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!
LAZY MARKETING 101 ft. SEO blogging expert Danielle Johnson!
LAZY MARKETING 101 w/ SEO BLOGGING EXPERT DANIELLE JOHNSON: Learn how to blog with SEO in mind in a way that feels doable, approachable, and empowering using Danielle’s tried & tested strategies! Set yourself up so that your website is bringing you new leads + new money behind the scenes without you even touching 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!
Live with danielle johnson: ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT BLOGGING AND SEO + DOIN’ IT THE LAZY WAY
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET DANIELLE JOHNSON
“I'm a wedding photographer turned creative copywriter, specializing in SEO-optimized blogging for small businesses! Most businesses put blogging on the bottom of their to-do list (if it even makes the cut) because there’s a huge misconception that it’s outdated, or simply because it can be incredibly overwhelming at first. But, not blogging (or blogging without strategy) is costing you a lot of potential customers and company awareness. I write copy & craft SEO-optimized, strategically-planned-out blog posts for small businesses who are finally ready to trust their blogs in the hands of an expert. I also teach entrepreneurs how to blog for themselves & their businesses in a way that gets them results (AKA gets them onto page 1 of Google)!”
LAZY MARKETING 101 w/ SEO BLOGGING EXPERT DANIELLE JOHNSON
Welcome to the very first LIVE episode of the Montana Diaries podcast! SEO blogging expert Danielle Johnson came back to the pod to field questions LIVE — this was SUCH a fun format, and I would love to do it in the future with other guests to give you a chance to ask our guests questions related to their expertise in real time!
This episode was dedicated to what Danielle calls LAZY MARKETING! Learn how to blog with SEO in mind in a way that feels doable, approachable, and empowering using Danielle’s tried & tested strategies! Set yourself up so that your website is bringing you new leads + new money behind the scenes without you even touching it.
Danielle now offers blogging templates in her shop and she was kind enough to give Montana Diaries listeners a discount code! Head over to defycreativeco.com to check out the services and shop her offers, and use code MONTANADIARIES at checkout. I got early access to a few of the templates and they’re golddddd — not even kidding, it saved me hours of time to use Danielle’s template instead of fumbling around on my own. This girl knows her shit.
A chat w/ Danielle Johnson, founder of Defy Creative Co.
Danielle explains SEO + “keywords” like I’m five!
How + WHY to half-ass your blog content
Making the GOOGLE GODS happy
Why blogging is the LAZY way to market (spoiler alert: IG + TikTok are wayyyy more work)
I reveal to Danielle that my top lead source this year is GOOGLE thanks to her!
Danielle ended the episode by fielding REAL blogging + SEO questions from listeners!
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!
JOIN DANIELLE’S BLOGGING BOOTCAMP w/ CODE “SHAYNA”
FREEBIE: 50 Free Blog Post Ideas!
FREEBIE: SEO Anatomy of a Post!
GET 20% OFF DEFY CREATIVE TEMPLATES w/ CODE “MONTANADIARIES”
FREE Starter Guide for Photographers Ready to Learn Videography
FREE Premiere Pro Editing Guide for Beginners!
SEO Blogging for Creative Business in 2023 w/ Danielle Johnson
DANIELLE JOHNSON
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 incredibllleeee Danielle Johnson, a blogging + SEO queenie who basically gave us a freaking masterclass during this podcast episode. Danielle is a wedding photographer turned blogging expert for creative business owners — she calls herself the “solution to your ‘shit, i should really work on my blogging’ problem” and that’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. She’s magic. This might be my favorite episode of the pod…ever? I’m not kidding, it completely embodied everything I ever wanted for this podcast haha — I feel like I put Danielle through the ringer, but she was so game — it was a trojan horse of “come talk about blogging and SEO!” except, more like, “unpack your self growth journey and purity culture trauma and then also give me a 40 minute personalized business coaching session.” Ha!! All kidding aside, Danielle BROUGHT IT with the tangible step-by-step instructions on the anatomy of an SEO-friendly blog post and every. single. creative. business. owner. NEEDS. THIS. EPISODE!
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!
DANIELLE JOHNSON: Growing a business in your twenties, navigating transitional periods in life and business, letting go of purity culture, blogging + SEO, and so much moreeeee (It’s the bat-shit business girl chat of my dreams)
psssttt…
join us in the Facebook group, your space for talking all things creativity + business!
