Photo Fuel | Family Photography Education

Leah O’Connell
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Photo Fuel | Family Photography Education

This is a podcast specifically for family photographers all about the swirl of vision, art, and business. Through stories, interviews, and nearly 20 years of experience in the family photography industry, host Leah O’Connell will help pack your creative toolbox and build confidence to fuel your sessions, your business, and your life. We’ll tackle family photography education with topics around the logistics and the skills, along with mindset, marketing with alignment, and more. This podcast will help you fan your own flame towards doing more of what you love and loving how you do it. Free, full, and fun family photography education every Monday - grab your Photo Fuel and let’s get creating.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    3 Big Picture Questions to Center your Goals for the New Year

    As you’re taking some time over the next month to think big and set goals and get down to business on your business, I want propose a temporary pause to think past your gut reactions about what you “need” to do and how you’re going to “get back on the horse.”    Not every question is going to pull a thread for you, but the right questions just might lead you down a path of discovery that you’ve been waiting for. These 3 questions I’m going to pose to you today come straight from my Big Picture Workbook - they’re 3 of the 10 questions that I use in that resource to help instigate discovery for your personal direction. Even if you’ve already downloaded and worked through that, I think these three in particular are worth revisiting regularly.      // Links mentioned //  Episode 33: EOY meeting  Times article about thinking in the shower The Big Picture Workbook 1:1 Mentoring Right Track Audits Group Coaching (The Homestyle Accelerator) Waitlist

    15 min

  2. DEC 16

    The 5 Most Influential Books for my Photography Business Journey

    As we're approaching the end of the year, maybe you're looking for a good book to kick back within the new year. So today I'm sharing 5 of the most influential books that have shaped my business, art, and life. Most of them are not even classified as "business books," but somehow, they top the list of books that have shaped the way I do business, how I think, and how I aspire to grow as a person. All of those things influence how I show up with and for people, + the art I create and how I bring it into the world.  // Links mentioned //  Episode 21: 4 simple copy tips to elevate your website Free resources - leahoconnell.com/learn Blog posts with book recommendations:  favorite books of 2023 favorite books for creatives and small business owners my 2024 book list what I read in 2022 and my 2023 book list   Connect with Leah :IG: @leahoconnell.photoWebsite: https://www.leahoconnell.com Free Photo Fuel FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/photofuel/

    16 min

  3. DEC 9

    My 3 part process for holding an end-of-year meeting with myself | reflection, goal-setting, metrics and more

    It’s time to start winding down your business from 2024 and whew, that’s an exciting time right? But before you can move onto goal setting and projects, this last month of the year is a beautiful time to take the pulse of your business. It's the imperative FIRST STEP to any kind of planning for the future.    Making time for this process of reflection and study of what the heck actually happened this year in your business - and it can also be really fun, too!    In this episode I’m sharing my process of holding an EOY meeting with myself. I'll take you behind the scenes of that process, the agenda, the questions i ask, and the metrics I tackle - so if you’ve never done this before you have a place to start and if you have you may find that you can pull some ideas from this to add in or tweak your current process.    // FREE pdf from the episode: GRAB THE MEETING OUTLINE HERE. //   Other links mentioned:  episode 26 with Sabrina Gebhardt RIGHT TRACK AUDITS: https://www.leahoconnell.com/righttrack

