Candice (00:01.814)

Welcome back to the Power and Purpose podcast. It's me, your host Candace, and I have such a special treat for you today. Our Behind the Brand series is back for another episode. I have a love, love, love, love, love this series so much, and so have you. I've gotten such great feedback from our listeners at how inspiring our guests' stories have been, how it's motivated you, how their strategies.

And also the mistakes they made were really relatable and you're in for a very special treat today because I am getting the chance to talk to Frances Ledgwood of Ledgwood Find Stationary, a longtime listener of the Power in Purpose podcast. And I know she's so excited to be here. If you are not aware of Frances and her incredible business by the end of this episode, you're going to know all the ins and outs.

of how she's built her business over the last 10 years. Frances is the owner and the creative director of Ledgewood Fine Stationery, which is a luxury wedding stationary studio based in Huntsville, Alabama. And she has over 20 years of experience in the wedding industry and 10 years of owning her own incredible business. And Frances is known far and wide, especially by her clients and planners and collaborators alike for her very timeless design aesthetic.

her deep love for etiquette. think she is Emily Post, like in the flesh. And a passion for all things paper. I have the luxury of mentoring Frances and knowing her business very intimately. She's part of my mastermind. And when I tell you that she loves paper, I mean, she loves paper. Okay, people say they love what they do.

Frances Ledgewood is obsessed with her business, obsessed with her clients, and obsessed with creating gorgeous paper. And she's had the honor of working with brides, couples, and planners across the country, creating heirloom quality invitations and day of details that set the tone for unforgettable celebrations. She's really such a fantastic partner for planners. So if you're a planner listening, you should definitely link up with Frances, especially if your client aesthetics

Candice (02:15.754)

align. And this year in 2025, Francis launched the ledge would find stationary collective which is a one of a kind retreat designed to support and elevate established wedding stationers through community, education and creativity. When she's not obsessing about pretty paper details. She is a wife, a mom of three and a very

proud cat mom who we might actually see floating around through this episode, although I feel like she's probably kicked them out of the office, to her two fluffy Persians. She is also a firm believer that beautiful paper can tell powerful stories and that meaningful connection is the heartbeat of a lasting business. So it gives me such great pleasure to welcome Frances Ledgewood to the podcast. Frances, welcome.

Frances Ledgewood (03:07.858)

Wow, thank you. I'm just grinning ear to ear. That was the sweetest intro. Wow. I am just, I have chills. Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here.

Candice (03:09.518)

Okay.

Candice (03:20.648)

I'm so excited to dig into your story. I know so much about your business, but I feel like there's so much I don't know. And so I am secretly very selfish to hear your origin story and how you've been able to grow such an incredible brand. If you follow Frances on Instagram, you will instantly be able to tell how serious she takes marketing. I have a hunch.

that marketing and her marketing strategy is going to come up in our interview today. But she has really built and carved out a niche for herself and an iconic brand in the industry that people recognize, that planners and clients gravitate towards. And I'm sure she'll share, but it hasn't always been easy. She makes it look very easy, but it hasn't always been easy. And she has worked tirelessly.

to grow her business. So Frances, I'm just thrilled to hear the origin story of how you got started and how you've been able to grow your business into what it is today. Now you've been listening to the podcast for a long time. Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (04:27.788)

Yes. You caught me. Yes. I originally found you because literally I got my phone and I was like a wedding podcast. Up popped your pretty face. I was like, well, I'll listen to that. And the rest is history. I never stopped.

Candice (04:45.39)

Oh gosh, it's such a thrill to have a longtime listener and somebody who I have such the pleasure of coaching and supporting on the show. And so let's begin where we begin with every guest that comes on this series and talk about what inspired you to start your business in the wedding industry. I just read your biography and you had 10 years of experience prior to starting your business. So tell me more about that and how you got your start.

Frances Ledgewood (05:14.114)

Yes, so I just it goes back like to a child like I there was not Instagram and text messages you wrote letters and mailed them you know so my cousin Michelle lived a couple hours away and we would send each other letters and doodles and you know I just loved that and also back then you know there were magazines and you know they'd have those little

Candice (05:25.09)

Mm-hmm.

Frances Ledgewood (05:37.976)

pages you would tear out and you would fill out to send back. Well, those were checks to me and I would be like having my own business and like writing a check with the little magazine tear out. So I always gravitated towards arts and crafts things and I loved being artsy. I'm not athletic. I don't know how my children are but that's amazing, you know. So I was always in the art realm of things and so that kind of carried on throughout my childhood throughout.

Candice (05:39.682)

Yes, sir.

Candice (05:57.947)

Hehehehehe

Frances Ledgewood (06:06.486)

school and when I was in high school we have like a I would just say like a sorority for high school okay and of course I was the president of it and so I yeah right and so I was given a little sheet of paper with someone's name and number and said that they were interested in being a sponsor for Stardust was the name of the club and so I went to meet this lady that owned a party store her name is Jennifer

Candice (06:15.47)

Of course.

Frances Ledgewood (06:37.006)

and we instantly connected. She became a sponsor to this club I was the president of. We worked so well together that when a job came available she was like, do you want to come work at the party? Yes! You know, so I immediately was like, yes! So,

this party store, I mean like I said, this was 20 years ago, okay, I'm aging myself, but this was 20 years ago and that's when you had albums, you would open a wedding album, you would pick a design, you would pick a font, we would fax the order in and it would be shipped to the store and you would pick it up. Like this is the extent of

Candice (07:00.066)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (07:17.55)

what, how you would order wedding invitations. And we also ordered and designed like party invitations and all the things. So I quickly fell in love with just the ins and outs of the paper world. Like I was hooked. So then I knew when I went to college, I wanted to go for graphic design and marketing. And so I just kept going. And when I was...

At school there was like a bachelor of fine arts and I was like I need the BFA degree. So I went to have this presentation and the presentation was I want to own my own stationary company. I want to design and print. I want to do it all myself. And my professors denied me of the program. So I was crushed. It was denied but

Candice (08:05.933)

Wow.

Frances Ledgewood (08:08.972)

My professor pulled me to the side and he said, Francis, you don't need this degree to do what you want to do.

you can do it. they had faith in me. And so was like, okay. You know, didn't like that slam door, but because of that slam door, I was able to graduate basically on time. It was like half a semester later than I should have, but I was able to graduate and I went into working and I got a stationary job being like a stationary department manager for this store. And it was just everything I wanted and more. was perfect.

I didn't have the overhead of running my own business, but I was able to run that department. So I just, you know, from being at the party store then to this, I was just known in my hometown for Francis Does Stationery. you know, I'll do your wedding invitations. I'll do your, you know, notes. So anyways, I was there. I was so happy.

