Young Entrepreneurs: Megan Vatnsdal, Behind the Scenes Events and Onyx & Evergreen Travel

About Megan Vatnsdal

“I had two half brothers who were 10 to 15+ years older than me,” Megan said. “I grew up in a competitive and collaborative atmosphere as a figure skater on the Capital Ice Chips, which brought me lifelong friends, and a strong passion for reaching my full potential. My mom passed away when I was 13, so I adapted at an early age to be very independent. I was trusted to do adult things, such as flying across the country alone, and it taught me that I am capable of anything. My dad did a wonderful job raising me but naturally, as a teenage girl, I gravitated to my friends most of the time. I am so fortunate to still call friends from age 4-16 my best friends to this day. I know how rare that is!”

“I was always a high achiever, and would beat myself up if I didn’t get straight A’s,” Megan said. “Honestly, I was a total nerd who loved school and having projects to give me a sense of purpose. That certainly translates today as a self-proclaimed Enneagram type 3!”

Q: When did you realize you wanted to start your own business?

A: Even in high school, I knew I wanted to create a life by design and build a career I loved. I pursued business management in college, but throughout my four years at NDSU, I wasn’t sure which type of business to focus on. I’m thrilled to see that entrepreneurship classes are now being offered in colleges—and I hope they’ll be available in high schools soon! Looking back, I’m not sure I would have realized this was a feasible career path without being exposed to it as a child.

Q: Is there a specific mentor or role model who influenced your entrepreneurial journey?

A: My dad owns several businesses, and his incredible work ethic was instilled in me from a young age. Not only did he build a thriving career, but he also never missed a single skating competition or important event in my life. Watching him balance it all sparked my desire to pursue a career I’m passionate about, and one that gives me the flexibility to take charge of my own schedule.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for your business?

A: I got engaged in my senior year of college, and quickly became obsessed with the wedding industry—binging wedding podcasts and loving every minute of planning. After we married in 2020, I launched my first business, Behind the Scenes Events, focusing on wedding planning.

Meanwhile, I was working at my first post-college job at Glasser Images. To be totally honest, all I wanted was to be a full-time entrepreneur, but I knew that wouldn’t be financially feasible unless I took on a high number of weddings each year. As a planner, I didn’t want to overextend myself and risk dropping the ball for any of my clients.

One morning in the summer of 2021, feeling defeated and trying to do yoga sculpt, I had a breakthrough. In that 50-minute workout, I realized my next career move: to start a travel agency—which is now called Onyx & Evergreen Travel. Call it divine intervention, but I knew without a doubt that this was the right path for me. Ten minutes after class, I emailed the travel advisor who had booked our honeymoon, sharing my vision. Within 30 minutes, she replied, ‘You were made for this.’ We jumped on a call, discussed logistics, and just like that, I began my journey. Fast forward three and a half years, she and I now are leading a division with 15 independent travel advisors from across the U.S. at a New York-based travel agency. This network gives us a strong support system, but each of us runs our own business and serves our own clients.

Q: What steps did you take to turn your idea into reality?

A: For both businesses, I began by taking care of the legalities—setting up an LLC, opening a business bank account, getting credit cards, and creating a pricing structure. After handling the basics, I dove into building my online presence: designing my websites, setting up Google profiles, and creating social media pages to establish my brand identity.

But the most important step? It only took one person to take a chance on me. My very first client for my wedding business has become such a valued part of my journey. In fact, I’m even curating a ‘Surprise Trip’ for her and her mom around the world! The trust she placed in me meant so much, and I’ll be forever grateful for that opportunity.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when starting out, and how did you overcome it?

A: The biggest challenge for my wedding business was time investment, especially since I was still working a full-time job. There were many mornings I was up at 5:30 a.m., building and hustling to get things off the ground, working all day, and occasionally staying up late. Don’t get me wrong—it was fun, but entrepreneurship is definitely not a get-rich-quick path. In my travel business, the biggest challenge was navigating the payment structure for travel advisors. I quickly learned that most of the compensation comes after clients return home, apart from the upfront planning fees. I was also told that it could take up to two years to start seeing steady income. I’m grateful for that blunt reality check, as it helped me prepare mentally and financially I overcame these challenges by focusing on creating a seamless workflow and getting systems in order before things got too busy, while also doing the absolute best job I could for each and every client. I trusted that by consistently providing excellent service—it would eventually lead to a thriving career—one that allows me the flexibility to step away on a Tuesday at 2 p.m. if a friend needs me, if my future kids have a sporting event, or to prioritize travel—duh!

Q: Did you have a clear business plan from the beginning or did your plan evolve over time?

A: My plan evolved over time, and I didn’t start with a formal business plan. Instead, I learned as I went, adapting to what worked best for my businesses. Over time, I developed a more financially savvy approach, which has helped me make more informed decisions, budget effectively for travel, and conferences, forecast client bookings, and plan for the long-term success of both my wedding business and travel agency.

Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned when starting your business?

A: The most surprising thing I learned when starting my business was how lonely it can be without the right community around you. Many people prefer to 100% disconnect from work once they clock out, but I genuinely enjoy discussing industry trends, brainstorming ways to enhance client workflows, and exploring topics that help me improve my craft. Ensuring you have a good group of friends who truly get you is crucial for staying motivated and inspired, and building a supportive network of like-minded individuals has been key to my growth. Attending networking events and traveling with other advisors has also been a great way to connect with others who share similar passions and challenges.

Q: What strategies or decisions contributed the most to your business’s growth?

A: As you can tell from my travel agency origin story, I don’t hesitate when I’m confident in a plan or idea—I jump first and check for a parachute later. I trust my intuition and move forward with a dream and a prayer. Now, for any number crunchers out there, don’t worry— I’ve definitely adopted a more CEO approach five years into business! For anyone considering starting a business, just simply start. Put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll look back and be shocked at how far you’ve come.

Q: What has been the biggest failure or setback you faced as an entrepreneur and how did you learn from it?

A: The biggest setback I faced in the wedding business was dealing with highly emotional situations on the wedding day. Weddings are everything running smoothly. This taught me the value of staying composed under pressure and the importance of setting clear expectations ahead of time. such a personal and significant event, and emotions can run high. Managing those emotions, especially when things don’t go as planned, was a shock early on. Over time, I learned how to stay calm, be a strong source of support, and redirect focus to keep everything running smoothly. This taught me the value of staying composed under pressure and the importance of setting clear expectations ahead of time.

Q: What’s your leadership philosophy?

A: Inspire through example, support through action, and empower through trust.

Q: How do you build and maintain a strong company culture?

A: Building and maintaining a strong company culture is a bit different for me, as I have a fully virtual concierge team for my travel business. Even though we’re remote, I make a conscious effort to provide constant reassurance and keep communication fun— after all, who said emails have to be boring? For my associate wedding planners, the culture comes more naturally. We have the chance to have fun together when they shadow my weddings, and that experience helps build a strong and positive team dynamic.

Q: What’s the best piece of business advice you ever received?

A: Work on your business, not just in your business. Take time to strategize, plan, and innovate rather than getting stuck in day-to-day operations and god forbid— emails! This is key to long-term growth. And don’t forget, how you spend your days is how you spend your life. Make sure they’re joyful!

Q: Are there any resources you would recommend to other entrepreneurs out there?

Podcasts:

A: I mainly listen to travel podcasts, including “Masters in Travel” and “Trade Secrets”—both of which I was recently featured on. Another great resource I recommend is “The Big Wedding Planning Podcast”— highly recommend it for any brides out there.