Before the first wall went up, I was sourcing finishes and walking the property. Once the doors opened, I ran tours and sales. Today I handle the booking, invoicing, contracts and day-to-day communication that keep the venue running, while a separate team runs the event days.

Along the way I kept a list of the problems we hit and the questions couples, vendors and other owners asked us. The early seasons taught us the most: we opened before every policy was written down, questions got answered differently depending on who answered, and a loose rental agreement cost us more than once. Each season we tightened the contract and policies to protect our couples, guests, vendor partners and the investment.

The Venue Playbook is that list turned into tools: the contracts, emails and systems I wish we'd had on day one.

What I focus on

• Contracts and policies: rental agreements, vendor rules, end times, overtime, weather plans
• Client and vendor communication: the emails that keep everyone on the same page
• Operations: bookings, deposits, payments and the paperwork behind event day

I don't advise on pricing or marketing. The Venue Playbook sticks to operations, the part of a venue that protects you when something goes wrong.

Before venues

I spent years as an executive assistant, which is where I learned to turn messy, repeated work into systems other people can follow.

The company

The Venue Playbook is a brand of Montgomery Biz Consulting LLC, based in Melissa, Texas. We work with venue owners virtually across the U.S. and in person in North Texas.