062: Thomas Bui

My next guest is Thomas Bui. Thomas is the founder and creative director of Thomas Bui Lifestyle, a San Diego based company. With 24 years of experience producing weddings and events, Thomas and his team have worked in Italy, France, England, Asia, and Mexico. 

Thomas Bui Lifestyle has been featured in Martha Stewart weddings, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Brides to name a few. Thomas also guests lectures at universities on the business of luxury weddings. 

I've known Thomas for a long time and it was so fun to have this conversation today. We talk about how early childhood experiences inform his love for fashion and dressing to impress. How he formerly had another career that was more of a family business and that he pivoted to pursue event planning back when it was far less popular. 

We talk about how important confidence is and how much he loves challenges of new destinations. We talk about the extreme expectations that luxury and ultra luxury clients have. And we talk about our love-hate relationship with perfection. At the end, he gives me probably one of the kindest compliments describing me in a way I would hope to be perceived by my peers. It's a good reminder of how impactful being a cheerleader in this industry can be. 

Key takeaways from this episode: 

• There are seasons in life where balance is achieved.
• Community over competition is essential in the event planning industry.
• Knowledge is power; sharing ideas helps everyone grow.
• Attention to detail can make or break an event.
• Destination weddings offer unique challenges and rewards.
• Confidence is crucial for success in event planning.
• You must adapt to different seasons in your business.
• Building a strong team is challenging but necessary.
• Experience is key to gaining confidence in planning.
• You have to charge your worth to sustain your business.

Connect with Thomas

Instagram | Website