Emotionally Booked Out

Two photographers. One very honest (unfiltered) conversation about why workshop culture feels so weird right now.

When did “education” turn into:

• fighting 20 people for the same shot

• shooting styled couples with zero story

• attaching yourself to photographers with huge followings

• and leaving with content… but no actual growth

In this episode, I sit down with photographer and educator Milly Baine from The Rose Reflective to talk about the explosion of content days, influencer-led workshops, creative burnout, neurodivergence in education spaces, and the fuckery of the education space in general.

We absolutely rip to shreds:

• overpromising and underdelivering in the education space

• how to actually vet a workshop before investing

• why community matters more than follower count

• storytelling vs. “pretty pretty pretty” wedding content

• slowing down creatively instead of fighting for content

• what photographers really need from education right now

Also: possum cakes, Tumblr-era party photos, and the phrase “we’re just serving pasta” becoming a life philosophy. You’ll understand once you listen to the episode lol

If you’re curious about workshops, scared of workshops, or had a disappointing experience with workshops… you’re not alone. 

Follow Milly: https://www.instagram.com/therosereflective/

Yelp for Retreats and Workshops: https://www.instagram.com/soocdirectory/

Business has been feeling… off lately? You’re not alone.

I’m sitting down with Kelsey from Launch Your Daydream (aka the reason I look cool on the internet), and we’re getting into the real, unfiltered side of running a business.

Not the “do this and you’ll make more money” version.The actual experience - you know, the shit that no one talks about but truly affects all of us.

We’re talking about:

• outgrowing your business

• identity shifts and pivots that don’t make sense yet

• the messy middle where nothing feels clear

• why niching down isn’t always the answer

• and how to trust yourself when nothing external is validating it yet

This isn’t a strategy episode (those are boring anyway). This is about intuition. Alignment. And building something that actually feels good to wake up to.

If you’ve been burnt out, disconnected, or lowkey questioning everything… this one’s gonna hit.“Ditch the shoulds and do what feels good.”

Also… something kind of wild came out of this conversation.

Kelsey and I are officially teaming up. We are combining brand clarity + website design into a limited experience for business owners who are ready to actually book more aligned inquiries.

If you want in, join the waitlist here!

HAPPY ONE YEAR PODCAST ANNIVERSARY!

I'm so stoked you've been here with me - I can't believe it's been one whole year.

If I lost my entire business tomorrow and had to start from scratch, no audience, no referrals, no portfolio, here is exactly what I would do.

This is not a fluffy “go viral” episode. This is not about posting every day or chasing trends.

In this episode, I break down:

• What I would ignore completely (and why it is keeping people stuck)

• The biggest mistakes I made in my own business

• What actually leads to bookings, not just likes

• How I would rebuild trust, reputation, and demand from the ground up

We talk about the industry noise, the obsession with vanity metrics, and why most advice online is burning people out instead of helping them grow.

If you feel like you are doing everything and still not seeing results, this episode will probably slap.

Also, Emotionally Booked Out is turning one year old. Thank you for being here, for listening, and for building this with me.

Send me a DM and tell me what you want to hear next.

What if burnout isn’t about doing too much, but about being in the wrong rooms?

In this episode of Emotionally Booked Out, I’m sitting down with Jordan Vaz, founder of The Friendship Mixer, to talk about what real community actually looks like and why so many “community over competition” spaces feel off.

We get into the difference between networking and genuine connection, how to recognize when a room isn’t meant for you, and why self-awareness is the foundation of building relationships that actually support you.

We also talk about creating your own spaces, even if it’s small, messy, or just two people at a coffee shop. Because community doesn’t have to be performative to be powerful.

If you’ve ever felt drained by industry spaces, struggled to find your people, or questioned if community is even worth it, this conversation will shift the way you see it.

This episode is your reminder that the right rooms won’t make you question your worth. They’ll feel like a deep exhale.

Flexibility, inclusivity, and saying yes to real, aligned people is how you grow a business that actually works.

In this episode, Kylee B. Photography joins us to talk about breaking the wedding industry rulebook. From working with all types of couples to navigating budgets and family dynamics, Kylee shares how being flexible and inclusive can set your business apart. This is a modern, non-traditional take on being inclusive and breaking into the non-traditional market without compromising yourself.

If you are a wedding vendor or creative looking to ditch rigid rules and create a business that truly serves real people, this episode is for you.