Candice (08:51.927)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (09:08.11)

At that time I started dating my now husband Brent and when we got married in 2014 he actually lived in the Huntsville area. So obviously I moved in with him once we got married and I commuted back and forth to that stationary department because I didn't want to go anywhere. Well my love language is quality time so my first nine months of marriage being on the road an hour and a half each way going to work it just wasn't going to work.

Candice (09:20.652)

Mm-hmm.

Frances Ledgewood (09:37.838)

for me so I had to decide to leave that position which was so hard and I got a job over here doing marketing for a mortgage company. So I quickly realized that it was not fulfilling that creativity and I just had a moment of what am I doing here? I just remember that moment so crystal clear and I

Candice (09:48.974)

Mmm.

Frances Ledgewood (10:06.648)

had one of my dear friends, she was actually in my wedding, she had gotten engaged and needed wedding invitations, so of course she was like, but Frances, you still have to do my wedding invitations, and I was like, well, well yeah, you know, like, so okay, you know, and then, you know, then word got spread over here, like, well, you can do, you know, and it just started snowballing.

So from my friend Brittany wanting, know, well you have to, you know, so was like, well let me figure this out. And it was totally a God thing and my business was born. Like it was coming true. So I started Ledgewood Finds Stationery in 2015 and that's where it got its start. As we were newlyweds and we just went for it.

Candice (10:53.172)

Well, you've been destined to do this. feels like your whole life. It's very rare that you meet somebody in the wedding industry who

understood what their purpose was early on and knew that they wanted to be a part of this industry and play a role in it. And that's so admirable that in your story in as early as, you know, writing letters, I'm sure you were the ultimate pen pal. I'm sure you had like eight pen pals in elementary school and you were writing to them all, children in foreign countries and children all over the US.

Frances Ledgewood (11:24.546)

was an, you know, I was like an adamant NSYNC fan so like Justin Timberlake, I will meet you one day but I had like the little, I could write NSYNC so pretty in my, I would send them, yes.

Candice (11:35.694)

I'm surprised you weren't the president of the NSYNC fan club, but I'm sure you were mailing them. You probably were mailing them letters. But all that to say, it's so wonderful to hear how early on you knew that you were really good at something and that you loved something. And then to see that evolve over your life as a high school student in college and then as a newlywed, as a young married couple.

When you, when your business was born, so your first wedding was with a friend and you created her wedding invitations. Did anything about that? Did you learn any lesson in that first wedding with that friend that you think played a role in the launch of your business or maybe in maybe how you approach stationary when you started?

Frances Ledgewood (12:27.33)

Definitely. I mean I say I have hit every speed bump along the way and I'm still hitting speed bumps. Hers was mainly like okay now I need to find you know establish myself. need well one you know get a business license figure out taxes you know all like the not fun things you know I had to like figure that out and that was you know horrible and so that that was you know just on that end of things but then just you know which vendors are we going to use you know.

Candice (12:28.461)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (12:57.504)

what printing method, know all that it was like wow I'm doing this on my own you know not for another company it's like what what I want to do who I want to use you know how to get the look she wants and how do I want to go about doing that so it was basically starting from scratch except I had all the foundation of 10 years of doing this already where it's like one I know what I'm doing you know so let's do it

Candice (13:06.071)

Right.

Candice (13:21.26)

Yeah, we had the talent and you just were working for somebody else. So that must've been a little bit of a mindset switch where you weren't beholden to a boss at the stationary store, at the party store. You could do things for yourself and you had to think about what you wanted and you had to center the client's needs and you didn't have somebody to turn to and say, actually no, do it this way or do it that way. So that must've been a challenge for you, but you clearly overcame it. I'd love to know.

Alleged would find stationary is born in 2015. What was your original vision when you started? And I'm just curious if that vision has evolved or if you've always envisioned the business that you have now.

Frances Ledgewood (14:05.076)

So it has definitely evolved. I remember talking about setting up a bank account and I remember them asking me, well, how much money do you plan on making? Okay, hadn't thought about that. And I was like, maybe like $5,000.

Candice (14:16.503)

you

Candice (14:20.97)

Yes.

Frances Ledgewood (14:22.826)

I didn't know and at that point in time, know coming from a party store in a stationary department We did everything birth announcements calling cards, you know luggage tags stationary. Nope like everything so when I first started my business I did everything and not until these past few years I really had to niche down because my my heart and my passion has always been with weddings

but I needed to focus on weddings versus I can do everything, but I don't need to do everything.

Candice (14:57.538)

Yeah, a crossroads that so many of us face in business. start and you're just trying to get business. So you take on whatever clients you can, friends, friends of friends, parties, know, whatever crosses your thresholds. If they're excited to pay you and they're willing to pay you, you're willing to do the work, right? But then you do come to a turning point. Yeah. Where you, you recognize that maybe that's not the right move forward.

Frances Ledgewood (15:15.818)

Exactly. You take it all.

Candice (15:26.603)

I'm guessing maybe do you feel like at what point in your business did you have that kind of epiphany? How many years were you into business where you were like, wait a minute, I think I need to make a change.

Frances Ledgewood (15:37.492)

So after, as you mentioned, I have three children. After each baby was born, something was cut out of the business that I couldn't handle anymore. After my third child, Sophie, was born, I just remember, I mean, postpartum, was...

just emotional and I had so many orders and then people were still wanting me because I'm such a sentimental person so once I've done their wedding invitations I do want to do their baby shower invitations. I want to do the first birthday. I just don't have the bandwidth to do it all. So after I had Sophie

She's three now, so this was three years ago. So seven years into the business, I finally was like, I just can't offer those things. But what did that mean? I was gonna have to tell people no. And that's not fun, you know, you gotta work on that. And I just remember my mom standing in my office door, you know, I have a newborn, I'm trying to work, you know, mom bun, and just no makeup. And she was like, Francis, but you've always just wanted to do weddings. Just do weddings. You're here.

Just do it. So then what I had to do is come up with a nice response back when my precious brides, because that's mostly what it was, was past clients coming back to me to want to do these things. And I just came up with this nice response to let them know and...

almost I could probably say 10 times out of 10 they're like, Francis, we're just so proud of you. We completely understand this and that and you know, and that was uplifting to me, but I was still sad that I couldn't be a part of every single paper milestone in their life because I want to, but I just don't have the capacity at this point in my business. And on the flip side of that, I know a lot of other stationers will relate to this is that those orders

Frances Ledgewood (17:28.47)

are typically smaller orders and they typically take so much time and just the at the grand scheme of things you have to let that go at some point. You know if you're spending so much time these these precious you know a first birthday invitation is almost as important as their wedding invitation by the time they're designing this first birthday invitation and I just didn't have the bandwidth to do custom

everything and I wanted to do custom wedding so that's where I was like okay it's time to let some of those other things go.

