DANGEROUSLY GOOD STORIES

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the public archive because LaToya's reflections on motherhood, business systems, and human-first automation still hold powerful relevance, especially for creative service providers balancing growth, capacity, and connection.

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When you think 'business systems,' do you imagine something rigid, robotic, or impersonal?

In this conversation, LaToya Dixon Smith invites us to rethink that entirely.

With clarity, warmth, and lived experience, LaToya shares how systems can be a form of care — for your clients, your time, and yourself. She speaks to the emotional labor behind staying present in business while raising kids, the intentional design of client experiences, and how thoughtful systems can reclaim space in your day without sacrificing your humanity.

Whether you're fully booked or just finding your rhythm, this episode offers a grounded perspective on building structure that honors your season of life.

Topics Covered

• The purpose and limitations of CRMs like Dubsado and 17hats
• How LaToya facilitates "whiteboard sessions" to map workflows
• The difference between automating and over-automating
• Tools that support process-building (Trello, Loom, Planoly)
• How to assess the "warmth" of leads through inquiry forms
• Personalising automation with video, audio, and brand tone
• Managing business tasks alongside parenting a newborn and school-age child
• Her strategy for content creation: blending inspired action with batching
• The story behind her "iconic photo" submission — a quiet moment of motherhood, strength, and growth

Where LaToya Is Now:

Since this episode aired in 2019, LaToya has expanded her work in powerful ways. She's now a trauma-informed boudoir photographer, certified sex doula, and erotic breathwork facilitator featured in ESSENCE, HBO, and the Huffington Post. Her work centers around helping women feel at home in their bodies again.

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

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the public archive because it's a powerful example of grief-tending through sensory memory, story work, and honoring the details that remain.

⚠️ Content Note: This episode contains references to sudden parent loss, death, and personal grief.

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Lora Wallenstein was a photographer with thousands of images, but after her dad died suddenly and unexpectedly, she realized she didn't have a single photo that truly captured him.

Not one that made her say, "That's Dad."

In this episode, Lora shares how she turned to his home, his tools, and the radio — still playing in the basement workshop — to tell his story through what remained.

It's a story about grief, missed moments, and the void that loss leaves behind. But it's also a story about intention, noticing, and creative response, even in the thick of heartbreak.

This one's for anyone who's ever lost someone and wondered, 'Did I miss my chance?'

Chances are, you may have missed a medium, but it's likely not too late to record the story.

Topics:

• Lora's story of losing her father suddenly and unexpectedly
• The absence of authentic photos and the emotional impact of "not documenting in time"
• How she used story work and sensory memory (sounds, objects, details) to process grief
• DGS Story Work Practice (formerly The Preservation Project) as a structured support during emotional overwhelm
• Photographing someone's space to tell their story without them in the frame
• How shared photos surfaced new memories for her sister
• The emotional weight of tools, objects, and everyday traces
• The therapeutic role of intention and creative planning in grief
• An invitation for listeners to reflect on their own untold or unpreserved stories

The practices shared in this episode are not medical or psychological advice. They reflect one person's story of using creativity and reflection to navigate loss. If you feel these practices may support you in your grief or healing process, consider speaking with a qualified mental health professional first.

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

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I've kept it in the public archive because it offers a timeless, grounding monthly reflection practice to help you live and work with more clarity and intention.

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If you've ever reached the end of a month and felt like everything's a blur, this episode is for you. I walk through my personal monthly report practice: a step-by-step way to pause, reflect, and create direction in both life and business.

Topics:

• Why we often forget the richness of our own recent past
• How monthly reflection can clarify values, direction, and patterns
• 11 steps I use in my own monthly report practice
• Emotional and energetic benefits of reflective tracking
• Tools and prompts to make this a sustainable ritual
• How this practice helps me zoom out on both business and personal life
• Bonus examples: themed work days, intention setting, habit review, story tracking

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

⚠️ Note: This legacy episode offers a practical, grounded framework for tracking what actually moves the needle in your business. It's for anyone tired of winging it and ready to lead with clarity instead of hope.

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If your marketing feels like throwing spaghetti at the wall — or your offers live in a swirl of half-finished ideas and good intentions — this episode is your reset.

I share my 4-part business metrics framework designed for creatives and service providers who want more predictability, more alignment, and less reactive scrambling. This is a deep dive into reflective tools that help you see what's working, what's draining you, and where to go next.

This is about building a business with data that respects your energy, not just your revenue.

Topics:

• Why "hope mode" is exhausting + how to shift into conscious strategy
• 4 core categories of metrics to consider tracking monthly:
  • Intentions + Monthly Check-ins (what you planned vs. what actually happened)
  • Brand Growth + Lead Gen (email list, traffic sources, social activity)
  • Revenue Systems (offers, lead sources, conversion clarity)
  • Operational Processes (time use, abandoned content, onboarding FAQs)
• How to use metrics for insight, not judgment
• Specific tools: Toggl, Loom, Google Analytics, PowerSheets, and her printed "System Book"
• Why creative entrepreneurs often skip tracking + what it's costing them
• The difference between tracking for performance and tracking for clarity
• Questions to ask when reviewing your month that go beyond money or growth

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

⚠️ Note: This legacy episode still hits home. I've kept it in the archive because it explores where creative entrepreneurs often waste time, energy, and self-trust — and how simple awareness can shift everything.

