Episodes

EP 111: If you're getting into wedding photography, doing a styled shoot may be very beneficial for networking with vendors and developing your own portfolio. As someone who hasn't shot a styled wedding shoot before, I went straight to a qualified source and asked long-time wedding photographer, Phylicia Willis, what the best actionable steps are to getting your first styled shoot off the ground. www.phyliciawillis.com @phylicia.willis This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all yo...

EP 110: What is brand strategy? How do you craft it? And most importantly, how do we ensure our ideal clients are experiencing our brand in a consistent fashion that aligns with our vision? I'm here at WPPI23 in Las Vegas, coming off a grueling 4 days of networking and learning from a diverse group of creative professionals. Today I got a few short minutes with Kaleigh Weise, who is an action-oriented problem solver, creator, coach, entrepreneur, and brand strategist educator. We chat very quick...

EP 109: Inflation is a real pain in the ass, but ultimately speaking, it has a relatively small impact when compared to another inflation that many of us are guilty of exercising; lifestyle inflation. While inflation may increase the price of milk and eggs by a few dollars, lifestyle inflation may cost us thousands. In this episode, I will discuss why we invite lifestyle inflation into our lives so willingly, and how to attack it if it is keeping us from our goals. This episode is brought to ...

EP 108: I recently came across a statement from another creative who said "If you are mentally weak, you should not freelance". So in today's episode, I'll unpack my thoughts on this statement and respond with why I think the so-called "mentally weak" actually should freelance despite this common narrative. This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bayphoto.com for 25% off your first time order! Support the show

EP 107: You know, the sneaky thing about getting caught up in busy work, is that it feels so productive because you are, in fact, tackling something important in your business. This task needs to get done. And the list never seems to end with busy work. If it's not catching up on emails, it's checking up on invoices or creating social content or any number of things that may not actually move the needle in our business. In this episode, I discuss how busy work disguises itself as a proactive hab...

EP 106: What is life like as an editorial photographer for a major news publication? Today I am sitting down with photographer, Dan MacMedan, to talk about his many years shooting for USA Today and his journey in freelance. From golf tournaments to award shows to press junkets, Dan gives us a peak behind the entertainment curtain and what goes into a 5-minute celebrity portrait. This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bay...

EP 105: If you ever want a fun question to ask other business owners, try asking them what their favorite tax write-off is. In this episode, I got to ask that question to a number of successful creatives at the Noobie Photographer's conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Rachel Crowe - @okcrowe Feuza Reis - @fusecreativeinc Nathan Holritz - @nathanholritz LaJoy Lewis - @lajoyphotographyllc Britney Smith - @theglamlabphotography Ashley Freehan - @thepurposegathering Shaun Austin Gordon - @shaunau...

EP 104: Have you ever asked a business owner "what is the best lesson you've ever learned?" It's a great question, and today I'm at the Noobie Photographer's conference asking entrepreneurs a slight variation of that question, by asking them what the hardest lessons were in their careers. Rachel Crowe - @okcrowe Feuza Reis - @fusecreativeinc Nathan Holritz - @nathanholritz LaJoy Lewis - @lajoyphotographyllc Britney Smith - @theglamlabphotography Ashley Freehan - @thepurposegathering Shaun Austi...

EP 103: I am here at the Noobie Photographer's Conference in Chattanooga, Tennesee, picking the brains of professional photographers and business owners on what the best investment has been for them in their careers. Oftentimes, I find amateur photographers cite a new piece of camera equipment as their best investment, which is not to say that is wrong or misguided, but it does highlight a perspective shift from many people starting out to those who have reached a certain level they set out to. ...

EP 102: We're out on location! I am wrapping up here at the Noobie Photographer's conference here in Chattanooga Tennesee, talking to successful business owners and creatives about art, life, and business. In the quiet moments, I decided to pull every speaker aside for a quick poll, asking them where in business they think startup creatives tend to waste the most time on. What is amazing is each entrepreneur has his/her own take on what efforts rank highest as a diminishing return, and hopefully...

EP 101: Today's guest is Nicolas Bates; an outstanding portrait and editorial photographer based in Los Angeles. In this episode, we discuss how he developed his own style and aesthetic through countless projects and iterations over the years, and why personal work can yield so much more ROI outside of just content filler for Instagram. From relationships to empathy to confidence, there is a lot to gain from becoming a producer of your own vision. nicolasbates.com IG: @nicolas_bates This epis...