Candice (18:04.918)

Yeah, this is such an interesting philosophy because what I'm hearing from you is that something that contributed to the growth of your business was actually doing less work on certain projects that took up too much time, maybe were energy vampires, time vampires took up a lot of resources. And the strategy was to reduce that work to make space.

for the work that really filled up your cup, what you wanted to be known for, and also coincidentally, the most profitable work that tended to be most profitable. We don't often think that growth happens when we remove things or when we stop saying yes to work. We often think we have to say yes and we have to do more and work with more clients in order to grow. But I think this is such a lovely example that that's not always true.

Frances Ledgewood (19:00.43)

Absolutely and it's a mind shift because at the beginning I mean my husband he would say all those little orders add up But all those little orders add up and yes, they do But I don't have enough time to do all those little orders anymore So like shifting my mindset like I said what that was seven years into the business before I was like, okay Francis Okay, Frank, know you keep saying you're gonna do it and then you take on that order because you don't want to say no but

once you say no once and then you say it again and then it becomes easier and then all of sudden it's like I sorry I don't do those anymore you know we no longer I don't say mean like that but you know I understand that like I don't we don't offer those anymore we're specifically for weddings and one of the other things you know talking about like marketing is I stopped way sooner than seven years or three years ago but I stopped showing that on social media like

Candice (19:37.677)

Right.

Candice (19:41.976)

you

Right. Right.

Frances Ledgewood (19:57.408)

the things I didn't want to be creating. Like I've strictly focused on weddings for years because that's what I wanted to do so that's what I put out there. I didn't want to be doing you know birthday invitations or you know things like that so I stopped showing those things on social media so people weren't thinking I'll order that. They were thinking she does weddings stationary so I definitely shifted my gears a lot earlier promoting just weddings.

Candice (20:12.675)

Mm-hmm.

Candice (20:24.194)

Yeah. Well, it's so fascinating. Seven years in is when you decided to finally let go of that part of your business. You weren't advertising it as much, but you were still doing the work because clients were asking. Do you think, well, do you have any regrets about that? Do you wish that you would have stopped doing that work sooner? Or do you feel good about the length of time you allowed that work to remain in your business and it's just onward and upward?

Frances Ledgewood (20:52.622)

I think a mixture because at that time if you think about it, know, it was in my, had, mean, my kids are still young, but it's like our friends, we were all having, we were all having the parties. We were kind of all right there together. So it was hard not to do those things, I guess. But once, like I said, once I was able to say no, but looking back, I would do so many things earlier than what I have.

had done, you know, getting a business coach, getting a business coach, you know, you know this, having you, you know, yeah, you're just awesome. So like all these things, but when you're starting a business or when you're in the beginning years of a business, you know, you, you know, just like all the little orders add up or you don't look at that as an investment or your mind hasn't shifted to know, this will be better, you know, so, you know, a lot of it does.

Candice (21:20.642)

Like what? Yeah. Tell me more.

Frances Ledgewood (21:47.724)

does boil down to like the finances or you know we rely on my income. You know all those real life things you know makes it makes you scared to make those changes you know. So to finally pivot looking back absolutely I should have done it earlier you know I should have but it was just finally taking that stand to do it which led me that way.

Candice (22:13.932)

Yeah, we do things when we're truly ready to do them. I think in business, when the pain of staying in the same position or doing the same thing over and over again is more painful than the scariness you might feel or the risk of making the change. When the pain of staying stuck is greater than the pain of changing, we often choose change. And that happens, you can't predict when we'll feel that when the time will be right. And they always say, you know, timing is everything.

But it truly, you do have to go through the motions, but I wonder if the stationary industry is so guarded and people don't share a lot of resources. And as you were coming up in 2015 and beyond, do you feel like you were exposed to other women in the industry and you got to see success at different stages or women in the industry focusing just on one thing so that you could be inspired to do the same?

Frances Ledgewood (23:14.614)

I think it was very like me coming up.

starting my own business I felt very isolated. It was not a very welcoming or warm situation with other stationers for me, from my experience and that is really what led me into wanting to make the collective retreat just because I just didn't even realize how much I longed for a community of other stationers to talk about the ins and outs, the ups and downs because I did not have that. I did not have that until recent years and it was a big part of

Candice (23:30.22)

Yeah.

Candice (23:34.231)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (23:48.402)

my business that I felt very very isolated because I didn't have those other stationers to talk to and really I had my wedding planners that who became some of my closest friends because they were the closest to understanding my job and to be able to talk to each other about what's going on so I did become very close with other wedding vendors but not necessarily other wedding stationers.

Candice (24:15.02)

Yeah, well, I think it's so interesting when you are have access to other people like you, you can see what's possible and you can also connect on the similar struggles that you have and find solutions together. And I love that you are building a space for more of that in the stationary world. We'll talk about the collective because that's

the new era of your business. And I'm excited to hear more about what you've got in store. But I just think it's so admirable that you are taking charge of this and being the big sister that you needed when you started your business and being the, you know, here's the mistakes I made. Here are the things I did. Here's what contributed to my success. Take of it what you will and implement and see how I have been able to grow and what could be possible for you. I wonder

First question, you mentioned you had speed bumps along the way, but have you ever really experienced a setback or failure in your business? And would you mind sharing with us what that was and how you were able to bounce back?

Frances Ledgewood (25:27.618)

There was, I would say two, well two major, I guess working with, you know, I worked with someone for ads and I worked with someone for like a website relaunch and those were big investments for a small business and I just, they just, we did not, it was not a good fit and that's something I've had to look back on as a learning experience, you know, that.

It wasn't a good fit. It was, you know, a financial investment. That was basically a flop, you know? And so I've had to learn from that, you know? And as a small business owner and like with finances and all that, like those things, that stinks, you know? And then on the other flip side of things is like throughout just actual wedding orders. I mean, I feel like I might as well be a firefighter. I'm putting out fires all the time with, you know, something coming in and it has...

Candice (25:58.69)

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Candice (26:09.825)

It does.

Frances Ledgewood (26:23.566)

bent corners or the wrong, know, like all these things. There are so many, so many things that go into making a custom invitation suite where I don't just say it, like I don't push a magical button and it's designed and then it pops out. Like we take hours upon hours, weeks upon months to design all this. Then it goes into production, which is a whole nother, you know, a whole nother beast. And then most of the time,

Every single element of a suite is from a different source of how we then we bring it all together. So it's like you're super you're really creating something from scratch. So there's lots of room.

for error there, you know, where the shade of ribbon doesn't really match this shade of ink and this ink isn't going to match up with this letterpress impression. You know, so all those things which, you know, being in the industry for 20 years, you know, I can spit them out and just talk about it, you know, all these different, this paper means this, this thickness means this, but, and the client doesn't have to know all that. You know, they don't have, like, just let me do my thing and I'll put it all together, but there's so many

Candice (27:04.738)

Yeah.

Candice (27:26.466)

right?

