THE LATEST
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RUNNING A PHOTO BIZ
Creating Healthy Social Media Habits with Abby Grace
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 304 [NARRATIVE] It's no secret that our businesses rely on social media to get in front of the brides and grooms we most want to photograph. But it's also no secret that many of us...
10 Things We Would Do If We Were Starting Our Business in 2020
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 303 [TRAINING] Launching a wedding photography business is daunting, no matter when you do it. But in today's world, it can be overwhelming to know what exactly you should do to get your...
Freebie – Ten Books for Photographers
our list ofTEN MUST-READ BOOKSWe're constant learners, and you should be, too. Snag our list of the ten books we think every photographer should read at least once.what other people ARE SAYING These templates were so very helpful for me getting my inbox under...
Our Top 5 Sales Tips on How to Run a Killer Client Meeting That Converts
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 302 [TRAINING] We all know that booking weddings is vital to running our business. But for most of us, sales is our least favorite part of the job. I get it. Client meetings with...
Time Management: 3 Simple Rhythms I Use to Eliminate Overwhelm, Stay Focused, and Get It All Done
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 301 [TRAINING] Let's be real. Time management is hard. I have a lot I want to accomplish in the next twelve months, and I bet you do, too. But let's be honest. New Year's goals can...
How to Define Your Style, Pivot Your Brand & Break Free in Your Market
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 209 [NARRATIVE] Are you shooting weddings you don't love but still booking them only because they pay the bills? Do you want to completely change your style, but you're afraid that no...
Starting Over
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 208 [NARRATIVE] Mary Marantz has run a highly successful photography business for over a decade. In fact, it's the kind of thriving business that most wedding photographers dream of...
Ten Things I’m Afraid to Tell You
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 207 Jeff and I are incredibly open and honest on this show about the behind scenes struggles and challenges of running a photography business, but there are still a lot of things you...
Four Steps to Get More Wedding Inquiries This Year
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 206 [TRAINING] This is the big question on every photographer's mind... How do I get MORE INQUIRIES?? If it's booking season, and you're looking at an empty contact form with no leads...
Married to Your Business Partner (Feat Katelyn James)
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 205 Are you a married photography team? Anyone that is married will tell you that marriage itself is already challenging enough, but then add on top of that running a photography business together...
Are Associates the Right Move for Your Business?
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 204 [TRAINING] Are you thinking about hiring an associate photographer to shoot under your brand? Or wondering if it's really the right move for your business... or a big mistake?...
Is Failure Holding You Back?
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Spotify Creative Rising Episode 203 Do you have a hard time with failure? Does the thought of failing hold you back from the things you most want to do? Jeff and I would say 'yes' to both of those questions. And we're...
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HOW DO I GET MORE (AND BETTER) WEDDING INQUIRIES?
Every wedding photographer desperately wants to know the quick answer to this one question: “How in the world do I get more wedding inquiries???" So in this mega-post, I’m sharing how to build a solid marketing STRATEGY – the same one that has continually brought high quality wedding inquiries to our business for the past ten years.
SIX EMAIL TEMPLATES YOU SHOULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT
A full inbox causes so much stress in my life that it’s the #1 thing that pulls me away from important work. So what's my single most effective weapon against ‘email overwhelm’? EMAIL TEMPLATES. Here’s my pick for the six email templates that every wedding photographer should have in their business and why.
HOW TO SHOOT BEAUTIFUL PORTRAITS IN HARSH SUNLIGHT
When it comes to lighting, wedding days are totally against us as wedding photographers. Most of the time, we’re shooting the First Look, wedding party and family portraits ALL in the harsh afternoon sun. So how do Jeff and I handle the tough light to shoot soft, natural skin tones in super harsh sun? Check out my six technical tips…
CREATIVE RISING
the podcastA show about what it’s really like to run a PHOTOGRAPHY business
We teach photographers to build life-giving businesses that they absolutely love.
About Us
We're Jeff & Erin
We’re Jeff and Erin Youngren – and it’s our mission to help you thrive not just as a wedding photographer, but as a business owner. It’s time to set aside the stress and comparison of a hustle mindset, and build a life-giving business instead.
We met in college, got married, and started corporate jobs before we discovered (and fell in love with) wedding photography. But like many creative entrepreneurs, we were booking anything we could, strapped to our laptops and living dangerously close to burnout.
So we dug in and learned how to build a thriving business that supports our dream life – instead of a joyless business that runs a stressed-out life.
Today, we photograph only 10 Dreamie weddings per year, but we also run two other wedding brands plus a commercial studio in San Diego, CA. And we do it by only working the hours that fit into our life. The other hours? We spend those living a joyful life raising our two beautiful sons, James and Samuel.
hugs,
Jeff and Erin