LEVEL UP: A Wedding Photography + Videography Podcast

What if the thing holding your business back isn’t your talent or the market, but your hesitation to let go? In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, we sit down with Cheyenne of Cheyenne Films to talk about the power of niching down, choosing specialization over being everything to everyone, and making strategic decisions that actually move the needle. Cheyenne shares her journey from offering ev...

The new year always gives us that fresh-start feeling. A little more clarity. A little more motivation. And a quiet nudge that maybe this is the year things finally shift. In today’s episode, we’re kicking off 2026 by talking honestly about visibility, branding, and what it actually takes to become in demand as a wedding photographer or filmmaker. Not just busy. Not just posting. But booking the k...

This episode is a year-end exhale and a mindset reset. We are closing out 2025 with an honest reflection on the growth, risks, and decisions that shaped the year. From expanding revenue beyond weddings, to building League, to redefining what it means to work hard without burning out, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what real evolution in business actually looks like. If you’ve been fee...

Today we are running back the tapes with one of your favorite episodes from 2023! Enjoy this rerun and hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!  As you grow into higher-end weddings, your ability to communicate with planners becomes just as important as your filmmaking or photography. In this episode, Taylor and Kelley break down the key shifts wedding creatives need to make to build trust,...

This week on the show, we sat down with Liza Kirk to talk about something we rarely highlight in the wedding industry: your energy on a wedding day. Your presence can shape the entire experience for your couple, and once you learn how to read the room, support them emotionally, and show up with confidence, everything shifts in your favor. Liza spent years moving from rural markets into bigger citi...

This week on the podcast, we are sharing what really happens when a big opportunity shows up out of the blue and you have to decide whether to go for it or play it safe. Kelley walks through her Four Seasons Lanai FAM trip, the whirlwind four day turnaround, and the creative growth that came from trusting herself and saying yes even when it felt overwhelming. This episode is about rising to the mo...

This week on the podcast, Taylor and Kelley walk through two weddings we filmed just weeks apart at the same venue, Santa Lucia Preserve. If you have ever worked a massive property with no cell service, winding roads, and multiple locations that all demand precision and calm, you will feel this one. We break down the experience of navigating first looks in the Redwoods, dealing with rain delays, s...

In this week’s debrief, the conversation turns toward one of the most personal chapters shared on the podcast. Instead of highlighting a luxury wedding or a creative challenge behind the scenes, this episode opens the door to real life and the quiet moments that unfold beyond the work. While preparing for a September wedding, the week was shaped by the final days of a beloved grandmother’s life. B...

We’re continuing our Debrief Series, where we pull back the curtain on our biggest weddings of the season and share what really happens behind the scenes. In this episode, Kelley walks through the story of a legacy client family that has trusted 618 Studios for over a decade, four daughters, four weddings, and countless lessons about what it means to serve with excellence, build connection, and cr...

We’re continuing our Debrief Series where we pull back the curtain on our biggest weddings of the season and share the real stories, lessons, and creative decisions that shaped them. In this episode, Taylor takes you behind the scenes of a two-day Napa Valley celebration, one of her most colorful, high-energy, and portfolio-worthy weddings yet. From navigating vendor boundaries with confidence to...

We’re continuing our new Debrief Series, where we pull back the curtain on real weddings and share what it looks like to lead, create, and grow behind the scenes. In today’s episode, we’re talking about the incredible destination wedding Kelley filmed in Maui. A multi-day celebration that pushed creative limits, tested logistics, and reminded us why preparation and mindset matter more than anythin...

We’re kicking off something new and exciting, our Debrief Series. In this series, we’re taking you behind the scenes of real weddings to break down what went right, what challenged us, and the lessons that can help you grow as a creative and business owner. In today’s episode, we’re diving into a 3-day luxury wedding weekend that Taylor filmed in Lake Tahoe. From the welcome party to the field day...