    33 min

  4. DEC 2

    Photographing your holidays and making personal "work" more fun

    How do you find joy photographing your own holidays when your job is as a family photographer? How can you distinguish photographing in your regular life as fun, creative fuel vs obligation or "work?" (even if you love your work!)  I hear a lot of guilt from photographers around not making photos at home “enough.” So in this episode, I want to dispel that and bring back the fun, ease the guilt, and just give a friendly reminder about the big picture.    Get ready for 5 tips for photographing and honoring your holidays with intention and joy.      // Timestamps //   00:00:22: Recognizing the blur of personal photography and photography 'work' 00:01:01: Addressing guilt with not doing "enough" 00:03:12: Reevaluating what makes a photo "worthy" 00:04:00: Disrupting visual influences 00:05:47: Tip 1 - Distinguish personal photography from work 00:06:42: Tip 2 - Name what matters 00:08:09: Tip 3 - Play with different gear 00:12:15: Tip 4 - Try a timed approach 00:13:53: Tip 5 - Be a memory-keeper with other mediums     // Links mentioned //  episode 12 with Rachel Larson Weaver epsidoe 8: Resetting inspiration in your personal life Photography and Play - Erin C. Garcia // photographs drawn from the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, https://a.co/d/dBbD8tM  Jessica Todd Harper’s Here: https://a.co/d/eareauL Sierra Madre Photography - website | instagram    Free resources to connect and learn with me: https://www.leahoconnell.com/learn

    16 min

  5. NOV 25

    Your End of Year Investment Plan (+ an exercise to make smart choices)

    In this episode, I'm sharing a run-down of the 4 categories of investments that serve as umbrellas for all the things you *could* purchase to support your business growth. 1. Software 2. Brand 3. Gear 4. Education Each has several subcategories, too, so we'll walk through how to determine what will serve your business well AND I'll give you some recommendations to narrow down the scope.   Of course, I also want to share a little more about The Homestyle Accelerator as well because I am so excited about the potential of this program and our conversations to support you in a direct way with the growth of your art and business. Enrollment opens TODAY (Nov. 25 2004) so you can check out all the details and enroll (or get on the waitlist for next time) at https://leahoconnelll.com/homestyle// Links mentioned // Software:  Honeybook: https://www.honeybook.com Sprout Studio: https://www.sproutstudio.com Pic-time: https://www.pic-time.com Pixieset: https://www.pixieset.com Cloudspot: https://www.cloudspot.io Kartra: https://www.kartra.com Mailchimp: https://www.mailchimp.com Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/c/O75MQU Brand:  Tonic: https://www.tonic.site Davy and Krista: https://daveyandkrista.com/home Elizabeth McCravey: https://www.elizabethmccravey.com Carly Schematic Design: https://schematicdesign.co/ Greenchair Stories: https://www.greenchairstories.com Moo: https://www.moo.com Gear:  B&H: https://www.bhphotovideo.com Adorama: https://www.adorama.com KEH: https://www.keh.com (secondhand) MBP: https://www.mbp.com (secondhand) Education: (check out the wonderful offers from these former guests on Photo Fuel) Rachel Larsen Weaver: https://www.rachellarsenweaver.com Morgan Williams: https://morganwilliamsphoto.com/ Sabrina Gebhardt: https://www.sabrinagebhardt.com In person retreat/conference for 2025 The Reset Conference: https://www.theresetconference.com The Homestyle Accelerator! my 6 week small group coaching program - all the details here: https://www.leahoconnell.com/homestyle

    32 min

  6. NOV 18

    My Story: the roots, experience, failures, & inspirations that shaped my photography business + paying it forward

    As the person in your earbuds each week bringing you photography education and industry stories, I felt it was time to give you a little more context about my history and experience getting to this place.  I don’t have a fancy background or any official qualifications or fancy job history. My business has grown slowly and humbly - but maybe that’s exactly the kind of realness you need?   Failure after failure ultimately revealed something hidden and beautiful - a career that I love, that supports my family, and allows me to live in my purpose of creating light to the world.  Get ready for a touch of nostalgia as I share about my early inspiration and training in mall portrait studios along with - the setbacks that left me jobless and wandering after college the random people i met along the way who sparked the fire how I taught myself alongside the mentors and courses I've learned from the life circumstances that influence my style with both lifestyle and documentary approaches how I've grown my business over the course of having 3 babies the plateaus and breakthroughs I've experienced in my work what accountability and feedback has done for my business and why I believe it's the true secret sauce to success   If you're interested in joining the Homestyle Accelerator small group coaching program for family photographers with a focus on in-home photography and simplified, warm businesses - get on the waitlist at https://leahoconnell.com/homestyle  Enrollment opens Nov. 25 through 29 or until spots are filled!   // Other resources mentioned // Emily lucarez course: https://www.creativelive.com/class/lifestyle-family-photography-emily-lucarz Kirstin lewis class on Creativelive: https://www.creativelive.com/class/family-photography-creating-a-successful-business-kirsten-lewis Brooke shultz: https://brookebschultz.com/love-soaked Rachel Larsen Weaver : https://www.rachellarsenweaver.com/

