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You are listening to take it personally, a podcast for photographers about the personal side of business and the art of standing out. Here. I'll help you build a business and a brand that is uniquely you if you want to attract dream clients and stop looking at the competition to decide your next move. If you are ready to show up as a confident branding authority to help you serve your clients and consider your goals and priorities too. If you want to make your mark in a new, underserved niche of photography, then this is the place for you. I'm your host, Maddie Ashong, South Dakota brand photographer and educator. I'm a straight shooting Instagram obsessed. Diehard Swifty who has built a multi-six figure business on the back of brand photography all while raising a family, and I know you can do the same. Let's get ready to take it personally.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:01:10

Tori, thank you so much for joining me today on Take It Personally.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:01:14

for having me. I'm so excited.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:01:16

I'm so excited. So to kick us off, if you could tell everyone who you are and what you do.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:01:22

Absolutely. I am Tory Kelner. I'm a brand and wedding photographer. I get to say brand now that I've joined rebrand, um, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with my husband and our rescue dog, Hazel, um, plant mom to some dying plants. But Maddie's helping with that and.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:01:39

That's what I'm here for.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:01:41

We've been living in Philly for a few years and just establishing our life in this area. I've been doing wedding photography for about eight years now, and in the last, um, year or so, kind of had the push in my heart to wanna kind of go in the direction of brands and found Maddie, and it's been wonderful ever since.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:02:02

So let's talk a little bit about that. What happened that made you want to explore more brand photography?

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:02:09

Yeah. So with weddings, I, I absolutely love weddings and what I do, but as many wedding photographers have done, um, you take so much and you kind of burn yourself out. Um, I've had that in years past and then over the last few years. Found a balance for myself where I, I had a happy medium of the amount of weddings that I wanted to take, but just at the stage of life, like a lot of our friends are getting married. There's a lot of things going on on the weekends, and I just realized like lifestyle needs to change a little bit at this time. So I. Found a happy medium with a number of weddings that I wanna take. And I have done education and mentoring for other photographers over the last few years. And actually it was a conversation with my bookkeeper. She, it's like therapy and bookkeeping, which is wonderful. Um,

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:02:58

great.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:02:59

but she kind of brought to my attention the idea of brand photography. And she said to me, I actually was going to ask you if you did brand photography, because I love your photography style, but I didn't think it was something that you did. So I found a different photographer and she worked with an amazing photographer, but um, I was like, Ooh, like light bulb moment. I love that. Somebody was already interested and liked my style for brand photography, and being that I've worked with so many other photographers to help grow their business, I love talking business and branding everything. It was just like that perfect light bulb moment that was like, maybe I should be doing this. So I started Instagram searching brand stuff, and you started popping up and it was right around the time that one of your. I think during your last launch, um, your webinar popped up and I was like, okay, let me sign up. I loved your vibe and I have never purchased something so quickly. I, I've never actually purchased anything on a webinar before. And, you know, being an entrepreneur, you sign up for a million webinars. You sit there, you're like, I know I'm getting pitched to, and oh my gosh. I was like, sold easiest money I've ever spent. And I don't know what it, I mean, I do know what it was. It was so clear and. Like, just gave me the path, like one, you understood exactly the pivot from wedding photographer to brand photographer. I, I loved that you were calling that out so clearly. And I was like, great. She knows where I'm at. Um, and I knew for myself, I just, I had already started one business. I've been doing this for years. I didn't wanna start and figure it out for myself from the ground up. I just knew. Like, I could do it faster and better if I got help. I was like, I know I could figure it out. I'm sure I could kind of piece it together and take what I already have and, and mold it and figure it out. But I was like, if somebody can one, help me with all the positioning and what I, what I don't know. You know? You don't know what you don't know. So if somebody can help me with all of that, and then also provide me with the templates, the emails, the questionnaires, like the mood boards, like everything. I was like, oh my gosh, make my life easy. And, and it was, I mean. I think I said to you like from literally the first day that I got in the vault, I was like, money well spent. I knew, I was like, I didn't even, we hadn't even done a group coaching yet before, like that was like secondary and that was bonus to have the community and everything, but it was like all the vault content that I was like, oh, I got everything that I needed already. And now that we've done call after call, I'm like, this is the best thing ever.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:05:26

