You may have seen our Apprentice Case Study blog posts, each week focusing on a different intern and what they learned from our eLearning intern training solution, The Apprentice Program.

Now, we’re switching it up.

We want to hear from the best of the best wedding planners in the US, who we know have a reputation to being a great mentor for others in the event industry.  They go above and beyond when teaching their interns about wedding planning and the ins-and-outs of their business.

Today, we are hearing from Becky Navarro, founder of Pearl Events Austin, to hear her insights and insider secrets…

1) What is your name and your company?

Pearl Events Austin

2) How did you first get involved in the wedding/events industry?

I started as working as an assistant to the assistants at Vintage Villas.  I worked hard put in my time and kept moving up.  I moved up to a Wedding Sales Manager and worked at Vintage Villas for 3.5 years.  I left Vintage Villas to head downtown…Whole Foods!  I worked in Whole Foods Lamar Culinary Center as an event planner and catering sales manager.  I decided to leave Whole Foods and start Pearl Events in 2010 before I had my daughter, Pearl 🙂  The first thing I did was find an office space in Central Austin off 38th/Lamar and have been trucking ever since!

3) What do you think are the most important skills you need as a mentor for wedding interns?

Patience, a desire to advise and coach, and an investment in your pupils.

4) On average, how many interns do you work with every semester?

It varies. Anywhere from 5 to 10 depending on the season.

5) What tasks do you typically delegate to your interns?

We want them to truly understand all the aspects that go into planning an event. A lot of young interns think it’s all cake and flowers (literally and figuratively). It’s our duty to show them everything that goes into the big day. The good, the bad, and the ugly. After their internship if they still have that hunger and drive then we know they really want this. We give them responsibilities that range from Social Media, to workbook composition, to arranging event spaces on our software, and assisting the planners on events, just to name a few. They are followed closely and monitored and given feedback after every new task they take on.

6) What’s your very best life hack tip you’ve learned along the way as a wedding planner and/or as a small business owner?

Get your nails done.  We use our hands for everything, showing photos, touching invitations, etc.  You need to look complete and put together and that starts with you hands.  No chipped nails.  Take the time to complete your look and do your nails!

Use Becky’s tips to make sure your interns get the best experience when interning for you, understanding all aspects of the wedding industry.

BUT… before letting them loose on your upcoming weddings, it’s so important to have a structured intern training system in place.

Apply for The Apprentice Program now to make sure your Fall interns are fully prepared for working weddings. We’ll cover all the critical topics of wedding planning, as well as giving you the opportunity to train your team specifically how YOUR firm produces weddings.  So, use our training tools and train them on your systems/processes.  Currently, only $75/intern and you can start any time!

Time to apply…let’s do this.