Take It Personally

Take It Personally, hosted by professional branding photographer Maddie Peschong, shares advice every Tuesday to help you grow your personal brand to stand out from the noise and thrive, even in the most saturated markets. Episodes feature business and marketing advice, branding expertise, and real stories and inspiration from creative professionals all over the world.

#58: Outsourcing in Your Personal Life 06/30/2022

#57: Brand Building in the Media with Megan Raposa 06/23/2022

#56: When to Raise Your Prices 06/16/2022

#56: When to Raise Your Prices Pricing is challenging, it’s emotional, and it feels personal. And as women, we already deal with so much more imposter syndrome and inferiority complex - it is all more rampant among women than men. And I think a lot of that is because with men, if they do have some kind of imposter syndrome, it is a bit easier for them to look around themselves and see other men in positions of power or another man doing what they want to do. It is harder for women, for people of color, for minorities to be able to see the type of person that we want to be, in the role that we want to be, reflected back at us. It’s harder to find someone who looks like us in roles of leadership. Yes, I do think it’s changing and shifting! But it’s happening slowly, or at least at times it feels like it. And it can lead us to get stuck in this cycle of imposter syndrome and feeling like we aren’t worthy for asking for more money for our services. And I’m over it! I think women should charge more. I think creatives should charge more. And this episode today, if nothing else, is permission to charge more. But I also wanted to share some practical things to think about and tips if you feel like you are in a place of wanting to raise your prices. Here’s some of the main things I talked about in this episode: When it is time to raise your prices When was the last time you raised your prices? Looking at your cost increases Explaining your price increase to clients or not Education investments What to do if you are overbooked and overwhelmed Small price hikes throughout the year versus an uncomfortable, massive income Working with clients who don’t appreciate you and your services Does anyone describe you as cheap or affordable? “Charge your worth” 10% off your with the code MADDIE. Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/23313050

#55: Creating a Personalized Schedule for Your Business with Samantha Ste Marie 06/09/2022

#55: Creating a Personalized Schedule for Your Business with Samantha Ste Marie I’m so excited today to be joined by Samantha Ste Marie. Samantha is a productivity strategist and specifically works with service providers to help them find clients with ease and create their perfect work schedule. We all know that the perfect work schedule for someone else may not be the perfect work schedule for us. And in this culture of online business and so much hustle and grind, I think a lot of us are coming up for air, realizing that we don’t actually have as high of capacity as we thought we did. And instead of trying to push past that, Samantha really challenges it by helping business owners realize that it’s possible to create a schedule that serves your life well, your business well, and also serves your clients well too. You can be getting paid what you want to be paid AND be loving your job and the flexibility that you have. The conversation that I had with Sam for this episode could have gone on even longer as we are both so fired up about this topic. Sam is very passionate about productivity and helping service providers run their businesses well. Here are some of the things we talked about in this episode: Who Samantha is Who Samantha works with and why they come to work with her Shiny object syndrome and passive income How Samantha became passionate in this area Shifts in business and motherhood Creating your ideal business/schedule (even if you don’t have kids or passive income) Accepting your goals as your own Evaluating your role and how much flexibility it offers you Charging a monthly retainer (phasing out hourly rates) Being “on” all the time Boundaries within business Working with clients that respect your schedule and space Getting a handle on your time (first figure out where your time is going) The post-in note strategy Cut out the waste and start following the money If you want to connect with Samantha you can find her on social media at @samanthastmarie or grab her resource of . 20% off your first month or year with Dubsado with code Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/23269619

