Brands that Book with Davey Jones

Today guests are James and Jess of James and Jess Photography; a husband and wife photography team based out of Santa Barbara, California, and New York, New York. If you follow James and Jess, you know they travel quite a bit and they’ve shot weddings all over the place. In today’s interview, I chat with James and Jess about how they market their business effectively in multiple cities, especially since those cities aren’t exactly close to one another. We discuss some of the challenges they face as they got started in New York City and ultimately, what it was that led to a successful presence there. Check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-james-jess-episode-26.

Today’s guest is Elle Ellinghaus of Elle Ellinghaus Designs, a high-end event planning business based in Baltimore, Maryland. Elle has created one of the most sought after event planning companies for weddings and boast an impressive client roster from NFL players, to Fortune 500 executives. She was even asked to be a featured author for a textbook that colleges use for event planning degrees. So I wanted to know what went into creating such a high-end brand and how did she attract those types of clients? That’s what we discussed in today’s interview. For more resources, check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-elle-ellinghaus-episode-25.

Today's guest is Nate Grahek, the founder of Sticky Albums, and more recently, Sticky Email. Sticky Albums makes it easy for photographers to create and share custom mobile apps for their clients. Nate built it after seeing the reaction his own photography portrait clients had to the custom mobile apps he was building for them and the referrals that it generated, but eventually realized that he didn't want to only provide a tool that generated leads. Nate also wanted to develop a tool that helps nurture those leads into clients, and that was Sticky Emails meant to do. In this interview, we chat all about email marketing, how photographers and creatives can implement email marketing into their businesses, some of the do's and don'ts, and how Sticky Email can help. You can also find a link for getting started with Sticky Email in the show notes. For more information and resources, check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com/btb.

Today’s guest are Jake and Becca Berg, the co-founders of Dubsado, the client management system for entrepreneurs. Dubsado makes any contracts, invoices, questionnaires, bookkeeping and other business workflows easy. I can confidently say that, because we’re now Dubsado users, but we weren’t before this episode. I signed us up for a trial to prepare for the interview with no intention of continuing to use it. After a test run, I was hooked. One of the reasons that I wanted to interview Jake and Becca was because Dubsado seemed to come out of nowhere. As with most entrepreneurial journeys, Dubsado wasn’t an overnight success. It started small with very little functionality. Through many iterations, carefully listening to their user base and their own intuition, they’ve created an incredibly impactful tool for businesses. For more information and resources, check out the show notes: https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jake-becca-berg-dubsado-fs/

Today's episode features founder and CEO Shaun Gordon of Kiss Books, an heirloom album company for professional photographers. I've had the chance to get to know Shaun over the last few years through a year-long leadership program we both participated in, and more recently as we designed and built Kiss's new brand and website. Shaun's the kind of guy that's reflective and finds opportunities to invest in himself and his relationships—all of that is on display in this episode. We chat about why him and his partner decided to build Kiss Books. But not before exploring his beginnings as a photographer and—an experience I wasn't aware of—owner of a brick-and-mortar photography equipment store. It was through his experience of shooting hundreds of sessions a year that he came to realize the need for an album company that was simple. Check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-shaun-gordon-kiss-fs/ for more information.

Today's episode is part of the Founders Series, where we chat with founders and CEOs of companies that have created products and services that help creatives run their businesses. Today's guest is Todd Watson, the Founder and CEO of Showit, a website platform created specifically for photographers and creative professionals. This episode is a little different than previous episodes. Instead of focusing on tips, strategies or tools that you can use in your business, we focus mostly on Todd and the Showit story. I don't know about you all, but I'm fascinated by stories of how businesses got started, especially businesses I admire, because I found regardless of the type or size of business, that there's so many shared challenges that entrepreneurs face when getting started. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Todd and the Showit story over the last few years, and I can tell you, it's a good one. We discuss how Showit got started, how at one point there was uncertainty over its future and why Todd and his team rebuilt the platform from scratch into what it is today. We chat about why Todd opted not to take VC funding and the business that he wants to run.

