Brands that Book with Davey Jones: Recent Episodes
Davey Jones
A show for creative service-based business owners who want to learn how to build their brands and find more clients.
Today's guest is copywriter, Jessica Jordana, and she's here to share her thoughts on artificial intelligence and what she things it means for business owners, things she wish people knew about copywriting, and four tips for higher converting copy.
Episode Sponsor: If you are struggling with projects, sign up for Basecamp. Their pricing is simple and they give you ALL their features in a single plan. No upsells. No upgrades.
Go to basecamp.com/daveyandkrista and try Basecamp for free. No credit card required and cancel anytime.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check 'em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
Today's guest is sales and copywriting expert, Sam Jacobson, who is helping us dive into understanding our ideal clients and how that understanding can transform our website and our marketing efforts. If you've been listening to the podcast the past few months, you know that client avatars and understanding our ideal clients has been a topic that is top of mind.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check 'em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
In today's episode I'm sharing what I think are the principals for creating a stellar ad campaign on any platform. This is from the outline of a presentation that I gave at Spark Conference (Showit's conference) in November 2022.
Episode Sponsor: If you are struggling with projects, sign up for Basecamp. Their pricing is simple and they give you ALL their features in a single plan. No upsells. No upgrades.
Go to basecamp.com/daveyandkrista and try Basecamp for free. No credit card required and cancel anytime.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check 'em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
In today's episode I'm sharing an overview of what our process looks like for creating a piece of content that ranks on Google for a keyword that we're targeting. This is from the outline of a presentation that I gave at Spark Conference (Showit's conference) in November 2022.
Episode Sponsor: If you are struggling with projects, sign up for Basecamp. Their pricing is simple and they give you ALL their features in a single plan. No upsells. No upgrades.
Go to basecamp.com/daveyandkrista and try Basecamp for free. No credit card required and cancel anytime.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check 'em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
You've probably seen it in the news...
You've probably seen the ads for related products...
Who knows—you may already use tools that utilize artificial intelligency (AI) technology...
... but ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools have been making headlines.
Today we’re explaining what these tools are—specifically providing a brief overview of ChatGPT—why they matter, how businesses should respond, and what we think this means going forward.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check ‘em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
Have questions about AI? Send us a DM. We're planning on recording another episode shortly on how these tools can be used to help you in your marketing efforts.
Shanna Skidmore joins me on the podcast to chat about her system for organizing personal finances and what business numbers you should be reviewing at the end of the year.
We start the conversation, however, discussing her time away from her business from mid 2019-mid 2020. The short version of the story is that after her biggest launch ever in 2019, she walked away from her business with the intention of not returning. We talk about that season, her experience being away from her business and what she learned from it. This was one of my favorite conversations of 2022, largely because of the first half of our conversation. So if you have the time, I highly encourage you to listen to the entire episode because there’s just so much good stuff to be found in what Shanna shares around her experience closing up shop.
But, if you are here for the financial stuff, I’ll put a timestamp in the episode description so you know where to jump. Shanna’s content is top-notch, I took a full page of notes just based the financial portion of our conversation, and Krista and I are planning on completing the activity she shares during our year-end review.
As always, links and resources are in the show notes, including Shanna’s Year-End Review activity. Check it out at daveyandkrista.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review at Apple Podcasts. It really helps.
0:00 Intro and catching up
34:46 Personal finance or business finance is one of the least talked about subjects
36:44 Start creating your budget by finding your bare bone minimum expenses
40:58 Then you can add in the lifestyle expenses
43:13 What tips do you have for living in the want?
46:20 Determine your values first
48:10 What approach do you take to year end review from a business standpoint?
49:40 Compare revenue and expenses year to year
51:31 Pro tip: Talk to your CPA in November for tax prep
54:41 Evaluate and ask yourself if your work brings joy
Disclaimer: I am not a financial expert and the information shared during this episode is for informational purposes only and not for purposes of providing accounting or financial advice. You should contact a financial expert or accountant to obtain advice with respect to any particular financial issue or problem.
Today’s guest is copywriter Abbi Perets of Successful Freelance Mom and we’re chatting about how to create effective email sequences. I was recently introduced to Abbi through a connection on LinkedIn who was raving about her content—and as I chatted with Abbi, I could see why. She was a lot of fun to chat with, I appreciated the practical tips she shared, and I also appreciated her love for different marketing tools.
She actually shares a bit about how she sends dynamic content to email subscribers using liquid coding based on a survey she has people complete. Since she showed me this, I’ve implemented it in one of our email sequences. My plan is to record a video demonstrating how to do this and drop it in the show notes.
Abbi shares a bit of her story with us, and there’s a lot we can learn from it. Especially if you’re just starting out, you won’t want to skip the beginning of the episode. Then we dive into email marketing and email sequences.
As always, be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mention during the episode and specific timestamps if you’re looking to jump around the episode. We link to a bunch of helpful email resources that Abbi has put together.
And can I ask a favor? If you enjoy the Brands that Book podcast and find this episode helpful, would you mind heading over to Apple Podcasts and leaving us a review? Reviews are helpful for so many reasons, but most importantly they let us know that we’re producing the kind of content you want to hear.
Now onto the episode…
Today’s guest is copywriter Ashlyn Carter. Long time listeners of Brands that Book will remember that Ashlyn was one of the very first guests of the podcast. Back in episode 2, she talked about how to write high converting website copy—that episode is still full of practical tips, so be sure to check it out if you haven't listened to it. Ashlyn has written sales copy for some of the biggest names in the creative industry and has earned the reputation of someone who has really honed her craft.
In today’s episode we benefit not only from her expertise as a copywriter, but also as a business owner. We cover a range of topics from the importance of emotional hooks to her best tips for writing headlines and what she thinks is coming in the next year. We also get to hear about a fascinating email project she’s been working on.
And, we just get to catch up.
As always, be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mention during the episode.
And can I ask a favor? If you enjoy the Brands that Book podcast and find this episode helpful, would you mind heading over to Apple Podcasts and leaving us a review? Reviews are helpful for so many reasons, but most importantly they let us know that we’re producing the kind of content you want to hear.
Now onto the episode…
Find it Quickly (In the Episode):
0:00 Intro
2:06 Settlers of Catan and Parks and Rec
5:08 2021 was a hard year from a business standpoint
8:21 Building a team
12:00 Tips for future copywriters
14:19 If you were to go back in time, what things would you do differently?
17:05 2022 has been a year of team and culture building
19:37 Working hard to keep their server warm, double content creation
21:25 Goal to work on course curriculum simplification
23:09 They focus on the systems ability to pull metrics from a numbers standpoint
25:57 AI is now available and had exploded
27:50 Content generated by AI software is affected most by updates
28:53 Google seems to be actively fighting AI bot created content
29:15 The hook has got to be sticky
30:07 Offer fatigue is very prevalent
30:49 Tips to avoid offer fatigue
34:49 Paying attention to headlines can make a big difference
35:14 Best tips for writing headlines
39:09 What do you think is coming in 2023?
Today Krista and I are sharing three activities that we will doing together during our year-end review and planning meeting. While these activities aren’t the only things we’ll be discussing, we thought it would be more helpful to give y’all an idea of what sorts of things we focus on during these meetings vs. how to plan the meeting (more on that in a minute).
We discuss an activity that will help kick things off and set the tone for the meeting that analyzes both the revenue driving activities of the business and how the team feels about those activities. Then we jump into an overview of how we examine our finances. We don’t go into great detail because I’m releasing an episode in a few weeks with financial expert Shanna Skidmore who helps us explore this. And we end by discussing some of the marketing related efforts that we’re going to take another look at.
We have a few goals during these sorts of meetings. One is efficiency. And by that, I mean we want to figure out how we can do more with less—which ultimately means that we’re figuring out what we can eliminate so as to make better use of our time and resources. It can be difficult cutting things out, but it’s always amazing to me the growth that a little pruning can bring about. Beyond that, we of course want to create some space to get on the same page and dream together a bit about what the next year could look like.
Sometimes the middle of these conversations aren’t always easy—especially if you have a partner that you work alongside—they might have a totally different assessment of the year and what should be done the following year. God knows that has occasionally been the case with Krista and me… but these conversations are so necessary to have, and I’m always so grateful afterwards for having had them.
There are so many ways to make your year-end review or planning meetings more effective. We don’t jump into actually how to plan these reviews, although we do have other episodes that cover such things. Regardless of what your end-of-year meeting looks like, we hope you find one or more of these activities helpful.
As always, links and resources can be found in the show notes. Check ‘em out at https://daveyandkrista.com/ And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review over at Apple Podcasts.
Find it quickly here (in the podcast):
0:00 Intro
4:31 Year end review
7:31 Graph with four quadrants to help evaluate goals
8:43 Upper left quadrant, things that drive revenue but you don't want to be doing
8:57 Upper right quadrant, things that drive revenue and you want to be doing
9:06 Lower right quadrant, things that you want to be doing but aren't driving revenue
9:11 Lower left quadrant, things that don't drive revenue and you don't want to be doing
14:23 Financial evaluation
16:59 Freedom to cancel a tool you once purchased
18:15 Helps to keep track of expenses throughout the year
20:57 Marketing evaluation
25:05 Evaluate relevant content frequently
Krista joins me on the podcast today to chat about what I think are the ONLY TWO STEPS of effective marketing. Yes, I believe effective marketing only requires two steps, and if you focus on doing these two things well you’ll see more engagement, more leads, and more bookings or sales.
We chat about why content marketing is so effective, common mistakes we see people make, and what businesses can do to get the most out of their content marketing efforts. We then review why lead generation is pivotal to the health of any business.
If you haven’t listened to our episode on lead generation (episode 173), you’ll want to check that one out as well.
As always, be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mention during the episode.
Episode sponsor: This podcast episode was made with Zencastr. Use my special link zen.ai/daveyandkrista and use daveyandkrista to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr
And can I ask a favor? If you enjoy the Brands that Book podcast and find this episode helpful, would you mind heading over to Apple Podcasts and leaving us a review? Reviews are helpful for so many reasons, but most importantly they let us know that we’re producing the kind of content you want to hear.
Do you have a content marketing strategy? Do you create content at all? In this episode, Davey and Krista discuss how to put together a content marketing strategy like you're the CMO of your business.
See more at https://daveyandkrista.com/create-cmo-marketing-plan/
SPONSOR: This podcast episode was made with Zencastr. Use my special link zen.ai/daveyandkrista and use daveyandkrista to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr
Find it Quickly (in the Episode):0:00 Intro
5:22 How to create a marketing plan like a CMO
5:44 Some people have no problem creating content
5:56 Some people struggle with the overall vision of implementing the content
7:18 Just get started creating content
8:14 Your business will grow and evolve as should your content
8:48 Create a marketing plan in 3 steps
9:25 Step #1 Vision and content planning
9:41 Map out the customer journey in a timeline format
12:15 Create your customer avatar
16:25 What action do you want people to take?
17:06 Step #2 Implementation and create systems
18:02 People want to focus on creating a core piece of content
22:40 Step #3 When thinking about content, you need an idea of the resources you have in place
26:21 Stay consistent and constantly go back to reference customer journey and avatar
We've either created or reviewed HUNDREDS of freebie lead generation offers, and we've identified four characteristics of a high converting lead generation offer. Nailing these four characteristics in your next lead generation offer can lead to a freebie that generates hundreds or thousands of emails.
How much do you enjoy sending cold emails or DMs to find clients or customers? If you’re like 99% of business owners, that answer is none.
However, you have to connect with potential clients somehow if you want your business to thrive.
Enter lead generation.
See more at https://daveyandkrista.com/lead-generation-formula/
SPONSOR: This podcast episode was made with Zencastr. Use my special link zen.ai/daveyandkrista and use daveyandkrista to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr
Find it quickly...
0:00 Intro
5:57 What is lead generation?
6:22 The FREE lead gen resources that we have available (see below).
8:20 What is a lead?
9:20 What is a marketing lead?
11:31 Why is lead generation critical to running a successful business?
13:02 The importance of understanding your customers' journeys.
14:00 A few lead generation examples.
17:15 What makes for a great lead generation campaign?
18:08 Tip #1: Actionable and manageable
19:10 Tip #2: Profitable for your audience
20:03 Tip #3: Urgent and critical
22:28 Tip #4: Relevant for your target audience and business
Want to get more done in less time?
Before I say anything else, hear me when I say this:
I don’t think life is about being as productive as you can.
The goal of a productivity hack isn’t to help you produce an endless amount of work. It’s to help you get your work done easily and efficiently. In doing so, you have more time for the other important things in your life— your family and friends, hobbies, and health.
Our latest podcast episode dives into many of the productivity hacks that work in our home and business. We elaborated on several of them in the corresponding blog post / show notes and added other practices that can help you have more time for the things that matter.
Use my special link zen.ai/daveyandkrista and the code "daveyandkrista" to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr
Find it Quickly Here (in the podcast):
0:00 Intro
5:25 Morning and evening routine
7:01 End the work day transition
10:57 Identify one goal for the month
13:37 Block Scheduling
15:32 Prioritize more productive tasks when you are at peak energy and vice versa for least productive tasks
16:47 Batch tasks, meetings, meal prep, etc
18:43 Get outside in the morning
21:52 Keep a running list of ideas
Get access to the resources and show notes: https://daveyandkrista.com/productivity-hacks-entrepreneurs/
Find It Quickly (in the episode):
0:00 Intro
2:45 Pursue Whole clients
3:30 Transitioning your professional life to focus on your personal life
6:25 Key differences and common themes among clients
7:00 Common theme is for clients ability to say no
10:01 Leaders fear disappointing other people so they say yes
12:30 For every yes, you're saying no to something else
14:41 How do you set yourself up to say yes in a healthy way?
16:52 When you say yes, without follow through, you are breaking trust
20:00 Relationships are repaired by closing doors and making amends
21:35: 2 types of responses for repairing after breaking trust
24:40 How do you move from saying yes to saying no?
