Are you building a business that actually reflects who you are—or just one that “looks good” from the outside?

In this episode of the Take Your Shot podcast, I’m joined by Emily Woodall Gbadamosi, founder of Woodall Creative Co., photographer, and systems strategist for creative entrepreneurs. We’re diving into what it really looks like to run a values-driven business—and why this goes far beyond a few words on your “About” page.

Emily shares how her experience building a photography business while working full-time forced her to create systems that gave her time back—and how that eventually led her to helping other creatives do the same. But more importantly, we unpack how your values influence everything from your client experience to your marketing, your boundaries, and even the tools you choose to use.

This conversation gets honest about the fear so many business owners have: “What if I lose clients by speaking up?” Emily shares her real-life experience—and why showing up authentically has actually led to deeper connections, stronger inquiries, and more aligned clients.

We also talk about:

• The difference between stated values vs. lived values (and why people can tell the difference)
• How to share your beliefs online without feeling preachy or performative
• The balance between automation and maintaining real human connection
• Why authenticity is becoming more valuable in a world full of AI-generated content
• How your values can guide decisions behind the scenes—like who you work with, what tools you use, and how you run your business

If you’ve ever felt hesitant to fully show up as yourself in your business, this episode will challenge you to rethink that—and give you a more grounded way to move forward.

Connect with Emily

Website: https://woodallcreative.co

Instagram: https://instagram.com/woodallcreativeco

Free Resource:

Defining Your Business Values: A Framework for Small Business Owners

https://woodallcreative.co/values

Take Your Shot Resources

If you’re ready to build a more intentional, profitable photography business, here are a few ways to go deeper:

1:1 Coaching

https://takeyourshotcollective.com/coaching

Business Resources

https://takeyourshotcollective.com/business-resources

Community

https://takeyourshotcollective.com/community

What You’ll Walk Away With

• A clearer understanding of how values impact your business beyond just branding
• Practical ways to start sharing your beliefs authentically
• A new perspective on “losing followers” and why it can actually be a good thing
• Insight into building a business that feels aligned, sustainable, and human

Mentioned in this episode:

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 Welcome back to another episode of the Take Your Shot podcast. Today we are gonna be talking all about just running your business with intention and how to show up in authentically and really use it as a business strategy.

So Emily, welcome aboard. Do you wanna tell everyone a little bit more about who you are and what you do? Yeah, thanks for having me on. I'm really excited to be here. , So yeah, my name's Emily Woodall. , I'm the founder of Woodall Creative Co and Emily Woodall Photography.

I'm a lifestyle maternity, newborn and family photographer, and I also am a system strategist and help. Photographers and creative entrepreneurs, , with all of the backend of their business, which, , is so difficult and a lot of photographers especially get into it, as, you know, for all of the things that we love to do, being with couples and families.

But, , the backend can. , So hard. So I help with system strategy. , Primarily work with HoneyBook. I know you're a DPPs auto gal, but that's okay. And yeah, I, I really lead with core values as, , part of my business strategy. I love that. And I think, you know, when you lead with, you know, your values, that's one way that you can just really connect with your ideal client.

I'd love to hear though a little bit about like, kind of how you got into this. So what kind of led you to, you know, wanting to do more systems and helping people with implementation, and all that? Yeah, definitely. , I ran my business as a side hustle for many years. While I was an educator, I was.

School counselor, , and then also a vice principal. , And I was running my business on the side and there was literally no way that I could do that while. Uh, you know, doing a full-time job without systems. And so I found that, you know, building templates, building automations helped scale my business, , and helped me to feel more in control of my business.

. And then after a few years of doing that on my own, I was just finding other photographers when I was talking to them that they were missing out on so much when it came to, , being able to have things automated so that they could just reclaim their time. And so I started building out automations for other people and it's been so much fun.

I love one, I just love seeing the backend of other people's businesses. It's kind of. Nerdy and I geek out on it. , But I also love that every business owner is so different in how they run their business and what is important to them, what you know, what they do value. And so I, I like being able to incorporate that into, , how I help structure.

Yeah, I love that. And especially just kind of that talking point of the value side of things. So I would love to hear kind of your insight on what does that kind of look like from, different businesses, like what have you seen and how does that show up, and how does that really make an impact?