Today’s guest is Julianne Smith of The Garter Girl, a company with a singular mission to design and hand-create a wedding heirloom that is so stylish and so special that brides couldn’t wait to save it for their daughters. Sometime during her journey building The Garter Girl, she also founded a popular D.C. wedding blog called United With Love, which she eventually sold. This episode was inspired by a blog post that Juli recently published titled Life Without Swipe Up, which essentially reflects on the obsession with getting 10,000 Instagram followers and the Swipe Up feature, and it explores why more followers doesn’t necessarily mean more success, the importance of knowing your niche and showing up consistently where your potential customers are. We chat all that and more throughout this episode, and we also learn how Juli used her background in PR and politics to vault The Garter Girl forward. Be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mentioned during the episode, and I’d like to hear from you about what kind of content you’d like to see on the Brands that Book podcast as we move forward. I’d also like to know what episodes you’ve enjoyed the most so far and why. To leave your feedback, head on over to the Davey & Krista Facebook page and send us a message. For show notes and other resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-juli-smith-episode-24.

Today’s guest is Kaitlin Holland of The School of Styling, and more recently, the McAlister-Leftwich House, which is a wedding and event venue located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Kaitlin, like so many of our guest, is one of those multitalented people. Her entrepreneurial journey started with a vintage rental company called Simply Put Vintage, which she eventually sold in 2015, but not before starting The School of Styling, a workshop that provides creative women education and inspiration for creating beautiful work, events and spaces. In today‘s episode, we’re chatting about choosing the right educational experiences for your business, whether it’d be in-person, or online, a conference, small group setting, one-on-one, or a mixture of those things. Kaitlin shares five steps for choosing the right education and we also share what we’ve learned from our own educational experiences. Before we get to the interview, I want to mention that tickets are currently on sale for The School of Styling, and Krista and I will be leading two sessions during the January workshop. If you can’t make it to the January workshop, there are also workshops in March and July of next year, but you want to hurry and grab your tickets soon since they’re only on sale until October 3rd, or until seats sell out. You can find more information using the link below. Kaitlin Holland is the Founder of The School of Styling, a creative business mentor, and the Marketing & Venue Director for her family's business, the McAlister-Leftwich House. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Clay, and baby girl, Lucy. She was saved by Grace and she's on a mission to extravagantly love and serve those who are put in her path. After starting a successful vintage rental company in 2012 (and later selling it in 2015), Simply Put Vintage, Kaitlin saw a need for a training environment that served the creative entrepreneur as a whole. So, she created The School of Styling to provide creative women, no matter their field or profession, with the education and inspiration they need to create beautiful work, events, and spaces. She is a cultivator of community, and the heartbeat of the workshop is found in the relationships built amongst attendees, speakers, and staff. With a background in art, she derives much of the inspiration for the workshop structure from a technical art setting. Including demonstrations, hands-on learning, and critique sessions with a like-minded group of women. For more informations and resources, check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-kaitlin-holland-episode-23

Today’s guest is Nancy Ray of Nancy Ray Photography. Nancy has built a thriving photography business in Raleigh, North Carolina area, so much so that a few years in the business she realized that something needed to change for her to be able to both continue to grow her business and for her family to live the life they wanted to live. She built a team. That’s exactly what we’re chatting about in today’s episode. Nancy shares with us how to know whether you’re ready to build a team, what she’s learned from her own experiences, insights into how to decide who to hire and how she evaluates candidates. Before we get to the interview, I want to mention that Nancy is launching another platform for creatives over at nancyray.com, where she’ll be sharing all of her best resources on life, work, home and faith. If it’s anything like the resources she’s made available in the past, you’re going to want to check it out. Also, if you’re interested in building a creative team, but would like someone to walk you through the process step-by-step, Nancy is opening the doors to her popular team-building course this fall, and you can find a link for that in the show notes. Be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mentioned during the episode. I like to hear from you about what kind of content you like to see on the Brands that Book Podcast as we move forward. I’d also like to know what episodes you’ve enjoyed so far and why. To leave your feedback, head on over to Davey and Krista Facebook page and send us a message. The highlights: 04:35 Nancy shares about her photography business and how she eventually got to the point where she needed to hire someone. 09:31 How Nancy determined what role to hire first for her business (and the value of starting with an internship). 17:00 The differences between an employee and independent contractor. 19:53 Where your business should be at before considering hiring somebody. 23:22 Creating and sharing a job listing. 25:23 How Nancy sorts through the applications. 28:23 Why Nancy uses a multiple interview process when hiring. 31:04 The training and on-boarding process when someone is hired (and the importance of feedback). 35:31 Making sure employees are in the right fit. 37:42 Communicating with clients about associate photographers and marketing their work. 47:43 How having a team enabled Nancy to take a three month maternity leave. Nancy is a believer, wife, mama, photographer, blogger, and speaker. She owns Nancy Ray Photography and leads a small team of wedding and family photographers. Nancy speaks regularly at several conferences and retreats, sharing her inspiration and foundations in building a successful business and a balanced life. She is passionate about her faith in Jesus, financial stewardship, strong marriages, and seeing small businesses thrive for God’s kingdom. She lives and works in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, Will, daughters Milly and Lyndon (with another on the way), and great dane, Winston. Find the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-nancy-ray-episode-22.

