In this laugh-out-loud, real-talk episode, we sit down with acclaimed Brooklyn-based wedding and editorial photographer Joshua Dwain — and it’s a ride. From navigating high-end weddings and dramatic destinations to dodging border patrol in Canada, Joshua pulls back the curtain on what it's really like building a luxury wedding brand with your spouse, traveling with 20K in camera gear, and staying creatively fulfilled.

Whether you're a photographer, a creative entrepreneur, or just here for the stories (and Josh has stories), this episode delivers on humor, honesty, and hard-earned insight.

In this episode, we sit down with Leah Weinberg—former wedding planner turned attorney and founder of Weinberg Legal—to dive deep into the wild legal landscape of the wedding industry. From pandemic cancellations and vendor scams to real-life contract horror stories, Leah shares her unique perspective as someone who's worked on both sides of the aisle. We cover red flags to watch for in contracts, why ChatGPT shouldn’t be your lawyer, the right (and wrong) ways to handle creative disputes, and how to protect your business without being a jerk. Whether you're a planner, photographer, or any wedding pro who’s ever wondered, "Can I cancel this contract?", this episode is your legal wake-up call—with a lot of laughs along the way.

In this episode of The Focused AF Podcast, Ben, Jen, and Ro sit down with the incredible Nicole Hoffman – a wedding photographer, educator, and CRM expert – to talk all things business, systems, and sustainability in the photography world.Nicole shares her inspiring journey from law school graduate to full-time photographer and team member at Táve, a powerful CRM for creative professionals. You'll hear how she transitioned careers, built a thriving photo business, and why she’s so passionate about helping photographers streamline their workflows through automation and organization.

We dive into:

✅ Why every photographer should be using a CRM (and how Táve saved Ben from a near-wedding disaster)

✅ Nicole’s behind-the-scenes setup and favorite automations for client communication

✅ How email templates and follow-ups boost bookings

✅ Insights on client behavior, sales cycles, and modern buying habits

✅ How to set clear expectations, avoid client confusion, and reduce post-shoot chaos

✅ Tips for using AI and tools like ChatGPT to improve copywriting, emails, and content creation

✅ Why early adoption of systems and data tracking can save your sanity laterWhether you're just starting out or years deep into your business, Nicole brings clarity, humor, and tons of practical wisdom to help you stay organized, proactive, and profitable.

🔗 Connect with Nicole: https://nicoleklym.com  / nkpandco  

Receive TWO free months of Tave, on us!: https://tave.app/join/benlauphotography

🍹 Drink of the Day: A classic mimosa — because automation and good vibes are worth celebrating!

LET'S BE FRIENDS:▸ Wanna share some of your stories with us?

Write us here: [email protected]

▸ Website: https://focused-af.com

▸ Instagram: https://instagram.com/focused.af

▸ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/focusedafpodcast

What happens when talent, passion, and humility collide? You get Rabih Madi — an award-winning wedding photographer from Montreal and the guest on this week’s episode! Rabih isn’t just capturing weddings; he’s creating art that’s turning heads on international stages. Fresh off a major win at WPPI, Rabih joins us to share how he went from assistant gigs and dinosaur Photoshop edits to producing grand award-winning work that’s as meaningful as it is visually stunning.In this episode, Rabih gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his creative evolution, his love for clean, emotion-driven storytelling, and why simplicity and intentionality win over flashy trends every time. He opens up about navigating cultural traditions in weddings and how these challenges often spark his most creative work. The hands-only portrait that won him WPPI’s Grand Award? He tells the full story behind it — and it’s one you don’t want to miss.We also dig into how competitions like WPPI shaped his growth, the importance of thoughtful critique, and what it really takes to develop a style that stands the test of time. Plus, we all share some laughs about industry trends (Dutch angles, anyone?) and finding the balance between chasing awards and serving your clients first.Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, Rabih Madi’s journey is packed with inspiration, honesty, and plenty of practical gems. If you’ve ever wondered how to stay creatively grounded while still pushing boundaries, this one’s for you. Hit play — you’ll walk away feeling recharged and ready to shoot with purpose.