25:24 Define who is in your inner circle
26:06 Delay gratification
28:28 Hold onto your values
36:51 Resource for defining your values and saying no in your email
For show notes and resources go to: https://daveyandkrista.com/the-most-important-skill-for-high-performers/
Find It Quickly Here (in the episode):
0:00 Intro
1:55 How to organize planning for summer
4:50 How Greenhouse Coaching started
8:00 From engineering to the next phase
10:43 How did you start the business after corporate work
12:58 People want to help you
13:27 LinkedIn vs Facebook
15:40 Obstacles faced to necessitate coaching
16:40 Growth Hacks specific for businesses
19:20 Greenhouse method
21:15 Trello System - weekly planning rhythm
22:45 3 steps that actually matter
22:58 #1: Weekly recurring block
26:15 #2: What to do during the time block
34:34 #3: Deep work block
37:35 Why coaching is so effective
42:04 Quarterly revisit business and goals
43:25 Macro vs micro-thinking
For shownotes and other resources: https://daveyandkrista.com/focus-what-matters-business/
Find it Quickly Here (In the Episode):
0:00 Intro
2:30 Website consultations
3:15 What your website can do vs what you need it to do
4:34 5 things local businesses should focus on when it comes to your website
5:16 Revisit Google Business Listing
7:40 Get reviews
10:02 Website structure
12:39 Website designer to help organize content
14:36 Page Structure
15:34 Give your page an optimized title
20:27 Local PR
22:36 Google Ads
23:07 Create content on a weekly basis
Show notes and other resources: https://daveyandkrista.com/local-businesses-seo/
Find it Quickly (In the Episode):
0:00 Intro
3:06 User generated content intro
3:45 Content based marketing vs curated ad marketing
4:07 Memes
5:06 User generated content is content created by your customers or clients
8:53 User generated content builds trust
9:19 Types of user generated content
13:45 How to source user generated content
19:43 Directions to make a specific request
Show notes and additional resources: https://daveyandkrista.com/guide-to-user-generated-content/
We got early access to the new tool, and we've already created a demo sales page. It took Krista less than an hour to get the page up-and-running using Flodesk Checkouts (note: the page is only a demo—Designer Touch Sessions are currently closed, but you can join the waitlist here.).
Find it Quickly (in the episode):
0:00 Intro
4:17 Flodesk in Portugal, Paris, Germany, Lisbon, etc
6:00 Remote-first benefits
9:00 August in Europe
11:10 Flodesk Checkouts
11:37 Flodesk was created for small businesses
13:45 Break in flow to third-party website
15:18 Emails are the best converting sales channel
15:50 Launch a business without a website using Flodesk
17:21 Flodesk designs beautiful email templates
17:54 Many problems lie behind the work for launching a website
18:20 Flodesk checkouts is in early Alpha access stage
18:45 Releasing in Beta on September 13
19:19 Tips for making it effective
19:49 Flodesk provides bumpers
22:10 Success of Flodesk
22:52 Viral loop to create more Flodesk users
23:20 Customer-first approach
25:02 Remove barriers to support small businesses
25:16 Flodesk checkouts + current subscription or add on
26:38 Incentive to bundle during Beta
28:16 Customers showing creativity through Flodesk products
30:44 Lessons learned along the way
32:15 Mental health
34:01 Time off
35:40 Humility
Show notes and additional resources: https://daveyandkrista.com/flodesk-checkout-review/
Google announced a major update to its algorithm that will hopefully help people "see more original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results."
Podcast Version - Find It Quickly
0:00 Intro
2:32 Google's helpful content update
2:37 Biggest update since Google's Penguin Update
3:45 Google's panda Update
3:53 Google's interstitial (pop-up) Update
4:56 Have you been affected by the updates?
5:08 Organic search
5:20 Google Analytics or search console
5:54 Google's helpful content update: focusing on people-first content
8:09 Jasper.ai
8:48 G2
10:06 Google wants to focus on people-first content
13:23 Remove content that isn't people-first content
13:57 This will be a site wide update, not just pages
14:36 How can you check for red flags on your website?
15:25 Won't know ramifications until after the fact
17:18 Action Step: Add our site to Google analytics or verify with google search console
17:40 Action Step: Consider removing "grey or black hat" strategies from your site
17:55 Action Step: Avoid focusing on search engine-first content
20:23 Past updates to digital marketing world
Show notes and additional resources https://daveyandkrista.com/google-helpful-content-update/
Find it Quickly Here (In the Episode):
0:00 Intro
1:21 Hiring to build a team, applying for a job within DK or Till or a job in general
3:30 Key traits we look for when hiring
3:54 Trait: Dependability and Trustworthiness
4:15 Trait: Proficiency
4:24 Trait: Teachable
4:50 Trait: Good fit for team, their lives
7:03 What we care about when hiring
7:12 Email etiquette
8:55 Does their personality fit with the job? - job dependent for some positions
9:33 Familiarity with the company, understand values, ideal clients, etc
11:14 Social media, reflects your personality
12:55 Proficiency - teachable, show your work in a portfolio, experience, resume
13:13 Tailor your portfolio or resume - job dependent
16:53 Know your values as a business owner when hiring, design application process around that
17:53 What we don't value when hiring
18:18 Where you went to college, GPA, major
22:22 Long, detailed resumes
Show notes and additional resources https://daveyandkrista.com/episode-165-5-things-we-care-about-when-hiring/
Find it Quickly (In the Episode):
2:50 - Transition to Minimalist movement on websites
4:00 - Focus on simplicity, prioritize performance
4:44 - Purpose of a marketing website
5:48 - Why you shouldn't overcomplicate your website
6:00 - Should you sign contracts on your website?
9:16 - Why mass emails from your website are a bad idea
11:51 - Transactional Emails
12:48 - Should your website Host PDFs or big deliverable files?
14:05 - Can your website host galleries?
15:17 - Best platforms for gallery hosting
16:27 - How to embed videos on your website
17:29 - If you find a dedicated solution that handles the heavy lifting, go with that
18:29 - What your website should focus on
Show notes and additional resources https://daveyandkrista.com/websites-should-not-do/
"If want better conversion rates during your launch, you can't only focus on lead gen. You also have to qualify those leads. And that's why getting new leads to take an additional action like joining a Facebook group or watching a free video is so important before you ever put an offer in front of them."
Find it quickly:
0:00 - Intro
3:32 - What we would do before we launch a product
6:25 - Step 1: Generate Leads (instead of asking for a purchase, you ask for an email)
7:44 - How much lead gen do I need to do before actually launching a course?
9:20 - Do I need more leads for a high ticket item?
9:50 - What is a typical conversion rate for an email list?
10:51 - What if I've built trust but haven't launched yet?
13:11 - Step 2: Engage your leads
14:09 - Best ways to engage your audience
16:20 - Using Mighty Networks to qualify leads + sell
17:17 - Step 3: Beta Launch + gather testimonials
20:35 - How to avoid cannibalizing your sales
21:45 - Pre-sell to our list (at a discount)
23:10 - Are live webinars still worth it?
26:50 - Are webinar replays worth it? What are the alternate options?
29:15 - Should you run ads to your webinar?
30:25 - Should you do an open/close cart? How long should it stay open?
33:25 - What kinds of emails should you send?
37:50 - Should you run retargeting ads?
39:40 - What happens after the cart closes? How do you decide to do a downsell?
Show notes and additional resources can be found at: https://daveyandkrista.com/how-launch-course-2023/
Find it quickly:
0:00 - Intro + the stress of moving
6:15 - What to do when interruptions happen in life
8:00 - Accepting the limitations of time
9:15 - What to do when it feels like life is preventing you from reaching your goals
10:15 - How to be more efficient if you don't have kids yet
13:11 - What they regret about their pre-kid life
14:05 - A+J's daily routine and priorities
16:45 - The importance of a strong marriage
17:45 - How to structure your day around your priorities
21:00 - Defining your legacy
23:00 - How to set boundaries to avoid regrets
26:00 - A+J's morning routine
29:15 - How to stay productive during the workday (make every minute count)
33:10 - Managing kids' expectations about work
34:00 - What is the bottom line impact of limiting your work time
34:55 - Batching tasks and the truth about multi-tasking
38:00 - Focusing on needle-moving tasks
40:00 - How to incorporate new habits
42:00 - Establishing a smooth bedtime routine
46:05 - Why the bedtime routine with kids matters
50:00 - How to carve good habits
54:00 - Teaching kids to do hard things (any why it's important)
59:55 - Is it too late to instill these habits in older kids?
1:01:11 - Impact of nutrition and exercise
1:10:45 - Turning off the tv
1:14:10 - What to do if you feel guilty about being a working parent
Show notes and additional resources can be found at https://daveyandkrista.com/intentional-marriage-parenting-business/
"Everyone is trying to make a living and so they over-exaggerate the power of what they do. Not everything can be a magic bullet that makes you an overnight 7-figure business. Marketing is more like investing. If you put all of your eggs in one basket and there is problem (privacy laws, algorithm shift, etc) you're going to slow your exposure. But when you spread your content across channels, if things slow down in one area, the other areas can hold them up." - Dr Tiffany Eurich
If you are doing something the same way you were doing it five or six years ago, chances are there's a better way to be doing it now." - Dr Tiffany Eurich
Find it quickly:
0:00 - Intros
6:49 - Becca's marketing strategy (content)
8:10 - How to come up with topics for content
10:01 - Choosing your channels
12:00 - Turning a podcast into a blog post
13:05 - How PR fits into content strategy
16:32 - How to splinter content
18:32 - How long does it take to see traction. When to hire a PR person.
22:00 - How to stay in the know about relevant topics (for content ideas)
23:02 - Help a reporter out (to find trends)
24:02 - Biggest PR Impact (from Becca's perspective)
27:50 - What do you need to do PR (does a business need content?)
30:00 - Finding a distinct voice within your industry (how to stand out to publications)
31:31 - What is voice hacking and how to use it to figure out relevant content for your channels
35:00 - How content and ads work together
37:55 - Should you outsource your content?
39:07 - Does content need to be written? What if I'm a bad writer?
41:01 - How ads, social proof and content work together
42:35 - Does my brand need to be national to benefit from PR? Will being featured in big publications help my business?
49:00 - Reddit, Clubhouse and other types of searches
55:10 - If you're starting with nothing, do this...
58:30 - Strategies that compliment each other (such as SMS + email)
1:02:00 - One trend you're paying attention to. One trend you want people to stop.
Show notes and additional resources can be found at: https://daveyandkrista.com/2023-marketing-round-table/
So earlier this summer, we started offering Designers Touch Sessions.
If you've ever seen a woman walk over to her husband and adjust his tie a little bit so it sits a little bit straighter or watched the maid of honor fluff a bride’s dress just before she walks down the aisle so it lays perfectly while she walks, that's what these sessions are designed to do.
Basically, these are 90 minute sessions where our team jumps into a website and gets it to the next level.
As our team was working on these site cleanups, we noticed a few common design "mistakes" on many of the sites. We use mistakes in quotes because while these elements aren't necessarily awful, they could inadvertently make it more difficult for visitors to buy/book/decide to work with you.
So just what are these mistakes and how can you fix them?
In June, we released a few spots and they sold out QUICKLY. We'll likely open up a few more spots again soon. Learn more about DT Sessions + grab a waitlist spot: https://daveyandkrista.com/designers-touch/
Episode blog + show notes: https://daveyandkrista.com/website-fixes-uplevel-website/
About a year ago, we had a little too much in common with a 24-hour dinner. Not in the way of aging fluorescent lighting or the smell of greasy french fries—but if you walked into our house any time before 5pm, it's likely that there was a pot of coffee on.
4am wake up? Time for a coffee.
10am mid morning slump? _Don't mind if I do.
_
2pm post-lunch debate: nap or coffee? _How much is too much? _
And on really exhausting days, Davey was known to mix a little pre-workout in.
If you're keeping track, that's a LOT of caffeine.
Thankfully, these days we've found a few alternate ways to stay organized, energized and focused throughout the day. Not only do the methods we're about to discuss help us stay focused on summer days when the pool is calling our names, but they also help us avoid burnout.
Find it quickly:
4:17 - Krista's Organization tips (TeuxDeux)
8:15 - Block Scheduling
11:41 - Cutting out coffee
14:01 - Carnivore Diet
17:40 - Exercise, Learn Something New, Do Something Fun
18:15 - Stay Hydrated (and add electrolytes)
20:30 - Short periods of work time
22:01 - Remove Slack & Email from Your Phone
23:02 - Davey's task board
For show notes and other resources, check out https://daveyandkrista.com/organized-energized-focused-tips/.
Find it Quickly
2:09: What is Refined Elevation?
2:29: How can you style business owners?
8:09 What does a brand stylist do?
09:43 What challenges have you faced?
12:51 What aspects can you help people convey with your style?
14:53: How much do you think an outfit affects your client?
17:02 What are a few practical ways to elevate my brand?
24:01 What if my personal values aren’t the values of my ideal client?
25:05 How can I find more about your services?
View the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-158-how-style-can-level-up-your-brand-refined-elevation/
Affiliate and reward programs can be an effective way to increase traffic to your website with hopes of increasing revenue. In this episode we will explain the differences between an affiliate, reward and referral program and the best features to look for when starting your program.
Find it quickly;
3:20 - What is an affiliate program?
3:50 - What is a reward and referral program?
7:56 - What platform should I use?
8:50 - Should I change platforms in the future?
10:22 - What features should I look for in a program?
12:45 - What incentives should I offer my affiliates?
18:28 - How do I share my affiliate program?
An effective membership program requires several key elements. From choosing the right membership platform to creating a seamless checkout, this episode will explain a few membership must haves for your business.
Find it quickly
4:20 What membership platform is right for me?
9:25 How do I keep members?
14:05 What are the best ways to communicate with my members?
20:23 How do I create a seamless member checkout?
One thing we've realized after 10+ years as business owners is that it's actually harder to take a vacation as a business owner than it was as an employee. My current boss is WAY more challenging than my previous ones ever were. ;)
After a few vacations that involved way too much time in front of a computer dealing with tasks that "had to be done" at that moment, we've learned that when it comes to a vacation from your business, a little prep work goes a long way.
Are you experiencing burnout? After an uncertain past 2 years, we know many of you are faced with challenges that result in burnout. Today Davey & Krista explain how to avoid burnout and share tips to work through if you're already in the season of burnout.
6:22- Take time to rest
11:43 - Set work boundaries
17:08 - Invest time in hobbies
18:48 - 10% Project
21:52 - Make a BIG routine change
Is there a way to build website traffic quickly? We think so! In this episode, you will learn how to gain traffic to your website quickly by leveraging other people's audiences through collaborations. We share the best practices for you and your business to authentically grow an audience.
