{"id":66722,"date":"2020-03-09T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T13:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/?p=66722"},"modified":"2021-03-25T16:28:45","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T20:28:45","slug":"get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen","title":{"rendered":"Get to Know&#8230; Graydon Hall Manor&#8217;s Nicole Pieckenhagen"},"content":{"rendered":"<a class=\"fancybox img-float img-float_right\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen.jpg\"><img alt=\"get to know graydon hall manors nicole pieckenhagen, 1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"494\" height=\"494\" class=\"img-float__img wp-image-66736\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0OTQgNDk0IiB3aWR0aD0iNDk0IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQ5NCIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjAlMkYwMyUyRk5pY29sZS1QaWVrZW5oYWdlbi5qcGciIGRhdGEtdz0iNDk0IiBkYXRhLWg9IjQ5NCIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+\" data-spai=\"1\"  \/><div class=\"caption img-float__caption\"><\/div><\/a>\n<div class=\"basics\">\n              <label class=\"basics__title\">The Basics<\/label> \n              <ul class=\"basics__list\"><li class=\"basics__item\">Name: Nicole Pieckenhagen<\/li><li class=\"basics__item\">Company: Graydon Hall Manor<\/li><li class=\"basics__item\">Years in Business: 20<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2>Let\u2019s get down to Biz<\/h2>\n<p><strong>So how\u2019d you get into the biz?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I started working in the hospitality business when I was 16 years old. I applied as an intern at a hotel in Bavaria, Germany and was placed in one of their restaurants as a busser. I polished cutlery, set tables, and cleared dishes. Service is considered an art form in Europe and it is executed with tremendous precision and pride. I loved it from the start. I later worked through my university years in various restaurants in Vancouver, Australia, and Toronto.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was the hardest part of starting your own business?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Everything! I had no guidance or mentor. I was stumbling in the dark. But, I had grit, youthful vigour and time on my side so I was willing to work as long and as hard as I needed to.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What do you find most rewarding in running your own business?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I love that I get to choose the people I work with. I love our clients who are so passionate about their events. I love my industry friends\/partners who are so talented. And, I am so grateful for my business partner, Arpi Magyar, who, aside from being a brilliant chef, is one of the kindest, most generous humans I have ever known.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When did you get your first big break?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There was no \u201cbig break\u201d for me. It was simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, day after day. It was a slow, steady, steep climb.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How has the industry changed since you first started?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The events business is unrecognizable from when I started 20 years ago. The technology we used then was laughably slow-paced and simplistic by today\u2019s comparison. Clients were not digital natives meaning that an entire wedding could be planned in 2 meetings and 5 emails. Today we exchange hundreds of emails with each client. Social media and smart phones didn\u2019t exist then either\u2026 Today, with so much visual inspiration in the palms of our hands, events are more spectacular than they have ever been and today\u2019s amazing talent pool of suppliers adds dazzling opportunities for customization that wasn\u2019t dreamed of 20 years ago.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-images\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg\"class=\"link-image link-image_wide\" rel=\"gallery\"class=\"link-image link-image_wide\" rel=\"gallery\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"full-size-image alignnone wp-image-66741 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5OTAgNjYwIiB3aWR0aD0iOTkwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjY2MCIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjAlMkYwMyUyRk5pY29sZS1QaWVrZW5oYWdlbjEuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9Ijk5MCIgZGF0YS1oPSI2NjAiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-spai=\"1\" alt=\"Nicole Pieckenhagen\" width=\"990\" height=\"660\"  \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s one of the secrets to your success?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Right from the beginning I believed in setting a higher standard. I didn\u2019t look around to see what my competition was doing. I set out to do things the way I wanted to do them. I invested in the absolute best of everything that I could afford at the time and just kept reinvesting, reinvesting, reinvesting until I reached a standard that I was proud of.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What makes you passionate about your profession\/the wedding industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Passion is contagious. My clients are sooooooooooo passionate about their events; my business partner is wildly passionate about the food he creates; and my staff are passionate about taking care of our clients in the best way we can. We fuel one another. It is a unique industry in that if you are not passionate about what you do, I don\u2019t think you would work the hours demanded. Our clients give us the opportunity to do what we love, and we are so grateful for that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the best part about your job?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When our client walks through the doors of their event and they gasp with wonder and whisper, \u201cperfection\u201d in my ear. I love the thrill of exceeding expectations.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Fun &amp; Quirky<\/h2>\n<a class=\"fancybox img-float img-float_right\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen2.jpg\"><img alt=\"get to know graydon hall manors nicole pieckenhagen, 2\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"494\" height=\"741\" class=\"img-float__img wp-image-66739\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0OTQgNzQxIiB3aWR0aD0iNDk0IiBoZWlnaHQ9Ijc0MSIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjAlMkYwMyUyRk5pY29sZS1QaWVrZW5oYWdlbjIuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9IjQ5NCIgZGF0YS1oPSI3NDEiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-spai=\"1\"  \/><div class=\"caption img-float__caption\"><\/div><\/a>\n<p><strong>When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up (and how does it relate to what you do now)? <\/strong>I didn\u2019t know exactly, but I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I was never the meek and obedient type and found the freedom of forging out on my own to be thoroughly liberating, never daunting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You wouldn\u2019t be you without&#8230;<\/strong> Yoga. Honestly, how do people live without yoga? I don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Favourite childhood memory?