: I love it.

Speaker A: Getting a little drunk. Yeah. Are you still drunk driving? If the car is driving for you.

Speaker B: Jersey Shore. By the way, we're on a right. Oh, and I'm gonna save that for the bonus round, which I think we're headed to momentarily. Um, Steven, Anything else? Adriana, before we get to. Before we get to the bonus round,

Speaker C: what's next for me?

Speaker B: Yeah, I.

Speaker C: What's the goal?

Speaker A: The goal is I was thinking about this in the car. That's so funny. I was like, I really just want the podcast to be the go to place for wedding planning.

Speaker C: Like, the only.

Speaker A: Yeah. And, you know, there are there amazing, even friends of mine who have amazing podcasts, wedding focused. And I want them to do well. I just want to be number one. And I do. I want to serve people. I want to figure out where I'm lacking and what is needed. That is not being served, and I want to serve it. And I. You know, keyword research and SEO. I mean, help me. I need help with that. I am, um, holla at me a certified SEO failure. But, um, yeah, that's. That's next for me. I absolutely love what I'm doing. I'm. I'm living.

Speaker C: You found your icky guy.

Speaker A: I found my icky guy. I just want to take it further.

Speaker C: Yeah, Love it.

Speaker B: The icky guy is the future for Adriana Brookman.

Speaker C: Better than that Wayne's World comment. What was that?

Speaker A: Can we say that on here?

Speaker B: Of course we can.

Speaker C: What was it? It was cream.

Speaker A: It was cream of some young guy.

Speaker C: Oh, that's right.

Speaker A: Sorry. Mom and dad, they watch all my stuff, but you guys. Guys know it. You let me watch Weins World when I was, like, five.

Speaker B: So if they made it this far in that. In that interview, then they're already a huge.

Speaker C: This is our hook right over the start.

Speaker B: That's so good.

Speaker A: It's the best.

Speaker B: Uh, Adriana, if somebody wants to check out your stuff or get in touch with you for a big brand deal, how do they find you?

Speaker A: Um, you can always email me. Adriana. Ah, the dash pre nine. All my socials are the prenup. Um, the podcast is available on all podcast platforms. Spotify, Apple, whole nine. The prenup. A wedding planning podcast. Um, same thing on YouTube. It's on love stories TV, YouTube channel. But if you put in the prenup, a wedding planning podcast, it'll just come right up for you.

Speaker B: Amazing. Uh, for those that want more with Adriana Bruckman and Steven and I, uh, go to our Instagram channel or Tik Tok. There will be some bonus footage, and we're gonna head into that now. For the rest of you, we'll see you next time on the next episode of the NJ content studio creator show. All right. Some bonus stuff that we're already.

Speaker C: We're bonusing it up already. We're already.

Speaker A: All right. Are you guys ready for the after party? Party?

Speaker B: I. I'm ready.

Speaker C: I might interject too. I got five things to say.

Speaker A: Interject. Okay. So what is your honeymoon hotspot?

Speaker B: Honeymoon hotspot? Um, I'm. I'm really enjoying some trips to Europe right now.

Speaker A: Any more specific?

Speaker B: Uh, I was just in Prague and absolutely loved it.

Speaker A: I've heard the best things about Prague.

Speaker B: Incredible city under a gothic architecture. Um, very walkable. Uh, impressive food for a city where they never talk about the food. Um, I'm not really a beer drinker anymore. I used to be.

Speaker A: Sure.

Speaker B: Uh, but this place had me drinking beer again. The pilsner was just light and refreshing. It didn't sit like a lump. Um, Prague was awesome. So right now, that's top of mind.

Speaker C: Okay.

Speaker A: Selling us on Prague. How about you?

Speaker C: I did a wedding moon, so I got to kind of live out my fantasy. But I'm gonna say I probably want to go to, like, Patagonia. The complete opposite. And, like, do some days in South America and, like, the gauchos of Argentina and, like, do all that. I'm really. That. That. That's kind of high on my list.

Speaker A: You know, I've only had one other person say Patagonia on all of my episodes.

Speaker C: Who was that? Do you remember?

Speaker A: Um, it was Rachel Bahar. She's phenomenal wedding planner in, uh, New York City. She's. Yeah, she's awesome. But, um, what hors d' oeuvre will you never pass up at a wedding?

Speaker B: I'm so lame. You know where my mind goes first. Yeah, the little hot dogs.

Speaker C: Me too.

Speaker A: Me too. Always, always. Pigs in a blanket.

Speaker B: Cocktail weenies.

Speaker C: Yeah, cocktail weenies.

Speaker A: Spicy must on there. Okay.

Speaker B: So good. Why are hot dogs so good? Why are they so good?

Speaker C: I don't know.

Speaker A: It's. It's a problem.

Speaker B: And you know, they're lips and.

Speaker A: Correct. Correct.

Speaker B: But I mean, it's fine.

Speaker A: They're so good.

