In today’s episode of Take It Personally, I'm featuring my client Tori Kelner, a talented wedding photographer who made a smooth and strategic transition into brand photography. Tori shares her journey of moving from wedding photography to branding, how Rebrand helped her sharpen her strategy, and the powerful lessons she’s learned along the way.

If you’re a photographer considering a shift toward brand photography, Tori’s story is filled with valuable insights. From navigating burnout to embracing a new niche, she shares the tools and confidence she’s gained to position herself as a brand photographer—and not just someone who "does brand photos occasionally."

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Tori decided to pivot from weddings to brand photography (and why it felt like the perfect move)
• The strategic changes she implemented right away to get her business set up for success
• The power of positioning yourself as a brand photographer and why it’s key to attracting the right clients
• How Rebrand’s resources—like templates, questionnaires, and group coaching—accelerated her growth and confidence
• The importance of building a portfolio that reflects your unique approach to brand photography
• Tori’s thoughts on blending multiple photography niches and why it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing choice

Links & Resources:

• Join Rebrand
• Tori’s Instagram

If you’re ready to take the next step in your photography business and pivot to brand photography, join us inside Rebrand where we help photographers like you build a strategy, find their niche, and gain the confidence to charge premium rates for their services.

You are listening to take it

personally, a podcast for photographers

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about the personal side of business

and the art of standing out.

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Here.

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I'll help you build a business and a

brand that is uniquely you if you want to

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attract dream clients and stop looking at

the competition to decide your next move.

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If you are ready to show up as a

confident branding authority to help

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you serve your clients and consider

your goals and priorities too.

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If you want to make your mark in a

new, underserved niche of photography,

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then this is the place for you.

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I'm your host, Maddie Ashong, South

Dakota brand photographer and educator.

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I'm a straight shooting

Instagram obsessed.

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Diehard Swifty who has built a multi-six

figure business on the back of brand

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photography all while raising a

family, and I know you can do the same.

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Let's get ready to take it personally.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Tori, thank you so much for joining

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me today on Take It Personally.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

for having me.

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I'm so excited.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

I'm so excited.

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So to kick us off, if you could tell

everyone who you are and what you do.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Absolutely.

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I am Tory Kelner.

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I'm a brand and wedding photographer.

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I get to say brand now that I've

joined rebrand, um, living in

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with my

husband and our rescue dog, Hazel,

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um, plant mom to some dying plants.

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But Maddie's helping with that and.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

That's what I'm here for.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: We've

been living in Philly for a few years and

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just establishing our life in this area.

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I've been doing wedding photography for

about eight years now, and in the last,

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um, year or so, kind of had the push

in my heart to wanna kind of go in the

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direction of brands and found Maddie,

and it's been wonderful ever since.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

So let's talk a little bit about that.

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What happened that made you want

to explore more brand photography?

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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So with weddings, I, I absolutely

love weddings and what I do, but

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as many wedding photographers have

done, um, you take so much and

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you kind of burn yourself out.

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Um, I've had that in years past

and then over the last few years.

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Found a balance for myself where I,

I had a happy medium of the amount of

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weddings that I wanted to take, but

just at the stage of life, like a lot

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of our friends are getting married.

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There's a lot of things going

on on the weekends, and I just

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realized like lifestyle needs to

change a little bit at this time.

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So I.

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Found a happy medium with a number

of weddings that I wanna take.

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And I have done education and

mentoring for other photographers

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over the last few years.

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And actually it was a

conversation with my bookkeeper.

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She, it's like therapy and

bookkeeping, which is wonderful.

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Um,

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

great.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

but she kind of brought to my attention

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the idea of brand photography.

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And she said to me, I actually was

going to ask you if you did brand

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photography, because I love your

photography style, but I didn't

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think it was something that you did.

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So I found a different photographer

and she worked with an amazing

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photographer, but um, I was like,

Ooh, like light bulb moment.

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I love that.

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Somebody was already interested and

liked my style for brand photography,

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and being that I've worked with so

many other photographers to help

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grow their business, I love talking

business and branding everything.

