Take It Personally artwork

Take It Personally

149 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago - ★★★★★ - 91 ratings

Take It Personally, hosted by professional brand photographer Maddie Peschong, shares advice every other week to help you grow your personal brand to stand out from the noise and thrive, even in the most saturated markets. Episodes feature business and marketing advice, branding expertise, and real stories and inspiration from creative professionals all over the world.

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Episodes

#116: How I'd Handle Business Money Differently If I Were Starting Over with Gina Knox

March 07, 2024 12:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MB

One of my goals at the beginning of 2024 was to act like a grown up when it comes to my finances, and I have to say, I'm killing it so far–and that is in huge part to the program 6 Figure Saver. I'm thrilled to have Gina Knox, the financial coach behind 6 Figure Saver, on the podcast today. Gina is known in her circle as Money's Mom, and helps entrepreneurs with variable income save six figures in their businesses. In under three months, I've saved just shy of $40,000 in this program witho...

#115: Using Blogging to Connect with Ideal Clients with Kate Wark

March 07, 2024 11:00 - 31 minutes - 26.3 MB

Kate has been on the podcast before talking about Rebrand, and I love what Kate is doing with her business. Her photography business sort of started “accidentally” and after working together in Rebrand, she was able to drop down to part-time in her 9-5 to be able to spend more time on her photography business. Alongside taking brand photos, Kate also helps clients with copywriting! She took her PR skills to be able to grow another arm in her business where she offers blogging services to c...

#114: Why Personal Branding is CRUCIAL as a Photographer

February 22, 2024 10:00 - 16 minutes - 12.8 MB

I did my annual mini session day in January, and I had multiple photographers be a part of it. They admitted to me they felt uncomfortable on the other side of the camera. It essentially allowed them to have more empathy for their clients because they can understand how it feels being in front of the camera during a branding session. I think this is a crucial part of building a personal brand and specifically as a brand photographer. You can tell your clients everything about how branding ...

#113: What to Post If You Want to Book More Clients

February 15, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes - 15.8 MB

In the last episode of Take It Personally, we talked about attracting your dream clients and treating social media like a giant networking event. A second part to this is related to a question I get asked frequently in various ways: “What should I be posting?” If you’ve wondered what you should post if you want to book more clients, grow your business, stand out as a brand photographer, etc., this episode will be covering it all. Here are the main topics discussed: Getting back into a pla...

#112: Attracting Dream Clients to Your Business

February 13, 2024 23:24 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MB

Social media can be an incredible tool for business. This episode explores how you can use social media to attract dream clients, and use it in a way that feels strategic and not draining.   Join the Brand Photography Jumpstart here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/brandphotographer

#111: Here's How I Would Make My First $100,000 If I Were Starting Over

January 25, 2024 10:00 - 24 minutes - 18.7 MB

A 100k year is a huge milestone for entrepreneurs, and there seems to be chatter in the online business community that's split into two camps: 1) there's nothing magical about 100k, and 2) it's absolutely everything to get to 100k. No surprise, I fall somewhere in the middle. My business coach refers to 100k as a sustainability point for business and I totally agree. We all know we're not taking home all of the money we make, so at 100k that typically gives you room to pay for expenses, pay ...

#110: How to Book Repeat Brand Photography Clients

January 11, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes - 14.6 MB

One of the reasons I love brand photography is the potential for repeat clients. When it comes to brand photography, you are working with clients who regularly need updated images. This allows for repeat clients often, if we treat our clients well. This episode I’m sharing the top things we can be doing as photographers to keep our clients coming back (and referring more amazing clients our way). Here are the main things discussed in this episode: How to create a really easy experience fr...

#109: SEO Mistakes You're Making On Your Website (and How to Fix Them) with Inkpot Creative

December 21, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 26.7 MB

KP and Jessie (both she/her) are the design duo behind Inkpot Creative®️, a queer-led design studio building unconventional, impactful brand and website experiences for photographers who are leading their industry by creating something different. In addition to building brands and websites, the studio also focuses on creating ways for photographers to get leads in more sustainable ways through SEO and blogging. When they're not working in their studio, they can usually be found hiking in a n...

