Creative Campfire: Conversations for Creative Entrepreneurs

Episode Summary Shelly sits down with James Barnard — logo designer, Adobe speaker, and founder of the Designerrrs design community — met while doodling at a craft table at Adobe 99U in NYC this past June. James shares: his winding path into design (failed record producer, years of data entry, self-taught Photoshop), why it took a decade to niche into logo design, and how one TikTok video bragging...

This week is a pod swap, Campers — we're gathered around a fire shared with Patrick Fore of The Terrible Creative. Patrick reached out about joining forces, and what came out of it was a raw, honest conversation about money shame: the stories we inherit from our families, the fear behind undercharging, and how to separate the emotion of money from the math of running a business. IN THIS EPISOD...

Twenty years in commercial food and lifestyle photography will teach you a lot about reinvention — and this week's guest is doing exactly that in real time. Dawn Heumann joins Shelly by the fire to talk about what happens when you dismantle a perfectly curated Instagram, the vulnerability of showing up on video to the AI systems Dawn has built to run cold outreach, content planning, and client...

This week at the fire, Shelly welcomes Costas Millas, the fine artist, graphic designer, food stylist, and photographer behind Made by Mr. Millas — for a conversation about creative process, patience, and building a solo business after two decades in design. Costas walks through how his food art stories began with a pink-and-black rhubarb series for an Instagram photo competition, the making of hi...

Gather 'round Campers, this one was recorded around a real campfire, deep in the woods at The Secret Campsite in Sussex. Shelly sits down with her longtime friend Angus Light , founder of Locate Productions, for a conversation about building a B Corp production company inside one of the most wasteful industries on earth (advertising) and then, with the campsite's own founder Tim Bullen, who worked...

"I've got a spreadsheet with every AI tool, their data center usage... and shocker, they're all red." — Holly Arnold In this episode, Holly Arnold and Shelly Waldman dig into the new B Corp standards, why nature and biodiversity belong in the climate conversation, the environmental cost of AI and digital storage, the "controversial industries" revenue rule that's already cost one major agency its...

A World Cup-timed conversation about design, fantasy football, and finally finishing the idea you've been sitting on. Jordan walks through the origin story of his design career (Ninja Turtles, rap crew websites, and a Google Nexus hardware project he still calls his favorite), why football's visual design has lagged behind American sports, and how he used AI tools — ChatGPT first, Claude l...

In this episode, Shelly sits down with Liverpool-based documentary wedding photographer Andrew Keher to talk about the slow business snowball that becomes a quiet avalanche, why your best content might be the story behind a photo nobody would look twice at, and the two frameworks (three layers + MICE) that have given Andrew — and now his students — a way to show up on social media without losing t...

What does it take to build a career that spans National Geographic, Apple, Airbnb, and a palace in Jaipur — all while keeping your creative voice intact? In this episode, Shelly sits down with photographer, writer, and educator Michael George to talk about the winding road from a Florida hospital (yes, really) to photographing penguins in Antarctica, why licensing your images matters more than you...

Shelly and Lauren are hosting a live deep-dive on ⁠usage licensing.⁠ Lauren walks through a real case study where usage renegotiation happened after a shoot wrapped. ⁠ Rachel Korinek⁠ joins to share how terms shifted in the 24 hours before her shoot — and what happened. Tickets: $97 — includes a 14-page workbook. Newsletter subscribers⁠ get a discount code which now expires May 8, 2026. Episode Su...

What happens when the vibes stop being enough ? In this episode, I’m joined by operations strategist Samantha MacKinnon — my partial COO and the person helping me rein in the chaos behind the scenes. We get into what it really takes to move from scattered ideas to focused execution, why most creatives struggle with prioritization, and how data (yes, even if you hate it) can actually give you more...

In this episode, Lauren and Shelly unpack the biggest lessons from Shelly's recently completed Pitch Essentials course co-created with Rachel Korinek of Two Loves Studio. They cover the full arc of landing clients as a freelance photographer — from cold outreach anxiety and client calls, to portfolio strategy and the long game of follow-up.   Whether you're brand new to pitching or 19 year...

The Squiggly Line Career & The Courage to Pivot with Danae Karachaliou of Writing Pajamas In this episode of Creative Campfire, Shelly sits down with Danae Karachaliou — founder of Writing Pajamas — to talk about career pivots, identity shifts, and what it really means to build something that feels aligned. From pharmacy school to food photography to copywriting, Danae’s path is anything but l...

In this engaging conversation, Shelly Waldman and Rachel Korinek delve into the intricacies of pitching in the photography industry. They discuss the importance of crafting effective pitch decks, tailoring presentations for clients, and the value of visual storytelling. The duo shares insights from their experiences, emphasizing the role of templates and collaboration in creating standout presenta...

**ANNOUNCEMENT** Pitching Essentials returns this February: Foundation Class: February 5 Pro Track: Starts February 6 Pitch Essentials teaches photographers how to communicate their ideas with clarity and confidence — using visual tools and clear structure to communicate ideas and value at every stage of outreach. 👉 All details and tickets: http://courses.twolovesstudio.com/pitch-essentials Summa...

In this episode of the Creative Campfire Podcast, Shelly Waldman and co-host Lauren Liz sit down to reflect on 2025, looking at all the thrones and roses. Together, they unpack the moments that shaped the year both personally and professionally: navigating divorce, ending a close friendship and business partnership, grieving the loss of beloved pets, and the quiet courage it took for Lauren to com...

In this episode of Creative Campfire , Shelly sits down with creative producer, photographer, and The Naked Room podcast cohost Kelly Garthwaite for a wide-ranging conversation about creative careers, pivots, and what it really means to build something new when the path forward isn’t clear. Kelly shares her journey from technical writing to photography , to photo editor at NFL Network, to her seve...

In this episode of Creative Campfire , I sit down with Sam Cornwall — photographer, digital tech, and creator of The Photo Glossary — for a deep, honest conversation about what really makes a professional set run smoothly. We talk about learning to see light, why soft skills matter just as much as technical ones, and the industry knowledge that’s slowly disappearing as fewer photographers come up...

In this episode of Creative Campfire , Shelly sits down with powerhouse sports photographer Amanda J. Cain , the first Black female team photographer in the NHL and now head photographer for the Detroit Pistons . Amanda shares how she carved out her lane in sports, the realities of in-house photography, the importance of being multi-skilled, the challenges of career advancement inside teams, and h...

"We're all work in progress... We're always, growing. That's why I like to show the imperfections in a lot of my photography. I like to show that like, it's that wabi-sabi approach to it." - PJ Agbay In this episode, Shelly sits down with Philadelphia-based commercial, editorial and food photographer PJ Agbay to explore his creative journey — from shooting on an iPhone in high school to becoming a...

Jacquette M. Timmons and I dive into the complexities of pricing in the creative industry. In this engaging conversation, Jacquette shares her unique perspective on the phrase 'charge what you're worth,' exploring its cultural implications and the importance of aligning personal and business finances. Discover how to navigate the emotional and financial aspects of pricing, and learn why understand...

Zach Ancell “fell” into photography while running track at the University of Oregon, snapping photos of his teammates that eventually sparked a commercial career. His competitive drive to be the best fueled his success—until a life-altering moment forced him to confront his deepest fear: losing his wife. Death was something Zach had always kept locked away, but a series of events at 35 cracked tha...

In this episode, Phoebe Nelson of Pandrd Design Co shares her journey from in house graphic designer to full time muralist (yes that's painting cool designs on walls all over the world). We dive into changing the mindset around be grateful to be an artist, aka the starving artist, to get paid for your work, and value what you do. She shares about lessons learned about sexism and speaking with conf...

Jamie Kingham is a renowned lifestyle commercial photographer based in Reno, celebrated for his dynamic and engaging visual storytelling. With over two decades of experience, Jamie's career has seen a significant evolution from fashion photography in London and New York to capturing the essence of outdoor and lifestyle imagery. His journey has been marked by profound personal and professional tran...

Around the campfire today I have an engaging conversation with Colorado based, outdoor lifestyle photographer Ryan Dearth. He shares his journey from a military upbringing and taking a job in the world of physics, before exiting the science world to become a full-time freelance photographer. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of transitioning from weddings to editorial + travel photography ,...