High, Low and Unexpected

Shaun Gordon

In this podcast, we explore the remarkable successes, challenges, and unexpected turns that entrepreneurs encounter in their careers.

  1. 6d ago

    The Architecture of Authority: Seducing the AI Machines, Postpartum Realities, and Being Impossible to Ignore (ft. Monique Bryan)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Monique Bryan, a Toronto-based brand authority strategist, international creative, and founder. With over 15 years of hard-hitting entrepreneurial experience navigating everything from fashion design and manufacturing in India and China to building legacy coaching programs, Monique specializes in helping founders become the absolute, obvious choice in a world where AI engines are doing the recommending. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Holy Grail" High: Monique takes us back to the early days of her creative career, detailing a wild, three-minute pitch at New York’s iconic Henri Bendel department store. Discover what it actually took to get her collection past international customs by literally wearing 87 heavy necklaces and bracelets across the border, winning an "American Idol-style" designer callout, and the humbling reality check of standing on her feet for four days waiting for the payout. The "0.05% Miracle & The 60k Trap" Low: A deeply transparent and breath-catching account of balancing unpredictable growth. After surviving breast cancer and being told a natural pregnancy was statistically impossible, Monique details the shocking discovery of her pregnancy—just weeks after signing a $60,000 contract with the Marriott Group for her dream business retreat. She opens up about the silent toll of postpartum depression, feeling like she lost her "sparkle," and the absolute necessity of leaning on structured coaching and professional therapy to rebuild. The "Lori Harder Stage" Unexpected: What happens when you declare your biggest goals out loud to an industry icon with millions of followers? Monique shares the hilarious and pivotal moment she boldly told Lori Harder she would be on her California stage within a year—and the sudden, terrifying DM months later where Lori held her to her word, forcing her to conquer her imposter syndrome and step into her true authority. Monique’s story is a brilliant framework for any creative entrepreneur who is tired of watching less-qualified peers grab all the digital attention simply because they know how to show up louder. This conversation will challenge you to drop the vanity metrics, structure your boundaries, and implement dynamic systems that make your business completely impossible to ignore. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to run your own authority report? Monique is giving our audience FREE access to her high-end Answer Engine Optimization audit tool. Head over to MoniqueBryan.com/audit (Bryan with a 'Y') and use the promo code HIGHLOW at checkout to see exactly how the AI machines are recommending you! 📸 Connect with Monique: Follow her sharp insights and daily updates on Instagram @moniquebryan_co or subscribe to her raw behind-the-scenes thoughts on Substack at The Anti-Personal Brand.

  2. Jul 2

    Freefall and Healing: Cultivating Optimism, Community, and the Reality of Loss (ft. Becca Lueck)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Becca Lueck, a Portland-based adventure family photographer and educator. Moving from a stable corporate structure in education to full-time entrepreneurship, Becca’s approach is a masterclass in calculated risk, resilience, and finding the ultimate "glass-half-full" perspective when life hits the hardest valleys. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "I Am Free" High: Becca shares the exhilarating milestone from 2021 when she finally quit her Title I reading assistant job to take her photography business full-time. She opens up about overcoming the fear of leaving guaranteed income, managing a cautious spouse’s perspective, and the sheer momentum that allowed her to almost triple her earnings in her very first year. The "Stage Four" Low: A deeply raw and moving account of navigating a massive conference season while processing her mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis and subsequent passing. Becca shares the emotional toll of carrying heavy personal grief behind the scenes, the isolation of attending events alone, and how an intentional 2.5-week family trip to Europe became a vital space for collective mourning and healing. The "Clubhouse Blueprint" Unexpected: What happens when your 2020 leap into full-time entrepreneurship is instantly halted by a global lockdown? Becca breaks down how she utilized the sudden influx of time to stack her brand, step into the early spaces of the Clubhouse app, and find the confidence to transition from selling presets to launching a highly successful education and mentoring platform. Becca’s story is a beautiful reminder that while our craft allows us to stop time, life outside the frame continues to move forward. If you are a solo entrepreneur feeling the strain of holding space for others while draining your own emotional battery, this conversation will give you the grace and permission to slow down and prioritize what matters most. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to connect with Becca? Follow her stunning Pacific Northwest family adventures and real-time updates on Instagram @beccajeanphotography.

