Take It Personally

Maddie Peschong
  • 4.9 (96)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Biweekly

Take It Personally, hosted by professional brand photographer Maddie Peschong, shares advice to help you grow your personal brand to stand out from the noise and thrive, even in the most saturated markets. Episodes feature business and marketing advice, branding expertise, and real stories and inspiration from creative professionals all over the world.

  1. Sep 10

    “I’ll Send You Her Instagram” is the New Referral

    A couple weeks ago on this very podcast, I said referrals are not a marketing strategy. And because nothing is ever black and white in my brain, the second I said it, I thought, “Well… they can be, though.” 😅 Here’s what I realized: referrals haven’t gone away. They’ve gone digital. “I’m going to send you her Instagram” is the new referral. Someone hears your name from a friend, past client, or business owner they trust—and then they go look you up. They binge your Instagram. They read your website. Maybe they listen to your podcast. And what they find online can either build on the trust that referral created… or make them question it. For brand photographers especially, that matters. You’re asking people to trust you with their brand, which means your own online presence is doing a whole lot more than just looking pretty. That's what this episode is about. We’re talking: Why word of mouth has officially gone digitalWhat referrals are actually doing after they hear your nameWhy “hot mess” isn’t a strategy for brand photographersThe difference between being yourself and intentionally curating your brandHow your online presence can shorten the time it takes someone to trust youWhy building your brand before you have more time and money isn’t backwards—it’s how you get there Links & Resources ✨ Join me for Invisible to Inquiries, my upcoming masterclass on September 10 (at 12pm CST) about building a brand with a backbone, getting visible, and turning that visibility into inquiries✨ Learn more about Rebrand, my group program where you get content reviews, marketing and business coaching, and support in becoming a booked out brand photographer. Learn more here!📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business💬 Episode ideas?! Connect with me on Instagram! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  2. Sep 3

    My Million Dollar Story

    A first-class plane ticket totally changed my life. In May 2023, I was heading to Louisville to spend two days with my business coach when she told me to dress in “one-million-dollar business attire” and start imagining myself as Million Dollar Maddie. Naturally, I was annoyed. But I’m also nothing if not a bit of a rule follower, so I went with it. (And because I’m a Taurus who deeply values luxury and comfort, I upgraded to first class.) That experience made me realize that if I wanted to become the version of myself who ran a million-dollar business, I needed to start making decisions like her now. This matters for brand photographers because the version of you making your business decisions is also shaping your brand. When those decisions come from fear, people-pleasing, and trying not to rock the boat, your brand becomes safer, smaller, and much easier to ignore. We’re talking: How I accidentally built a brand from the smallest version of myselfWhy invisibility feels safe but fails every timeWhat your imposter syndrome actually isThe four parts of a brand with a backbonePositioning from fear versus positioning from abundanceAsking what the million-dollar version of you would do Links & Resources ✨ Join me for Invisible to Inquiries, my upcoming masterclass on September 10 (at 12pm CST) about building a brand with a backbone, getting visible, and turning that visibility into inquiries✨ Learn more about Rebrand, my group program where you get content reviews, marketing and business coaching, and support in becoming a booked out brand photographer. Learn more here!📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business💬 Episode ideas?! Connect with me on Instagram! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  3. Aug 27

    Complicated Content Is Killing Your Business

    If it takes you an hour or more to make one reel, I can tell you right now how that reel is going to do: badly. 😬 And I know that because I’ve watched it happen a few hundred times. Somewhere along the way, photographers got the idea that good content has to be complicated—and it’s making Instagram way harder than it needs to be. In this episode, we’re talking about why the content you’re spending the most time creating may actually be hurting your consistency and your results. I’m breaking down what I see over and over in content reviews inside Rebrand, what Instagram is already telling us works, and why I’m a big fan of what I lovingly call “lazy girl content.” Because the goal isn’t to make sloppy content. It’s to make simple, strategic content you can actually sustain. We’re talking: Why complicated content often doesn’t performWhat “lazy girl content” actually looks likeThe five-to-seven-second B-roll ruleWhy one piece of content should make one singular pointHow overcomplicating content kills your consistencyA 10-minute content challenge to try this week Links & Resources 📱 Join my free Visibility Challenge, starting September 1: simplify your content and make sure your Instagram profile is ready when new people find you✨ Learn more about Rebrand, my group program where you’ll get content reviews, coaching, and support growing your brand photography business. Learn more here!📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business💬 Episode ideas?! Connect with me on Instagram! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  4. Aug 20