You can check out Rabih here:  / madiphotography  https://www.madiphotography.com/

Wanna share some of your stories with us?

Write us here: https://focused-af.com/contact▸

Website: https://focused-af.com▸

Instagram:   / focused.af  ▸

Facebook Group:   / 3546659235657977  

This week, we’re diving deep into all things weddings, florals, and conference life! We kick off with a full WPPI recap — sharing our experience staying at the newly renovated Rio, the highs and lows of conference events, and why the value you get is what you make of it.

Then, we sit down with Jess from Crossed Keys Estate, a family-owned wedding venue that has grown from a rustic tent site to a high-end luxury destination. Jess shares her journey running the in-house floral design division, Crossed Keys Designs, managing 100+ weddings a year, balancing business with motherhood, and hosting VIP events — including a wedding attended by Beyoncé and Jay-Z!

We get real about the behind-the-scenes labor of wedding florals, industry trends for 2025–2026, shifting client expectations, and how adapting your brand over time is key to long-term success. Whether you're a vendor, creative, or business owner in the wedding world, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss.

You can check out her work here:

Website: https://crossedkeysdesigns.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossedkeysdesigns/

While we can all admit that 2024 (and even 2025) have been unusual years for the wedding industry, there are several outliers who've been bucking this trend of doom & gloom that seems to be everywhere you look.

In today, episode, we interview one of those outliers: Kelly of Kelly Sea Images. Not only is she single-handedly photographing nearly triple digits of weddings every year (on her own, without an associate team!), and doing all the post-production work without the help of AI, she is also highly sought-after in the luxury market.

She also dispels all the pervasive myths in the industry, and is living proof that:

• A human being can shoot more than 15 weddings a year, or even 50, for that matter.
• High volume shooters aren't necessarily cheap.
• Keeping your work, systems, communications and workflows simple is the key to success.

https://www.instagram.com/kellyseaimages/

https://www.kellyseaimages.com/weddings/

John Branch IV is a father, husband, photographer, and educator - but most importantly, he's a fellow gear head and YouTuber!

Learn how he maintains his work-life balance amidst his busy work & travel schedule, as well as his impressive content creation workflow.

You can check out John Branch IV below:

https://www.jbivphotography.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@jbivphotography

https://www.instagram.com/jbivphotography/

Everybody wants to know how to grow an associate team - but what if you're on the other end of that coin? What if you simply wish to photograph gorgeous weddings on the weekends for other studios?

As a veteran associate lead photographer of Pearl Paper Studio for over the past 11 years, Stephen Capone is everything a studio needs an associate photographer to be: talented, dependable, and the consummate team player.

The career path of being a full-time associate photographer is not for everyone. For the 2+ years we've had this podcast, Stephen's been clawing at our door for a chance to share his stories, as well as what it's like to work for the most amazing bosses on the planet :).

Today's drink is the Cinnamon-Ginger Pear Gin & Tonic

- .5 oz pear syrup

- 1 oz gin

- 1 oz tonic

- Garnish with sliced ginger & cinnamon stick

What did we accomplish this year? What do we hope to accomplish in 2025?

Today's drink is an Apple Cider Old Fashioned

- 1 oz bourbon

- 2 oz apple cider

- splash of bitters

- garnish with cinnamon stick

When people see you at the top of your game, they oftentimes don't see the blood, sweat, and tears that go into building a profitable business. It's a common theme that you hear with success stories - this concept is neither new (nor inspirational, for that matter).

However for better or worse, it's all absolutely 100% true.

On one of our recent lives, a viewer/listener wanted to know about some of the specific mistakes that we've made along the way. What were some of the struggles/mistakes we've faced in our wedding photography careers, and how did we overcome them?

Today's drink is an Aperol Margarita.

- 1 oz tequila

- 1 oz aperol

- 1 oz triple sec

.75 oz lime juice

.5 oz simple syrup