Find Kylee here:

Instagram: @kylee_b_photography

Website: http://kyleebphotography.com

When I started this podcast, it wasn’t about numbers. It wasn’t about growth hacks. It wasn’t about going viral. It was about creating a space that wasn’t dictated by an algorithm, a space where the right people could just sit with me and think deeper about business, burnout, and what actually matters.

And lately? What’s been on my mind is vanity metrics.

Followers. Likes. Views. Engagement.

The instant serotonin hit of something “doing well.”

But here’s the truth:
Low engagement. High revenue. That’s the goal.

In this episode I’m pulling back the curtain on:

• Why I stopped tracking my follower count

• The reality of going viral (and not booking from it)

• Losing 3,000 followers while booking out 2026

• The week I logged in and had $10,000 booked without touching Instagram

• Exactly how I spend my work week (spoiler: only 10% is social media)

• The private numbers that actually matter

Vanity numbers are public.
Real money metrics are private.

If Instagram shut down tomorrow, would your business survive?

If this episode hits, send it to a friend who needs to stop measuring their worth in likes.

Friends don’t let friends burn out over numbers that don’t pay their bills.

I wasn’t burnt out because I was working too much, I was burnt out because I was ignoring myself.

In this episode of Emotionally Booked Out, I’m walking through the changes I’m making in my business this year to protect my energy, my creativity, and my nervous system.

We’re talking about:
–

• Why rest is not a reward, it’s a requirement
• How overbooking has a terrible ROI
• Setting calendar boundaries that actually work
• Raising prices ethically (and why it filters better clients)
• Treating your business like it exists to support your life - not consume it

This episode isn’t about hustling harder or fixing yourself.
It’s about stopping the habit of abandoning yourself for your art.

I

f you’re a creative or wedding industry professional feeling stretched thin, this episode is your reminder that sustainability is the goal.

What if the pressure to “pick a niche” is actually the thing burning creatives out?

In this episode, McKenzie sits down with Leslie Kinross Wright — photographer with Sunshine and Savasana, hair & makeup artist, studio owner of Soleil House Denver, stylist, and mom — to talk about failure, fear, rebuilding, and why doing things scared is often a sign you’re doing something right.

This conversation dives into:

• Starting over without letting failure define you

• Why most people aren’t paying as much attention to you as you think

• The hidden cost of people-pleasing and unpaid collaboration

• Burnout, boundaries, and protecting your creative energy

• How to tell when an opportunity aligns — and when it’s just draining you
  

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by the idea of a niche, overwhelmed by self-promotion, or unsure whether you’re allowed to want more than one creative lane, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

You can find Leslie at:

Instagram: @sunshineandsavasana @soleilhousedenver

Website: https://sunshineandsavasana.com/

🎧 Follow the show, rate the episode, and share it with a creative who needs this reminder.

Learning feels productive.
Action feels scary.

If you’ve been buying courses, hiring mentors, saving Instagram tips, and still feeling behind - this episode is for you.

In this solo episode of Emotionally Booked Out, I’m talking about why education isn’t actually the problem in your business - avoidance is. We’re unpacking the course-to-consumption pipeline, decision paralysis, fragmented confidence, and why over-learning can quietly become a coping mechanism instead of a growth tool.

I share stories from my own hustle-era mistakes, what I’m seeing come up again and again inside mentorships, and why integration (not more information) is the thing that actually moves your business forward.

This episode is a loving kick in the pants for anyone who:

• Keeps buying courses hoping this one will fix it

• Feels overstimulated by conflicting advice

• Is learning a lot but changing nothing

• Knows what to do… but hasn’t done it yet

You’re not behind. You’re just over-consuming.
And your business deserves better than that.

This is our first episode of the year and our first guest episode - and we’re not easing into anything.

In this conversation, I’m joined by wedding and elopement photographer Gavin Stebbins, and we’re calling out the bare minimum when it comes to inclusivity in the wedding industry. Posting one queer couple during Pride Month and calling yourself an ally? Yeah… not cutting it anymore.

We talk about:

• Performative allyship vs. real support

• Why inclusivity has more to do with action than aesthetics

• Red flags queer couples notice immediately

• Language, websites, and marketing that actually create safety

• How allies can do better without being perfect

• Why effort is the highest form of allyship

This episode is honest, spicy, and deeply necessary — especially for wedding vendors, creatives, and anyone who claims to “lead with love” but hasn’t done the work yet.

If you’re ready to move past checkbox inclusivity and start showing up in a real way, this one’s for you.

Follow Gavin on Instagram: @gavin_takesphotos

Follow Gavin on TikTok: @gavin_takesphotos