This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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A Miami divorce planner offers freedom celebrations. You've heard of wedding planners. Let's talk about a divorce planner and Miami seems like a good market for it. Maybe Miami, Las Vegas, probably some other places as well. Who knows?
But this former wedding planner in Miami pivots to organizing again, freedom celebrations for newly divorced clients, lending her first thousand dollars from two events. And of course, this is part of our feature. We call your first thousand dollars, as you might guess, as you might know, or you might surmise, deduce, interpret. It's all about how someone makes their first thousand dollars and then often goes on to earn much more. But how do they get to that point?
How do they take an idea and translate it into dollars or any other form of currency? And something I have learned, something we have seen on the podcast is that once you earn a small amount of money, it's not nearly as difficult to earn more money. Like the hardest part is going from that idea to income. With that in mind, this feature comes from Stephanie, the Miami Divorce Planner. I think she's also a wedding planner or maybe she's only doing divorces.
I'm not sure, but let's hear the story from her. I'll come back at the end with a few words of wrap up. [Music]
I'm Stephanie. And for years I was a wedding planner in Miami, matching color palettes to beach sunsets, selecting fresh florals and coordinating lavish receptions. Things shifted when I noticed something new.
Some of my former wedding clients and their friends were going through divorce, but they wanted to commemorate the fresh start. A few offhand conversations later, I realized they might appreciate a freedom celebration instead of a traditional pity party. I already knew the event planning ropes. Why not pivot? Instead of sending postcards to newlyweds, I reached out to a couple of local divorce attorneys and therapists.
My pitch was simple. If they had clients who were open to a celebratory forward-looking event, I could handle the details. Sometimes people want closure beyond signing papers, a statement that says I'm stepping into a new chapter. My first two bookings came from a well-connected divorce lawyer who thought my concept was refreshingly positive. Each celebration looked a bit like a mini wedding reception, but with a different vibe.
Guests toasted freedom with the champagne, and instead of a first dance, there was a playful burn the ex's name bonfire on the beach, in a fire safe container, of course. I charged each client $500 for my planning and coordination fees. Both events happened within the same month, netting me $1,000 in revenue. Coordinating a divorce celebration isn't just flipping a wedding script. It's about understanding the tone.
One of those first clients wanted a small, classy dinner at a waterfront lounge, complete with a subtle nod to letting go by releasing tiny wish lanterns. The other client preferred a chic rooftop party with a custom mocktail named after her new lease on life. My role went beyond picking decor. I guided them in weaving closure and excitement into an event that fit their personalities. Those two events earned me my initial $1,000, and more importantly, gave me a portfolio.
I snapped tasteful photos, balloon arches, custom signage, and a brief shot of the goodbye letters people tossed into a decorative hamper. With permission, I featured these images on my website. Soon, I was receiving more inquiries through therapists who saw the emotional boost, a well-executed celebration provided. While not everyone wants a big splash, I found there's a real crowd that does, and they'll pay for someone to handle all the details. Now, I maintain a good relationship with a handful of divorce lawyers who drop my name whenever someone expresses interest in a party.
I also partner with local vendors who thrive on novelty events, like a dessert maker who spells out fresh start in macaroons. It's still early days, but the project runs smoothly enough to let me handle smaller weddings, too, without feeling stretched. And that's how I earned my first $1,000, not by booking a lavish wedding, but by helping two newly single clients celebrate a different kind of milestone. [Music]
I think one of the smart things about this story from a business perspective is this last part where she talks about maintaining good relationships with divorce lawyers. You know, if you just think about it, those are the perfect individuals who could refer someone.
You know, they've just worked with a client, gone through some hardship, emotional difficulty, and so on. And, you know, that person is kind of trying to move on or at least process things. And the lawyer is not necessarily the best person to help them with the next steps, but they could refer them to someone like Stephanie. So sometimes the people you know know the people that you need to know. In other words, your clients, you may not be able to connect with them directly, but there's somebody you know who can be the perfect introduction.
So think about that. If you're thinking about starting a service or even a product-based business, it could work for that as well. Anyway, thanks to Stephanie for telling us about her first $1,000 listeners. I hope you found it interesting. Encouraging perhaps, giving you an idea of something you could do.
If you have a question or an update about your hustle, you know where to go, sidehustleschool.com/questions. This was episode 3,019. New episodes come out every single day, seven days a week, always completely free. My name is Chris Guillebeau. You're listening to "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