The truth is, pricing in the wedding industry isn’t just about numbers. It’s about how you position yourself, how you present your work, and how confidently you communicate your value. In this episode, we’re breaking down the concept of perceived value through the lens of the diamond industry and what it can teach you about pricing your own services. Just like diamonds are graded by their cut, cla...

Every photographer and filmmaker hits that moment when they realize something has to change. The work is there, the passion is there, but the business side feels heavy. The pricing conversations, the boundaries, the burnout, the self-doubt. You start to wonder if you are really capable of building the kind of brand that commands respect, trust, and luxury-level bookings. In this episode, we sat do...

For too long we believed that success meant playing it safe. Keep your prices low. Wait until you “deserve” to raise your rates. Build a huge following before anyone will take you seriously. Those lies kept us small, and they might be holding you back too. The truth is, growth happens when you decide to stop waiting and start owning the value of your work. Your dream clients are not booking you be...

Every year you have the choice to either stay where you are or step into the next level of your business. Too often, we hold back out of fear, fear of raising prices, fear of not being “ready,” or fear that the luxury market is only for someone else. The truth is, those fears are what keep you stuck. In this episode, we sit down with Jaila, a wedding filmmaker who decided to stop letting fear call...

Building a wedding business isn’t a straight line. There are seasons of excitement, seasons of burnout, and moments where you wonder if starting over means you’ve failed. The truth is, every step, even the hard ones, can set you up for growth if you choose to keep going. In this episode, we sit down with Mark Keysor to talk about what it really looks like to rebuild from the ground up. From underc...

For years, we told ourselves lies about our businesses. Lies that kept us playing small, holding us back, and making us think success looked one certain way. We thought we had to shoot destination weddings to “arrive.” We thought buying the newest gear would finally level us up. We thought charging higher prices would mean more difficult clients. None of that was true. The truth is, you don’t need...

You can have all the talent in the world, but if your business strategy doesn’t match the level of clients you want to attract, you’ll stay stuck exactly where you are. The luxury market plays by a different set of rules, and once you learn to recognize them and align your brand, pricing, and portfolio accordingly, everything changes. In this episode we’re pulling back the curtain on what it reall...

Discipline turns average into unstoppable. Distraction turns talent into wasted potential. Too many photographers and filmmakers are chasing every shiny object, trying to be everything to everyone, and spreading themselves too thin. The truth is, you don’t need to do it all. You need focus. When you stop diluting your energy and start showing up with clarity, consistency, and discipline, everythin...

So many of us are playing it safe in our businesses. We set small goals we know we can hit because the thought of failing feels terrifying. But the truth is, that fear is keeping you stuck and holding you back from everything you’re capable of. The moment you give yourself permission to dream bigger, go after something greater, and get obsessed with reaching your full potential, everything changes...

You're invited to class next week! Register for Referrals on Repeat through the link below. https://thelevelupco.com/referrals-on-repeat Most wedding photographers and filmmakers are told to do it all: post constantly on Instagram, invest in expensive ads, keep up with SEO, and pray the inquiries roll in. But here’s the truth: the most powerful (and profitable) marketing strategy in the weddi...

In this episode, we’re diving into what it really looks like to step into a new era of your business. Not just a new logo or fresh colors, but a true refresh that reflects who you are now, not who you were when you started. Because the reality is, you’ve grown. Your work is stronger, your vision is clearer, and it might be time for your brand to catch up. We talk about the signs it’s time for a ch...

Marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is one intentional sprint to boost your visibility, reignite momentum, and get in front of the people you actually want to work with. In this episode, we’re breaking down what a marketing sprint really is, how to use it when things feel slow or stagnant, and the specific mindset that makes this strategy work without burning out or s...

We all have that one moment that shifts everything. The opportunity that changes how we see ourselves, our business, and what’s really possible. In this episode, we’re talking about the wedding that changed everything for us—how we got in the room, what led to that booking, and what it unlocked on the other side. If you’ve been feeling like you’re just one connection, one planner, or one portfolio...