#108: 2023 Annual Recap: Wins, Struggles, and What's Next

December 07, 2023 10:00 - 39 minutes - 32.4 MB

I’m so excited to share an annual recap in this episode! I'm sharing the wins, the struggles, and the changes that 2023 brought for me and my businesses. I also am touching on what’s coming for 2024. Here are the main things discussed in episode 108: Record setting mini session day Events, big projects, and work trips Focusing on my own personal style for my personal brand Managing my screen limits Taylor Swift live!! Hiring in my business Our new White Space studio Rebrand la...

#107: Why You SHOULDN'T Add an Income Stream in Your Business

November 23, 2023 10:00 - 29 minutes - 24.2 MB

I’m a little nervous for this episode, but it’s been on my to-record list for quite a while. The reason I am nervous is that we are diving head first into why you shouldn’t have multiple streams of income in your business. I’ve been avoiding recording this episode because I personally have multiple streams of income in my own business. BUT I believe I could actually be making a lot more money if I didn’t have so many different streams. This episode is discussing that and how having more ...

#106: What You Need to Know Before Your Next Launch with Melissa Heckel

November 09, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 15.7 MB

Melissa owns Branch Creative Co., where she offers brand and design services. Melissa is a great friend, and we have worked together on projects in the past. Melissa has great insight on launching as she assists her clients with this and is preparing for a launch of her own soon. After last week’s episode about my Rebrand launch (episode #105), I thought it would be great to have Melissa come on and share important things to keep in mind when you are preparing to launch something in your b...

#105: Recapping my Latest Rebrand Launch

October 26, 2023 10:00 - 31 minutes - 26.1 MB

I recently launched my group program, Rebrand, for the third time, and I have been going over the launch - what went well, what I want to do differently next time, etc. This podcast episode will be recapping my Rebrand launch! I’m sharing what goes on behind the scenes, what I focused on during the launch, numbers, mindset, and more. Here are the main things I discussed in this episode: My free mini course that kicked off the launch My goal for the number of people in the jumpstart free...

#104: Understanding the Legal Consequences of Using AI In Your Business with Girija Patel

October 12, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 26.6 MB

Girija is a mom, a wife, lawyer, podcaster, strategist, educator, and a business owner in Houston, Texas. Her law practice, GBP Law, specifically focuses on helping entrepreneurs and on-line business owners build their business’ legal fundamentals and integrate legal as a part of their strategy so they can move forward confidently and do what they love! Her goal is to help make legal a line item and not a panic attack! In 2020, Girija launched Your Contract Buddy (www.yourcontractbuddy.com...

#103: Kate started showing up confidently in her business so she can help her clients do the same (Rebrand Client Spotlight)

September 22, 2023 22:50 - 37 minutes - 28.3 MB

I’m so excited to have my friend Kate Wark on the episode. Kate was a member of my group coaching program, Rebrand, and she had a such a transformation during our time together. I loved being able to coach Kate as she was ready to go and make big things happen in her business. We are talking about her story and how her business changed during and after Rebrand. Here are the main things discussed in this episode: Being able to work ‘regular’ business hours as a photographer How Kate’s da...

#102: Is Brand Photography Harder to Sell than Wedding Photography?

September 21, 2023 12:46 - 7 minutes - 7.23 MB

Rebrand, my sixteen-week group coaching experience for photographers, is now enrolling. This program is for photographers who desire to offer brand photography so they can scale their income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like them. Visit https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand to learn more and join.

#101: Can You Have a Personal Brand and Privacy?

September 21, 2023 11:50 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

Rebrand, my sixteen-week group coaching experience for photographers, is now enrolling. This program is for photographers who desire to offer brand photography so they can scale their income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like them. Visit https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand to learn more and join.

#100: The Biggest Mistake Brand Photographers Make

September 20, 2023 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MB

Rebrand, my sixteen-week group coaching experience for photographers, is now enrolling. This program is for photographers who desire to offer brand photography so they can scale their income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like them. Visit https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand to learn more and join.  

#99: What I've Learned in 100 Podcast Episodes

September 07, 2023 10:00 - 23 minutes - 18.7 MB

I launched Take It Personally Podcast in October of 2019. The reason I got into podcasting was because of my love for blogging. Blogging moved the needle a ton in my business, but eventually as blogging became less popular, I decided to dive into podcasting. And now we are already almost up to 100 episodes! It has been such a cool journey to see where my business was when I first started podcasting to where it is today. I’m sharing some of the things I’ve learned in recording (*almost*) 10...