    Your Referrals Are About to Run Out

    Getting started as a photographer can feel a little magical. Your friends and family book you, word starts to spread, and clients come in without you having to think too hard about marketing or positioning. But as your business grows, your prices increase, and you want to attract a more specific type of client, those early referrals may not fuel your business the way they once did. That doesn’t mean your work suddenly isn’t good enough or other photographers are better than you. It usually means your business needs what every growing business needs: clear positioning, consistent marketing, and a referral strategy you’re actively steering. In this episode, I’m sharing why I will never fully rely on referrals, what happened when I took my own foot off the marketing gas, and how visibility helps you stay in the driver’s seat of your business. We’re talking: Why friends, family, and word of mouth can only take your business so farThe six-week lag I experienced after stepping away from marketingWhy good work alone is not a differentiatorReferrals as a byproduct versus a real strategyHow well-positioned marketing makes sales calls feel easierThe one lever you can pull when inquiries slow down Links & Resources ✨ Join Rebrand: My 12 month transformative brand program for photographers who want to attract and book more brand photography clients. Learn more here!📸 Grab the Ultimate Personal Brand Session Shot List: maddiepeschong.com📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business💬 Episode ideas?! Connect with me on Instagram! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  5. Aug 13

    Why Photographers Who Are Great at Their Job Still Struggle to Get Clients

    You have invested in your craft. You’ve done the work. Your portfolio is strong. And somehow, it still feels like you’re the best-kept secret that nobody knows about. This is one of the most demoralizing places to be in business because the thing you can point to, your work, isn’t actually the thing that’s broken. At a certain point, the gap isn’t skill. It’s everything happening around the skill. Because as much as we’d all love for great work to simply speak for itself, the market doesn’t automatically reward talent. It rewards the photographers who can clearly communicate their value, build trust, and make the right client think, “That’s exactly what I need.” In this episode, we’re looking at what actually keeps talented brand photographers stuck and the four gaps that could be standing between you and better clients, stronger inquiries, and more bookings. And yes, I’m going to tell you to put down the Lightroom catalog for a minute. 😬 We’re talking: Why better photography might not be what grows your businessThe four gaps that you may be struggling withA simple way to test whether your brand is actually clearWhy competing on price is a race to the bottomThe hard truth that, at a certain point, talent is talentWhy getting clear on your brand comes before fixing your marketing Links & Resources ✨ Join the Rebrand Waitlist: Be the first to know when doors open this September for my 12-month marketing program for brand photographers who are ready to build a brand with a clear point of view.📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business📱 Send me a DM on Instagram to chat about your pricing! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  6. Aug 6

    The Instagram Mistake That's Making You Invisible

    We have an epidemic on our hands… and it's not that photographers aren't posting enough. It's that we're so focused on creating the perfect Instagram aesthetic that we've accidentally made ourselves disappear. If you've ever waited to post until your hair looked better, your grid felt cohesive, or your caption was just right, this episode is for you. Today we're talking about why your dream clients aren't hiring you because your feed is pretty. They're hiring you because they feel like they know you. If your content looks polished but lacks personality or perspective, you could be blending in instead of standing out. I'm sharing why connection will always outperform perfection, how to stop hiding behind your aesthetic, and the mindset shift that can completely change the way you show up online. We're talking: Why a perfect Instagram grid can actually hurt your brandThe difference between looking polished and building real connectionA simple question to test whether your content is truly recognizableWhy your perspective matters more than your aestheticHow over-explaining and caveating your content can hold you backThe role personality plays in attracting dream clients Links & Resources ✨ Join the Rebrand Waitlist: Be the first to know when doors open this September for my 12-month marketing program for brand photographers who are ready to build a brand with a clear point of view.📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business📱 Send me a DM on Instagram to chat about your pricing! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  7. Jul 30