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It was just like that perfect

light bulb moment that was like,

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maybe I should be doing this.

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So I started Instagram searching

brand stuff, and you started

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popping up and it was right

around the time that one of your.

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I think during your last launch,

um, your webinar popped up and I

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was like, okay, let me sign up.

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I loved your vibe and I have never

purchased something so quickly.

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I, I've never actually purchased

anything on a webinar before.

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And, you know, being an entrepreneur,

you sign up for a million webinars.

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You sit there, you're like, I know I'm

getting pitched to, and oh my gosh.

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I was like, sold easiest

money I've ever spent.

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And I don't know what it, I

mean, I do know what it was.

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It was so clear and.

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Like, just gave me the path, like one, you

understood exactly the pivot from wedding

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photographer to brand photographer.

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I, I loved that you were

calling that out so clearly.

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And I was like, great.

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She knows where I'm at.

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Um, and I knew for myself, I just,

I had already started one business.

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I've been doing this for years.

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I didn't wanna start and figure it

out for myself from the ground up.

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I just knew.

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Like, I could do it faster

and better if I got help.

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I was like, I know I could figure it out.

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I'm sure I could kind of piece it

together and take what I already have

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and, and mold it and figure it out.

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But I was like, if somebody can one,

help me with all the positioning

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and what I, what I don't know.

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You know?

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You don't know what you don't know.

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So if somebody can help me with all of

that, and then also provide me with the

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templates, the emails, the questionnaires,

like the mood boards, like everything.

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I was like, oh my gosh, make my life easy.

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And, and it was, I mean.

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I think I said to you like from

literally the first day that I got in

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the vault, I was like, money well spent.

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I knew, I was like, I didn't even, we

hadn't even done a group coaching yet

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before, like that was like secondary

and that was bonus to have the community

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and everything, but it was like all the

vault content that I was like, oh, I

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got everything that I needed already.

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And now that we've done call after call,

I'm like, this is the best thing ever.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Oh my gosh.

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That I just, I love hearing that

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

I always tell people, and I, it's not

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lip service, but I also understand

that like, of course, you know, of

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course you're gonna say that you're

the one who created the program,

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so like, it's nice to hear it from

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

but I always tell people like,

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it's really easy to come into a new

program and be like, I have to get.

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Everything out of this.

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And if I don't take advantage

of absolutely everything, I'm

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not getting my money's worth.

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And I think instead, while I understand

that, instead having the perspective

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of like one breakthrough is worth

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

what I paid.

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Right.

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And I feel like you just had such a good

perspective of that, of being like, okay,

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like just the vault has been worth it.

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And so anything else is just like

propelling me even more forward.

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You just had such a

good like perspective on

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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I think, 'cause I came in being

like, I really just want the, the

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templates and the questionnaires.

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I didn't even, I probably didn't

read the sales page long enough to

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even see what, what more came, and

I knew it was a year long, but.

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I've also been in so many different

online courses and I had never done a

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group coaching program, so I was excited

that that was something new for me.

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I did wanna explore it.

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Um, so yeah, that like

came as such a bonus.

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But yeah, my initial thought was

like, oh, I'm just coming in for

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like the templates and kind of

the, the to-do list to get it done.

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And then I was like, oh my God, there's

so much more, so much that, I don't know.

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You answered so many

questions and then, yeah, the.

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Many calls that we've been on so

far, like you're so generous with

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your time, helpful with your answers,

clear, concise, like just no fluff.

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And I really appreciated that.

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Again, being at this point in business,

it was like, I don't need somebody

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to tell me like, you're so amazing.

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You've got this.

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Like, I appreciate that, but it's like I

need somebody to just, you know, cut and

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dry, be like, this is what you need to do.

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And like that's not working.

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That's gonna work.

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And it's been so helpful

to hear that from myself.

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And then.

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With like listening to everyone else in

the program, since it's people who've

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been doing this for years, and then

other people who are newer as well.

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So it's been really cool.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Yeah, you mentioned something that

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I would really love to highlight,

that you've done courses before.

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This was your first time

doing a group program.

