A friend’s wedding in Italy inspired Tiziana Capaldi to consider a career as a wedding planner.Getty Images
In the 1998 film Sliding Doors, a missed train changes the course of Gwyneth Paltrow’s character’s life. We’ve all faced those moments – when one decision opens a door while closing another.
In this new series, we explore real-life crossroads that shape personal ambition: Take the leap or play it safe? Move forward or pivot? We talk to real people facing real-life decisions and speak to experts about the ambition and intuition behind these kinds of choices.
Tiziana Capaldi was attending a friend’s wedding in Italy in the spring of 2007 when she first considered a career as a wedding planner.
She remembers watching the planner at that event, rushing around, organizing activities and ensuring everything went off without a hitch.
“I thought to myself, ‘That looks like an exciting career,’” recalls Ms. Capaldi, 46, who, at the time, was working as a personal assistant for a pharmaceutical company in her home country of Belgium.
She began taking courses to become a wedding planner but had to halt her studies after life got too busy with two small children and a husband who often travelled for work. It wasn’t until she and her family moved to Canada in 2019 that Ms. Capaldi considered a career pivot once again. She was working in administration at a pharmaceutical company in Toronto but craved a chance to pursue her dream job.
“I had that voice in my head that said, ‘You have to at least try,’” she says.
Ms. Capaldi took online courses through the Wedding Planner Institute of Canada. “After putting my kids to bed at night, I would study,” she says. A few months later, she obtained her certification.
In late 2023, Ms. Capaldi left her full-time job to pursue her new career. In the summer of 2024, she launched her business, Forever Events, out of her home in Burlington, Ont. She has two events lined up this year.
“It’s exciting but a bit scary at the same time,” she says. “It’s a lot easier to go and apply for a job than to land your own business.”
Ask yourself ‘why’ before taking the leap
Many Canadians dream of launching their own businesses, and plenty of those dreamers follow through. According to the latest figures from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, there are nearly 1.2 million small businesses in Canada, contributing 35 per cent of Canada’s GDP generated by the private sector.
However, many entrepreneurs fail. Only 51 per cent of goods-producing and 35 per cent of services-producing small businesses survive past ten years.
Beverlee Rasmussen, an entrepreneur and small business coach in Langley, B.C., suggests that people who want to pursue entrepreneurship should start by asking themselves why they want to take that leap – and whether their reasoning is realistic.
“Many say they started a business because they wanted personal freedom and prosperity, but they didn’t get that,” says Ms. Rasmussen, founder of Systems Business Coach and author of Small Business, Big Opportunity. “If you don’t understand the finances of what you’re getting into, then don’t do it.”
Ms. Rasmussen, who started and sold a successful travel business in the 1990s and has interviewed and worked with thousands of small business owners in her career, says aspiring entrepreneurs also need a solid business plan that includes, among other things, a clear path to profitability.
“The business plan is foundational, so don’t skip that step and don’t have someone else do it. Either do it yourself or work with someone who has experience to make sure you understand every aspect of your target market,” she says.
It’s a process Ms. Capaldi knows well – she participated in the provincial government-sponsored Starter Company Plus program, which she says provided invaluable training and mentoring while guiding her through creating a comprehensive business plan.
Ms. Rasmussen also advises entrepreneurs to build a company with the intention of some day selling it.
“It might not make sense, especially when you’re starting out, because this is your dream and your baby, but if you can get the business to run independently, it will be more like a real business.”
Ms. Rasmussen says the key to her travel company’s success was documenting and designing various systems that freed her from the day-to-day operations while allowing her to run a profitable company.
“Having systems in place can help you extract yourself from the work because it means you’ll be able to hire people to help you,” she says. “It means you can still have holidays with your kids. You’ll have real freedom.”
After all, she says, the business should be both personally and professionally rewarding.
“Make sure there’s something in it for you,” she says. “Otherwise, why are you working so hard?”
Do the work to make the dream a reality
Ms. Capaldi says that ample preparation before starting her business helped boost her confidence that she could be successful. In addition to earning her certification in wedding planning, she gained experience before launch by working part-time as an assistant to a wedding planner.
“Getting the right credentials and experience helped quiet many of my fears,” she says. “It’s not easy, but it’s very satisfying. I know I’ve made the right decision because of how excited I am to work when I get up in the morning.”
Her new career is more creative and artistic, including working with flowers, food, art and design. She says it also enables her to work from home and balance her family life better.
Of course, there are challenges. Ms. Capaldi says the wedding industry is highly competitive, and running your own business means you don’t have anyone else to fall back on. Her busiest season is also the summer when the kids are on vacation. “That’s not ideal, but we organize ourselves around it.”
She plans to hire staff as the business grows. Her advice for others looking to change careers is to do the background work to ensure it’s the right fit and then embrace the change.
“Every change in life can feel scary, but it’s important to ask yourself, ‘What do I really risk by making this change?’ Often, you’ll find that the risk isn’t as great as it seems, and it’s worth it – especially if the change brings you happiness.”
