10 Things with Maggie Lord
We took a beat with Maggie Lord—entrepreneur turned Business Coach and Strategic Advisor—to dig in a bit deeper, pick her brain, and ask some (slightly random) questions! It’s a fun way to get to know someone even better. And Maggie is one of those people you want on speed dial!
What's the most unconventional thing you've done that turned out to be a huge success?
It would have to be leaving my traditional 9-5 job to launch Rustic Wedding Chic. I left the comfort of a “regular” day job in 2008 to launch what started as a blog and turned into a full media company. It paid off because I sold that business in 2020 to the largest bridal retailer in the world.
Maggie Lord | Entrepreneur | Strategic Advisor | Business Coach | Author
If you could start a business in any other industry, what would it be?
It would probably be something for helping teens and young adults in entrepreneurship. When I was in college there was no option to major in entrepreneurship but it is today so I would love to be there supporting young adults as they start their own entrepreneurial journey.
What's the weirdest advice you've ever received that actually worked?
I was told that to start a business it is totally fine to NOT have a formal business plan or large financial models. So when I launched Rustic Wedding Chic in 2008 I just jumped in and started.
If you could have any superpower to help with your business, what would it be?
It would have to be speedreading because I find myself taking hours reading and responding to all the emails and inquiries I get.
What would you do if you had an extra hour in your day?
Exercise - I don’t really prioritize this at the moment but I know it would add great value both physically but also mentally as well.
What's a quirky or unusual habit that you think contributes to your success?
I am very disciplined. When you own your own business you don’t have a boss who is making sure you are getting everything done so my discipline is what has contributed to my business success.
What's the funniest mistake you've made in your entrepreneurial journey?
The first time I did a morning TV talk show to share my insights on wedding trends for the upcoming year I forgot to mention the name of my brand. When the reporter asked where viewers could find information about me and my brand I just responded with “the blog” - I never mentioned the name of the site - epic fail.
If you could start your career over, what's one thing you would do differently (or the same)?
The only thing I might have done differently is to have onboard more staff earlier because I often found myself overworked but really felt I could not bring on more staff until we had reached some pretty solid financial milestones.
What’s the one luxury item you can’t live without as an entrepreneur?
My Volvo XC90 - No joke, I call this car my office on wheels and many times have taken my most important calls from the car - like negotiating to sell my entire business in 2020.
How do you keep your creativity alive while managing the daily grind?
This is always a struggle but I think finding time to do something that allows your mind to wander like taking a walk, doing the dishes or just sitting outside allows me to detach from screens and my creativity to start flowing. I have often had my best business ideas when I was actually not working at all.
FINAL THOUGHT:
As an entrepreneur that has gone through every stage of the game, what has been your biggest lesson/takeaway?
I think my largest takeaway is to just get started with something. Sometimes I find as a business owner we want to see the larger picture and the roadmap but actually just taking the first step and starting can be the most important. You are never going to get to the end goal if you don’t just start.