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I always like to call out like the

difference between a course and

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a group program because I do work

with so many wedding photographers

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and when I was a wedding, like I,

that's really how I like learned

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

photography.

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Wedding photography was buying courses.

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I love.

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Courses are

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: but

group programs are definitely different.

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So what would you say if

someone was like, what.

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The difference between like

rebrand and a course that you

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buy, what would you tell them?

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: I

would say it's, it's a melding of the two

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because we do have course curriculum that

you can follow, and I would say that.

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That laid the foundation to understand

everything else that we were going

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to be talking about on calls or just

to like get a better sense of where

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people were at in their business.

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And so that we were all kind of on

the same page of your process and

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what you recommend, um, but also

taking it in our own direction.

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So I feel like I got that course content

that I kind of crave 'cause I'm like,

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I like to just listen to the podcast.

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Um.

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Or watch the videos, which is

so nice that we have the option.

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'cause I'm such a podcast girl.

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So

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: I

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

we have,

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: a

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

we have a private podcast.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

when I realized that I could put the

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: a,

I was literally talking with a friend this

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

That's amazing.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

program and she was like, I need to do

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

no, you really do.

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'cause it's like such a game

changer for people like us

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

sit and watch a

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: No.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

kidding?

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Like.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: And

it's funny, I've listened to it multiple

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times through 'cause I feel like I'm, I

listen once I kind of get the gist and

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then I go back and kind of fine tune

and then I'm actually doing the work.

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And so I listen on the podcast

when I'm driving, kind of get the

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overview and then I've gone back

and watched the videos more closely.

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So both are super beneficial.

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Um, but yeah, so you have that course

aspect, which is super helpful and and

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comfortable I guess, for anyone who has

come from already doing an online course.

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But then one, the Slack community

that I didn't even know was gonna

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be as robust as it is and like

people are in there all the time.

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I'm such a night owl, so like I'll

post something at 2:00 AM and I'll

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have an answer the next morning.

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So most people aren't

up that late, but, um.

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So quick to respond and with super

supportive and helpful answers.

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So, so much help there in the

times that we're not on the call.

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And then we have weekly

coaching calls, which, um.

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I mean, I could literally sit

on those calls for the full day,

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like an hour's, never enough time.

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It's just like, it's so interesting for

me to hear everyone else like what they're

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going through, what their questions are.

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'cause they answer questions you didn't

even realize you had, which is so nice.

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And it's like, maybe I haven't experienced

that yet because I'm a bit newer with

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brand photography, but great to know.

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So when that comes up, I know

exactly how to take care of that.

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So that's been huge.

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But yeah, I would say

it's a, a blending of.

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Group coaching.

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'cause I know there are some group

coaching programs that don't have

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the course curriculum content at all.

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It's just the calls.

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So I love the blend 'cause I needed

that foundation aspect and that

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was what I was coming in for.

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And then, yeah, the, the calls have been

just so much additional support and help.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Good.

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Yeah, I love that.

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Yeah, that's, that's exactly

how I describe it too.

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And, and same, that's

really best for how I learn.

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Like, I like to be able to binge like the

education, but then I wanna be able to

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say, okay, but my business is a little bit

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

how would you do it for that?

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Which is really nice to like have that

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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On top of that, the reviews

that you offer, like.

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That was an aspect I haven't seen

in anything else that I've done.

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We're able to submit portfolio or a

website to be reviewed or our pricing and

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just having your direct feedback on that

with a quick video is so, so helpful.

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And it brought me back to like, I

went to school for photography, so

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it brought me back to being able to

like put my work up on the wall and

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actually sit there and talk about it.

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I love.

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Critique.

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And so like being able to submit

something for review was so

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satisfying for me, and I'm excited

to have more and more to send you.

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Um, and, and knowing that you've given us

so many tools to be able to like create an

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awesome portfolio has been super helpful.

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So yeah, 10 outta 10 obsessed, obviously.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

You've kind of alluded to some

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things already, but what specific

things have you done in your business

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since you've come into the program?

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

So I feel like I.

