Called to Both - Balancing Motherhood and Business for Photographers

The first month of motherhood broke her—yet rebuilt her into someone new and even more beautiful.

If you’re struggling to adjust to motherhood and running your business, you aren’t alone. In this episode of the Called to Both podcast, guest host Julie Fried shares about her first life-changing month of motherhood. Julie became a mother through adoption, and her story perfectly captures the tension that women feel between their families and their work. 

In This Episode You'll:

• The emotional rollercoaster of NICU life and why “survival mode” is an understatement
• How ambition and work look radically different after motherhood
• The power of outsourcing and accepting help (and why that’s not failure)

Connect With the Guest

Instagram: instagram.com/dallasgirlfriday 

The Entrepreneur’s Death Folder

The System For Everything podcast

More ways to connect:
JOY MICHELLE INSTAGRAM
WORK WITH JOY AS YOUR COACH
JOY MICHELLE CO. WEBSITE

Read the full show notes from today’s episode HERE.

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Want to know the secret to creating sustainable habits that actually work? It’s not about repetition or motivation, it’s about your emotions.

In this episode, Tara Whitaker takes over the mic to unpack the real secret to creating habits that stick—no, it’s not 30 days of repetition, and no, you don’t need more willpower. She introduces the concept of Tiny Habits® and how starting small can lead to major momentum.

If you’re feeling the overwhelm of trying to “do it all,” this episode will be your permission slip to slow down and build success one tiny action at a time.

In This Episode You'll:

• Why “go big or go home” doesn’t work for moms and entrepreneurs
• The ABC formula to start your own tiny habit today
• How emotion—not repetition—actually creates habits that last

Find It Quickly:

• 01:28 - Meet Tara Whitaker: Editor and Coach
• 02:29 - The Power of Tiny Habits®
• 07:35 - Creating Your Tiny Habits® Recipe
• 11:30 - Emotions and Habit Formation

Resources Mentioned

• Tiny Habits® Method

Connect With the Guest Host

• Website: tarawhitaker.com 
• Instagram: instagram.com/taramqwhitaker 

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Blog: joymichelle.co/blog

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

More ways to connect:
JOY MICHELLE INSTAGRAM
WORK WITH JOY AS YOUR COACH
JOY MICHELLE CO. WEBSITE

Read the full show notes from today’s episode HERE.

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Could doing less be the secret to staying sane this summer? In this episode, I’m sharing how the pressure to do more impacts business owners and how simplicity can lead to less, but better. 

[This episode is a re-run. It originally aired on June 17th, 2024.]

In This Episode You'll:

1. Find the power of simplicity. 
2. Explore the value of less is more. 
3. Why 1% improvements can lead to 68% growth in a year.

Find it quickly:

1:25 - Pressure to do more

2:55 - Cut out what’s not a main lead generator

5:25 - Track your time

6:39 - Improve by 1%

9:18 - My challenge to you

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 111 Less, But Better: joymichelle.co/less-but-better

Hobby to Pro Toolkit: joymichelle.co/hobby-to-pro-toolkit

Dieter Rams: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams

Toggl: toggl.com

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Work with Joy as your coach: joymichelle.co/ways-to-work-together

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Reality check: Content creation doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. There are 720 hours in a month, and you only need six quality hours to plan, create, and schedule an entire month’s worth of content. 

In this episode of Called to Both, guest host Carli LeBlanc walks us through her exact six-hour content creation plan. Not only does this plan save you time and energy, but it’s effective. Her strategy will position you as an expert in your field and make social media work for you.

Ready to get off the content creation hamster wheel? Listen in to learn how to take the stress out of content creation with a simple yet powerful plan.

In This Episode You'll:

1. Meet Carli LeBlanc
2. Learn one of the most impactful skills for mompreneurs
3. Hear Carli’s advice for creating a month’s worth of content in six hours

Find it quickly:

1:35 - Meet Carli

3:53 - Start with your brainstorming session

6:25 - Choosing what type of content to create

7:34 - Create your content in three hours or less

10:15 - Hacking the editing process

12:12 - Captions, hashtags, and scheduling 

Connect with Carli LeBlanc:

30 Days of Done-For-You Social Media Prompts: cdcreativecoagency.com/content

Website: cdcreativecoagency.com

Instagram: instagram.com/cd.creativeco

Podcast:.cdcreativecoagency.com/podcast

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Blog: joymichelle.co/blog

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

More ways to connect:
JOY MICHELLE INSTAGRAM
WORK WITH JOY AS YOUR COACH
JOY MICHELLE CO. WEBSITE

Read the full show notes from today’s episode HERE.

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

With school almost out of session for the year, your routine is about to go through an upheaval. How do you balance your business and family life during the summer months? 

Today’s episode continues the guest host series, where inspiring women entrepreneurs take over the podcast while I am on maternity leave. Cait Howard of Amplify Boutique offers tangible tips that will help you create a summer schedule that prioritizes presence, not stress. 

In This Episode You'll:

1. Learn Cait’s approach to navigating the summer months with kids at home.
2. Explore your capacity.
3. Prioritize self-care while balancing motherhood.

Find it quickly:

0:56 - Meet Cait Howard

1:47 - Know your capacity

6:38 - Get clear on your rocks, pebbles, and sand

8:25 - Lowering your expectations

15:11 - Prioritizing and taking care of yourself

Connect with Cait Howard

Website: amplifyboutique.com

Instagram: instagram.com/heycaithoward

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Blog: joymichelle.co/blog

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

More ways to connect:
JOY MICHELLE INSTAGRAM
WORK WITH JOY AS YOUR COACH
JOY MICHELLE CO. WEBSITE

Read the full show notes from today’s episode HERE.

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

As a business owner and mom, do you feel like you’re juggling a million responsibilities and dropping half of them? Do you lack systems that help your business and home life thrive? If so, this episode is for you. 

Listen in as guest host Lydia Fine shares the tried-and-true systems that allow her to run a successful business and show up as a mom. Lydia is the founder of Apollo and Ivy Photography, as well as a business coach and editor.  

You’re going to learn so much from this jam-packed episode, and after it’s over, you’ll feel equipped and excited to build your own systems to make your life and business run smoothly. 

In This Episode You'll:

1. Meet Lydia Fine
2. Learn Lydia’s systems for business and home life
3. Know Lydia’s process for determining what tasks should be made into a system

Find it quickly:

0:57 - Meet Lydia Fine

1:50 - Systems that support my business

7:08 - Systems that support my home life

11:10 - Prioritization, time management, and scheduling 

Resources Mentioned

• Honeybook
• Airtable
• Zapier
• Home Chef
• Letterly
• FREE GUIDE: The 3 Client-Pleasing Emails You’re Not Sending (Yet) 
• Lydia’s Resources For Photographers

Connect with Lydia Fine

• Website: apolloandivy.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/lydia_apolloandivy

More ways to connect:
JOY MICHELLE INSTAGRAM
WORK WITH JOY AS YOUR COACH
JOY MICHELLE CO. WEBSITE

Read the full show notes from today’s episode HERE.

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Want more time to spend with your kids? Today’s episode continues the guest host series, where inspiring women entrepreneurs take over the podcast while I am on maternity leave. In this episode, Elizabeth McCravy shares three of her tips for optimizing your business to create meaningful time with both your business and your family. 

In This Episode You'll:

1. Meet Elizabeth McCravy
2. Learn three tips for optimizing your business to spend more time with your kids

Meet Our Guest Host: Elizabeth McCravy

Elizabeth McCravy is a Showit website designer, online business educator, and host of the Breakthrough Brand Podcast. She’s the creator of the popular courses, Booked Out Designer and Podcast Success Blueprint, and she's the web designer behind Elizabeth McCravy Shop templates. Elizabeth is a wife, boy mama times two, and believer based in Franklin, Tennessee. 

Find it quickly:

1:10 - Meet Elizabeth McCravy

3:16 - Decide what you want for your current season

7:32 - Set everything up to be evergreen

10:18 - Learn how to delegate and let some things slide

Connect with Elizabeth McCravy

Website: elizabethmccravy.com

Instagram: instagram.com/elizabethmccravy

Breakthrough Brand Podcast: elizabethmccravy.com/podcast

Breakthrough Brand Ep 195: If Being a Mom and a Business Owner Feels Really Hard, Listen to This with Joy Michelle

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Blog: joymichelle.co/blog

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Want to know how to get more done without working more hours? This episode of Called to Both is the first one in a new series. As I step away for maternity leave with my third little one, I thought it’d be fun to invite guest hosts to take over the podcast. These are women that I have admired and learned from for a long time, and I’m so excited for you to get to know them.