Frances Ledgewood (27:32.574)

so many areas where things can potentially go wrong and that's where you know myself and my team we fix it before anyone ever knows about it but that's just that it's this just part of the job and any other stationer is probably shaking their head right now because it's just it's just a daily part of our job basically.

Candice (27:41.61)

Of course.

Candice (27:53.59)

Yeah, it sounds like being a stationer is really stressful, honestly, because there's so many variables. Yeah, there's a lot of risk for things to go wrong in the supply chain and a lot of varying factors that sometimes you don't take into consideration when you're quoting a job six months previously, and now it's time for the production to come together. Costly mistakes, things that need to be updated and changed. You know, as consumers and as vendors, we get to see

Frances Ledgewood (27:57.164)

It is, yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (28:10.914)

Right.

Candice (28:20.524)

the beautiful flat lays and the finished product, but we don't often have a window into what it takes to get there. So I really appreciate you sharing that, not every paper suite. It was perfect in the making of it. I mean, it was perfect in the finishing of it, but you go through different issues in production to get the finished product. And that is very stressful.

Frances Ledgewood (28:45.994)

It really is. You know, so many people say, you get to play with pretty paper all day. And you know, you just smile and nod, you know, yeah. And I do like you said, like I love paper, you know, so it's amazing, you know, so it's like, yes, but also, you know, we have certain artists that do certain artwork for us or this or that. And one of my artists said, Francis, I don't know how you do it, you know, working with these brides because they can be so particular, but I do.

Candice (28:47.757)

Yeah.

Candice (28:52.686)

Yeah.

Candice (28:59.351)

I know you do.

Candice (29:15.235)

Mm-hmm.

Frances Ledgewood (29:15.898)

I love it, you I love getting to the result that the bride wants and having the finished invitation suite absolutely perfect for them.

Candice (29:20.118)

Yeah.

Candice (29:24.49)

Yeah, well, and that's why your couples come to you because you have the experience, but also that attention to detail and you enjoy getting in the details with your couples and with your planners and your vendor partners and making something truly special and one of a kind. I also appreciate the vulnerability and saying, hey, I hired some people and it didn't really work out.

That happens a lot. I've done that myself, and it's been so disappointing. They might come highly recommended, or you find them, and everything is good on paper. But then when you get working with them, it's not always the greatest. And we try to have some grace, because we're business owners too. We totally get it. But it can feel really sad and isolating when you invest in something, and that investment doesn't pay off, and you don't feel like you got your money's worth.

Frances Ledgewood (30:18.976)

Absolutely, and it really reinforces like so many things I value and my number one is like communication and I you know I love communication, I love being direct, I love responding back and you know being on the flip side of the equation where I'm the client and I'm not getting that back it was just so frustrating to me.

And I would just never want one of my clients to ever feel that way. know, so just know, you know, working with other vendors and you don't get the wonderful experience, it's disappointing.

Candice (30:45.496)

Sure.

Candice (30:58.71)

It sure is. Yeah. And the investment too, you you feel guilt and regret about the investment, but sometimes we have to look at that as well. I invested this money, that strategy didn't work out. And so now I know that that strategy is probably not for me or this vendors, this person's not for me. And also there is so much value in

being a part of a process and recognizing I don't want my clients to have this experience. So how can I go back to my business and make sure that my touch points and my deliverables, my communication and my client experience is what it's supposed to be? Because we were so far removed from it in a lot of ways. We're just in the day to day. So to have a less than stellar client experience as a customer often shows us that we're doing a great job and that there's always a little area for improvement.

Frances Ledgewood (31:50.196)

Absolutely, and it makes you really appreciate like since then I've worked with a different ads person and a different website person and can rave like that's the thing like if you make me happy friends I'm gonna tell everybody you know everybody so that's where it's just like man you know like when I've had a great experience I want to talk about it you know I don't lie I'm not

Candice (31:51.479)

Yeah.

Candice (31:58.093)

Yeah.

Candice (32:03.31)

Yeah. Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (32:14.382)

I'm not a negative person so I don't like dwelling on, know, I had that bad experience, you know, it's like, well, luckily I pivoted and found a better solution and it's been wonderful, you know, and it's really great because just compared to that bad experience, it's like, well this has been a very, very good experience, which is so much better.

Candice (32:24.717)

Yeah.

Candice (32:31.938)

Yeah. Yeah. I think we need to normalize talking about not having necessarily a great experience first to the person who we hired so that they're aware of that and they can make changes. But also just acknowledging that in the industry and as business owners, it happens sometimes. And talking about what our experience was like or helping other people to not have a similar experience by sharing our wisdom is important.

I would love to shift gears a little bit and talk about marketing because marketing is something that you do so well. You are always on top of your marketing strategy. In fact, Francis came to our Barbados retreat and taught us her marketing strategy for Instagram and you have to go check out her Instagram not I mean, no, she's gonna be like, great. All these people are going to be like, yeah, my Instagram now which is what she wants actually. But she's so good at marketing. And so I would like to know how do think marketing played a role?

in building your brand and getting the name Ledgwood Find Stationery out there.

Frances Ledgewood (33:31.986)

yes, so I do, love Instagram, I do love Instagram. I am on TikTok and Facebook, but like Instagram is where I'm at, that's where I hang out, and I do. So I know I've mentioned communication and efficiency. I also love consistency. So I am consistently showing up. And so that is a lot about like what I spoke about in Barbados. So you know, it's just like.

Candice (33:55.597)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (33:56.864)

just showing up on social media, being consistent, you know, if you just drop off and you you just want to be that top of line, top of mind, you know, and showing up on just whether it's reels or carousels and then also in stories, you know, and the stories that can be a little bit more relaxed and personal and, you know,

Candice (34:05.784)

Yeah. Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (34:18.752)

talking with one another but I love kind of just trying out new trends and not necessarily trends but I love learning more about marketing and Instagram and like the best things to try and to do and then like I implement them and I just keep trying different things so I have fun experimenting on social media.

Candice (34:42.252)

You definitely do. One thing that you do really well, and it reminds me of Jamesa, who was our OG behind the brand episode. If you haven't listened to Jamesa's episode, go and listen to it. But you and Jamesa have a lot in common with marketing. And one thing that you do so well is you show your face on camera. And this is something that a lot of people in the wedding industry struggle to do.

Would you consider yourself a confident person? Does this come naturally to you to show your face or is it something you have to work towards?

Frances Ledgewood (35:15.244)

Okay absolutely not. Like if you were to ask my parents like I was the shyest child growing up. Not until high school. I mean I went to a private elementary school you know like I wasn't very social at all and so not until high school did I

start becoming, know, okay, I can talk to people, you know, and then it just kind of kept going. And so you just have to take baby steps. Just get out there, you know, just start, you know, on a story, you know, it's gonna go away in 24 hours. So if you don't like it, you know, it's gonna go away in 24 hours. It's not that big of a deal, you know, but people wanna know.

the face behind the business. There's lots of other stationers, there's lots of other wedding planners, there's lots of other photographers, but there's only one you. So get out there and talk about your business, talk about what makes you passionate about it, or talk about what drink you're into these days, or anything like that, and just get that light, know, and trust factor. And I've had brides and planners and clients across the United States.