4:40 - Long term play - show up consistently
6:10 - Repurposing your content
7:22 - Leverage other people’s audiences
9:05 - Collaborations with other businesses
17:45 - Best methods for your business
19:11 - How to ask for a collaboration
An effective landing page can make-or-break a lead generation campaign or product launch. This episode covers what we look for whenever we're reviewing a client's landing pages—or whenever we're designing our own! 3:15 What is a landing page? 6:15 Mobile responsiveness vs. desktop responsiveness 7:05 How to organize a landing page? 12:25 What content is needed on a landing page? 14:05 How can I include social proof? 16:50 Your Focus - The Next Step Resources Actual Review of a Landing Page: https://youtu.be/yNmeSC2dCck Free Landing Page Template (Showit & WordPress/Elementor): https://daveyandkrista.com/landing-page-for-showit/ Blog Post: https://daveyandkrista.com/audience-5-simple-tips-for-creating-a-landing-page-that-converts/
Interested in getting started as a website designer? In this episode, Davey & Krista cover everything from learning the skills to building a portfolio and finding clients. This episode is jammed packed with practical considerations for getting started in web design. If you’re interested in getting started as a website designer and you’re looking for some additional direction, send us an email. Krista is currently putting together a course on how to get started, and we’re looking for beta-testers so that we can perfect the content.
Trena Little, YouTube strategist and creator of the Video Strategy Academy, joins me on the podcast today to chat about how to start and grow your YouTube channel. Trena and her team helped us jumpstart our YouTube channel over last year and we're happy with the results. They know what they're doing so we're excited to share the episode with you. If you're interested in growing your channel, be sure to check out her Video Strategy Academy which opens back up in May of 2022. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/start-grow-youtube-channel-2022/
Copywriter Olivia Carson joins me on the podcast today to discuss crafting copy with soul. While our conversation focuses primarily on website copy, Olivia also dropped some tips for other copywriting activities like writing Instagram captions. One quick announcement last week, we launched our spring line of website designs including two new full website designs and what might end up becoming our most popular add-on page, the family portrait guide. Just head on over to daveyandkrista.com For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-149-crafting-copy/
The entrepreneur, YouTuber, and Business Coach Graham Cochran joins me on the podcast to discuss how to automate and optimize your life and work. He shares with me the framework he uses to grow his business while only working five hours per week. If you don't know Graham I highly recommend checking out episode three of the podcast to learn more about his story because it's a remarkable one. I'm really excited about his latest project to the release of his book, “How to Get Paid for What You Know,” which will be available on March 22nd. I've included a link to it in the show notes and if you pre-order the book you could also get access to some pre-order bonuses. I’ve included that information in the show notes as well and listen I don't get any kickback for promoting his book I just learned a lot from Graham I believe that this book is going to be awesome and potentially a game-changer for a lot of people.
Gavin Wade, founder of CloudSpot joins me on the podcast today to discuss how photographers can make more money using their online gallery. Gavin dropped some real gems that are super practical when it comes to selling like, how to seed the sale so that it becomes a lot easier to make that sale later in the experience. You will want to stick around for this episode. You might remember Gavin from an earlier episode where he shared the story of building CloudSpot. Check out that episode if business origin stories interest you. Also just so you know CloudSpot has increased the limits of their free plan to 10 gigabytes this way you can actually take CloudSpot for a real spin to see if it's right for you before signing up for the paid plan. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/cloudspot-make-more-money-online-gallery/
Today we are chatting about optimizing your Google business profile formerly known as a Google My Business listing. If you're a local business looking to show up in local searches this is something that you want to pay attention to. We also have an extended conversation about the impact reviews can have on ranking and local SEO. A big thanks to Leah our SEO specialist over at Till Agency for joining me for this discussion. If you're interested in SEO be sure to head on over to Till Agency’s website till.agency and reach out! We can help with everything from audits to technical fixes to coaching and content creation. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/optimize-google-business-profile-local-seo/
Becca and Chad Campbell from the Course Company join me today for a discussion about how to create and sell an online course. You may recognize Becca’s voice from another early Brands that Book interview that I would highly recommend checking out if you're creating an online course or if this subject interest you. Especially if you're currently providing a service and are interested in learning how to go from serving one to one to serving one to many. If you're interested in learning more about the Course Company, be sure to check out the links in the show notes; Chad and Becca know what it takes to create an effective online course because they've done it themselves and they've helped others do it to. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/create-and-sell-online-course/
Pinterest expert Vanessa Kynes is back for our annual episode on Pinterest and what businesses need to do to be successful on Pinterest in 2022. If you're new to Pinterest I highly recommend checking out my other episodes that I've recorded with Vanessa on Pinterest. Be sure to check out the show notes at DaveyandKrista.com for the resources that we mentioned during the episode and to check out all the tutorials that we referenced throughout this episode such as how to make a Pinterest graphic. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-optimize-your-pinterest-account-for-2022/
Krista and I sit down in today's episode to chat about how to make content more shareable. Content takes time to create, and you want to make sure that you get the most out of it. Today we're sharing a few things we do to our content to make sure it gets as much visibility across the web as possible. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-make-your-content-more-shareable-on-social-media/
Leah MacDaniel, SEO Specialist and Account Manager over at the Till Agency, joins me for another Brands that Books Show and Stuff Marketers Say podcast crossover episode. After chatting with her last week, we decided to follow up that episode about SEO for 2022 with another episode chatting through some of our favorite website optimization tools. In this episode we chat specifically about our favorite tools for website audits, content research, and website speed along with a few others. We don't chat only about the expensive more professional tools but also share a few affordable tools as well. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-142-our-favorite-tools-for-website-optimization/
Leah MacDaniel SEO specialist and account manager over at Till Agency joins me for this special Brands that Book and Stuff Markers Say podcast crossover episode. We're discussing SEO for 2022, what's the next big Google update, and what should people be focusing on to see SEO success in 2022. This is a live episode where people could ask questions live. If you're interested in learning more about our live episodes, be sure to sign up for our email list. In this episode unfortunately we had some technical difficulties. You shouldn’t hear them as you listen to the episode, but it did prevent us from answering some people questions live. So, my apologies if you did try to tune into this episode live but again if you're interested in joining us for live episodes in the future be sure to join our email list and will let you know when the next line episode is. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/improve-seo-website/
In today's episode Krista and I are chatting about some our favorite end of year activities just to reflect on the past year. But then, we turn our attention to a few things that you can do on your website and get it looking fresh for the new year without having to do a full website redesign. Many of these activities don't take long but can really level up your website or at least give it a fresh new look. We also end by chatting about one of my favorite website activities that does take a little bit more time and that's running a content audit, but it is so worth it, I think, not only when it comes to SEO but just all around in content creation and coming out with new content ideas. We don't get too much into how to conduct a content audit, so if that's something that you would want to learn more about let me know and maybe we will create an episode around it. Just a quick note about content audits while don't talk in this episode about creating redirects or best practices for removing content that's all information you might want to look up before removing any content for your website. As always backing up the content near website regularly is a recommended practice. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/5-ways-to-refresh-your-website/
If you've listened to the podcast for any significant amount of time you know that my systems for organization and productivity have evolved. So, in an episode like this where I'm sharing my 3-step 5-minute system for being as productive as possible, know I'm not trying to sell anyone on committing to a specific system. But hopefully, if you're listening and thinking that you could really use some more structure in your day that allows for efficiency, then maybe this episode helps you come up with your own system, or maybe there's a part of my system that you can appropriate into your own. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-139-5-minute-method-for-getting-organized/
Vanessa Kynes is back on the podcast today chatting with me about how to prepare for a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. We originally were going to stay focused on how to prepare your website for a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale and we still chat about that, but we also talked broadly about running a successful Black Friday/Cyber Monday campaign. If you haven't thought about Black Friday/Cyber Monday yet that's ok, there's still time to prepare but you’ve got to get moving. Also, this year we will be publishing an awesome Black Friday/Cyber Monday roundup that highlights some of our favorite website and digital marketing tools. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-138-how-to-get-your-website-ready-for-black-friday/
Bonnie Bakhtiari from “B is for Bonnie Design” is on the podcast today chatting about the three most common pricing mistakes that she sees designers make. Even if you're not a designer, these are pricing mistakes that any service-based business needs to be aware of. We're diving into those price mistakes and then we chat about what businesses should do instead. Bonnie is a brand designer and strategist who also educates other brand designers, graphic designers, and web designers on how to create profitable businesses. Be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources that we mentioned during the episode. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-137-3-pricing-mistakes-what-you-should-do-instead/
Today’s podcast is about – podcasting. Melissa Guller of Wit and Wire joins me to discuss how to get started with podcasting. We cover a lot in this episode, including why now is the best time to start podcasting, the advantages specific to podcasting, the gear and tools you need to get started, and how to grow your podcast. You’ll probably notice, as I did, that Melissa has taught this stuff before. I really appreciated her insights into podcasting and the way that she clearly explained each of the topics that we cover. I hope that we'll be able to release a Part 2 either later this year or early next year, where we specifically cover podcasting growth strategies. If you're thinking about starting your podcast this year check out our YouTube video that covers everything you should have on a podcasting website. We have a website template that checks all of those boxes and we just released that YouTube video this week. Melissa also has a course that you can check out which will be linked in the show notes. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-create-a-podcast-website/
In today's episode Krista and I are covering the components of a strong visual brand identity. We're diving into a few things to consider when it comes to client avatars, logo design, fonts, colors and more. If you're getting ready to tackle brand design project, be sure to check out our Anatomy of a Brand Guide—it's a free download and one of our biggest guides yet. We received some stellar feedback about it so check it out! For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-create-a-strong-visual-identity/
In today's episode Krista and I cover five website mistakes that we commonly see people make. If you're looking for higher conversion rates on your website you will want to make sure that you're not making one of these mistakes. If you find this episode helpful you might also like our ten common DIY design mistakes episode which covers more design specific mistakes that we see when people customize their own websites. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/common-website-conversion-mistakes/
Today's episode is a fun one because I get to share a little bit about another business of mine that I haven't shared much about on this podcast while also sharing some behind the scenes of the stack of tools that we're using to make that businesses website work. The business is farm fed box and you can learn more about it at farmfedbox.com. Just for some context for any new listeners we recently moved to Virginia and started farming with good friends of ours, I know that sounds crazy but we're primarily raising cattle, pigs, and chickens using sustainable farming practices but what we're actually reviewing in today's episode is how we set up or subscription box website and specifically what tools were using to make it work behind the scenes. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-launch-subscription-box-website/
In today's episode is a bit random but Krista and I thought it would be fun to have a quick casual conversation about 7 fun ideas for your website. Hopefully you find one or two of these ideas interesting and if nothing else it gave us quite a few ideas for future podcast episodes. As Krista mentioned in beginning the episode just because you find idea interesting, cool, or fun doesn't mean that you have to implement it. There is often a lot of wisdom in simplicity and keeping things straight forward especially when it comes to your website. For show notes visit...
