Leading H.E.R. Way Podcast

71: How to Confidently Grow a Luxury Wedding Business Without Bottlenecks w/ Mari Walker

• Nikisha King | Certified Life & Business Coach • Season 3 • Episode 71

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What does it really take to build a luxury destination wedding business across continents—without losing yourself in the overwhelm?

In this episode of Leading Her Way, Nikisha King sits down with powerhouse CEO Mari Walker of Mart Mari Bridal House. Mari shares how she went from planning her first wedding on a different continent to building a sought-after brand in Europe and Dubai. 

From intimate ceremonies in Italy to big-picture business visioning, Mari opens up about the mindset, systems, and support that helped her elevate her business without sacrificing personal joy.

Inside this conversation:

  • How Mari shifted her mindset and went from chaos to clarity in her systems
  • Why automation doesn’t mean losing your luxury, bespoke experience
  • How having a business bestie (aka a strategic coach!) helped her finally say yes to scaling with confidence

If you’re a creative entrepreneur ready to build a high-end brand without the burnout, this episode is your reminder that the dream is possible—and it doesn’t require you to do it all alone.

Connect with Mari Walker

Tap the show notes to follow Mari, explore her elegant weddings, and get inspired by her upcoming Bridal House vision.

Want more juicy tips like this to grow your income with less stress?
Follow @nkbizguru on IG for real talk, confidence-boosting sales strategies, and behind-the-scenes shifts that helped Nikisha go from $1K bookings to consistent $15K sales.

Ready to book with confidence?
Get access to Nikisha’s 5-Star SCALE™ System and other free tools that will help you stop second-guessing your prices and start selling like the CEO you are.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Leading Her Way with your host and business guru, nakesha King. This podcast is the ultimate destination for women, creative entrepreneurs, who want to break free from burnout. If you are overwhelmed by client demands and feel like you're doing this all alone, you, my friend, are in the right place. Now let's dive in for steps to take back your time and simplify your workflow. All right, makisha, take it away.

Nikisha King:

Hello everyone, welcome, gorgeous Welcome to Leading Her Way podcast. I am so honored and so grateful. Today I have a very special guest of mine. Her name is Marie Walker. She is the founder and CEO of Mart Marie Bridal House. She is a destination, a European and Dubai destination wedding planner. She planned intimate events that are weekends that are in these beautiful luxury spaces that are just heaven sent for all of us, and she is pretty much. She loves to embrace sentimental family and togetherness with her clients. She has a special gift in doing what she does, and not only is she a CEO, but she is one of my amazing clients. So today I'm going to introduce her to you. We're going to speak about her journey in her business and we're also going to talk about her experience working with me. And how has that been? She's been with me for some time, so I guess it can't be that bad. Hi, marie, welcome to Leading Her Way podcast. How are you?

Mari Walker:

Hi Nikesha. Thank you so much for that lovely introduction. I'm really good today, Thank you. We are in Dubai and it's very hot, but we're embracing the heat with beautiful air conditioning. Thank goodness for that.

Nikisha King:

Oh, you would have been melted by now if there was no AC.

Mari Walker:

I tried to be outside earlier, but it was actually hurting me, so I was like, oh no, no, let's go back inside.

Nikisha King:

Got you, so got you. I was outside, but I was enjoying it. We're in spring and it just feels nice. You know, you get breeze and warmth, not just hot and nothing else, so I'm enjoying every bit of it. I'm so grateful.

Mari Walker:

I'm jealous.

Nikisha King:

Don't worry, I don't know about you. I don't think you guys get winter, so don't be jealous. You get pretty much exactly All right. So I'm going to jump in and I'm going to start with something that's going to pull out our hearts a little bit. What I want to know is what pulled you in the world of weddings, and when did you realize that it wasn't just a passion, but a business that could be profitable and joyful?

Mari Walker:

Well, as with every journey, it starts a long, long time ago, but I'll make it short. As with every journey, it starts a long, long time ago, but I'll make it short. I studied tourism and event management as a student when I finished school, so I've always had that passion with working with people and doing events and doing all of those things, and then I kicked off my career in corporate conferences and exhibitions, which I absolutely adored. But now fast forward years, years later, I was approached by a gentleman that was in Minneapolis, and at that time, it was COVID 2020. Well, actually, it was just before COVID Just had the start of it. People were talking about it, but no one really knew what it was. It was in February 2020.