Today's guest is wedding photographer and attorney Paige Griffith of Paige Marie Photography. Paige primarily serves the Missoula, Montana area, which—relative to cities that we're near like Baltimore and Washington DC—is a pretty small market, and that's exactly the reason that I wanted to chat with Paige. We often hear from people in smaller markets that some of the strategies out there just don't work for their smaller, especially more rural areas. Well, I wanted to chat with Paige about how she was able to build a six-figure photography business in a smaller market. She outlines the challenges business owners face in those markets and then gives us steps that business owners can take to market their businesses in those areas. The highlights: 03:02 How a creative outlet in law school led to a full-time business. 10:40 The three challenges of building a business in a small(er) market. 16:15 How Paige intentionally built her portfolio. 20:43 Advertising in a small market, and the importance of choosing the right publications and platforms. 24:03 How marketing with handouts is still effective for Paige, and the importance of building a personal brand. 31:11 The challenge of pricing services in a smaller market—and understanding what your ideal client is willing to pay. 36:56 What it means to 'find a niche, fill the niche, kill the niche.' 43:05 The importance of going to your audience. 45:56 Getting published in local and regional publications. 48:22 How to get participation from other vendors in styled shoots. 50:55 The importance of investing in a website. 55:45 How Paige manages being both a full time attorney and full time wedding photographer. Paige's Biography: Paige Griffith graduated in May 2016 from the University of Montana School of Law with high honors, and also holds a double BA in Economics and Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University. During her time in law school, she was actively involved in the Women's Law Caucus, Montana Law Review, and National Moot Court Team. She started a photography business during law school which became a six-figure business in just 3 years. Paige combined her legal and entrepreneurial passions by helping other entrepreneurs and creatives create successful and legitimate businesses. Her goal is to create a space where all small businesses feel protected and confident. The Legal Paige was founded in 2018 and is an online legal consulting and business consulting firm. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: The Legal Paige James & Jess Photography Check out the show notes at Davey & Krista for links, resources, transcripts, and other episode materials.

"When you realize how powerful your voice can be or your influence can be and to use that in such a positive way, I feel like that’s really the lightning rod for everything. That’s why getting up at 5 something in the morning is no problem, because I just know with my work, that’s something that I want to consistently instill in everything that I do.”  - Lauren Taylor Today's guest is brand ambassador and content creator, Lauren Taylor. As you'll quickly learn in this interview, Lauren has a lot more going on than that, from self-publishing The Letter magazine to working as a contributing editor for The Everygirl, and as a talent event coordinator for Dote Shopping. She's even in the process of writing a fiction book proposal, all while being a student at Southern New Hampshire University. We cover all that and more in this interview, but we focus on content creation and what she's learned from being a brand ambassador and creator for so many different brands including her own. I think you'll have a hard time walking away from this episode not feeling inspired. The highlights: 06:32 What is a brand ambassador? 08:29 How a post with her grandma and Campbell's soup helped her become a brand ambassador. 10:17 Getting started without a big following. 13:18 Creating content that brands will actually want to share. 15:25 How to write a pitch email and follow-up. 21:14 Is it important to be on specific (social media) platforms? 25:08 How Lauren manages content for so many different brands? 28:27 Building her personal brand vs. creating content for a brand. 34:04 Lauren shares the purpose behind what she does. 39:39 Tips for getting more comfortable with video. 44:51 What she brand ambassador lessons she has learned in her role at Dote Shopping. 51:04 Lauren shares about the fiction book proposal she's working on. Lauren's Biography: As a brand ambassador, content creator, and girl empowerment babe, I’m here to inspire women with big dreams! Encouraging girls to join me in loving our REAL selves so resiliently that we inspire the world to do the same. I’m spreading this movement of love by partnering with women-empowering brands as a speaker, model & ambassador. I’ve got a crush on all of the places I’ve called home, but I’m currently living in San Francisco - and loving it! You can find me obsessing over florals, celebrating the powerful women in my life, always reminding them that together, we are unstoppable! SEE SHOW NOTES FOR LINKS TO RESOURCES