Today's episode is a special crossover episode with my other podcast over at the Till Agency, Stuff Marketers Say. In this episode I chat with one of my co-founders Jesse about the importance of lead generation and the elements of a high converting landing page. Basically it's a lot of the stuff of what we've learned through creating our own landing pages and what we've learned now through running ads for quite a few clients. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/audience-5-simpl…ge-that-converts/
Today we're answering the question that we get a lot, is Showit good or bad for SEO? To help us answer that question I'm chatting today with one of Showits UX and website designers Chris Misterek. Chris going to help us understand what SEO is and provide us an overview of the different SEO tools that Showit provides to help us optimize our websites. We also of course discuss a few the limitations that they are actively working on. Also if that name sounds familiar that's because Chris joins us on episode 79 of the Brands that Book podcasts where he discussed how to get started with website design so be sure to give that episode a listen. For show notes visit... https://daveyandkrista.com/audience-tutorial-how-to-use-the-showit5-seo-settings/
In today's episode Krista and I or continuing to compare different platforms. Today which everything two popular website platforms Showit and Elementor. If you're thinking about switching website platforms or you're getting ready to design your first website and you want to know what type platform is best for you this absolutely will likely answer many of your questions. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/showit-vs-elementor-wordpress/
In today's episode Krista and I are chatting through two popular email marketing platforms Convertkit and Flodesk. If you're interested in getting started to email marketing or if you're thinking about switching email marketing platforms you'll want to listen to this discussion. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/convertkit-vs-flodesk/
Life coach Joe Malizia joins me on this episode to discuss five powerful questions that you can ask yourself today to move beyond where you're at. Joe specializes in helping people shift their perspectives to open up new possibilities, maximize their full potential, and reach their desired outcomes in their relationships, careers, and lives. I've been excited about recording this episode because Joe's a good friend and I've certainly benefited from having someone like Joe speak into my life. if you're interested in working with Joe be sure to check out his website at joemalizia.com and you can find the link in the show notes. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-127-joe-malizia/
Google is rolling out with a major page experience update this coming June. It’s an update that was originally scheduled to be released in March so the delay is good news for those who are just learning about it. In this episode Krista and I discuss what this algorithm update is all about, what you need to know about core web vitals, including optimizations that you can make your Showit or WordPress websites, and we discuss how worried or not worried you should be about what's coming. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-core-web-vitals/
In this episode Krista and I discuss the purpose of every page on a website. Well not every page but we discuss many pages that one would likely find on a website. In previous episodes we've done deep dives into various pages but today we're taking a high-level view of a website and discussing how looking at your website as a funnel can help you understand each page’s purpose and place in the customer journey. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-125/
Krista is back on the podcast and this week we're chatting about what we've learned over the past few years about building team. Everything from the fears we had before hiring our first team members to why we decided to primarily hire employees instead of contractors and some tips that we have for the hiring process. We hope that you find these reflections helpful especially if you're considering starting to grow a team yourself. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-124-reflections-on-building-a-team/
This week's guest is this Creative at Heart founder and integrator Kat Schmoyer. Kat joins me on the podcast to discuss what an integrator is and the impact that hiring one can have on a business. We also discuss what sort of tasks an integrator focuses on, what you can learn from an integrator even if you aren't one, and when you might be ready to hire one. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-123-kat-schmoyer/
Copywriter Jess Jordana is back on the podcast to chat about writing sales page copy, we actually recorded this episode when we recorded our last episode together and I've been really excited to share this one with you. We get to what I think are going to be some really helpful tips for crafting sales page copy but even if you’re a services provider or you sell products these are tips that you're going to be able to use to level up your services pages and your product pages too. If you're new to the podcast check out a few of the other episodes where I interview Jess she always brings excellent insights to the topics we discussed and keeps it super practical. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-122-jess-jordana/
Copyrighter Jess Jordana is back on the podcast to chat about email marketing. We're covering email platforms, the kinds of emails that people should be sending to their list, and tips for writing engaging emails. If you aren't familiar with Jess you want to go back to episodes 42 and 66 for some more great content and to learn more about Jess trust me your website will thank you for it. For show notes visit...https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-121-jess-jordana/
Photographer and digital marketer Hope Taylor joins me on the today’s podcast to chat all about building online courses, the most reliable channel for marketing and selling courses, and the tools she uses for all of that. If you've ever been curious about how to build your first digital product this is the episode for you. Hope outlines her step by step process for developing and selling online courses. For show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-hope-taylor-episode-120/
In today’s episode Krista joins me for a discussion about 5 tools you can use to optimize your website and assess your websites health. One of those tools is going to be of particular relevance due to a big announcement by Google. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-119/
Today's guest on the podcast is photographer and educator Natasha Coyle. Natasha joins us to discuss how you can grow your business and bring engagement to the next level by creating short-form videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Natasha knows this work because she was able to grow her business throughout 2020 by doing so. As she shares in the episode, it not only grew the education side of our business, but she's able to attribute 10s of thousands of dollars in booked 2021 weddings to TikTok and Instagram. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-natasha-coyle-episode-118/
This week’s guest is Meghan Brown, the director of B2B marketing for The Knot Worldwide. Meghan joins me to discuss marketing and advertising your wedding business in 2021, a few of the mistakes she's seen wedding pros make, and how resources like Wedding Pro and Two Bright Lights can help. We’ve known Meghan for quite a few years now and she really is someone who is committed to the wedding industry and serving wedding pros. So I'd recommend checking out a few of the upcoming trainings that Meghan has put together. I've heard her share at conferences in the past and her content is always really informative and on point, so I have to imagine that she's put together quite a talented lineup of speakers for their upcoming event and you can learn more about all of those details in the show notes. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-meghan-brown-episode-117/
Vanessa Kynes is my guest on the podcast today and she is helping us get ready for the new year by sharing what we can do to be successful on Pinterest in 2021. We recap some of the biggest updates of Pinterest in 2020 and chat what users can expect in 2021. This builds on the last two episodes that Vanessa has done on the Brands that Book podcast about Pinterest, so if you're interested in learning more about Pinterest, especially if it's new to you, be sure to check out her first 2 episodes about Pinterest on the podcast. This episode was recorded live on the Davey and Krista Facebook Page. We're going to start recording all of our episodes live to give our listeners a chance to ask questions of guests in real time. I'll do my best to release the schedule ahead of time, but sometimes that's just not possible. The easiest way to catch a live episode is to be following the Davey and Krista Facebook Page. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-vanessa-kynes-episode-116/
Krista is back on the podcast and we're talking about one of the biggest obstacles people face as they build their websites: the about page. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-115/
Shay Cochrane, the founder and CEO of Social Squares, joins me on the podcast for a timely discussion about planning an end of year retreat to reflect on the previous year and plan for the upcoming year. Shay always brings a lot of practical advice and insight to the podcast and this episode was no different. If you want to learn a little bit more about Shay, the origins of Social Squares, and productizing a service, I encourage you to check out episode 41. Today we discuss how she organizes her end of year retreat where she goes away for a weekend to reflect on the previous year, evaluate how things have gone, and put together a plan for the upcoming year. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-shay-cochrane-episode-114/
Krista joins me on the podcast to continue our discussion of different website tools. Today we discuss the options for email marketing, including one of our favorite tools for building an email list, different e-commerce and cart platforms, and tools for designing lead magnets. We also chat about how to embed Instagram feeds on your website and actually what we recommend doing instead, even though I think we covered that on our last episode together. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-113/
Today's guest is one of our favorite photographers, Renee Dickerson of Renee Hollingshead Photography. Renee travels the world shooting weddings and engagements. And today, we're chatting about just that: how she started booking destination work, tips for traveling and booking travel, and how she approaches pricing for her destination work. We've known Renee for quite some time now and she actually shot a lot of the brand images that you see on our website over at daveyandkrista.com. Those are some of my favorite images just in general of me, Krista, and the family. If Renee is ever traveling to your area, we highly recommend booking her. She'll frequently post her travel dates on her Instagram account so be sure to check that out. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-renee-hollingshead-episode-112/
Welcome to a special crossover episode of the Brands that Book podcast and a new Till Agency podcast, Stuff Marketers Say. We just launched that podcast through the Till Agency and you should be able to find it on iTunes. This is a bonus episode covering Black Friday. A few weeks ago we sourced questions about running Black Friday promotions and then we answered those questions Q&A style on the Stuff Marketers Say podcast. So what you're hearing in this episode is a conversation between Vanessa Kynes and I chatting a little bit about Black Friday and the Stuff Marketers Say episode, and just the new podcast in general. And then, the full Stuff Marketers Say episode will follow. But like I said, you can also find the Stuff Marketers Say podcast on iTunes and other podcast players by searching Stuff Marketers Say. It's a little longer than I wanted it to be and we're releasing it quite a bit later than I hoped, but I figure done is better than perfect. And even if this episode doesn't help you this year, hopefully it will help you think through next year's Black Friday. As I mentioned in the episode, it's never too early to be thinking about Black Friday. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-111/
LaShonda Brown is the latest guest on the Brands that Book podcast and we're chatting all about how she uses MemberSpace and Flodesk to grow her email list and generate passive income. LaShonda is an award-winning corporate film producer and Squarespace expert based in Virginia. What I appreciate about LaShonda is how practical her advice is and how she shares exactly how she does things. If you visit her YouTube channel, you'll notice right away that she dives straight into the content. And if you're starting a business, or have a business, consider checking out LaShonda’s The Bootstrap Club, which you can find more details about in the show notes. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-lashonda-brown-episode-110/
Megan Kuethen, also known as the Queen of Ops, joins me on the podcast to chat about building a team. Megan and her team work with fast growing businesses to connect them with the right people for their open positions. We discussed the importance of systems and processes, what should be in place before finding the right candidate, and how Megan's team goes about vetting candidates. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-megan-kuethen-episode-109/
We talk a lot about strategy on the Brands that Book podcast, whether it be mailing lists or social media, or scaling and building a team. But one topic Krista and I noticed was missing is a practical conversation about pulling together the visuals of your website in a way that really elevates your aesthetic. So today, that's what we discuss: some of our favorite tools for all things visual on your website. Krista shares some of her favorite resources for finding the right fonts, creating a color palette, finding solid stock photos and videos, how to create product mockups for launches, and embedding or not embedding an Instagram feed on your website. And, we also have a brief conversation about some of the strengths of Showit and Elementor. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-108/
Sarah Chancey of Chancey Charm joins me to chat about scaling her wedding planning business. Originally founded in Denver, she eventually moved her business to Atlanta and scaled to 13 cities across the United States. This episode is jam packed with practical information and even if you have no interest in scaling your business to other cities, you can use the tips that Sarah shares to level up your marketing efforts. We cover her process for moving to another city and some of her favorite tips around concepts like Search Engine Optimization. And I think you'll be able to tell that Sarah is one of those people who knows her stuff. If you're interested in learning more from Sarah, be sure to check out the Wedding Planner Academy which can be found on her website at chanceycharmweddings.com. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-sarah-chancey-episode-107/
Disclaimer: We are NOT providing the professional services of a coach, nutritionist, doctor, or any other kind of licensed or certified professional. While we discuss things like exercise and sleep in this episode, we are sharing from our experience for informational purposes only, and not for the purposes of medical or fitness advice. Here it is, finally! The first episode recorded in our new digs. As many of you know, we just moved from Maryland to Virginia into a house that we've been waiting to build for about 2 years now. And even though we're in the midst of huge transition, Krista and I, today are chatting about daily routines, what we think are the five rules of a good routine, and what our daily routine looks like. This is a topic we really enjoy chatting about, so if you have questions, be sure to send us a note and will try to cover those questions in a future episode. For the show notes, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-106/
Today's guest is educator and fellow podcaster, Laylee Emadi, and we're talking about just that: education. We chat all about what it means to be an educator, discerning whether that's a business to start, and how to get started if you want to build an education business. Laylee is also the host of the “So Here's the Thing” Podcast so I take some time to ask her about podcasting. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-laylee-emadi-episode-105/
Abby Grace returns to the Brands that Book podcast to discuss creating a brand identity. And just like her first Brands that Book interview, this episode is full of insightful and practical advice. We discussed at length 6 aspects that Abby believes creates a robust brand identity, how new businesses or businesses that have never gone through a brand experience can start crafting a brand identity, and the approach businesses should take with their visuals before or as they're going through that discovery process. If you don't know Abby, she's an international brand and wedding photographer based just out of Washington DC. I would encourage you to go back and listen to the previous Brands that Book episode she was on. She was on as a guest episode 30 where she shared about “The Gentle No.” Again, full of great practical advice so consider going back and listening to that one after you listen to this episode. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-abby-grace-episode-104/
Today’s guest is Dr. Tiffany Eurich, a PR expert who gives us an absolute master class on PR and how it has the potential to get $1,000,000 exposure for businesses of any size regardless of budget. I think PR is one of those areas that's worth exploring and investing in, because in addition to getting more exposure for your business, it has so many secondary benefits. If you ever felt that PR was only for “big businesses” or don't even know where to start when it comes to crafting a PR strategy for your business, you're in luck because we chat about all that and more in this episode. Be sure to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mentioned during the episode, including access to a “Press Kit in a Day” download from Dr. Tiffany. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-tiffany-eurich-episode-103/
Anna Wright of Anna Kay Photography joins me on the podcast today to discuss growing from the no’s: how to learn from feedback and criticism. And as a background as an officer in the Air Force and a nurse, she knows a thing or two about dealing with stressful situations and accepting feedback. As I've suggested in past episodes, I think the topic of feedback and criticism is important. There's so many situations in business, especially early on, where accepting feedback or criticism from the wrong people can really negatively alter the course of a business. And on the other hand, not learning to deal with criticism and accept feedback can prevent one from growing. We cover many of these talking points and more in this episode! For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-anna-wright-episode-102/
Vanessa Kynes is back on the podcast and we're chatting about the two elements necessary for booking services or selling products: building trust and increasing demand. As we mentioned back in episode 100, we're going to start answering your questions at the end of each episode. So, if you have a question to submit, send us a DM on Instagram. And who knows, maybe your question will become the topic of an entire episode. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-101/
We’ve reached episode 100! Well, technically we've already passed episode 100, if you count the intro and the Founder Series episodes. But regardless, we're excited to celebrate what feels like a big podcasting milestone! I just want to take a moment and say thank you for listening. I can't tell you how encouraging it is to receive emails and messages from people who listen to the podcast and have shared how it's impacted their business. It's been such a fun project to take on over the last few years, not really knowing where it's going, but it's been so much fun and I've learned so much along the way. We wrestled a bit with what the topic of episode 100 would be. I knew that Krista had to join me for this episode and we eventually just decided to ask y’all through Facebook and Instagram what questions you had for us. So we spend the episode chatting about all sorts of topics from advice we'd give business owners who are newly full time in their business, to our daily routines and how we manage parenting while working from home, to how Krista got started in website design, and other life updates. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. I've also decided that I want to answer more of your questions during each episode. If you have a question that you'd like me or my guest to answer on the podcast, let us know by sending us a message on our website or by DMing us on Instagram. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-100/
Today's guest is Vanessa Hicks of Vanessa Hicks photography and we're chatting all about how she built her mastermind program. We cover how she marketed it, launched it, who would benefit from a mastermind, and advice for people considering creating a mastermind or joining a mastermind. As I mentioned in the episode, Vanessa is the perfect person to talk to in 2020. I believe the first time I heard her speak was at United a few years ago and she was sharing about mental health and entrepreneurship, a topic that's super relevant for this year. I know she's recorded other podcasts on that topic so I encourage you all to check those out. Vanessa is also part of a military family which means she moves relatively frequently. Her latest move was actually this past spring during the height of the pandemic shutdowns. I ask her about how she's been able to create such a flourishing business throughout her different moves and about this one in particular and I think what she shares is full of wisdom. So yeah, we chat about a lot in this episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-vanessa-hicks-episode-99/