#54: The One Thing You Need Before Your Next Launch 06/02/2022

#54: The One Thing You Need Before Your Next Launch I have been approaching sales a bit differently in my business for the past year and a half. I used to rely really heavily on social media for sales and overall recognition. I still love social media, but I have been relying more on email marketing! I have been pleasantly surprised at the results that I’ve had and the increase in sales I’ve made by focusing on email marketing, both for products and in-person services. One of the changes that I’ve implemented more recently that has been a game changer in my launch is what I want to share with you today. I gave waitlist launching a go with my product (it’s basically the ‘what’ when it comes to “what do I post on social media?”). I launched this product on Black Friday, and I launched it to a waitlist. It did really well and sold primarily to those on the waitlist. In , I shared about launching to my waitlist for my brand mini sessions that led to a $5,000 successful day. I think a lot of that success came from waitlist launching, but you can listen to it because there were other factors that also went into it. All that to say, waitlist launching has been really helpful within my business! I know you might be thinking, “Ugh, I don’t want to do more with email.” But please keep listening because I believe that waitlists are really a great way to get started with email that can actually be simpler and less overwhelming than creating a freebie or funnels. So let’s talk about it! Why waitlist launch at all? How will it help your business? How do you go about it? Here are the main things I discussed in this episode: Taking pressure off of selling on social media Gauging your audience’s interest before you start launching What it means when someone is signing up for your waitlist What to do if sign ups for your waitlist are slow My favorite email platform Why people are more likely to buy via email rather than social media Creating landing pages and segmenting Utilizing Instagram story links to get people on your list Quality over quantity Giving your waitlist first access How this can build your confidence Offering a discount to the waitlist If you are ready to grow your email list or preparing to launch, I encourage you to experiment with waitlists! I've seen a lot of great results from this method within my own business and think it can provide great results for you too. I mentioned my favorite email marketing platform within the episode - ! You can get started with Flodesk and get 50% off your subscription . If you are curious to learn more about using email within your business, check out this episode of Take It Personally: 10% off your first with the code MADDIE Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/23189426

#53: Using Automations and Boundaries to Create a Business You Love with Colie James 05/26/2022

#53: Using Automations and Boundaries to Create a Business You Love with Colie James Colie James is a family filmmaker turned Dubsado and systems guru. She is based out of Colorado, has been married 21 years, has an almost 12 year old, and a love for Disneyland. In this episode, we talk all things automations, systems, Dubsado, and more. Here are a few highlights: Colie’s background and how she got started with automations What a CRM is Automating emails and how you can still sound personable Using gifs to add personality to your emails (and how Colie makes her own gifs!) Colie’s favorite CRM and another great system for photographers Setting your website up to help clients clearly understand what it is you do and offer (and how that can possibly allow you to skip over client phone consults) How to figure out what CRM is right for you Colie’s process from contact form to proposal to onboarding Simplifying emails and using a system so you don’t have to hold all the information in your head Getting people into your CRM even if they don’t go through your normal contact form or process (i.e. they reached out over Instagram DMs) How automations can help you stick to your boundaries Always tell the client when they will hear from you next How to get started with automations Setting up your systems before hiring a VA Info on Colie’s VIP days and online course This was a great conversation with Colie as she truly is an expert in all things CRMs and automations. We share a love for Dubsado, and it was so fun to hear about her processes and how systems can make businesses (and lives) run smoother. You can connect with Colie on Instagram @coliejames or her website is . She has information about her VIP days ! If you are ready to up-level the back end of your business and make your life easier, you can check out Dubsado or use the code to get 20% off your first month or year. Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/23123312