On today’s episode we welcome artist Blakely Little of Blakely Made. Blakely is the first artist that we’ve had on the show. We have known Blakely since she was in high school and it’s been amazing to watch her career evolve, especially recently. If you were to walk into an Anthropologie store today, you would find a line of dishware with Blakely’s art on it. Blakely is inspired by the low country sky, winding waterways, and colorful marshland. Her artwork is the way she expresses the joy she has bundled up inside of her. She likes to paint the way she sees the world: full of color in unlikely places. Today we’re chatting to Blakely about making a living as an artist and her recent collaboration with Anthropologie. She is giving us her insights into creative work, staying inspired, to creating when you don’t feel like it, and much more! Key Points From This Episode: Blakely’s path that led her to a career in art. How Florence sparked Blakely’s impressionistic, colourful style of art. Transitioning to a full time artist. How in every series there are about five pieces of art that get lost along the way. The valuable lesson in creating, whether it’s good or bad. Managing the business side of art. Blakely’s first artwork sale. Pricing artwork according to size. Capturing feelings in paintings. Using Instagram, bloggers and interior designers to market her work. Gaining a following through galleries and art shows. What sparked Blakely’s collaboration with Anthropologie. Promoting the collaboration through photos and social media. Getting out and staying inspired through travel. Understanding it’s a job although you’re a creative. Switching things up to encourage you to keep on going. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Blakely Little — https://blakelymade.com/ Blakely on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/blakelymade/ Blakely Made on Anthropologie — https://www.anthropologie.com/brands/blakely-made Lulie Wallace — https://www.luliewallace.com/ Teil Duncan — https://www.teilduncan.com/ Raven Roxanne — https://ravenroxanne.com/

Today’s guest—who for many needs no introduction—is photographer Katelyn James. Katelyn started her photography business during her junior year of college and since then has shot hundreds of weddings alongside her husband Michael, and been featured in national publications such as The Knot, Southern Weddings, BRIDES and others. Beyond that, Katelyn has influenced the wedding photography industry in so many different ways—especially when it comes to marketing one’s business. So it makes sense that thousands of photographers have enrolled in her online courses and her newest membership program: KJ All-Access, where one gets behind-the-scenes access to real weddings, engagements, and portrait shoots. During this interview, I wanted to discuss how Katelyn would market a business if she was starting one today. We reflect on how she built her business, why she started blogging both her professional work and stuff from her personal life, the importance of networking, mistakes she sees business make today, and her approach to marketing. The highlights: 03:30 The first time I met Katelyn 09:01 How Katelyn started her business 13:56 What drove inquiries early in her business. 19:53 How Katelyn decides what to share of her personal life. 24:19 Where she would start if she was building a business today. 30:55 The value of blogging today. 32:10 The most effective way to approach networking. 33:52 The power of building relationships within your industry. 38:56 Where Katelyn focuses her social media efforts. 40:34 Are email lists worth it? 43:15 The benefits of building a community around your business. 50:58 Choosing to focus on your own business and not what everyone else is doing. 55:54 What marketing mistakes Katelyn sees people making. 1:02:21 What you need to do if you want to raise your prices and have longevity in your business. Katelyn started her professional photography journey as a Junior in college and was shooting 25+ weddings annually within her second year. After growing her business and gaining recognition in national publications such as Professional Photographers Magazine, The Knot, Southern Living Weddings, Southern Weddings and multiple other online publications such a Style Me Pretty, BRIDES, Inspired by This, Real Simple, etc. She then began teaching and coaching photographers from all over the country and internationally. In 2015 she was named “Top Ten Educators to Watch” by Rangefinder Magazine and has had the honor of speaking at conferences such as WPPI, United, Creative at Heart, Local PPA meetings, The Rising Tide Summit, The Reset Conference, The Pursuit Conference, Making Things Happen, The Connect Retreat, Blink and more! Katelyn hosts 2-day workshops throughout the year at her home in Richmond, VA. In 2012 Katelyn was joined by her husband Michael and they are officially a husband/wife team. Since joining forces, Katelyn and Michael average 12-15 weddings annually while teaching thousands of photographers through their online courses and KJ All Access monthly membership program! They are parents to their daughter Everly, their son James in heaven and are puppy parents to Bokeh, the Bichpoo! They are passionate about traveling, home design, & spending time dreaming and brainstorming with their closest friends!! See the episode notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-katelyn-james-episode-18 for links to resources.