Yeah, I think that one of the things that I noticed the most is, , in communication, , as a value. Some people are, you know, so direct and want things to be, you know, very controlled. , Other people are much more loose with their communication. They're okay with text messages, they're okay with. Phone calls.

, Some people want that hands-on where they're having, you know, intimate conversations, consult calls, even in-person, you know, viewings of photos, all of that. , Whereas others are like, everything can be automated. I don't really need to talk to them. I just show up, take their pictures. We're done. , And so that changes how you run your business because if you're based on your communication style and, and what you value about up communication with others.

Totally. And you know, I think a lot of people think values and think like, oh, it's just something that you put on your about page. But I think it can also be a lot deeper than that. So , what are some ways that you've seen values integrated in people and how they communicate and market and even show up online?

Yeah, I think, you know, the other side of it is we all have our own, like personal beliefs. We all have our own political beliefs and there are plenty of business owners who want to leave that out of their business. And that's fine. However, I think that y. Especially in this day and age, social media, everything being online, , it's hard to separate those two, , completely.

And clients actually I think appreciate, , and potential clients appreciate when you do show up a lot more authentically, , they are able to identify with you more strongly, they're able to, um. You know, communicate with you maybe in a different way, have a more intimate relationship with you. , And that is important.

You ultimately, for me at least, I want my clients to find that, you know, our values align in, in some capacity. They don't have to align on everything obviously. But, , but I think that helps us to have a build, build a stronger relationship. Totally, and I couldn't agree more. I think we live in a world that's just so polarized.

There's a lot of extreme views kind of on on all ends. Mm-hmm. And I think for people to ultimately be able to work with those businesses and creatives that align with them, but also make them feel safe and valued, I think there are maybe some people that they'd work with that based on their beliefs, wouldn't make them feel that way.

And. That's not to say those people can't have businesses, but maybe they should be serving people that, you know, they feel safe, you know, within that. Mm-hmm. So I think that being clear on that and also talking about it, you can find ways to do it that isn't necessarily, you know, intense, right? Mm-hmm.

Like it's just mm-hmm. I don't know. Do you have any recommendations for people on how to do that tactfully? I think if people are kind of like, man, like I don't know how to talk about politics, or I don't know how I would share that. , Any like tangible, like ways that you've seen work really well for people?

I. Yeah, I think, you can start really small. You don't have to like talk to the camera, show your face and talk about your political views right, in an Instagram post. Um but if there is something that you feel passionate about that you would want. Your clients and people that hire you to know that you stand for, , or against, I guess.

Um, then I think it's, you know, maybe it's reposting something. Um, maybe it is just putting those shared values on your website, , so that if people, you know, are looking at your, about page or somewhere else on your website that they can, they can find that , and relate to that. , But I also think it's okay for you to talk more passionately about the things that you believe in.

, And while that may be polarizing, it also is going to attract like the, and repel the people that you do or don't want, , to be a part of your business. Totally. And you know, I think that repel piece is one that I don't think is talked about often. Like you might feel like, okay, I'm saying things and so many people are like in agreement.

And there might be this assumption that wouldn't everyone think these things. But you know, when there's someone who's maybe on the extreme opposite end and you're saying things that align that you think are kind of neutral, well that might actually repel an extremist or something in that case, I don't know.

If not, but just for example. Right, right. Um, and so there is an element of having some sort of. Communication on those things. Mm-hmm. Um, and I like how you, you kind of made it really easy and tangible. Like even if you don't wanna. Specifically show your face, talk to the camera and, and be very out there with that.

You can still, you know, repost or put something on your website and just kind of have things that kind of allude to that so people can kind of know like, okay, I'm safe. Like for me, for example, like even though I went to like a private Christian college, I still shoot same sex weddings. And some people might be like, oh wow, that's very controversial.

But in my opinion, I don't view it like that. And I love and celebrate. All people, and I think everyone deserves to, , be loved and celebrated no matter what. And so, um, I've very much taken an inclusive approach. And so I'm someone who, you know, very much is like, okay, like you matter. You're valued. I'm honored to be a part of this.

