A person wearing a business suit adjusting their jacket in an indoor setting with stairs and glass walls in the background.
A professional man with dark hair, light facial hair, wearing a black suit, white shirt, and beige tie, smiling slightly against a dark background.
A long dining table set for a meal with plates, glasses, napkins, and candles, featuring glass bottles with flowers and a candle in the foreground, in a dimly lit setting with additional candles in the background.

Transforming Leaders. Building Iconic Events.

Through Wylde Horse Academy and Signature Events, we help people create lasting impact - in business and in life

Igniting Growth. Elevating Leaders. Transforming Businesses.

At Wylde Horse Academy, we empower entrepreneurs, executives, and visionaries to scale faster, lead with clarity, and unlock their full potential. With over 30 years of success driving multi-million-dollar growth across finance, luxury events, and consulting, James LaRusso brings proven strategies and a boutique coaching approach to every client. Whether you’re launching a business, scaling to new heights, or seeking breakthrough performance as a leader, Wylde Horse Academy delivers the tools, insights, and accountability to help you achieve lasting success.

Business Coaching | Growth Strategy | Leadership Development | Nationwide

Our Signature Offerings

Full-service luxury event entertainment and florals in Sarasota, FL

Signature Event Production

Crafting unforgettable weddings, celebrations, and private gatherings for discerning clients. Our full-service production ensures every detail reflects your unique story, style, and sophistication.

  • Luxury weddings & elopements

  • Milestone celebrations

  • Intimate VIP experiences

  • Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Miami, Naples and destination events

Curated services that blend elevated experiences with lasting impact.

Luxury event strategy and production

Event Strategy & Consulting

Our high-level consulting is ideal for those looking to elevate their event into a powerful, mission-aligned experience. We help you:

  • Strategize standout events that align with your brand, mission, and audience — from galas to luxury experiences.

  • Curate and manage vendors with excellence, ensuring seamless execution across all elements.

  • Develop promotional plans that boost visibility, engagement, and attendance.

  • Create lasting impact through storytelling, guest journey mapping, and experience design.

Two men in business attire sitting outside on a park bench, engaged in conversation, with one showing something on a tablet to the other.

Wylde Horse Academy

Legacy-Building for Entrepreneurs. As a CRO-level strategist with $100M+ in revenue growth experience, James partners with entrepreneurs to scale brands, build premium offers, and elevate visibility — all while staying purpose-aligned.

  • 1:1 Legacy Coaching

  • Business Growth Intensives

  • Brand Positioning & Offer Strategy

  • Speaking & Personal Brand Development

Trusted by Premier Luxury Clients and their 5-Star Client Success Stories

  • A wedding photo of a couple standing under white columns on a white marble platform outdoors with a green lawn and trees in the background.
  • A bride and groom in wedding attire standing on a staircase at their wedding reception, with elegant gold railings and warm lighting in the background. Above them, a pink decorative speech bubble contains a heartfelt wedding thank you message and review.
  • A newlywed couple stands on a grassy hill in front of a large historic stone building, possibly a church, under a partly cloudy sky. The bride is wearing a white wedding dress, and the groom is in a black tuxedo with a kilt. They are holding each other closely, about to kiss, with the bride holding a bouquet of flowers. A large sign with a love note and five-star review is in front of them.
  • Wedding consultant review

Proven Results -

Proven Results -

With over 30 years of experience leading seven-figure growth at Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, and one of the tri-state area’s most awarded luxury event firms—named Most Supportive Wedding Coordinator – Northeast USA by LUXLife’s Global Wedding Awards, and earning a place in The Knot’s Best of Weddings Hall of Fame, with hundreds of verified 5-star client reviews—James LaRusso Signature Events brings a rare blend of executive precision and creative excellence to every production and partnership. Whether you're planning an unforgettable celebration or building a legacy-driven business, you'll benefit from a proven track record of excellence, elegance, and elevated outcomes.

Career Highlights & Distinctions

  • Top 1% of Wedding Brands Nationwide – The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame, alongside multiple “Best Of” awards across the Northeast, including Hudson Valley Magazine and ThreeBestRated’s Best Business of 2022

  • National Recognition – Honored as a Couples’ Choice Award Winner on WeddingWire, named Best Vendor by Rent My Wedding, and recognized as Most Supportive Wedding Coordinator – Northeast

  • Proven Scale & Client Satisfaction – Grew a boutique event firm from a single-service provider into a full-service, 10-offering luxury brand across three states, achieving seven-figure revenue and hundreds of 5-star experiences

Featured in top-tier publications and platforms including The Knot, WeddingWire, LUXlife, Zola, Rent My Wedding, Hudson Valley Magazine, Rockland Journal News, Hudson Valley Business Journal, and more — recognized for excellence, innovation, and impact across the luxury event and entrepreneurial coaching industries.

Recognized for Excellence

Honored by leading industry platforms for performance, innovation, and client satisfaction.

Weddings Coach
Wedding consulting
A sign with the words 'the knot best of weddings' written in white cursive and serif fonts on a light blue background, mounted on a yellow wooden wall.
Weddings Coach
Wylde Horse consulting
A newspaper article from the Hudson Valley Business Journal, dated March 30, 1998, titled 'D.J.'s business blossoms by selling extra services.' It features a portrait of, a DJ, and discusses his career, service offerings, and innovations such as TV screens and party favors.
Page from Hudson Valley magazine featuring an advertisement for wedding photographer Pure Platinum Party Entertainment, with photos of cookies at the bottom.
Wedding Coach
Wedding consultant
Wedding Coach
A newspaper article titled 'Entertainment firm owner creates 'one-stop' business' with a photo of James Anthony standing behind a display of various entertainment elements. The article discusses James Anthony's journey, his services in videography, decor, and party planning, and his business philosophy.
A round blue sticker on a wooden background with the text 'the knot VIP, very important pro'.
Wylde Horse Academy
Consulting Wylde Horse
Cover of Westchester Weddings magazine featuring a bride in a white gown holding a bouquet, with headlines about local weddings, wedding songs, and bridal party tips.

Why Our Clients Trust Us

Proven Experience. With three decades of award-winning results in high-stakes finance and luxury events, every engagement is rooted in leadership that delivers.

Exceptional Standards. Our coaching and event production reflect the same rigor, precision, and polish that earned national recognition from the industry's top platforms.

Elegant, Outcome-Driven Strategy. Whether you're planning a milestone event or building a brand that lasts, we bring clarity, creative direction, and performance that exceeds expectations.

Our story has been told in some of the region’s most trusted publications. Here’s what the press has said about our journey, innovation, and impact over the years.

“Entertainment Firm Owner Creates ‘One-Stop’ Business”

— Rockland Journal News

“Veteran Wedding Planner Sets Up Shop In Mahwah”

— Mahwah Patch

“Trend Watch-Hot Right Now”

— Westchester Hudson Valley Weddings

“DJ Business Blossoms by Selling Extra Services”

— Hudson Valley Business Journal

“Named Winner in the Knot Best of Weddings”

— The Knot

Only four percent of hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals listed on The Knot received this distinguished award.

“Best Of Hudson Valley”

— Hudson Valley Magazine

Hudson Valley Magazines Annual Roundup of Readers’ and Editors’ Favorites