#98: How to Run a Business in 15 Hours/Week or Less with Brittnie Renee

August 24, 2023 10:00 - 29 minutes - 22 MB

Brittnie is a family and newborn photographer with over 13 years of experience. In 2021 Brittnie started using her extensive photography knowledge to coach other photographers on how to build a profitable photography business in less than 15 hours per week.  Brittnie is also the host of the Capture The Chaos Photography Podcast where she shares tactical tips and tricks photographers can use to run their business without experiencing the burnout. When she isn't working, you can find her r...

#97: Ask Me Anything About My Studio, White Space

August 10, 2023 11:00 - 36 minutes - 28.3 MB

I previously did an episode about my studio, White Space, and the response was overwhelming. You all had more questions about owning a studio, and this episode is going to answer all of them. If you’ve ever been interested in what it looks like financially to open and run a studio, how long it took for us to make a profit, how we found the space, and what business model we like most so far, tune into this episode!  Here are the main things discussed in this episode: Initial investment i...

#96: Getting Started with Passive Income with Molly Kayser

July 14, 2023 12:26 - 32 minutes - 25.1 MB

Molly Keyser has been a business owner for 17 years. Her first business was a photography studio. It was a massive success and other photographers started asking her how she did it, so she decided to package her knowledge into digital products. Those digital products turned into a $2M per year business and next people started asking her how she did that. Today Molly helps business owners add passive digital products to their businesses so they can stop trading their time for money and help...

#95: Creating a Social Media Strategy That Feels Good with Social Kat Media

June 28, 2023 23:06 - 33 minutes - 24.8 MB

Kat is the CEO and lead strategist at Social Kat Media, a social media agency based in Ontario, Canada. Kat believes social media should be FUN and works with businesses to alleviate the stress social media can cause.  A mom of two kids, ages 1 and 4, Kat keeps it real on social media, talking openly about mental health and parenting. She brings this point of view into her business, helping business owners set up boundaries and healthy relationships with social media.  Be sure to connect ...

#94: Why You Need a Brand Guide with Sarah Klongerbo

June 08, 2023 22:01 - 38 minutes - 30 MB

Sarah Klongerbo is a conversion copywriter and website designer who believes your story matters, and the way you tell it can make or break your business. She lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with her husband, baby boy, and golden retriever — but she works with creative entrepreneurs around the world. She's passionate about crafting compelling messages and polished websites to help you validate your brand, increase your impact, and make your business shine online! Here’s what I discussed...

#93: 5 Lessons from Owning a Photography Studio

June 08, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes - 16.4 MB

In 2020, I opened a local photography studio. I haven’t ever talked about that business or experience on the podcast yet (until today!). White Space Studio is a photography studio that my husband and I rent by the hour. In this episode I’m sharing 5 lessons I’ve learned since owning a photography studio! Here’s what to expect from the episode: How White Space Studio got started A tough first year Having my husband join in the business The learning opportunities it brought as we figure...

#92: Choosing Brand Colors with Hey Carl!

May 18, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 23.5 MB

Carly, a.k.a Carl, is a graphic designer and an expert in all things brand design. She designed my website and completely rocked it. And ever since then, I have gone back to her more design work (social media templates, the podcast, branding for the coaching side of my business, and more). She knows how to get inside the head of the brand she is creating for and relay their message and mission so well. In this episode, we discuss brand design, brand strategy, and specifically how to go abo...

#91: What To Do If Your Family Isn't Supportive of Your Business

May 04, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes - 17.7 MB

Throughout my time as a business coach, I have heard from many clients asking what to do when their family isn’t supportive of their business. I can understand why family might have concerns, but I also get really fired up when it comes to supporting women in business. I’m here to walk you through what I tell my clients when this situation happens. Here are the main points discussed in this episode: The transition of family as customers Family and friends may not have seen you in your p...

