How Hannah Roze Turned a Missed Job Offer Into a Wedding Tech Breakthrough

Hannah Roze turned her own wedding planning frustrations into the spark that launched Plannerd, a fresh and intuitive platform reshaping how couples and pros tackle wedding chaos. What began as a personal pain point quickly revealed itself as a universal problem—and Hannah knew she had to build the solution. In this Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight, she shares how letting go of old expectations and leaning into her tech-forward mindset unlocked a bold new path. From redirections disguised as failure to lessons in marketing over perfection, Hannah’s journey is a masterclass in trusting yourself and creating joyful impact at scale.

Hi, Hannah! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?

Plannerd is the wedding planning platform that was dreamed of when my husband and I started planning our own wedding. We serve couples, families, and wedding planners by turning the chaos of guest lists, timelines, and logistics into a simple, intuitive, and even fun experience. Our work empowers people to focus on the joy, creativity, and love behind their celebration. Our ultimate goal is to make wedding planning less stressful and more unforgettable.

Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.

I felt the shift from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur the moment I realized just how widespread the problem was. I kept hearing the same thing from couples and wedding pros over and over again—everyone was overwhelmed, disorganized, and exhausted by the wedding planning process. What began as excitement for them was turning into fatigue and stress.

Hearing this repeatedly gave me the confidence that this wasn’t just a small pain point—it was a meaningful, “juicy” problem worth solving. That’s when I committed. I knew that if I dedicated myself to this journey, I could create something that genuinely added value and transformed people’s experience in a significant way. That's when it clicked: I wasn’t just dreaming about building something anymore—I was actually doing it.

Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.

There wasn’t one single moment that pushed me into entrepreneurship. It was a series of interactions and experiences that built up over time. I kept seeing people around me dive headfirst into their ideas, and it made me realize something important: no one gives you permission to become an entrepreneur. No one tells you, “Yes, you have everything you need. The problem is clear, the solution is solid, go for it.”

That permission has to come from within.

Throughout my business school experience and my time at CAA, I watched people boldly give themselves that permission. Seeing them take ownership of their dreams made me reflect on my own. I realized that if I was truly going to commit to this path, I had to do the same—trust myself, back my vision, and take the leap.

So I did.

Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?

One tool that has been an absolute game-changer for our business is ClickUp. It’s the backbone of our day-to-day operations and the hub where we manage all of our sprints. ClickUp completely powers our development process—every task, feature, and workflow lives there.

It keeps us organized, aligned, and focused on what matters most. Because everything is centralized, we’re able to prioritize features clearly, track progress accurately, and stay accountable to our goals. Without ClickUp, we wouldn’t be nearly as streamlined or effective. It’s been essential for maintaining momentum and pushing our product development forward.

We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.

Success isn’t linear, and I’ve experienced my fair share of redirections. One of the most pivotal moments happened right after I graduated from college. I put all my eggs in one basket—I went through multiple rounds of interviews for a job I was certain I wanted. I even flew to New York for the final round. I had no other offers lined up because I was so sure this was the opportunity.

When I didn’t get the job, I was incredibly disappointed. It felt like the path I had envisioned for myself just evaporated.

But that moment became an unexpected turning point. Instead of moving to New York, I returned home to Seattle to figure out my next steps. That decision set off an entirely different chain of events—it's when I met the person who would later become my husband, and it ultimately set me on the path that led me to where I am today.

Looking back, that “failure” was really a redirection. What felt like a closed door ended up opening an entirely new, more aligned path—one I would have completely missed if things had gone according to plan.

What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?

One unconventional approach that has significantly impacted our business is the fact that our leadership team comes from a technology-first background rather than the traditional wedding industry. While we have team members who are deeply rooted in weddings and bring invaluable industry expertise, the core leadership is made up of people who think like technologists.

Applying our tech mindset to the wedding landscape gives us a fresh, outside perspective. We’re not constrained by “how things have always been done,” which allows us to rethink long-standing problems in completely new ways. This crossover—using technology principles to redesign the wedding experience—has opened the door to creative solutions and breakthroughs the industry has long needed.

It may not be a conventional “strategy,” but this approach has been integral to our innovation and impact.

What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?

There are so many lessons I wish I’d learned sooner, but one that stands out is this: it’s not “if you build it, they will come”—it’s “if you market it, they will come.”

As founders, it’s easy to become hyper-focused on the product—refining it, perfecting it, obsessing over every detail. And while the product absolutely matters, the marketing often becomes an after thought. But it shouldn’t be. Marketing needs to be a central part of the strategy from day one.

It’s not just about what you’re building or even how well it solves the problem. It’s about how you’ll get it into the hands of the people who need it. Your go-to-market strategy is just as important—if not more important—than the product itself.

It’s a balance we’re still working on every day, and it’s the advice I’d give any aspiring entrepreneur: think just as deeply about how you’ll reach your audience as you do about what you’re creating for them.

Want to dive deeper into Hannah's work? Check out the links below

• Visit Plannerd's website: plannerd.com
• Follow Plannerd on Instagram: @plannerdinc
• Find Plannerd on Facebook: Plannerd 
• Subscribe to Plannerd on Youtube: @PlannerdInc