Gathered Here

About Gathered Here

The stories from the places where people gather.

Publisher

Dana Kadwell

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

9 Jun 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

38 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Quick Chat: Keep Learning, Keep Growing

   In this Quick Chat, Dana revisits her recent conversation with Ian Ramirez of Madera Estates and his simple but powerful advice for venue owners: don’t be complacent. Dana explores what complacency can look like in business, from stopping your education and losing sight of industry trends to becoming too comfortable with the way things have always been done. She shares how joining NACE, building community, and actively seeking education helped her see beyond her own market and ultimately changed the way she approached growth and leadership. But complacency doesn’t only affect businesses. Dana digs into how it can show up in marriages, friendships, and relationships with employees, particularly when we stop taking the time to learn who people are as they grow and change. The goal isn’t to constantly chase the next shiny object or make changes for the sake of change. It’s about staying curious, gathering information, asking better questions, and knowing when it’s time to act. Because businesses plateau, relationships experience friction, and growth stalls when we stop paying attention. Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Aisle Planner (https://www.aisleplanner.com/) Wedding Pro (https://pros.weddingpro.com/) Brite Biz (https://join.britebiz.com/gathered) Lead Lock (https://leadlockpro.com) Releventful (https://www.releventful.com) Event Guard (https://eventguard.ai/) VenueX AI (https://venuexai.com/) Interested in learning more about The Venue Masterclass? Join us February 21-24 in Tampa, Florida. Learn more here: https://www.thevenuemasterclass.com Follow my new ventures: https://mcalisterleftwich.com/ (https://mcalisterleftwich.com/) https://thegrahammill.com/ (https://thegrahammill.com/)

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Family, Business & the Lines in Between: Origin Story with Ian Ramirez

   Family, Business & the Lines in Between: Origin Story with Ian Ramirez Dana Kadwell sits down with Ian Ramirez, CSEP, co-owner of Madera Estates, venue coach, sales specialist, and wedding industry speaker, for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a family-run venue business. Ian shares his unexpected journey from professional opera singer to venue owner, how he transitioned from employee to co-owner of the family business, and what he learned navigating succession, shifting roles, and the complicated dynamics that come with working alongside parents and spouses. They get into the hard stuff: how ownership and operating a business are not the same thing, why equal equity doesn't necessarily mean equal workload, how to establish clear roles and decision-making authority, what happens when business partners have completely different visions for the future, and why regular goal-setting and honest conversations can keep resentment from quietly taking over. Ian also shares what made bringing his husband into the business work, the importance of hiring family members for their actual skill set rather than simply creating a job for them, and the one thing he believes every venue owner needs to avoid: complacency. And, naturally, Dana asks for the craziest wedding story he's ever seen. The answer involves a wedding-day package, a groom, a mistress, printed photographs, and a filing cabinet. You really can't make this stuff up. In this episode: Ian's journey from opera singer to legacy venue owner Navigating succession in a family business Moving from employee to owner What happens when business partners have different goals Bringing your spouse into the family business Ian's wildest wedding-day story Listen in for an honest conversation about building a business that can last without letting the business consume the relationships that matter most. Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Aisle Planner (https://www.aisleplanner.com/) Wedding Pro (https://pros.weddingpro.com/) Brite Biz (https://join.britebiz.com/gathered) Lead Lock (https://leadlockpro.com) Releventful (https://www.releventful.com) Event Guard (https://eventguard.ai/) VenueX AI (https://venuexai.com/) Interested in learning more about The Venue Masterclass? Join us February 21-24 in Tampa, Florida. Learn more here: https://www.thevenuemasterclass.com Follow my new ventures: https://mcalisterleftwich.com/ (https://mcalisterleftwich.com/) https://thegrahammill.com/ (https://thegrahammill.com/)

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   AITVA: When is it ok to overcharge for being difficult?

   Am I The Vendor Asshole? Dana Kadwell sits down with wedding photographer and entrepreneur Julian Ribinik to unpack a controversial Reddit story about a vendor who dramatically increased their price because they expected a difficult client.... and wanted to use the money to buy new camera equipment. The conversation gets into the difference between charging for the actual scope of a project and charging because you don't like the person, how to recognize legitimate client red flags, what it really means to “charge what you're worth,” and why your pricing has to account for the actual cost of running a business—not just what your competitors charge. They also talk about perceived value, knowing when to walk away from a client, and the uncomfortable reality that investing in your business is your responsibility—not your client's. What's your verdict? Are they the vendor asshole? Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Aisle Planner (https://www.aisleplanner.com/) Wedding Pro (https://pros.weddingpro.com/) Brite Biz (https://join.britebiz.com/gathered) Lead Lock (https://leadlockpro.com) Releventful (https://www.releventful.com) Event Guard (https://eventguard.ai/) VenueX AI (https://venuexai.com/) Interested in learning more about The Venue Masterclass? Join us February 21-24 in Tampa, Florida. Learn more here: https://www.thevenuemasterclass.com Follow my new ventures: https://mcalisterleftwich.com/ (https://mcalisterleftwich.com/) https://thegrahammill.com/ (https://thegrahammill.com/)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

40

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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