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Took a few weeks to soak everything

in when I first started, and then very

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quickly implemented like questionnaire

into, so I use HoneyBook and had like all

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of my previous like wedding questionnaires

and um, email templates and all of that.

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So I was able, easily able to like,

transfer design wise, but I just

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took all the questionnaires, email

templates, um, made a proposal in

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HoneyBook, did all my pricing through,

the profitable pricing, uh, module.

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So I had all of that set up

within the first few weeks and

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implemented into HoneyBook.

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I didn't have like a client yet, but

it was nice to know that when I do, I

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have, you know, my workflow set up so

that I'm ready for them when they come.

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And then.

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I had already started working on setting

up my portfolio building sessions so that

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I could get a few on the books there.

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Um, so yeah, within the first few weeks I

felt like I was at least foundationally,

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like implemented a lot, and then was

able to create a pricing guide and show

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it based on the one that I already have,

just implementing all of the information

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that we kind of built together.

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And so I felt like I had, you know,

everything so far ready to go for

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when I get, you know, those first

few clients, um, in the door.

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So I'm.

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I'm pretty much set.

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I have my scheduler link

ready for my discovery calls.

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Like it was nice because again,

having done this for so many years

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with weddings, I'm able to easily

like transfer this into a new niche.

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But you know, it was fun having to

go through the questionnaires and I.

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You know, curate those questions

based on what you've sent.

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Change it a little bit if there's

something that makes more sense to me.

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So yeah, I felt like everything

was super easy to just implement

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right away and have ready to go.

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And then I think the most helpful was

that portfolio building stage where.

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You guide us to reach out to specific

people, you know, set up these portfolio

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building sessions so that I actually had

work to show for and I was able to take

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the pricing guide that I had already made

that had just like filler images and now

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it's full of actual real brand photos.

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So that was awesome, and now

that's ready to be sent out.

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So I feel like within the first few

weeks to month, I was like feeling really

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solid about all the foundational aspects.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Yeah, talk a little bit about

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the portfolio building stage and

like how that went for you, the

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

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maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

you worked with, and just like your first

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like really strategic brand sessions.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

so I was fortunate that I had done a

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few, like random one-off brand sessions

in the past, so I was able to go back

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and re-edit those and kind of look

at them from a different perspective.

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Now having gone through behind the shot.

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Yeah, that was really cool because I.

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Now I know what to look for in a strategic

branch who was able to critique my own

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work and be like, okay, didn't do that.

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But we have some good stuff

to at least show for brands.

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And so I had a few sessions that

were kind of my placeholder and

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then I worked, I have another one on

the books for, um, hopefully in the

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next month or two, but worked with.

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The place where I actually

got my wedding dress.

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Um, the owner of the wedding dress

boutique, she was a past bride of

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mine, so we have a great connection.

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I love working with them.

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So got to go there and kind of, we had

worked together before, but getting

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to do this one with the whole mood

board and the whole planning strategy

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that you had taught, I felt so much

more equipped to like make this a

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really strategic session and not

just pretty pictures at the boutique.

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And so I felt like it was.

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It made me feel so much more confident

going in, being like, we have a game plan

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and we had different outfits, different

sets, different intentions for the whole

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shoe, and I was able to communicate why

that's so valuable to have, you know,

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pictures of 'em also working at their

desk, not just pictures of them, you

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know, holding the dresses and stuff.

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So there was a lot that I felt

I could bring to the table that

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I didn't feel like in the past.

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It was just stuff I had

never thought of before.

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And then.

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Um, I had worked with my friend who's

an artist, so we, you know, were able to

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be in her studio and really good testing

with like different poses in a small space

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and working with like physical pieces.

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Um, so there's like a lot of fun

challenges that have come up that I

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wouldn't have expected but wouldn't

know until you know, you're in it.

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And so that was an awesome session

and she absolutely loved them.

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So I felt like for both

of those so far, like.

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Came out really solid.

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Like you always leave and you're

like, oh, I wish I did that.

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But I still feel like as a whole,

I got everything that you had

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like laid out for us as kind of

that strategic brand session.