#90: The Power of Branded Swag that Doesn't Suck with Amanda Hofman

April 20, 2023 10:00 - 23 minutes - 18.3 MB

Amanda Hofman, of Go To Market Studio, is the expert when it comes to using branded merch in your business. Her mission is to create beautiful and sustainable merchandise that is NOT boring or lame! Amanda (and her business partner Jesse) offers these thoughtful designs for your business to help your brand stand out. I love this episode as Amanda walks us through why branded merchandise is amazing for business growth, how all businesses can start using it, and ideas for where to get starte...

#89: How Many Instagram Accounts Should You Have?

April 06, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 10.7 MB

Have you ever wondered how many Instagram accounts to have? This is actually a question I get asked often, especially when related to personal branding. This looks different for everyone and each situation, but I wanted to share my thoughts on this. Here’s what we discuss in the episode: Asking yourself what you want when it comes to your online marketing strategy Not an accounts issue, but a positioning issue Determining your goals for your account(s) My personal approach to Instagra...

#88: Randi went from starting a side hustle to quitting her job (Rebrand Client Spotlight)

March 29, 2023 17:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MB

Doors CLOSE Tuesday, April 4 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#87: Brooklyn is consistently booking brand clients faster than she imagined (Rebrand Client Spotlight)

March 29, 2023 03:11 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#86: Amanda went from charging $250 to $2500+ (Rebrand Client Spotlight)

March 28, 2023 17:27 - 34 minutes - 25 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#85: Evolving as a Personal Brand

March 27, 2023 11:00 - 7 minutes - 6.56 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#84: How to Deepen Relationships as a Brand Photographer

March 24, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.93 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#83: How to Create Rapport as a Brand Photographer

March 23, 2023 11:00 - 6 minutes - 6.31 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#82: How to Build Your Reputation as a Brand Photographer

March 22, 2023 11:00 - 8 minutes - 8.05 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#81: How to Build an Authentic Personal Brand

March 21, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.9 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand 

#80: Why I Made the Switch to Personal Brand Photography

March 20, 2023 11:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MB

Doors open Friday, March 17 to my 16-week group coaching program, REBRAND. If you're a photographer who wants to pivot into personal branding photography so you can scale your income, work betters hours, and run a business that feels like YOU, Rebrand made for you. More here: https://www.maddiepeschong.com/rebrand

#79: Using Video to Help Your Brand Stand Out with Kelli White

March 09, 2023 11:00 - 38 minutes - 29.7 MB

I met Kelli White at the Reset Conference, and we connected over personal branding and brand work right away. Kelli specializes in brand videography and shares video education in a very approachable way. Today we are talking about how you can start utilizing video within your brand to help it stand out. Here is what I discussed with Kelli: An increase in video need Can every brand benefit from video? Short-form video and other ways to utilize video Long-form content/video ideas Ho...

#78: How I Made 7K in 1 Day with Mini Sessions

February 23, 2023 11:00 - 26 minutes - 21.4 MB

I love talking about mini sessions! We chatted in episode 50 about last year’s mini session day where I made 5K. It's fun to come back again each year and share about what went well, what didn’t, what I would change, etc. For background, I offer mini sessions typically once a year where clients can choose between a brand mini session or a headshot mini session. I’m sharing today about how this year’s mini session day went, how I made 2K more than I did last year, and other mini session tip...

#77: Adding Stock Photography as Passive Income with Aubrey Westlund

February 09, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 28.6 MB

I love the discussion around stock photography and using this opportunity within your business. We previously had a conversation regarding it way back in episode #2 with my friend Annie Otzen. We are again discussing stock photography as a source of passive income with Aubrey Westlund this time, and I love what she has to share about it. In this episode, we talk about different agencies, how to get started, and how to make it approachable. Here are some of the big points that Aubrey touch...

#76: How to Handle Slow Seasons in Business

January 26, 2023 11:00 - 30 minutes - 25 MB

If you’ve been in business for a while, you have experienced a slow season. Sometimes slow seasons are expected (like planning to work less in the summer, for example), and sometimes they happen when we aren’t expecting them (like a global pandemic). Either way, they happen and are a normal part of business. I want to share how we can use slow seasons to our advantage and tips for how to handle them when they come. Here are the main items discussed in this episode: Figuring out what a typ...