Candice (36:06.2)

Right.

Frances Ledgewood (36:24.744)

literally booked me because they're like, well, you're mom and you're a family, you know, and I'm like, yeah, I am, you know, and I'm glad, you know, I'm relatable. So it's, you just don't ever know what might trigger someone to be like, I like that person, you know, and it might just be because they've been watching your stories and you have no idea, but they feel like they know you at that point because...

you're getting out there and you're talking and you may not feel confident about it, but maybe just show some B-roll. It doesn't have to be anything super strategic to begin with, but I think just get out there and start. Just give yourself one day a week, little baby steps, and then you'll get more comfortable and you'll just keep going. Like I said, I don't know where this comes from, but I don't mind talking to people, but the more I've done it, the more comfortable I get with it.

Candice (37:00.695)

Yes.

Candice (37:14.508)

Yeah, that's absolutely true. The more you do something, the more action you take on something, the easier it usually becomes. And that's anything in life, but especially with marketing. Throughout this series, something that I've really noticed is that marketing has played a huge role in the growth of every woman who has come on this podcast's business.

and I don't think your business is any exception. You prioritize marketing. If I remember correctly, you have a specific day of the week where you shoot a lot of your marketing content for the week. Would you mind just giving us a little bit of an idea of what that looks like? So many wedding pros will benefit. They just want to know, like, what do you do? Because I just want to follow exactly what you do.

Frances Ledgewood (37:59.842)

Yes, so this was huge for me is to literally schedule a content day. Like you say on the podcast, know, pencil in a CEO, you know, you've got to make an appointment with yourself. So make an appointment with yourself. You know, I like to do our content days on Fridays because it's like, it's fine. It's Friday. It's about to be the weekend. So we'll schedule it, you know, once a month or, know, if we have a lot of orders in, know, and I also have a team so they can help.

with length stuff out, styling it, you know, all that. But what I have learned through doing this is there's kind of two different type of content days. There's a content day where I'm in the video, so you you can change your outfits, you can talk to the camera, you can do different things, or there's content days where like with me, you know, I'm getting invitation suites or I'm doing flat lays or...

panning over envelopes, all that type stuff because it takes longer than you think. know, before you know it, the whole day's gone. So if you're trying to do stuff with yourself in it and with that, you know, it might just be too much. So I try to like decipher like, okay, this Friday we're just gonna be doing...

content of paper goods. Whereas the next week, let's get it where I'm talking or doing stuff. Now you still can take behind the scenes B-roll of you setting things up and getting good content that way. You can still, you know, get yourself dialed up. But that has worked best for me in batching it together versus like...

And I still do this like if I get something and it's amazing and I can't help myself, I'll like immediately open it and I'll make a reel about it right then, right there. But if you think about like, there goes 45 minutes. Whereas if I just did that all in one day, yes, you're going to make a complete mess in your office. I'm always completely exhausted after a content day. But then I am so jazzed up because I'm like, have so much content to work with. So it's like, let's get on Instagram, let's get on TikTok. So it can really motivate

Candice (39:35.404)

Yeah.

Candice (39:54.88)

Yes.

Frances Ledgewood (39:59.164)

you and it helps you to be consistent because now you have a whole camera roll full of content to work with.

Candice (40:06.946)

Yeah, do you plan this in advance so you have your date on your calendar, but are you creating like a list? Also, I want to say, I love that you often decide, am I in the content? Am I doing talking heads this week or am I more focused on product and I don't really need to perform as much? I love that. I think that's such a great tip. But are you creating like a running list of things? Are you putting aside paper suites throughout the week that you want to shoot? Like, how are you preparing for that Friday?

Frances Ledgewood (40:36.454)

a mixture of it all. If you could only see like how crazy it gets in here. So honestly it varies, but usually we have literally

boxes of invitations and I'll be like I want to get this I want to get this you know and I'll I do it's not neat nice and tidy of a list but it's basically more of like a brain dump of like okay I want to get content of this stuff or like say we're working on this amazing suite right now so everything's in-house so it's like okay let's make sure we get content of this this and this while we have a hundred of them where we can get the kind of content I want before they're

know, stuff stamped sealed and out the door. So it kind of varies and sometimes a lot of it depends on what's in house. And then a lot of it, like currently this week, we are going through and organizing because we have literally hundreds of samples. And so now it'll be like, OK, these are the samples we don't have any content of next Friday. Bring those down. I want to get content of those.

Candice (41:42.134)

Yeah, I love it. Just love that you prioritize this, that you have some sense of organization to it, but you also allow yourself to create as you go. It also sounds like to me that you are just shooting content and thinking about how you're going to apply the content later. So instead of trying to create

a reel with every single video you're creating in the moment. You're more focused on capturing a camera roll full of stuff and then figuring out how to edit it or what music to play over it when you get to that stage. Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (42:15.11)

Yes, so I don't do all of that at once. So like right now we just have some amazing content but the weddings have not happened, you know, so we can't do anything with those. So they're just sitting pretty on my camera roll until that wedding happens. So then I'll be so excited to be able to show those. you sometimes I do little sneak peeks and stuff like that because I just can't.

Candice (42:24.802)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (42:38.21)

contain myself because some of these are just so beautiful, I wanna show them now, but I can't. So a lot of that, since we work so many months in advance, a lot of times I'll have stuff, content.

Candice (42:43.587)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (42:49.51)

months ahead of time before I can show it just because the wedding's not until October, you know, or whenever. So we do. So we have a lot of it and a lot of it I'll be, you know, when I'm ready to create something I'll scroll back and there might be something I haven't even shared yet or I can pull something back from months ago and repurpose it.

Candice (42:55.394)

Right.

Candice (43:08.782)

Hmm. So smart. And because you prioritize this, you're just never in a drought. You're never frantic of what you're going to post this week. You have a lot of content to work with and that consistency is key. really do think consistency and marketing is what builds an iconic brand. mean, there's so much more that goes into it, but having being a consistent, stable person.

on social where people constantly see your name pop up and they see your beautiful work and they hear your voice and see your face. It's what connects them to you. And it's where a lot of small businesses struggle. And I think you'll agree with me, Frances. I feel like if more wedding pros can focus on marketing and visibility and putting themselves out there, they will see more success in their business.

