At the Table with Karen Landis

“At the Table” is a series of interviews and spotlight conversations with people I admire from within and outside of the wedding industry. These conversations focus on topics related to building an intentional, relationship-first business alongside a present, connected, values-driven personal life.

I met Karen through a networking group we were both part of in 2022, and we have remained admirers of each others’ work ever since. She is as intentional and focused as she is vivacious and energetic. Excited to share this interview with all of you!

Follow Karen’s work via Pop + Fizz’s website and IG.

→ First of all, tell me in your own words what you do for work, and why you do it?

At Pop + Fizz, I design and orchestrate weddings and events with a focus on refined detail, intentional storytelling, and an elevated guest experience. At its core, I strive to create experiences that linger, events that are seamless and deeply felt. I love this work because I am a host at heart and am fulfilled by creating spaces where joy feels inevitable.

Beyond Pop + Fizz, I’m an entrepreneur across multiple ventures, including real estate as a landlord. I have a strong, steady drive for business and an ambition that’s hard to contain. I’m drawn to building things from the ground up, to work that stretches me, and to environments where strategy, execution, and long-term vision all matter equally. I don’t just want to participate in growth; I want to create it, shape it, and see it stand the test of time.

→ What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days of mine ever look quite the same, and personally, I thrive in the rhythm of that. It’s the nature of building businesses, and even more so, of being a mom to two little girls who shape my world in the best way.

Within the movement, there’s a framework that is consistent for every day, and my days begin and end with me. I’ve learned that if I want to show up fully, for my family, my work, and myself, I have to protect small moments that anchor me and are mine alone. Here’s what is programmed into my calendar for each day:

Everything is color-coded: self-care, each of my girls, Ryan, personal time, and work all have their own place. I sprinkle in emojis, just to make it feel a little more joyful at a glance. It might sound simple, but opening my calendar feels less like a task and more like stepping into something I’ve intentionally designed.

As moms, we carry so much that goes unseen. By writing down even the most ordinary, recurring parts of the day, meals, naps, coloring, and play, I free up mental space. It allows me to move through the unexpected with greater ease, rather than feeling like I’m constantly catching up or forgetting something. I build my work into the natural pockets of the top of the day, and I try to close my laptop by 4 pm. From there, the evening belongs to my family, fully, intentionally, and without distraction.

Is it always this perfectly structured? No. We like coloring outside the lines with our days, but this gives us something steady to return to. I wish I could say every night was 8:30 pm, in bed with a cup of tea, but sometimes it’s me lying next to my oldest in her bed, helping her fall asleep, then sitting at my laptop until 11 pm, wrapping up action items or preparing for the next day. And I’m at peace with that, because being present with my family will always come first. I truly believe a full to-do list shouldn’t come at the expense of a full life. Motherhood is my most important work, and everything else finds its place around that. Some days feel beautifully balanced, others a little more stretched, but both are meaningful in their own way.

At the end of it all, I’m not measuring success by how much I checked off, but by how it felt to be there for it all.

→ In her book Dare to Lead, Brené Brown says that every person has just two core values that shape everything else that they do or believe. Do you agree with that idea? If you could boil your values down to just two, what would they be? How do those influence how you do your work & live your life?

→ The British author Alain de Botton has this famous quote: “There is no such thing as work-life balance. Everything worth fighting for unbalances your life.” I tend to agree with this idea, that work-life balance is an unhelpful goal, and we should instead think about aligned values and healthy rhythms in all spheres of life. What do you think about the phrase “work-life balance?” How do keep healthy rhythms & momentum going in both work and personal spheres?

Balance refers to an even distribution, and I don’t think that can exist between work and life. I mean, just looking at the work week, it’s 5 days with 2 days to unwind. And in our business, sometimes it’s a 6-day workweek with 1 day to unwind. It’s not balanced, so I don’t think we should measure ourselves against that standard or feel guilty for falling short of it.

What makes more sense to me is alignment, living in a way that reflects your values, and creating healthy rhythms within your days. I tend to romanticize my days, but not because they’re perfect, but because they’re meaningful. I’ve put in the work to shape a life I genuinely enjoy, and I don’t ever want to take that for granted.

I start and end my day with self-care, and throughout the week, I look for small ways to add a touch of whimsy or do something fun for myself or my kids. Sometimes that’s having my kids cook with me, taking one or both of them to the zoo on a slower Wednesday, watering the plants together, or eating outside on a beautiful evening. They are simple moments, but they are my pockets of joy. And in those moments, I won’t focus on how long any of it takes or how much of a mess we make. Just being present. It changes the narrative of my day and helps every day feel special in its own way. I don’t believe in working for the weekend when there are so many moments of joy to be found in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday.