Oh my gosh. That I just, I love hearing that

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:05:29

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:05:29

I always tell people, and I, it's not lip service, but I also understand that like, of course, you know, of course you're gonna say that you're the one who created the program, so like, it's nice to hear it from

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:05:39

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:05:40

but I always tell people like, it's really easy to come into a new program and be like, I have to get. Everything out of this. And if I don't take advantage of absolutely everything, I'm not getting my money's worth. And I think instead, while I understand that, instead having the perspective of like one breakthrough is worth

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:05:58

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:05:58

what I paid. Right. And I feel like you just had such a good perspective of that, of being like, okay, like just the vault has been worth it. And so anything else is just like propelling me even more forward. You just had such a good like perspective on

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:06:11

Yeah. I think, 'cause I came in being like, I really just want the, the templates and the questionnaires. I didn't even, I probably didn't read the sales page long enough to even see what, what more came, and I knew it was a year long, but. I've also been in so many different online courses and I had never done a group coaching program, so I was excited that that was something new for me. I did wanna explore it. Um, so yeah, that like came as such a bonus. But yeah, my initial thought was like, oh, I'm just coming in for like the templates and kind of the, the to-do list to get it done. And then I was like, oh my God, there's so much more, so much that, I don't know. You answered so many questions and then, yeah, the. Many calls that we've been on so far, like you're so generous with your time, helpful with your answers, clear, concise, like just no fluff. And I really appreciated that. Again, being at this point in business, it was like, I don't need somebody to tell me like, you're so amazing. You've got this. Like, I appreciate that, but it's like I need somebody to just, you know, cut and dry, be like, this is what you need to do. And like that's not working. That's gonna work. And it's been so helpful to hear that from myself. And then. With like listening to everyone else in the program, since it's people who've been doing this for years, and then other people who are newer as well. So it's been really cool.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:07:25

Yeah, you mentioned something that I would really love to highlight, that you've done courses before. This was your first time doing a group program. I always like to call out like the difference between a course and a group program because I do work with so many wedding photographers and when I was a wedding, like I, that's really how I like learned

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:07:42

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:07:43

photography. Wedding photography was buying courses. I love. Courses are

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:07:46

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:07:46

but group programs are definitely different. So what would you say if someone was like, what. The difference between like rebrand and a course that you buy, what would you tell them?

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:07:56

I would say it's, it's a melding of the two because we do have course curriculum that you can follow, and I would say that. That laid the foundation to understand everything else that we were going to be talking about on calls or just to like get a better sense of where people were at in their business. And so that we were all kind of on the same page of your process and what you recommend, um, but also taking it in our own direction. So I feel like I got that course content that I kind of crave 'cause I'm like, I like to just listen to the podcast. Um. Or watch the videos, which is so nice that we have the option. 'cause I'm such a podcast girl. So

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:33

I

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:33

we have,

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:33

a

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:34

we have a private podcast.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:36