Like, yes, very much like wanna make sure on my website that, , that's what I'm leading with. Not something that might seem like anti-gay or anti, you know, inclusive. You know, I think the other thing about that is that. There's sometimes people who will say those things on their website, say it on their social media, but then they're not actually showing up for those things in, the weddings that they shoot, the couples, the families, whatever.

And so if I think it is also. Important not to be performative and to make sure that if that is something that you stand for, you believe in whatever the case may be, right? That it's not just a one-liner on your website that you know it's shown in your portfolio. It's, you know, talked about in other ways as well.

'cause that is what creates that like safe space, that inclusivity. So that it's not performative. Totally. I think that performative side of things can be very off-putting to people too. And it seems like inauthentic or they're just kind of doing it 'cause everyone else is.

And so really just finding that way that's really true and aligned , for you and the ideal clients you wanna work with. But also just like being authentic representation of like, who you are , and what you stand for. I love it. Definitely. Definitely. , so I'd love to know just for people who are like, okay, yeah, I definitely wanna be more intentional about sharing these beliefs and aligning myself with the values and all those things.

Do you have any sort of like tips on how someone can actually articulate and define those for themselves? Yeah, I think, , like you said, the first step is really just. Defining your values. Um, and it does take time to sit down , and think through, you know, what you do believe in, what you want your business to stand for, and how that maybe aligns with your personal beliefs.

They might be slightly different, right? Like I, one of my business values is empowerment of women. I believe in women's rights. I believe in, , that women have the ability to thrive in their business. , But that, you know, how I talk about women's rights and all of that might be slightly different than empowering women in business, right?

Um, so you kind of have to, to blend the two together. , But, uh, I, I do have kind of a framework that I developed that helps you too. Nail down those three to five values and how they shape who you are and who you are in business. , And it just starts by asking you things like what gets you fired up?

What are you pushing back against in your industry? , What do you want people to say that you stood for? , Those are like, you know, those kind of big overarching questions. And then once you've really solidified that, then you can start to share them more in real life. I love that, and I think those are such deep questions, especially just like what do you want people to say you stood for?

It's like the business that you're running, the way it's aligned and the impact that it makes, like that's really gonna leave a legacy. Beyond you, like when you move on from your business or even move on from this world. And so I think that those are really great and intentional things to think about and especially just like that impact piece.

, I was, I've been thinking a lot about this recently, especially just like the times we're in, it's just like I. How can we like leverage our business to actually make like an impact, you know? So whether that be, you know, donating time, gathering people together for a volunteer event or raising funds or campaigns, things like that.

I think there's a lot of ways you can actually align your business too with just like the action that you take or the ways that you give back to your community. So I think there's a lot of really cool ways to integrate that. So for something like you, do you have anything where you kind of on the topic of like women's, like where you're.

Like getting involved in the community as well, kind of, um, in that space. Yeah, I think, you know, one of the things I try to bring together, um, groups of people that I've met at, you know, masterminds or conferences and that sort of thing. , I have a group that we try to meet every couple of weeks, , just to.

Talk about business, talk about life. You know, we're all, , moms, we're all business owners, photographers. It's nice to just be in community with people. , And then kind of on the flip side, in terms of like action pieces, um, one of the things I am passionate about is making sure that I am. Offsetting my carbon footprint, in my business, and especially like in the age of ai, when we know how much natural resources, um, that's taking up.

And I, I really try to limit my use of ai, but, , to offset that, like donating to one tree planted every quarter to make sure that something that I'm doing to, you know, limit my, impact on the world. I love that. Yeah. Tell me more about One Tree Planted. What do they do? Yeah, it's a really cool organization.

So they, um, basically you donate to them and they plant trees, um based on your donation. So I think it used to be that it was like a dollar per tree, but it's actually gone up. So now it's, I think $10 per tree. But, , but they, , yeah, plant trees in different communities and it's a, it's a really cool organization.

Amazing. Okay, well let's get the link for that in the show notes. 'cause I think that'll be a kind of a cool thing if people are exploring, like even just like one small thing you can do to make an impact. Like that's great. And that's not controversial, right? Like you can all plant trees, it's good for the environment.

Let's all agree we wanna take care of the world. Absolutely. So yes, I love that. , So I'd love to know a little bit more about like, you know, we talked a little bit about client communication, but let's talk more in like the back end of the business. So what ways can you really lead with values from like a back end of the business and processes standpoint?

