Lifestyle and Lenses: Real Talk on Photography, Business & Mom Life

Lifestyle and Lenses
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Arts
  • Weekly

Two photographer moms get real about the art of photography, running a business, and the beautiful chaos of motherhood. From gear reviews and client stories to creative inspiration and parenting wins (and fails), we’re keeping it honest, fun, and totally relatable. Whether you’re a family photographer, wedding shooter, or a creative mompreneur, grab your coffee and join us as we dive into life behind the lens—and everything in between.

  1. Oct 26

    Our Favorite Things: The Best of the Top 3!

    If you’ve been listening to Lifestyle & Lenses for a while, you know one of our favorite parts of every episode is our Top 3! From beauty products and home finds to random things we didn’t know we needed, we’ve shared (and discovered!) some pretty amazing favorites along the way. This week, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and bringing back the best of the best from our Top 3 segments! We’re revisiting favorites from past episodes, including recommendations from some of our incredible guests, and narrowing them down to the things that really stood out. We’re breaking it down into three categories: Home & Hosting: The home finds, little luxuries, and entertaining essentials that made the list.Beauty & Personal Care: The skincare, hair products, and beauty favorites we still can’t stop talking about.Style & Everyday Essentials: The fashion finds, accessories, and must-haves worth sharing again.Some are things we’ve loved for months, some came straight from our guests, and others might just deserve a second moment in the spotlight! Consider this your ultimate Lifestyle & Lenses recommendation roundup. A little nostalgia, a lot of girl talk, and probably a few things you’ll want to add to your cart. Grab your coffee (or an espresso martini), and let’s revisit our favorites! Connect with us! Instagram: @lifestyleandlenses Website: lifestyleandlenses.com Have you tried something from one of our Top 3 segments? DM us and tell us what made YOUR favorites list!

  2. Oct 19

    Built Different: AI Is Everywhere. Connection Is Everything.

    AI is everywhere. But in a world that’s becoming more automated by the minute, we believe human connection is becoming more valuable than ever. This week, Lauren and Paige are diving into a hot take on AI, entrepreneurship, and the future of business. Technology is changing the way we work, market, and grow our businesses, but what if the thing that sets us apart has nothing to do with technology? We’re talking about why people skills, authentic relationships, and the way we make others feel might just be our biggest competitive advantages. Because knowing how to use AI is one thing, but knowing how to connect with people? That’s something entirely different. We believe the businesses that thrive won’t just be the ones embracing new technology. They’ll be the ones remembering the importance of the human experience along the way. You know we love a good hot take, and this one might just change the way you think about the future of business! Top 3  Lauren’s Top 3 SHEIN – Lauren’s new favorite spot to shop for clothes instead of Amazon.Día de los Muertos – Moving away from gory Halloween decorations and embracing something different.Salt & Stone Body Mist – Lauren is loving the trial kit and trying out all the scents.Paige’s Top 3 Marathon Prep – The final countdown! Paige shares her experience with Rolfing and deep tissue fascia massage leading up to race day.The Big 4-0 – A little birthday recap and all the fun of celebrating 40!Dining Room to Parlor – Paige can’t stop thinking about turning her formal dining room into a cozy sitting room. Is the parlor making a comeback?Let’s Connect! Follow Lauren and Paige on Instagram: @lifestyleandlenses Visit us online: lifestyleandlenses.com We’re all about building businesses that fit your life, not someone else’s blueprint. Thanks for being part of the Lifestyle & Lenses community!

  3. Oct 12

    Built Different: When Your Pivot Becomes Your Purpose with Victoria Rayburn

    We love a good business pivot, and this week’s guest is proof that sometimes the best opportunities come from leaning into what you already do well! On this episode of Lifestyle & Lenses, Lauren and Paige welcome Victoria Rayburn, a former wedding photographer turned SEO and GEO strategist, to our Built Different series. Victoria shares how she turned a skill she found success with in her photography business into an entirely new career helping entrepreneurs and small businesses get found online. We’re talking about recognizing opportunities, having the courage to pivot, and building a business around your strengths and the needs you see around you. And because we love a conversation that goes a little deeper, we get vulnerable about what happens when the needs of others intersect with your own life experiences. Sometimes that’s exactly where the biggest things begin! Victoria’s story is such a good reminder that building a business differently doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. Sometimes it means seeing what’s already right in front of you. Our Top 3 A little bit of everything we’re loving lately! Lauren & Paige’s Picks: Lauren’s New Favorite Hair MaskHigh Potential — your next binge-worthy TV show!Ella Fitzgerald & 1930s-inspired music — Lauren’s latest obsessionVictoria’s Picks: Victoria’s Espresso Machine of ChoiceEmily Ley PlannerShort Story BoxConnect with Victoria Instagram: @victorialrayburn Website: victoriarayburn.com Connect with Lifestyle & Lenses Follow along with Lauren and Paige for more conversations about entrepreneurship, photography, community, and building a business that actually fits your life. Instagram: @lifestyleandlenses Website: lifestyleandlenses.com Because there’s no one-size-fits-all blueprint for success, and that’s exactly how we like it.