#52: How I Work Less in the Summer 05/19/2022

#51: Bringing Order to Business Chaos with Jade Boyd 05/12/2022

#51: Bringing Order to Business Chaos with Jade Boyd Jade Boyd is a brand photographer and business coach who helps creative entrepreneurs simplify and scale their service-based businesses with a combination of smart marketing strategies and seamless systems. Jade fell in love with entrepreneurship while earning her BBA in entrepreneurship and her MBA in Marketing at the University of Iowa. She's passionate about helping creative entrepreneurs find a way to pursue big goals without sacrificing the things that matter most to them. Jade lives in Iowa City with her husband Caleb, and they're currently doing a DIY remodel on their mid-mod cabin in the woods - which keeps things interesting to say the least! Jade is also an enneagram one with a not-so-secret obsession with all things planning and planners and in her free time you can find her reading personal development and business books, scouting for new local restaurants and coffee shops, or working on her next interior design project. I have lived getting to know Jade over the years through my mastermind group coaching program, on a business owner level, and also as a friend. Jade is multi-passionate, determined, and wise in so many areas, and I love learning from her. Her drive to help bring some order to business chaos is amazing, and we really dove into that in this episode. Here are some of the things I discussed with Jade in this episode: Jade’s laundry list of interests and ideas when starting her business and how she settled on photography About Jade’s recent pivot in her business Coming into alignment in your business (and getting through the messy middle) The unrealistic perception of productivity and the ebb and flow of it About ClickUp and how it can help you make better decisions about what needs to get done Task management softwares and the overwhelm with them Jade’s ClickUp template and how it can help you get started Clarifying the goals for your business Automating and streamlining within your services Collecting all your thoughts and to-do’s and getting them out of your head and onto paper Challenges for productivity and boundaries as an entrepreneur This was a great conversation with Jade! If you want some help to get your week in order, to-do’s out of your head, and to add a little order to your business, you can grab Jade’s , or check out her . You can also connect with Jade on social @jadeboyd.co or check out her podcast, . Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/22883483

#50: How I Made $5,000 in One Day with Mini Sessions 05/05/2022

#50: How I Made $5,000 in One Day with Mini Sessions I have offered mini sessions in my business since the beginning of my business. I have such fond memories of mini sessions! The reason I started offering them at all was because it made me feel better about raising my prices. I felt guilty for raising my prices, so I offered mini sessions so I could work with the people that had kind of gotten me to the point I was at - essentially thanking them, while charging appropriate prices and still having boundaries around that lower pricing. Fast forward to today, I have my own studio, , where we host sets where photographers can come in and use those to host their own mini sessions. I also have spent the last couple of years teaching other photographers how to host lucrative mini sessions, and I think mini sessions can be just that! Mini sessions can be such a fantastic thing to build your portfolio, to better your client experience, increase your automations, etc. - there are so many benefits to mini sessions, but many times photographers miss the boat. Too many photographers look at it as a way to make fast cash, but then it doesn’t actually make them fast cash. I believe we as photographers can get better at mini sessions, and that’s why today’s episode is dedicated to talking about this topic. Recently I had a big win personally when I hosted my annual mini session day for brand and headshot photography in January - I did $5,000 in one day! I was thrilled with this. To give a little background, I do these sessions every January and the previous time I made around $1500. This big win caused me to get really reflective on what I did differently to get these results, what I can learn for next time, and if I can replicate this. In this episode, I’m walking through a few of the things I did this time (and over the years) in order to get this $5k result from my mission session day. Here are some of the things I discuss: Getting to this point takes time; it doesn’t happen overnight Pricing your sessions Meeting people where they are Bonus tip: be sure to schedule a lunch break for yourself Setting clear boundaries up front (remember mini sessions are NOT full sessions) Upselling Making sure you truly enjoy mini sessions if you are going to keep doing them Launching to a waitlist Email marketing I hope these mini session tips were helpful! Remember, it takes time and often involves some trial and error with your mini sessions as there are many factors that come into play. Don't give up! Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/22883450

#49: Why Photographers Should Outsource Their Editing with Nicole Olson 04/21/2022

#48: How I Respond to, Can I Pick Your Brain? 04/07/2022

#48: How I Respond to, Can I Pick Your Brain? Since I have started educating in my business, whether that is having a coaching client or talking and giving advice on Instagram or the podcast, I more often get questions that are essentially, “Hey, can I pick your brain?” Sometimes that is exactly how it’s asked, sometimes it’s super tactful and addressing the fact that they understand I do this for a living and ask to grab coffee and chat, sometimes they offer to pay, but the question kind of remains the same. Another interesting layer to this is as I have worked with other people to work education and thought leadership into their personal brand strategy, they begin to start having the same question asked to them. They then come to me to ask how they should address this. I thought it was an interesting topic that would be great to dive into today! I mean, how do you even really respond when someone messages you, “can I pick your brain,” but the thing that they want to pick your brain about is the thing that your other clients pay you money for (or the thing that you want to get paid for). That’s what we are talking about today! Here are some things I discuss in this episode: Understanding what you want Figuring out your boundaries Realizing it’s okay to change based on your current season Understanding where people are coming from 3 things I offer to people when they ask me these types of questions Examples of what to say/how to respond My boundary when people have a very specific question for their specific experience/business (and what I say to direct them to my coaching) Writing out your responses so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time The hardest part of navigating conversations like this Episode 19 and learning to respect people’s time Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/22449779