  3. Jun 24

    Redefining the Threshold: Burnout, Boundaries, and the Power of Enough (ft. Kelsey Converse)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Kelsey Converse, a New Hampshire-based elopement photographer, business coach, and founder of the Biz with Boundaries program. Kelsey is a powerhouse entrepreneur who went from leaving her corporate 9-to-5 to rapidly scaling a six-figure creative brand—but her rapid rise came with a steep learning curve about what it actually costs to "have it all." In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Dream Life Achieved" High: Kelsey celebrates her current reality as a new mom to a six-month-old boy, living the exact balanced life she once envisioned. She shares how years of front-loaded hustle and extreme curiosity about strategic growth allowed her to step away from corporate limitations, travel to 10+ countries a year, and now build a business that fully supports her family timeline. The "Six-Figure Blindspot" Low: A raw look at the deception of vanity metrics. Kelsey opens up about her first massive $100k year in 2021, where comparison-driven hustle led her to book 43 weddings and 15 sessions. Despite the financial win, she describes the breaking point of working from 5:30 AM to 8:00 PM every day, experiencing public breakdowns, and missing her best friends' weddings—forcing her to completely redefine her version of success. The "Superwoman Backlash" Second Low: What happens when you try to fix your capacity problem by aggressively expanding? Kelsey vulnerably shares the heavy reality of 2023: onboarding two associate photographers simultaneously, managing a rental property, launching an education branch, and navigating a heartbreaking pregnancy loss under the weight of chronic cortisol and stress. The "18-Month Astrologer" Unexpected: A funny, perspective-shifting moment where a hometown friend brings an astrologer to a gathering, sparking a conversation about the upcoming transitions that await Kelsey. Shaun and Kelsey unpack the beauty of the unknown, the necessity of personal therapy, and why learning to sit in the neutral "in-between" zones of life is an entrepreneur's greatest asset. Kelsey’s journey is a necessary wake-up call about why we must stop using social media algorithms to measure our self-worth. Whether you are trying to cross the six-figure line or learning how to scale back to protect your peace, this episode will challenge you to look introspectively, get curious about your pain, and determine what "enough" truly looks like for you. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to learn more from Kelsey? Track her journey and find out if that 18-month prophecy comes true by following her on Instagram @kelsconverse or visiting KelseyConverse.com.

  4. Jun 17

    Miracles in the Mess: Chronic Pain, Sisterhood, and the True Weight of Community (ft. Kelly Lemon)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Kelly, a Seattle-based adventure wedding and elopement photographer. Having survived a catastrophic car accident at age 12 that left a fourth of her body paralyzed, Kelly’s life has been a relentless journey through spinal surgeries, chronic nerve pain, and rehabilitation. Yet, she has transformed her physical constraints into a source of profound empathy, resilience, and creative strength. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Sisterhood & Miracles" High: Kelly shares the breathtaking story of how her cousin promised at age 16 to one day carry a child for her. Twelve years later, through a beautiful journey of selflessness and sacrifice, that promise became a reality. Kelly celebrates the recent arrival of her second daughter, Elena, and the profound power of community and family in making the impossible happen. The "Waking Up to Worse" Low: A deeply raw and vulnerable account of a high-risk spinal cord surgery at age 19 that unfortunately left Kelly in exponentially worse permanent pain. She describes the terrifying moment years later when her only functioning arm collapsed while snowboard instructing, the grueling year of rehabilitation that followed, and how she learned to survive by breaking life down one single day—and one single moment—at a time. The "Creative Directing Through Crisis" Unexpected: What do you do when a rare neurological condition (Parsonage-Turner Syndrome) suddenly takes away the use of 90% of your remaining arm just weeks before a 20-wedding season? Kelly recounts how she gamely flew to California with no use of her arms and successfully shot a 12-hour wedding by stepping into the role of a Creative Director—mentally instructing her second shooter on every single setting, aperture, and ISO value. The "Hidden Masterpieces" of West Africa: Kelly opens up about living in Ghana for two years at the start of her career, creating art solely for the healing of human trafficking survivors. She shares how an environment where she was legally forbidden from posting or sharing her images served as the ultimate ego-check, teaching her to always put people and their stories above online trends and algorithmic performance. Kelly’s perspective is a masterclass in shifting your mindset from demanding a miracle outcome to finding the resilience to endure the present. If you are going through a dark valley, feeling isolated in your business, or wondering how to show up for others in their suffering, this episode will completely redefine how you view hardship. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to connect with Kelly? Follow her stunning adventure photography and real-life journey on Instagram @kellylemon or check out her work at KellyLemonPhotography.com.

  5. Jun 10

    The Architecture of Alignment: Intuition, Illumination, and Reclaiming Calm (ft. Tori Stauffer)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Tori Stauffer, a Florida-based mentor and business coach for female entrepreneurs. Before stepping into the coaching world, Tori spent 15 years building a highly successful, six-figure photography brand in Philadelphia—navigating transitions from family portraits to high-end newborns and artful maternity. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Radical Relocation" High: Tori shares the intentional decision to pack up her family of six and move to Florida to reclaim a slower pace of life. She describes the magic of watching her kids play in the cul-de-sac and bike to school, and how changing her environment unlocked a version of herself she didn't know existed. The "Wake-Up Call" Low: A deeply raw and moving look at the cost of chronic hustle. At 37, Tori received a terrifying cancer diagnosis. She opens up about the three words that changed her life ("You have cancer"), the fierce mindset shift required to ensure her 3-year-old would remember her, and the humbling realization that she had a dysregulated nervous system that was literally addicted to work and terrified of calm. The "40k Threshold" Unexpected: What happens when you hit your biggest financial month ever ($40,000) and realize it requires three months of grueling aftermath? Tori shares the precise moment she recognized she was recreating the exact burnout patterns that led to her illness—and how she found the courage to listen to her gut, transition out of her 15-year photography career, and pivot into full-time mentorship. Tori’s story is an invaluable masterclass for any entrepreneur who on paper says they want "freedom," but in reality, spends every quiet moment sneaking back to their laptop. This episode will challenge you to identify the specific feelings you are chasing and give you the ultimate permission to let go of the word "should." Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to learn more from Tori? Skip the surface-level scrolling and follow her continued journey on Instagram @thetoristauffer.

