The Artisan CEO

On this episode, we’ll be talking about travel hacks for brand photographers! We’ll be covering both the best and worst practices I’ve found for traveling long distances for client work, and I’ll be answering the question “how do I make sure I arrive with all my gear in tow and intact?”

Resources mentioned:

• Showit*
• Season 2 Episode 3: Want to Book More Travel Shoots? Here's Your Roadmap
• Canvas bag from L.L. Bean
• Pelican 1615Air*
• Think Tank Shape Shifter backpack*
• Impact LKB-RCS Light Kit Rolling Bag*
• Chase United Club Business Card* (Click on "Are you a small business owner?" in the top, right-hand corner)
• TSA PreCheck (Pro Tip: An airline credit card will most likely cover the cost)
• Global Entry (Pro Tip: An airline credit card will most likely cover the cost)
• Apple AirTag*
• Hill & Usher Package Choice Insurance
• abbygrace.co/podcast

*Please note that these are affiliate links and that we do earn a small commission. We wouldn't recommend anything that we don't personally use, so please know that these are items we love!

On this episode, we’ll be talking about what running 19.3 miles through the Walt Disney World parks taught me about running a business. I’ll be sharing how I finally learned to stop looking over my shoulder, and why I’m actually proud of finishing slower for this year’s race than I did the year before.”

Resources mentioned:

• Brand Photography Academy
• abbygrace.co/podcast

On this episode, we’ll be talking about imposter syndrome, that insidious little voice that, if left unchecked, can do untold damage to your business. We’ll be covering how to recognize imposter syndrome at work, the unexpected perks of that voice, and how to stop the “oh my gosh, I’m a complete fraud” spiral when you’re in the midst of a crisis.

Resources mentioned:

• Wired Article: Why the Human Brain Is a Poor Judge of Risk"
• D. Michele Perry
• Brand Photography Academy
• abbygrace.co/podcast

On this episode, we’ll be talking about the automations that every brand photographer needs built into their business to create a better client experience and stop wasting precious time and energy. We’ll be covering the top 5 automations we use in our business, and the software you can use to implement the same time-saving processes in your own business.

Resources mentioned:

• Season 2, Episode 2: CEOs Don’t Do Coffee Runs
• Season 1, Episode 10: Six SOPs That'll Save Hours of Time
• Honeybook (get 50% off your first year with this link!)*
• Brand Photography Academy
• Calendly
• Client Welcome Guide Template
• Pre-shoot Questionnaire
• Zapier
• abbygrace.co/podcast

*Please note that these are affiliate links and that we do earn a small commission. We wouldn't recommend anything that we don't personally use, so please know that these are items we love!

On this episode, I’m sharing my review of the Marketer’s Heart 2023 conference that I just attended! We’ll be covering who the conference was for, what I thought of the whole thing, my main takeaways from some of the speakers, and what kind of conference you might want to consider attending this year.

Resources mentioned:

• WPPI
• Marketer's Heart Conference
• Funnel Gorgeous
• FG Funnels*
• Wendy Conklin
• Jordan Gill
• Darnyelle Jervey Harmon
• Kristin Ingram, Bookkeeper Training School
• Topsie Vandenbosch
• Ashlyn Carter
• Adrienne Richardson
• Spark Conference
• Pas de Deux conference
• Brand Photography Academy
• abbygrace.co/podcast

*Please note that these are affiliate links and that we do earn a small commission. We wouldn't recommend anything that we don't personally use, so please know that these are items we love!

On this episode, we’ll be talking about how we’ve approached childcare as small business owners who work from home! I’m detailing how our childcare situation has evolved from being childless to having one, then two, and how we’ve gradually incorporated more outside help as our kids get older.

Resources mentioned:

• Felix's adoption story
• Teddy's adoption story
• Brand Photography Academy
• abbygrace.co/survey
• abbygrace.co/podcast

On this episode, we’ll be talking about lighting! More specifically, I’m addressing artificial lighting. We’ll be covering the basic equipment EVERY photographer needs to have in their gear bag, and the foundational knowledge that every professional photographer needs to possess in order to serve your clients, no matter what kind of weather mother nature decides to serve up on the day of a shoot!

Resources mentioned:

• Katelyn James one-light set-up video
• Inverse Square Law explanation
• Brand Photography Academy
• abbygrace.co/gear
• abbygrace.co/podcast

Today I’ve got a very special bonus episode that I can’t wait for you to hear! On this episode I’m speaking with community leader & author Natalie Franke, who also happened to be my very first brand client ever! Natalie’s new website is HOT off the presses with a complete overhaul of her visual brand- we’re talking a fresh logo, color palette, typography, and spankin new brand photos by yours truly.

In this rare interview-style episode, we’ll be diving into WHY Natalie chose now to overhaul her brand, how she got started (and how she’d MAYBE start in a different order the next time around), the messaging shift in her brand that was the main driving force behind so many of the visual elements, and why she went almost seven years between her last rebrand and this one. 

If you’ve yet to encounter the force of nature and heart that is Natalie Franke, she’s an author, community builder, neuroscience nerd and mama bear for small business.

As one of the founders of the Rising Tide, the Chief Evangelist at HoneyBook, and author of Built to Belong, she leads tens of thousands of independent business owners while fostering a spirit of community over competition around the world.

Resources mentioned:

• Natalie Franke - check out her new website!
• Rising Tide Society
• Built to Belong by Natalie Franke*
• Honeybook (get 50% off your first year with this link!)*
• The Happy Brand - Natalie's brand and website designer, Erin
• abbygrace.co/podcast

*Please note that these are affiliate links and that we do earn a small commission. We wouldn't recommend anything that we don't personally use, so please know that these are items we love!

On this episode, we’ll be talking about the biggest mental hurdle I’ve encountered as a business owner- the scarcity vs. abundance mindset. I’m not normally one to talk about something as wooly as mindsets, I’m a fact-loving fiend, but there’s research to back-up WHY a mindset of abundance leads to higher levels of satisfaction and happiness. I likely would have quit my business years ago out of sheer discouragement if it weren’t for this crucial shift.

Resources mentioned:

• Small Business Association Statistics
• Natalie Franke
• Rising Tide Society
• Built to Belong by Natalie Franke*
• Season 1 Episode 4: Why I Left the Wedding Industry
• "Schools Are Looking at All Alternatives to Avoid Suspending Students"
• Rapt by Winifred Gallagher*
• Deep Work by Cal Newport*
• abbygrace.co/abundance
• abbygrace.co/podcast

*Please note that these are affiliate links and that we do earn a small commission. We wouldn't recommend anything that we don't personally use, so please know that these are items we love!

On this episode, we’ll be talking about how to STOP working during vacation! I’m recording this episode in December and a lot of us are currently looking forward to an end of the year hiatus. But I would argue that it doesn’t really count as vacation if you keep sneaking peeks at your laptop and work apps. So on this episode, we’ll be covering how to prepare your inbox and your clients for time away from the office, so you can come back from vacation rested and refilled.

Resources mentioned:

• Season 2 Episode 1: Yes, You DO Need Office Hours- Here's How to Do It
• Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang*
• Honeybook (get 50% off your first year with this link!)*
• Lastpass
• abbygrace.co/vacation
• abbygrace.co/podcast

*Please note that these are affiliate links and that we do earn a small commission. We wouldn't recommend anything that we don't personally use, so please know that these are items we love!