when I realized that I could put the

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:38

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:39

a, I was literally talking with a friend this

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:41

That's amazing.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:42

program and she was like, I need to do

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:44

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:44

no, you really do. 'cause it's like such a game changer for people like us

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:47

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:48

sit and watch a

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:49

No.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:08:49

kidding? Like.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:08:50

And it's funny, I've listened to it multiple times through 'cause I feel like I'm, I listen once I kind of get the gist and then I go back and kind of fine tune and then I'm actually doing the work. And so I listen on the podcast when I'm driving, kind of get the overview and then I've gone back and watched the videos more closely. So both are super beneficial. Um, but yeah, so you have that course aspect, which is super helpful and and comfortable I guess, for anyone who has come from already doing an online course. But then one, the Slack community that I didn't even know was gonna be as robust as it is and like people are in there all the time. I'm such a night owl, so like I'll post something at 2:00 AM and I'll have an answer the next morning. So most people aren't up that late, but, um. So quick to respond and with super supportive and helpful answers. So, so much help there in the times that we're not on the call. And then we have weekly coaching calls, which, um. I mean, I could literally sit on those calls for the full day, like an hour's, never enough time. It's just like, it's so interesting for me to hear everyone else like what they're going through, what their questions are. 'cause they answer questions you didn't even realize you had, which is so nice. And it's like, maybe I haven't experienced that yet because I'm a bit newer with brand photography, but great to know. So when that comes up, I know exactly how to take care of that. So that's been huge. But yeah, I would say it's a, a blending of. Group coaching. 'cause I know there are some group coaching programs that don't have the course curriculum content at all. It's just the calls. So I love the blend 'cause I needed that foundation aspect and that was what I was coming in for. And then, yeah, the, the calls have been just so much additional support and help.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:10:31

Good. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that's, that's exactly how I describe it too. And, and same, that's really best for how I learn. Like, I like to be able to binge like the education, but then I wanna be able to say, okay, but my business is a little bit

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:10:44

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:10:45

how would you do it for that? Which is really nice to like have that

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:10:47

Yeah. On top of that, the reviews that you offer, like. That was an aspect I haven't seen in anything else that I've done. We're able to submit portfolio or a website to be reviewed or our pricing and just having your direct feedback on that with a quick video is so, so helpful. And it brought me back to like, I went to school for photography, so it brought me back to being able to like put my work up on the wall and actually sit there and talk about it. I love. Critique. And so like being able to submit something for review was so satisfying for me, and I'm excited to have more and more to send you. Um, and, and knowing that you've given us so many tools to be able to like create an awesome portfolio has been super helpful. So yeah, 10 outta 10 obsessed, obviously.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:11:36

You've kind of alluded to some things already, but what specific things have you done in your business since you've come into the program?

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:11:43

So I feel like I. Took a few weeks to soak everything in when I first started, and then very quickly implemented like questionnaire into, so I use HoneyBook and had like all of my previous like wedding questionnaires and um, email templates and all of that. So I was able, easily able to like, transfer design wise, but I just took all the questionnaires, email templates, um, made a proposal in HoneyBook, did all my pricing through, the profitable pricing, uh, module. So I had all of that set up within the first few weeks and implemented into HoneyBook. I didn't have like a client yet, but it was nice to know that when I do, I have, you know, my workflow set up so that I'm ready for them when they come. And then. I had already started working on setting up my portfolio building sessions so that I could get a few on the books there. Um, so yeah, within the first few weeks I felt like I was at least foundationally, like implemented a lot, and then was able to create a pricing guide and show it based on the one that I already have, just implementing all of the information that we kind of built together. And so I felt like I had, you know, everything so far ready to go for when I get, you know, those first few clients, um, in the door. So I'm. I'm pretty much set. I have my scheduler link ready for my discovery calls. Like it was nice because again, having done this for so many years with weddings, I'm able to easily like transfer this into a new niche. But you know, it was fun having to go through the questionnaires and I. You know, curate those questions based on what you've sent. Change it a little bit if there's something that makes more sense to me. So yeah, I felt like everything was super easy to just implement right away and have ready to go. And then I think the most helpful was that portfolio building stage where. You guide us to reach out to specific people, you know, set up these portfolio building sessions so that I actually had work to show for and I was able to take the pricing guide that I had already made that had just like filler images and now it's full of actual real brand photos. So that was awesome, and now that's ready to be sent out. So I feel like within the first few weeks to month, I was like feeling really solid about all the foundational aspects.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:13:57

Yeah, talk a little bit about the portfolio building stage and like how that went for you, the