  6. Jun 3

    Girlbossing Too Close to the Sun: SEO, Boundaries, and Relaunching Yourself (ft. April Brown)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with April Brown, a Jacksonville-based marketing, SEO, and conversion rate optimization specialist. Coming from a 10-year corporate career as a marketing director, April now helps female entrepreneurs and service-based businesses become "future millionaires"—but her most challenging project was learning how to audit her own life. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Outranking Google" High: April shares the hilarious and terrifying story of the 6:00 AM phone call that landed her on a Zoom meeting with representatives from Google, YouTube, the NFL, and a major TV provider. Discover how her SEO strategy worked so well that she accidentally outranked the tech giants for "NFL Sunday Ticket"—and why her client forced her to turn her video off. The "Mommy Always Works" Low: A deeply vulnerable look at the reality of hyper-growth and the trap of saying "yes" to everything. April opens up about the massive burnout that led to a 36-hour workday cycle, a strain on her marriage, and the heartbreaking moment her young daughter gave her the ultimate wake-up call: "Mommy always works. We do not see her not working." The "27 Services & Rebranding for 3 Years" Unexpected: What happens when an expert spreadsheet-maker and SEO guru gets audited by her own CFO? April shares the shocking realization that she was offering 27 different services while only truly enjoying four of them—and how she completely forgot she hadn't had a "real" live website up for three years. April’s story is a powerful lesson in establishing hard boundaries with yourself, implementing systems like "Do Not Disturb" automations, and treating life like a "test season." If you are currently grinding around the clock, hiding from your inbox, or wondering how to scale without losing your family, this episode is your roadmap to pulling back and reclaiming your joy. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to connect with April? Check out her legendary 3-year landing page at AprilBrown.co or follow her journey and DM her on Instagram @aprilbrown.co.

  7. May 27

    Heirlooms, Boundaries, and the Beauty of a 15-Year Journey (ft. Michael & Laura)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Michael and Laura, a husband-and-wife photography team based in Richmond, Virginia. With 15 years in the industry, their story is a beautiful testament to what happens when you prioritize relationship over transaction and intention over scale. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Full-Time Leap" High: Laura shares the emotional journey of leaving a 9-year career as an elementary school teacher to go full-time in photography. Discover how "teacher skills" translate to wedding days and how this leap allowed them to expand their family through foster care and adoption. The "Square Footage" Low: A real-talk look at the challenges of running a business together in a small home office. Michael and Laura discuss the seasons where work-life balance felt like a myth and the difficult (but necessary) conversations required to find a healthy line between being business partners and being a married couple. The "15-Year Celebration" Unexpected: How a business built on community leads to clients who stay for a decade and a half. From receiving gifts for their children to throwing a 15th-anniversary party for their past couples, Michael and Laura explain why they don’t want "high-end" clients—they want "their people." Michael and Laura’s story is a raw reminder that while we document "perfect" days for others, our own success is found in the boundaries we set, the resilience we build in the lows, and the legacy we leave within our own four walls. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to connect with Michael & Laura? Check out their work at MichaelAndLauraPhotography.com or follow their journey and DIY projects on Instagram @michaelandlauraphotography

  8. May 13

    Simplicity, Software, and the Strength of the Human Spirit (ft. Daniel Usenko)

    This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Daniel Usenko, the visionary founder and CEO of Pixellu (Smart Albums). A photographer turned tech innovator, Daniel has spent over a decade revolutionizing how our industry handles album design, but his journey is about much more than just software. In this episode, you’ll hear: The "Integration" High: A deep dive into the two-year mission to integrate Smart Albums with KISS Books. Daniel shares why "simplicity is addictive" and how this breakthrough aims to rescue a new generation of photographers from the tedious Photoshop workflows of the past. The "Broken Back" Low: A raw and humbling look at the physical cost of pushing limits. After completing a full Ironman for his 40th birthday, Daniel discovered he had been living and working with a broken back for months—forcing a difficult conversation about health, aging, and what it means to be present for your family. The "Reinvention" Unexpected: How losing his personal domain name led to a two-year hiatus from the web, and how a recent spark at a creative conference inspired him to relaunch his site and embrace "boring" family photos as the ultimate proof of life.Daniel’s story is a refreshing blend of tech-forward thinking and old-school appreciation for the tangible. Whether you’re struggling with business growth or a personal setback, this conversation will remind you that while technology moves fast, the most valuable things—our health and our memories—require us to slow down.Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected.🎙️ Want to connect with Daniel? Check out SmartAlbums.com, his new photography site at Usenko.co, or follow his personal journey on Instagram @danielsenko.

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About

In this podcast, we explore the remarkable successes, challenges, and unexpected turns that entrepreneurs encounter in their careers.

Information

  • Creator
    Shaun Gordon
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Shaun Gordon
  • Show Website
    High, Low and Unexpected