EP 100: Benchmark numbers can be simultaneously arbitrary while also holding significant personal meaning, and today is such a day! We are celebrating episode 100 of this podcast and I have all of you to thank. Beyond that, I'm going to leave you with my 2023 motto and hopefully inspire you to follow your own! This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bayphoto.com for 25% off your first time order! Support the show

EP 99: What meals are considered business meals? Do they apply to me and what do I have to do proactively to take advantage of the meal deduction? In this episode, I'll note what IRS code 274 states about meal expenses. IRS.GOV: Meals and Entertainment Expenses Under Section 274 This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bayphoto.com for 25% off your first time order! Support the show

EP 98: What is the home office deduction? Who qualifies for it? Can employees take advantage of this, or is it only for freelancers and self-employed business owners? How do I calculate it and how much can I save? In this episode, I'll break down a few basics of the simple, yet powerful, home office deduction. How small business owners can deduct their home office from their taxes Home office deduction This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printi...

EP 97: Sometimes the days go by so fast, you don't even realize a new month has hit the calendar. Well in this episode, I'm going to highlight the fact that it is December and we are just a few weeks away from a brand new year. What are you doing to organize your past 12 months and plan for the next 12 months? This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bayphoto.com for 25% off your first time order! Support the show

EP 96: I believe the practice of gratitude, can truly transform one's approach to life. It has the power to snuff out jealousy, resentment, frustration, and entitlement. There are so many things I am personally grateful for, even if I am nowhere near where I want to be. In this episode, I'll talk about what I am most grateful for in this creative entrepreneurial journey. This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bayphoto.com ...

EP 95: For every truism in any industry, there is an equal myth as well. At the very least, certain statements or narratives need to be qualified and given context. In today's episode, I'll discuss 5 narratives about being self-employed that I think don't paint the whole picture. This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing services, go to bayphoto.com for 25% off your first time order! Support the show

EP 94: Black Friday sales are probably hitting your inbox right about.....yesterday! And while there are some really good savings to be had on new gear, I want to also highlight some areas that maybe don't get as much love and attention but are equally as important to our business growth. I'm talking about Education, Marketing, and Outsourcing as pivotal players that are often under-invested in by creatives. EDUCATION: https://review.palmspringsphotofestival.com/ http://thebigphotoblog.com/ htt...

EP 93: While we creatives study and work on our craft with a great deal of passion, it does not make us impervious to the occasional cognitive bias. As the saying goes, we don't know what we don't know. And what we may not know, is what our clients, our leads, our marketing directors, or copy editors are truly looking for all the time. This makes us susceptible to judging our own work from a subjective lens, which may or may not align with those we want to work with. In this episode, I'll talk a...

EP 92: Quick update: The Federal student loan relief application is now live on the student aid website! The application takes just a few minutes to fill out. Applications will be accepted throughout the entirety of 2023, but the current administration suggests applying before November 15th of 2022 so that forms can process before the student loan pause ends at the start of January of 2023. Your loan servicer will notify you when your relief has been processed. https://studentaid.gov/debt-relie...

EP 91: The fear of losing clients can be very strong, particularly when starting out in one's career. We often see these situations from a very scarce-minded lens, leading us to negotiate without a strong footing or backbone. But the possibility of losing a client is not always a bad thing. In this episode, I'll talk about some of the silver linings of walking away from a bad client relationship. This episode is brought to you by Bay Photo Lab. For all your professional photography printing s...

EP 90: The cost of poor communication with colleagues, leads, and clients can be severe. It can lead to missed opportunities, severed relationships, and tarnished reputations. Likewise, the benefits of really good communication can allow creatives to gain opportunities that exceed their talent, enrich their relationships, and maintain consistency in 3rd party marketing. In this episode, I'll reflect on my successful and failed relationships to pinpoint my 7 keys to good communication. This epis...

Happy International Podcast Day! We are celebrating our 89th episode with a tribute to some amazing other podcasters out there who continue to inspire in the business and creative spaces. There are so many fantastic hosts who are not listed in this episode but make no mistake, your work is appreciated. Thank you all for your continued inspiration! Podcast recommendations The Quote of the Day with Sean Croxton Profit First Nation with Danielle Mulvey and Mike Michalowicz The Futur with Chr...

EP 88: Consciously or unconsciously, we are all playing the game of debt in our day-to-day lives. We tell ourselves many narratives to justify our investments, big or small. "This is good debt", "Everyone uses it", and "I'll figure it out later" are common phrases thrown around regarding student loans and credit cards as we grow up. Many of these narratives are forced upon us by the major marketing machine that churns these belief systems, while other narratives have simply been enforced year af...