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:14:02

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:14:03

you worked with, and just like your first like really strategic brand sessions.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:14:07

so I was fortunate that I had done a few, like random one-off brand sessions in the past, so I was able to go back and re-edit those and kind of look at them from a different perspective. Now having gone through behind the shot. Yeah, that was really cool because I. Now I know what to look for in a strategic branch who was able to critique my own work and be like, okay, didn't do that. But we have some good stuff to at least show for brands. And so I had a few sessions that were kind of my placeholder and then I worked, I have another one on the books for, um, hopefully in the next month or two, but worked with. The place where I actually got my wedding dress. Um, the owner of the wedding dress boutique, she was a past bride of mine, so we have a great connection. I love working with them. So got to go there and kind of, we had worked together before, but getting to do this one with the whole mood board and the whole planning strategy that you had taught, I felt so much more equipped to like make this a really strategic session and not just pretty pictures at the boutique. And so I felt like it was. It made me feel so much more confident going in, being like, we have a game plan and we had different outfits, different sets, different intentions for the whole shoe, and I was able to communicate why that's so valuable to have, you know, pictures of 'em also working at their desk, not just pictures of them, you know, holding the dresses and stuff. So there was a lot that I felt I could bring to the table that I didn't feel like in the past. It was just stuff I had never thought of before. And then. Um, I had worked with my friend who's an artist, so we, you know, were able to be in her studio and really good testing with like different poses in a small space and working with like physical pieces. Um, so there's like a lot of fun challenges that have come up that I wouldn't have expected but wouldn't know until you know, you're in it. And so that was an awesome session and she absolutely loved them. So I felt like for both of those so far, like. Came out really solid. Like you always leave and you're like, oh, I wish I did that. But I still feel like as a whole, I got everything that you had like laid out for us as kind of that strategic brand session. Um. And then, yeah, going back to some of the sessions from the past, I was able to just like kind of cu those down a little bit better and make them look as strategic as possible, even though that wasn't originally shot with that kind of mindset, but able to call them down to look like it. So I had a little bit more to show for. And then, yeah, now I'm in the stage of just going to start posting and marketing myself and actually talking about it, which is exciting. And, um, building out, building out my website and stuff to reflect. Um, brands and website, I'll probably, or sorry, brands and wedding. Um, since I'll definitely like dual position, at least for the near future. Um, I do love my weddings, but knowing that I'm taking fewer over the next few years, I feel like it's a good time to kind of make that pivot and at least, you know, reflect both on my website right now and maybe lean more in one direction at one point.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:17:03

Totally. And that's the thing, like you can, it doesn't have to be a hard and fast pivot, and I think more often than not, it's not,

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:17:12

Yeah,

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:17:13

wasn't for me, like it was probably years of being like, okay, I'm gonna make weddings a little bit less. Obvious on my website, or I'm gonna make the page hidden. Or like when you land on my homepage, it's gonna be toward brands, but weddings is still gonna be in the menu.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:17:28

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:17:28

was a, it was a slow burn, but I'm. I don't regret doing it that way because it allowed me to, um, just like consistently have such a great foundation

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:17:38

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:17:39

like, oh, I have to take like this brand client that I really don't wanna work with

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:17:42

Right.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:17:43

money. It was like, no, like things are chill and I'm just pivoting as I'm able to. And it got to the point where I was like, okay, like brands are great. And I was kind of getting to the point with weddings where. Because my kids were getting older and like noticing when I was

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:17:59

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:17:59

like, you know, I think that like, now's the time. I

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:18:02

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:18:02

makes sense and it's fine to take it slow.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:18:05

Absolutely. Yeah. And I, I mean, right now I still love weddings. I just knew for myself and my mental health, like needed to just lower the capacity. And so I feel like this is such a fun time to be able to explore something else that I'm already passionate about and just kind of like now it's finally clicking and, um, it, yeah, I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner, but like all happens when it's supposed to happen that.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:18:29

