Focused AF

Every time you snap a photo, ask yourself this (and be honest): are you doing it for the clients, or are you doing it for yourself, your brand, or your portfolio?

As artists and business owners, we all have our own reasons for doing things the way we want to do them. But at the end of the day, it's nearly unanimous that a "service-first" mentality is the one thing that will bring you success and longevity in your business.

In today's episode, we talk about how we serve our clients in the most meaningful ways, that turn them from customers into some of our biggest, raving fans.

For this episode, we are enjoying Mo's Special Slider:

In today's episode, we are joined by our very good friends Moses & Steph of Moses Cruz Photography, another husband-and-wife wedding photography duo who loves cheeseburger sliders and escape rooms as much as we do!

In this episode, we talk about how they started their photography journey with a modest $60 job, transitioned into second shooting (for EVERYONE, including your co-hosts), and eventually built an award-winning wedding photography brand right here in New Jersey.

We also learn about all the crazy dynamics, sacrifices, and compromises that go into working with your spouse, one that very few solo-preneurs ever get to experience (but one that other husband-and-wife teams can surely relate to).

Today's beverage is Ro's Special Sangria! If you want the recipe, tell us your favorite part of this episode in the comments below, and Ro will personally share with you his top-secret (and super delicious) recipe!

Is business really slow, or is it our imagination?

In this episode, we explore the state of the wedding industry as it currently exists in this "post-COVID" world.

Today's drink is last episodes Philly-Adjacent Wooter-Ice!

- 1 oz cherry vodka

- 1 dash of grenadine

- top off with sprite or ginger ale

Here's an industry secret that very few talk about: one can actually second-shoot their way to a full calendar and eventually into an incredibly successful career. Join our interview with Nathan Desch today as we talk about:

1. How newcomers and veterans can transform themselves into more attractive candidates for hiring primaries and studios.

2. Some common mistakes that photographers make when presenting themselves to hiring primaries and studios.

3. Why he created the platform https://shootwith.me to help studios & primaries find associates and second-shooters, and how photographers are now leveraging this platform to fill their calendars.

Today's drink is the "Philly-Adjacent Wooter-Ice"

- 1 dash of grenadine

- 1 oz cherry vodka

- Top off with Sprite or ginger ale

How do you affirm, celebrate, and serve the LGBTQ community in the wedding industry, the right way? What's "Rainbow-Washing"? How can we do better?

Meet Rylan, an openly trans wedding photographer who stopped by the podcast studio to share his thoughts about all of these LGBTQ topics, and a whole lot more. Wanna learn more about Rylan? You can check him out here:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/rylott_photos/

URL: https://www.rylanlottphotography.com/

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Today's drink is the Sbagliato (the correct way!)

Equal parts dry vermouth, campari, and prosecco. Garnish with orange wheel. Enjoy!

It's a common misconception that referrals come solely from happy customers; however this mindset overlooks a huge swath of potential referral opportunities that are sitting right in front of us. In this episode, we explore all the ways we can leverage what we do, in order to get everyone to shout our names from the rooftops. We also talk about all the easy ways you can get yourself on everyone's poop-list.

If you are a wedding vendor who doesn't get a whole lot of referrals from your fellow colleagues, this episode might be worth a listen!

Today's drink is Ben's Sbagliato (the *incorrect* way of making this drink).

Follow: https://instagram.com/focused.af

Hang: The Focused AF Podcast Community

Come meet your hosts in person! https://focused-af.com/focusedafsummit/

Work less, earn more. It's the American Dream, right?

Well, not so fast.

In today's episode, we take a deep dive into starting, growing, and managing an associate brand. Karis & Ben started their associate brand, Pearl Paper Studio back in 2013, and have since grown their team to 14 photographers, documenting over 80+ weddings/year in one of the most saturated markets on the planet. Learn more about their struggles and business philosophy which has helped shape their team to what it is today. Pro tip? Owning & managing an associate brand is not for the wary, and it's definitely not as easy as it looks!

Today's drink is an Amaretto Sour.

- 1 oz Amaretto liquor

- .5 oz simple syrup

- .5 oz lemon juice

Combine all ingredients over ice. Stir. Garnish with cherry.

On today's episode, we are joined by Emily Rochotte, a social media strategist and professional blogger who shares with us some of her tips & tricks on creating a marketing strategy in today's quickly-changing wedding marketplace. We also talk about outsourcing, ChatGPT, and even a phenomena known as "Posting & Ghosting" (and a million reasons why you shouldn't be doing that).

This episode's drink is a Pina Colada. Here's how you make it!

- Two generous squirts of coconut cream

- .75 oz coconut rum

- .75 oz white rum

- Top off with pineapple juice

- Garnish with cherry

You can serve this iced or blended (we didn't have time, so we went iced today!).

As business owners, we are always looking for ways to make our lives a little easier, earn more revenue, and run our businesses a little more efficiently. This is where AI comes in. Over the past couple of years, AI has completely transformed the landscape of the wedding industry, especially in the wedding photography space. Grab a seat and your favorite beverage, join us, and learn about all the ways that we use AI in our work.

Today's drink is a Orange Blossom-Rose Vodka Tonic with Blueberries & Thyme

- 1 oz Ketel One Botanicals Orange Blossom Rose Vodka

- Top off with tonic

- Garnish with blueberries & thyme

Mike Zawadzki is a wedding photographer based out of Northern NJ. Listen to his inspirational story of hitting rock bottom, then eventually climbing to the top through perseverance, hard-work, and finally surrendering to his destiny and role in this world. We also talk about building an associate team, his best marketing tips, and the importance of authenticity and service as an entrepreneur.

Today's drink is the Cran-Orange Tonic with Berries & Thyme

- 1 oz orange juice (extra pulp)

- 1 oz cranberry juice

- 1 oz tonic

Pour all the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass, and garnish with berries & thyme (the thyme is the secret here!)