Today's guest is Magi Fisher, The Artists' Lawyer of Magifisher.com, where you can find legal resources for your creative business. Magi joins me for a conversation on contracts and difficult client situations, specifically we're covering a few tough client situations that can be avoided or dealt with using a well-crafted contract. Before we get started, a quick disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and the information shared during this episode are for informational purposes only and not for the purposes of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem you're facing. And while Magi is a lawyer, she's not your lawyer. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-magi-fischer-episode-98/
Today's guest is serial entrepreneur, Braedon Flynn. Braedon has not only built successful photography businesses, but he's also the founder of Film Supply Club, a membership site for film shooters that provides deals on all sorts of photography resources from film to cameras and accessories. During today's episode we explore how Braedon got started as an entrepreneur, things that made both his photography businesses and Film Supply Club successful, and a few of the differences in marketing two very different types of businesses. We covered quite a few things as well, from book recommendations to how he books high end clients. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-braedon-flynn-episode-97/
Want to make some extra money sharing the tools, resources, and products you already love? If so, maybe affiliate marketing is for you. In today's episode, we're chatting about what affiliate marketing is, how to get started, and five tips for getting the most out of your affiliate marketing efforts. Before we get started, a quick correction. I mentioned towards the end of the episode a few templates in our shop that we've recently released that might be a good fit or helpful for affiliate marketers. Those are Clifton Beach, which is a template design for bloggers and it has a built-in affiliate shop. Then there's our Tools and Resources add-on page, which is just a single page to add to your website to promote your favorite tools and resources. Both of those are available for Showit and WordPress. I also mentioned, however, our newest template, Barcelona, and while it's our biggest template yet, it doesn't have an affiliate shop in it. Of course, you can always email us to get it customized with one. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-96/
In today's episode, Vanessa Kynes and I riff about a few of our favorite tools for selling online. We cover quite a bit of related material in this episode as well, such as related tools and considerations for choosing the right tool. And by the end of the episode, we decided that we really do need an episode on how to string together these tools into a working funnel. So be on the lookout for that sometime in the future. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-95/
Dani Stringer of KidNurse, joins me on the podcast today to discuss building an online community and becoming an online educator. It's always interesting chatting with someone who is taking something that's typically a service and has turned it into a product. She chats with us about how she's built her community and eventually created her first online course. There's a lot of great insight in this episode, regardless of whether or not you have plans to launch an online course. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-kidnurse-episode-94/
Today’s guest is luxury, destination Wedding and Editorial Photographer, KT Merry. It's an interview I've been really excited for, because Krista and I have both admired her work for so long. If you're not familiar with her work, right now you should pull up both KT Merry and Render Loyalty on Instagram to see what I mean. We discuss all sorts of topics in this episode from her journey as a photographer, defining your why, to the start of Render Loyalty. And as expected, she provides a lot of great insight in this episode. I particularly appreciated her thoughts around being more proactive when it comes to both business and creativity. As a quick aside, if you're a photographer interested in learning from KT, you want to check out her course The Abundance Plan, which you can learn more about on her website. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-kt-merry-episode-93/
CPA, Amy Northard, the Accountant for Creatives, joins me today for a conversation about bookkeeping, accounting, and a few of the government programs, such as the Paycheck Protection Program and EIDL that have been rolled out in response to the pandemic. We don't talk much about what the Paycheck Protection Program or EIDL is or how to apply, since I figured that a lot of people have already heard about these programs. We do however, chat about what businesses should be doing to give themselves the best chance for things, like the Paycheck Protection Program loan, to be forgiven. Before we get started, a quick disclaimer: I am not an accountant and the information shared during this episode are for informational purposes only and not for the purposes of providing accounting advice. And while Amy is an accountant, she is not your account. You should contact your accountant to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-amy-northard-episode-92/
In this episode of Brands that Book, Dawn from Tech Savvy Creative and I chat about building systems into your business. Dawn provides a really helpful framework for getting started with business tools, that's especially helpful if tech is something that generally overwhelms you. We also spend a good amount of time chatting about some of our favorite business tools, which was the part of the conversation I really enjoyed. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-tech-savvy-creative-episode-91/
Today I welcome back Katelyn James to the Brands that Book podcast to talk about a subject that I've largely avoided: the quarantine. For those of you who have listened to the podcast the last couple weeks, you know that I've tried my best not even to mention the Coronavirus. I've really tried to focus on business during this season. I just feel like there's so much noise out there about what's going on in the world and personally I've been trying to cut out as much of that noise as possible lately. But the reality of the situation is that it is a tough season. There's a lot of uncertainty in the future. I know in conversations that I've been having with Krista, that one of the hardest parts for us is just been not knowing what the end date could be and what life might look like in a couple months. So, I think there is an important conversation that can be had in this season around dealing with uncertainty and what it looks like to live well in this season. I'm excited about this conversation because I think what Katelyn has to share is life giving, as so many conversations with her and her husband Michael are. What I appreciate about Katelyn is that she doesn't try to minimize the severity of the situation. She's not just saying, “Oh, just look on the bright side,” but rather she recognizes the tough situation and opens herself up to the possibility that something good could come from it, even when things are really tough. Hopefully you find this conversation as refreshing as I did. And we do wrap up the conversation by chatting about what businesses can be sharing about and doing in this season, and some of the ways that others in the industry are innovating. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-katelyn-james-episode-90/
Today Vanessa Kynes and I are chatting about how to effectively follow up with people. Or in other words, how to follow up in a way that gets people to take action. We chat about some of the broader reasons that we all should be following up with leads and then we jump into some super practical strategies and discuss different scenarios, like what does a normal follow-up look like, how do we prevent people from ghosting even after they've committed to moving forward, and how often should we follow up. This has been one of my favorite conversations to date. It's a little on the longer side, but I think we cover a lot of great stuff. If you're looking for a more condensed version of this content, be sure to check out the corresponding blog post that was released along with this episode. It even includes some templates that you can use as you follow up with people. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-88
Film Wedding Photographer, Lauren Fair, joins me on the Brands that Book podcast today to chat about building a high end brand. We chat about practical steps that people can take to curate a signature look and reach luxury level clients. If you're familiar with Lauren, then you know her work is beautiful and she's been featured in places like Cosmopolitan, Style Me Pretty, The Knot, and Brides magazine. She shoots all over the world and if you're a photographer, she also teaches workshops in beautiful destinations like France and Italy. Both her workshops were sold out this year, but a few seats to the Paris workshop have opened up since it had to be rescheduled due to the current pandemic. If you're interested in learning from a talented photographer and businesswoman in a beautiful place, you'll want to check it out. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-lauren-fair-episode-89/
Today we are chatting about a topic that I've been wanting to tackle for quite some time now: how to build hype around a website launch, or really any launch for that matter. Vanessa Kynes joins me for the conversation and we cover a few do's and don'ts, and then discuss 13 different tactics that you can use to amplify your next launch. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-87/
BTB regular, Vanessa Kynes, joins me for a conversation about 5 pricing mistakes I see businesses make. We talked through lots of different examples and scenarios and we also try to dive into some related questions, such as in what sort of circumstances is it okay to offer things like discounts. All that and more in today's episode! Be sure also to check out the show notes and corresponding blog post that contains a few additional thoughts on this topic. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-86/
Copywriter Kayla Hollatz joins me for today's episode to chat about discovering your brand's voice. Writing about yourself or your business can always be challenging. We've talked about copywriting a bunch on the Brands that Book podcast, but Kayla offers up some helpful insight and practical exercises that anyone can use to discover their brands voice. Kayla also has an impressive roster of clients that include companies like Showit, Interact, and Convert Kit, so we also make time to chat about how she was able to find those opportunities with some bigger clients. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-kayla-hollatz-episode-85/
Attorney Paige Griffith, of The Legal Paige, joins me for a special live episode of the Brands that Book podcast to discuss contracts, specifically what you need to know when cancelling or rescheduling events. With what's going on in the world right now and this subject being top of mind for lots of people, we opted for a live episode so that people could access this information sooner. We cover quite a few different scenarios in this episode and Paige has also written a blog post on this topic. I've linked to that and other resources Paige has available on her website in the show notes. Before we get started, a quick disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and the information shared during this episode are for informational purposes only and not for purposes of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advise with respect to any particular issue or problem. And as Paige mentions during the episode, while she is a lawyer, she's not your lawyer. If you want to know about any of the live recordings we have coming up, be sure to sign up for our mailing list. We don't plan on making every episode a live episode, since streaming live has its own set of challenges. But I think in certain circumstances, like with today's episode, it's helpful. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-paige-griffith-episode-84/
In today's episode we are chatting about different audiences that you can create and target when advertising on Facebook. And one of my Till Agency partners, Jesse Morquecho, is here to explore this topic with me. In this conversation, we chat about five different audience or targeting possibilities that you can get started on, on the Facebook platform. We cover how to create those audiences within Facebook, considerations when targeting each of those audiences, and where we would recommend starting if you have a limited experience with Facebook advertising. Something that we should have mentioned at the beginning of the episode is the importance of testing. We've seen certain audiences work really well in one account and not at all in another. As with many things, it will likely take a little effort to start seeing consistent results. While we certainly believe that Facebook advertising can produce great results, it's not our intention to make it out to be some sort of magical platform that produces massive results without any effort. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-till-agency-episode-83/
Vanessa Kynes is back and joining me for a discussion on building a block schedule. We review a blog post I wrote a few years ago on block scheduling, but it was written in a very different season of life than the one I'm in right now; specifically, didn't have a kid then. Vanessa and I approach this conversation differently, so I hope that's helpful for anyone listening who wants to put some intentionality back into their daily schedule. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-82/
Martha and Rebecca, the founders of Flodesk, join me today for a conversation about email marketing and how Flodesk came to be. Flodesk launched late last year, but in a short amount of time it has become a very popular email marketing platform, especially among creative professionals. I chat with Martha and Rebecca about what made them pursue building an email marketing platform even though there are so many different options out there. I think anyone building a business, especially in a market where they feel it's saturated or there are lots of other options, can benefit from listening to this episode. If you haven't checked out Flodesk, give it a try. If you've never done any email marketing before, I think you'll find it pretty intuitive to use and if you have experience with email marketing, I think you'll find their email designer to be a breath of fresh air. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-flodesk-episode-81/
Today's guest is Rebekah Murray, founder of Virginia Dare Dress Co. I was really looking forward to this interview because I haven't interviewed a dress designer on the podcast before. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. While we generally spend some time hearing about our guests' entrepreneurial journey, we spend nearly the entire episode about how Virginia Dress Co. came to be. It was fascinating to hear Rebekah's story and about all the different pieces that need to come together in clothing design. I should also mention that there is some construction going on at our neighbor's house, so I apologize if you hear a little of that in the background. But otherwise, I hope you enjoy Rebekah's story just as much as I did. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-rebekah-murray-episode-80/
Today's guest is Chris Misterek, the founder of Self-Made Web Designer and he's here to chat with us about just that: getting started as a website designer. We chat about what's appealing about a career in website design and how to take the first few steps in teaching yourself website design from scratch. Chris also shares with us how he was able to build a client roster and provide some advice for others who are looking for more work. I have a feeling that Chris is a guest that we will have to have back on the podcast to continue exploring the how-to's around website design. But if you are looking to connect with Chris before that, he is launching his own podcast. The tentative launch date is March 3rd, 2020 and I will be sure to link it in the show notes as soon as it is available. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-chris-misterek-episode-79/
Today's guest is Jess Dang, founder of Cook Smarts, an online meal planning service. Jess started Cook Smarts in 2012 to help families live healthier lives, feel empowered and inspired in the kitchen, and to lighten the mental load of meal planning. Jess and I chat about content creation and the 5 step approach she takes in creating content for Cook Smarts that you can apply to your own business. And, she's really the perfect guest to be chatting about content creation, since it is really what her business is built around. Krista and I are signing up for a 30 day free trial of Cook Smarts, so we will have to keep you updated on how that goes. If you are also interested in a trial, head on over to cooksmarts.com to check it out. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jess-dang-episode-78/
Today's guest is Emily Sexton, the founder and CEO of The Flourish Market, a shop where every product has a bigger purpose, just like you. And purpose is much of what we chat about today. Emily shares with us how we can craft the mission and message of our own businesses. I think this is critical in communicating effectively about the value of what we do. If you are not familiar with The Flourish Market, go and check it out as soon as you are done listening to this episode. As you find out in the episode, it is a very interesting story. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-em-sexton-episode-77/
Today I am joined by Creative at Heart conference host and founder, Kat Schmoyer. Kat is joining me on the podcast to talk about quarterly planning, a very timely discussion at the beginning of the year here. But it is important to remember that there is nothing special about January 1st, so regardless of when you are listening to this podcast episode, you can start planning at any point during the year; it is never too late. Kat and I discuss everything from why quarterly planning, what sorts of things are looked at each quarter, who should be involved, how far in advance you should you plan, and setting yourself up for success so that you can actually execute the plan you lay out for yourself. If you are interested in learning more about Kat and Creative at Heart, be sure to check out episode 6. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-kat-schmoyer-episode-76
Today I am joined by Speaking Coach Mike Pacchione. Mike has flown around the world teaching people how to give presentations. And he’s worked with some pretty big names companies—as he puts it, while he’s not at liberty to discuss every company he’s worked with, if you have used a computer, phone or search engine today, you’re probably familiar with one of his clients. I hired Mike to help me get ready for my United 2019 keynote presentation. Although I feel comfortable speaking in front of people, I wanted some help continuing to develop that craft, and I chat a little more about that in these episodes. This is part 1 of a 2-part episode. This episode was recorded PRIOR to my keynote, and we discuss some general advice for giving better presentations, Mike critiques a past presentation of mine, and, of course, we get to hear a bit of Mike’s story. The 2nd of this 2-part episode was recorded AFTER my keynote and reflects on my experience working with Mike, and he gives me some feedback on how I did. My hope is that this behind-the-scenes is helpful to you the next time you’re crafting a presentation for a group of people. If you’re interested in watching the keynote I presented at United, which was titled: The Only Two Questions You Need to Answer to Win Business (and how to answer them on your website), check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-mike-pacchione-episode-74
This is part 2 of my 2-part series with Speaking Coach Mike Pacchione. If you haven’t listened to the first episode, no problem! You can listen to this episode without having to listen to the first part. Just as a quick reminder about who Mike is: He has flown around the world teaching people how to give presentations. And he’s worked with some pretty big names companies—as he puts it, while he’s not at liberty to discuss every company he’s worked with, if you have used a computer, phone or search engine today, you’re probably familiar with one of his clients. I hired Mike to help me get ready for my United 2019 keynote presentation. Although I feel comfortable speaking in front of people, I wanted some help continuing to develop that craft, and I chat a little more about that in these episodes. This episode was recorded after I had already given my keynote at United, and it reflects on my experience working with Mike, and he gives me some feedback on how I did. My hope is that this behind-the-scenes is helpful to you the next time you’re crafting a presentation for a group of people. The first episode was recorded PRIOR to my keynote, so if you’re looking for some more general advice for giving better presentations, that’s the episode to check out. Mike also critiques a past presentation of mine, and, of course, we get to hear a bit of Mike’s story. If you’re interested in watching the keynote I presented at United, which was titled: The Only Two Questions You Need to Answer to Win Business (and how to answer them on your website), check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com (https://daveyandkrista.com/). For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-mike-pacchione-episode-75
Today I am joined by photographer and business coach, Chad DiBlasio. Chad is a wedding and portrait photographer based in Central Ohio and he enjoys helping other entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. I went into the conversation intending to chat with Chad about where he sees business owners getting stuck and tips for getting un-stuck. But our conversation took a bit of a turn. As he shared his story about getting started, he mentioned a few things that I thought were interesting, so we explored those topics a bit. We chatted about things like sales and how being a good sales person can actually improve a client's experience. And we covered things like how you probably need a lot less than you think in order to get started. Even though it's not the conversation we set out to have, I think it's an interesting one. A big thanks to Chad for letting me take it in a different direction! For show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-chad-diblasio-episode-73