Yes.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:18:29

Like this makes so much sense for me. So I'm really excited about it. But yeah, it's been good and, and I think anyone who I've talked to who knows me personally, they're like, this makes so much sense for you. Like the I, the excitement around it has been really exciting and like even for me, I've noticed how much more enthusiastic I feel about my own business. I mean, I absolutely love what I do. I love that I get to play and be creative and. Come up with things and just try different things. But this is the first time in a few years that I've been like, this feels like very aligned. This feels so right for me. Um, and I think I was in a little bit of a lull before where it was like, I'm not quite sure where I wanna go with this. I know like I need a change of some kind. I just don't know what it is. And so, yeah. I have to thank my bookkeeper and you for instilling a lot of confidence. I know. She is like, she's so happy that like my last call with her, she was like, I, you're just beaming.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:19:21

That is awesome.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:19:22

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:19:22

uh, brands is such a natural pivot for wedding photographers, and I don't think that people realize

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:19:29

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:19:29

it is, like, there are certainly different skill sets. Like, it's not like you can just like transfer everything, you

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:19:35

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:19:36

the same questionnaire, like, you know, like there's stuff that needs to be updated. Sure. But. Your wedding clients. And I guess the same is true for like

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:19:43

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:19:44

like your wedding clients also have

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:19:46

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:19:47

or they work at jobs or they know people who have businesses. And so it can be such a natural pivot. And like I know my very first brand of photography clients were in the wedding industry,

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:19:57

That's how I think. Yeah. It'll be for me as well. Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:20:01

Totally. And that's really cool to be able to work with like the planner that

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:20:05

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:20:05

or the florist that you loved. And yeah, it can just be such a natural pivot. You have to do it strategically,

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:20:10

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:20:11

it can be a really like, uh, simple transition.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:20:14

Yeah, and it's been interesting, like what actually comes up within brands, like I didn't think about maybe small pop-up events or you know, just the difference of like a headshot session versus a full brand session and learning so much of that through the program's been really helpful. But yeah, even thinking just. I live in a neighborhood where they do community events all the time. Like what? Great opportunity to work with small businesses there and be able to photograph, you know, within their business, but also within the events that they're hosting. And I feel like if you can shoot a wedding, you can probably shoot anything. So I think skillset,

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:20:50

Totally.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:20:51

I feel confident being able to do that.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:20:53

I spent so many years being frustrated that like I wasn't, I hadn't found my

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:20:59

Hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:20:59

and I really did like weddings, but I, but I also knew it wasn't. It for

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:04

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:05

and I spent so many years frustrated that like, you know, my newborn photographer friends were like, I could do this

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:11

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:11

my wedding photographer friends, and like, I just didn't feel that way until I found brand

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:15

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:15

But now I'm able to look back and like, you know, hindsight's 2020, but I'm like, I needed all those years

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:21

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:22

because I'm so good. In, uh, in like a, in that type of

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:27

For sure.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:28

to like, think on your feet and like make sure everybody's

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:31

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:31

And like all of the things that I used to shoot, being able to work with kids. Like, I don't work with kids often, but I have worked with

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:39

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:40

we bring in kid models and I know how to handle

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:42

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:43

there's so many transferrable skills from other areas of photography.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:46

Absolutely.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:21:48

What has been the most valuable part of our work together and your time in the program?

