Montana Diaries Creative Business Blog
creative business resources, Shownotes, extra media, and links from the pod!
Building a brand that has NO competition ft. Eden Strader!
Eden Strader is a six figure photographer turned business coach who inspires creative entrepreneurs, artists, and makers to build a life of artistic growth, wealth, and personal power with carefully curated strategies in marketing, mindset, sales strategy, and self care through excavating her client's unique brand of magic. Everything Eden Strader is based on the concept that we should be building our dream businesses in order to have our dream lives - not stopping at the business as the final destination.
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!
HOW TO BUILD A BRAND THAT HAS NO COMPETITION
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET EDEN STRADER
Eden Strader is a six figure photographer turned business coach who inspires creative entrepreneurs, artists, and makers to build a life of artistic growth, wealth, and personal power with carefully curated strategies in marketing, mindset, sales strategy, and self care through excavating her client's unique brand of magic. Everything Eden Strader is based on the concept that we should be building our dream businesses in order to have our dream lives - not stopping at the business as the final destination.
Build a brand that has NO competition!
Welcomeeee back to the pod — I’m so stoked to present this conversation with the lovely Eden Strader. Eden and I align so much on our values in business, it’s honestly insane. We both believe in building businesses that enable your dream LIFE. In this candid conversation, we chatted all about the evolution Eden’s business + brand andddd how she found her voice in the industry AND her life. This is a MUST listen.
A chat w/ Eden Strader:
We chat about Eden’s progression from good-girl mormon/Utah wifey to openly queer NYC badass creative
Finding your unique voice
Showing up online + being polarizing
Vanity metrics vs. bookings
Soooo much in between.
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!
36: Becoming a successful traveling elopement photographer w/ Emily Kidd
EMILY KIDD PHOTO
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because on today’s episode we have the lovely Emily Kidd, one of my absolute favorite elopement photographers and the host of a podcast serving elopement photographers, The Road Created — Emily has such a heart for serving other business owners, she’s an amazing business woman, and she truly captures her couples perfectly on their adventures. In this episode of the Montana Diaries Podcast, we discuss building a sustainable business, SEO, Pinterest, and navigating social media marketing.
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!
EMILY KIDD: Becoming a full time traveling elopement photographer, marketing strategy for travel photography, and what the dream is!
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET EMILY KIDD
“I’m a destination wedding photographer and adventure-seeker. I love that my camera connects me to people in such a unique way. Photography started out as a creative outlet but quickly turned into a consuming passion. I get to hang out with incredible humans who are crazy about each other while seeing as much of the world as I possibly can. Getting to know my couples by grabbing a drink, exploring, and running around with them is one of the many reasons I love my job. I live for the funny, awkward, and sweet moments that depict the authenticity of your relationship. I want to catch the emotions and the details in a way that makes you pause every time you look at the photo and feel it all over again.”
EMILY KIDD PHOTO
Helloooo and welcome back to the Montana Diaries Podcast, I’m Shayna and I’m so freaking stoked you’re here because on today’s episode we have the lovely Emily Kidd, one of my absolute favorite elopement photographers and the host of a podcast serving elopement photographers, The Road Created — Emily has such a heart for serving other business owners, she’s an amazing business woman, and she truly captures her couples perfectly on their adventures. In this episode of the Montana Diaries Podcast, we discuss building a sustainable business, SEO, Pinterest, and navigating social media marketing.
A chat w/ Emily Kidd, traveling elopement photographer
Emily has always had an interest in both travel and photojournalism, but she wasn’t sure how to monetize these passions until she found elopement articles on Junebug Weddings. Seeing other destination wedding photographers’ work made her realize that the career she wanted was possible. For Emily, traveling and shooting is a lifestyle — she travels full time, planning her trips based on where she books shoots.
The portfolio building stage for Emily included a combination of paid work and workshops in destination locations — we chatted about the importance of portfolio building to build trust with potential clients/being able to showcase what you can do. Emily also mentions how important it is to make travel a part of her brand.