  4. Oct 5

    Built Different: Fear Is Not a Business Strategy with Frock Shop’s Selina Stanford

    What does it take to launch a business right before the world shuts down? This week on our Built Different series, we’re sitting down with Selina Stanford, owner of Houston’s Frock Shop! We’re talking about the early days of entrepreneurship, trusting your gut, recognizing the signs (and encouragement!) from the people around you, and finding the courage to take the leap. Selina shares her journey of building Frock Shop and some business advice we all need to hear: Don’t make decisions out of fear. This episode is a gut check for every entrepreneur. Are you making decisions based on fear or on what you actually want to build? Get ready for an honest conversation about trusting yourself, taking risks, and building a business that’s truly your own. Our Top 3 Cat Eye Nails & Builder Gel: Paige’s newest nail obsession and Selina’s favorite!Minnow Wellness: Paige gave it a try and is officially a fan. Highly recommend!Content Room Chandelier: A little design inspiration we’re loving.Homecourt: Bringing luxury scents into your home.The Stanford Family Mantra: “Be kind and be brave, just be you and work hard!” Words to live by!Divine Mercy Prayer: A meaningful favorite we’re sharing this week.Let’s Connect! Selina Stanford & Frock Shop Find Selina and shop Frock Shop on Instagram @frockshoptx and through their website. Lifestyle & Lenses Follow along with Lauren and Paige on Instagram @lifestyleandlenses and visit lifestyleandlenses.com. We’re all about building businesses that fit our lives, finding community over competition, and reminding you that there’s more than one way to do this whole entrepreneurship thing!

  5. Sep 28

    Built Different: Stop Building Someone Else’s Dream

    What if the business everyone tells you to build… isn’t actually the business you want? In this episode of our Built Different series, Lauren and Paige are tackling one of our favorite hot takes: there is no one-size-fits-all model for building a successful business. It’s easy to scroll Instagram, see what someone else is doing, and start believing you should be doing it too. But here’s the thing: someone else’s version of success doesn’t have to be yours. We’re talking about how to learn from the people and businesses you admire without simply copying their blueprint, why your current season of life matters when making business decisions, and how to get clear on what you actually want your business—and your life—to look like. Because you can build a wildly successful business and still realize you’ve been building someone else’s dream. Our Top 3 Paige: Her go-to Hair, Skin & Nails vitamin The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst Listening to audiobooks while running + her current listen, The Serpent and the Wings of Night Belvedere vodka for her new favorite dirty martini—no vermouth requiredA heated eyelash curler, which feels extra enough to belong to Paige 😂Dermaplaning—and her tip is to do it while you’re in the shower If you’ve ever looked around at what everyone else is doing and wondered if you’re doing business “right,” this episode is for you. Build the business that fits your life—not someone else’s blueprint. Follow Lifestyle & Lenses on Instagram at @lifestyleandlenses and find more coaching info from us at lifestyleandlenses.com

  6. Sep 21

    Built Different with Maddie Peschong: Niche Down, Stand Out & Build a Business You Love

    What happens when you get really clear on who you serve — and get bold enough to build a business around it? This week, Lauren and Paige welcome Maddie Peschong — brand photographer extraordinaire, business coach, and studio owner — for a conversation about building a business you actually love and one that serves a clearly niched-down audience. Maddie shares her perspective on finding your lane, leaning into what makes your business different, and having the confidence to make bold moves as an entrepreneur. We talk about what it looks like to create a business that works for you instead of following someone else’s blueprint — and why getting specific about who you serve can actually open more doors, not close them. Get ready for lots of laughs, practical advice, and more than a few truth bombs. Maddie’s approach to business fits right into our Built Different series, and we can’t wait for you to hear this one. Our Top 3… Times Two Pumpkin Cream Shaken Espresso — Fall in a cup. Enough said.Baby wipes in the car — The simple car hack you’ll wonder why you weren’t already doing.Only Murders in the Building — Add it to your watch list.The personal style journey + Madewell — Finding what actually feels like you.Gap Outlet — A reminder not to sleep on the outlet finds.Anthropologie — Because there’s always something we want.Connect with Maddie Follow Maddie on Instagram @maddiepeschong and find more from her at maddiepeschong.com. Connect with Lifestyle & Lenses Follow Lauren + Paige on Instagram @lifestyleandlenses and find more from Lifestyle & Lenses at lifestyleandlenses.com. If you loved this episode, follow the podcast, leave us a review, and send it to a business bestie who needs the reminder that you don’t have to build your business like everyone else.

