In this engaging conversation, Melissa interviews Claudia Johnstone, a talented photographer who shares her inspiring journey from a diverse career path to becoming a successful photographer. Claudia discusses her early influences, the challenges she faced in pursuing her passion, and the pivotal moments that shaped her career. She emphasizes the importance of listening to one's gut, the value of mentorship, and the significance of personal growth in the creative field. The conversation highlights the power of resilience and the belief that anything is possible with determination and support. In this conversation, Claudia and Melissa explore the significance of community in photography, the personal journey of discovering ADHD, and the transformative power of coaching. They discuss how these experiences have shaped Claudia's approach to her photography, particularly in raising awareness about ADHD through creative projects. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, emotional awareness, and the courage to pursue one's passions while fostering connections with others.

Takeaways

• She faced challenges in pursuing her passion due to self-doubt.
• Assisting other photographers was crucial for her learning.
• Claudia found her niche in dog photography, which was fulfilling.
• Listening to her gut led her to make significant career changes.
• Winning a photography competition opened new doors for her.
• Editorial work helped build her confidence and connections.
• Personal development has been a key part of her journey. Community support is vital for overcoming imposter syndrome.
• ADHD can be a source of creativity and understanding.
• Coaching can lead to significant personal growth.
• Self-awareness helps in managing emotions and challenges.
• Finding a unique voice in photography sets you apart.
• Emotional dysregulation is common in ADHD, but manageable.
• Connection with others enhances personal well-being.
• Investing in personal development is crucial for success.

Timeline

00:00 Claudia's Journey into Photography
04:05 Career Shifts and the Architecture Background
10:26 The Transition to Photography
16:45 Building Confidence and Finding Opportunities
24:17 Winning the Photography Competition
27:26 Navigating the Editorial World
33:23 Mental Health and Self-Advocacy
36:12 Navigating Client Relationships and Personal Growth
37:45 The Phoenix Her Stories Project
43:29 Understanding ADHD and Its Impact
50:08 Combining Coaching with Photography
56:42 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Empowerment
01:09:40 Future Aspirations and Community Impact

Dasfotohaus + Instagram
ADHD Portrait Project: Website + Instagram

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Embracing Change: Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone

In today's episode, Melissa highlights the importance of readiness in achieving business success. They discuss how stepping out of your comfort zone is essential for growth, tackling issues like attracting more clients, reducing stress, and overcoming imposter syndrome. The conversation delves into overcoming fear, setting ambitious goals, and taking strategic actions to unlock new opportunities. Listeners are encouraged to reflect and act boldly to achieve their aspirations.

00:00 Introduction: The Power of Readiness

00:18 Meet Your Hosts: Keith and Melissa

00:32 Understanding Readiness in Business

01:13 Overcoming Fear and Buffering

02:30 Defining What It Means to Be Ready

03:48 Taking Action Towards Your Goals

05:05 Setting Outlandish Goals

06:11 Embracing Challenges and Growth

07:03 Conclusion: Unlocking Your Potential

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Make a $1M in 12 Months: Our Audacious Goal for our Photography Business

Breaking Mindset Barriers: Achieving Financial Success in Photography

In this episode, we discuss our *new* audacious goal of making a million dollars in 12 months. We emphasize the importance of shifting mindsets and beliefs around money to achieve financial success. The episode includes personal anecdotes about overcoming limiting beliefs and strategies for creating a prosperous photography business. It concludes with an exercise featuring five questions (see below) designed to help listeners examine their relationship with money and envision new financial possibilities.

00:00 Introduction: Transforming for Success

00:10 Welcome and Mission Statement

00:27 Discussing Money and Mindset

01:04 Personal Experiences with Money Beliefs

01:55 Keith's Journey and Abundant Mindset

06:41 Setting Big Goals: $1 Million in 12 Months

07:11 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

17:12 Visualizing Success and Taking Action

18:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

20:31 Outro and Call to Action

5 Exercises Worksheet (DOWNLOAD)

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Building Self-Integrity in Your Photography Business

We delve into the importance of self-integrity in achieving business success. In this episode, we emphasize the significance of consistently doing what you commit to, outlining how personal integrity directly impacts business reliability and growth.

Through discussing concepts like the motivational triad and specific strategies for overcoming mental obstacles, they encourage listeners to set and achieve concrete 30-day goals. By planning ahead, managing time effectively, and using one's higher brain, listeners can build resilience and discipline, leading to significant strides in their business and personal fulfillment.

