It's not easy being a full time mom, wife, and full time wedding photographer. As a way of reclaiming some work-life balance back to her growing family, Gricel Rivera transitioned to studio work during the pandemic and never looked back. In this episode we talk about:

You can check out Gricel's work at gricelsphotography.com, and @gricelsphotography on IG.

When Ben & Karis decided to host a summit, we knew it wasn't going to be easy nor perfect. In this episode, we recount all the lessons and victories that we picked up along the way, and how they're going to improve their next conference.

Here's a look back at some of our fave moments in 2023.

Some of the most talented photographers we know are perpetual students of their craft; they never stop learning, even when they're at the top of their game. Despite having won dozens of industry awards in his career, Leo continues on his quest to become a better photographer every single day - by attending workshops, conferences and classes all over the US.

And even then, his beautiful work only makes up a small percentage of his success. Most of that can be attributed to his incredible drive and work ethic to stay on top of his business, and serving his clients in the most impactful way possible.

Today's drink is Ben's Irish Coffee

- 1oz Kahlua

- 1oz Baileys

- Top off with coffee

- Top with whipped cream

- Sprinkle cocoa powder on top

When you're as busy guy like Sam Hurd, you embrace all the nifty tools you have at your disposal that help you become a lean, green, creative machine. In today's episode, we learn a little bit more about Sam's backstory and journey to the present day, as well as all the exciting ways he's currently incorporating AI into his workflow.

Sam will also be joining us at the Focused AF Summit on Jan 11, 2024, and we all hope to see you there!

No season would be complete without a boozy, ugly-sweater party to wrap up our first year as podcasters! In this episode, we recount some of our favorite moments this year, and what we've got planned for next year.

With that being said, are you guys Focused AF for 2024? Sound off in the comments below!

Ken Pak is an industry veteran who injects his special brand of humor and perspective in life, photography, and everything that he does. Learn about his life-long journey to finding his voice as an artist, how industry awards have shaped his trajectory over the years, and why you should always be on your best behavior while photographing on federal property!

Tori Kelner is a branding expert who shares with us how her personal brand has allowed her to attract her dream clients on autopilot, and how she leverages this branding in her business. We also learn about her love of Britney Spears, Harry Potter and fluffy socks (all the stuff we love as well!).

*Editor's notes: Ben's mic was running a little hot during this episode, we're sorry about his audio quality!

In today's episode, learn how Andrea & Richard Flores grew their little photography passion into a full-fledged, full-service photography studio, allowing them maximize their revenue-per-client and balancing a hectic home life with 3 kids and 50 chickens!

Today's drink is a salted-caramel apple cider old fashioned

- 1 dash angostura bitters

- 1 tsp salted caramel

- 2 oz bourbon

- 2 oz apple cider

- Garnish with apple slices, and toasted cinnamon and star anise

We continue our talk about finding/hiring the perfect photographer, the power of print, and how we can pro-actively get ahead of venues/bridal attendants who go rogue!