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Um.

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And then, yeah, going back to some

of the sessions from the past, I was

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able to just like kind of cu those

down a little bit better and make them

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look as strategic as possible, even

though that wasn't originally shot

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with that kind of mindset, but able

to call them down to look like it.

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So I had a little bit more to show for.

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And then, yeah, now I'm in the

stage of just going to start posting

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and marketing myself and actually

talking about it, which is exciting.

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And, um, building out, building out

my website and stuff to reflect.

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Um, brands and website, I'll probably,

or sorry, brands and wedding.

355

Um, since I'll definitely like dual

position, at least for the near future.

356

Um, I do love my weddings, but knowing

that I'm taking fewer over the next

357

few years, I feel like it's a good

time to kind of make that pivot and

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at least, you know, reflect both on

my website right now and maybe lean

359

more in one direction at one point.

360

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Totally.

361

And that's the thing, like you can, it

doesn't have to be a hard and fast pivot,

362

and I think more often than not, it's not,

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah,

364

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

wasn't for me, like it was probably

365

years of being like, okay, I'm gonna

make weddings a little bit less.

366

Obvious on my website, or I'm

gonna make the page hidden.

367

Or like when you land on my homepage,

it's gonna be toward brands, but

368

weddings is still gonna be in the menu.

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tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

370

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

was a, it was a slow burn, but I'm.

371

I don't regret doing it that way

because it allowed me to, um, just like

372

consistently have such a great foundation

373

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

374

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

like, oh, I have to take like this brand

375

client that I really don't wanna work with

376

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Right.

377

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

money.

378

It was like, no, like things are chill

and I'm just pivoting as I'm able to.

379

And it got to the point where I was

like, okay, like brands are great.

380

And I was kind of getting to

the point with weddings where.

381

Because my kids were getting

older and like noticing when I was

382

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

383

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

like, you know, I think

384

that like, now's the time.

385

I

386

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

387

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

makes sense and it's fine to take it slow.

388

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Absolutely.

389

Yeah.

390

And I, I mean, right now

I still love weddings.

391

I just knew for myself and

my mental health, like needed

392

to just lower the capacity.

393

And so I feel like this is such a fun

time to be able to explore something else

394

that I'm already passionate about and just

kind of like now it's finally clicking

395

and, um, it, yeah, I don't know why I

didn't realize it sooner, but like all

396

happens when it's supposed to happen that.

397

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Yes.

398

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Like this makes so much sense for me.

399

So I'm really excited about it.

400

But yeah, it's been good and, and I

think anyone who I've talked to who

401

knows me personally, they're like,

this makes so much sense for you.

402

Like the I, the excitement around it

has been really exciting and like even

403

for me, I've noticed how much more

enthusiastic I feel about my own business.

404

I mean, I absolutely love what I do.

405

I love that I get to

play and be creative and.

406

Come up with things and

just try different things.

407

But this is the first time in a

few years that I've been like,

408

this feels like very aligned.

409

This feels so right for me.

410

Um, and I think I was in a little bit of

a lull before where it was like, I'm not

411

quite sure where I wanna go with this.

412

I know like I need a change of some kind.

413

I just don't know what it is.

414

And so, yeah.

415

I have to thank my bookkeeper and you

for instilling a lot of confidence.

416

I know.

417

She is like, she's so happy that

like my last call with her, she

418

was like, I, you're just beaming.

419

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

That is awesome.

420

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

421

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

uh, brands is such a natural pivot

422

for wedding photographers, and I

don't think that people realize

423

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

424

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

it is, like, there are

425

certainly different skill sets.

426

Like, it's not like you can just

like transfer everything, you

427

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

428

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: the

same questionnaire, like, you know, like

429

there's stuff that needs to be updated.

430

Sure.

431

But.

432

Your wedding clients.

433

And I guess the same is true for like

434

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

435

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

like your wedding clients also have

436

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

437

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

or they work at jobs or they

438

know people who have businesses.

439

And so it can be such a natural pivot.

440

And like I know my very first

brand of photography clients

441

were in the wedding industry,

442

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

That's how I think.

