Creative Rising

The Youngrens

A behind the scenes show about what it's *really* like to run a wedding photography business, by Jeff & Erin Youngren of The Youngrens. Being a wedding photographer in today's world is tough when all you see are highlight reels of everyone else's perfect business. Jeff & Erin get honest about all of the battles we face as creative entrepreneurs as they pull back the curtain on their 14 years of photographing weddings and running a large commercial photography studio. Episodes are a mix of practical trainings on how to run a photography business, conversations with brilliant creativepreneurs, and behind the scenes narrative episodes that tell the truth of what it's really like to be a creative business owner.

  1. 12/09/2020

    407 | Mental Health, Physical Well-Being, and Racial Injustice as a Wedding Photographer in 2020 (with Jennifer Ryals)

    Jennifer Ryals began her wedding photography business just a few years ago and it took off a lot faster than she hoped or expected. So like many photographers, she came into 2020 with big goals for her rapidly growing business. However, so much has happened in the years leading up to 2020, that the COVID pandemic has caused Jennifer to truly pause and reflect on what her future as a photographer looks like. In this episode, Jennifer opens up about her experiences with her mental and physical health as well as the racism she's experienced as a black female wedding photographer in the years leading up to 2020. We also talk about  how she's been coping with the pandemic itself while serving her clients and navigating decisions about the future of her business. This raw and open conversation is a must listen as we close out this challenging year and all look ahead to the future of our businesses. VIEW JENNIFER'S WORK HERE https://jenniferryals.com/ NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ WANT BETTER CLIENTS? TAKE THIS CLASS: https://dreamieclass.com LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    55 min
  2. 12/02/2020

    406 | Demystifying Post-Wedding Album Sales with Makayla Jade

    As a wedding or portrait photographer, its indisputable that selling physical products such as albums, wall art, and prints will not only serve your clients better but dramatically increase your revenue. But selling physical products can feel complicated, sleazy and just plain overwhelming. In fact, you might be thinking: What if I'm not good at sales?Can my clients afford beautiful albums & prints?I don't have a beautiful studio for sales sessions...My business is new - how do I even get started?Whatever objection or uneasiness you're experiencing with post-wedding sales and selling physical products, Makayla Jade of The Harris Company and The Printographers Society has felt it, too. She began her photography business as a brand new mom selling wall art out of her apartment living room (think: Cheerios in the couch cushions!), and has grown into a thriving, high-end photo + video studio generating multiple six figures in print sales alone - all by focusing their brand experience on albums and physical products. In this episode, Makayla shares her story of learning how to sell physical heirlooms like wedding albums, and walks through all of the objections photographers typically feel when it comes to selling products beyond just the digital files.  If you're feeling nervous about selling albums, she'll answer: The key communication touchpoints that need to occur with your couples for successful salesHow to handle the digital files in order to make your clients happy but also sell beautiful heirloomsHow to educate your couples on the value of physical products so they'll always want what you have to offerThe exact steps to take to begin selling albums and physical products to your clients If post-wedding sales or selling albums feels overwhelming to you, this deep-dive episode is going to demystify the whole process! GET MAKAYLA'S FREE EMAIL TEMPLATES FOR BETTER SALES: https://www.printographerssociety.com/email-templates CHECK OUT THE PRINTOGRAPHERS SOCIETY https://www.printographerssociety.com/ NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ WANT BETTER CLIENTS? TAKE THIS CLASS: https://dreamieclass.com LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    1h 12m
  3. 11/18/2020

    405 | How to Become an Elopement Photographer with Maddie Mae

    With the majority of big weddings either postponing to 2021 or pivoting to smaller celebrations, wedding photographers have had to learn how to pivot their businesses to offer coverage for elopements and small intimate weddings - many for the first time ever. However, the number of couples that have been ditching the idea of a big wedding and choosing an intimate elopement has been on the rise for years - and Maddie Mae noticed this in 2015. After 5 years photographing big wedding days, Maddie found herself burnt out and jaded with the performance and production of big weddings, but that all changed when she photographed her first elopement. Immediately she knew that it was her greatest passion and she took the leap to go “all in” and created Adventure Instead, her high-end brand that specializes in adventure elopements only. Now, 5 years later, she runs a Forbes-featured and Rangefinder-award-winning, kickass team of 3 adventurous female photographers (herself, Amber, & Tori) who travel around the U.S. and world helping eloping couples bring their vision of their own intimate & meaningful wedding experiences to life. In this episode, Maddie shares: Why so many couples have been choosing to elope (even before 2020)The biggest myths & misconceptions about elopements and intimate weddingsHow to pivot your business to become an exclusive elopement photographerHow to offer intimate wedding coverage if you DON'T want to become an elopement photographer, but need to book business NOW Join Maddie's Facebook Group Here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/weddingsandwanderlust Learn About Adventure Instead Academy Here: https://adventureinstead.com/academy/ Learn About Maddie's Leave No Trace Program Here: https://adventureinstead.com/academy/how-to-leave-no-trace/ NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ WANT BETTER CLIENTS? TAKE THIS CLASS: https://dreamieclass.com LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    1h 1m
  4. 11/05/2020

    404 | How to Use Block Scheduling to Get Things Done

    If you've hung around us Youngrens in 2020, then you've heard us talking about time management, specifically the block scheduling system that we've created and teach to all of our students in our Thrive Business Intensive. On today's show, I'm expanding on the block scheduling that we use to stay focused, eliminate distractions, and achieve our goals... even in a crazy year like 2020. As we near the end of this year and round the corner into a fresh new one, it's time to start the conversation about how you're going to level up your habits in 2021. If you have a lot of rescheduled weddings next year, it might be a much busier year than usual, which means you need to get a handle on your time so you can not just survive 2021, but THRIVE. Learn about the simple ways that this system will transform how you view your time and move your business forward. Wanna know how I run our three brands while being a part time mom? GET MY EXACT WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULE HERE: https://theyoungrens.com/overwhelm/ Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Our First Episode on Time Management: https://creativerising.com/301 NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ GET ON THE WAITLIST FOR THE THRIVE BUSINESS INTENSIVE: https://theyoungrens.com/thrive/ LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    38 min
  5. 10/20/2020