#47: Creating White Space in Your Business with Sabrina Gebhardt 03/24/2022

#47: Creating White Space in Your Business with Sabrina Gebhardt Sabrina is a lifestyle photographer located in Texas. She’s been in business for 11 years, and for the past 6 years she has been diving into the education side of her business. This has involved mentoring, creating a course, speaking at conferences, starting a mastermind, and more, all of which focus on the business of photography. Once you’ve been in business for a while, there is often this natural flow to the education side of things. You’ve gained experience, worked with many people, and had a lot of growth and success, so others want to learn how you did it and how you got to where you are. It’s a great space to go into, and Sabrina definitely found that to be true within her own business. Sabrina loves helping photographers to build sustainable and successful businesses. She is on a personal mission to end burnout, one photographer at a time, because she believes it is totally possible to have a business you love without wanting to poke your eyes out. She’s sharing all about this in this week’s episode, along with other tips to help you create more white space in your business. Here are the main things Sabrina and I discussed in the episode: What got Sabrina interested in going into education Connecting with educators and clients Sabrina’s niche How planning can really benefit creatives Creating white space in your business and what that actually means The first step to creating white space (yes, it might be uncomfortable!) Benefits of white space and intentionality Setting boundaries How Sabrina’s schedule/white space often looks How photographers can make this happen (even if you are in the first few years of your business) Avoiding burnout Pivoting in your business Figuring out the schedule that works for you White space/calendar tips from Sabrina This was such a fun conversation to have with Sabrina! I knew she would have amazing tips to share about creating a business that is not only sustainable but also a business that you love. Creating white space within your calendar is so important and allows for you to say goodbye to burnout! You can connect with Sabrina on social media @sabrinagebhardtphotography or on . Full show notes Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/22350842

#46: Take It Personally in 2022 03/10/2022

#45: 2022 Instagram Predictions 02/24/2022

#44: Everything You Need to Know About Starting an Email List with Jenny Roth 02/11/2022

#44: Everything You Need to Know About Starting an Email List with Jenny Roth Today’s podcast guest has become a very dear friend of mine. Her name is , and she is a copywriter from near Aberdeen, SD. I’ve talked before about some of the changes that have occurred in my business over the last year. A big part of that has been hiring a team and working with team members and contractors that do various things in my business, and Jenny was one of the first people that I started working with. Jenny does so much writing in my business. She has done sales pages, my new website that I launched last year, but we first got started working together when she started doing my email copy. Jenny has changed my business for the better! When we get together once a month, I basically tell Jenny my life story, and she turns it into these beautiful emails. She understands me - any good copywriter is like that and has that magic of just being able to talk to someone and replicate their brand voice to talk in a way that sounds just like them. The biggest compliment that I get on my emails is that people are shocked when they find out that someone else writes them. And yet, when I read the drafts when Jenny sends them over, I always find myself saying that it sounds just like me. She takes what I say and puts it together in a way that flows well and is easy to understand. In today’s episode, we are really focusing on email marketing, which makes sense as Jenny’s magic is definitely in connecting with people via email. Grab a notebook and pen because she has SO many good tips that she shares in today’s interview. Here are some of the things Jenny and I discussed: How Jenny and I got connected How she gets most of her leads through pitching herself Jenny’s story and how she got to where she is now How Jenny niched down to email copy Jenny’s process of taking on someone else’s voice when writing Step one in writing: get your thoughts out there, even if it’s messy How email is another avenue to reach people and can be a compliment to your social media How to get people on your list and lead magnet ideas Welcome/nurture sequences and order bumps Email service providers How often you should be emailing your list Repurposing content for email “I don’t know what to send my email list” and making an email plan Getting help and hiring out for email (or other areas in your business) Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! Full episode show notes /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/21911234