Mari Walker:

And this lovely gentleman reached out to me. I was in Cyprus, in the Mediterranean Europe side. He was in Minneapolis and he asked me to help him create a, or help him to plan a engagement and his soon to be fiance. She always knows everything, so we have to be really secretive about this and I thought, okay, well, this is really interesting. How are we going to do this? I'm on this side of the world, you're on that side of the world. Okay, let's do this. So I planned this whole event for them and we even had this random stranger who pulled out a guitar, which was actually the groom's guitar, and he started playing music. And while they were walking on the bridge and he went, the groom went down, or the gentleman went down onto his knee on the famous bridge in Minneapolis and he proposed to her. And she was totally shocked and meanwhile I arranged with the family to hide behind a wall and as this all happened, the whole family came out and it was just such a big surprise for her. We even organized a party in one of the local pubs for them to celebrate this wonderful event.

Mari Walker:

And then, a couple of weeks later, the couple reached out to me again and they asked me can I please plan their wedding? And then by that time we were well and truly in the COVID situation. So at that time they were like, well, we're in Minneapolis, but we want a destination wedding, we want to go to Montana. And I'm like, oh, wow, okay, well, how are we going to do that? So, anyways, from Cyprus no one's allowed to travel internationally at all to Minneapolis, to Montana, planned all of this for them and I'm like I've never done weddings before. But this is fun. I was up until about five o'clock in the morning that morning and waiting for them and just checking in Is everything okay? Checking with the venue, checking with everyone. And when I spoke to the couple and the joy I felt and seen on their faces and just the pure excitement and the happiness they felt, I was like, yeah, I want to plan weddings.

Mari Walker:

I love that, that is the feeling. That is the feeling I like.

Nikisha King:

What did you love about it?

Mari Walker:

Just their happiness, their joy, seeing these people that I've actually never met before in my life, except for video calls that we did at that time and just seeing that absolute joy, the feel you could. You could actually see what they were feeling on their faces, the, the, the gratefulness they had, the oh my gosh, did this just happen? We've just got married. Wow, the love they felt, the love love they expressed. It's just I love love.

Nikisha King:

That's how I felt when I did wedding invitations. You get to enjoy someone's love and the way that they feel and the affection they have for one another and, no matter what anyone says, it's a beautiful stage to be in. We don't always live in it, because that's just life and that's evolving, but that honeymoon as what they call it it's just blissful and I think we all need that in our lives and sometimes when you work in the wedding industry, it's like a drug. It's like let me get my dose of happiness, yeah, and it's not going to hurt me, it's only going to like. You know, it's a nice feeling to get while you're doing what you love. So I totally, totally get that.

Nikisha King:

Now, growing your business, especially as a luxury wedding destination business I know that it's not a joke. It takes a lot of amazingness, especially when it's international, because you reside in Dubai but you do it in Europe, but you used to live in Cyprus, but I believe in the time you've been doing it, you grew a great network of people and I want to know what has that growth actually felt like behind the scenes? Do you remember the moments where you might've bottlenecked about tension? Those may have been the moments that got you to the next level, like tell us a little bit about what that was for you.

Mari Walker:

Well, any wedding or any event or any any big project you try to plan or do or create, you need a good team. Without team, nothing is possible. And I'm hearing it quite a lot these days where people are saying that without the team, this is not possible, we cannot create this. All of us have done it. It's not just one person, it's all of us that's come together to create something magical for someone.

Mari Walker:

There has been many times that I that I have felt the stress, it all bubble up and I'm like, oh, and I actually feel like, okay, I can't do this anymore, I'm throwing the towel in, I don't want to do this, I can't. I don't want to do this anymore. But then there is just that moment where you speak to the couple and they're because they don't know about all these things sometimes happening. So when you are sitting with that things and obviously you're not going to tell them all of the details, because this is something that can be resolved and then you see their excitement and you talk to them and you have a catch-up call with them and you just realize this is the big picture. This is why I'm doing what I'm doing, because it's for their happiness, it's for their special, it's for their special day, it is for their excitement and their beautiful memories that they are building. So we figure it out, we just, we just figure it out.

Nikisha King:

Great, so good, and that's the word. Figure it out, right, like Marie Folliot. It's figureoutable or something of that nature, and everything is. There's a saying that I've learned in my book A Happy Pocket Full of Money. Everything has a solution before the problem. Like there's a solution before the problem and you just have to be conscious of the solutions and that's where everything can be figured out. It's just normal behavior, but we tend to sometimes sit in all the chaos, thinking there is no choice. Right, you can think that, and when you think it, I believe you create it. There is no choice, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

There's always options.