In order to become profitable and sustain her lifestyle as a full time traveling photographer, Emily continued to do styled shoots but also became serious about marketing and SEO. She took two courses on SEO and Pinterest — a combination of strategic blog posts and regular pinning is still the top inquiry driver for her business. Emily even gave me some great advice as far as creating guides to target specific locations goes; this is a great tip for every type of creative business so listen to the pod!
Emily also has an incredible podcast, The Road Created. She explained that she loves the medium of podcasting for her own learning, and I feel the exact same way. Emily is also passionate about helping other photographers reach their goals — she says if she can do it, so can everyone else.
I highly, highly, highly recommend this podcast episode for EVERY photographer with anyyyy interest in traveling! Emily is so full of amazing information and strategies for marketing for a traveling business, I’m so grateful for her honesty and I know this episode will help a ton of people. Be sure to let us know what you think after listening!
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!
27: Deep dive with destination wedding photographer Grace Troutman!
Meet Grace Troutman:
"My name is Grace Troutman and I'm a Midwest based destination wedding photographer and business educator. I started my business about 6.5 years ago and have traveled to places including Iceland, Ireland, Hawaii, Colorado, California, and Washington to shoot sessions and weddings. I lived in California when I was first starting my business, but Iowa called us home and I was determined to live a life of travel while still being close to family and friends. If I'm not out shooting with my team or teaching other creatives, you can find me hanging out with my husband or playing with my two year old daughter, Pfeiffer. I'm an enneagram 2w3 so that says a lot about me!"
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!
GRACE TROUTMAN: Building a destination wedding brand from the Midwest of the United States, Growing an associate team, Showing up consistently and effectively on social media, Education for photographers
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET GRACE TROUTMAN
"My name is Grace Troutman and I'm a Midwest based destination wedding photographer and business educator. I started my business about 6.5 years ago and have traveled to places including Iceland, Ireland, Hawaii, Colorado, California, and Washington to shoot sessions and weddings. I lived in California when I was first starting my business, but Iowa called us home and I was determined to live a life of travel while still being close to family and friends. If I'm not out shooting with my team or teaching other creatives, you can find me hanging out with my husband or playing with my two year old daughter, Pfeiffer. I'm an enneagram 2w3 so that says a lot about me!"
GRACE TROUTMAN
Ohhhh man, this has to be one of my favorite interviews I’ve EVER had on the podcast — Grace Troutman is such an aspirational business woman and we covered everythingggg from building a traveling elopement brand from the Midwest of the United States, to growing her associate photography team, to offering business education for other photographers, to finding her voice on different social media platforms like TIKTOK. Grace is completely candid about the progression of her life and business, and I know you’re all going to get a ton out of what she has to say.
LISTEN UP TO HEAR GRACE CHAT ABOUT:
Building a destination wedding brand from the Midwest of the United States
Growing an associate team
Showing up consistently and effectively on social media
Education for photographers
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!
6 Mary Kantner: Human-centered business and keeping the art sacred
Mary Kantner is a portrait photographer based out of Los Angeles, CA. She is inspired by “imperfections”, in-between moments, and telling a story in her photographs. She uses both film and digital photography fluently within her work.
Mary Kantner: Human-centered business and keeping the art sacred
From Mary Kantner’s website: Mary Kantner is a portrait photographer based out of Los Angeles, CA. She is inspired by “imperfections”, in-between moments, and telling a story in her photographs. She uses both film and digital photography fluently within her work.
Mary joins the Montana Diaries podcast to discuss, well, everything. We talk about being multi-passionate artists in an industry that demands niching down, and how we must allow our human selves to be more complicated than our brands. Mary attempts to put words to what draws her to photography legend Annie Leibovitz, which prompts a fumbling talk where we dissect the difference between technical excellence and emotional authenticity.
This conversation is one of my favorites so far on the podcast, and I can’t wait to hear what you take from it.
4 Leanna Krenik: How Her Personal Style Shaped Her Mindset and Career
Leanna Krenik is my dear friend and a Bozeman, Montana based photographer. In this episode of the Montana Diaries podcast, Leanna gets craazzzyyyy vulnerable about her feelings about her personal style and social perception shaped her creativity and career. Keep listening until the end because Leanna's mindset around keeping her personal life and marriage sacred paired with her thoughts about protecting her time are pure gold.
