In this episode of the Flourish Academy podcast, Heather Lahtinen talks with her good friend and Elevate coach, Michelle Crandall, about a surprising truth—what happens after you finally hit a big business goal. Michelle recently had her biggest month ever in her photography business, nearly hitting $10,000. But instead of celebrating, her brain spiraled with doubt, fear, and guilt. Together, Heather and Michelle unpack the emotional rollercoaster of achieving success and why it’s so hard to feel happy even when you’re winning. If you've ever hit a milestone and still felt like it's not enough, this episode is for you. Show Notes:

• Why we sometimes feel we have to stay in struggle to be relatable
• The problem with tying identity to hardship instead of success
• How fear and guilt can block celebration and self-recognition
• Why your success is not responsible for someone else’s discomfort.
• How to focus on inspiring others instead of protecting their feelings.
• “I had a $10,000 month”—why this feels like a core value conflict.
• Dismantling the false link between success and showing off.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Michelle Crandall: https://www.petsinfocusphoto.com

What happens when things don’t go your way? When the bookings fall through, the inquiries ghost, and the excitement turns into discouragement? In this episode of the Flourish Academy Podcast, Heather Lahtinen shares a real and vulnerable coaching call from the Elevate program, highlighting what it really looks like to process disappointment as a photographer and entrepreneur.

You’ll hear a raw, honest conversation about feeling discouraged, how to sit with those feelings instead of rushing past them, and why this emotional work matters just as much as marketing or editing photos. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why isn’t this working?”—this episode will remind you that you’re not alone, and it’s okay to not be okay for a moment. Show Notes:

• The power of allowing disappointment to exist
• Rejection as redirection
• Mindset tools for managing emotional lows
• Creating a rhythm between rest, work, and self-compassion
• Building resilience in business through emotional awareness

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this powerful episode, Heather Lahtinen shares a deeply personal and emotional experience of her family’s recent health crisis when her husband, Craig, underwent emergency triple bypass surgery. Heather takes us behind the scenes, offering a 30,000-foot view of the situation, discussing how her life protocol rooted in faith and mindset coaching helped her navigate the overwhelming emotions and difficult decisions during the ordeal.

In this episode, Heather also shares how faith, mindset coaching, and a strong personal protocol can offer clarity and resilience even in the most challenging circumstances. Listeners will walk away with practical insights and inspiration to handle their own life crises with faith, strength, and clarity.

Show Notes:

• The details of the health crisis Heather’s family faced and how it impacted their lives.
• The importance of having a life protocol rooted in faith and mindset coaching during challenging times.
• How Heather applied her coaching tools and mindset principles to stay calm, focused, and resilient.
• The role of faith in maintaining perspective and keeping a sense of purpose during the toughest moments.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this quick yet powerful episode, Heather Lahtinen shares three overlooked marketing mistakes that could be costing you clients—without you even realizing it. From being hard to contact, to missing key info on your profile, to slow responses, these seemingly small issues create massive barriers for potential clients.  Using real-life examples from her own experiences as a consumer, Heather helps you reflect on how easy—or frustrating—it might be to hire you. Whether you're a photographer or any type of creative entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen if you're ready to make it easier for clients to say "yes."

Show Notes:

• Why your marketing must be client-focused
• Trying to hire a massage therapist—what went wrong
• The #1 rule in marketing: Make it easy for people to give you money
• How unclear processes can kill a sale
• The importance of having your name on your profiles
• The impact of slow or no responses on potential clients
• 3 actionable marketing tips to fix today

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode of the Flourish Academy podcast, Heather shares powerful insights from recent coaching sessions with photographers, including a key mindset shift around validation, consistency, and self-belief. Discover how to stay rooted in your vision—even when you hear crickets—and how reframing consistency as compound interest can transform the way you show up for your business and life. If you've ever felt defeated by a lack of response or struggled with being consistent, this episode is for you. Show Notes:

• The emotional rollercoaster of launching a new idea
• Creating internal validation instead of relying on external feedback
• Why brilliant ideas need time, visibility, and the right audience
• Using the “compound interest” mindset to stay motivated in business
• Real-life examples from marriage, business, and fitness
• Spotting the difference between facts and thoughts in client objections