This week’s guest host is Kyann Molina, a podcast host, systems strategist, mom of three, homesteader, and homeschooler. She’s here to share how you can double your productivity with little ones at home through simple rhythms. She drops some serious gems about how we can be called to both and what this season looks like as moms.

In This Episode You'll:

1. Meet KyAnn Molina
2. Hear KyAnn’s story of the challenges that come with business and motherhood
3. Learn the four-step P.L.A.N. to double your productivity

Meet Our Guest Host: Kyann Molina

KyAnn Molina is a wife, mom of three kids five and under, and the host of the top one percent globally ranked podcast Simple Rhythms for Busy Moms. KyAnn helps entrepreneur moms create intentional daily rhythms and systems to help them feel balanced in managing motherhood, homemaking, and business. 

She is passionate about helping moms calm the chaos and grow in finding their identity in Christ, not their to-do list.  When she isn't coaching moms to help them slow down and simplify, you can find her sipping on iced coffee pretty much any time of the year.

Find it quickly:

3:12 - Meet KyAnn Molina

7:19 - KyAnn’s challenges in business and motherhood

12:38 - Starting the day with prayer 

15:41 - The four-step P.L.A.N. to double your productivity

21:33 - What rhythms give back to your life 

Connect with KyAnn Molina: 

Website: kyannmolina.com

Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simple-rhythms

Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Blog: joymichelle.co/blog

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Are you curious about content repurposing, but worried it will add a ton of work to your plate? In this episode, I’m going to show you how to save time and energy with a sustainable content repurposing plan. These are the exact strategies, tools, and templates I use to turn one piece of content into 10 for my business. 

This episode is part two of my content repurposing series, so make sure to check out part one if you missed it. Ready to make your content work harder for you? Let’s dive in with my six steps to create an effective content repurposing plan. 

In This Episode You'll:

1. Learn to create a content repurposing plan for your business
2. Hear the six steps to repurposing content

Find it quickly:

2:06 - Choose your primary platform

3:15 - Selecting your secondary platforms

5:29 - Know what comes after “publish”

8:08 - Create supporting templates and systems

9:12 - Identify which tools best support your content

12:27 - Make it fresh and new

17:18 - Repurposing outside of primary content

18:36 - Turning one piece of content into ten 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 138: How to Repurpose Your Content Like a Pro: joymichelle.co/repurpose-your-content

Flodesk free trial: joymichelle.co/flodesk

Metricool: metricool.com

Canva: joymichelle.co/canva

Riverside: joymichelle.co/riverside | Use code JOY for 15% off.

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Blog: joymichelle.co/blog

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!

Ready to maximize your reach, engagement, and bookings with your content? You don’t have to churn out new posts constantly. You can learn to recreate your content like a pro so that it works harder for your business.

This episode of the Called to Both podcast is the first in a new series that is all about content repurposing. We’re going to break down what repurposing content is, what it isn’t, and why it’s so important for your business. 

Listen in as I answer the top questions I get asked about content repurposing and sharing what I’ve learned from over ten years as a content creator. 

In This Episode You'll:

1. Learn where to get started with content repurposing to make it most effective
2. Hear the most common myths about repurposing
3. Build a repurposing plan for your business

Find it quickly:

3:04 - Why you should be repurposing your content

8:05 - Where to get started with repurposing to make it effective

11:43 - Myths and misconceptions around repurposing

17:00 - Building a repurposing plan for your business 

In next week’s episode…

1. Creating your content repurposing cadence and plan
2. Repurposing tools to save you time (software and templates)
3. How 1 piece of content can become 10

More ways to connect:

Joy Michelle Website: joymichelle.co

Joy Michelle Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle

Joy Michelle Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography

Joy Michelle Coaching: joymichelle.co/coaching

If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss® with Joy Michelle Facebook Group!

Join Now >>

CLICK HERE TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST YEAR OF HONEYBOOK!