Guest: Lauren Hunzerker – Life insurance agency owner, leader, and advocate for women in male-dominated spaces

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunz_9/

🔑 Episode Summary

In this episode, I sit down with Lauren to talk about women’s empowerment beyond buzzwords. This is a real, layered conversation about what it actually looks like to be a woman in leadership, especially in spaces that were never built for us.

We talk about decentering men, power, privilege, integrity, and how empowerment isn’t something you claim when things are going well — it’s something you live when it costs you something. Lauren shares her lived experience as a top producer in a male-dominated industry, her personal story, and how she refuses to separate her values from her work.

This conversation is about leadership, responsibility, unlearning, and staying true to yourself even when it’s uncomfortable.

📌 In this episode, we talk about:

• What decentering men actually means (and what it does not mean)
• Why being the only woman in the room isn’t something to celebrate — it’s something to question
• How empowerment comes from healing, unlearning, and integration, not just confidence
• Why integrity shows up when you’re willing to lose approval, money, or relationships
• How women are conditioned to prioritize men’s comfort over their own safety, needs, and truth

🧠 Key themes from the conversation:

• Empowerment as a practice, not an identity
• Why visibility and leadership come with responsibility
• How privilege works — and why fear of “getting it wrong” keeps people silent
• The difference between performative empowerment and lived empowerment
• Why empowered women empower other women

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“Empowerment isn’t something you just wake up with. It comes from unraveling.”

“Women being empowered doesn’t take anything away from men.”

“Integrity is who you are when it costs you something.”

“If you’re afraid to get it wrong, you’re already standing in privilege.”

“Empowerment is contagious.”

🔗 Connect with Lauren

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenhunz_9/

🔗 Resources

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call with Me: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🔑 Episode Summary

This is a raw, tender, and intentional episode about sharing hard stories responsibly. I’m talking openly about a domestic violence experience I went through years ago and, more importantly, about the aftermath of what it’s like to carry those experiences as a woman, a leader, and a business owner.

This episode isn’t about shock value or getting attention. It’s about truth-telling, discernment, and understanding that when we take up space publicly, there are real-life consequences in how people perceive you, treat you, and respect you.

I share how I decided when to tell this story, why now, how I resourced myself before doing it, and why leadership requires bravery, integrity, and care for yourself and others.

📌 In this episode, I talk about:

• Why sharing tender stories requires discernment, resourcing, and a clear “why”
• How visibility impacts real-world safety, reputation, and respect, especially for women
• The difference between sharing from a regulated, integrated place versus from dysregulation
• How patriarchy, misogyny, and internalized beliefs show up in dating, business, and leadership
• Why telling the truth is part of women reclaiming power, even when it makes people uncomfortable

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“Truth telling has real life impact.”

“Leadership isn’t becoming smarter. It’s becoming braver.”

“You can be truthful, direct, and compassionate at the same time.”

“If you’re going to share something tender, it needs to be connected to a bigger mission.”

“This is what healing looks like. It’s tender sometimes.”

🔗 Resources & Support

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🔑 Episode Summary

In this episode, I sit down with Casey and Melanie, the co-creators of the Humanhood Series, to talk about what it actually means to humanize the human experience. This is a real conversation about visibility, expression, leadership, and how our backgrounds shape how safe we feel being seen.

We talk about why healing doesn’t come from “high vibes” alone, how voice and expression are developed through lived experience, and why being seen is a leadership skill that requires discernment, boundaries, and trust.

📌 In this episode, we talk about:

• Why expression is at the core of healing, not just regulation or mindset
• How Humanhood was born from intuition, trust, and a seven-episode “let’s see how this feels” experiment
• The difference between sharing from fear vs sharing from grounded boundaries
• How childhood experiences shaped each of their relationships with voice, leadership, and visibility
• Why being seen physically, emotionally, and energetically is a practice — not something you’re just “good at”

🧠 Key themes from the conversation:

• Visibility as a skill set, not a personality trait
• Why being “an open book” doesn’t mean sharing everything
• How safety, context, and nervous system awareness impact storytelling
• The difference between edges and hard boundaries in expression
• Why people need permission to be fully human — joy included, not just trauma

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“The real healing is talking about our real life stories.”

“Breathwork is about expression.”

“What’s a boundary today might be an edge tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to tell everyone everything.”

“We’re not here to be perfect. We’re here to be human.”

🔗 Connect with Casey, Melanie & Humanhood

• Casey: https://www.instagram.com/healthfulcasey/
• Melanie: https://www.instagram.com/itsmelanieperalta_/
• Humanhood Series Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humanhoodseries/

🔗 Resources

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call with Me: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🔑 Episode Summary

This episode is about trust and why people actually choose to buy from you. Not because you addressed every objection perfectly. Not because you had the best funnel. But because of who you are and how people feel in your presence.

