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Brianna Shrader of www.shyheartstudios.com was interviewed for episode 484, where she shared her insights on how to grow a team to support a fast-growing and profitable photography business.

She also delivered a fantastic series of training on how to utilise AI in your photography business last year.

Today, I’ve asked her back for what I know will be a motivational episode.

Last year, when Laurie Brown delivered her 40 Over 40 marketing strategy training — which has been hugely successful for her — Brianna jumped in.

Brianna recently completed her campaign, and if you watch the 2-minute highlight film from her Gala evening that her PR team put together, you’ll be blown away! Seriously, it looks amazing!

But it hasn’t been plain sailing.

Brianna emailed Laurie and me to say this:

Well… I did it!!! Last Thursday, I hosted my Stories of Motherhood Gala.

There were a lot of things against me when I kicked this campaign off, and I learned a LOT.

It did not pan out to be the big money-maker I had hoped it would be, but I’m already planning for next year anyway. I know that through everything I learned and all of the incredible material I have from it this year, next year will be even more successful.

It picked up the most traction in the last 30 days. None of my paid ads went well, but I managed to book about 20 clients (my goal was 30).

I had one AMAZING sponsor at $7500, which was the biggest motivation for me to keep pushing through.

Andrew — I know we talked about doing an episode about this, and I’m more than happy to do so… but just wanted to give you fair warning that it was not as successful as Laurie’s have been. HOWEVER, I am extremely proud of how it all came together. It was literally my first rodeo, and I know that round two will be even better.

That was more than enough for me — and I asked Brianna back for this interview, where she shares all the details behind the scenes of a 40 over 40 campaign.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• How she turned a challenging campaign into a powerful learning experience
• Why starting early is the secret weapon for successful photography campaigns
• The real reason she chose motherhood over a proven 40 Over 40 campaign
• How following her passion still grew her brand — even without profit
• Why planning around key dates (like Mother’s Day) can boost your campaign’s emotional impact
• A look inside her PR strategy and how she got stories about her clients published
• The power of storytelling in photography marketing — and how to get media attention
• How a clear sponsorship package helped secure $7,500 in funding
• Sponsorship secrets — what brands really want in return, and how to pitch it
• From wildfires to White House shifts — how external events tested her resilience
• Why building community at her event was more valuable than cash
• How one unforgettable gala moment (and a trip onstage!) made the event more human
• Why perfection isn’t the goal — connection and visibility are
• How involving friends and family created a stronger, more supported launch
• The unexpected ways a campaign like this can elevate your photography brand
• Brianna’s plan to scale next year with more shoots, more vendors, and more visibility
• Why adapting proven templates to fit your purpose is the key to authentic marketing
• What every photographer should know before launching a passion-driven campaign
• The power of perseverance — how setbacks became stepping stones
• How you can learn from Brianna’s wins and mistakes to design a passion-fuelled, profitable project of your own
• How to turn a one-off campaign into an annual tradition and business builder

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

Of course, I want more profit, but I'm also just really ridiculously passionate about motherhood and sharing these stories and the response and the conversations and the emotion that came out of these people that participated has been so rewarding for me. – Brianna Shrader

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

Ask. Just ask, and to not be attached to the answer. – Brianna Shrader

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Brianna shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

The biggest hurdle for me, I think, was putting myself out there and making that ask was so hard for me. I don't like to ask people for things, certainly not money. It's really hard for me, but I coined February, “Fuck it, February.” I was like, I have no time. I have to just ask. And so I was like, every day I need to just ask one person. And I did that for two weeks straight. Just every day ask somebody, and if they say, ‘No', move on. It's okay, just move on. Just move on. – Brianna Shrader

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Brianna, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

LAST CHANCE — PhotoBizX Premium Membership Holiday Special!

It's rare to see a special price for the Premium Membership but there's one available for you until Monday, June 30th 2025.

Why the special?

Because it's holiday time (I'm in Spain and off to France) and there's no better reason to celebrate!

The 12-Month Premium Membership is normally $200… NOW $120… https://photobizx.com/holidayspecial

This is the lowest price you'll ever find for a 12-month membership.

SPECIAL BONUS FOR EXISTING MEMBERS

If you've already made a membership payment this month and want to take advantage of this deal, I'll refund this month's payment to you.

To process the refund, please email me your PayPal email address, which may be different from your regular email address.

Make sure you join first, then cancel your existing payments. This way, your Premium RSS Feed URL stays the same.

NOTE: If you are already on the special price from last year, there is no need for you to take any action. Your existing membership will automatically renew at the special price.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

I hope that somebody gets inspired by this and does it either for mothers or for some other, you know what I mean? I hope that it grows, because I think that as photographers, we initially were first were artists, right? – Brianna Shrader

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Brianna Shrader Website

Brianna Shrader on Facebook

Brianna Shrader on Instagram

Episode 550: Laurie Brown – How to build (and run) a long term successful photography business

How to Attract High-Value Clients with a “40 Over 40” Portrait Campaign

I've been in my business for 10 years. If you would have asked me about this a year ago, there's no way I would have thought about anything like this two years ago, three years ago, I think it takes the right mindset and it takes the right passion. – Brianna Shrader

Thank you!

A huge thanks to Brianna for sharing so generously in this episode. It’s inspiring to hear from someone who’s defined success on her own terms — prioritising peace of mind, freedom, and creativity over chasing profit alone. I hope her story lights a spark for you too, whether it’s about letting go of busywork, finding the right support, or picturing what growth could look like in your own business.

I love boudoir. I think it's amazing. I love what Laurie does. I just felt I would have a hard time selling something I myself wouldn't participate in necessarily. I might be able to be convinced, but I find that I'm best at selling albums. Why? Because I buy albums. I create albums for my kids every year, and I treasure them. So I'm so much better at selling something that I love and I utilize. – Brianna Shrader

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

The post 623: Brianna Shrader – Behind the Scenes of a 40 Over 40 Campaign appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.