Frances Ledgewood (43:58.958)

Oh, absolutely. And one of the other things we've done this past year, I've really invested in photography of my products and that has been something new, but it's like, I know I have a particular, I want a certain style, I want a certain look. And once I found that it was like, I'm going all in. And so that has been huge too. So, you know, to get your own content, then to have, you know, a trusted photographer, multiple photographers. I mean, we work with all kinds of photographers, but on my side of the business, I'm not

Candice (44:14.189)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (44:28.912)

there on the wedding day. So I don't have those relationships and those in-person, you know, communications with the other vendors. And so a lot of times I may not get, you know, a full gallery back of the...

of the entire wedding or the details may not be captured or so I'm kind of taking that into my own hands to make sure I get the content I want of the menu cards or of the invitation suite of because we do all kinds of things and it may not get you know there's so much going on.

on a wedding day so I completely understand if it's not captured or if there's not a video, if it's not in the video or you know all those different things so like kind of taking it into my own hands to do it myself has helped me be able to have that content to be able to keep rolling out.

Candice (45:16.908)

Yeah, for sure. I would love to switch gears a little bit and talk about team because this is something you keep saying we we and you mentioned your team. You've been very intentional about growing your team over the years and a lot of wedding pros listening may have satellite support like people who come in and help them here and there or maybe virtual support but

they know they need a stronger team. And this is something that you do really well. And it's also something that continues to evolve in your business. So would you mind just sharing a little bit more about the different team roles that have existed in your business over the years and just any wisdom or insight for somebody listening who wants to have a team or knows that they can't operate as the operator of their business for much longer, they need help.

Frances Ledgewood (46:07.486)

Absolutely. Having a team was a game changer for my business. And it all started, I knew years ago I needed help, but we were still in our, you know, was first it was Brent's bachelor pad, then it became our newlywed home, then it was supposed to be a one kid home, then it became a two kid home, then my office moved into our bedroom. That was my life, you know, so I had no space.

Candice (46:31.438)

Mm-hmm.

Frances Ledgewood (46:34.296)

to bring someone in. So when we moved into our forever home, which is where my office and studio is, that is when we moved in the end of April and by August I hired my first employee.

And it was one of those things where it was like, don't know how many hours, can we say like eight to 10 hours? And Precious Haley started and we quickly were like, we need you all the time, you know? And then it just kind of became a running joke of like, how did you do this before me? How did you do this before me? And then we brought Ruthann on, you know? So then Ruthann came on to do production and assembly and...

Then what I realized was I wanted to focus on what each team member was really good at. So Ruthann is so creative, she's hands-on, she can tie the perfect bow, you know, she can do the perfect wax seal. So she really just goes over and beyond.

with production and assembly. So that's where it was like, okay, and she's available certain days of the week. So it's like, okay, this is gonna be Ruth Ann's position. And then, so then we have, you know, studio assistant. So it's like, okay, this person needs to be in my inbox. They need to be, you know, sending proposals. They need to be working up inspiration boards. So that was the next step. And that was hard for me to let go because that's a lot of what I do, but it's something that I did.

didn't have to do. So then my next idea that just kind of kept snowballing was I had brought on Holly to kind of help with this admin role as a virtual assistant, but I knew she had design skills and in the back of my head I'm like every employee I bring on I quickly fill their plate. So.

Candice (48:00.674)

Mm-hmm.

Frances Ledgewood (48:21.972)

Quickly I was like, you know, are you interested in bringing, you know, coming on with more hours? And she was like, well, how many are you thinking? And I was like, full time, you know, she was what? You know, so anyways, so Holly came on as our graphic designer to help me with all the day of details. So cups, napkins, QZs, place cards, seating charts.

all these things we offer to coordinate with the wedding invitation suite I designed, but all these things take so much time and they to create, to design, to produce, to package, to ship. So Holly bringing her on was like a crucial like pivoting point.

to where it allowed me to do more of what where my zone of genius was, which is, know, I want to do this, save the dates. I want to do, you know, the crest design. I want to do the wedding invitations. And then once that's established, Holly can come in and do all those day of details to coordinate. So just bringing on, you know, having someone help with admin with the hands on production. Ruthanne also does, you know, she organizes the studio, you know, and then the studio assistant to help with all the admin and

all the ins and outs of the business has been just so so wonderful and it has allowed the business to grow even more with me having more support.

Candice (49:38.892)

Right. Right. What do you think? Would you say that's probably the biggest benefit to growing your team? Like if you could look back on the years that you've invested in these women and they have supported your business, what do you think is the biggest lesson or gift that having a team has given you?

Frances Ledgewood (50:00.942)

Well, it's definitely a gift because they share the excitement with me and we can chat about all the things that are going on and they get it, which is nice. Because being your own business owner, you don't have a chatter around the office. So it's nice to be able to chat and talk about orders and clients and how to get the finished vision, like how we're going to accomplish that.

But also I think just being able to, you know, at our Christmas party last year, Ruthanne was like, I'm just proud of you for letting some of us, some of this go, like allowing us to do it, you know? And then once they do it and then they joke about the Francis way, but it's like, is, you know, like, cause I do, I'm particular, I'm a perfectionist, I want it done just so, but that's also what's gotten me here. So then once my team,

Candice (50:41.228)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (50:58.952)

knows those certain ways and then you know the aesthetic and the brand and they can follow through with it, it just keeps elevating it and allows us all to keep growing in our positions.

Candice (51:10.702)

Raise your hand if you want Frances to start a podcast and talk about how she grew her business, how she has a team, how she shared team functions, the lessons she's learned. Also, having a team is fantastic, but there's also hard parts to it, which we don't have time to talk about today. But I'm sure Frances is an open book. I mean, I know she's an open book and we'll be happy to share some of the difficulties, not with people, but more so just as a business owner and the leader. Having a team puts you in a new position.

can be difficult to manage sometimes and we've all been there. But raise your hand if Frances should start her own podcast. Number one, thank you for raising your hand. Number two, if she should talk about growing a team because we could actually sit here and talk about this for quite a bit, but we're running out of time. And I think you're going to be talking about team at your upcoming retreat for stationers. So if you're planning to attend the collective retreat,

You can absolutely pick Francis's brain about her team and how they function and how they operate. And this leads me into the collective, which was something on your heart to create this year for stationers. Would you mind sharing just more about this industry event, how it came to be, what it's all about and why you're doing it?

Frances Ledgewood (52:29.516)

Absolutely. So as I've mentioned during this podcast is that you know when I started out I did feel very alone, isolated, I didn't have...

other stationers to confide in, to ask questions to, or for, you know, just to chat about paper, you know, the different techniques to geek out about the things we love, you know? And so two, I guess it was two years ago, I did Elizabeth Stuckey's, one of her masterminds of Black Tie Stationers, and it was a bucket list of mine, and we went to Charleston. And I had never gone on a business retreat. I had never, you know, gone on something like that on my own. And

Candice (53:03.714)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (53:10.8)

it like I mentioned was a bucket list item and it just ignited something within me because I was with other stationers and we could talk and we weren't being competitive with each other. It wasn't anything icky about it and I just loved those relationships and then towards the end of my time with her

That's when I was onboarding with you and then I knew I was going to Barbados, you know? So then, so then going on that mastermind, which now you know, I went from one mastermind to two and for another retreat, I knew going into there, I mean, I always say like my best thoughts and ideas come when I'm like driving my kids to school in the morning. I remember the road I was on and the word collective came to me and I was like, I want to plan a retreat for wedding stationers.