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If you've ever caught yourself asking, 'Why isn't this working?' or 'Why does business feel so heavy right now?', this episode is for you.

I unpack 7 common patterns of self-sabotage that often fly under the radar for creatives and service providers. Instead of piling on more strategy, this episode invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what's actually moving your business forward.

Topics:

• Why more courses and educational content consumption often lead to less clarity
• The danger of switching strategies too quickly
• How surface-level marketing blocks deeper client connection
• The hidden cost of skipping one-on-one interactions
• What academic writing looks like in your business (and why it falls flat)
• The power of tracking your own efforts instead of chasing formulas
• How comfort habits can mask as "being productive"

Access all active 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 it offers timeless insights on memory, meaning, and preserving everyday stories — all through the lens of photo organizing.

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Photo organizing isn't just about tidying up digital clutter. It's about reclaiming access to our stories.

In this conversation with Cathi Nelson, founder of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (now The Photo Managers), we explore how photo organizing can become a sacred, sustainable, and even profitable practice.

Whether you're drowning in digital overload, curious about preserving family history, or considering a new storytelling revenue stream, this episode is packed with thoughtful ideas.

Topics Covered:

• Why metadata (aka story details) matters for future generations
• What personal photo organizers actually do
• Photo chaos, memory loss, and the emotional weight of unpreserved images
• How professional photographers can add organizing to their services
• Why people often seek photo organizing after life events
• Ways to preserve stories across mediums (photos, video, artwork)
• Practical business tips for offering photo organizing as a service
• Training, community, and certification with The Photo Managers
• Photo preservation as legacy-building, not just archiving

Connect with Cathi + 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 it's a timeless example of noticing the tiny, ordinary moments that often go unnoticed, let alone undocumented.

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In this 'story of the month' episode, you'll hear a listener-submitted story, from photographer Dreama Spence, about a quiet portrait of her Uncle Perry and the everyday ritual that made her reach for her camera.

It's a simple story. A man. A chair. A cup of coffee.

But it's also a powerful reminder to notice the people around us, and the routines that shape who they are, before they fade into the background.

This story might just spark one of your own.

Topics:

• The daily ritual of "Uncle Perry" through Dreama's lens
• Memory, photography, and everyday observation
• The beauty of documenting ordinary people and moments
• A call to acknowledge overlooked figures in your life
• Encouragement to submit stories to be published on Fearless and Framed (archived now)

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

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. It remains in the public archive because it combines real-world crisis with the emotional truths of story, memory, and loss.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains first-person reflections about escaping a fast-moving wildfire with children and losing a home. Please listen with care if you are sensitive to stories of natural disaster or trauma.

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When the 2018 Camp Fire tore through Paradise, California, Nicole Miller-Cline had just 90 minutes to evacuate.

But this isn't just a story about disaster. It's a moving reflection on what's truly worth preserving in an era of endless photos and recordings, and why slowing down to notice our lives as they unfold really matters.

Nicole shares what she had always meant to document—the Sunday dinners, the quiet family rhythms—and how the fire brought an unexpected kind of clarity.

Her story speaks to the urgency of documenting what matters, not for show, but as a way of living more fully with the people and moments we don't want to forget. This conversation reaches far beyond photography and into the heart of presence, connection, and memory.

Topics

• The moment Nicole realized she wouldn't be able to document everything she wanted to
• The Sunday dinners she always meant to photograph + what they came to symbolize
• What she grabbed in the 90-minute evacuation window + why
• How documenting before the fire gave her unexpected peace afterward
• Why she no longer believes perfect photos are the most important ones
• The emotional shift from documenting as craft to documenting as connection
• Lessons on letting go, slowing down, and paying attention while we still can

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

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. I kept it in the archive because it marks a turning point — when I began to see "documenting" not just as photography, but as a deeper life practice rooted in story, attention, and (re)connection.

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This episode began with photography, but it's not really about photos or photography.

It's a story about creative burnout, disconnection, and realizing that 'documenting' was less about making images and more about seeing what mattered.

I share how this shift helped me feel more rooted in my own life, and how noticing your everyday stories might do the same for you. Perhaps your own life might be asking for the same kind of attention.

Topics Covered

• Burnout as a photographer and the disconnect with client expectations
• The personal shift from image-making to memory-honoring
• How documenting can deepen awareness and belonging
• A broader definition of documenting (beyond just photography)
• Why documenting isn't about accumulation, but connection
• Everyday examples of slowing down to notice what matters
• Questions to reflect on whether you're documenting from meaning or performance

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

An off the cuff check-in with my favorite listeners (that's you!) after our end of season break. 

• Two things I'm looking forward to in 2019
• The expansion of the Intentional Documentary Podcast

The podcast will be officially be back in mid-January. 

Happy Holidays!!

Special PPW offer for December with a gift valued over $300: http://www.fearlessandframed.com/gift