This episode is a bit different. This is actually the recording of an interview that I did for Devin Robinson's podcast, The Anchored Podcast. You might remember Devin from episode 70 where he shared about his Instagram strategy that has resulted in a bunch of booked work for him. If you haven't checked out that episode, definitely give it a listen. Devin interviews me on a wide range of topics, but we primarily chat about websites and the two questions that have to be answered on a website, or really anywhere that you show up. A big thanks to Devin for letting me share this content on the Brands that Book Podcast. Be sure to check out The Anchored Podcast (https://anchorandveilphotography.com/category/anchored-podcast/) for more from Devin. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-devin-robinson-episode-72
Today I am joined by my Till Agency co-founders, Ryan Akins and Jesse Morquecho. I have mentioned it before on the podcast, but earlier this year I helped co-found Till, an advertising agency. These guys are a lot of fun and I hope to have them on the podcast more frequently. I've actually recorded an episode with them before that I never released. And I didn't release it, because…well…I'll dive into that a little in the episode. We have grown a lot in the past year so we thought we would take some time to review some of the elements that helped us grow quickly. It seemed like a good end of the year episode anyways to reflect a little bit on 2019. A quick note before we dive in, this is not a proclamation of success. We had a great year, but we are still very much a start-up. This is simply a reflection on what went well this year, which we hope is helpful to you. But, e have a ways to go to get this business to where we want to take it. Christmas and New Year's fall on Wednesdays this year, which is typically when we release new episodes, so this is the last episode before 2020. Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year's Holiday! For the show notes, go to https://www.daveyandkrista.com/btb-till-agency-episode-71
Today's episode features photographer Devin Robinson, founder of Anchor and Veil and co-owner of the Kreativ Summit. I had the opportunity to catch Devin's breakout session at United, where he presented on an Instagram strategy that was really unlike anything else that I've heard about making Instagram work for your business. Regardless of whether you think you can make this strategy work for you, I think there are a lot of really helpful insights in this episode. Also, if you are a photographer looking for a conference, check out Kreativ Summit. The next conference is in January and it features a great line-up of educators. Plus, it's in sunny Florida, which as far as I am concerned, is the place to be in the middle of January. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-devin-robinson-episode-70
Today Jamie Findlay, cofounder of Evolve Workshops, joins me for a conversation about parenthood and business. While Jamie might be most recognizable in the context Evolve, she actually runs four businesses and has quite the entrepreneurial background—which I think makes this conversation about parenthood and business that much more interesting. Jamie is a mom and four, and we dive into chatting about how becoming a mother impacted her business and tips she has for running a business while raising a family. I really enjoyed our conversation, and as I think you’ll hear during the episode, Jamie’s insight led me to do some reflection on fatherhood and business. Before we get to episode, if you’re a photographer looking for a community oriented conference or workshop that also provides great education, check out what Evolve has going on. I’ll link to their website in the show notes, but they typically hold conferences and workshops in some pretty awesome places—think Palm Springs and Greece. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jamie-findlay-episode-69
Today’s episode features author, artist, and founder of The Weekend Type, Korie Herold. Korie recently released her third book, "Our Christmas Story", a book designed for families to record their Christmas traditions, memories, photos, and even things like recipes to preserve for future generations. A very timely episode with Thanksgiving tomorrow. As I mentioned, she’s actually the author of two other books as well: "As You Grow" and "As We Grow". And has another being released next year. In today’s episode, we chat about her journey in becoming an author, the steps she’s taken to market her books, and discuss her latest endeavor, The Weekend Type, which is both a community for artists and marketplace where one can purchase art for their home. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-korie-herold-episode-68/
Krista and I are back continuing our mini-series on brand and website design. And we’re chatting about the 10 most common mistakes we see on DIY websites, or in other words, websites people build or customize themselves. Just to be clear, we’re not suggesting that people shouldn’t DIY their websites. We think customizing your own website can be a valuable experience. We’re simply pointing out a few mistakes we see people make, and making some suggestions on how to fix those mistakes. Also, our Black Friday/Thanksgiving Sale starts THIS Friday, November 22nd and runs through Cyber Monday. We’ll be offering some crazy deals on website templates and add-on pages, and the best deals will be available that first weekend, so be sure to check that out. Again, that’s this Friday, November 22nd 2019. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-67
Copywriter, Jess Jordana, is back for another episode of the Brands that Book podcast! We are continuing our mini-series on branding and website design with tips about writing copy quickly. She was on episode 42, where she shared with us on moving beyond a client profile. I highly recommend going back and listening if you are getting ready to tackle your website copy. We cover quite a few tips about website copy, but we also have an interesting discussion on the about page. Jess shares some great advice on how to decide if something belongs on that page. One note about this episode: this is the first time we tried recording a live episode. So if the audio quality doesn’t sound like it normally does, it’s because I haven’t quite figured out this whole live recording thing out. But, I am working on it! For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jessica-jordana-episode-66
It has only taken 60 plus episodes, but Krista has finally joined me for an episode of the podcast. It is the perfect time too, because we are kicking off a mini-series about branding and website design. Krista and I are chatting about the 5 ways to get the most out of a branding project and we even include an activity to start working on your brand’s esthetic. We cover things like hiring a designer, timing, and tips for completing a project. We know that we did not discuss everything in this episode, so if there is something that you would like to learn more about, please reach out! We will try to cover it during this mini-series. Many of you probably know who Krista is, but if you don’t, she is my wife, creative director, and lead designer here at Davey and Krista. She would probably also add that she is my boss, but that is a highly debated subject over here. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-65
Somehow, in nearly 60 episodes, we haven't chatted about SEO. Mostly because I find it is easier to share on a blog post or video tutorial, because of the visual element it provides. Regardless, we are chatting all about Search Engine Optimization on today's episode. Specifically, Vanessa and I are discussing 5 quick SEO fixes that you can make today on your website. There is a guide in the show notes that is associated with this episode. I highly recommend checking it out for a more streamlined look at what we are discussing. Make sure to also check out the other resources mentioned in this episode. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-64
This week Vanessa and I are continuing the discussion around content marketing. Specifically we’re chatting about strategies for making the most out of the content you’re creating. One of the biggest mistakes we see people make is spending hours on content, only to share it once. So we try to answer the question, how can we get the most out of our content? Before we get started, we’re going to start experimenting with “live” Brands that Book episodes. Basically, the plan is to stream some of our episodes live so that you can see the behind the scenes of the interview, hear some of the pre-and-post episode banter that is usually cut out of episodes, and ask questions in real time! Just to be clear, this will not effect the podcast format—each episode will still be edited and released as it has been for the 60+ episodes. This is an opportunity for those who are interested to get some bonus content… and to get your own questions answered. More details to come soon. And last announcement before we get to the episode. Our friend and past Brands that Book guest Shay Cochrane is giving away a FREE YEAR of Social Squares, an incredible resource for styled stock photos for female business owners, to celebrate the launch of their website! If you’re interested in entering head on over the Social Squares Instagram for the details—but hurry, because the giveaway ends October 24th 2019. You may remember Shay from episode 41 where she chatted with us about Productizing a Service—if you’re interested in learning more about her, you should check out that episode. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-63/.
If creating content has been a struggle for you—or maybe you’re not even sure this is something you be spending time on—this episode is for you. We chat about why she creates content and how it has impacted her business, how she creates so much content and manages so many different channels—we cover a lot. It’s one of my favorite discussions to date, and I really appreciate Elizabeth’s approach. Another episode that would pair nicely with this one, is my interview with Lauren Carnes, so be sure to check out that episode as well. Check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-elisabeth-young-episode-62/.
Today we are chatting with Tim Newton, Senior Creative Officer of Ramsey Solutions. In this episode, Tim shares how Ramsey Solutions have built trusted brands for over 25 years. We chat about the importance of messaging in marketing, challenges Ramsey Solutions faces when it comes to marketing and the way that they create unity among a large arsenal of brands and products. Ramsey Solutions personally helped Krista and myself to pay off more than $90k in consumer debt and we can honestly say that if it weren't for Ramsey, this business wouldn't be what it is today.
Nearly everyone has an email address. Your audience may be scattered throughout different social media channels, using one or two more heavily than the rest. But most probably have an email address they check at least once per week if not more frequently. The people on your list—if setup correctly—have opted-in to receive your emails. They want to consume the content you're creating. And you know this because they've asked to receive it. This is a stark contrast to social media marketing, where one is constantly battling algorithm updates in an effort to interrupt someone's scroll. (But having a presence on social media is important!) And because people generally opt-in to a mailing list to receive an offer or to learn more about a topic, they're often pre-qualified. This is one reason why email marketing is usually one of the highest converting channels. There are so many possibilities when it comes to starting a mailing list. If you're a wedding photographer, you could use an email list to connect with recently engaged couples and stay in touch with past couples (the latter is especially helpful if you also offer family photography services). And if you have an online store, email lists are a great way to send educational content and keep people informed of recently added products. Read the full post >> (https://daveyandkrista.com/audience-super-simple-guide-starting-a-mailing-list/) https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-60/
Want to grow your wedding business to 25 events a year? What about 50? What about 250? Today I am chatting with Jake and Ryan, the founders of Freedom Edits, the outsourcing solution for photographers and videographers who want their lives back. But before they started Freedom, they were photographers who grew their wedding photography business to about 250 weddings a year. So, of course, I wanted to know how they were able to grow their business to that volume. As you can imagine, a lot of it had to do with hiring and outsourcing. We talk about how they used similar strategies to scale Freedom, and what they’ve learned along the way. For the show notes, check out https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-freedom-edits-episode-59/.
I mentioned a few times in passing on the podcast, but I started another business at the beginning of 2019 with two friends of mine, Jesse Morquecho and Ryan Atkins. It's a Facebook Ads agency called Till and it's been a lot of fun to build over the last 3/4 of the year. We've also had the opportunity to work with some amazing businesses that many of you are probably familiar with. Anyways, we finally launched our website, which y'all can find it at till.agency. To celebrate, I thought it be appropriate to do a podcast episode on the 4 components of a successful Facebook Ads campaign. To help me dive into this episode, I've invited back Brands that Book regular and Pinterest extraordinaire, Vanessa Kynes. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-58/
We’ve discussed this before, but being good at what you do is simply not enough much of the time. For better or worse, people don’t compare products and services objectively. Instead a variety of factors—many of which we are not conscious of—impact our purchasing decisions. And at least a hot few of those factors have to do with pricing, such as how we assign or perceive value, and how services and prices are presented to us. I’d argue that crafting the right offer is one of the most important aspects of becoming a profitable, thriving business. An effective offer is easy-to-understand, demonstrates clear value, educates and overcomes objections. This podcast episode (and corresponding blog post) explores tips for service providers who want to craft effective pricing ‘collections’ or ‘packages’ for their business. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-episode-57/ Read the blog post: https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-create-pricing-collections/
Erin and Jeff are based out of Southern California, but they have shot across the US and around the world. They also manage two other photography brands that photograph weddings, portraits, and commercial work. If you’re counting, that’s three different photography brands each with a different clientele. This makes Erin particularly knowledgeable about our topic today, which is learning more about your ideal client, or as she refers to them, your ‘dreamies.’ This episode is jammed pack with practical information, and honestly Erin’s approach to discovering your ideal client is among the best I’ve heard. She moves beyond the typical client avatar and provides practical tips for better understanding your clients “why”—and then she goes one step further and explains how this can you better connect with your ideal client. The official bio: Jeff and Erin Youngren are the husband and wife wedding photography team known as The Youngrens. For over a decade, their deeply emotional style has led them across the U.S. and around the world to photograph extraordinary weddings with couples they love. Along with The Youngrens, Jeff and Erin also own and manage two other photography brands that photograph weddings, portraits, and commercial work, and host the Creative Rising podcast, a behind the scenes show about what it’s really like to run a photography business. As the owners of three businesses with a regular team of ten photographers plus a full-time staff of editors, designers, and studio managers, Jeff and Erin have developed highly effective business models and marketing systems to accommodate the needs of each brand. When they're not shooting, traveling, or speaking, you’ll find them hanging out with their seriously adorable son, James, in their hometown of San Diego, CA. For the show notes and additional resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-erin-youngren-episode-56/.
We chat about why page load speed matters—hint: a fast website can help improve conversion rates—how you can test your website, what you should look for when running a test, and then 5 ways you can increase your website speed. A quick warning: We chat about a lot in this episode. For quick reference, I’ve written a corresponding blog post that you can find in the show notes that summarizes what we’ve discussed. Alex is an entrepreneur, photographer at AL Weddings, and designer for Davey & Krista—but outside of work, his life is consumed by plants. He may have missed his calling as a botanist but he’s doing his very best to turn his home into a jungle. He loves solving problems whether it’s helping brands find more clients or fixing the kitchen sink, and at least once a day he slips up and calls Davey & Krista, “Dava & Kristy."
Today we are chatting with sleep consultant Becca Campbell of Little Z Sleep. Becca helps parents get sleep through teaching them how to train their babies how to sleep through the night. While we do find some time to chat about some sleep training tips (and Krista and my current struggle in moving Jack from 2 naps to 1 nap), we spend much of the episode learning how she built her business, and we chat about how she moved from 1:1 service model to a 1:many online course model. We cover how she used her 1:1 experience, what steps she took before creating her online course, and how through creating online courses she’s able to better serve her clients. For the show notes and additional resources, visit https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-becca-campbell-episode-54/.
Today we are chatting with photographer and entrepreneur Melissa Jill. Melissa, impressively runs 3 different businesses with 5 income streams. Much of what we talk about today is how she was able to build and manage all these different businesses through outsourcing and hiring a team. We also get to hear about how she started her latest business—an album design company called Align, which we’ve actually used and highly recommend to others. We end the episode with a brief conversation about some of Melissa’s best tips for effectively selling albums. Even if you’re not a photographer, I think you’ll find this conversation helpful as you think through ways you can optimize your customers’ value. Melissa Jill is an internationally recognized Phoenix-based wedding photographer who has been shooting weddings for 16 years. She photographs 10-15 high-end weddings a year and also has 4 associate photographers who shoot weddings under her brand at lower price points. Over the years, she has developed an extensive database of free information for photographers on her blog. She also mentors photographers one-on-one. She started an album design company called Align Album Design years ago that helps photographers world-wide streamline their album workflow and increase their profit. She is passionate about business, has worked hard to maximize the efficiency and profitability of her studio, and loves helping other photographers do the same. Check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-melissa-jill-episode-53/ for additional resources.
Today’s guest are brand photographers Erica + Jon and we’re chatting about how they successfully pivoted from wedding photography to brand photography, and how specializing has allowed them to become much more profitable as a business. Erica + Jon have a pretty incredible client roster featuring businesses like the Chicago White Sox. There are a number of practical takeaways in this episode for any business who is looking to pivot or further specialize in whatever they do. Erica + Jon are a husband and wife brand photography team that partner with commercial and personal brands to plan, style and intentionally create compelling imagery for marketing. Their work has appeared on billboards, storefront signs and magazine spreads across the country. For show notes and additional resources, check out https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-erica-jon-episode-52.
Today we are chatting with Shunta Grant, the founder of Because of Zoe, a company that makes handcrafted bow ties and headbands. Shunta also coaches other businesses on how to find their focus using her Peace, Pace, Progress program. And that’s what we’re chatting about in this episode: As Shunta puts it—getting on the other side of busy so you make meaningful progress in your business. We chat about how the problems we perceive in business sometimes aren’t truly the problem—but rather, it’s a mindset issue that needs to be fixed. Shunta Grant is a business educator helping women build business and life on the OTHER side of busy through teaching her signature 4-step Peace Pace Progress™ Framework. The Peace Pace Progress™ Framework teaches women how to STOP doing #AllTheThings in their business so they can focus on what will get them to their one desired destination. Shunta is also the creator of Because of Zoe Designs, a hair bow company specializing in celebrating the joy of childhood and host of the Business, Life & Joy podcast. When Shunta isn’t helping women journey to the other side of busy, you can find her building blocks with her son, Liam, or walking the aisles of Target and TJMaxx with her daughter, Zoe. If you want to build a business and life on the other side of busy, join Shunta at shuntagrant.com to get the journey started! For additional resources, check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-shunta-grant-episode-51.