Nikisha King:

Yeah, exactly.

Mari Walker:

It's all easy. And I remember you telling me one day very, very clearly on one of our calls that we had. You were like it all works out in the end and I was like, but, nikisha, you were like, my dear, it works out in the end. I'm like okay, and I actually the next week I followed up with you.

Nikisha King:

I'm like, guess what, nikisha, you were right it will always work out, no matter what you think. At the moment it feels heavy, but it normally does. It's just we're at a place in our time where we are up in age and so far we're still here and surviving, and all the things we thought was not gonna work out. I promise you.

Mari Walker:

I've been there many times and I'm like I'm here and it's so much better, exactly you just have to push through, because there is literally light at the other side of the tunnel always, always.

Nikisha King:

Now you plan some of the most stunning celebrations in Europe. Why Europe?

Mari Walker:

I think it was because I was based in Cyprus and, even though it's at the end of the European continent, it's on the other side. Well, it's on a little island just outside of Greece. I was still part of the European continent and I was close enough and I've traveled to Europe quite a lot, so I was always very excited to share that beauty with other couples and with other people. I want them to experience it, I want them to see it, I want them to to feel it and I would just like everything to. I just like them to just see it, because there's a lot of people it's like oh, europe, but Europe is a continent, it's not a country. Um, so there is just so much going on there and so much to enjoy. So, yeah, I just that's why Sorry, that was my daughter Trying to get my attention.

Nikisha King:

All right. So in Europe, is there any place that you have that's a favorite and traveling to, where every time you do an event there, it just feels like home or anything of that nature to you?

Mari Walker:

Right now, to be honest, there's been a lot of Italian destination weddings. Italy has had like an absolute boom and I have been going to Italy quite a lot. I've got a lot of relationships that I've built with Italy because I have been there so often, last year especially, um. So, even though I would love to explore or show people other parts of Europe as well, I think Italy it kind of makes me feel like home because I have my network there, I have my connections there, I've got my trusted people there, even though I do have them in France and in Greece and in Spain as well. It's just there's like an attraction there. But I would love to go to France and show people the beauty of France as well.

Nikisha King:

Do you speak any of those languages? Italian, french.

Mari Walker:

Unfortunately not.

Nikisha King:

When I was young.

Mari Walker:

I wish I could, but I try to learn French, but no, unfortunately not. I was trying to learn German because my husband's half German.

Nikisha King:

Okay, why do you consider it unfortunate? Because here's the thing you don't speak the language, but you're still able to plan a wedding. I don't think that's unfortunate. I think that's like a gift, right? Because think about it A lot of people want to plan a wedding overseas, but one of the biggest frictions is that the person they want to plan with doesn't speak the language they speak, or it's either broken or there's some miscommunication because the words that are being used. So the fact that you've done that as a business owner, do you even know how that came to be? Where you speak English, not the language, the native language you're planning in? But somehow did you just get really lucky that everyone you spoke to spoke English.

Mari Walker:

It's actually a really good question because I never thought about it this way, because I never made it a thing. And I know people are concerned about language barriers, but for me it's like I've never thought that oh my gosh, what if I can't speak the language? It just always worked out. I had incidences where there was a language barrier and two of the vendors could not speak a word of English and it was absolutely fine because we got translators in. We have connections there, we have a team there that when we did have our meetings and our calls, we would have the whole team there and we would talk in English and in Italian, or in French or in Spanish, even where. And everybody saw the big picture. But I never thought to make it a big deal because there's always a way to work through it. Um, the, the connections I have, or the, the relationships I've built there over the last few years, has really made that possible to have people understand. And also with Google Translate, especially with the emails doing it automatically, it's magical.

Nikisha King:

Wow. I love this because sometimes, as business owners, we get in our head about a problem. We think, oh my goodness, how can I do this, how can I do that? And we believe that those problems are not solvable and then that stops us from doing the thing we think we can be really good at. So for you to say that never came up for me it's a really beautiful thing, because it wasn't one of the hoops or the things you had to jump over. It was pretty much something you welcomed, you were open to and it just worked out.

