Libsyn Directory

449. How Instagram Actually Works in 2026 (and Why Most Creatives Are Burnt Out)

Release Date: 02/09/2026

449. How Instagram Actually Works in 2026 (and Why Most Creatives Are Burnt Out)

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

- Mentorship and Mastermind Group is now open for enrollment - grab a seat before they are gone In this episode of the Shifting Focus podcast, John Bunn sits down with Angela Shea, founder of Social Templates, to unpack how Instagram is really working heading into 2026. They talk burnout, mental health, authenticity, Reels, SEO, trial Reels, and how creatives can build consistency without letting social media run their lives. This is a practical, honest conversation about making Instagram part of your workflow, not the thing that drains it. Try Social Templates free for your first month...

448. My Roadmap to 20k bookings - The exact plan I used

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

- Mentorship and Mastermind Group is now open for enrollment - grab a seat before they are gone In this week's episode, I break down exactly how I went from no bookings, to booking over 25 weddings last year. I also break down how I have gotten into a 20k+ market in the past year by doing this exact plan. This episode is special, because it is a live workshop I taught last week. Listen in as I record a live workshop to 50+ Wedding Professionals - I teach you how to get 'unstuck from the middle market' and I show you my new Exposure Triangle System - where I also now have a Mastermind Group...

447. What ACTUALLY gets you OUT of the middle market

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

🎓 Free live training: Getting Unstuck from the Middle Market: 👥 Free community + mastermind details: Most wedding photographers and filmmakers don’t feel “stuck” because they’re failing. They feel stuck because they’re busy… and nothing is compounding. In this episode of the Shifting Focus Podcast, I break down what the middle market really is, why so many talented creatives get trapped there, and what has actually helped me move out of it. After filming over 500 weddings since 2007 and generating nearly $400,000 last year with fewer, higher-end weddings, I can...

446. Listen in as I book a 25k wedding - REAL DISCOVERY CALL

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

Join the FREE training 'Getting Unstuck From The Middle Market" - Join the NEW community: In this video, I am showing you a peek BEHIND the curtain. I recorded this discovery call where the bride was only interested in video, and ended up booking me for both video and photo a week later. This booking was over $25k (I can't share the exact numbers due to privacy). I don't look at these as 'sales calls' I look at them as 'discovery calls.' I am there to discover what they are looking for, and seeing if I am a good fit. I don't like being pushy, or making people feel like they...

445. How I FINALLY got out of the middle market (The Exposure Triangle)

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

Join the FREE training 'Getting Unstuck From The Middle Market" - Join the NEW community: For the last two weeks on the podcast, we’ve been talking about a problem almost no one names. The middle market. Booked, but not confident. Busy, but capped. Improving, but still stuck. In this episode, I finally show you the system that changed everything for me. Not tactics. Not hacks. A structure that helped me see my business clearly, stop guessing, and start making decisions that actually moved the needle. This is the same system I built and used last year as I moved out of the...

444. Why Some Creatives Break Out And Others Stay Stuck in the Middle Market

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

BIG announcement coming soon, be the first to know here: In this episode of the Shifting Focus podcast, I’m talking directly to creatives who feel stuck in the middle market. You’re booking work. You’re busy. Your craft is improving. But something still feels off. In this episode, I break down why some creatives eventually break out while others stay stuck for years. Not because of talent. Not because of luck. But because of how they respond to being stuck. I share what the middle market actually is, why it’s such a dangerous place to live, and the difference between chronic...

443. Why you are STUCK in the middle market PLUS something big 👀

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

You are first on the list to know when you click here: So many creatives are doing everything “right” and still feel stuck. They’re talented. They care deeply. They work hard. Yet year after year, their business looks mostly the same. In this episode of the Shifting Focus podcast, John Bunn reflects on the past year and shares his vision for 2026. He talks honestly about the role rest and reflection played in gaining clarity, why the middle market is the most dangerous place for creative businesses, and why talent alone is rarely the problem. Most education in the wedding industry...

442. Adding Photography After 10 Years in Video | Leslee Layton on Reinventing Her Brand

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

Be the FIRST to know about my private Mastermind Group: In this episode of Shifting Focus, John Bunn sits down with Leslee Layton, an Oklahoma based photographer and filmmaker who added photography to her brand after spending over a decade as a videographer. Leslee shares what it actually looked like to step into photography without starting over, how she worked through imposter syndrome, and why waiting until you feel ready is often the thing that keeps creatives stuck. They talk about navigating pricing differences between photo and video, building trust with planners and clients, and...

441. Why Most Wedding Pros Burn Out and How Summer Grace Avoided It

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

Be the FIRST to know about my private Mastermind Group: In this episode of the Shifting Focus Podcast, I sit down with wedding photographer and educator Summer Grace to talk about burnout, sustainability, and what it actually takes to build a business that lasts. Summer shares how she transitioned from elopements to larger weddings, how COVID reshaped her priorities, and the role social media played in her early growth. We talk about designing intentional client experiences, why her engagement sessions are built differently, and how in person connection continues to matter in an increasingly...

440. Growing Her Instagram to 110k Followers Using THIS Strategy | Staci Brucks Photography

Shifting Focus with John Bunn

Be the FIRST to know about my private Mastermind Group: In this episode of the Shifting Focus Podcast, John Bunn sits down with Staci Brucks, a wedding photographer who grew her Instagram following to over 110,000 by doing something most people avoid. She stopped overthinking and started taking action. Instead of waiting for perfect posts, perfect captions, or perfect timing, Staci focused on consistency, alignment, and showing up as herself online. That single shift led to real momentum, brand deals, and sustainable growth without chasing trends or algorithms. • Why...

More Episodes

https://theexposuretriangle.com/ - Mentorship and Mastermind Group is now open for enrollment - grab a seat before they are gone

In this episode of the Shifting Focus podcast, John Bunn sits down with Angela Shea, founder of Social Templates, to unpack how Instagram is really working heading into 2026. They talk burnout, mental health, authenticity, Reels, SEO, trial Reels, and how creatives can build consistency without letting social media run their lives. This is a practical, honest conversation about making Instagram part of your workflow, not the thing that drains it.

Try Social Templates free for your first month - http://socialtemplates.co/johnbunn

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✅ Brand deals, promotions, podcast info, etc., email john@johnbunnfilms.com

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#weddingvideography #weddingphotography #shiftingfocuspodcast

00:00 Introduction

03:01 Burnout and mental health

06:01 From photography to social media

09:07 Creating Social Templates

11:53 How Instagram is changing

14:51 Generating leads with Reels

18:11 Authenticity and personality

31:25 Organizing content for consistency

39:15 Using templates efficiently

47:16 SEO on Instagram

51:24 Trial Reels explained

01:01:37 Mastermind and collaboration

01:15:06 Ethics of remixing content

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