What's Your Secret? Conversations With Real Photographers, Designers, & Entrepreneurs

Kel and Mel have a unique take on photographing couples! They shoot almost exclusively anniversary photos: one...two...or even ten years into marriage. The lovebirds have been married for 14 years and are dedicated to supporting ongoing affection, care, and time for both their own relationship as well as the couples they photograph. Tune in to hear about their beautifully curated online shop, their "I Still Do" Project, and why it's important to continue documenting for years beyond the wedding day. 

Chris is an extraordinary entrepreneur who seems to be able to create money out of nothing. He is a photographer, musician, Facebook ads guru, fantastic networker, mentor, and great dad/husband/man. Listen in as he talks about what might be next for him as he leaves behind everything he knows.

Joelle Lurie, or JoJo, as she's known in her band, is a tiny fireball of singing in New York City! After quitting her day job just a year ago and doing singing/performing full time in and around New York City, JoJo has moved into her own fantastic apartment in Brooklyn, contracted a huge job with the city working with kids, produced two albums, and is moving onward and upward! Listen on to hear how she did it.

Welcome to the very first episode of 2017! Listen in on this conversation with Phil and I as we reflect back on 2016 and our hopes for 2017. We talk a little bit about personal resolutions, then dive right into what we are proud of with La Rousse Shoppe and business goals for the coming year.

Anne-Marie is Southern California based blogger, designer, and entrepreneur. Her blog, Anne-Marie Loves, has been live for 10 years and has evolved from a mostly scrapbooking-centered creative outlet to one that encompasses motherhood, DIY projects, cooking, decorating, and photography. We talk about tips on staying consistent with long-term blogging, utilizing passive income topics like e-courses, monetizing her blog through sponsored posts, and turning 30!   

Kat Krafel is owner and designer and Boss Lady for Veiled Beauty, an Etsy shop specializing in wedding veils. She has watched her business grow slowly and steadily over the past 8 years and then explode in the past year. Listen in to find out what her secret was to the huge growth and what she has got in store for the future.

On today’s show we have Torrance, the creator of Teak & Twine, a website that sells curated gift sets for occasions like weddings, birthdays, and holidays. Torrance also works with photographers to customize packages for their brand, and they make lovely welcome gifts for clients. She has an amazing eye for curating and assembling packages with goodies like handmade soaps, candles, tea, and lots of chocolate.  

Marianne Cantwell is a long-time friend of Phil's, and a phenomenal online entrepreneur. Not sure what that means? Go check out her website free-range-humans.com or read her book, How to Be a Free Range Human. She coaches people on how to start new businesses that they are passionate about, and she has been known to travel everywhere around the world while successfully running a 6-figure business. In this episode we talk about what it means to really give yourself the life that you want as an entrepreneur, and not just jump from one career cage to another.

This week's episode is a little different than our past episodes in that I had the pleasure of interviewing not one, but two photographers! Kayla and Gregory are both film wedding photographers who specialize in fine art photography. I wanted to gain two different perspectives on what it means to be a fine art photographer, so I asked each of them the following: How did you know you wanted to be a fine art photographer? What does fine art photography mean to you? Tips for people wanting to get started in fine art photography.

Emily Merrell is a fantastic New Yorker who quit her corporate job to pursue her dreams and run her own networking company. She is queen of connecting people and has a big, big heart. If you ever meet Emily and tell her what you are into, she will be sure to immediately make an email introduction for you to someone else important in your area of interest. Listen on and hear how Emily did it all, and what her big dreams are next.

On today's show we have Brooke Borough, a Southern California wedding photographer. Brooke receives about 50% of her wedding inquiries from...believe it or not...Instagram! We discuss how she's built up her following, her take on hashtags, and what her first interactions with clients look like. Brooke is maxed out on the number of weddings she books in a year, and has reduced her numbers from 2015 because she felt overbooked! Listen in to see how she does it.

DJ Brian B resides in New York, NY and is being booked and performing for every event imaginable all over the United States. He continues to keep his finger on the pulse of the latest musical trends – creating his own custom mixes, DJ’ing both private and public events, and now offering production services. With an infectious laugh and a zest for life (and not a lot of sleep while jet-setting around the country), DJ Brian B is a favorite with everyone from party goers to event planners to club owners.

Aaron Janx is a entrepreneur, mentor, investor, author, speaker, and host of the podcast The Aaron Janx Show. In this episode, we discuss what to say when you get a client on the phone and four specific steps for turning a lead into a paid customer - this was great advice for someone like me who is definitely more comfortable with email! Aaron and I even delve a little bit into earning passive income through real estate.

Boris is an exceptional partner when you are looking to buy or sell property, and is highly passionate about his work. Client after client praises his "unbelievable knowledge," "first-class negotiating skills," and expertise as an "inside man" in a market that can often be quite challenging. Whether you are a seller, buyer, lessee or lessor, he seeks to build strong, lasting relationships with every client he represents, to set their mind at ease and ensure the results they deserve. 

Diane Villadsen is a fashion and portrait photographer based out of the Bay Area. But she is oh so much more than that! In this episode, we talk about curating her Instagram feed to fit her "nature, eco-friendly" style, how she turned an idea for an iPhone app into reality, and her master plan for earning passive income through youtube tutorials and sharing her knowledge with other photographers.

Jessica Rea helps women entrepreneurs build their brand and business online. She's got a kickass boxer dog named Sampson. You can find her at jessicarea.me (go here for a must have tools guide) and ladypreneurcommunity.com (a fantastic community of boss ladies who are paving their own entrepreneurial way). 

Kate Noelle is a lifestyle and wedding photographer based out of Southern California. She has been shooting weddings for 8 years, but got into photography through an organization called Youth With A Mission. In this episode, we talk about Kate's website rebranding experience with Go Live HQ, and her special gift to mothers of the bride or groom. 

Ann Abel has been a travel writer and editor for 14 years, including several as a senior editor at ForbesLife. She has written about more than 450 luxury destinations and hotels in 77 countries. She has been published in Forbes, Departures, Conde Nast Traveller, Robb Report, Afar, National Geographic Traveler, Islands, Hemispheres, Modern Bride, and many other print and online publications.

Claudia Moriel of Style at Work brings professional salon services such as manicures, brow shaping, and hair blowouts to workplaces around Boston. She's been in the beauty industry for over 20 years! Learn how her struggles with work life balance helped shaped her idea for Style at Work and her plans for expansion. (Think beauty trucks and lots of them).