Nikisha King:

Like we all know, it works out no matter what, and I think that's really good to see as a CEO, because it helps you know your capabilities and planning any event, any wedding. It's not a small feat. It has a lot of moving parts and has a lot of feelings in it, and the feelings come from your creative partners, aka your vendors, and it comes from your couples and it comes from the location. There's a lot to work. So, as much as it gives you joy, because it's just love, there's moments where there's stress and frustration, absolutely. So you, being the CEO, how do you actually handle that stress? What do you do when those moments come up. Is there any rituals you do? Is there anything you do to pull back? Then come back. Tell me a little bit more about what that looks like for you.

Mari Walker:

It's so funny because we actually had a wedding a couple of well a few weeks ago and one of the creative partners asked the question. She was much younger, of course, more younger than me, but she did ask the question how do you just let it run off your back and how do you just get out of that situation and move on? And we're like well, what I've learned is I put my rhino suit on and let it just run off, go for a walk, take a couple of deep breaths, compose myself and then show up, because at the end of the day, you can't just like okay, I'm disappearing, there, I go, I'm gone. Good luck, all the best. I wish you the best.

Mari Walker:

You can't do that? Well, of course you can, but it's not good to do that. But just basically, I try. Before the events start, I have this um meditation prayer that I love to do. It's only like a seven minute prayer that I do and then that hopefully sets me up for the day ahead. Um, but when there's anything that comes up, I smile, I nod, I take a few deep breaths, go for a walk, maybe, maybe around the building, maybe around a lake, or maybe like a puddle or whatever around the garden wherever I can just have nature, feel grounded, fresh air and go back and just move past it.

Nikisha King:

So good, Especially when you said the meditation was seven minutes and you made it sound like that was short. I'm telling you, there's some people who feel like seven minutes is too long. But the fact that you feel that is short, that's perfect, because that's your way. And sometimes, when we require something, seven minutes can feel short because you require it, you need it and as CEOs and women entrepreneurs, especially in the creative realm, there's a lot of energy that goes into it. You need it and as CEOs and women entrepreneurs, especially in the creative realm, there's a lot of energy that goes into it.

Nikisha King:

We think, we feel we do and we show up for the people we care about. We serve on a high level. So I really, really appreciate you sharing that and I love the analogy the rhino suit. So if you're listening, take that one, put it in your toolbox right, Put it in your rhino, put on your rhino suit and let things slide. And when you get home, take off your rhino suit and process right. Don't live in the rhino suit because you're going to get lost.

Mari Walker:

Absolutely. You actually told me that. It's like, marie, have you taken your rhino suit off? Yes, and I'm like, oh yeah, it's well and truly off. Thank you.

Nikisha King:

Yes, which is so good, which is so good. Now I want to dream for a second. I want to know what's the vision for your business that you haven't shared out loud, which is always scary, and is there a dream destination or a kind of client that you would like to work with in your business that maybe you have worked with? You haven't, but let us know, cause maybe our listener is getting married and they want a destination wedding right? Our CEOs still have lives, still plan living, and maybe they're interested in learning what that looks like. So tell me some ideal client or someone you would love to work with.

Mari Walker:

Oh gosh, Is there an option for all of the above Of?

Nikisha King:

course it's a dream, it's your dream, it's your vision. Of course, all of above is available to you. Yeah, go ahead so with the bridal house.

Mari Walker:

It's my dream and it's in the works and I haven't really spoken to many people about it. I think this nikisha, and then one or two other people, knows about this. Um, just having, like my creatives and myself and everybody working together as a team. Now, I know that a lot of planners do that anyways, but for me it's like we need these people's voices to be heard, because there are times where people don't have that option, but I strongly believe that a big and a great team not a big necessarily, but a great team really gets the job done and that's the aim and everybody's on the same page. So, having these wonderful creatives and we're all working together in unison. How are we going to do that? It's still to be figured out, but that is a dream.

Mari Walker:

Also, having the opportunity to expand into travel and honeymoons and travel suggestions of beautiful locations and destinations for people to travel to. You don't necessarily have to be getting married or go on honeymoon, but you people do go on holidays and, as I've have the experience me and my husband combined have amazing experience traveling the world. So we love sharing this stuff with people. Dream destination oh my goodness, there are so many, but I think Croatia is on my list of definitely seeing, and there's this one absolutely gorgeous venue that I must see and I will see it, and there will be something going either an event or a shoot, or something will happen there. I'm manifesting that.