Once in a while we work with difficult clients. It happens—even after years of being in business and developing different ways to screen prospective clients. Chances are you’ll work with a difficult client, too. Maybe that’s why you’re here in the first place. You’re already “in it” and you’re looking for ways to deal with it. Or maybe you’re looking to avoid this experience altogether. We’re covering both of these things in this episode: Part 1: When It’s Already Too Late – What to do when you’re in the midst of it. Part 2: How to Prevent it from Happening Again – Tips for screening clients so you’re working with the right clients. Here are a few ways to deal with difficult client situations when you’re in the midst of one. Access the show notes at Read the full post: Part 1 (https://daveyandkrista.com/direction-difficult-clients-part-1/) | Part 2 (https://daveyandkrista.com/direction-difficult-clients-part-2/)
Tayler is the Co-Founder of Sourced Co., owner of TAYLRD Media + Designs, and formerly was the Marketing Director at Aisle Planner. As wedding industry marketing consultant, she works with wedding professionals to help them develop the skills, strategies, and stuff they need to market their businesses and build their brands. For more resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-tayler-hollman-episode-48/.
How do you like our fresh look? While it’s normal for us to give our website a bit of an update each year, this update was massive and has been months in the making. To say we’re excited to start closing out this project would be an understatement. Krista and Alex, one of our designers, are especially excited to have this thing launched as it’s been an almost daily project for them since late last year. I’ve always felt that there are so many updates that happen ‘behind-the-scenes’ during a website redesign. Things that most people might never see or understand unless they were told. This post is meant to provide some insight into those things. While I wish it was comprehensive, it doesn’t quite cover everything that I’d like to share (even at over 2,000 words). Read the full post at https://daveyandkrista.com/why-we-redesigned-our-website/.
Neuroscience shows that buying is primarily an emotional decision. We decide, based largely on ‘irrational’ factors, to purchase something, and then use reason to justify the decision. But we see so many websites that focus almost exclusively on the rational reasons that one might purchase their products or services. Frequently we see services pages that resemble a menu. The whole page is usually succinct, and contains the price of the service with description of the deliverables, or the exact items that are included in that service. That information is, of course, important on some level, but we often overestimate how important that information is in the purchasing decision. I’d argue that the exact deliverables become less important the more ‘luxury’ or ‘high end’ the service or product we’re selling. So if the focus isn’t on deliverables, what does an effective sales page focus on? For more resources and to read the full article, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/how-to-create-services-page/...
Today’s guest is Creative Consultant Sarah Kay Love. Sarah has taken her experience working for Nigel Barker, InStyle, and the Knot Magazine to helping creatives visually market their business. Sarah Kay Love is a Creative Consultant, specializing in content production and visual marketing, devoted to helping companies build brands that differentiate themselves and increase business. After working for InStyle magazine and “America’s Next Top Model” photographer Nigel Barker, she became a lover of all things weddings and spent five years at The Knot magazine producing and curating visuals on a variety of media platforms from print to digital editorials, covers, advertising campaigns, and social media channels. She also spearheaded the real wedding and styled shoot submission process for the national and regional magazines. Sarah is now combining her unique skill set and sharing her knowledge with wedding photographers and professionals to help them properly produce, curate and pitch content so they can get noticed, drive revenue and stand out in a saturated market. For the show notes and more resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-sarah-love-episode-46/.
One of the most common reasons people reach out to me for coaching is that their bookings aren’t where they want them to be. I often hear from people who are coming off a great year that they feel the current year is slower or that inquiries have dropped off, and they’re not sure whether or not potential clients can even find them. There’s a sense of panic that things are falling apart, and then overwhelm because it can be hard to know where to start correcting course. And that can be scary. Fortunately, there are a number of practical strategies people can employ to get things back on track. Much of this post assumes you’ve had work in the past. If you haven’t, and you’re just starting out, these tried-and-true strategies can still work, but they’ll likely take a little more time. UNDERSTANDING WHETHER THERE’S ACTUALLY A PROBLEM When I chat with people who are panicking over the number of bookings they have, I first ask them how this current quarter has stacked up against the same quarter last year. Often times people don’t know because they don’t keep track of their inquiries or bookings. If you follow us, you know that I’m a big believer in keeping track of this information because it can reveal whether there’s actually a problem or not. We highly recommend keeping at least a simple spreadsheet of the inquiries you receive that tracks where that inquiry came from and whether or not it turns into a booking. You can access a free inquiry tracker at the end of this blog post. Keeping track of inquiries will help you better understand the seasonality and patterns in your business. 5 TIPS FOR QUICKLY FINDING INQUIRIES Below are a few things that I would do today to find inquiries quickly. To listen or read more, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/quick-inquiry-referral-tips/.
Today’s guest is wedding photographer Abby Jiu. Abby has been named one of Martha Stewart Weddings’ top wedding photographers, and has been published in places like Martha Stewart Weddings, Southern Weddings, and the Knot. Today Abby is sharing how she was able to jump from shooting $500 weddings to six figure weddings. And she also shares a few tips for getting published. For show notes and additional resources, check out https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-abby-jiu-episode-44/.
Today’s guest is wedding photographer Cheyenne Shultz, who is based in Charlotte, NC, and we’re chatting all about client experience. We walk through her entire client experience and chat about things like the tools she uses and gifts she gives. Cheyenne Schultz is a wife, mama to four, professional photographer and photography business educator and coach living in Charlotte, North Carolina. With more than a decade of business experience, Cheyenne genuinely loves helping creative entrepreneurs achieve the goals they have set for themselves and teaching them what she has learned about how to sustain long-term as a business, turning clients into raving fans and standing out in a saturated market. She believes in dog rescue, homemade lattes, good chocolate, blankets and loving her family well.
Jess and I chat about moving beyond a client profile and actually writing copy designed to convert visitors into clients. I appreciate the practical questions that Jessica outlines in this episode to help people think through the their copywriting. Jess Jordana is a copywriter (a.k.a. heart-translator) who helps creative business owners turn their passionate mumblings into words people actually "get." She is a 24/7 iced coffee drinker, and firmly believes if date night isn't tacos, you're doing it wrong. She builds her tribe through the motto: "We don't do shallow friendships"; and she wouldn't survive a day in business without her cute husband (Presley) and pup (Joey Tribbiani). You can follow her adventures on Instagram @jessjordana.
Today’s guest is Shay Cochrane, founder of the SC Stockshop and Social Squares. If you’re not familiar with those brands, the SC Stockshop is a 'styled stock' photography shop that provides access to premium styled stock photography for your brand, while Social Squares is a membership that provides monthly access to styled stock photos for things like social media and blogging. I’m really excited about this episode, and it’s a bit different than the others. Shay and I are chatting about how she stopped trading her hours for money, and turned a service-based business into a product based business. Before SC Stockshop, Shay was doing brand and product photography for creatives businesses—until a remark from one of her clients led to an idea that eventually turned into the SC Stockshop. Shay shares a lot of great business wisdom as she walks us through founding SC Stockshop and Social Squares. For the show notes and access to more resources, go to: https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-shay-cochrane-episode-41/
Today’s guest is communications coach and strategist Lauren Carnes. Lauren helps creative and lifestyle brands bridge the gap between imagery and copywriting. And her marketing, PR, and social media background includes experience working alongside some major brands. Today she is sharing the recipe for a successful pitch. We chat about what exactly that means, and everything from setting yourself up for success through tips for the actual pitch itself. With a background in public relations and social media marketing, Lauren has always been a lover of telling great stories. For 6 years she worked alongside international brands including Nike, Airstream, the John Maxwell Company, and Chick-fil-A in defining unique elements of their stories and serving as their brand voice through digital, print, and in-person engagements. In 2014, she made the leap to launching Lauren Carnes Photography serving couples, creatives, and foodies through wedding, branding, and food photography. After successfully growing her photography business, she focused on merging her two creative passions into one business by coaching creatives on consistent brand voice, marketing & sales strategies, and imagery. Since then, she's worked alongside brands like the Rising Tide Society & HoneyBook, Natalie Franke, Megan Martin Creative, Rachel Allene, Creme Brands, Creative at Heart, and more, infusing communications strategy and consistency into a variety of brand elements. When she's not in the office, she can be found cooking, hosting friends, or exploring new cities with her husband, Chip, son, Oliver, and their fur-baby, Sophie. For the show notes and more resources, head on over to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-lauren-carnes-episode-40.
Today’s guest is Stephanie Thacker, the founder of Steadfast Bookkeeping, a company that provides full service bookkeeping, tax planning and preparation, and outsourced CFO services. Stephanie shares about how to find a bookkeeper if you’re looking for one, tips for bookkeeping if you’re tackling it yourself, and what to do if you find yourself in over your head this tax season. For show notes and resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-stephanie-thacker-episode-39.
Today’s guest is Julie Paisley, a destination wedding photographer and educator based in Nashville, TN. Julie’s work can be found on every major wedding blog, she's been published countless times in print, including a feature on the cover of People, TWICE. And she has a client roster featuring some names that you probably recognize. Today we’re chatting about how to increase word of mouth referrals—both from clients and other businesses—by keeping things personal. Before we get started: If you are hybrid photographer—you shoot both film and digital formats—there’s a conference I think you need to check out that’s hosted by Julie along with Jonathan Canlas and Belinda Olson. It’s called The Hybrid Collective, and this is year it’s happening in Nashville from May 6th-8th and registration is currently open! Head on over to the hybrid co dot com to check out the speaker line-up, styled shoots, breakout sessions, and master classes. I’ll be there teaching… and I’ll be giving out some awesome bonuses during my classes—I hope to see you there! For show notes and other resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-julie-paisley-episode-38
Today’s guest is Charity Maurer of Charity Maurer Photography, a luxury level Photography business serving the Phoenix area. What’s interesting about Charity’s business is that she didn’t start out as a luxury brand. It wasn’t until a few years into business that she decided she wanted to go after the luxury market so that she could create more margin in her life. We walk through steps that Charity took in rebranding her business and entering that luxury level market focusing on everything from finding new networking groups to changing up the copy and imagery she was sharing on social media to making big pricing increases. For show notes and other resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-charity-maurer-episode-37.
Today’s episode is a bit different: In this episode I am being interviewed by Catherine Guidry, the host of the Mistakes Make Magic podcast for an episode of Mistakes Make Magic. Cat was kind enough to let me also air this episode here. Today we’re chatting all about podcasting. If starting a podcast is one of your goals for 2019 or if you’re just interested in a little behind the scenes of the Brands that Book podcast, you’ll want to stay tuned! Afterwards be sure to check out Mistakes Make Magic. Catherine’s podcast provides business advice and lessons learned from failure, and she’s had some pretty awesome guests on her show. Show notes can be found at http://catherineguidry.com/blog/051-davey-jones/.
Today’s guests are Lauren and Rachel, the founders of Sweet Root Village, an event floral design company in the Washington D.C. area. Lauren and Rachel chat with me about starting Sweet Root Village, and their journey from an ‘all-in-one’ event shop to specializing in high-end floral event design. Their story is such a good lesson in narrowing one’s focus, and intentionally growing a business with the resources you have. In addition to that we talk about how to engage an audience with Instagram stories. Everyone I chatted with that is familiar with Sweet Root Village has brought up their Instagram stories, so dive into how they create engaging stories and use that platform to grow their business.
Today’s guest is Petronella Lugemwa of Petronella Photography, and we’re chatting all about strategies for connecting with your ideal client. Petronella has an incredible background—she was born in Uganda, moved to the states from Zimbabwe, has an MBA and undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, and she worked with big brands like Cover Girl, Advil, and Splenda. That's all before becoming a wedding and marriage proposal photography specializing in helping multicultural couple celebrate their love in a modern way. We dig into how Petronella figured out who she wanted to serve, and then she shares steps for figuring out in your own business. For more resources and the show notes, head on over to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-petronella-lugemwa-episode-34.
Today’s guest is Stacey Krolow of Pepper—a business admin outsourcing company for creatives. We have personally found that outsourcing different tasks has made us more productive, efficient, and has freed up our time for other things that we enjoy spending time on. So I figured it was about time I record an episode on outsourcing. I chat with Stacey more specifically about the benefits of hiring a VA or administrative assistant. We cover how to get over my fear of giving up control, when you know you’re ready to hire a VA, what you should expect to pay, and how to make sure you set up the relationship for success. Head on over to Davey & Krista for the show notes (https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-stacey-krolow-episode-33) and more resources.
Today’s guest is Pinterest Marketing Strategist, Vanessa Kynes. Vanessa needs no introduction because she was our guest back in episode 17, where she talked about using Pinterest to increase brand visibility and website traffic. After we recorded Vanessa’s episode, we actually hired her to do some work on our Pinterest account and we have been so happy with the results—including increasing our referral traffic from Pinterest by 1600%. In this episode, she’s sharing about few of the things she did in our account to get us those results and she’s also sharing tips for being successful on Pinterest in 2019. If you haven’t listened to her first episode, I highly recommend going back to listen to episode 17, because it was one of our more popular episodes of 2018, and then of course, come back and listen to this one.
Today’s guest is Natalie Franke Hayes of the Rising Tide Society. This is an exciting episode because it brings me back to the very first podcast I was ever a part of, The Coffee Commute, which I actually started with Natalie. Natalie is an entrepreneur, mobilization marketer, community builder, neuroscience nerd, and of course, she’s one of the co-founders of the Rising Tide Society, alongside myself, Krista and her husband Huey. She’s also the head of community at HoneyBook. Natalie and I chat about growing a platform, which is something she has successfully done across so many life transitions. We talk about how she’s been able to do this so effectively and advice she has for others also trying to grow a platform. For more resources and show notes, check out https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-natalie-franke-episode-31.
Today’s guest is Abby Grace of Abby Grace Photography, an international wedding and anniversary photographer based just outside of Washington D.C. Abby’s background in communications and PR is on full display in this interview as we discuss client communication, and specifically we talked about instances where you have to say no to clients or prospective clients. We walked through all sorts of different scenarios from unreasonable client requests, to how to turn someone away who’s not a good fit, to dealing with requests that are just outside the scope of work that you usually do. What stands out in this episode to me is how Abby sets boundaries and educates our clients from the very beginning of their correspondence and how she does her best to find ways to say yes to clients even after having to say no. For show notes and more resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-abby-grace-episode-30.