#43: Overcoming Overwhelm in Business with Celeste Coffman 01/27/2022

#42: Everything I Did Before I Quit My Job 01/13/2022

#42: Everything I Did Before I Quit My Job More are starting to ask: “What would it take for me to leave my job?” This is what today’s podcast is all about as I wanted to share everything that I did before I quit my job. While I love to work with people who are anxious to quit their job and want to establish a plan to make that happen, I personally don’t think everyone should quit their job (that’s not my goal in this episode). I think entrepreneurship is AMAZING and such a joy in my life, but it isn’t that for everyone. It can be hard to compartmentalize, and life and business often meld together. Again, it can be amazing, but sometimes it’s also a lot. For me, entrepreneurship is really fulfilling, and I personally can understand getting to the point of feeling like you either have to double down with your day job and start climbing the ladder, or quit and give it your all with your own business. Doing half and half just isn’t fair to anyone and doesn’t usually work great. Maybe right now you are feeling that way. If you are thinking of taking your business full-time and wondering what to do before leaving your job, this episode is for you! I am diving into everything I did before I quit my job. One important thing to remember is that our stories may not look the same! I personally have always had jobs that I’ve loved, so it wasn’t that I was in a toxic situation I needed to get out of. If that is your situation or your work is running you dry or giving you anxiety, your quitting situation is going to look different than mine (and it should). I also had a lot of time with my situation to figure everything out before making the leap. You may not have time. Our paths may not look the same, so keep that in mind as you listen, but I hope you can still find my story helpful in some way! Here are some of the things I discuss in this episode: Making paying off debt a priority Contributing to retirement Setting my income goal (to match my income but also considering things like health insurance, future children, etc.) Getting to the point of feeling spread way too thin between my day job and photography business Creating a savings runway Looking into options for health insurance Feeling anxious about quitting Setting boundaries when giving your notice The internal conversation of “should I or shouldn’t I?” Making the jump Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/21640877

#41: Syncing Your Business with Your Cycle with Jenna Christianson 12/30/2021

#41: Syncing Your Business with Your Cycle with Jenna Christianson Alright folks, buckle up! We are talking about periods today, and this episode feels like a long time coming. It was before I got pregnant with my third child that I started seeing posts from Jenna and other holistic health practitioners about period health and how our cycle can impact so many other things, and therefore, often impact our business. I think that so often, as young girls, we are not told about the way that cycle tracking can impact our health and wellbeing and just our understanding of our body. So often I think we’re kind of taught that periods are this thing we should dread and it’s normal to have all these symptoms - while they may be common, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are normal. Over roughly the past two years, I have really come to understand my cycle better. I cannot tell you the impact that it has had on my business and my life just understanding the times of the month where I am excited to be up on stage in front of a group of people and the times of the month where I don’t want to leave my house and just want to watch Netflix or the times where I can get really focused work done but don’t want to talk to anyone else. If you notice feeling the same way throughout the month, that is actually really normal, so stop beating yourself up because you can’t be “on” all the time! That’s why I am so excited to talk to our guest today, Jenna Chirstianson, because she has opened my eyes to women’s health and period health and how it can affect your life and business. Here are some of the things we discussed in this episode: About Jenna Why tracking your cycle can be helpful Differences between men and women's hormones Phases of the menstrual cycle and how our cycle can give an insight to our overall health (follow along on ) Fertility Awareness Method What to expect with each phase (mood, energy, etc.) What to do within your business during each phase Supporting your overall health and cycle (lymphatic drainage, sleep, hydration, etc.) How to work with Jenna Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/21527522