Speaker B: They are.

Speaker A: Love them.

Speaker B: And how was that beef, by the way? Like, I don't even, uh.

Speaker A: Yeah. Whenever I see all be frank, I'm like, you know, I'm not going to question it.

Speaker C: Don't even tell me anything. Probably go for some kind of like pot stick or a dumpling. Something just easy. You pop in, explodes in your mouth.

Speaker A: Yeah, something easy to eat. Like you don't want to pick up a fork during cocktail hour.

Speaker C: Like if you're handing me a napkin and like a little like spork or spoon or whatever. Like, get the hell out of here.

Speaker A: No, we don't want it. We don't want it.

Speaker C: But then what do you do with it afterwards, you know?

Speaker A: Like, exactly. For the person. And then it's like, it's so like, oh, will you take my trash?

Speaker C: I went to a wedding in September. Perfect example. Last night I had to wear a suit.

Speaker B: I had.

Speaker C: I put on a suit jacket for the RCBC event last night, uh, that John ditched out on. And I put on my suit jacket that I hadn't worn since a wedding in September. And I go in the pocket and there are dirty ass napkins.

Speaker A: Stop it. Oh, my God. I'm like, but you're lucky that you have the pocket pockets.

Speaker C: You can do that.

Speaker A: Because the girls were just like, all right. Driving in here. Yeah.

Speaker B: Is that really a thing?

Speaker C: No.

Speaker A: Well, you don't do that. But I'm sure some people. I'm sure some dresses have pockets now,

Speaker B: which is pretty clutch, but that's good.

Speaker A: Next. Okay, next question. What is your signature cocktail or mocktail?

Speaker B: Oh, boy. I'm not really a cocktail guy. Uh, I mean, what. I go. I'm a. I'm a Hendrix guy.

Speaker A: Oh, okay.

Speaker B: They've got this new. They've got this new, um. What is that? The stone floor fruit?

Speaker C: Is that it?

Speaker B: I.

Speaker C: It's.

Speaker B: They're calling it something else, but a stone fruit purple bottle. Oh, man, it's so good.

Speaker A: Like a, like a deep Eddies kind of thing with. For gin.

Speaker C: Deep Eddies?

Speaker A: Yeah. No, no.

Speaker C: Okay, super. Um, herbaceous.

Speaker A: Okay. Okay.

Speaker C: Yeah. Really good.

Speaker A: Okay. Yeah. Deep Betty's is what? Grapefruit?

Speaker C: Uh, maybe. Okay. Yeah.

Speaker B: But I can't recommend it enough. What's your go to cocktail?

Speaker C: No, like, if I. So I'm gonna be doing. We're at a wedding. I will probably go in stages. I'm trying to think about producer Jim's wedding, and I went in stages, and I think those stages just. I think maybe like the first one was like Negroni just to get the whistle wet. You know what I mean?

Speaker A: Of course.

Speaker C: And then from there, um, I probably just kept. I kept it clean. Like, probably a vodka soda. I feel like if I drink clean alcohol, I have a better chance of not being a jerk off the next day.

Speaker A: Totally. No hangover. Yeah.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker A: If you lower the sugar, you're going to avoid that hangover.

Speaker B: I mean, chances are still low. Still very low.

Speaker C: Um, but I'm actually a wine guy. I probably. I'd probably go towards wine.

Speaker A: What's your wine of choice?

Speaker C: An Italian wine. Currently it are, uh, they are. I'm going to be super geeky. Uh, wine from the Mount Aetna region of Sicily. So effing good. We have a bottle in there.

Speaker A: Oh, my God.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: I have to take a pick of it before I leave. Definitely will be my. My treat once I give birth.

Speaker B: Any more wedding questions?

Speaker A: If you guys want to. If you.

Speaker B: If two more.

Speaker A: If you could invite one guest to your wedding, living guest, who would it be?

Speaker B: Like anybody on the planet.

Speaker A: Anybody on the planet doesn't have to be a famous person, but they have to be alive.

Speaker B: Oh, man. You go first.

Speaker C: Oh, um, Man, I think my. My first. The first person that's coming to mind might be Theo Vaughn.

Speaker A: Oh, that's a great one.

Speaker C: Because he is so fucking outrageously fun. And like, he's incredible.

Speaker B: Like, just.

Speaker C: He makes my stomach and cheeks hurt by laughing.

Speaker A: Likewise. Yeah, he is so, so funny.

Speaker C: So I think he would probably be on that guest list.

Speaker A: I might have to steal that one.

Speaker B: Okay.

Speaker A: Yeah, That's a good one.

Speaker B: So I would definitely not invite this person to my wedding, per se. I probably wouldn't invite anybody. I don't know my wedding.

Speaker A: Sure.

Speaker B: But, um, someone that I'm really fascinated and enthralled with recently is Naval Ravikant. I don't know if you to happen.

Speaker A: My husband sends me naval stuff constantly.