Yeah. , I think kind of like I was just talking about with ai, like, you know, depending on your views on ai. I personally, , had , a instance recently where I really had to step back, and this is one of the ways in which I started to look at my own values, was I was starting to develop an AI tool, um, as a freebie for people, and realized that that was just not aligned.

Like it did not feel good in my body at all. E every day I was like starting to work on it and like. Why am I doing this? Like this doesn't feel right. Um, and so I had to stop. I had to pivot completely, take a different turn, , to give that freebie away to people in a different way, which was great. , It taught me a lot, and that's one of the things that I think is, you know, that's behind the scenes.

Nobody really sees that. , But it made me realize like the things that I wanna do. When it comes to use of AI is really limited. Like I don't want it to write for me. I'm a good writer. I know I'm a good writer. , So I don't need it to do those things for me, right? Maybe it's gonna do some really basic tasks, but , but not be a big part of my business.

, And so I think that's one of those like kind of backend sides. , The other thing is like, knowing. What businesses you're working with and what their values are, and if maybe they align or not. And if not, it's okay to like push back on them. Right? Even bigger businesses, bigger corporations, like asking them those questions.

Um, I did that recently with another business, asking them like, wait, where are your values? , I don't see them anywhere on your website. It might be important, you know? Yeah, totally. And I think that that makes sense from like, you know, just using the topic of AI, for example. , I think there's a, there's a whole spectrum and honestly, I've got episodes and I've got guests who are like really passionate about it.

I've got other people who are maybe not so much, and I feel like there's definitely like this middle ground you can take of like absolutely. When you're using it intentionally, that's where it can be like really impactful. But honestly, going back to what you were saying of not having AI write your things, um

i've been noticing this more and more lately of just like how everything on the internet is sounding the same. Like even when I'm reading posts online and I'm seeing what people are saying and it's like, oh, this should be like a personal post. Like they're talking about like a pivot that they made or something that was like a story from their past and I'm reading it and it's like, this has the AI.

Formula of like, oh, you're not looking for this, you were looking for that and this and that. Like the whole way it talks is like, this person didn't used to write like that. I've been following them for a very long time and like this was not, this is not how they talk. I hang out with them. Like it's just so interesting to me that it's becoming this like content generating machine.

And I think people are getting wary of that. And so going back to the values thing, like I think people are also really starting to value. Authenticity and what's real. Yeah. And having typos. Maybe things aren't perfectly polished, maybe things are a little bit messy, but it's human. Yeah. I mean, people are gonna choose that over an AI robot any day.

Right? Any day. I was just having this conversation, um, with a, a systems client and they, , are working with a much more luxury clientele and so we were talking about how automations can actually make your. , Systems feel maybe a little bit less luxury because there aren't those like personal touchpoints.

And so we talked a lot about like how to create a system that includes those like personal touchpoints, like not ai, not the au automations, but also runs smoothly so that you're not having to do. Everything, like manually. Manually, right? You're not writing out every email by hand every single time, but you've got, you know, templates and that sort of thing.

, But it's also not automated. So I think there is , like you said, this middle ground when it comes to ai, when it comes to automations, and especially now people who are looking, , to book, you know, luxury weddings or. Any, any luxury kind of thing, or even just, you know, a family photographer, right?

You wanna know that the person you're talking to is the person you're talking to. Exactly. And it's . The biggest human desire , is connection. And I feel like right now robots are really kind of getting in the way of that. So yeah. Yeah, I love all of that and I think it's just a very important piece of the conversation, especially when just like running a value-based business.

So I just love that. Definitely. , now, for people who are maybe feeling like, okay, I definitely wanna live more intentionally and run my business in a way that's very aligned, but maybe they have fear that they're gonna lose their audience or, um, you know, lose out on cl potential clients, do you have any sort of advice or ways to kinda , help walk them through that process of really just taking those steps that make the most sense for them?

Yeah, definitely. , I think I would start with just encouragement that I've actually found that the opposite is true. That, um, while there you may lose a few followers here or there because of what you choose to share about your personal values and um, maybe even political values. , I have found that when I show up for the things that I believe in causes political beliefs, et cetera, I get a lot more positive engagement.

