There’s a lot going on in the world right now (and has been for a few years!)

Trying to stay productive and focused while the world feels so chaotic can be tough. The news, the economic worries… it can be so overwhelming. But you’re not alone in this struggle.

In this episode, I’m sharing all the ways I’ve found to stay grounded both in my life and my business. From connecting with friends to limiting my information intake to reconnecting with my purpose, this episode is full of ideas to help you cut through the noise and find your footing again.

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[00:40] The uncertainty of the last few years and how I’ve stayed productive

[01:50] How reconnecting to my purpose has allowed me to stay grounded and how you can reconnect to yours too

[04:19] Why simplifying has been revolutionary for my life and business

[06:00] Why prioritizing self-care during uncertain times is so important

[09:34] Why you have to trust yourself and your resilience

Tune in to this episode for some encouragement that you’re not alone during these uncertain times!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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What happens when a self-proclaimed perfectionist swaps carefully posed newborn photography for the chaos of in-home lifestyle sessions? For Natasha Sewell, it meant rethinking everything she knew about photography.

In this episode, Natasha tells the story of how she transitioned from posed newborn photography to in-home lifestyle sessions. She shares how she prepares for the unexpected, helps clients feel at ease, and ensures every session flows naturally. 

Plus, she’s breaking down the biggest mistakes photographers make in client communication, how to use your website to bring in more business, and the lesson she wishes every photographer would learn earlier in their career.

If you want to communicate and create stronger connections with your clients, this episode with Natasha is for you!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:00] Why and how Natasha transitioned from newborn to in-home lifestyle photography

[05:36] How Natasha plans for the unexpected and prepares her clients ahead of time in each of her in-home sessions

[10:15] How Natasha helps her client to feel comfortable and creates opportunities for natural moments to occur

[11:30] How photographers can use their websites to create more business and client opportunities

[16:55] Some of the biggest mistakes Natasha sees other photographers making in their client communication

[18:55] Personal projects and other ways that Natasha reinvigorates her creativity

[26:15] One lesson that Natasha wishes photographers would learn earlier in their careers

[30:22] Natasha’s lightning round

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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Do you ever get those moments, where you think back to your childhood, and wonder how much of your memory is accurate or if you just imagined certain details?

Rebecca Hunnicutt is in the business of capturing those memories for families and enshrining their happy moments forever, instead of leaving it up to guesswork years from now. Through her lifestyle family photography business, she captures the personalities, moods, and details that families can cherish for decades to come.

In this episode, Rebecca shares how she found her niche in lifestyle family photography, the common mistakes she sees photographers make when choosing locations to shoot, how to capture those extra details that make photographs pop, and why she loves more formal school photography sessions too.

If you’ve wanted to jump into lifestyle family photography, this episode with Rebecca will get you started!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[01:48] How Rebecca found her photography niche

[07:29] Common mistakes Rebecca sees when photographers choose locations to shoot

[11:47] Tips for photographers to improve their composition skills

[14:02] How Rebecca uses color to set the mood and influence the feel of her photographs

[17:22] How to manage photoshoots while respecting family dynamics

[22:18] Why Rebecca loves school photography and her advice for starting out in that niche

[27:49] How to find inspiration and avoid creative burnout as a photographer

[31:12] Rebecca’s best advice for brand new photographers

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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As professional creatives, we can often get wrapped up in our creative output. Are we creating enough? Is it getting the attention we need? Is it leading to more revenue, a larger audience, etc?

But the truth is, our creativity at its core isn’t about that. It’s about play and experimentation and making space to just let things happen sometimes. Putting pressure on the outcome of creativity often stifles what could be a breakthrough and also puts unnecessary pressure on something that could be our safe recovery space.

So in this episode, I’m challenging you to rethink how you approach creativity, how you can take some of the pressure off of your creativity, and how you can start thinking about it through the lens of self-care. Let’s get started!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[00:30] How most creatives typically view creativity and why that can be detrimental

[02:36] How to stop putting pressure on our creativity and treating it like a safe space

[05:27] How we can come back to creativity in times of stress and burnout

[08:22] Why creativity can be its own form of self-care when we let it 

Tune in to this episode for some encouragement to rethink the way you approach creativity in the new year!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: [LINK]

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It’s no secret that most photographers get uncomfortable around the selling process. They don’t want to feel pushy, salesy, or like they're pulling a bait-and-switch on their clients. And often, they don’t want to do sales in person, as it can heighten their discomfort.

But Maggie Robinson of Tog Academy is here to show us there is another way… a way to make in-person sales feel comfortable and where both clients and photographers leave happy! In her view, it’s all about the process of leading the clients to their final purchase through every touchpoint you have with them, instead of surprising them at the end.

In this episode, Maggie breaks down what in-person sales is, why it’s crucial to her business, how she designs and markets her photography packages, and how to get around the mindset blocks that many photographers face when it comes to sales.

If you’re thinking about in-person sales gives you a cold sweat as a photographer, you need this episode with Maggie.