I talk about how we’re drawn to people for reasons that aren’t always business-related — their energy, their style, the way they carry themselves, the way they speak, their voice, their embodiment. These are the things we don’t always say out loud, but they matter.

This episode connects branding, visibility, nervous system trust, and why making the coolest, truest parts of you visible makes choosing you easier.

📌 In this episode, I talk about:

• Why people trust and choose you based on energy, presence, and containment, not just credentials
• How devotion to yourself shows up in your body, your work, and your brand over time
• Why style, voice, pacing, and how you take up space are real trust-builders
• How brand photos and videos amplify what’s already magnetic about you
• Why branding is not meant to compete with viral content — it supports commitment-level buying decisions

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“People are drawn to you for things that are not always business-related at all.”

“It’s a devotion to yourself — tiny micro-decisions over decades.”

“We’re beings first, thinking beings second.”

“Brand photos are permanent. You want them to be an accurate representation of your greatness.”

“Sometimes people choose you simply because you’re cool — and that’s okay.”

🔗 Ways to Work With Me

• Sweet Spot – a brand refresh for one location and updated visuals
• Industry Outlier – a full-day shoot for leaders who want volume, variety, and spaciousness

Payment plans available. $500 deposit option open.

🗓️ Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min

🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🎙️ Being Aware of Your Visibility Wounds Is Not Enough

Podcast: Speak Your Truth and Look Good Doing It Host: Camila (aka Maya Camila) – Brand Strategist, Photographer & Videographer

🔑 Episode Summary

Today’s episode is about showing up more unfiltered and why simply being aware of your visibility wounds is not the point. Awareness is the first step, but healing happens when you actually tackle it daily.

Every single person building a personal brand has some visibility wound — being “too much,” too edgy, too emotional, too unprofessional, too whatever. I don’t care where you come from or how privileged you are. Everyone has something.

Personal branding is one of the most powerful tools you can have. A resume and qualifications are not enough anymore. We need receipts. We need a body of work. We need people to feel trust with us. And for many of you, vulnerability is not a weakness — it’s your leadership tool.

📌 In this episode, I talk about:

• Why awareness of your visibility wounds isn’t enough and how healing requires action
• How personal branding becomes a form of leadership, not just marketing
• Why letting people see you in different states of being builds real trust
• How privilege, perspective, and grounding yourself changes how seriously you take visibility
• Why thinking highly of your audience is non-negotiable if you want consistent results

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“Being aware of your visibility wounds is not the point. Awareness is the first step. The next step is actually tackling it.”

“A resume or qualifications are simply not enough anymore. We need receipts.”

“If you are not a man and you operate with different values, vulnerability is going to be your power.”

“You are allowed to show up at 50% — and trust that your audience will still be there.”

“I don’t believe in infantilizing people or managing other adults’ emotions for them.”

🔗 Resources & Ways to Work Together

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🔑 Episode Summary

This episode is a very personal reflection on the core lessons 2025 taught me about business, leadership, and myself. I share why I almost didn’t record this episode, how self-censoring and people-pleasing showed up for me, and why remembering my voice is essential to the work I do.

This is about building a business that doesn’t require abandoning yourself. It’s about softness, vulnerability, discernment, and being honest about what actually sustains long-term success.

📌 In this episode, I talk about:

• Why business gets harder when your needs aren’t being met, especially when you isolate, hide, or feel shame around money and success
• How surrounding myself with women of color and people with lived experience expanded my range, depth, and leadership in business
• Why I no longer allow people who are not trauma-informed into the “cockpit” of my business
• How letting the wrong voices influence my vision caused me to abandon my softness, intuition, and mission
• Why vulnerability is not optional in business, but a rite of passage for leadership, trust, and meaningful growth

💬 Quotes from this episode:

“Business problems start to align when you align.”

“Who you allow into the cockpit of your business matters more than their technical qualifications.”

“Vulnerability is not something you opt into. It’s required if you want a fulfilling business.”

“If you want to be transactional, there are a million other places to go make money.”

🔗 Resources & Links

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🔑 Episode Summary

This episode is a conversation about what happens after financial success—when the question is no longer “Can I make money?” but “What’s next for me?”

I sit down with Devin, a previous client of mine, to talk about how her brand is evolving after experiencing powerful financial wins. We talk about visibility not as a growth tactic, but as a way to express the next identity she’s stepping into.

This isn’t about scaling for the sake of scaling. It’s about discernment, integrity, and allowing your brand to reflect who you are now, not who you had to be to survive or prove yourself.

📌 You’ll hear us talk about:

• How financial success creates a new question: “What do I actually want now?”
• Why visibility shifts when you’re no longer trying to convince or prove
• Letting your brand reflect where you’re going next, not just past results
• Being in woman in C-suite roles
• Trusting your discernment after you already know you’re capable
• How being seen becomes about expression and sovereignty, not validation

💬 Quotes from the episode:

“I’m not trying to prove anything anymore.”