Mari Walker:

And the dream couple oh goodness, love someone who wants their wedding to feel like their home when they walk in, when their guests walk in, they feel at home, that they've walked into your living dining room or even in your kitchen, where in the heart of your home, and you are relaxed, you're comfortable, you're having a great time, you're surrounded by the absolute people you love and everything is just falling into place. You've got the great food that you can share with the people you love. You've got wonderful wine, cocktails, mocktails, whatever it is that you want to drink, and beautiful music playing in the background, and you've got an amazing view that you can share with the ones you love yes, so true, so good.

Nikisha King:

I love that. And the hospitality part about traveling I need that in my life. So you know Croatia. I have a friend who's from Croatia and I have not been there yet, but it's beautiful. So I'm very interested to learn more about where you see this venue and in working together good, in working together I'm going to get you to call and reach out to them. So that's going to be on your action list? We need to figure that out.

Mari Walker:

Reach out to them so that's going to be on your action list. We need to figure that out. I actually know the girl very well there, so I met her. I was very fortunate to meet her in person, so yes, I have to go and see her.

Nikisha King:

Oh, my goodness, so exciting.

Nikisha King:

Now I want to kind of help my audience understand what I do, because they hear me have these beautiful conversations with so many business owners and the reason I do Leading Her Way podcast even though HER is an acronym for human because we're human first and foremost.

Nikisha King:

We're always evolving and we're so resilient because of us being very much persistent going forward in our business. I have the gift of God this is the biggest gift in my entire life of where I get to work with creatives like you and there are so many moments we have together that are so transformative. And as much as my clients love to thank me, I'm like I didn't do anything but ask you questions and show you opportunities or possibilities. That has changed your life. So I want to be able to share that with my audience today, because I normally don't share a lot of my backend and I want to start sharing that with them so they can understand what's happening in my world. Before working with me and doing your business, what were three of your biggest challenges you faced in managing your business or your client relationships?

Mari Walker:

well, automations whenever. Whenever anyone told me to automate, I was like no way no way no way high-end, unique, like luxury weddings, any that's bespoke. You do not automate that okay that was the one thing, because I was like uh, you ain't doing that. The second one was there were systems, but it wasn't working, and I also felt like it wasn't working for my couples and so we never did it.

Mari Walker:

So I did everything manually and, of course, the overwhelm and the overload just got more. Um. Then the other one was I was totally burned out, like I'm doing everything myself. I have have to like a simple email, even just an inquiry coming in, I need to respond to them and then set up a call. And then all of these things just like, okay, let me send you a link. It was all these things and I'm like, what am I doing? But no, I'm not going to automate that. So these all were things, and every time you and I spoke quite often, and time you spoke to me, you're like Marie, you're on a hamster wheel. I spoke to you like six months ago and you're still exactly where you are. What's going on?

Nikisha King:

yeah, and then that fateful day, the 16th of April 2024 the fact that you have the date down is a gift and an honor. I appreciate that to the like. That is like I've never even experienced what you just did and I'm like whoa. She has the date where we started, the day where you said yes, the date where you opted in, the date where you decided to choose something different.

Mari Walker:

Absolutely it was. It was a momentum, momentous day. Is that what I can say? Yes, it was the day that my entire mindset changed.

Nikisha King:

Wow, and it did because you did something different. You choose something Now, on that day, and from that day, can you share with the audience what were like three specific improvements you noticed with working with my company and k business essentials?

Mari Walker:

automations. They actually work. And no, it is not, not luxury or not bespoke it actually works and it does make your life simple. Um, it helps you. It really takes that overwhelm of. I think I sent nakisha a message one day saying nakisha, I just had an email and a contract and a payment all in one go and I didn't even have to do a thing. And she's like you see, this is why it works and I'm, I'm so excited. I was celebrating this with her. She was like I know.

Nikisha King:

And it works, because when you have to put yourself in between all of those steps, you become the bottleneck, because they're waiting on you, and I tend to don't like people waiting on me. So I like to roll out the red carpet and help them have an experience, because that's the beginning of everything. You're a destination planner, right? You do a whole slew of work after they book you. So when someone books you, it's onboarding. You need to get information from them, find out their priorities. Usually that's in the form of a form, a questionnaire. So let's get it to them, give them time, not send it out a day before and ask for it the day tomorrow, and you might be on a way with your family on the weekend and it's getting done Exactly.

Nikisha King:

Yeah, you don't need to be, at your computer waiting for that email to come in, or traveling with your phone in your hand because you're waiting because the client might have a question or something. Our clients are so willing to work with our system if it feels good. Yeah, yeah, right, because so many people talk about automation and the first thing they think about is a robot and I go no, that's what you thought about. Tell me, go ahead, share.