Candice (53:37.378)

heck yeah you were.

Frances Ledgewood (54:02.032)

And so when I went to Barbados, as you know, that was my pretty much hot topic, like, how do I do this? So here we are, but I wanted a community.

like-minded women as myself that love paper, that love stationary, that love talking business, that love talking all the things and I wanted to bring us together because I knew how isolated I had been and I assumed there might be someone else out there like that and wow the the feedback I have gotten

Candice (54:25.165)

Right.

Frances Ledgewood (54:33.326)

is that it's confirmed I'm not alone. Other people need this too and they want it. And so it's been so uplifting for me to plan the collective, having it here in my hometown. Well, this isn't my hometown, but my current town of Huntsville. And having, we're doing some education, some presentations in my home and then we're having just this beautiful styled shoot where the, for the stationers, as I mentioned, you know, we're not there on the wedding day. So why don't have us a

little bougie experience where we get to style, we get to be there, we get to have headshots done, we get to experience the experience and be there and just get beautiful content, having, you know, gorgeous flat lay stations, getting headshots, all these things that we basically don't have time for and we're making the time and coming together as the collective to do all of that together and I'm just so excited about it.

Candice (55:32.716)

It's like a spa day for your stationary business or three spa days for your stationary business where you get a mixture of everything that makes in-person connection so special. It's great to come together online. Online education has been my MO for a very long time and I love mentoring women online, but there's something about getting together in person that really helps to ignite and just add more fuel and more momentum to whatever it is you're doing in your business.

And I speak from experience having hosted my own retreat, but also attending plenty of in-person experiences. And what I love about what Frances is planning, and I have an inside look at it because she's asked me lots of questions and she's shared with me all the details of it, of course, because I'm her coach and this is what we talk about is all this kind of fun stuff. But she is curating three days of education, connection, conversation, which...

It's great to have online, but in person is so much better. And then you're also doing styled shoots, flat lays, you mentioned headshots. And if you know Frances, you know there's going to be surprises. Like she's going to just surprise and delight you all around. But what would you say out of all of these different features that stationers will get to experience over three days? And by the way, the collective has almost sold out. So I think she has maybe

one spot left, maybe two. So if this is something that you're like, I want to be there, we'll share details in a sec. But what would you say is at the core of the experience that you're creating for stationers with The Collective?

Frances Ledgewood (57:10.062)

100 % it's community is in honestly, I don't like the community over competition that saying because when I came on like that was just such a the hashtag at the moment or whatever and I felt totally repelled from that because I did not receive that. So I want this to be a welcoming experience and you know, and we can truly talk about

Candice (57:18.232)

I get it.

Candice (57:31.074)

Right.

Frances Ledgewood (57:38.446)

everything there is behind the business and just the community of having that and it goes so just you know the three days will be together but after the fact of having those connections that will grow so deep and to be able to ask each other or if you're working on a project and you don't know how to get to the finished line ask the collective and we'll pitch ideas or I've used this vendor before why don't you try this technique it's just so amazing to have

others who understand it and who can give you feedback whether positive or negative or you know just guide you in a way to help you and to help your business. So many of these women I've talked to I have I have been in their shoes I have struggled with what they're struggling with I have

been there and that's where it's like I just would love to be able to have those in-person conversations as to like let's get you away from that or let's bring you here or let's try this or this maybe would be a better direction or say no to that like all these things that I've lived through like I just love talking about it obviously so I'm excited to have a group of women in in very similar situations where we can really dive deep into their business and what they do.

and what that looks like.

Candice (58:59.19)

Yeah, I'm so excited for these women to get to experience Huntsville, Alabama, to get to experience your business, be in your home, be in your studio, and to learn from you, but also to learn from each other. I think sometimes you walk into these experiences and you think, well, what could I contribute to this? Right. But there's you have no idea how much wisdom you have, how sometimes just being a listening ear for another woman is contributing so much by validating her, letting her share, letting her feel seen. But

for the stationers that this collective is created for, which are people who are no longer in beginner mode, there's so much that you can contribute to a conversation in an environment like this, but you'll never know until you get yourself in the room. And I promise once you get in the room, you'll be like, why was I so nervous about coming to this or saying yes to this? And you're gonna feel a lot of confidence being in a room with peers who

have similar issues you have in business, similar dreams, similar client problems or printer problems or life problems. And then also confidence that you actually are on an OK path. You have a great business. You're smart, you're talented, you're driven, you know a lot more than you think you do. And you have a lot to contribute. And that helps to boost your confidence. And you leave an experience like this thinking, yeah, I know what I'm talking about. I think I know.

I what I'm doing here. And I learned some new things. Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (01:00:28.876)

totally.

Absolutely, I mean from Elizabeth and from you, mean y'all both were like, you should be talking, you should be, you know, I'm like, maybe I should, you know? So it's like, yes, and being at those in-person retreats, it's just something magical and like Barbados, what did I call it? It was transformative for me. And just how special something like that is and to be able to create that, obviously I'm passionate about it, because I'm like coming out of my seat, but it's just so special.

Candice (01:00:38.702)

You should.

Candice (01:00:43.884)

Mm-hmm.

Candice (01:00:51.213)

Yeah.

Frances Ledgewood (01:01:01.564)

that are already a part of the collective. I'm just so excited because they are so there. They're just amazing women. They're creative and it's just something like they have so much to bring to the table and if they don't know it, they're gonna know it by the time they leave and that's just so exciting.

Candice (01:01:04.002)

Yeah.

Candice (01:01:21.422)

yeah. Yeah. And isn't that great to pour into women and help them to see just how brilliant they are, how talented they are, how capable they are. And for them to leave an experience like what you're going to create, feeling that, knowing that feeling really confident. There's honestly no better feeling. I also want to just acknowledge, Frances came to Barbados wanting to do this and she left Barbados launching this retreat.

And it was so powerful to see her take such quick, decisive action on something. And, you know, of course she probably has doubted herself or been like, this is so scary. This is new. Like I, I, I want everybody to have a great time. Like, I hope this is going to be amazing. I'm going to pour myself into this. But of course there's always doubts that creep in, but she moved in spite of those doubts. And I am willing to bet Francis that throughout your career,

as a pen pal and then working at a party shop and all the way to where we are now, you have found ways to take decisive action on your ideas and you didn't let doubt or lack of confidence or lack of knowledge get in your way of doing what you felt called to do.