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:21:55

That's such a good question. I feel like I'm the type of person who. I go like all in and you allowed me to go all in. I, like I said, I knew I could have just like figured it out, but I didn't wanna be a wedding photographer who happens to do some brands occasionally. Like I want to be able to show up and be like, oh, Tory Ner brand photographer. So I, I knew. Especially from past experience, I was like, okay, I'm just like winging it. This kind of feels more like a portrait session. It's not quite a brand session. There's no like strategy to it. I think it was figuring out how to confidently say I have strategy behind this process and like know for myself that I'm implementing that strategy. And so it is strategic for them as well. And I think strategic is sometimes such a buzzword, but I was like. Always like, okay, but what does that actually mean? I'm like, how do I know if I'm doing it? And so I feel like the process you've taught us has allowed me to be like, no, this is strategic. Like this actually has so much thought behind it. And um, even from the people in the program, like none of us can provide that strategy in the exact same way, even when we're learning. The exact same thing. And so I love that I'm able to bring my unique perspective and how my brain works and implement that strategy and help, you know, my clients. So I feel really confident being able to say, this is a strategic brand session now. So that's probably the biggest one. And then, you know, just getting everything established from pricing things because I, I definitely would've priced things. Way more like a portrait session that I would do or an engagement session. And so learning a lot of the aspects of what it takes to build a brand session that isn't necessarily based on the same factors as an engagement session was super helpful. I would've shot myself in the foot for years trying to figure that out. You know, like never would've known the things that needed to be in it or what is possible to charge for it. I think the confidence in being able to. Put a number on what I'm offering that doesn't feel like a starting out price. Um,

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:23:59

Yeah.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:24:00

has been really nice because again, I, I feel like I have the skill. It's just transferring to a new niche and I really didn't want to, um. Start out charging a hundred dollars, you know, it just, it doesn't make sense for me to put this much time, energy, and money into something that isn't going to give me that return. So after going through this, I feel so confident putting the number I've put on my price so far, and, um, being able to sell that. And so, yeah, I think, I mean, kind of everything, but yeah, I would say like the confidence in myself, knowing I'm providing a strategic session and then, um, how to position myself so that. I can, uh, sell what I do.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:24:39

Yeah, absolutely. Oh, I love that. I love those answers. Um, if someone were in very similar

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:24:47

Mm-hmm.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:24:48

you were at, if they were like, you know, I still love doing this other

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:24:51

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:24:51

like, I've gotta dial it back a little bit. I'm interested in brand photography, but I wanna do it well, considering

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:24:58

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:24:58

what would you tell them?

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:25:00

Do it. There's like, no, I, within the first like hour of going in the vault, I was like, yep, this is exactly what I needed. And so I felt like it was so worth the investment right away. And I feel like I've already made such great friends. I, I look up to so many of the people in the community, so I feel like it's just broadened my mind so much and really like made this seem so possible. I know for many of the courses that I've done in the past, it was like. Just giving me more and more on my to-do list. This was like the, the most, um, clear way to just get things done, and I actually was able to implement so quickly. So I feel like for that reason I was like, this is amazing. So worth the investment. Um, I feel like the, I don't even think about the investment now. It's like I, it was such an obvious choice and especially after being in it, I was like, money well spent. It doesn't even feel like it was. Lost income by, you know, it was like I already can see how it's gonna come back to me. Um, and I feel like for the confidence alone in my business, I feel like it was such a good decision to join. But yeah, I think for anyone considering it, like if you want to actually take it seriously and be able to claim, you know, I am a brand photographer and not just somebody who happens to shoot brand photos occasionally with, you know, my. Lack of strategy. I hate to say. Like I just, I just know, 'cause that's what I was doing. It was like, yeah, I could take those head shots for you. And it's like, no. It's just such a disservice to other business owners now that I know what you can provide for them. So, yeah, I think a thousand percent, if you are even considering it, it is so, so worth it.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:37

Well, I have loved to have you in the program. It's just been so fun getting to know

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:42

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:42

like seeing your growth already. And like when you post sneak peeks and stuff on Instagram, I'm just like,

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:47

Aw.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:47

my God. Like this is, it's the beginning of something really

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:50

That's how I feel.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:51

excited.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:52

Thank you.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:53

so glad you

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:54

Yeah.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:54

I feel it for you.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:55

Cool. Thank you.

maddie---she-her-_1_05-15-2025_105258: 00:26:57

Well, thank you so much for being here today.

tori--she-her-_1_05-15-2025_115258: 00:26:59

you. This was amazing.

undefined: 00:27:04

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