Vanessa is a Pinterest Marketing Strategist for creative small businesses. Using YouTube and her blog, she helps creative small businesses blossom by creating traffic-generating Pinterest strategies to increase their visibility. Juggling the demands of her own budding business with those of family and home, she specializes in efficient productivity, making the most out of every moment, and every pin! Hailing originally from the great state of Texas, she has lived in two foreign countries and enjoys traveling with her three sweet daughters and memory-seeking husband while residing in the Pacific Northwest. The highlights: 02:10 How Vanessa became a Pinterest Marketing Strategist 06:27 The biggest benefit when people use Pinterest correctly 09:46 Advantages of Pinterest and opportunity in Pinterest versus Instagram, Google, etc. 15:23 The Pinterest Smart Feed 16:41 What to put in your Pinterest Business Profile 17:22 The three most common mistakes people make on Pinterest / Best image ratio for Pinterest 18:53 An easy-to-implement tip to get people to click-through on Pinterest to your website. 20:51 Finding the right keywords on Pinterest 26:57 How consistency leads to more visibility (and a tool to help) 31:16 Pinterest Strategies for 2018 34:45 Do followers matter on Pinterest? 37:00 Creating multiple pins for the same post. 38:41 What kind Pins work for Vanessa. 40:40 Where to use keywords besides pin-descriptions (and how many keywords to use) 44:00 What are some ways to make a website Pinterest Marketing friendly? 46:03 Tips specifically for wedding photographers. 49:53 Creating a Tailwind Tribe

Today's guest is farmer, entrepreneur, and wedding venue owner, Buddy Powers. Buddy and his wife Jill own Big Spring Farm, a wedding venue in Lexington, Virginia that hosts over 50 events a year and has been featured in places like The Knot and Style Me Pretty. Today he's chatting with us about starting and running a wedding venue and he's also sharing a little bit about how other vendors can serve venues. The highlights: 02:49 The transition from farming to starting a wedding venue. 06:06  How Buddy and Jill found Big Spring Farm 10:53 What Buddy looked for in a wedding venue property. 13:51 The biggest challenge they faced in starting a wedding venue 16:00 How to navigate zoning and other government related tasks 20:44 A few things Buddy and Jill did their first year that was instrumental in building momentum for Big Spring. 24:56 The first steps people should take when starting a wedding venue, and a few things to avoid. 30:58 How did you build strong relationships with other vendors and clients? 38:02 What are some ways other vendors can serve venues well? Buddy Powers is a farmer, entrepreneur, and business coach. After an internship at the world renowned sustainable livestock farm, Polyface Farm, and almost 8 years in the wedding photography industry with his wife Jillian Michelle, the couple launched Big Spring Farm. This venture melds the Powers passions of living in harmony with the land and creating gorgeous spaces for hosting events. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Resources Mentioned in the Episode: The Venue Helper The First 3 Steps to Starting a Wedding Venue