405 Behind the Scenes of Our Biggest Event Ever: What Worked, What Flopped, and What's Next for Wave

Quick Summary

Fresh off their biggest event yet — an 80-woman gathering that left attendees floating out of the venue — Kelsey and Em sit down for an honest, behind-the-scenes debrief. From what went wrong to what made it magical, they share the real story of growing Wave Live Events with heart and intention.

In This Episode

• How to resource yourself (and your household) in the week before a big event
• The mindset shift that kept them grounded when things went sideways
• The biggest level-ups from past events — including finally taking up space on their own stage
• Why their event feels different from every other women's networking event
• Funny behind-the-scenes moments: construction, agenda glitches, and rolling with it
• How their kids stuffed every swag bag — and what that means about building a business
• Post-event processing: the crash, the recovery, and the lessons carried forward
• What's coming next for Wave: micro events, new cities, and protecting the community's soul

Key Takeaways

1. Protect your energy before a big event — Have an honest conversation with your support system early. Ask for help before you desperately need it.
2. Presence over perfection — The most valuable thing you bring to your event is your energetic presence, not a flawless run-of-show.
3. Asking for help is a level-up, not a weakness — Delegating details lets you zoom out, see the big picture, and show up better.
4. To teach women to take up space, you have to take up space yourself — Stop hiding behind other people's stages. Your community wants to hear from you.
5. Heart-centered beats ego-forward every time — Five deep connections at an event are worth more than 45 business cards you'll never remember.

Memorable Quotes

• "There is no perfect time for anything. You just have to do it."
• "If we're teaching other women to take up more space, we need to be taking up more space ourselves."
• "You leave some events feeling more disconnected than when you arrived — even in a room of a hundred people. We never want Wave to be that."

Resources & References Mentioned

• Kelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• Kelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.com
• Emily's Instagram: @itsemilyelliot
• Wave for Women Instagram: @waveforwomen
• Wave Live Events — two signature events per year + upcoming micro/pop-up events
• Locations coming: Ontario towns, Ottawa, BC, Prince Edward County

About Your Hosts



Emily is a mindset coach and co-founder of Wave for Women, passionate about helping female entrepreneurs feel seen, confident, and connected. Kelsey brings an events background and a natural gift for gathering people, building rooms where women can go deep, do business together, and walk away transformed.