<\/strong> My Nana had a small vegetable garden. I loved to pluck chives from the earth and pick tomatoes fresh off the vine, warmed by the sun, and eat them right then and there in garden. To this day I love to smell my fruits and vegetables before I buy them (though, if I\u2019m honest, they will never smell as wonderful as those out of my Nana\u2019s garden).<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s your one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?<\/strong> Reese&#8217;s Peanut Butter Cups. They are my Kryptonite.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is one item you can\u2019t leave home without (other than phone, wallet)?<\/strong> My water bottle and coffee cup. I drink a lot of water and I refuse to buy water in plastic bottles. I also drink way more coffee than I should.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are you currently binge watching on Netflix? <\/strong>I honestly don\u2019t have time to binge watch. In my twenties and thirties I didn\u2019t even own a TV and I have never once turned on the TV in our basement. I\u2019m not interested.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What was the last fun thing you bought?<\/strong> A cottage! I am so excited for our own little island cottage that I could burst.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Most ridiculous thing that\u2019s landed you in the hospital?<\/strong> I plead the Fifth. Well, as a Canadian, I suppose I plead the 7th under the Charter =)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s get down to Biz So how\u2019d you get into the biz? I started working in the hospitality business when I was 16 years old. I applied as an intern at a hotel in Bavaria, Germany and was placed in one of their restaurants as a busser. I polished cutlery, set tables, and cleared dishes. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":66741,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-ic.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-industry-corner"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Get to Know... Graydon Hall Manor&#039;s Nicole Pieckenhagen<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this industry corner highlight series, get to know Graydon Hall Manor&#039;s Nicole Pieckenhagen. Read on to learn more about her!\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Get to Know... Graydon Hall Manor&#039;s Nicole Pieckenhagen\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this industry corner highlight series, get to know Graydon Hall Manor&#039;s Nicole Pieckenhagen. Read on to learn more about her!\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Toronto &amp; GTA Weddings &amp; Special Events Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eventsource.ca\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"eventsource.ca\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-09T13:00:39+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-03-25T20:28:45+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"990\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"660\" \/>\r\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Krystal Knopf\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@eventsourceca\" \/>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Get to Know... Graydon Hall Manor's Nicole Pieckenhagen","description":"In this industry corner highlight series, get to know Graydon Hall Manor's Nicole Pieckenhagen. Read on to learn more about her!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Get to Know... Graydon Hall Manor's Nicole Pieckenhagen","og_description":"In this industry corner highlight series, get to know Graydon Hall Manor's Nicole Pieckenhagen. Read on to learn more about her!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen","og_site_name":"Toronto &amp; GTA Weddings &amp; Special Events Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eventsource.ca","article_author":"eventsource.ca\/","article_published_time":"2020-03-09T13:00:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-03-25T20:28:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":990,"height":660,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Krystal Knopf","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@eventsourceca","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen"},"author":{"name":"Krystal Knopf","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a27f0cf89309494662814e2e401fde62"},"headline":"Get to Know&#8230; Graydon Hall Manor&#8217;s Nicole Pieckenhagen","datePublished":"2020-03-09T13:00:39+00:00","dateModified":"2021-03-25T20:28:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen"},"wordCount":934,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg","articleSection":["Industry Corner"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen","url":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen","name":"Get to Know... Graydon Hall Manor's Nicole Pieckenhagen","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg","datePublished":"2020-03-09T13:00:39+00:00","dateModified":"2021-03-25T20:28:45+00:00","description":"In this industry corner highlight series, get to know Graydon Hall Manor's Nicole Pieckenhagen. Read on to learn more about her!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nicole-Piekenhagen1.jpg","width":990,"height":660},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/get-to-know-graydon-hall-manors-nicole-pieckenhagen#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Get to Know&#8230; Graydon Hall Manor&#8217;s Nicole Pieckenhagen"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/","name":"Toronto &amp; GTA Weddings &amp; Special Events Blog","description":"EventSource.ca","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#organization","name":"EventSource.ca","url":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gmail-avatar.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/gmail-avatar.png","width":500,"height":500,"caption":"EventSource.ca"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eventsource.ca"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a27f0cf89309494662814e2e401fde62","name":"Krystal Knopf","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/krystal.jpg","url":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/krystal.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.shortpixel.ai\/spai\/q_lossless+ret_img+to_webp\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/krystal.jpg","caption":"Krystal Knopf"},"description":"I've always had a passion for blogging, social media, losing myself in all sorts of pretty details. This unique combination has landed me the title of Blog Editor and Communications Manager here at EventSource - I couldn't be happier! When I'm not busy scouring all corners of the internet for gorgeous wedding inspiration, or blogging about the latest Toronto event trends, you'll find me curled up at home binge-watching Modern Family, re-runs of Friends and the Office.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog","eventsource.ca\/","eventsource.ca","https:\/\/x.com\/eventsourceca"],"url":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/author\/krystal"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}