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode of the Flourish Academy Podcast, Heather Lahtinen is joined by Michelle Crandall for an honest and insightful conversation about the mindset traps entrepreneurs face around productivity, rest, and redefining what it means to be “done.” If you’ve ever felt like you should be doing more, this episode is for you. Together, they unpack the invisible pressure we place on ourselves to always be working and offer a powerful reframe to help you feel more in control, focused, and at peace with your business.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Show Notes:

• The real challenge behind “not being able to shut off”
• What “done” really means in entrepreneurship
• Why productivity guilt is hurting your success
• How to stop letting unfinished tasks define your worth
• How to create flexible structure in your day
• The truth about working on weekends: Choice vs. obligation
• Letting go of the “course guilt” and owning your season
• Why your business is flourishing—whether you see it or not

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram Michelle Crandall: https://www.petsinfocusphoto.com/

In this episode, Heather Lahtinen shares a deeply personal story about managing anxious thoughts in the middle of an airport meltdown—and how she coached herself through it using a tool called The Model. You’ll hear a real-time chat between Heather and her custom-built Model GPT (available exclusively inside Elevate), and you’ll learn just how powerful your thoughts are in shaping your emotions, your behavior, and your results.

Whether you’re stuck in stress, facing a delay in your business or life, or just feeling like “you can’t handle it,” this episode offers a hopeful, practical path forward. And spoiler alert: you can handle it. Register for the next free Fast Track Coaching Workshop

Show Notes:

• Discover how Heather created a custom GPT to help you coach yourself
• Hear how a delayed flight turned into a life lesson in emotional resilience
• Get powerful reframes like “I don’t like this, but I can handle it”
• Learn why the stories we tell ourselves matter more than the facts

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this eye-opening episode, Heather Lahtinen delivers a powerful masterclass on what she calls "Financial Fortune Telling"—the habit of assuming what clients will (or won’t) spend based on their appearance, lifestyle, or words. Spoiler alert: it’s not helping you. In fact, it's holding you back.

She breaks down how these assumptions originate from your own beliefs about money, and how they sabotage your confidence, your service, and ultimately, your sales. Heather shares real-life stories, practical mindset shifts, and five steps to help you drop the judgment, stop playing mind reader, and start showing up as the empowered business owner your clients deserve.

This is a must-listen for every photographer who wants to shift from scarcity to service and grow a thriving, values-based business. Show Notes:

• How your assumptions about money are actually projections of your own beliefs
• 5 tools to drop judgment and embrace service-based selling
• Reframe that will change how you think about every inquiry
• Why "the less you assume, the more you sell" might be your new business mantra

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Every photographer, no matter how experienced, will eventually face a challenging client. In this episode, Heather Lahtinen sit down with Alison Shamrell, a talented pet photographer and long-time coaching client, to discuss how she handled an unexpected situation with an unhappy commercial client. We talk about mindset, communication, and the importance of having a coach to navigate these tough moments. If you've ever struggled with imposter syndrome or worried about client feedback, this episode is for you. Join Heather for a free coaching workshop to uncover what’s really keeping you from moving forward. Sign up at www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Show Notes:

• Why handling client issues is part of business growth
• The unexpected challenge: What went wrong with the commercial shoot
• The emotional impact of client criticism and self-doubt
• Shifting the mindset: Taking responsibility without self-blame
• The role of coaching in overcoming business roadblocks

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I’m not that good” or “My photos aren’t good enough”? These thoughts might feel true, but they’re actually holding you back from building a thriving photography business.

In this episode, Heather Lahtinen challenges the limiting beliefs that keep photographers stuck and explains why your self-concept is the foundation of your success. You’ll learn how to shift your mindset, focus on your progress, and take action with confidence.

Join Heather for a free coaching workshop to uncover what’s really keeping you from moving forward. Sign up at www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Show Notes:

• How your thoughts impact your success
• The most common limiting beliefs photographers have
• Why you can’t build a successful business with self-doubt
• The power of self-concept and how it shapes your decisions
• The truth about being “good enough” in photography
• The experiment: What if you couldn’t think “I’m not good enough”?

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.
• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram