Montana Diaries Creative Business Blog
creative business resources, Shownotes, extra media, and links from the pod!
What is your minimum acceptable baseline? Ft. Tanessa Shears!
Tanessa Shears is a Kinesiologist, Certified Sleep Science Coach, and health consultant who helps entrepreneurs double their energy and focus so they can make more money in their business with her 12 Becoming Limitless Protocols. She works closely with business owners to eliminate brain fog and wake up well rested so they can get more done in less time, maintain consistent, stable energy throughout the day and feel better than they have in years. Tanessa is also the host of The Becoming Limitless Podcast, sharing her expertise on optimizing health and focus for business success.
calling all photographers!
join me for my FREE masterclass: HOW TO UPLEVEL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS USING VIDEO
EVERYTHING you need to know about integrating video into your photography biz without buying new equipment, getting super techy, or wasting your precious time!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN…
1. Why video is KING online, AKA why YOU should incorporate video into your business strategy
2. The leg up that hybrid shooters have in the photo + video industries and why it IS possible to learn with your existing equipment
3. Action steps you can take RIGHT NOW toward incorporating video content!
TANESSA SHEARS: BIO HACKING BUT NOT IN A WEIRD ELON MUSK WAY
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET TANESSA SHEARS
Tanessa Shears is a Kinesiologist, Certified Sleep Science Coach, and health consultant who helps entrepreneurs double their energy and focus so they can make more money in their business with her 12 Becoming Limitless Protocols. She works closely with business owners to eliminate brain fog and wake up well rested so they can get more done in less time, maintain consistent, stable energy throughout the day and feel better than they have in years. Tanessa is also the host of The Becoming Limitless Podcast, sharing her expertise on optimizing health and focus for business success.
HOW ENTREPRENEURS CAN BECOME LIMITLESS ft. TANESSA SHEARS
Omggg, when I tell you that I NEEDED this conversation with Tanessa Shears…I mean it. She floated into my life to remind me how important it is to prioritize my body + mind as an entrepreneur, and I’m so happy I get to take you along with me through this episode. If you’re anything like me, this conversation will be a HUGE wake up call!
A chat w/ Tanessa Shears, founder of the 12 Becoming Limitless Protocols
We chat about the importance of quality sleep
How our diets play a role in our success as entrepreneurs
Why exercise helps us build resilience
SO much more!!
hey, photog friend!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
35: DEEP dive with expert social media marketer Katie Love
KATIE LOVE
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because today we have an incredible guest, Katie Love! Katie is an expert social media strategist. She’s helped numerous businesses turn followers into real sales and leads. Katie has a decade of social media experience under her belt! She loves creating engaging content and branding for each of her clients.
Katie worked for TV stations across the country and as a news reporter, she learned to brand herself through social media. Now, she loves telling business owners' stories with engaging content, video and graphics. We had an incredible conversation about her journey from news caster to social media strategist.
calling all photographers!
join me for my FREE masterclass: HOW TO UPLEVEL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS USING VIDEO
EVERYTHING you need to know about integrating video into your photography biz without buying new equipment, getting super techy, or wasting your precious time!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN…
1. Why video is KING online, AKA why YOU should incorporate video into your business strategy
2. The leg up that hybrid shooters have in the photo + video industries and why it IS possible to learn with your existing equipment
3. Action steps you can take RIGHT NOW toward incorporating video content!
KATIE LOVE: DEEP dive into pitching, social media marketing, scaling, and creative business
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET KATIE LOVE
Katie got her start in the news industry, from stations all across the country to the Today Show and The White House. While covering the news wasn’t her true calling, it did develop a strong storytelling talent and a desire to connect people.
Katie understood the power social media was gaining and wanted to use it to help female-led businesses thrive—while also easing the pressure and stress that comes with running a business.
So, with a strong support system and a leap of faith, she started Love Social Media.
These days, Katie enjoys helping her clients take social media off their plates and loves managing her talented, family-like team.
KATIE LOVE
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because today we have an incredible guest, Katie Love! Katie is an expert social media strategist. She’s helped numerous businesses turn followers into real sales and leads. Katie has a decade of social media experience under her belt! She loves creating engaging content and branding for each of her clients.
Katie worked for TV stations across the country and as a news reporter, she learned to brand herself through social media. Now, she loves telling business owners' stories with engaging content, video and graphics. We had an incredible conversation about her journey from news caster to social media strategist, but Before we jump into the interview with Katie, here’s a kind review of my signature course Videography for Photographers by a past guest on the pod and in incredible Pinterest manager Teresa Dietrich:
“Social media analytics have told us over and over again that video is the thing that is doing well. This course not only goes through how to actually film video and hybrid shoot, but it also goes over why it NEEDS to be in every photographer’s marketing strategy and business plan! Adding videography will not only add value to your client’s experience but will also uplevel your marketing strategy! Videography for Photographers is the perfect place to learn and start video!”
Teresa, thank you so much for your kind words. If you would like a shout out of your own, then write a review of the podcast on the Apple Podcasts app — it takes less than two minutes and it helps the pod grow! If you’ve everrrrr enjoyed or learned from the free content on this podcast, please please please review it and leave your IG handle so I can say thank you! Now onto the interview with Katie Love.
A chat w/ Katie Love — the “why” behind social media marketing and whether or not you should outsource it
Katie started off by telling us about her first career as a journalist — her beat was missing children, and figured out the power of social media through sharing about these children on her social media accounts. Her transition out of her career was a winding path, including recovering from a serious injury and learning how to rely on others’ help as she healed.
The early portion of her business included a ton of pitching to small businesses to try to gain social media marketing clients without having experience to offer. Katie chats about the hard transition between offering free + cheap labor, to then trying to charge after proving results. This is an excellent conversation for every business owner struggling with pitching and communicating value!
We chatted all about systemizing the approach to social media, which became especially necessary for Katie once she reached 15 clients on her roster. She gave behind the scenes insight on hiring in her business in order to scale, and how she created a system for onboarding clients, creating content calendars for her clients, and reviewing the analytics as they carried out their strategy.
As Katie’s business grew, she recognized the need to create time and communication boundaries with her clients. It became a huge priority to ensure her team avoided burnout and overworking — and today, that is the biggest pride point of Katie’s career, that the women who work with her feel safe and empowered and taken care of in the workplace.
“When you realize something isn’t being done and needs to be, and that thing isn’t your zone of genius, if you don’t enjoy it...that’s the best time to outsource ANYTHING. You can be more productive doing what you love. ”
Katie recognizes that there are different phases of creative business — her business, Love Social Media, offers different tiers and services depending on the phase of business clients are in.
I highly, highly, highly recommend this podcast episode for EVERY creative entrepreneur no matter what phase of business you’re in. I went in thinking it would be all about social media strategy, and it ended up being one of the most heart-centered and REAL chats about entrepreneurship and marketing I’ve had on the pod. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
hey, photog friend!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
34: Behind the scenes of creating a coworking community for women w/ Amanda M. Diehl
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because today we have an incredible entrepreneur with us today, Amanda Diehl, the owner/operator of Sky Oro in Bozeman, MT. Sky Oro is a gorgeoussss co-working space for women that I personally go to every time I’m passing through Bozeman, MT because the photography/videography side of the business has me traveling quite often. Here’s how their website sums up Sky Oro: “An activated community of badasses who are brave enough to be vulnerable and bold enough to help each other get to the top in their lives.” How cool is that!? Side note, friends, I have this future vision of a creative space/content creation space/rentable studio mixed with a coworking space, so I freaking attacked Amanda with all of my questions when I first met her in person and she was gracious enough to move the conversation to the pod. So welcome to my selfish business coaching sesh, ha! Let’s get right into it.
calling all photographers!
join me for my FREE masterclass: HOW TO UPLEVEL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS USING VIDEO
EVERYTHING you need to know about integrating video into your photography biz without buying new equipment, getting super techy, or wasting your precious time!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN…
1. Why video is KING online, AKA why YOU should incorporate video into your business strategy
2. The leg up that hybrid shooters have in the photo + video industries and why it IS possible to learn with your existing equipment
3. Action steps you can take RIGHT NOW toward incorporating video content!
AMANDA DIEHL: Behind the scenes of co-founding and running a successful coworking space for women
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET AMANDA M. DIEHL
Amanda is a lover of experiences, people, the wild outdoors and spicy pad thai.. She grew up between Montana and the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, where she learned to value an adventurous life, and thrive in relatively unpredictable circumstances. Many of her childhood summers were spent on her grandparent’s farm in Townsend, MT, moving pipe (begrudgingly), playing in the fields with too many cousins to count and watching her grandparents offer their home as a welcome and safe haven for anyone passing through needing rest and a hot meal.
Fast forward, she holds a masters degree in public health, spent 5 years working as a consultant for a public health informatics company, loves being mama to a few wild children, opened and sustained her first business despite a pandemic and is fully aware that she is living her purpose on a daily basis.
Amanda believes wholeheartedly in the transformative power of human connection, and knows that when she is putting her energy there, the world is a better place for each of us.
AMANDA DIEHL
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because today we have an incredible entrepreneur with us today, Amanda Diehl, the owner/operator of Sky Oro in Bozeman, MT. Sky Oro is a gorgeoussss co-working space for women that I personally go to every time I’m passing through Bozeman, MT because the photography/videography side of the business has me traveling quite often. Here’s how their website sums up Sky Oro: “An activated community of badasses who are brave enough to be vulnerable and bold enough to help each other get to the top in their lives.” How cool is that!? Side note, friends, I have this future vision of a creative space/content creation space/rentable studio mixed with a coworking space, so I freaking attacked Amanda with all of my questions when I first met her in person and she was gracious enough to move the conversation to the pod. So welcome to my selfish business coaching sesh, ha! Let’s get right into it.
Behind the scenes of co-founding and running a successful coworking space for women
Amanda started her career in the public health sphere — during her first career, she was always surrounded by colleagues and collaboration and really thrived in that environment. When she moved back to Helena, MT, Amanda realized that people in her field were uninspired at work, and wondered how she could foster a more creative and collaborative culture in her workplace. When her contract with her government job expired, she knew she was moving to Bozeman, and so she started pitching creative coworking spaces to everyone who would listen. As she did so, she realized there were many more people with the exact need for a beautiful and inspiring workspace and a community to lean on.
Amanda soon got connected with a like-minded partner, Christina, and together they hit the ground running with starting what is now Sky Oro, a creative coworking space for women in the Cannery district of Bozeman, MT.
Amanda and Christina made a goal of crowd funding $200,000 to start the coworking space — they met their goal and some within 6 weeks, and created a tight-knit community from those initial members who committed before the space even opened.
“I know now that I can do nothing on my own — I need to be surrounded by minds that are much more intelligent than I am, who have other zones of genius, who can help you think bigger and lean into the discomfort of staying outside my comfort zone.”
The next phase of Sky Oro is all about facilitating community — Amanda recognized in herself that she struggles to lean on community and her network, and she leads a community coworking space, so others must feel the same. A huge part of this intitiative is bringing the value of the community online — Sky Oro now offers virtual memberships beyond the in-person experience that also includes a platform for communication and events.
After Amanda explained her heart and vision for the future of Sky Oro beautifully, she spent ten minutes being ridiculously candid in response to my super nosy logistical/integrator questions about how Sky Oro is ran! You’ll have to listen to the episode to get exact dollar amounts and processes — huge thanks to Amanda for being such a good sport, ha!
hey, photog friend!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
33: Whole-heartedness and diving in head first w/ Devin from Backcountry Bohemians
DEVIN LARSON: Diving in head first in EVERYTHING she does, money mindset and business growth, launching an incredible FIELD GUIDE, and much more!!
calling all photographers!
join me for my FREE masterclass: HOW TO UPLEVEL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS USING VIDEO
EVERYTHING you need to know about integrating video into your photography biz without buying new equipment, getting super techy, or wasting your precious time!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN…
1. Why video is KING online, AKA why YOU should incorporate video into your business strategy
2. The leg up that hybrid shooters have in the photo + video industries and why it IS possible to learn with your existing equipment
3. Action steps you can take RIGHT NOW toward incorporating video content!
DEVIN LARSON: Diving in head first in EVERYTHING she does, money mindset and business growth, launching an incredible FIELD GUIDE, and much more!!
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET DEVIN FROM BACKCOUNTRY BOHEMIANS
“Hiii, I’m Devin (she/her)!
I'm a creative soul with a love for life and adventure.
I’ve always been creatively minded and had a deep love for true connection between humans, the ones that give you butterflies and make you giddy. I believe at the end of the day, these connections, even the smallest ones, are what mean the most. Life is filled with these tiny moments and the fact that I get to capture them, stop time, and hand them onto you to be remembered forever means more than you may ever know.”
DEVIN LARSON
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because today we have one of the most incredible creatives I know on the podcast, Devin from Backcountry Bohemians. Devin’s work speaks for itself, so if you aren’t driving, be sure to go check out Backcountry Bohemians to give a little context to Devin’s business and talent as she takes you through her business/life/creativity journey… if you are driving, just trust me that Devin is a true artist with a huge heart for her clients, and spoiler alert, it’s all rooted in reverence for the outdoors and adventure. Alsoooo she fills my “words of affirmation” cup in this episode by being way too kind about my course, Videography for Photographers, and I’m just bringing that up to say I didn’t ask her to do that or pay her hahaha! She is just that kind. 99% of this pod is not that, though, I promise. This is a must listen, creative friends!
DEVIN FROM BACKCOUNTRY BOHEMIANS AT A GLANCE:
Hollyyyy hell, Devin is so effing candid about her creative business journey — this is a truly juicy episode that you don’t want to miss.
Devin is the queennnn of calling her shot — she won a contest to go to a photography workshop for free, bought a camera off craiglist, and told everyone from that point on that she was a full time photographer. We talked all about confidence and the concept of self-permission.
We both believe in the power of knowledge and continuing education — as Devin detailed her early journey of taking on every shoot imaginable and consuming every resource imaginable, I couldn’t help but comment on the power of hunger and directing one’s energy and focus toward where you want to go. Devin is a perfect example of how fast you can grow with drive and focus.
Devin tells everyone to read/listen to Get Rich, Lucky Bitch lol — we chat about our money mindsets and how we’ve come to think about money over the past few years.
We talk about making business align with lifestyle — Devin talks through getting clients on board with shooting the types of things she wants to shoot, which means outside activity-based shoots that show people actually DOING something.
Devin is always thinking about how to serve her clients + provide add ons that make their experience with her even better — she bought my course, Videography for Photographers, to provide personal films along with her photo galleries, and she has multiple rentals like backdrops, props, and picnics to add on to her sessions. I love that her business ideas are smart but also rooted in service.
“So, you’re like hanging out of your boyfriend’s car and it’s like, kinda getting dusky blue hour, and the lights of the city are on, and your favorite band is playing, and it’s a warm summer night...that, to me, is Super 8. If I imagine myself in that moment, it’s in Super 8.”
I love the way Devin talks about Super 8 — it makes me think of how I want my elopement films to feel. I want that shaky, hanging-out-of-the-window footage and shots of the groom getting the same view with his iPhone and then cuts to him squeezing his partner’s hand while staring out at the mountains. I want to watch a film and remember how the day felt.
Devin knows the outdoors, makes incredible art with her photography and videography, serves the shit out of her clients — she’s who you want to learn from if you’re trying to break into the outdoor adventure space. She is launching a huuuggeeee, affordable guide that she’s calling Field Notes. RUN, do not walk, and snag the guide HERE.
hey, photog friend!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
29: Creating a personal brand that grows with you w/ Rachel Traxler
RACHEL TRAXLER: On her business journey, developing a personal brand that grew with her business + life, bringing her husband on board, and much more!
calling all photographers!
join me for my FREE masterclass: HOW TO UPLEVEL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS USING VIDEO
EVERYTHING you need to know about integrating video into your photography biz without buying new equipment, getting super techy, or wasting your precious time!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN…
1. Why video is KING online, AKA why YOU should incorporate video into your business strategy
2. The leg up that hybrid shooters have in the photo + video industries and why it IS possible to learn with your existing equipment
3. Action steps you can take RIGHT NOW toward incorporating video content!
RACHEL TRAXLER: On her business journey, developing a personal brand that grew with her business + life, bringing her husband on board, and much more!
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET RACHEL
“Hey, I'm Rach! I’m a photographer turned business coach helping photographers scale their business with strategy and purpose.
Having almost a decade of experience in the field, my heart has grown to serving and helping other photographers to grow through the struggles I went through myself.
Growing my business to an in-demand, successful,
6-figure, sought after traveling elopement business, I want to teach other photographers to do the same.”
RACHEL TRAXLER AT A GLANCE:
-We get right into chatting about modifying family life based on our businesses + defining what success really looks/feels like to us
-Rachel booked her first wedding over a decade ago, back when online education was notttt a big thing; she made the leap into full time photography in 2017
-She opens up about what was missing in her client experience at the beginning, and how overcoming her client experience gaps made her love + appreciate client experience even more and it’s now one of her fave things to teach.
-Fast forward four years, Rachel became an industry leader and expanded her business to include an associate team and is not focusing on education.
-We talk branding — voice, tone, aesthetics, and how Rachel made both sides of her brand truly reflect HER.
“When I dug into my personality — I found that I aligned my shooting + editing style with my personality and that’s when my branding clicked.”
Rachel has recently shifted to a coaching business education model, and she knows her stuff — she offers manyyyy free + paid resources for photographers, so check them out at the links below!
hey, photog friend!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
21: Pinterest Strategy for Creative Business w/ MY Pinterest manager Teresa Dietrich!
In episode 21, I’m talking with MY pinterest manager Teresa Dietrich about her journey to becoming a Virtual Assistant-turned Pinterest Strategist, her client workflow, and tips for creative entrepreneurs like you to create your own Pinterest workflows. We dive DEEP into the WHY behind Pinterest as well as the how, so be sure to listen alllll the way to the end so you can implement all of this goodness into your own business.
“Instagram is no longer a photo sharing app.”
When head of Instagram Adam Mosseri said that via an IGTV video this summer, I watched as photographers freaked the eff out on photography Facebook groups, on their stories, and yepppp my DMs.
Sooo… I wrote a free guide for YOU, photog friend. This guide is a DEEP DIVE into video marketing for photographers — not only do I provide tangible, actionable strategy for batching video content for YouTube, IGTV, Facebook, TikTok, and Reels, but I take the time to discuss the WHY of it all. Aannndddd this isn’t one of those guides where I throw up information on you that you have no hope of implementing during your busy photo season — I’m a working videographer and photographer, so I freaking get the struggle to implement a content creation strategy. As always, I’m here to meet you where you’re at with what you have
Teresa Dietrich: All about outsourcing Pinterest, the process of working with a VA, and creating a strategy that drives tangible results
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
Behind the scenes with MY Pinterest Manager!
In episode 21, I’m talking with MY pinterest manager Teresa Dietrich about her journey to becoming a Virtual Assistant-turned Pinterest Strategist, her client workflow, and tips for creative entrepreneurs like you to create your own Pinterest workflows. We dive DEEP into the WHY behind Pinterest as well as the how, so be sure to listen alllll the way to the end so you can implement all of this goodness into your own business.
TERESA DIETRICH
In episode 21, I’m talking with MY pinterest manager Teresa Dietrich about her journey to becoming a Virtual Assistant-turned Pinterest Strategist, her client workflow, and tips for creative entrepreneurs like you to create your own Pinterest workflows. We dive DEEP into the WHY behind Pinterest as well as the how, so be sure to listen alllll the way to the end so you can implement all of this goodness into your own business.
Starting a VA Practice
Teresa and I chatted all about the inception of her VA business — she took us through early client acquisition, to working with those first clients, to finally niching down to Pinterest. Teresa’s personal experience will be helpful to those who want to become a VA as well as business owners looking to work with one for the first time.
The Process of Outsourcing Pinterest
Soooo many creative business owners want to outsource things like Pinterest, but the thought is intimidating for them. Part of that intimidation is that they don’t know how the process works. Here is how it works with Teresa:
Fill out an inquiry form. You’ll talk back and forth about how everything works, and ask any questions you might have.
Schedule a call to make sure you vibe with the person you’re outsourcing tasks to!
Agree on services rendered, payment, and get a contract in place.
Creating a strategy for Pinterest
After the agreement is made, it’s time to create a Pinterest strategy that aligns with your goals for your business. This isn’t about pinning pretty things and increasing vanity metrics that make you feel good — it’s about driving real, tangible results like email list building. Remember: You OWN your email list, but you don’t own social media platforms. Your marketing strategy should really focus on driving the needle forward with things you own.
Pinterest isn’t a social media platform in the way that Instagram and Facebook are — Pinterest is a search engine that people use in order to find inspiration, tools, and things to buy.
When I’m looking at our analytics every month, I’m looking at the email list to see if it’s growing. What Teresa is looking at are analytics related to Pinterest itself like impressions, pins, and clicks to see what is resonating with people so we can make more of that.
5 Steps to DIYing Pinterest if you Aren’t Ready to Outsource
Clearly outline your goals: figure out who you want to find your pins, how you can help them, and where you want them to go.
Keyword Research: Keywords are specific words that show Pinterest what your content is about. Collect keywords based on existing pins that people are searching for.
Creating Pins: Create graphics that encourage people to click!
Schedule out pins: We use Tailwind to schedule out pins in advance so that you’re consistently posting on Pinterest without having to think about it every single day.
Create systems for batching Pinterest-related tasks: Take specific days to block out time to look at your analytics for the last month, create content, and schedule pins.
Work with Teresa
If you’re interested in outsourcing your Pinterest, be sure to check out Teresa on Instagram!
Get a shout out on the pod!
Be sure to rate and review the Montana Diaries podcast on Apple Podcasts to get a shout out on the pod! Just be sure to include your Instagram handle in your review so we can say thank you on a future episode — your reviews help us so much to get more amazing guests, climb in the charts, and continue to serve you!
hey, photog friend!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
Montana Diaries Hosted by Shayna Lloyd
The Montana Diaries Podcast hosted by Shayna Lloyd || Channel Trailer
Montana Diaries Podcast Channel Trailer
The Montana Diaries podcast is all about storytelling and getting to the heart of creativity, entrepreneurship, and the drive it takes to build a full life for oneself. Host Shayna Lloyd dives into all things creativity, lifestyle, and business, and also sits down with many incredible creatives who come ready to open up about what the "dream" is. Let's talk pleasure and where this all fits into practicality, money, and lifestyle.