443

Yeah.

444

It'll be for me as well.

445

Yeah.

446

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Totally.

447

And that's really cool to be able

to work with like the planner that

448

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

449

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

or the florist that you loved.

450

And yeah, it can just

be such a natural pivot.

451

You have to do it strategically,

452

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

453

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

it can be a really like,

454

uh, simple transition.

455

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah,

and it's been interesting, like what

456

actually comes up within brands, like

I didn't think about maybe small pop-up

457

events or you know, just the difference

of like a headshot session versus a full

458

brand session and learning so much of that

through the program's been really helpful.

459

But yeah, even thinking just.

460

I live in a neighborhood where they

do community events all the time.

461

Like what?

462

Great opportunity to work with

small businesses there and be able

463

to photograph, you know, within

their business, but also within

464

the events that they're hosting.

465

And I feel like if you can shoot a

wedding, you can probably shoot anything.

466

So I think skillset,

467

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Totally.

468

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: I

feel confident being able to do that.

469

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

I spent so many years being frustrated

470

that like I wasn't, I hadn't found my

471

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Hmm.

472

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

and I really did like weddings,

473

but I, but I also knew it wasn't.

474

It for

475

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

476

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

and I spent so many years frustrated that

477

like, you know, my newborn photographer

friends were like, I could do this

478

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

479

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

my wedding photographer friends,

480

and like, I just didn't feel

that way until I found brand

481

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

482

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

But now I'm able to look back and

483

like, you know, hindsight's 2020, but

I'm like, I needed all those years

484

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

485

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

because I'm so good.

486

In, uh, in like a, in that type of

487

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

For sure.

488

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

to like, think on your feet

489

and like make sure everybody's

490

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

491

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

And like all of the things that I used

492

to shoot, being able to work with kids.

493

Like, I don't work with kids

often, but I have worked with

494

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

495

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

we bring in kid models

496

and I know how to handle

497

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

498

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

there's so many transferrable skills

499

from other areas of photography.

500

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Absolutely.

501

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

What has been the most valuable

502

part of our work together

and your time in the program?

503

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

That's such a good question.

504

I feel like I'm the type of person who.

505

I go like all in and you

allowed me to go all in.

506

I, like I said, I knew I could have

just like figured it out, but I didn't

507

wanna be a wedding photographer who

happens to do some brands occasionally.

508

Like I want to be able to show up and be

like, oh, Tory Ner brand photographer.

509

So I, I knew.

510

Especially from past experience, I was

like, okay, I'm just like winging it.

511

This kind of feels more

like a portrait session.

512

It's not quite a brand session.

513

There's no like strategy to it.

514

I think it was figuring out how to

confidently say I have strategy behind

515

this process and like know for myself

that I'm implementing that strategy.

516

And so it is strategic for them as well.

517

And I think strategic is sometimes

such a buzzword, but I was like.

518

Always like, okay, but what

does that actually mean?

519

I'm like, how do I know if I'm doing it?

520

And so I feel like the process

you've taught us has allowed me

521

to be like, no, this is strategic.

522

Like this actually has so

much thought behind it.

523

And um, even from the people in

the program, like none of us can

524

provide that strategy in the exact

same way, even when we're learning.

525

The exact same thing.

526

And so I love that I'm able to bring

my unique perspective and how my brain

527

works and implement that strategy

and help, you know, my clients.

528

So I feel really confident

being able to say, this is a

529

strategic brand session now.

530

So that's probably the biggest one.

531

And then, you know, just getting

everything established from

532

pricing things because I, I

definitely would've priced things.

533

Way more like a portrait session that

I would do or an engagement session.

534

And so learning a lot of the aspects

of what it takes to build a brand

535

session that isn't necessarily

based on the same factors as an

536

engagement session was super helpful.

537

I would've shot myself in the foot

for years trying to figure that out.

538

You know, like never would've known

the things that needed to be in it

539

or what is possible to charge for it.

540

I think the confidence in being able to.

541

Put a number on what I'm offering that

doesn't feel like a starting out price.