Frances Ledgewood (01:02:19.98)

Mm-hmm.

Frances Ledgewood (01:02:42.06)

Yes, I do. I don't know, know, what brings this ambition within me, but I do. You know, I go for it and I get excited about it and I do it. So it is something, you know, that I'm very passionate about and I did. I just wanted to go for it. So here I am and doing it.

Candice (01:02:51.02)

Yeah, you do. Yeah.

Candice (01:03:02.7)

Here we are. That's exactly right. Lindsay in our Wildflower Behind the Brand episode talked a lot about taking big swings and Frances takes big swings. know, sure there's risk. Sure. Nobody could sign up for something. there could be insert the blank risk, but she still takes the big swing. And on the opposite side of taking risks and just going for it is the reward.

And the reward is really gratifying, especially when you're creating community and bringing together women. Is somebody listening who's like, okay, I want to know more details about this. Tell us when is the collective retreat, how long is it, and how can we find out more information about it so we can sign up if there are even any spots available by the time this airs.

Frances Ledgewood (01:03:50.528)

Right, so it is September 15th through the 18th and it's in Huntsville, Alabama. So the 15th is mostly a travel day, so you'll fly in or drive in.

ride a train in, just kidding, I don't know if we have a train to come to Huntsville, but you would come in and we are staying at the beautiful Weston Hotel here at Bridge Street, which is just this lovely area with shops and dining, and we'll have welcome drinks that Monday night on the 15th, just so can kind of meet and greet, get to know each other, and then the following day, the 16th, we'll be here in my home with my office and my studio, and we'll be doing presentations.

We have several guest speakers. It's going to be awesome. Then the following day we are hosting I guess we can call it a style shoot, but it's a style shoot flat lay station Creativity day where we're getting headshots all the things and that's at this lovely venue the Parisian and it is just Amazing so that night we are having

farewell dinner at a wonderful restaurant here in Huntsville. And then on the 18th, everyone will go back and feeling inspired with motivation, a full heart and ready to rock it with their business.

Candice (01:05:03.351)

Yeah.

Candice (01:05:07.446)

Yeah. Can't wait to see what you create after this retreat, just like Francis created this retreat and Barbados. Imagine what you could create, you know, leaving Huntsville, what the next era of your business is going to be like, and trust both of us when we tell you that in-person events like this that are intimate curated, they really do open you up. They crack something open inside of you that you just sometimes can't.

Access when you're at home dealing with day-to-day or client stuff or team stuff

Frances Ledgewood (01:05:38.06)

Well, and it's so true and trust me, it took me what eight years before I went to something like this. I understand that a lot of us have children and you have to figure out who's taking them to school, who's picking them up, who's doing this, who's doing that. know, have, know, September, I'm slammed at work. How will I help do my workload? Like all these things.

I live that too, you so it's hard to make a commitment to be at something like this, but for yourself professionally and not only that, but personally, the growth that comes from an in-person retreat, you will not regret making those arrangements so that you can be there for your business and for yourself.

Candice (01:06:21.452)

No.

Candice (01:06:27.564)

You deserve it by the way, we all deserve to have community to have space, to feel creatively inspired and to have other people pour into us. think as women in the industry and also for the men listening to across the board in the wedding industry, we spend so much time pouring into our clients, trying to meet every demand, trying to make everybody happy. And it's not often that we get to experience that directed at ourselves and.

every wedding pro deserves to have an experience where they feel poured into and where their cup is full so they can take that full cup back and continue to pour into their clients and into their local industry and into their business. So anybody listening who would like to know more about The Collective, I'm going to direct you over to Frances's Instagram. We'll put a link to all the details too in the show notes so you can just go on Spotify or Apple and click over if you'd like as well.

Click over to her Instagram, ask the questions, ask her about if this is right fit for your business, for more details. She's an open book and I know if she has the space, she would love to see you there. And she will make the space for as many stationers as she can to be at this incredible experience. Frances, we have to wind down our interview, which makes me so sad, because I could ask you million more questions.

I want to end on a question that we try to ask every guest who comes on this series. And it is, in your opinion, what makes an iconic brand in the wedding industry that people, clients, the industry at large recognize?

Frances Ledgewood (01:08:09.474)

I think just...

a style and a voice and a brand that all meshes together and just like you said earlier like if you hear somebody or see something you're like that's Ledgewood Fine Stationery or was that Francis you know when you see something and automatically know that's Candice that is what makes you iconic you know like I know that style or I know that voice or I know that type of video or photograph or wedding and if you automatically know it's like they have done something right because it is obvious who they

are.

Candice (01:08:41.73)

Yeah. that's, boy, that is the secret sauce. That is not easy to do. And it's not something that you can necessarily do overnight. It comes with consistency. It comes with evolution of yourself and your aesthetic and who you are, knowing who you are as a person, what your style is, and showing up. Literally showing up, even when you don't feel like it, still showing up. It's just so hard to do.

Frances Ledgewood (01:09:01.218)

Yep.

Frances Ledgewood (01:09:07.959)

And.

And that goes back to batching a lot of content together for on those days you don't want to show up. So quick story because I know we have to go. Whenever I have to get my hair and makeup done for a brand photography or whatever, I'll do a bunch of content that same day because my hair and makeup is done. So I had that done last October and I'll randomly pull one of those through in stories. Well one day I was talking to my mom and she said, Frances you looked so good yesterday.

Candice (01:09:12.716)

Yes.

Frances Ledgewood (01:09:39.156)

day and your stories blah blah blah you know and I said mama that was from October you know so even my own mom didn't know I had repurposed that content so that is just another another little you know just go ahead and get your content batched for those days you don't fill up to it and repurpose it.

Candice (01:09:44.675)

love it.

Candice (01:09:57.164)

Yeah. Well, thank you for that permission. when you find an excuse next time to not have a content day, well, actually I want everybody listening to this episode to please go put a content day on your calendar within the next two weeks. And the next time you find an excuse not to follow through with your marketing or your content, I want you to think of this episode. want you to think of Frances and I want you to think of how easy she makes it sound because it truly is easy to get started. All you got to do is get started and do just

take one step forward in marketing your business and getting better visibility. Francis, thank you so much for sharing your story today and all your wisdom. Where can our listeners find you if they want to connect with you outside the show?

Frances Ledgewood (01:10:41.548)

Yes, so Ledgewood Find Stationary is my name on Instagram and TikTok, Facebook, and my website is LedgewoodFindStationary.com.

Candice (01:10:46.638)

Yeah.

Candice (01:10:52.854)

Love it. Well, Frances, thank you so much. Everyone listening, thank you for listening to another episode of our Behind the Brand series where I am on a mission to uncover what makes an iconic, recognized, and successful brand in the wedding industry. I can't wait to share another incredible story with you soon. I want to remind you there is so much power in your purpose and I'll see you next week.