“Once you’ve made the money, the work becomes more about alignment.”

“What’s next isn’t louder. It’s truer.”

“I’m an expert on myself.”

🔗 Connect with Devin

• Instagram: @functional_definition
• Women’s community: The Authenticity Collective

🔗 Resources

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call: https://calendly.com/mariacamilaphoto/30min
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready: https://fabulous-surf-71618.myflodesk.com/brand-shoot-ready

🔑 Episode Summary

In this episode, I talk about what really helps clients feel comfortable, confident, and open during their photoshoots. Getting your photo or video taken can be deeply vulnerable — it’s not just about the camera, it’s about trust, safety, and connection.

I share how I intentionally create that experience for my clients — from the moment we first meet, to the music we play on set, to how I direct you in real time. Because comfort doesn’t come from being photogenic; it comes from feeling at ease in your own body and with the person behind the camera.

📌 You’ll hear me talk about:

• Why your relationship with your photographer or videographer matters more than the creative director
• How I build trust before shoot day through pre-shoot calls and creative collaboration
• What I do on set to help you relax — music, direction, warmth, and calm energy
• Why I handle location coordination and logistics so you can simply show up and be present
• How I use my tone, presence, and genuine affirmation to help you open up and actually enjoy being seen

💬 Quotes from this episode:

“It’s not that you’re not photogenic — you just don’t feel comfortable in your own skin.”

“You open up more easily when you feel like you already know me.”

“I’m big on being relational, not transactional. That’s what lets you relax into yourself.”

“Music disarms you. It helps you get into your body and actually feel good being seen.”

🔗 Resources & Links

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready

🎙️ The Myth of Waiting to Be Ready for Visibility

Podcast: Speak Your Truth and Look Good Doing It Host: Camila – Brand Photographer + Videographer

🔑 Episode Summary

In this episode, I talk about one of the biggest lies high-performing entrepreneurs tell themselves — the idea that you need to be “ready,” “healed,” or have hit a milestone before you become visible.

I share why visibility itself is the process that makes you ready — not something that happens after the fact. This conversation breaks down how visibility builds trust, why being relational matters in business, and how your brand can become the bridge between your expertise and your humanity.

We’ll also explore what it means to be a trusted brand in an era where authority alone doesn’t create connection — and how storytelling, presence, and emotional safety change everything about how people experience you.

📌 You’ll hear me talk about:

• Why “waiting until you’re ready” is a myth — you become ready by doing the work
• The difference between expertise and trust (and why being good at your job isn’t enough)
• Why relational brands outperform transactional ones
• How storytelling humanizes your authority and makes people trust you faster
• How to spot where you’re unknowingly eroding trust with your audience
• What happens when you start letting people see your humanity, not just your professionalism
• Why visibility is a spiritual practice — it exposes the parts of you that still crave safety
• The story of a client who took a huge emotional risk on camera and got 18,000+ views because of it
• How being visible helps you grow resilience, leadership, and capacity for impact

💬 Quotes from this episode:

“You don’t become ready before you’re visible. You become ready through visibility.”

“Business is trust. People give you their most precious resources — money and vulnerability — and they don’t do that with just anyone.”

“If your brand doesn’t let people feel you, they can’t fully trust you.”

“Visibility is not about being perfect. It’s about being willing.”

🎙️ The Real Reason You’re Watering Yourself Down

Podcast: Speak Your Truth and Look Good Doing It Host: Camila – Brand Photographer + Videographer

🔑 Episode Summary

In this episode, I talk about one of the biggest things that keeps entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives from being fully visible — the fear of triggering people.

Whether it’s holding back your opinions, not posting certain photos, downplaying your accomplishments, or refusing to sell boldly — these small moments of self-protection add up. And they keep you from being seen, trusted, and paid at the level you desire.

I share the patterns I’ve noticed after working with hundreds of founders and the ways “not wanting to trigger people” subtly shows up in their branding, content, and leadership.

📌 You’ll hear me talk about:

• How “not wanting to trigger people” turns into watering yourself down
• Why avoiding discomfort in visibility creates inconsistency in sales
• The subtle ways you might hide — like only posting your “prime” photos or never talking about your wins
• The trap of only teaching instead of connecting and storytelling
• What your body language reveals about your leadership and self-trust
• Why your audience can only trust you as much as you trust yourself
• The story of my $20K month and how nervous system regulation helped me actually hold it
• What it means to be rooted enough to take risks in business — even if it means triggering people

💬 Quotes from this episode:

“Triggering people is not a business problem. Avoiding it is.”

“Your body can’t lie to me. I can tell when your energy matches your words.”

“You can’t build trust with others if you don’t trust yourself when tension is high.”

“Being visible means letting yourself be seen — even when it feels stretchy.”

🔗 Resources & Links

• 🗓️ Book a Discovery Call
• 🎓 Free Training – How to Become Brand Shoot Ready