00:00 Introduction to Integrity

00:10 Meet Keith and Melissa

00:50 Understanding Self Integrity

01:13 Building the Brain Muscle

01:41 Balancing Multiple Responsibilities

02:06 Overcoming the Brain's Programming

02:37 Planning Ahead for Success

03:27 Handling Seasonal Rush

04:23 Maintaining Personal Integrity

08:16 Setting and Achieving 30-Day Goals

15:07 Listing Obstacles and Strategies

17:26 Final Thoughts on Integrity

19:27 Conclusion and Call to Action

Exercise: 30 day Goal

Definitions
Prefrontal Cortex: One part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, is what truly makes us human. We use the prefrontal cortex to think about our thinking, make decisions, and plan ahead. The prefrontal cortex is reflective. It ponders. It considers. It isn't reactionary and instinctive like the lower brain, also known as the reptilian brain or the primitive brain.

Primitive Brain / Lower Brain / Reptilian Brain: Because the lower brain likes to be efficient, it is in charge of a lot of our basic functions that keep us alive and instinctive type behaviors like fight or flight and since it doesn't argue logic with you it doesn't object to you doing things that aren't always in your best interest like skipping the gym, sitting on the couch, binging your favorite show instead of attacking that to do list. It helps keep you in your comfort zone and keeps you safe from trying new things that might scare you.

Motivational Triad: a simple definition is that our lower brain is always seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, and reducing effort. To put it simply, it is our basic instincts.

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Harnessing the Power of Your Brain for Business Success

In this episode, Melissa discusses the importance of building trust in yourself to achieve a business and life you love. She explains how understanding and retraining the brain, particularly the conflict between the prefrontal cortex and the primitive brain, is crucial for overcoming self-sabotaging behaviors.

Melissa introduces the concept of the Motivational Triad and how shifting it can lead to more beneficial outcomes.

They also share information about their upcoming six-week group coaching program designed to help you achieve your business goals.

00:00 Introduction: Building Trust in Yourself

00:36 Meet Keith and Melissa

00:52 Understanding the Brain and Mindset

01:31 The Conflict Between the Prefrontal Cortex and Primitive Brain

04:10 The Motivational Triad

05:24 Planning and Taking Control

06:22 Conclusion and Upcoming Coaching Program

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Transform Your Narrative: Unlocking Success in Your Photography Business

In this episode, we discuss the transformative power of changing your narrative toward achieving success in your photography business. We emphasize the impact of mindset on business outcomes, using personal anecdotes to illustrate the shift from negative to positive thinking.

The episode also touches on our journey of embracing new skills like video editing and the importance of journaling and self-reflection in evolving your business narrative. We highlight the stark contrast between defeatist and optimistic perspectives, and how having clear goals and plans can lead to a thriving business. Listeners are encouraged to redefine their stories and be deliberate about their business goals for success.

Exercise: Journal entry or Grab a piece of paper
Write down what you believe your current narrative is for your business
Then write down what you would like your narrative to be

Books Mentioned:
Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth, Jen Sincero

00:00 Introduction: Changing Your Business Narrative

00:37 Meet Keith and Melissa: Photography Business Owners

01:00 Embracing New Creative Outlets

03:15 Defining Your Business Narrative

04:08 Learning from Past Experiences

07:24 Crafting a Positive Business Story

12:29 Personal Transformation and Growth

17:43 Conclusion: The Power of a Positive Narrative

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Secrets to Sustaining a Photography Business for Over 25 Years

In this episode, we share 3 tips (that really are more common sense than 'secret') that have helped us tremendously in our 25-year journey in our photography business.

Despite the statistic that only 15 percent of photography businesses survive past three years, we've managed to thrive by focusing on three key elements: determination, giving, and integrity.

We discuss the importance of perseverance, the impact of altruism, and how maintaining honest and consistent practices has been crucial to their long-term success. They also clarify the distinction between genuine giving and business networking, emphasizing ethical commitments and reliability.

Our mission is to make sure more photographers don't fall into the 85% of photography businesses that don't make it past the first few years!

00:00 Introduction: Defying the Odds in Photography

00:26 The Harsh Reality of Photography Business

01:06 Key Factors for Long-Term Success

02:47 Determination: The Driving Force

04:39 The Power of Giving

12:29 Integrity: The Foundation of Trust

15:30 Conclusion: Sustaining Success

16:36 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

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Overcoming Self-Sabotage in Your Photography Business

In this episode we focus on the concept of self-sabotage, drawing from 'The Mountain is You' by Brianna Wiest, explaining that it stems from conflicting conscious and unconscious desires. We share personal experiences and examples of how self-sabotage can impede progress in a photography business. Key self-sabotage tactics include resistance, perfectionism, hitting upper limits, justification, and fear of success. We emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing these behaviors to move forward and achieve one's full potential in the photography business.

00:00 Introduction: Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

00:27 Morning Walk Reflections

01:56 Today's Topic: Self Sabotage

02:20 Understanding Self Sabotage

05:55 Personal Stories of Limiting Beliefs

08:15 Examples of Self Sabotage in Photography

10:30 Metaphors and Real-Life Examples

16:27 Breaking Through Upper Limits

18:41 Perfectionism and Justification

22:52 Fear of Success and Failure

26:25 The Busy Trap

30:21 Conclusion and Call to Action

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