Speaker B: You gotta meet this guy.

Speaker A: Yeah. We should have brought Jake today.

Speaker C: Why are you making him wait in the car?

Speaker A: He's drinking a cigarette, sweetie. Yeah, no, there's one that he sends me, like, once a year. It's, um. I forget the name of it. Um, but it's like a compilation of, um.

Speaker C: Oh, yeah.

Speaker B: How to get wealthy.

Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, that. That. That thread is. Is incredible thread.

Speaker B: So. So it's funny because that actually gets us right back on track.

Speaker A: Perfect. So this is a question that I ask every guest on the podcast. And nine times out of 10, I'm disappointed, which my brother pointed out is my own fault. I need to be more clear on what I want. M. But I will provide a prep sheet to my guests, and I'll say, what is one practical piece of advice that you could give to any couple planning their wedding? And like, nine times out of 10, they're like, remember why you're there. Enjoy the day. It goes so fast. And I'm like, no, practical. I want, like, you know, shave your pits the two nights before and don't touch them again. Like something weird, something, you know, interesting that you can apply practically to the wedding. But that is a me issue. That's something that I need to, like, be more specific. But if you guys get where I'm going, what is one practical piece of advice that you could impart to any couple planning a wedding?

Speaker B: Well, I am a wedding planning aficionado.

Speaker A: Okay. Okay. Let's say. Let's hear it.

Speaker B: Um, but I mean, I. I got married, uh, 13. So, uh, 12 years ago. this point, I can't, you know.

Speaker A: What's your anniversary?

Speaker B: Uh, 3:30. 13.

Speaker A: Oh, so you just had your anniversary? I did. I did.

Speaker B: Well, thank you very much. Thank you very much. Um, uh, you know, I'm really not. I was joking. I'm really not the right person for this question, but I will say,

Speaker A: don't

Speaker B: be scared of the, uh, spring, you know, like. Or, like, borderline. So. 3:30, 13. Right. So it's still, like, almost winter.

Speaker A: Sure.

Speaker B: We ended up braving into that territory weather wise, and it really worked out for us. Now, maybe I'm biased because it worked out.

Speaker A: No, it's.

Speaker B: But we got a crazy deal at an amazing venue.

Speaker A: Where did you get married?

Speaker B: Uh, Cairnwood.

Speaker A: Ah. It's so gorgeous, isn't it? I love it there. Yes. I love it.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: Yeah. It really is a gorgeous venue. They did a great job. No issues used that I can remember.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Um.

Speaker C: Ah.

Speaker B: But. But, yeah, so that was one thing that really worked out for us. I'll see if I can think of another.

Speaker A: Eat. Yeah. Yes. Tell them.

Speaker C: Uh, and again, I didn't have a traditional Wedding. So I didn't have. I don't have to deal with. What.

Speaker A: Where did you get married?

Speaker C: I got married in Italy.

Speaker A: Oh, where?

Speaker C: In Stresa, which is Lago Maggiore in the north.

Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. I have a girlfriend getting married there in August.

Speaker C: Oh, wow. And, uh, live cousins who live right around. Around there. And my cousins, one of my cousins, really good friends, the wedding planner in the area. So she. I mean, she got us a really great room. It was just the two of us. It was just my wife and I. We had it officiated there at a villa. And then we went. And then we did our, like, a wedding moon. We went to Venice for a couple days. We were in Italy for probably, like

Speaker B: four weeks, I think, doing Romantic.

Speaker C: Yeah, no, it was. It was awesome. But, like, I don't have, like, the traditional wedding story. Like, we didn't have a first dance. We didn't have this, we didn't have that. But from what I heard, going to weddings and afterwards and everyone who's had big weddings, big weddings are like, how is the food? I didn't taste any of it.

Speaker A: I know.

Speaker C: I didn't taste any of the food. I didn't taste any of the food.

Speaker A: It's sad.

Speaker C: You spend all this money and time and you do the fucking tasting, and you got the this and the that and you didn't. You didn't do it. And then you're going. Then you have a headache later because you're hungry. Yeah, eat.

Speaker A: It's perfect for everyone else. But what about the guest of honor? Like, let's get some food in our belly.

Speaker B: Right, right.

Speaker C: So that.

Speaker A: That.

Speaker C: That's what I was saying.

Speaker A: That's really good advice. It's. It's important. And if you feel like there's a lot going on, that's always, like, my role in the wedding. But if you don't have a planner or you don't have, you know, someone to do that, like, have a bridesmaid be, like, make sure I eat. Like, bring me something.

Speaker C: Right, right, right, right, right.

Speaker B: You've been amazing. Oh, you guys are so wonderful having you down here.

Speaker A: Thanks for having me. This is so fun.

Speaker B: We gotta have you back.

Speaker C: I love it a thousand percent.

Speaker B: And, uh, yes. Thanks so much for being here.

Speaker A: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, guys. So, so far. Yeah.