    403 | The Six Critical Email Templates Every Wedding Photographer Should Be Using

    For many many years in our business, controlling my email inbox was a battle that I fought nonstop.   A full inbox would cause so much stress in my life, that it’s the #1 thing that pulled me away from important work - things like updating my website, getting new clients, and building my brand. Work that truly affects the bottom line of my business. So if email is such a powerful force in your business, how do you keep it under control? In my fourteen years of business, the thing that has been the single most effective weapon in this epic battle against email overwhelm is using EMAIL TEMPLATES. In this episode, I'm sharing the six critical email templates that every wedding photographer should use and why. These six email templates are the ones that not only free up the most time in our business, but they also help us grow our business and make more money. Check out this episode to find out what they are! GET OUR THREE FREE EMAIL TEMPLATES HERE: https://theyoungrens.com/photographers/free-resources/top-3-email-templates/ Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Get our Full Set of 42 Email Templates in our Shop CR107: Four Things We Do That Turn Our Inquiries into Bookings TAVE NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ GET ON THE WAITLIST FOR THE THRIVE BUSINESS INTENSIVE: https://theyoungrens.com/thrive/ LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    34 min
  6. 10/15/2020

    402 | Tired of Instagram? Check Out this Amazing IG Strategy (that Nobody Teaches) with Devin Robinson

    If you've spent hours curating your Instagram feed and gotten little to no results for your business, you're not alone. Instagram easily sucks hours of valuable time from your days and bring very little in return, and Devin Robinson argues it's probably because you're doing it all backwards. Devin spends half the time on Instagram than most creatives, posts very little to his own feed, and yet generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in wedding bookings from Instagram alone. Want to know his secret? He flips the entire system on it's head to generate raving fans and book his entire team of associate photographers. He spills his entire strategy in this refreshing and honest episode and it's unlike any strategy I've ever heard from any other educator - period. You're not gonna want to miss this episode! Download Devin's IG Shortcuts & Join His Facebook Group Here: https://twpmasterclass.com/creativerising Check out Devin's podcast, Anchored Business, here: https://anchorandveilphotography.com/category/anchored-podcast/ NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ WANT BETTER CLIENTS? TAKE THIS CLASS: https://dreamieclass.com LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    1h 6m
  7. 10/07/2020

    401 | Our COVID Story: What 2020 Has *Really* Been Like

    As a wedding photographer in 2020, how often do you get asked, "So how has COVID affected your business this year?" So often, there's the surface answer to that question (ie "everything's fine," "we'll get through it") and then there's the REAL answer (ie "my business has been devastated"). Since the COVID pandemic hit the US in March of 2020, Jeff and I have lost over 70% of our revenue across our three brands and we've only shot four weddings, two of which have been last minute elopements. And we're not alone. If you're a wedding photographer, this year has probably decimated your business. So in true Creative Rising style, we pull back the curtain on what's really been going on with our studios over the past six months - no BS, just the honest truth about the struggles, challenges, and lessons we've learned as we've navigated this pandemic. Spoiler Alert: there's been a LOT more going on behind the scenes than we've let on over social media. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE THRIVE BUSINESS INTENSIVE HERE http://thrivebusinessintensive.com/ GET OUR FREE COVID-19 EMAIL RESPONSE TEMPLATES HERE https://theyoungrens.com/photographers/free-resources/covid-19/ NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ WANT BETTER CLIENTS? TAKE THIS CLASS: https://dreamieclass.com LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    52 min
  8. 05/19/2020

    312 (BONUS) | The Two Questions Your Website Needs to Answer to Book More Business with Davey Jones

    During this time of quarantine, one of the best things for you to focus on as a wedding photographer is to make sure your website is looking amazing. But what exactly makes a website 'amazing'? How do you know if what you're showing is really converting? Knowing what you should put on your website (and where) can be extremely confusing, which is why I brought in the expert. Davey Jones and his wife, Krista, are incredible website designers that help brands create websites that book. In this episode, Davey unpacks the step-by-step process of how to create a website that creates clarity, spreads your message, and attracts your dream clients. From the 2-3 important items that MUST go on your homepage (including the ONE item that should be seen first) to how to create an about page that actually works, he helps us understand the two critical questions that every website needs to answer that stand in the way of you and booking clients. You're gonna love the concrete action steps in this episode that you can use to level up your website today. Learn more about Davey and Krista here: https://daveyandkrista.com/ Check out Davey's podcast, Brands that Book, here: https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-show/ NEXT STEPS: JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITY https://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/ WANT BETTER CLIENTS? TAKE THIS CLASS: https://dreamieclass.com LEAVE A REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907 Reviews are how we get found! If you're binging these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

    1h 13m
5
out of 5
78 Ratings

About

A behind the scenes show about what it's *really* like to run a wedding photography business, by Jeff & Erin Youngren of The Youngrens. Being a wedding photographer in today's world is tough when all you see are highlight reels of everyone else's perfect business. Jeff & Erin get honest about all of the battles we face as creative entrepreneurs as they pull back the curtain on their 14 years of photographing weddings and running a large commercial photography studio. Episodes are a mix of practical trainings on how to run a photography business, conversations with brilliant creativepreneurs, and behind the scenes narrative episodes that tell the truth of what it's really like to be a creative business owner.