Mari Walker:

That is exactly what I thought about, because I thought it's going to be this canned email where everybody gets the same email and there's nothing personal about this whole experience, because it is just another email that everyone gets. You're not, you're just a number. And I'm like. I do not want my people to feel like that. They are not a number. They are someone extremely special to me, so I'm not going to make them feel like a number, so I am not automating things, but then they get. None of the ones who have received my automated emails have ever felt like they are just a number. They still feel loved.

Nikisha King:

Of course, because you give them a lot of love.

Mari Walker:

An email doesn't change the amount of love you pour into your clients at all. But also, Nikesha, remember you did tell me that everything starts with a thought and how that thought, thoughts, and yeah, that has changed as well.

Nikisha King:

So good, oh my goodness. And it only gets better because we're still working together and we're building your empire Always gets better. What was, or what is, the most significant benefit you've experienced from working with me?

Mari Walker:

Oh gosh, there are so many Nakisha, but the one that really stands out quite a lot to me is the support I'm getting from you. You're like my business bestie. If I have an idea, hang on, let me speak to Nakisha. Let me run it past Nakisha. When I'm on site at an event, a wedding retreat, whatever I am, you're checking in on me. You're like, hey, how is it going, how are you feeling? And I'm like, oh my gosh, let me speak to Nekisha, let's give her an update.

Mari Walker:

You'd say you are concerned about my wellbeing, for my business and for me as well. You're my support, you're cheering me on. You've never told me no. When I've had an idea or when I've come to you, you've been the one who's asking me the questions and then making me realize, by just the questions you're asking, is this going to be good or how can I do it? And just reaching out to you and brainstorming ideas and just asking you questions and you basically just guiding me has been really amazing for me, because when you are an entrepreneur or a business owner, sometimes it can get really lonely because you don't have those office full of 20 people sitting in the back that you can say hey, we're having a meeting. Let's spit ball ideas. What are we going to do? What's the new product? We don't have that. So being able to have you by my side and do that, priceless.

Nikisha King:

Thank you, I swear it's amazing that I even get the privilege to do that. I remember when I started that's what I desired. It's so weird how that's the thing I desired and that's the person I became I always wanted, because it was very lonely, very lonely and you have tons of ideas and you couldn't speak to your family because either they were not understanding entrepreneurship or they had their limitations. So when you spoke to them, they just would tell you it's not going to work.

Mari Walker:

Yeah.

Nikisha King:

You know and didn't have that. So in creating NK Business Essentials, it's just a space where, like one of my other clients say, they love having me in their pocket, right, they can easily find me and go hey, this is happening, how do I make this work? How do I do this? And I'm like this is it? Let's go, let's figure this out. And we get excited. Trust me, I always get excited because my clients are freaking rock stars, especially you, and I'm always excited to the point where I'm like I don't know if this is healthy, because it is my drug. I love my drug of choices. I don't have like coffee, smoking or drinking, but when it comes to the joy of people, it's not the joy that I need from them for myself, it's just that they get to win. So I truly appreciate you and thank you for sharing that. I appreciate that You're like what is it Business bestie? Like I've never even said that word, but that's a good one.

Mari Walker:

I actually thought about it earlier when I was sitting and waiting for the call. I was like business bestie. That's what it is.

Nikisha King:

That's what it is. That's a good one. Would you recommend a service to other business owners and if so, why?

Mari Walker:

Absolutely, gosh. Just the way I've changed my mind, my mindset, how it has really made my life so much easier, better I don't know the right word for this because, honestly, nikesha, you've helped me change my thoughts, you have helped me show up, and if this could have been me, I mean I have been delaying, delaying, delaying it for so many years, making every excuse under the sun and now actually just taking that step, oh gosh, and they always say I don't know who they are, but they always say that you have to invest in order to see some return, you have to give to receive and by investing in yourself, in your business, to grow, to learn, to learn what is important, that the impossible that can be possible, I mean absolutely worth it, absolutely.

Mari Walker:

I would do this again and again.

Nikisha King:

I am 100% with you. It is the the day I did that is the day my life changed. I'm a student, just like you, as much as a coach, a mentor, but the day I invested in me and believed in me just like you invested in you and believed in you it changes everything, not just your business, but your personal life. You've even experienced that. I've experienced that where our partners get to enjoy a better version of us, in my opinion, because we're not just struggling in our business and feel like it's just draining us.