542

Um,

543

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Yeah.

544

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

has been really nice because again,

545

I, I feel like I have the skill.

546

It's just transferring to a new niche

and I really didn't want to, um.

547

Start out charging a hundred dollars,

you know, it just, it doesn't make

548

sense for me to put this much time,

energy, and money into something that

549

isn't going to give me that return.

550

So after going through this, I

feel so confident putting the

551

number I've put on my price so far,

and, um, being able to sell that.

552

And so, yeah, I think, I mean, kind of

everything, but yeah, I would say like

553

the confidence in myself, knowing I'm

providing a strategic session and then,

554

um, how to position myself so that.

555

I can, uh, sell what I do.

556

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Yeah, absolutely.

557

Oh, I love that.

558

I love those answers.

559

Um, if someone were in very similar

560

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Mm-hmm.

561

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

you were at, if they were like, you

562

know, I still love doing this other

563

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

564

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

like, I've gotta dial

565

it back a little bit.

566

I'm interested in brand photography,

but I wanna do it well, considering

567

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

568

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

what would you tell them?

569

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Do it.

570

There's like, no, I, within the first

like hour of going in the vault, I was

571

like, yep, this is exactly what I needed.

572

And so I felt like it was so

worth the investment right away.

573

And I feel like I've already

made such great friends.

574

I, I look up to so many of the people

in the community, so I feel like it's

575

just broadened my mind so much and

really like made this seem so possible.

576

I know for many of the courses that

I've done in the past, it was like.

577

Just giving me more and

more on my to-do list.

578

This was like the, the most, um, clear

way to just get things done, and I

579

actually was able to implement so quickly.

580

So I feel like for that reason

I was like, this is amazing.

581

So worth the investment.

582

Um, I feel like the, I don't even

think about the investment now.

583

It's like I, it was such an obvious

choice and especially after being

584

in it, I was like, money well spent.

585

It doesn't even feel like it was.

586

Lost income by, you know, it

was like I already can see how

587

it's gonna come back to me.

588

Um, and I feel like for the confidence

alone in my business, I feel like

589

it was such a good decision to join.

590

But yeah, I think for anyone considering

it, like if you want to actually take

591

it seriously and be able to claim, you

know, I am a brand photographer and not

592

just somebody who happens to shoot brand

photos occasionally with, you know, my.

593

Lack of strategy.

594

I hate to say.

595

Like I just, I just know,

'cause that's what I was doing.

596

It was like, yeah, I could

take those head shots for you.

597

And it's like, no.

598

It's just such a disservice to

other business owners now that I

599

know what you can provide for them.

600

So, yeah, I think a thousand

percent, if you are even considering

601

it, it is so, so worth it.

602

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Well, I have loved to

603

have you in the program.

604

It's just been so fun getting to know

605

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

606

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

like seeing your growth already.

607

And like when you post sneak peeks

and stuff on Instagram, I'm just like,

608

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Aw.

609

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

my God.

610

Like this is, it's the

beginning of something really

611

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

That's how I feel.

612

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

excited.

613

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258:

Thank you.

614

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

so glad you

615

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Yeah.

616

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

I feel it for you.

617

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: Cool.

618

Thank you.

619

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258:

Well, thank you so much

620

for being here today.

621

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: you.

622

This was amazing.

623

Thank you so much for listening

to take it personally.

624

If you haven't already, would you head

over to iTunes and leave us a review?

625

This is the best way to let other

photographers know about the show and

626

help keep us creating content you crave.

627

And if you want more tips and tools to

build your personal photography brand,

628

head over to my website, maddie pong.com.

629

Here you can access my downloadable

ultimate personal brand session shot

630

list to get your clients singing

your praises and browse my blog for

631

more trade secrets to help you hone

your craft and grow your business.

632

Love to learn while you listen.

633

Visit maddie peon.com

634

and click on podcast for all things.

635

Take it personally.

636

From show notes to recent episodes and

incredible guest profiles, remember

637

friend, the most important part of

any brand is the people behind it.

638

Branding and business is personal,

so let's take it personally.