More Than Photos

What if the biggest opportunities in your business don't come because you're finally "ready"… but because you've spent years preparing before they ever arrived?

This week we're joined by Kellie and Caitlin of Fulton Events for one of our favorite conversations to date. On the surface, it's the story of three years that changed everything. But underneath, it's a conversation about believing in a future before anyone else can see it.

About making decisions before there's proof they'll pay off. About saying "yes" when the opportunity feels just a little bigger than you're ready for.

Over the course of just 3 years—while raising three young kids—they transformed their business through intentional relationships, strategic investments, countless uncomfortable decisions, and a willingness to build the business they wanted long before they actually needed it.

If you've ever wondered whether the work you're doing today is actually leading somewhere… this conversation is a reminder that growth rarely looks dramatic while you're living it.
It looks like showing up.

Again.
And again.
And again.
Chapters
00:00 – Meet Kellie & Caitlin of Fulton Events
04:15 – Building belief before there was proof
11:42 – Why three years changed everything
20:31 – Preparing for the business you want
29:18 – Saying yes before you're ready
37:40 – Relationships that change your trajectory
46:52 – Every next level starts with one step
55:26 – The unseen work behind extraordinary growth
1:05:14 – Advice for creatives chasing their next chapter
In This Episode
Building the business before you need it
Belief before proof
Strategic business growth
Making bold decisions
Preparing for opportunity
Relationship marketing
Reputation and referrals
Leadership and team building
Entrepreneurship
Creative business
Wedding industry
Fulton Events
Keywords
Business growth, entrepreneurship, creative business, wedding planner, Fulton Events, business strategy, leadership, relationships, networking, mindset, entrepreneurship podcast, photographer education, business development, creative entrepreneur, premium clients, business mindset, reputation, marketing, long-term growth, intentional business.

This week's episode is a little different. Brad & Jen are recording from the road instead of their usual studio, but the conversation couldn't wait.
If you've ever stared at a new inquiry wondering, "Do I send pricing? Do I email first? Do I schedule a call?" this episode is for you.

What starts as a conversation about discovery calls quickly becomes something much bigger. Why are photographers becoming more efficient, yet feeling less connected? Why do couples ghost? And what if the problem isn't your pricing at all?

Brad & Jen unpack one of the biggest mindset shifts they've seen transform photographers inside Purpose & Profit and the Mastermind.

You'll learn why leading with connection instead of efficiency changes the way couples experience your brand, why discovery calls are about serving rather than selling, and how one simple shift can change your confidence, your bookings, and the way you show up as a business owner.

Main Points
• Why photographers unintentionally make booking harder after an inquiry
• The real reason couples ghost (and why it usually isn't your pricing)
• Why you're asking couples to judge your worth before they've experienced your value
• How AI and automation are increasing the value of genuine human connection
• Why discovery calls are about service, not sales
• The four ways every discovery call pays you, whether you book the wedding or not
• How curiosity replaces defensiveness and changes the entire pricing conversation
• Why premium businesses are built by leading conversations, not sending information

Chapters
00:00 The $5,000 inquiry that sparked this conversation
02:00 Why photographers focus on the wrong questions
05:00 The real reason couples ghost
08:00 Why human connection is becoming more valuable
10:00 Discovery calls are about serving, not selling
15:00 The four paychecks of every discovery call
20:30 A real story about making an impact without booking the wedding
24:30 The mindset shift that changes pricing conversations
29:00 Becoming the kind of business owner people trust
32:00 One challenge for your next inquiry

How to Connect
Purpose & Profit
Ready to build a business that attracts better-fit couples, increases your confidence, and gives you a clear path forward https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course

Keywords
wedding photography, wedding photographer, photography business, discovery calls, inquiry process, booking more weddings, sales for photographers, photography pricing, client experience, wedding inquiries, photography marketing, premium wedding photographer, business mindset, human connection, photography education, Purpose & Profit, Brad and Jen

This week Brad & Jen sit down with Emilie White, a French wedding and editorial photographer whose life has stretched across seven countries, two careers, and a constant pull toward something more than the photography itself.

Before she ever picked up a camera professionally, Emilie spent 7 years in law, working in international law and intellectual property across Paris, Ireland, and the Middle East. When she and her husband left Oman, she traded a comfortable expat life for a shoebox apartment in the south of France, a newborn, and a leap into photography with no formal training and no safety net.

What unfolds is an honest look at the long, winding road to becoming an artist: years of imposter syndrome, the slow work of finding her voice, and the grief that shaped her eye.

Emilie opens up about losing her father at 15, the family hardships that pushed her work through darker and lighter seasons, and why she believes you have to feed your soul and then trust it to surface in your work when you least expect it.

Together, we explore patience, preparation, curation, parenthood, and the discipline of holding your ego loosely while building a career the industry calls successful.

We also explore:
Trading a seven-year law career for photography with a newborn in tow
Living across seven countries and how it taught her to read any room
The accolades that signaled she was on the right path (and why she keeps them in perspective)
Working under pressure when a portrait window shrinks to three minutes
Why preparation, not acceptance, is what makes the hard moments work
Using film cameras to spark curiosity and disarm a tough crowd
Building teams around strengths and treating hires as investments, not expenses
Why curation is the hardest part, and the one thing she will not hand to AI
Making images that gain value with age, not just attention
How motherhood reshaped what she shoots and how she protects her time
Keeping her ego in check while her work lands in Vogue, Harper's, and Brides

Connect with Emilie
Website: https://emiliewhite.com/ Instagram: @emiliewhitephotography

Connect with Us
Join Purpose & Profit – A Roadmap to 10k Weddings
Apply for the Mastermind Program - High level 1:1 creative coaching & community.