    Signs It's Time to Raise Your Prices

    Most photographers wait until they feel ready to raise their prices, but unfortunately, ready is just not something that shows up. Readiness is not the signal that it's time for a price increase. But there are real signals you can watch for that clue you in to when that price hike you've been putting off is actually overdue. This is the conversation nobody really wants to have, and I'll be honest, 2026 is a tough year to raise prices. But that doesn't mean you don't deserve to get paid what you're worth. In this episode, I'm walking through the obvious and not-so-obvious signs it's time to raise your prices, so you can stop guessing and start charging what actually makes sense for the business you're running. We're talking: The 3 obvious signs you're overdue for a price increaseWhy resentment toward your sessions is almost always a pricing problem in disguiseWhat your inquiry-to-booking rate is actually telling you about your pricesWhy your price is a brand signal, whether you want it to be or notThe truth about asking friends and family what you should charge Why confidence comes after you raise your prices, not before Links & Resources ✨ Join Rebrand: My 12 month transformative brand and marketing program for photographers to build the visibility that gets them booked out. Learn more here!📸 Check out Behind the Shot: the brand session blueprint that books you more brand work. This photography skills course helps you price, plan, shoot, and send brand sessions that have clients raving about your work.📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business📱 Send me a DM on Instagram to chat about your pricing! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

  8. Jul 23

    Stop Chasing FUN In Your Business—Do This Instead

    "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." I call BS on that. Business is work! Business is hard, and if it were easy, everyone would have one. I need you to hold some nuance with me today, because two things can be true: you can love your business AND you shouldn't rely on it to fill you up all the time. Chasing fun in your business is sabotaging your growth. That's what we're getting into. This week I'm talking about the lie we've been sold in the age of social media — that everything in our business needs to feel aligned and fun, or something's broken. It's not. Some of it is sticky, unglamorous, and gritty, and that's not a red flag, that's just business. For brand photographers especially, this one matters, because I see so many of you chasing that first-launch dopamine hit instead of building something sustainable — and burning yourself out switching things up instead of sitting with the discomfort of making what you have actually work. We're talking: Why "just outsource it" isn't always realistic (or smart) adviceThe sequencing mistake I made with my own outsourcingWhy I'll never fully hand off my Instagram, even with a social media managerChasing the dopamine hit vs. building something sustainableWhy "boring" and repetitive might be the most underrated business strategyThe truth about what your business is actually for (hint: not entertaining you) Links & Resources ✨ Join Rebrand: My 12 month transformative brand and marketing program for photographers to build the visibility that gets them booked out. Learn more here!📸 Check out Behind the Shot: the brand session blueprint that books you more brand work. This photography skills course helps you price, plan, shoot, and send brand sessions that have clients raving about your work.📝 Blog: Discover more branding tips and marketing tools to grow your brand photography business💬 Episode ideas?! Connect with me on Instagram! Let's Connect: Website: maddiepeschong.comInstagram: @maddiepeschong If you loved this episode, leave a review! It helps other photographers find the show and keeps us creating content you actually want to hear.🎙️✨

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About

Take It Personally, hosted by professional brand photographer Maddie Peschong, shares advice to help you grow your personal brand to stand out from the noise and thrive, even in the most saturated markets. Episodes feature business and marketing advice, branding expertise, and real stories and inspiration from creative professionals all over the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Maddie Peschong
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    232
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Maddie Peschong
  • Show Website
    Take It Personally