Today’s guest is Chip Dizard of Chip Dizard Weddings. Chip is a wedding photographer and videographer based out of Baltimore, Maryland. He provides photo and video services to creative businesses in addition to offering mentoring and consulting. One of the things that Chip consults on is Facebook advertising, and that’s what we’re chatting about in today’s episode. We chat specifically about the mistakes people commonly make, the different aspects of running Facebook ads, and some tips for getting the most out of the ads that you run. For show notes and additional resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-chip-dizard-episode-29.
Today’s guest is Gavin Wade, the founder of CloudSpot, a photo gallery solution for professional photographers. CloudSpot makes it easy to load, organize and share your images with clients, and it's actually what we used in our photography business. In the episode, we get to hear about Gavin’s journey from fitness professional, to wedding photographer, to founder of a software company, and the challenges that Gavin and his team have faced and overcome throughout the last few years. One thing you’ll pick up about Gavin is that he’s not scared to take a risk and pursue an idea, even if there are some serious challenges to tackle. For the show notes and additional resources, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-gavin-wade-cloudspot-fs.
Today’s guest is Laura Joseph, the Founder of Paper & Honey, an heirloom wedding stationary and letterpress studio. In today’s episode, we get to learn about how Laura started her stationary and letterpress business. I know next to nothing about stationary, so it was really interesting for me to learn more about her business. I think one of the most fascinating parts of the discussion is hearing about the letterpress machines that she has. These are machines that are over a 100-years-old. We talk a little bit about what went into adding that into our business, the process, and by process, that’s probably an understatement of researching, acquiring, transporting and maintaining those machines. One of the most important parts of the episode, however, is a discussion that we have about mental health in the latter half of the conversation. Laura opens up about her journey with depression, anxiety and ADHD, how that’s impacted her business and what she’s done to deal with those things. I really, really appreciate Laura sharing about this, because I think it’s something that so many of us deal with, but often don’t talk about. I hope people find encouragement and hope in listening to this episode. For show notes and more resources, head on over to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-laura-joseph-episode-28.
Today’s guest is YouTube strategist, Trena Little. As you probably guessed, we’re chatting about how to utilize YouTube in your business. I heard about Trena from a mutual friend but I got the opportunity to meet her in person at a conference we recently spoke at. I’m glad I did because she knows her stuff. This is one of those episodes where you’ll want to have the notepad ready. Trena is an MBA graduate who has built the two YouTube channels of her own. She served clients like Heather Crabtree, Think Creative Collective, The Contract Shop and Jessica Rasdall. She also speaks at various conferences about YouTube strategy. You’ll want to check out the show notes at daveyandkrista.com for the resources we mention during this episode. Trena provides a number of freebies to help people get their YouTube channel started. Check out the show notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-trena-little-episode-27
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. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-todd-watson-showit-fs/
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 (https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-paige-griffith-episode-21?utm_source=itunes&utm_medium=episode-show-notes&utm_campaign=paige-griffith-21) 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 (https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-lauren-taylor-episode-20/)
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/ For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-blakely-little-episode-19/
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 For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-vanessa-kynes-episode-17/
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 (https://bigspringva.com/) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bigspringva/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bigspringva) | Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/bigspringfarm/) Resources Mentioned in the Episode: The Venue Helper (https://thevenuehelper.com/) The First 3 Steps to Starting a Wedding Venue (https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/405715?v=7) For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-buddy-powers-episode-16/
Today's guest is Jamie Kutchman of Marigold and Grey, a company that provides artisan gifts for weddings, events and businesses. In today's episode, Jamie shares with us how her past work prepared her for her entrepreneurial journey, how a pivot early in her business led to huge growth, and tips for effective client gifting. The highlights: 02:15 How a background in internet and medical sales prepared Jamie for entrepreneurship. 09:39 The stress of starting a business vs. the stress of being an employee in a business. 11:33 The disastrous event that led to the gifting business idea. 16:43 An assumption didn’t play out, and a pivot that led to major growth. 24:27 The challenges of client gifting and how to get started. 27:57 Thinking through what to gift your clients. 30:45 How much to spend on client gifts 34:58 When to outsource your client gifting 37:11 Tips for DIY client gifting 41:24 Expanding to serve corporate clients and how they found Marigold & Grey 43:45 How Jamie’s new website will more effectively serve different segments of her customers. Jamie bid farewell to the corporate world to start M&G. This makes sense since gift giving has always been her love language. She lives with her golf-smitten husband, Jeff, in the DC area. After meeting in 2010 and marrying in 2012, thanks to eHarmony, Jamie affectionately refers to Jeff as the best thing she’s ever found online. Jamie is a stepmom of three and more recently, a mom to two rescue pups, Lewis & Clarkie. While she enjoys DC life, she's a true Virginia girl at heart. Aside from gift design, it's good bourbon and bbq, Redskins football, prop styling, encouraging other entrepreneurs, and long weekend getaways that make her world go round. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jamie-kutchman-episode-15/
Videographer and podcaster Tyler Herrinton shares how to use video to elevate your brand. The highlights: 02:36 - How Tyler got into video. 07:48 - When Ashley, his wife, joined him in the business. 13:56 - Why there is suddenly such a demand for video from business owners. 19:08 - Why everyone should incorporate video into their marketing strategy on some level. 20:22 - Where to get started with video. 24:21 - How video can build trust with your audience. 26:31 - The opportunity available on YouTube (and why people can forgive video quality if it’s not 100%). 33:46 - The one thing that people CANNOT forgive when it comes to video. 36:27 - Where to get started with audio equipment. 44:15 - Why there’s value in hiring a professional to put together a promotional film. 50:46 - Video and social media Tyler is one half of the husband and wife videography duo, The Herrintons. Ty’s gift for storytelling began as just a young kid with a camcorder filming skits of his siblings in their day-to-day life. He can often be found browsing recent tech reviews, Apple products, or latest industry trends; he’s a sharp dresser, quick thinker, and an avid explorer. Ty is also the host of the podcast Ty's Tech Line. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-tyler-herrinton-episode-14/
Christina Scalera, attorney and founder of The Contract Shop (https://thecontractshop.com/?ref=davidjones3), joins Davey for a discussion on effective client contracts. We cover questions like who needs a contract, common contract mistakes, what needs to be in a contract, and how to work the contract into the client experience. The highlights: 3:06 - From law school to yoga teacher to attorney for creatives 13:16 - Who needs a contract? And why is it such an afterthought for people? 21:52 - Why a contract benefits both parties. 24:58 - How can we make client contracts work for us in the client experience? 28:48 - Dealing with people asking to add or take things out of a contract. 35:48 - Why Davey & Krista never change their contract for anyone. 38:46 - The most common mistakes Christina sees people make with contracts. 44:12 - Who should sign the contract? Is it okay for the mother of the bride to sign the contract? 47:59 - Why you shouldn't be scared of getting specific in your contract? Christina Scalera is the attorney and founder behind The Contract Shop, a contract template store for creative entrepreneurs, wedding professionals, and coaches. Three years ago, Christina found herself dreaming of pursuing a more creative path, and she started to look for alternatives to her in-house legal job. She explored everything from teaching yoga to becoming a freelance graphic designer to opening an Etsy shop. In the process, she ended up coming full circle by creating a business that brought the benefit of her legal training to help her fellow creatives. When she’s not staring at a computer or awkwardly standing on cafe chairs for the perfect overhead latte photo, you can find her in the woods doing things that are sometimes dangerous but always fun, like riding horses, skiing and reluctantly camping. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-christina-scalera-episode-13/
Reina Pomeroy is the Founder of Reina + Co, the Life + Biz Success Coaching® Practice for creatives who are right brained and heart centered. She helps clients stop spinning their wheels and take action on what’s most important so they can become the go-to expert in their industry. She is a Coach, Speaker, Educator, Author of the Big Plan for the Creative Mind, and Podcaster. Reina is a host of the Creative Empire Podcast and the Fueled with Heart Podcast to educate new entrepreneurs. Reina’s work has been featured on the Entrepreneur on Fire Podcast, Entrepreneur.com, Brit + Co, The Huffington Post, and the Rising Tide Society. Find out your secret sauce and where to put your focus at www.reinaandco.com. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-reina-pomeroy-episode-12/
Terri Baskin is a Virginia-based international wedding photographer whose style is authentic, romantic and fun. Terri genuinely approaches each client relationship seeking to understand their uniqueness and their love story. Terri connects with couples who value their authenticity yet trusts her creative process. Like many photographers, Terri started her photography business she was working full time. Terri has maintained a full-time job while effectively growing her business primarily though referrals.Terri has been fortunate enough to share experiences at the WeSpeak Conference, Black Bride Bridal Brunch, The Bridal Space Podcasts and Showit United 2017. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-terri-baskin-episode-11/
Tyler J. McCall is an Instagram and social media marketer, strategist, and coach for creatives. He teaches his students how to use Instagram with intention to grow their community online, grow their list, and grow their business. Tyler focuses on using Instagram and social media to tell stories, build relationships, and convert followers to fans, drawing from his 10 years of experience in non-profit marketing and management and community organizing. Tyler is based in Chicago, where he lives with his partner Eric and their dog Douglass. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-tyler-mccall-episode-10/
Elisa loves studying personality and exploring the ways it impacts our lives personally, relationally, and professionally. She and a fellow personality-loving friend chat about that and other things on their podcast, SiNes of Life. She also loves to write, and (when time allows) her usual topic on her blog is life as a mom of four boys. She co-owns the drag-and-drop website company Showit with her husband Todd, who she has been married to for nearly seventeen years. They call the warm but wonderful town of Gilbert, AZ home. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-elisa-watson-episode-9/
Jesse + Becky (yes, just like Full House!), owners of Idealust, help creative entrepreneurs build + scale businesses that produce profits, joy and time for more adventures. They are big believers in facing fears and creating your own opportunities. They met and fell in love in South Africa in 2008 and are in the process of adopting their daughter from China spring of 2018. When Jesse + Becky are not coaching others to make their business dreams come true, you'll find them backpacking, beach cruising, or eating tacos in the San Diego sunshine. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-becky-jesse-episode-8/
Shanna Skidmore is a business strategist and financial coach. Nicknamed the “dream-releaser” by her clients, she helps entrepreneurs make money doing what they love by building profitable & sustainable businesses. For the past 12 years she has been immersed in the world of small business development and finance. By studying patterns of success, she now coaches and consults with creative entrepreneurs on business principles she found to be key indicators of success. Her background in finance, psychology, and art have allowed her to marry the world of business and creativity. Her greatest joy is watching others transform their stories and build businesses & lives they love! For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-shanna-skidmore-episode-7/
"Hi y'all! I’m Kat and I help creative boss ladies (boss ladies like you!) dream big & bold. I’m all about #realtalk & real results. I believe in that thinking "tiny, small but mighty" can push you even closer to those "go big or go home" dreams! I’m the owner, lead planner & florist behind Dear Sweetheart Events and the founder and visionary of Creative at Heart Conference. I’m an educator, speaker, activator & love watching those lightbulb moments go off!! My HS sweetie, Matt, and I live in a two stoplight town with our Brittany Spaniel, Knox. Matt recently left his full-time job to join me in small biz life & we're loving this new season!! Baby Schmo will arrive in May so right now our down-time consists of nursery prep & eating all the burgers & fries I can get my hands on!! My vices include buying all the pink things & sappy romance novels on my Kindle! I love connecting on IG Stories & would love to say "hi" over there!" For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-kat-schmoyer-episode-6/
Jennifer is a Virginia-based graphic designer, visual storyteller, and type nerd. A lifelong fan of a good story - and shaping the words and letters that tell it - she specializes in creating uniquely-tailored brand experiences for creative entrepreneurs, and in building online spaces that people love to explore. In 2013, Jen and fellow designer Jeffrey Shipley founded TONIC SITE SHOP and launched their first collection of cocktail-inspired, "completely customizable websites for the modern, stylish creative." (Yep, there's a Martini, a Mojito, and Moscow Mule... her mother is still pretty sure she owns a bar.) Jen runs her business from her home outside Washington, D.C., where she lives with her handsome husband, their two little girls, a golden retriever, and a much-beloved espresso machine. She eats gluten so you don't have to, enjoys hosting and hospitality (with a cocktail in hand!), and her love language is witty banter. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jen-olmstead-episode-5/
Makayla Jade of The Harris Company shares how selling products and prints transformed her business, and she shares some tips for getting started with in-person sales in your own business. Makayla Jade, co-owner of The Harris Company, developed a brand distinguished by providing an elevated photo and cinema client experience, propelling the company to reaching multiple six-figures and beyond in less than 3 years by serving a niche clientele that places a high value on printed products & photographic art. With a background in business consulting and marketing, paired with a passion for the creative industries, Makayla Jade has been featured in Rangefinder, fstoppers, and Click Magazines, sharing techniques involving business systems, brand marketing, and unique approach to educating clients about the importance of print and investing in heirlooms. Her shining moment was the day she snatched her handsome husband David atop the peaks of the Berkshires and vowed to embark on a lifelong adventure of messy memories and worldwide travels. Her biggest accomplishments are her two adorable kids, Blake the builder and Princess Lia who are the foundation of her why and the reasons for her craziness. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-makayla-jade-episode-4/
Graham is an entrepreneur and business coach from Tampa, FL who helps people monetize their passions and ideas and get paid to do what they love. Graham is also the founder of The Recording Revolution. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-graham-cochrane-episode-3/
Ashlyn writes well-appointed words for creative women as a copywriter & calligrapher. She left her job as a publicist to go full-time with her calligraphy biz for brides--and realized there were lots of creatives fumbling with their message and sales copy (you can take the girl out of the PR agency ... ). Trading clients like Delta Air Lines and Chick-fil-A to write website copy and launch copy for creative industry dreamies like Jenna Kutcher, Katelyn James, Heather Crabtree, Hilary Rushford and Justin & Mary Marantz is just the bee's knees. Her calligraphy has been featured in Southern Weddings and The Knot. When not writing about herself in third person, she’s usually trying to scratch the ink off her fingernails or grabbing margs and tacos with her husband. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-ashlyn-carter-episode-2/
Photographers & educators Amy & Jordan Demos share their tips for managing time, working as a husband and wife team, and growing a business. Amy and Jordan Demos are professional photographers and educators who help people take better photos and build profitable businesses that change lives. They started as elementary school teachers who didn’t know anything about photography, but turned their passion into one of the most successful photography businesses in America’s fifth largest city. They’ve photographed a million dollar wedding, had their work featured in People and were recognized by Rangefinder as a “Top 10” educator. But if you ask them, they’d tell you that achieving their own dreams doesn’t come close to helping other photographers reach theirs. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-amy-jordan-episode-1/
Welcome to The Brands that Book Show. In this short introduction, I discuss a little bit about why I decided to start a podcast, and what you can expect in the coming weeks.