    46 min

  7. NOV 11

    Discovering Your Strengths, Why Client Love Isn’t Enough, and the Impact of Support with Lydia Fine

    You likely have passion and excitement to create beautiful photos, but have you ever found yourself working behind the computer and thinking what the heck am I doing? Am I even doing the right thing? Am I doing the things that are actually going to help? Am I completely wasting my time? Today's guest is Lydia Fine, and our conversation circles around this idea of imposter syndrome with a sprinkle of support and the value of education and mentorship. Lydia is actually a student of mine and we've worked together in mentoring several times, so she shares a little bit about that experience and the unique gap that one-to-one mentoring filled for her in her personal and professional growth. Lydia grew up as a farm girl, she earned a marketing degree and an MBA, and she has two kiddos with her husband. She runs Apollo and Ivy Photography focused on families, seniors and newborns. // Topics we discuss // The difference between affirmation in the formal workplace vs entrepreneurship How affirmation and lack thereof affects us (and clients loving their photos isn’t the same thing!) The reasons Lydia reached out to me for coaching and how it was the missing link in her growth Different types of education she recommends looking to for specific problems The role of coaching in confidence building through risk assessment The questions that helped Lydia uncover her strengths When it’s time to invest in one to one or group coaching and when you’re better served with things like courses The value of slow growth How to choose the right coach for you   // CONNECT WITH LYDIA //  Website: www.apolloandivy.com Instagram: @lydia_apolloandivy Lydia's freebies:  How to get clients with google reviews: https://apolloandivy.myflodesk.com/google-reviews The 3 client emails you're not sending yet: https://apolloandivy.myflodesk.com/3-emails Instagram Reel Series: Google Business Profile Tips for Photographers: https://instagram.com/lydia_apolloandivy   // CONNECT WITH LEAH //  Homestyle Accelerator Group Coaching : https://leahoconnell.com/group Leah's website: https://leahoconnell.com Leah on Instagram: @leahoconnell_photo

    35 min

  8. NOV 4

    4 ways to build momentum when you’re *not* busy in the fall

    Whether you're winding down your fall season or you're still in the thick of the season, not *everyone* experiences that "busy fall" photographers like to talk about. Maybe you're reflecting on what this fall looked like for you and instead of being filled with clients sessions, it was kind of stale. Maybe you weren't as busy this fall as you usually are, or you're just getting started and you've never had a busy fall yet. Maybe you've moved to a new city, or you're on maternity leave, or just going through a lull - but when you go to Instagram and you see everyone doing sessions and sharing fall work and editing cues and whatever, it can be discouraging. SO in this episode I'm sharing four things that you can do to capitalize on the fall energy and build momentum, even when your work que is slow. Through personal stories and advice, we'll create excitement around the slower seasons to use them well with the big picture in mind.      // LINKS DISCUSSED // Ultimate list of freebies : https://leahoconnell.com/learn The Firefly Letters: https://leahoconnell.com/newsletter Episode 5: 6 shifts that helped me grow my photography business

    17 min
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

This is a podcast specifically for family photographers all about the swirl of vision, art, and business. Through stories, interviews, and nearly 20 years of experience in the family photography industry, host Leah O’Connell will help pack your creative toolbox and build confidence to fuel your sessions, your business, and your life. We’ll tackle family photography education with topics around the logistics and the skills, along with mindset, marketing with alignment, and more. This podcast will help you fan your own flame towards doing more of what you love and loving how you do it. Free, full, and fun family photography education every Monday - grab your Photo Fuel and let’s get creating.

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