  7. Sep 14

    Burnout, Boundaries & Building Different with Laylee Emadi

    What happens when the business you worked so hard to build starts taking more from you than it gives? This week, Lauren and Paige are joined by business coach, podcaster, and former photographer Laylee Emadi for a conversation all about burnout — how to spot it, how to avoid it, and what to do when you know a fuller season is coming. Having spent years in the photography industry before moving into coaching, Laylee has seen firsthand how easy it is for creative business owners to fall into the cycle of doing more, saying yes to everything, and realizing a little too late that something has to change. We talk about the signs of burnout we tend to ignore, the checks and boundaries you can build into your business before you hit your limit, and Laylee’s advice for navigating seasons when life and business simply feel more full. And continuing our Season 4 theme, Built Different, Laylee shares what building a business differently means to her — and why success doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s version of it. Our “Top 3” (that is never actually three) 20-second hugs — Give this one a listen, then go find someone you love and give them a full 20-second hug. Trust us.The Bottle Rocket at Jonathan’s The Rub — Lauren + Paige may have officially found a new favorite cocktail.Sculptra — Another stop on Paige’s Road to 40, and we’re talking about the experience.First Aid Beauty serum + Kiehl’s mineral SPF serum — Two skincare finds making the current rotation.Book rec: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — If you haven’t read it yet, add it to the list.Oura Ring 5 — The honest review after previously trying another model and not loving it. Did this one change her mind?Find Laylee Follow Laylee on Instagram @laylee_emadi and find more of her coaching, podcast, and resources at layleeemadi.com. Follow Lifestyle & Lenses Come hang with your business besties, Lauren + Paige, for more conversations about photography, entrepreneurship, life, and building a business that actually fits the life you want. Instagram: @lifestyleandlenses Website: lifestyleandlenses.com Hosts: Lauren Holub + Paige McInturff Follow along, share the episode with a business bestie who needs it, and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode of Built Different.

  8. Sep 7

    She Loved Mad Men… So She Built a Marketing Agency - Marketing Business in 2026

    Lauren and Paige are back with Season 4 — and we’re kicking off our brand-new Built Different series with Alex Lane of laneMKTG. Because apparently sometimes the path to entrepreneurship starts with watching Mad Men and thinking, “Yeah…I could do that.” Plus who doesn’t want a martini in the middle of work days!  Alex built her marketing business from two pretty simple things: a network and a need. She heard from her clients what they needed, and it pushed her over the edge to find a solution, and built the kind of business she actually wanted to be a part of. In this episode, we talk about what entrepreneurship really looks like as a woman and a mom, how relationships and community helped Alex grow laneMKTG, and what happens when you stop waiting for the perfect blueprint and just start building. And yes, we sprinkle in some marketing talk too — what actually matters, what businesses tend to overcomplicate, and why knowing your people might be more important than having the perfect strategy. We also land on a theory we feel pretty confident about: maybe every entrepreneur needs just a little bit of crazy. Because at some point, you have to believe enough in an idea to actually jump. We talk about: Going from Mad Men inspiration to owning a marketing agencyBuilding a business from a network + a needEntrepreneurship while also being a momCreating the business you actually want instead of following someone else’s blueprintWhy relationships matter so much in businessMarketing without overcomplicating itAnd why a little bit of crazy might actually be required to become an entrepreneurTop 3 This week we’re talking: Nuuly — tips for getting the most out of your subscriptionDeep chemical peels — a WIN, but plan accordingly because the downtime is realPaige’s outdoor chairs — perfect for nice nights outside while the kids play with the neighborsHome Chef — one less dinner decision to makeHeatless curlers — anything that makes getting ready easier gets our voteDune — because apparently we have movie reviews now tooSeason 4 is all about women who looked at the traditional way of doing things and decided, “Yeah…that’s not going to work for me.” They built businesses around their strengths, their families, their lives, and their own definitions of success. They Built Different. And we can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with Alex Lane. Grab your coffee (or your cocktail) and come hang out with us. 💚🩷 Listen now and come hang out with us @lifestyleandlenses.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Two photographer moms get real about the art of photography, running a business, and the beautiful chaos of motherhood. From gear reviews and client stories to creative inspiration and parenting wins (and fails), we’re keeping it honest, fun, and totally relatable. Whether you’re a family photographer, wedding shooter, or a creative mompreneur, grab your coffee and join us as we dive into life behind the lens—and everything in between.

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