Doing Life Differently

This episode is a little crunchy… but stay with me! I’m sharing the health and wellness shifts I’m making in 2026, not from a place of perfection, but from a place of awareness, grace, and learning as I go.From saying no to our microwave and heavy fragrances, to rethinking everyday things like butter, salt, pillowcases, and even how I walk, this is about choosing what feels right for this season.Not all at once, and not perfectly.And definitely not without Chick-fil-A still making an appearance!!If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by “doing health right,” I hope this episode helps you find your own middle ground.________________MENTIONSNUTRAFOLOurPlace Wonder Oven Pro Weighted VestSatin PillowcaseRedmond's Real SaltWe LOVE Thrive Market for lower prices on snacks and goods that fit our budget and our goals for a healthier home. Get 40% off your first purchase with my referral link HERE!Building a website? I’ve used Showit for over 15 years because it lets me build a website that looks like me without fighting tech. Click here to try it for FREE for 30 days!Save $260 on your own LumeBox! I’ve been using my LumeBox red light therapy before bed to support inflammation, skin health and relaxation.Click here to save on LumeBox!📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPT

I'm sharing from a place of vulnerability this week. My current reality is that I have 4 children who are all under 9 years old. They have ZERO chill. I quickly slip into victim state... "Why me, God?" I don't like the way it feels and it only perpetuates the situation. So this week, I'm trying to reframe what my situation is. I'm trying to carry the responsibility like it's all on my own...And friend, it SO isn't. The invitation is: offer prayer endlessly to surrender our day and ask for HIS control, HIS love and patience. RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKW

Friendship as an adult is complicated, and for a long time, I don’t think I realized just how much it mattered to me!In this episode, I’m sharing five shifts I’ve made in the way I approach friendship that have completely changed the depth, richness, and connection I experience now. These aren’t big, flashy ideas. They’re small, intentional choices that have added so much meaning to this season of my life.If you’ve ever longed for deeper friendships, felt unsure how to build them, or wondered why connection feels harder than it used to, this episode is for you.Save $260 on your own LumeBox! I’ve been using my LumeBox red light therapy before bed to support inflammation, skin health and relaxation.Click here to save on LumeBox!Building a website? I’ve used Showit for over 15 years because it lets me build a website that looks like me without fighting tech. Click here to try it for FREE for 30 days!📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPTMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

This is part two of our conversation about the victim trap, and today I’m focusing on the reframe.In this episode, I talk about what it actually takes to move out of a victim story once you recognize it. Reframing isn’t easy. It requires humility, courage, and a willingness to question the stories your own mind keeps telling you.We’ll talk about how to spot victim thinking in your language, why some relationships keep us stuck, and the questions I ask myself when fear and control start to take over. Most of all, this episode is about remembering that you have a choice, and that choosing a new story can change how you show up in your life.RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKW

In 2026, is passion more important than profitability in your business?Because here’s what I’ve learned after 17 years of business:Passion is life-giving. It fills you up and reminds you that your work matters. Profitability is life-giving too, just in a different way. It feeds your family, pays the bills, and gives you stability. The problem is when either one drifts into an unhealthy place. When passion turns into perfectionism and control. Or when profit turns into fear, pressure, and that heavy “I have no choice” mindset.In this episode I’m sharing what it looked like when I started from pure overflow passion, what shifted over time, and how I found my way back without burning everything down. I also walk through a few common scenarios business owners find themselves in and the five practical ways I’ve learned to re-balance purpose and profit.📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPTMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

This week’s Weekly Dwell is a heavier (but important) conversation. I’m talking about something that has stolen joy from my life in the past and still tries to creep in if I’m not careful: the victim trap.This mindset shows up everywhere—in business, marriage, parenting, leadership, and friendships...and often hides behind our best qualities like perseverance, responsibility, and drive. In this episode, I share personal stories of how those gifts can quietly turn into self-sabotage when fear and control take over.Part two is coming next week. Thanks for listening, and I’m really glad you’re here.RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKW

The nature of something changes the outcome...and how that’s true in our walk with God. In this episode I'm sharing a simple, real-life story that led me to think about why faith can feel different in certain seasons, even when we’re doing the same outward things.This is an invitation to slow down, seek Him more intentionally, and grow in understanding who He really is.Scripture I’m dwelling on:“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”— Colossians 3:1–2 (ESV)RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKWMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

What if you get to the end of your year and you feel...disappointed?In this episode, I’m joined by my friend and teammate Becca for an honest conversation about what to do when your year doesn’t go the way you hoped.We talk about the crossroads we all face when something flops or life throws a curveball.Do you panic, pivot, pause, or persevere?I share what 2025 has taught me about releasing control, letting go of unrealistic expectations, and choosing a healthier perspective on disappointment as we head into 2026.📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPTMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

This is the final episode in our Advent Weekly Dwell series. I share how hope doesn’t usually become real for me by accident...it requires a decision.The Christmas story reminds me that even when Jesus was born, very few people actually knew or recognized what had happened.Hope entered the world quietly, and it had to be sought out.It’s never too late to turn your heart toward Him. Even three days before Christmas, we can choose to seek, to soften, and to let the story of Jesus change us... and in turn, change how we show up for our families and our lives!RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKWMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

As the year comes to a close, I’m sharing a different way to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re headed.Instead of asking what worked and what didn’t, I’m asking a deeper question: What still feels magnetic?I walk through what has been truly life-giving for me this year, what has been heavy, and how I’m learning to pay attention to God’s leading instead of forcing excitement that isn’t there anymore.If you’re feeling tired, conflicted, or unsure about what’s next, this episode is an invitation to pause, reflect, and tell yourself the truth.Episode Mentions: Join KJ All Access (Behind The Scenes Membership for Photographers)📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPTMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

Welcome to week three of our Advent Weekly Dwell series. Today I’m talking about something I keep bumping into in my own life — how often I can’t see that what God is doing is actually what I’ve always needed, because it doesn’t look the way I expected.I reflect on how people dismissed Jesus because He came in an unlikely way, and how I do the same thing when my story feels messy or off script. I share a friend’s surprise pregnancy that felt overwhelming until she found out she was carrying the girl she had prayed for...a reminder that God can be giving us the desire of our hearts in a form we don’t recognize at first!!I also open up about my own health journey and the faith it takes to believe I’ll someday look back and see His hand in it. This episode is an invitation to trust that even when life doesn’t look “right,” God may still be writing something good.🎄 Use code KATELYN15 to save 15% on the Good Kind Advent Blocks

Last year I ate a steak and woke up in the middle of the night thinking, “This is it… I might actually die.”My eyes were swollen shut, my body was one big hive, my blood pressure tanked and I collapsed on the bathroom floor. That night led to a diagnosis I had never even heard of before: alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne allergy to mammal products that so many people are being told is a life sentence.MENTION: Dr. Labelle – SAAT Provider in Virginia BeachMy Blog on Alpha Gal📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPTMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

Welcome to week two of our Advent Weekly Dwell series. Today I’m sitting in a truth that keeps hitting me harder the more I think about it: Jesus didn’t have to come the way He did...but He chose to!!I talk through why the humility of the Christmas story isn’t random or weak, but deeply intentional. God wasn’t after a power show. He was after connection. He came close, entered our world as a baby, and lived in our shoes so we could know His love and trust His heart.This week I’m inviting my kids (and myself) to wrestle with the “why” behind the nativity, because the way He came reveals what the gospel has been about all along.🎄 Use code KATELYN15 to save 15% on the Good Kind Advent Blocks *I said we weren't sponsored in the episode, but they recently gave us this code to share!!*RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKWMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

What if the thing that feels like a failure right now is actually part of what’s building your future?Today I’m sharing 10 things I tried in my business that totally flopped. Some were embarrassing. Some were expensive. Some were dreams I was sure would work. And honestly, in the moment, a few of them made me wonder if I was cut out for entrepreneurship at all.But looking back, I can see something I couldn’t see then: so many of my wins were born out of what didn’t work first.In this episode, I’ll walk you through each flop, what it taught me, and how it quietly shaped what came next. And at the end I’m giving you a simple exercise I really want you to try — an “impact web” of your failures — to help you trace the dots between what hurt and what it’s producing.If you’ve been sitting in disappointment, second-guessing yourself, or wondering if you’re falling behind… this is your reminder:You can fail and still be on your way.📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on Instagram 👉 Finally nail your brand voice and show up authentically to your audience with the help of KJ Brand Coach GPTMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

