Shine and Thrive Photography Podcast

In this episode, I will share with you my mindset around my approach to navigating wedding reschedules and cancellations and what has been working for me. This will be a 2 part series so that you can get two different perspectives and two different approaches!  In Part 2, which will be the following episode #53 , you'll hear from Anastasia from Olive Photography on the approach that she has b...

Are you currently in a job that drains you often think to yourself "if only I could go full time with my photography business, I would be so much happier and fulfilled!"? If so, this episode was literally made for you! Carly shares the story of her journey of how she quit the job she hated in order to go full time with being a portrait + wedding photographer, even though she was scared!...

In this episode, I open up about what the 75 Hard Challenge is and why I'm doing it! It's a challenge that cultivates mental toughness by sticking to 6 daily practices that will help make you mentally, emotionally + physically stronger! If you get value out of this episode, please make sure to take a screenshot, share it on Instagram, and tag me @saramonikaphoto and I would love to share...

One of the most powerful things you can do in your business is to know your numbers. And not just how much you're earning and how much your expenses are (those are really important too), but also how many leads you get from different sources! Knowing where your leads are coming from and which leads generate the most bookings for you is so important for 2 reasons! Tune in to find out what thos...

Daniel and his wife Davina have enjoyed 12 years as traveling wedding photographers in the industry which they chose to retire from in 2018. They are also co-founders of The Image Salon, a photo editing company that helps you outsource without compromise. As they go through this journey called life together, they follow their curiosity fearlessly and with the belief that everything will always wor...

I share with you my journey of how I went from $69,000 to $137,000 in revenue in one year so that you can learn from my journey and see that it's possible for you too! I also share where my referrals came from and how I attracted them, which led to so many more bookings than I've ever had before. There is more than enough to go around and I want the same success for you! If you get value...

Do you ever wonder how I, and other photographers, attract and book their dream clients!? Truuuussst me. I was there once too! Totally clueless and desperate to know how! If you wanna know how I turned my business around from hearing a lot of crickets to doubling my income in one year, then tune in my friend, and find out what marketing mindset you need to know about! If you get value out of this...

I'm giving you a sneak peek into the Ask Me Anything live Q+A's I host in the Shine + Thrive Podcast Community. In this one, I shared the number one thing to spend your time on to get noticed and book more, how to overcome comparisonitis + imposter syndrome, how to build a wedding photography portfolio if you've never shot a wedding before, and how to set boundaries with clients! If...

Every year at this time I choose to slow down, reflect on my year, go inward, and from there decide on my SMART goals full of HEART that are in alignment with what I desire in this chapter of my life. I share with you what it means for us to be headed to Universal Year 5, and I share with you the 3 steps I took to create new beliefs and goals that will help empower me to become the best version of...

I believe that taking a look back and reflecting on the wins and lessons that you experienced in 2020 (or in any year really!) are essential to gaining an understanding of where you are, and where you want to go! I bet you that even in 2020 you will find wins to celebrate. The big and the small! And sometimes even wins that may seem small in the moment, are actually the big ones in the long run. A...

For those of you who have been thinking about introducing film photography into your craft or didn't even know it was an option but are now intrigued, this episode is for you! I had Caileigh Langford on the show to give us a peek into her world of being a hybrid wedding photographer. In today's episode we covered: What actually classifies someone as a hybrid photographer? Is going hybrid...

In this powerful episode, I chatted with Julia McLellan on how we as photographers, and more importantly, as fellow humans, can become more socially-conscious and eco-friendly in a way that creates true lasting change! We dove into how to houseclean our digital footprint, what actions to focus on to make the most sustainable impact on the planet, and what you can include in your wedding packages t...

Gathering testimonials/reviews can either feel like an extra thing on your to-do list, or a piece of cake! I've experienced both sides of the coin in my career and I've figured out the solution to getting consistent, emotion-filled testimonials and right away from clients! What if I told you that you can get tons of testimonials and 5-star reviews on Google with just one simple email? In...

Are you feeling stuck on how to raise your prices because you're scared that you'll stop getting bookings? My guest Sam of Samyan Photographie also felt this way, and today she shares how she was able to raise her rates after her coaching session with me (even during a pandemic) and still get bookings at her new rates! My hope is that this episode helps you to also raise your rates so th...

We all do it. We put that thing on our to-do list that we know needs to get done, and then we put it off, and put it off, and put it off. If you want to learn a quick mindset hack that you can apply into your life + business that will help you actually get the hard things done, then tune into this short but valuable episode! If you get value out of this episode, please make sure to take a screensh...

Are you tired of getting dull inquiry emails that just consist of "Hey! Looking for a photographer. Can I get your pricing and package info?" If that sounds like most of the inquiries you get in your inbox, then I have the solution for you since I share exactly what I do to get inquiries that are full of detail and personality! If you're wondering, "Hmm. But I don't see an...

If you've ever wondered how I set up my week and spend my days, you'll love this episode! As photographers, I thought you'd like to see what a 6-figure wedding photographer does in a week. I hope this gives you a fun behind-the-scenes peek at the ins and outs of my life. You'll hear it all, what I focus on, what I struggle with, and how I handle all of it!  I share it all inclu...

Do you find yourself losing control when it comes to food? And by losing control I mean giving into cravings that lead to binge eating to the point that it makes you feel sick? If you're tired of feeling out of control, then this episode is a great one to tune into since both Amber and I get vulnerable and share our binge eating journey's to show you that you are not alone and it's...

Are you feeling nervous about hitting burn out in 2021 with more doubleheaders and possibly even triple headers coming your way? Are you loving your life this year in 2020 with how much more free time you have on your hands and wish that every wedding season felt more effortless? If so, tune in so I show you that it's possible for you to still book more weddings in 2021, make more money, and...

I'm so excited to dive in to give you a glimpse into what my Virtual Assistant Rachel helps me out with! I'll be sharing the tasks I outsource to my VA and I'll be basing the time saved on 25 weddings per year since sometimes I shoot more, but more or less, but I also know most photographers aim to book around 25 a year on average. I'll share with you the amount of hours I save...

Have you ever had a moment in your photography career that was so embarrassing that you said to yourself "ugh I could really just crawl into a hole and hide forever" or "well at least I have a funny story to tell"? Well whether you have or you haven't, this episode is going to be entertaining because 7 photographers (including myself), share some of the most embarrassing s...

Do you feel like you want to evolve your shooting style but have no idea how to transition? Also, are you feeling stuck with how you'll be able to attract new clients that want to book you for that new style when it's not in your portfolio yet? It's such a predicament isn't it!? 6 years ago, I successfully transitioned my wedding shooting style from a high focus on details and...

The way that the year 2020 turned out shocked and surprised most of us. It also affected the goals we set for the year. Understandably, it lead to feeling lost, disconnected, and lacking clarity. On episode 10 of this podcast, I talked about chasing “unrealistic” dreams and actually achieving them and I shared the 10 goals I had for the year 2020. That episode turned out to be one of the most popu...

Since the George Floyd incident sparked so much shock and sadness around the world leading to protests and BIPOC voices becoming more amplified, I dove into social media to learn more from the BIPOC community. A huge thanks goes out to @thebirdspapaya for speaking up and using her platform, because with her doing so, I realized it wasn't ok to stay silent anymore since white silence is compli...

On Part 2 of my conversation with Clarissa DiGioacchino we discuss ways in which you can become more effective at solving problems and being resourceful both in your business and your personal life. Where’s the line between being inspired by others and starting to compare yourself to them? And how to apply creative thinking to your problem-solving approach and creating solutions? If you want to he...