MEET DANIELLE JOHNSON
“I'm a wedding photographer turned creative copywriter, specializing in SEO-optimized blogging for small businesses! Most businesses put blogging on the bottom of their to-do list (if it even makes the cut) because there’s a huge misconception that it’s outdated, or simply because it can be incredibly overwhelming at first. But, not blogging (or blogging without strategy) is costing you a lot of potential customers and company awareness. I write copy & craft SEO-optimized, strategically-planned-out blog posts for small businesses who are finally ready to trust their blogs in the hands of an expert. I also teach entrepreneurs how to blog for themselves & their businesses in a way that gets them results (AKA gets them onto page 1 of Google)!”
DANIELLE JOHNSON
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 incredibllleeee Danielle Johnson, a blogging + SEO queenie who basically gave us a freaking masterclass during this podcast episode. Danielle is a wedding photographer turned blogging expert for creative business owners — she calls herself the “solution to your ‘shit, i should really work on my blogging’ problem” and that’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. She’s magic. This might be my favorite episode of the pod…ever? I’m not kidding, it completely embodied everything I ever wanted for this podcast haha — I feel like I put Danielle through the ringer, but she was so game — it was a trojan horse of “come talk about blogging and SEO!” except, more like, “unpack your self growth journey and purity culture trauma and then also give me a 40 minute personalized business coaching session.” Ha!! All kidding aside, Danielle BROUGHT IT with the tangible step-by-step instructions on the anatomy of an SEO-friendly blog post and every. single. creative. business. owner. NEEDS. THIS. EPISODE!
I also want to tell you at the top here that Danielle now offers blogging templates in her shop and she was kind enough to give Montana Diaries listeners a discount code! Head over to defycreativeco.com to check out the services and shop her offers, and use code MONTANADIARIES at checkout. The link is also in the shownotes if you want to come back to it later. I got early access to a few of the templates and they’re golddddd — not even kidding, it saved me hours of time to use Danielle’s template instead of fumbling around on my own. This girl knows her shit. I’m going to be the goober using my own discount code to buy all of them this winter, not going to lie. Okey that’s enough me time for now, let’s get into the episode.
A chat w/ Danielle Johnson, founder of Defy Creative Co.
BTS of why Danielle calls herself a “proud college dropout”
Transitioning from being a wedding photographer to a general virtual assistant, before niching down to blogging
We talk alllll about the insecurity that comes with outsourcing, and how that tied together with Danielle’s own personal self-growth journey navigating her early twenties in her personal life and business
I interrupt Danielle a lot because I get too excited about deconstructing our childhood and beliefs lmao sorry Danielle but good job giving it back to me
We end the chat with an obnoxious 40 minute personal business coaching session that’s legitimate golddddd and every creative business owner should honestly have to pay Danielle to listen to it — if you want to DIY what people pay Danielle a lot of money for then she literally tells you how
Anndddd that was Danielle Johnson — isn’t she the absolute best? I know I always share one key takeaway after these interviews, but there are so many things sticking with me from this conversation even a couple weeks later. Some things present-day-Shay has been mulling over: the transitional periods we go through in our twenties as we come into ourselves, and how that is reflected in our personal brands and businesses…I think a lot about what it takes to change a mind and how a lot of the time that’s viewed as a weakness, but I never want to lose the ability to do so. I think Danielle is so good at respecting her present self and the mindset changes she’s going through naturally as a young woman, and in doing so she also puts a lot of trust and respect into her audience by allowing them to go along with her during her pivots and changes. I also can’t stop thinking about the integrity behind doing so well for your clients that they don’t need you anymore — as my business evolves into selling more educational resources, I reallllyyyyy think about this a lot. Finally, I just really believe in the longevity of blogging and SEO and while it isn’t crazy sexy, it's vitalllll for creative business. I’m so stoked that Danielle has options at every price point now, so if you want templates on the cheap for more of a DIY style experience then head over to defycreativeco.com and use code MONTANADIARIES at checkout to make the templates even more stupid cheap than they already are, or if you’re a bit further along in business then I would honestly highly highly highly recommend hiring Danielle for her done-for-you service. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topics we discussed here— head over to the Montana Diaries Podcast Facebook group and write a post to continue this discussion, or just introduce yourself over there. Don’t forget to leave your honest review on the Apple Podcasts app — it helps us get more amazing guests like Danielle and I’ll give you a shout out on a future episode. Please go create something today, friends, and I’ll catch ya in the next episode.
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!