It also helps that I love what I do, and my work feels like play. I’m not trying to paint a false picture by saying there aren’t hard moments and everything is always rosy, but when frustrating moments happen, I approach them differently than I did before I built strong habits around personal wellness. I am able to see those moments clearly and either move through them with patience or develop reasonable solutions. I’m not always perfect at it, but I firmly believe that a bad moment doesn’t have to equal a bad day.

→ Some people argue that a focus on people and a focus on profit are competing priorities, but I love talking about the ways that running a relationship-first business aids in building more profitable, sustainable businesses. What do you think about this idea? Are they competing ideas? Why or why not?

If you treat people well, by delivering what you agree on to clients and setting your team up for success, the profit will follow. My belief in this shows up in two ways in our business.

First, people are trusting our business with their time, investment, and expectations. We take that seriously. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional experience that feels worth it every time. That level of care naturally fuels our growth through word of mouth. The proof is in the experience. We don’t take shortcuts, and we honor trust.

Second, my team is the engine behind everything we do. I’m only as strong as the team around me, and I’m incredibly grateful for our group of powerhouse planners who bring both talent and perspective. I never make big decisions alone. When we evolve as a company, we do it together.

They aren’t competing ideas. They are deeply connected. In a landscape where many businesses chase profit at the expense of their people, I choose a different path. Pop + Fizz is one of the only wedding planning companies that has their planners on a payroll, and I’m proud of that. For me, people come first, and that’s exactly what makes the business work.

→ What are some ways that running a people-first business has benefited you? How has it benefited others?

I’ve made some of my best friends through the relationships I have built in this business. We support each other and lift each other up, not only in business but also in life.

A people-first business creates trust at every level. Our clients feel supported and confident in our guidance. Our vendor partners know they’re collaborating with a strong, thoughtful team. And our planners feel trusted, empowered, and equipped to do their best work.

→ Our culture and our industry is fast—trends come and go in the blink of an eye, and there’s just so much noise, especially on social media. It can be tempting to believe that the only way to stand out is to add to the noise, to follow trends, to make a bigger flash than our competitors. But what if you’re a quiet brand? I have written about the difference between Fireworks and Fireplace brands here. Would you say that your business is more of a fireworks display or a fireplace? How does that influence how you market?

I am someone who loves all things cozy, lingering, and lasting. Things that leave an impression. Our brand is no different. We are a fireplace. We started low and slow, and now aim to be steady and constant, growing as we go, of course, but being a brand people can return to and trust for longevity.

Our marketing strategy has shifted throughout the years. We used to pay for listings on name-brand websites to build visibility. As word of mouth became our strongest driver, we stepped away from those platforms. Now, we’ve moved into a new phase, outsourcing our marketing to thoughtfully expand our reach and stay in front of new audiences.

The throughline has remained the same: steady growth, built on trust, with no rush to be anything other than enduring.

→ How do you stay authentic when it often feels that “fake it ‘til you make it” energy is rewarded?

You can’t rush something you want to last forever. The most meaningful things take time to grow. Think: seeds turning into a lush garden or hydrangeas that don’t reveal their magnificence until years in. Fake it ‘til you make it is fine in moderation, but what truly lasts is what you actually build beneath the surface and continue to nurture over time. In a world that prioritizes immediacy, it’s easy to forget that real success isn’t built overnight. I’m seeing the fruits of my consistent labor now, over ten years in, and it still feels like I’m just getting started.

→ What is bringing you joy in your work right now?

The creativity I am being trusted to exercise by my clients and my partners. A lot is happening with my businesses right now, and I am in the driver’s seat. It feels so good to be trusted. For the first time, I’m not building a new business alone. Purposeful delegation, once a weakness of mine, has become a turning point and strength for me as a business owner. Being trusted and trusting others in return has changed everything.

→ If we were to meet here a year from now, what do you hope we would be celebrating?

The success of a business I am launching at the end of this year. Its creation has stretched and challenged me in so many ways because it’s unlike anything I have ever done. It’s a retail store and gathering studio in Buckhead, and I can’t wait to share it with the world soon.

→ Final question: what is the number one book you recommend to every creative entrepreneur?

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara are tied. Midnight Library is a book every human should read. It’s a great lesson on how choices shape our lives, and more so, how our mindset defines how much we enjoy our lives. Unreasonable Hospitality is a book that will shift your mindset and defines what it means to operate a business rooted in people. I love to read and have a list of more business books I recommend on the Resources page of our website.