Mari Walker:

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. If we're happy, our cups are full, we just spread the love and the joy even more.

Nikisha King:

So, yes, so true, so true, and we don't realize sometimes that's the power we have. But as creators, we have that power. I love that. Now, what would you say to someone who's on the fence about investing in themselves to grow their business? Like someone maybe you know who hasn't done what you've done and you might hear them. And when you hear them, you're like, wow, they sound like the old me, but they're on the fence. And them being on the fence, how would you help them see the possibilities? Is there something you would tell them specifically?

Mari Walker:

Well, two things that I've already mentioned is having that person that you can share things with, because when you're alone, who are you going to share anything with? No one's going to listen. You'll get stuck in your own mind. But when you are with someone like nikisha or whoever it is, it doesn't matter who it is but with another person helping you and just taking that extra load of your and getting all the information out of your mind and putting it on paper, like you always tell me, anyways, to do, just having that person there will change their lives. It'll make life so much easier.

Mari Walker:

Um, the and also the. If you don't invest in yourself, how are you going to grow? Um, also, just by the way, it's changed my life, um, my, my personal life, my business life, how it's changed how I view the industry, how I view my business. Now it's not just a hobby or something on the side. It is actually something that I love doing and something that is profitable and something that gives me great joy, as well as other people. Absolutely, absolutely worth it. They must. They must at least give it a try Right, and if they see a result, or if they see just the smallest change, then they know.

Nikisha King:

Yeah, and it's for me personally. It's impossible to work with me without seeing a change. I've learned and it's not even me being I don't know what the words are they call it I'm. I've seen it so many times that it's, it's only a month, it doesn't take for me. I work with my clients for six months. It doesn't take us six months to see a change. It's only a month that they cause my.

Nikisha King:

My clients are action takers. I love them. They love to take all the action. Sometimes they just don't know what to do. They're like how should I focus and where? And then I give that and once you put it in front of them, it's like done, and you know things are yeah, so it's always it's quicker. Because they're action takers, they don't sit a lot in their stuff. You know we work through this stuff, we get it, and I'm proud of what gift I was given to even be a part of that journey. You know, every day, as a creative entrepreneur, there have been moments, and I think you've experienced your moments, the moments where we don't want to get out of bed the moments that I think we all experience that.

Nikisha King:

But the fact that we're here and we constantly are moving forward and serving people who can't do what you do for sure I know that because I'm one of them If I was getting married or if I'm traveling, having you in my pocket is a gift, because I will pay you anything and be like here, figure it out, I'll see you when I get there. I don't know how people cannot understand that what you do is so worth it, because we're building your website and I want to tell you, as I'm watching these images and videos, I'm like what is this? This is beautiful and these people you could feel the energy through the videos and photos. I usually consume a lot of energy when I'm looking at visuals and I'm just like does she not understand what she does? They couldn't find this on their own. They just couldn't.

Nikisha King:

I don't believe they could. I believe they would go through a lot of hell before they get to that heaven and the people who choose that. I don't think they experience what you can give them. So I'm excited for you. I'm excited for Marie's bridal house.

Nikisha King:

It's already here, just got to bring it to life, and that's what we got to do. We got to just tell everyone it's here, right? So thank you. Thank you, marie, for your time. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, your stories, those moments that a lot of people struggle with. We are all humans first and we struggle, but there is something spiritual about us that makes us very special in our own way.

Mari Walker:

Absolutely. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I'm very honored to be on your podcast and to be here today, so thank you for letting me share my message.

Nikisha King:

And I would love for you to share verbally where can people find you?

Mari Walker:

Okay, well, you can find me on my website. It is still the old website, but we are working on a new one that we will launch soon, which I'm really excited about as martinmarieweddingscom, and you can find me on Instagram at martinmarieweddings. We can see more updates, daily updates, stories and what's happening in my world of weddings.

Nikisha King:

See more updates, daily updates, stories and what's happening in my world of weddings. Yes, Thank you. Thank you once again for sharing.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for joining us today on Leading Her Way. We loved having you with us. Remember each action you take, no matter how small, adds up to big results. If today's episode fired you up, hit subscribe for more insights and visit our resource hub, which is linked to the show notes. There you'll find tools to streamline, organize and grow your business. Keep moving forward and we'll be right here to cheer you on next week.

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Nikisha King-Hidalgo

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