#40: Finding Your Brand Voice with Sara Gillis 12/16/2021

#39: Doing Less for More Success with Christine Tremoulet 12/02/2021

#39: Doing Less for More Success with Christine Tremoulet Today’s podcast guest is someone I recently met at the Reset Conference, and we hit it off right away! Christine Tremoulet is the Chief Growth Officer of AfterShoot, which is a company that helps photographers create more and edit less. Prior to this, she has a long history of working in creative fields. She’s had experience with web design, blogging, Wordpress (which she gave it’s official name!), photography, working closely with brands and businesses, and more. Christine loved wedding photography but shifted to boudoir photography to enjoy a bit more time freedom. At that time, she also started doing some business coaching and mentoring. She had plans to head out on a 3 week road trip, which ended up being 4 months! But as she reflected on it, Christine was so thankful for the flexibility of her schedule and was reminded that her love for travel was the reason she first started making shifts in her business. There is a lot to be said about flexibility and freedom in running your own business - how to truly make your business work for you and your life, but also how to make the most of the time that you do spend on your business. There are things to put in place to help you be productive, and as you implement these strategies, you may find yourself doing less to be more successful. Christine has a lot of experience with this, which is why I am so excited for this interview with her. Here are some of the things we discussed in the episode: Transitioning and reevaluating your business How Christine would get “bored” with success and would want a new challenge Constant communication and living in this “on” culture Having healthy boundaries Feeling like we have to do it all and how not doing it all can actually help you uplevel your brand Implementing programs and softwares to make business easier or outsource tasks Details about AfterShoot and how it can specifically save photographers time Keeping things as a hobby for yourself VS. turning it into a business Christine shared about AfterShoot and how this software can help photographers save time. You can use the code MADDIE10 to get 10% off your first purchase with AfterShoot if you are interested in trying it out. You can find more information on social @aftershootco. Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/21332708

#38: Making Money on Pinterest with Addie Gray 11/18/2021

#38: Making Money on Pinterest with Addie Gray It’s no secret that I love Instagram. I’m a big fan of the platform. I love connecting with people there, I love creating the content, I love seeing what other people are doing and scrolling for way too long. It’s a great platform and when used properly, it can be a huge asset in your business. But it’s also no secret that Instagram can be really draining. I think especially over the past couple of the years that constant connection, while helpful, can also be a bit of a detriment. Because Instagram is this wheel that keeps on spinning, we can start to feel like we can’t take a step off of the wheel. It’s exhausting, right?! So, having other things in place in your business that are able to keep moving, even when you want to take a break, is really important - to keep generating sales, to get your content out to more people, to add people to your email list, etc. And that is essentially how I met today’s guest, Addie Gray. Addie is a Pinterest expert and analytic strategist. I actually met her on Instagram about a year ago, and she has been working in my business for about 9 months managing my Pinterest! Addie is a queen in the realm of Pinterest, and I have her to thank for my Pinterest page doing well. Today’s episode is a deep dive into that and why Pinterest could be a great thing for your business. Here’s some of the things we talked about in today’s episode: All about Addie and how she first got started with Pinterest Optimizing your Pinterest account Using secret Pinterest boards Why Pinterest is a good platform for business owners to consider How Pinterest differs from Instagram and can be working in the background for you Creating and scheduling Pinterest content SEO and optimizing your pins with keywords to show up in the search results What type of content to put on Pinterest (simpler than you think!) What making money on Pinterest looks like Repurposing content Figuring out your Pinterest strategy Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/21164825

#37: Thoughts on my 2 Million Views Viral Reel 11/04/2021

#37: Thoughts on my 2 Million Views Viral Reel This summer, I had an Instagram Reel go viral! And it was a really interesting thing to witness, and I wanted to reflect on it today. Video does not come super natural to me (I mean, hello, I have a podcast. That should tell you all that you need to know about how I feel about video). So, the fact that I do Reels at all, let alone have had some go viral, is shocking because it’s just not my jam. But I will add, that after practicing for a while, they have become easier to do! The Reel that went viral was me lip syncing to the popular “I don’t know what you heard about me” audio clip. When I heard that clip, I knew I wanted to do something like I did for this Reel as I have had instances at preschool or the post office or wherever where people say that they follow me on social media. When that happens, it’s kind of embarrassing...because what I do on social media is kind of embarrassing (but I still do it anyways ;)). And honestly, it’s pretty funny that this is the Reel that went viral. I had put a good amount of production into my other Reels, but this is one that I did very quickly. I was getting ready to leave the house, didn’t have makeup on or my hair done, I had coffee in my hand as I was about to get in my car, and I’m pretty sure my neighbors were watching. And guess what? It took me 30 seconds. And this Reel that I spent 30 seconds on went viral! This is what we are talking about today - my thoughts on this, why I think it went viral, things that I did to help me gain about 2k followers from it, and what I plan to do going forward for Reels: Why Reels do well on Instagram Creating relatable content Questioning the “mom relatability” of this Reel Creating content under the umbrella of your personal brand/niche-related content How this Reel helped me in the ‘Know-like-trust funnel’ Having a “bingeable” account Auditing your account Responding to comments on posts/Reels My plan going forward What to do if Reels aren’t your jam Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/21017312