Leanna Krenik: How Her Personal Style Shaped Her Mindset and Career
Leanna Krenik is my dear friend and a Bozeman, Montana based photographer. In this episode of the Montana Diaries podcast, Leanna gets craazzzyyyy vulnerable about her feelings about her personal style and social perception shaped her creativity and career. Keep listening until the end because Leanna's mindset around keeping her personal life and marriage sacred paired with her thoughts about protecting her time are pure gold.
LINKS
Montana Diaries Videography for Photographers Waitlist
Hybrid Handbook: Starter Guide for Photographers Ready to Learn Videography
Montana Diaries Creative Vision Workshop
3 Dawn Charles: Photography, Education, and Entrepreneurship
Dawn Charles is an adventurous wedding and elopement photographer turned educator and the founder of Rise Photo Academy, which Dawn calls "Netflix for photographers." She is the creator of multiple digital products and resources for photographers, including her wildly popular DC presets. Dawn joins the Montana Diaries podcast to talk about her progression from photography student, to intern, to business owner. These days, Dawn's main passion lies with helping small business owners find success in their niche.
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!
3 Dawn Charles on Photography, Education, and Entrepreneurship
Meet Dawn Charles, creator of Rise Photo Academy and DC Presets
“I’m a former intimate wedding and couple photographer (and a total editing nerd) based in Bend, Oregon, who spent years fine-tuning my craft and struggling to figure this whole business thing out.
But along the way, I realized I didn’t have to do it all on my own. And neither do you.”
Dawn Charles is an adventurous wedding and elopement photographer turned educator and the founder of Rise Photo Academy, which Dawn calls "Netflix for photographers." She is the creator of multiple digital products and resources for photographers, including her wildly popular DC presets. Dawn joins the Montana Diaries podcast to talk about her progression from photography student, to intern, to business owner. These days, Dawn's main passion lies with helping small business owners find success in their niche.
I know you'll get as much out of this chat as I did -- make sure to let us know what you thought after you listen!
“What if I made an all-in-one platform where people from any experience level or any budget can come in and pick and choose what they want to learn about?”
heyyy, photog friend!!
If you’ve been wanting to learn videography with the gear you already own, I have a free guide just for you!
2 Elise Perpignano: How Glacier National Park Inspired Her Creative Life and Career
Elise Perpignano is a Montana-based artist who specializes in graphic design and oil painting. Elise joins the Montana Diaries podcast to talk all things creativity and business. We discuss the freedom of trying things in childhood, what it feels like to try to cast a practical creative vision and monetize making things, and living outside Glacier National Park.
2 Elise Perpignano: How Glacier National Park Inspired Her Creative Life and Career
Elise Perpignano is a Montana-based artist who specializes in graphic design and oil painting. Elise joins the Montana Diaries podcast to talk all things creativity and business. We discuss the freedom of trying things in childhood, what it feels like to try to cast a practical creative vision and monetize making things, and living outside Glacier National Park.
LINKS
Elise’s Headshot by Mary Kantner Photo
Montana Diaries Videography for Photographers Waitlist
Montana Diaries Creative Vision Workshop
1 April Sky: Following Intuition in Business, Life, and Motherhood
April Sky is a Montana-based photographer and business coach for moms. She joins the Montana Diaries podcast to discuss her journey from stay-at-home mom to thriving owner of two businesses. In this chat, April gets personal about her divorce and the mindset hurdles she faced as a single mom faced with providing for her son financially for the first time.
1 April Sky: Following Intuition in Business, Life, and Motherhood
April Sky is a Montana-based photographer and business coach for moms. She joins the Montana Diaries podcast to discuss her journey from stay-at-home mom to thriving owner of two businesses. In this chat, April gets personal about her divorce and the mindset hurdles she faced as a single mom faced with providing for her son financially for the first time.
April Sky is the owner of Moms Made for More, which is both a community for moms to share their challenges without fear of judgement and a coaching service for mom-entreprenuers lead by April herself.
LINKS
Montana Diaries Videography for Photographers Waitlist
Montana Diaries Creative Vision Workshop
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.