Chapters
(00:00) Welcome and a life across seven countries
(08:32) From law school to photography
(11:40) Imposter syndrome and owning the artist title
(14:15) Shooting a designer's wedding and early validation
(18:32) Finding her voice through editing and curation
(24:15) Grief, dark seasons, and how life shapes the work
(27:14) Patience, process, and time to be bored
(30:43) Three-minute portraits and preparation over acceptance
(39:46) Cameras as tools to read and disarm a room
(44:51) Building teams around strengths
(50:10) Why curation is the hardest part
(59:00) Empathy in the edit: don't forget the elders
(01:03:43) The couple behind the curation: Greer and Dimitri
(01:06:16) Accolades, ego, and staying grounded
(01:10:38) How motherhood reshaped her work
(01:16:14) Movies, inspiration, and what's next

What actually helps photographers grow? After years of coaching photographers through every stage of business, we've noticed something surprising. The biggest breakthroughs rarely come from finding more information. They come from clarity, community, personalized guidance, and having the confidence to take the next step.

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on the lessons we've learned from working closely with photographers inside Purpose & Profit and our Mastermind. We talk about the difference between courses, coaching, and community, why so many photographers feel stuck despite having endless free information, and how real transformation happens when you stop trying to build your business alone.

Whether you're wondering what kind of support you actually need, or you're simply looking for a fresh perspective on growing your business, this conversation will help you think differently about what moves the needle.

LINKS
Learn more about Purpose & Profit: https://learn.bradandjen.com/purpose-and-profit-course
Apply for the Mastermind: https://learn.bradandjen.com/mastermind-coaching

CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome and why we recorded this episode
03:00 What are you really building your business for?
09:30 Why information alone rarely creates growth
18:20 The difference between learning and implementing
27:40 Purpose & Profit and building a business with intention
39:45 Why community changes everything
47:10 Inside the Mastermind experience
58:30 What makes a great coaching student?
1:04:45 Purpose & Profit vs. The Mastermind
1:08:30 Final thoughts and next steps

KEYWORDS
wedding photography business, photography education, photography coaching, mastermind for photographers, photography community, photography mentor, photography course, wedding photographer marketing, photography pricing, photography business strategy, photography mindset, creative entrepreneur, business coaching, Purpose and Profit, Brad and Jen, More Than Photos podcast

This week Brad and Jen sit down with Perry Vaile, a destination and editorial wedding photographer, historian, educator, and creative whose life stretches far beyond the wedding industry.

What begins as a conversation about Perry’s mountain home in North Carolina quickly turns into something much bigger: ambition, success, identity, community, social media, and what it means to build a life that doesn’t depend on your work to fulfill you.

Perry shares the story of building a 15-year photography career, the moments she felt like she had finally “made it,” and how her relationship to success has evolved over time. From photographing a Victoria’s Secret supermodel’s wedding to intentionally removing social media from her phone, she offers a refreshing perspective on staying connected to what matters while working in an industry built on visibility and comparison.

Together, we explore boundaries, hobbies, community, family, creativity, and the challenge of building a successful career without sacrificing the life around it.

We also explore:
• Living a “split life” between the mountains and the city, and why each pace feeds the other
• Buying land on instinct and building a home designed to last generations
• The two moments Perry felt like she had “made it”
• Finding the confidence to stand up for her work on a make-or-break deadline
• Entering a world of wealth without attaching her worth to it
• Why real memories matter more than staged perfection
• Removing social media from her phone and creating healthier boundaries
• Archery, needlepoint, gardening, reading, and building a life outside the industry
• Creating local community on purpose
• Holding success open-handedly and defining it on your own terms
• Working smarter, protecting rest, and avoiding burnout
• Why “going quiet” may be the biggest risk for photographers today

Connect with Perry
Website: https://perryvaile.com/
Instagram: @perryvaile

Connect with Us
Join Purpose & Profit – A Roadmap to 10k Weddings
Apply for the Mastermind Program - High level 1:1 creative coaching & community.

Chapters
(00:00) Welcome and the seven-weekend stretch ahead
(01:00) A split life between the mountains and Raleigh
(03:30) Buying the land and building a forever home
(08:45) The long view: who do you want to be at 70?
(14:00) Fifteen years in and the moments she “made it”
(22:00) Chutzpah, film deadlines, and confidence
(24:00) Wealth, worth, and belonging in luxury spaces
(27:00) The historian’s approach to photography
(32:00) Redefining success and holding it loosely
(40:00) Protecting the craft from the industry
(42:00) Social media boundaries and bricking the phone
(48:00) Hobbies, books, and building community
(56:00) Perspective, gratitude, and figure-out-able problems
(59:00) Working smarter and protecting rest
(01:13:00) What matters now and why going quiet is risky
(01:20:00) Books, recommendations, and what’s next

Keywords: wedding photography, destination wedding photographer, boundaries, work-life balance, redefining success, building community, photographer mindset, burnout, rest and margin, intentional living, historic preservation, film photography, photographer education