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:04] What in-person sales is and why Maggie is so passionate about it

[04:12] How avoid your clients being “surprised” by your pricing and leading them to sales instead

[13:04] The unique way Maggie builds her pricing packages and how less is more when it comes to your package offerings

[17:36] What the actual day of in-person sales looks like for Maggie

[22:27] How photographers can start implementing in-person sales and increasing their prices in their photography business

[30:37] Getting over the mindset block around attracting and working with high-price clients 

[37:06] Why some photographers give up on IPS and Maggie’s advice on how to stick it out when implementing IPS

[42:51] How spirituality and psychology influence the way Maggie teaches and approaches pricing

[52:30] What success looks like for Maggie in her photography business currently

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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Failure comes for us all eventually, especially as creatives. Sometimes we try something new and exciting… and it just does not work. It can sting, it’s certainly a blow to the ego, and it can often leave us confused about where to go next.

But, in my experience, a failure is often an opportunity in disguise. It’s data that can help you reevaluate and move forward more successfully. So in this episode, we’re going to walk through how we can embrace failure and use these difficult experiences to build back even stronger.

Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[00:26] The big F-word that all creatives experience

[02:05] The breakthroughs that can come after failure

[04:55] Some of the lessons that failure can teach us

[06:45] How we can reframe failure and use it to keep us moving forward

[09:31] What to do immediately after a failure

Tune in to this episode for a little kick in the pants to reframe that failure into something beneficial to your creative business!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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Water holds a special place for many of us: it’s beautiful, mysterious, and potentially dangerous, if not treated with respect. Karen Bagley of Significant Moments is no stranger to this mix when it comes to photographing underwater. 

She’s built her whole business on capturing the ethereal and majestic nature of underwater imagery through constant education and high safety standards.

In this episode, she’s sharing what it takes to dive into underwater photography, the education you need to have before jumping in, why safety is her top priority, and how to constantly learn and iterate in this unique environment. Her way of storytelling, both through photography and this episode, is so captivating.

If you want to try underwater photography, this episode will give you the roadmap to get started! Let’s dive in!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[03:06] Karen’s life-long relationship with water

[06:41] How Karen approaches planning underwater sessions with her clients

[10:46] The importance of safety and planning when it comes to underwater photography

[20:39] What appropriate training for underwater photography looks like and why you need to have training before starting photography like this

[29:03] How Karen chooses wardrobe pieces that will work underwater

[33:07] What an underwater photographer workshop looks like with Karen

[42:52] Karen’s take on pricing and her unique journey around her own money mindset

[1:01:18] Karen’s Lightning Round, including her favorite editing session snacks

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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When you start out as a creative, you’re full of energy and motivation. You probably have a “why” that gets your adrenaline pumping and keeps you focused… at least for a little while.

But inevitably, that energy wanes. The motivation you once had to keep going in the tougher parts of your business is fading, and you might be wondering, how do I recapture that spark?

Well, in this episode, I’m going to walk you through my whole process of rediscovering my motivation to keep going in my photography business and sharing the questions I had to ask and answer for myself as I sorted through this process. 

Grab a pen and notebook to write down these questions for later, and let’s get started!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[01:26] Remembering our “why” when we lose our motivation

[04:25] How to transition if your original “why” doesn’t fit anymore

[05:53] How to identify what’s working and what isn’t in our current situation

[09:01] Why it might be time to shake things up if nothing else is working

Tune in to this episode for a little pep talk on rediscovering your motivation as you begin this new year!

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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Styles change, fashion has seasons, and photographers grow and evolve throughout their careers too. So, how do you navigate stylistic changes while staying true to yourself and without surprising clients?

Marta Ponsko is here to help! She’s navigated her own style as it’s grown and developed throughout the years. While her style is influenced by her love of fashion, Marta has spent years experimenting with styling and lighting techniques, eventually adopting a less-is-more approach when it comes to her closet of props and garments.

In this episode, she shares how that evolution has looked for her, how she’s documented her career through social media in a way that resonates with her clients, and how the brave leaps she has taken have paid off throughout her career.

If you need a little encouragement to do something out of the ordinary in your photography career, this episode with Marta Ponsko will give you the kick in the pants that you need!

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[02:53] The family history that influenced Marta’s photography career 

[08:27] How Marta’s photography style has evolved and how she incorporates fashion into her photography style

[12:26] Marta’s lighting preferences and how she plays with light and color in her photography

[23:20] How Marta uses social media to grow her photography brand

[33:56] How Marta handles the inevitable artistic block that comes her way

[43:27] The bravest leap Marta has taken in her career and how it’s paid off

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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As a photographer, you probably started taking photos because you loved some aspect of it, right? Maybe the artistry or the relationships you built, or the freedom that career seemed to offer you.

But at some point, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed, overworked, and out of love with the career we once dreamed of. So, if that’s where you find yourself today, how do you recover? How do you find your spark again?

Well, in this episode, Eden Strader is here to help. She’s a photographer turned business coach, helping other creatives rediscover their passion for their work, while building a life they love outside of work too.

If you’ve fallen out of love with photography and are trying to find your way back, this episode is just for you. 

What’s in this episode:

[00:00] Intro

[01:58] How Eden began mentoring other photographers and creatives

[05:40] How to create a business of your dreams that also creates the life you want too

[08:27] The first step photographers can take to climb out of the pit of despair we sometimes find ourselves in

[16:04] The psychology of sales and how understanding this aspect can help you find more joy and balance in your work

[26:04] How to find passion for your work again as a photographer

[31:08] What success looks like to Eden 

[41:06] How Eden channels her ADHD and builds her flexibility into her work patterns

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/

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