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

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

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

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

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

But it hasn’t been plain sailing.

Brianna emailed Laurie and me to say this:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• How she turned a challenging campaign into a powerful learning experience


• Why starting early is the secret weapon for successful photography campaigns


• The real reason she chose motherhood over a proven 40 Over 40 campaign


• How following her passion still grew her brand — even without profit


• Why planning around key dates (like Mother’s Day) can boost your campaign’s emotional impact


• A look inside her PR strategy and how she got stories about her clients published


• The power of storytelling in photography marketing — and how to get media attention


• How a clear sponsorship package helped secure $7,500 in funding


• Sponsorship secrets — what brands really want in return, and how to pitch it


• From wildfires to White House shifts — how external events tested her resilience


• Why building community at her event was more valuable than cash


• How one unforgettable gala moment (and a trip onstage!) made the event more human


• Why perfection isn’t the goal — connection and visibility are


• How involving friends and family created a stronger, more supported launch


• The unexpected ways a campaign like this can elevate your photography brand


• Brianna’s plan to scale next year with more shoots, more vendors, and more visibility


• Why adapting proven templates to fit your purpose is the key to authentic marketing


• What every photographer should know before launching a passion-driven campaign


• The power of perseverance — how setbacks became stepping stones


• How you can learn from Brianna’s wins and mistakes to design a passion-fuelled, profitable project of your own


• How to turn a one-off campaign into an annual tradition and business builder

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