DANGEROUSLY GOOD STORIES

⚠️ Note: This episode was recorded during a brief return to the podcast under its new name, Dangerously Good Stories, after a long hiatus. It's one of only two episodes I released before everything fell apart: trauma, burnout, and a full stop.

I've kept it in the public archive because Caryn's unfiltered voice note captures the exact kind of wake-up story work can offer. Honest. Restorative. Rooted in aliveness.

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This isn't an interview. It's a real Voxer message from Caryn Dodson — listener, photographer, and former guest — recorded less than 24 hours after my last episode aired.

She didn't know I'd ask to share it. She wasn't trying to sound polished or persuasive. She was just being real.

And that's exactly why it matters.

Caryn's words echo what so many of us feel behind the scenes: the burnout, the marketing fatigue, the aching to make something that means something. Her message is a love letter to story, tradition, soul work, and the courage to show up with your whole self.

If you've lost your way, if you're tired of performative content, or if you need permission to start again, this episode is for you.

Topics touched on:

• The emotional power of storytelling and real documentation
• Why marketing often pushes us away from what matters
• Keeping family traditions alive through creative boundaries
• Photography burnout, pricing struggles, and losing creative joy
• What it means to chase feeling, not just a deliverable
• Using old photos as creative prompts and story sparks
• A call to slow down and reconnect through your own archives
• How to use one photo to rediscover overlooked stories

Access the archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-podcast-archive

⚠️ 2025 Note: This 2021 episode was recorded during a brief return to the podcast under the new name, Dangerously Good Stories, after a long break from podcasting.

But, this wasn't just a "welcome back" episode. It was the prelude to collapse — unknowingly recorded from the edge. That contrast between hopeful rebuilding and the unseen unraveling gives me chills today.

I've kept it in the public archive because it captures the heart of why I changed direction, what story work means to me, and the permission I hope it offers others — not to live louder, but to live more awake.

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This episode lays the groundwork for everything Dangerously Good Stories stands for.

I introduce the shift from Intentional Documentary®, explain what makes a story dangerously good, and invite you into the kind of story work that reconnects you with what matters most — both in your life and your creative path.

Topics Included:

• Why I retired the name Intentional Documentary®
• What makes a story "dangerously good"
• An introduction to the DGS Story Work Practice
• The shift from photo education to personal meaning-making
• Submitting listener stories and voice notes to the show
• A reflection prompt to help you begin again with intention

Access the archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-podcast-archive

HELLO! It's been a minute, hasn't it? The show's coming back with NEW EPISODES this September 2021 along with a couple changes. 

In the meantime, I'm hosting a Podcast Listening Adventure and reunion party. Listen to the update for all the details. 

Connect on Instagram: @dangerouslygoodstories

Quick end of the "season" wrap—a few details on the podcast break, a new name & what's ahead for this podcast. 

KEEP IN TOUCH: 

1. Coming soon website + podcast show notes: http://www.dangerouslygoodstories.com
2. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dangerouslygoodstories 

Please LEAVE A RATING + REVIEW in iTunes -- Thank you!! M

⚠️ This is an episode that reflects an earlier season of my work.

I've kept it in the archive because it reflects a tender moment in time — one shaped by motherhood, meaning-making, and honoring what matters through everyday documentation.

⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes mention of postpartum depression and stillbirth. Please listen with care, or skip this one, if you're in a tender season.

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What began as a conversation about shifting from portrait sessions to documentary photography quickly unfolded into something deeper: how grief, postpartum depression, and radical life change led Caryn Dodson to create her family's memory-keeping platform, Firekeepers Memories.

We explore how photography became a lifeline through dark seasons, why she chose to homeschool and sell most of her belongings, and what she hopes clients feel decades after their sessions.

Topics Included:

• Navigating client education and transitioning to full documentary work
• The quiet strategy Caryn used to introduce documentary sessions in her community
• How postpartum depression transformed her perspective on what matters
• Honoring family through documentation after stillbirth and loss
• The family story behind Firekeepers Memories and how it works
• Why she shoots every session like it might be the last
• Homeschooling, entrepreneurship, and life on the road
• A powerful phone-free challenge to help you notice more in your everyday life

Connect with Caryn + access the archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-podcast-archive

This is an oldie, but a goodie. We’re replaying the very FIRST episode on Intentional Documentary. 

Why? It’s just a good time of year to revisit this one. It was written for photographers, but anyone can benefit from these 8 little exercise to gain clarity on what matters most. If you’ve done this before, well, you’re in a new season now and it might be time to do them again or try a different exercise.