#75: Finding Your Special Sauce with Taylor de la Fuente

January 12, 2023 11:00 - 35 minutes - 27.2 MB

Taylor de la Fuente is an award-winning writer on a mission to help creatives take over the world. As the CEO of Lemon Tree Editorial — a boutique copywriting agency for creatives — Taylor and her team write bold, inclusive copy that sells their clients' services for them. Ready to cyber-stalk her? Head over to lteditorial.com. In this episode, Taylor shares about your “special sauce” and how to use that to grow your business. After listening to this episode, I believe you’ll know how to u...

#74: Cold Pitching is Out - Do This Instead

December 29, 2022 11:00 - 22 minutes - 30.6 MB

  As we head into 2023, I am still experiencing cold pitching fairly often. Maybe there is a strategy behind it that I just haven’t heard, but for the most part, I don’t think cold pitching should be a part of your business plan. Cold pitching often feels forced, invasive, and something that most people don’t want to experience. In my opinion, cold pitching is out, and we need to utilize a better way to sell that is more authentic. That’s what episode 74 is about. Here are the main thing...

#73: Creating Habits for Personal Growth and Self Care with Emily Reuschel

December 15, 2022 11:30 - 44 minutes - 29.9 MB

Emily Reuschel is an elementary school teacher turned entrepreneur and thought leader. She cultivates personal and professional growth for rural women. Her personalized habit challenge, #YouDoYou82, helps women build strong, attainable, and consistent habits to show up for the lives that they love. Today we are talking all about habits, personal growth, motivation, and making changes to become the best version of your self. These are the main things I discussed with Emily: How Emily’s pas...

#72: When Is It Time to Niche?

December 01, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 16.7 MB

Today we are talking about niching! What it is, if you should do it, how to know when to do it, and everything in between. I believe that you can make your business be whatever you want it to be and don’t have to follow any rules, but I also have seen within my own business how niching down has helped it grow. Here are the main things discussed in this episode: How to know when it’s time to niche Confusion around ideal client and marketing might mean you should niche What you show, ...

#71: 3 Clauses You May Be Missing In Your Contracts with The Legal Paige

November 17, 2022 11:00 - 38 minutes - 31.1 MB

  I have had the privilege of having Paige, of The Legal Paige, on the podcast before (episode 18), and she is back again to share about clauses that your contracts may be missing. Paige is a wealth of knowledge in this area, and I’m so excited for this conversation. Here are the main things we discussed in this episode: How Paige helps bridge the gap between creatives/small businesses and legality Where the law is at in regards to small businesses and online industries As your busi...

#70: Making Less and Not Meeting Revenue Goals

November 03, 2022 10:00 - 19 minutes - 15.2 MB

I found myself panicking as I was looking at my revenue for the year so far and saw I was behind where I was last year at this time. I also saw that I probably am not going to hit my revenue goal for this year. But amongst that panic, I stopped myself to remember that what I am making is still a big accomplishment. I have also had many other successes this year that haven’t been related to money. Money is a big part of business and the reality of not hitting certain revenue goals can be ...

#69: Having a Purpose Driven Brand with Solveig Petch

October 20, 2022 09:00 - 35 minutes - 26.1 MB

Solveig Petch (AKA, Petchy) is a brand strategist and identity designer. She helps clients uncover their unique brand core and then translates that into compelling brand strategy and visuals to help them reach more ideal clients. Petchy knows the ins and outs of building a brand, specifically having a purpose driven brand. Here are the main things discussed in this episode with her: Petchy’s start in brand strategy and finding your right path What conversations Petchy sees around brandi...

#68: 5 Quick Updates To Make Your Website Better Today with Samantha Mabe

October 06, 2022 10:00 - 26 minutes - 19.3 MB

Creating, updating, or editing a website can be really overwhelming when you aren’t a website designer or SEO expert. But having a website that converts and is easy for customers to use is really important. Samantha Mabe is discussing all things website related and simple quick fixes you (yes, you!) can do to make your site better today. Samantha Mabe is the creative director and designer of Lemon and the Sea. She helps service providers and coaches who are ready to launch their signature ...

#67: Why Taylor Swift is a Personal Brand Queen [BONUS EPISODE]

September 27, 2022 18:40 - 27 minutes - 37.4 MB

It's no secret that I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan. I love her music of course, but I'm continually impressed by her marketing prowess and the foresight she has when it comes to her music and brand. This bonus episode explores the four R's of personal branding and how Taylor nails every single one.