. On social media, people making comments, talking about things in their inquiries. Actually, , like last month, I put out a model call and, uh, one of the people who responded to it specifically in their response said that they were responding because I had shown up talking about immigrants rights. And they were happy to see that.

And so that's why they responded to my model call. , It wasn't because. Of anything else. And so I think that like really goes to show that like showing up for the things that you believe in actually does, like we talked about, attract more people than it does, um, you know, make, make you feel, um, like people are, are taking away things that are not, are not for you.

So. Totally. And you know, if there's something that I post where I'm losing followers, um, granted I'd say I'm not posting anything really aggressive. Right. That's not something that I do. Mm-hmm. But if someone is so off-put by me talking about how I believe that a. All people deserve to be celebrated and loved and cared for.

And if that's gonna be like repelling people and they're gonna unfollow me because of that, like, that's totally fine. And you know, I will be honest, like, especially with stuff that's been going on earlier this year. Mm-hmm. Um, specifically in my community, right. Um, happening to my neighbors. Like, um, I wasn't very silent and, there were a lot of things that I would post and, you know, not necessarily.

Trying to be like intense about it, but just like, Hey, this is a lived experience happening in my community and this is like a firsthand like experience, not just like what everyone else is saying. And so by bringing light to that, and I lost a lot of followers. Mm-hmm. Um, but I believe that those people are just either wildly misinformed or maybe misaligned or maybe they are very supportive of like the inhumane practices going on against my community.

And like if they're fine with that, then like, sure, I don't really need your money. I don't need you to follow me. That's not something that like aligns. For me. , So I just think that that's something where, you know, if you are gonna be putting stuff out there and it does cause you to lose followers, like sure there is that risk, but you know, if you stand for nothing, then like, at the end of the day, what's it all for?

You know? And like, I I, going back to the question that you were asking people in your framework, it's just like, what do you wanna be known for or what do you want people to say that it's like. I do. I do genuinely love my neighbors and I do genuinely care about all people, and I want everyone to have like basic human rights.

Um, you know, things were happening in the Black Lives Matter movement. At that time I was working at a school that was predominantly black students, and I knew that. It was my responsibility to them to stand up for them in everything that I did. And mm-hmm. Um, and I had friends who stopped following me. I had, you know, coworkers who thought it was inappropriate.

, And I continued to fight back against that because I think that, you know, if it is something that you feel strongly about, you believe in, you know, is right for humanity, then it's. It's good to stand up for that and that is regardless of your political beliefs as well. And I, I do wanna make that clear 'cause I follow people who do believe completely opposite of me.

And I think that's important as well. You can't, you know, you don't wanna isolate yourself on social media for, against the things that you may not believe in because you kind of get into this like, uh, confirmation bias bubble and that is problematic as well. So, um, so. You know, it doesn't have to just be, you know, people who believe what I believe in that.

I, I think that you should stand up for your beliefs. You should stand up for your beliefs regardless. , But I will continue to fight for humanity. Totally. And I think we need people to do that. So I think it's great. I love that so much and I think, you know, standing for something and really aligning your business and your values is just so important.

And I just love how you're able to do that. And so, , this has been just such a great conversation, Emily. Thank you so much for everything you've been sharing so far. , Before we wrap up, is there anything you wanna leave our listeners with? Yeah, I think, , thank you so much. I, I'm really happy we had this conversation too.

, And I appreciate what you've been doing to stand up for your community as well. , It's one of the reasons that I thought having this conversation would be so great. So thank you for that. , And yeah, I think, you know, if you are someone who maybe hasn't sat down and done that values work you or you, maybe you have, but you haven't revisited them in a while, , then this is a great time to do that.

, And I also have a freebie that you can, , share with the listeners just defining your business values and it's just a framework, , for small business owners, , and helps you to. Answer those questions, put , it all together so that you can share it in multiple different places and gives you some suggestions , on where you can do that and how you can do that.

I love that. No, we'll have that linked in the show notes, so if you're listening, you're like, oh man, sign me up. I need that. Please go to the show notes. You'll find the link there. And that was just, yeah, definitely something you'll wanna take a look at. So Emily, thank you so much for, , people listening.

If you wanna connect with Emily, you can find all of her information down in the show notes as well, and we'll see you guys next week.