#36: How to Start a Podcast with Jaice Shakespaere 10/21/2021

#36: How to Start a Podcast with Jaice Shakespaere Since I started my podcast, I’ve gotten some questions from other people about how to start a podcast. This is an interesting question to answer because it’s actually very simple! If you are creating content in any area of your business, you could somehow turn that into a podcast or shift your business to have your podcast be your main form of content. Of course, there are challenging parts, too. I have found consistency to be really challenging when it comes to recording episodes. The tech part of it all also initially overwhelmed me–but again, it actually was more simple than I thought it would be. I wanted to do an episode addressing these questions, but I thought it might be a little boring simply having me tell you what microphone I use, what programs I use, etc., so I decided to have my friend Jaice on the podcast! Jaice is a photographer in Sioux Falls, SD, and she has been a member of my mastermind program, The Confident Creative, so I’ve gotten to know her on a coaching basis and also as a friend. She has a background in education and is now moving into the education space in her business to help educate other photographers (or those who want to become one). She recently started a podcast (The Mistakes I’ve Made So You Don’t Have To) this year that has taken off, and I have loved watching her grow with it. Here are some of the things I talk about with Jaice: What made Jaice want to start a podcast How easy starting a podcast actually can be Equipment she uses Where to record your podcast Editing (and outsourcing) How Jaice started niching down and her transition to more education The goals she has for her podcast Monetizing podcasts and making sure it aligns with your brand Publishing your first episode and on what hosting platform What’s involved with show notes Launching and why we suggest doing it with more than one episode Ideal posting schedule goals Creating content in a way that you are aligned with and that your audience connects with A few highlights from this episode: [28:14] With show notes, you have the option of making them into a blog post and linking it back to your podcast. You can get more eyes on it from different avenues. [33:17] There’s no rule that says if you have a podcast, you have to release weekly. No, two weeks, a month, it doesn’t matter. Whatever you want, whatever you can do, whatever makes you happy. [35:35] ...Maybe it’s time to take a step back and ask what is the goal of this podcast? Who am I trying to reach? What do I want to talk about? [35:55] There’s a million ways to create content that people will want to consume somehow, but if you’re not aligned with that, your people are going to be able to tell...The medium doesn’t really matter so much; it’s so much more about the messages. [38:01] I can’t stress enough just make sure you know who you’re talking to. Find your audience! That takes some soul searching. This was so much fun catching up with Jaice and discussing all things PODCASTING. We even ended the episode with a fun little get-to-know-you speed round. If you’ve been considering starting a podcast but feel a little unsure, I hope this episode provided you with some great insight as well as confidence to start now! Some of the best conversations happen after the show in my private Facebook group, Take It Personally Podcast. to join in! /episode/index/show/takeitpersonally/id/20874230

#35: Why I Walked Away From My Biggest Client 08/17/2021

#34: Confidence in Personal Branding Through Styling with Trish Taylor 08/10/2021

#33: Getting the most mileage out of your content 06/29/2021

#32: Finding Clarity and Paving Your Own Financial Path 06/22/2021

#31: Dealing with Price Comparison 03/29/2021

#30: Embracing the Seasons of Life and Business 01/06/2021

#29: What to do When Your Business No Longer Aligns with Your Passions 05/19/2020

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