Welcome to episode one of my four-part Advent Weekly Dwell series on having an intentional Christmas. Today I’m focusing on the kids, and the tension I feel every year between chasing the world’s version of “magic” and building a Christmas that actually has depth.I’m reminding myself that a truly magical Christmas can’t come at the cost of my peace. If I’m stressed and running on fumes, that’s not the kind of season I want them to remember. I’m doing a heart check first, then choosing to define Christmas through both joy and meaning.USE CODE KATELYN15 TO SAVE 15% ON YOUR ADVENT BLOCKSFor our family, the anchor tradition is the King Is Coming Advent Blocks. We read the daily devotional, turn a block each night, and let that rhythm keep us centered on what this season is really about.RESOURCESAdvent Blocks - https://geni.us/KJ-advent-blocks *use KATELYN15 to save 15%Listen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKW

"I want to suffer well." (What?!) Yes, suffering is going to happen. And it hasn't been the easiest season in my life currently, but it also has felt like the right season to start this podcast series of The Weekly Dwell. There is always purpose in the pain, and I'm using my life examples of what God is doing to transform my mind. RESOURCESOur Marriage Coach, Julia Woods - https://beautifuloutcome.comListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKWMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

In this episode, I’m sharing the first five changes I’d make if I were starting my crunchy, low-tox living journey all over again. I didn’t grow up this way (hello, Diet Mountain Dew and gummy bears!), so these are the simple, realistic shifts that made the biggest difference for our family, especially after uncovering glyphosate, BPA, and heavy metals in our son’s lab work.The KJP Black Friday Sale is HERE! Shop up to 70% off your photography resources to help you grow your business in 2026! 👉 Shop The Sale! 👉 Read the blog to get all the links I mention!👉 Follow Katelyn on InstagramRESOURCES:Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine Brain Balance Thrive MarketMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

This week, I’m sharing a reminder that’s been close to my heart: we were never meant to fight alone.After a hard night of tears with Michael, I realized how deeply we need to let others in. To ask for prayer, for help, and for community when life feels too heavy.If you’ve been walking through something quietly, this is your invitation to reach out. Let someone step into the fight with you.Scripture I’m dwelling on:“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKW

This one is a wake-up call! I’m sharing the five patterns that quietly end wedding photography brands… and how to turn them around.I’ve coached photographers for 17 years.Within minutes, I can usually tell if a business will make it or burn out.Today I walk through the five red flags I see most often. Use them as a mirror, not a verdict. You’ll hear simple markers for each red flag.You’ll also get practical ways to shift into proactive systems, personal storytelling, and scalable workflows.If this stings a little, take heart!Awareness is step one, and every one of these is fixable.👉 The Business of Wedding Photography is HERE!📲 FREE - "What Your Brand Says About You" Guide🩵 Follow Katelyn on InstagramMentioned in this episode:Get The KJ Brand Coach GPT!Struggling to figure out your brand voice to really propel your marketing forward? Feeling stuck in how to share what's in your heart to your audience? The KJ Brand Coach GPT is for you! START NOW —> https://geni.us/kj-brand-gpt

This week, I’m dwelling on what it means to ask God for manna for today.When life feels overwhelming (financially, emotionally, or physically) it’s easy to pray for the big breakthrough. But lately, I’ve been learning to simply ask, “Lord, will You give me what I need for today?”This shift has brought peace, clarity, and a deeper trust that He provides exactly what’s needed...no more, no less.If you’re anxious about the future, this episode is your reminder:You have enough for today… and He’ll meet you again tomorrow.The KJP Black Friday Sale is HERE! Shop up to 70% off your photography resources to help you grow your business in 2026! 👉 Shop The Sale! RESOURCESListen to more episodes- https://katelynjames.com/podcastFollow Katelyn on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/katelynjamesGet a Bible for $4 on Amazon- https://amzn.to/4nOhhKW