Enjoy the story. 

FULL SHOW NOTES & MINI MAG WITH EXERCISES: http://www.dangerouslygoodstories.com/078 

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the public archive because Aubrey's story speaks to identity shifts, emotional honesty, and the courage to follow an inner knowing.

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After navigating postpartum depression and feeling out of sync in stay-at-home motherhood, Aubrey Vejvoda started listening to the quiet signs pulling her in a new direction.

In this conversation, she shares why she left photography, how hypnosis helped her reconnect with herself, and what it means to move forward by tuning inward.

⚠️ Content note: This episode ends with a short guided hypnosis for relaxation. If you're driving or multitasking, come back when you're able to sit still and fully listen.

Topics Covered

• The emotional weight of not loving stay-at-home motherhood
• Identity shifts that surfaced after postpartum depression
• Leaving photography after recognizing red flags
• The difference between hypnosis and meditation
• How Aubrey works with the "future self" through hypnosis
• Using subconscious tools to reconnect with your own voice
• A short, guided relaxation hypnosis to close the episode

Where Aubrey Is Now:

Since this episode aired, Aubrey (they/them) has shifted into the world of expressive arts and advocacy. They're currently studying to become a licensed art therapist, with a focus on trauma-informed care, youth empowerment, and social justice through creativity.

Connect with Katie and access the archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the public archive because Jessica's reflections on grief, nature, and the seasons of documenting still resonate deeply.

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When Jessica Hachey's daughter started school full-time, it stirred something unexpected: stillness, questions, and a new ache to reconnect with herself.

In this episode, Jessica shares what it felt like to sit in that space — between loss, routine, and the pull of something more alive. We talk about what shifted in her documenting after walking through grief, and how time in the wild continues to restore her.

This is a quiet, tender story about remembering what really matters and letting your lens follow your life from the inside out.

Topics Covered

• The emotional impact of early motherhood transitions
• Relearning herself after her daughter started school
• Backcountry solo trips and nature as restoration
• Walking through loss and how grief reshaped her photography
• Letting go of expectations and trusting what to document
• The difference between photographing to preserve vs. prove
• Honoring slow seasons, silence, and internal shifts

Access resources mentioned in this episode here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive

Where Jessica Is Now:

Since this episode aired, Jessica has transitioned from family documentary photography into nature and conservation storytelling. Today, she blends her love of the outdoors with her visual craft, using photography to advocate for wild spaces, inspire curiosity, and deepen our connection to the natural world.

You can find her hiking the Bruce Trail, paddling quiet waters, and volunteering with conservation groups across Ontario.

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the public archive because it explores how our work, systems, and parenting stories are often more intertwined than we realize.

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Designer and branding expert Alicia Bauer joins me for a two-part conversation.

The first half offers tangible ideas for elevating your client experience in a way that reflects your actual values and personality.

The second half dives into Alicia's honest reflections on mom guilt, creative work in small pockets of time, and what it looks like to navigate weekends, identity, and business with little ones underfoot.

Topics covered:

• What "client experience" really means and why it matters
• Five specific actions you can take to improve your client experience now
• Branding as a reflection of your actual self (not a version you're performing)
• Canned email responses, client touchpoints, and welcome packets
• The impact of personalization (e.g., texts, notes, branded thank-you's)
• Letting your personality shape your systems, not the other way around
• Alicia's transition from full-time business to small time blocks as a mom
• How overworking led to guilt during weekends and vice versa
• Reframing productivity with intention and permission
• Why you don't have to enjoy every moment of parenting to be present
• Creative structure for ND-friendly time management and energy rhythms
• The beauty of documenting even the "hard" moments (e.g., crying kid photo)

Connect with Katie + access the archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the archive because it's a timeless reminder to notice and preserve the stories of our adult relationships, from friendships to cousins to the neighborhood coffee barista.

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This short episode features photographer Ashley Manley's personal story about realizing her dearest friendships were missing from her photo albums.

It's a call to notice the people who see you in your real, grown-up life — the friends who get your bad jokes and love you anyway.

A beautiful reminder that it's not just our kids who deserve to be remembered.

Topics:

• The invisibility of adult friendships in our personal archives
• Why documenting grown-up relationships matters
• A challenge to photograph the people who know you now
• How one night in Chicago sparked a shift in perspective
• Using story work to deepen connection with chosen family

Connect with Ashley + access the archived episode resources here: → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive