Brands that Book with Davey & Krista Jones

"When you realize how powerful your voice can be or your influence can be and to use that in such a positive way, I feel like that’s really the lightning rod for everything. That’s why getting up at 5 something in the morning is no problem, because I just know with my work, that’s something that I want to consistently instill in everything that I do.”  - Lauren Taylor Today's guest is brand ambassador and content creator, Lauren Taylor. As you'll quickly learn in this interview, Lauren has a lot more going on than that, from self-publishing The Letter magazine to working as a contributing editor for The Everygirl, and as a talent event coordinator for Dote Shopping. She's even in the process of writing a fiction book proposal, all while being a student at Southern New Hampshire University. We cover all that and more in this interview, but we focus on content creation and what she's learned from being a brand ambassador and creator for so many different brands including her own. I think you'll have a hard time walking away from this episode not feeling inspired. The highlights: 06:32 What is a brand ambassador? 08:29 How a post with her grandma and Campbell's soup helped her become a brand ambassador. 10:17 Getting started without a big following. 13:18 Creating content that brands will actually want to share. 15:25 How to write a pitch email and follow-up. 21:14 Is it important to be on specific (social media) platforms? 25:08 How Lauren manages content for so many different brands? 28:27 Building her personal brand vs. creating content for a brand. 34:04 Lauren shares the purpose behind what she does. 39:39 Tips for getting more comfortable with video. 44:51 What she brand ambassador lessons she has learned in her role at Dote Shopping. 51:04 Lauren shares about the fiction book proposal she's working on. Lauren's Biography: As a brand ambassador, content creator, and girl empowerment babe, I’m here to inspire women with big dreams! Encouraging girls to join me in loving our REAL selves so resiliently that we inspire the world to do the same. I’m spreading this movement of love by partnering with women-empowering brands as a speaker, model & ambassador. I’ve got a crush on all of the places I’ve called home, but I’m currently living in San Francisco - and loving it! You can find me obsessing over florals, celebrating the powerful women in my life, always reminding them that together, we are unstoppable! SEE SHOW NOTES FOR LINKS TO RESOURCES

On today’s episode we welcome artist Blakely Little of Blakely Made. Blakely is the first artist that we’ve had on the show. We have known Blakely since she was in high school and it’s been amazing to watch her career evolve, especially recently. If you were to walk into an Anthropologie store today, you would find a line of dishware with Blakely’s art on it. Blakely is inspired by the low country sky, winding waterways, and colorful marshland. Her artwork is the way she expresses the joy she has bundled up inside of her. She likes to paint the way she sees the world: full of color in unlikely places. Today we’re chatting to Blakely about making a living as an artist and her recent collaboration with Anthropologie. She is giving us her insights into creative work, staying inspired, to creating when you don’t feel like it, and much more! Key Points From This Episode: Blakely’s path that led her to a career in art. How Florence sparked Blakely’s impressionistic, colourful style of art. Transitioning to a full time artist. How in every series there are about five pieces of art that get lost along the way. The valuable lesson in creating, whether it’s good or bad. Managing the business side of art. Blakely’s first artwork sale. Pricing artwork according to size. Capturing feelings in paintings. Using Instagram, bloggers and interior designers to market her work. Gaining a following through galleries and art shows. What sparked Blakely’s collaboration with Anthropologie. Promoting the collaboration through photos and social media. Getting out and staying inspired through travel. Understanding it’s a job although you’re a creative. Switching things up to encourage you to keep on going. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Blakely Little — https://blakelymade.com/ Blakely on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/blakelymade/ Blakely Made on Anthropologie — https://www.anthropologie.com/brands/blakely-made Lulie Wallace — https://www.luliewallace.com/ Teil Duncan — https://www.teilduncan.com/ Raven Roxanne — https://ravenroxanne.com/ For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-blakely-little-episode-19/

Today’s guest—who for many needs no introduction—is photographer Katelyn James. Katelyn started her photography business during her junior year of college and since then has shot hundreds of weddings alongside her husband Michael, and been featured in national publications such as The Knot, Southern Weddings, BRIDES and others. Beyond that, Katelyn has influenced the wedding photography industry in so many different ways—especially when it comes to marketing one’s business. So it makes sense that thousands of photographers have enrolled in her online courses and her newest membership program: KJ All-Access, where one gets behind-the-scenes access to real weddings, engagements, and portrait shoots. During this interview, I wanted to discuss how Katelyn would market a business if she was starting one today. We reflect on how she built her business, why she started blogging both her professional work and stuff from her personal life, the importance of networking, mistakes she sees business make today, and her approach to marketing. The highlights: 03:30 The first time I met Katelyn 09:01 How Katelyn started her business 13:56 What drove inquiries early in her business. 19:53 How Katelyn decides what to share of her personal life. 24:19 Where she would start if she was building a business today. 30:55 The value of blogging today. 32:10 The most effective way to approach networking. 33:52 The power of building relationships within your industry. 38:56 Where Katelyn focuses her social media efforts. 40:34 Are email lists worth it? 43:15 The benefits of building a community around your business. 50:58 Choosing to focus on your own business and not what everyone else is doing. 55:54 What marketing mistakes Katelyn sees people making. 1:02:21 What you need to do if you want to raise your prices and have longevity in your business. Katelyn started her professional photography journey as a Junior in college and was shooting 25+ weddings annually within her second year. After growing her business and gaining recognition in national publications such as Professional Photographers Magazine, The Knot, Southern Living Weddings, Southern Weddings and multiple other online publications such a Style Me Pretty, BRIDES, Inspired by This, Real Simple, etc. She then began teaching and coaching photographers from all over the country and internationally. In 2015 she was named “Top Ten Educators to Watch” by Rangefinder Magazine and has had the honor of speaking at conferences such as WPPI, United, Creative at Heart, Local PPA meetings, The Rising Tide Summit, The Reset Conference, The Pursuit Conference, Making Things Happen, The Connect Retreat, Blink and more! Katelyn hosts 2-day workshops throughout the year at her home in Richmond, VA. In 2012 Katelyn was joined by her husband Michael and they are officially a husband/wife team. Since joining forces, Katelyn and Michael average 12-15 weddings annually while teaching thousands of photographers through their online courses and KJ All Access monthly membership program! They are parents to their daughter Everly, their son James in heaven and are puppy parents to Bokeh, the Bichpoo! They are passionate about traveling, home design, & spending time dreaming and brainstorming with their closest friends!! See the episode notes at https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-katelyn-james-episode-18 for links to resources.

Vanessa is a Pinterest Marketing Strategist for creative small businesses. Using YouTube and her blog, she helps creative small businesses blossom by creating traffic-generating Pinterest strategies to increase their visibility. Juggling the demands of her own budding business with those of family and home, she specializes in efficient productivity, making the most out of every moment, and every pin! Hailing originally from the great state of Texas, she has lived in two foreign countries and enjoys traveling with her three sweet daughters and memory-seeking husband while residing in the Pacific Northwest. The highlights: 02:10 How Vanessa became a Pinterest Marketing Strategist 06:27 The biggest benefit when people use Pinterest correctly 09:46 Advantages of Pinterest and opportunity in Pinterest versus Instagram, Google, etc. 15:23 The Pinterest Smart Feed 16:41 What to put in your Pinterest Business Profile 17:22 The three most common mistakes people make on Pinterest / Best image ratio for Pinterest 18:53 An easy-to-implement tip to get people to click-through on Pinterest to your website. 20:51 Finding the right keywords on Pinterest 26:57 How consistency leads to more visibility (and a tool to help) 31:16 Pinterest Strategies for 2018 34:45 Do followers matter on Pinterest? 37:00 Creating multiple pins for the same post. 38:41 What kind Pins work for Vanessa. 40:40 Where to use keywords besides pin-descriptions (and how many keywords to use) 44:00 What are some ways to make a website Pinterest Marketing friendly? 46:03 Tips specifically for wedding photographers. 49:53 Creating a Tailwind Tribe For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-vanessa-kynes-episode-17/

Today's guest is farmer, entrepreneur, and wedding venue owner, Buddy Powers. Buddy and his wife Jill own Big Spring Farm, a wedding venue in Lexington, Virginia that hosts over 50 events a year and has been featured in places like The Knot and Style Me Pretty. Today he's chatting with us about starting and running a wedding venue and he's also sharing a little bit about how other vendors can serve venues. The highlights: 02:49 The transition from farming to starting a wedding venue. 06:06  How Buddy and Jill found Big Spring Farm 10:53 What Buddy looked for in a wedding venue property. 13:51 The biggest challenge they faced in starting a wedding venue 16:00 How to navigate zoning and other government related tasks 20:44 A few things Buddy and Jill did their first year that was instrumental in building momentum for Big Spring. 24:56 The first steps people should take when starting a wedding venue, and a few things to avoid. 30:58 How did you build strong relationships with other vendors and clients? 38:02 What are some ways other vendors can serve venues well? Buddy Powers is a farmer, entrepreneur, and business coach. After an internship at the world renowned sustainable livestock farm, Polyface Farm, and almost 8 years in the wedding photography industry with his wife Jillian Michelle, the couple launched Big Spring Farm. This venture melds the Powers passions of living in harmony with the land and creating gorgeous spaces for hosting events. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest Resources Mentioned in the Episode: The Venue Helper The First 3 Steps to Starting a Wedding Venue For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-buddy-powers-episode-16/

Today's guest is Jamie Kutchman of Marigold and Grey, a company that provides artisan gifts for weddings, events and businesses. In today's episode, Jamie shares with us how her past work prepared her for her entrepreneurial journey, how a pivot early in her business led to huge growth, and tips for effective client gifting. The highlights: 02:15 How a background in internet and medical sales prepared Jamie for entrepreneurship. 09:39 The stress of starting a business vs. the stress of being an employee in a business. 11:33 The disastrous event that led to the gifting business idea. 16:43 An assumption didn’t play out, and a pivot that led to major growth. 24:27 The challenges of client gifting and how to get started. 27:57 Thinking through what to gift your clients. 30:45 How much to spend on client gifts 34:58 When to outsource your client gifting 37:11 Tips for DIY client gifting 41:24 Expanding to serve corporate clients and how they found Marigold & Grey 43:45 How Jamie’s new website will more effectively serve different segments of her customers. Jamie bid farewell to the corporate world to start M&G. This makes sense since gift giving has always been her love language. She lives with her golf-smitten husband, Jeff, in the DC area. After meeting in 2010 and marrying in 2012, thanks to eHarmony, Jamie affectionately refers to Jeff as the best thing she’s ever found online. Jamie is a stepmom of three and more recently, a mom to two rescue pups, Lewis & Clarkie. While she enjoys DC life, she's a true Virginia girl at heart. Aside from gift design, it's good bourbon and bbq, Redskins football, prop styling, encouraging other entrepreneurs, and long weekend getaways that make her world go round. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-jamie-kutchman-episode-15/

Videographer and podcaster Tyler Herrinton shares how to use video to elevate your brand. The highlights: 02:36 - How Tyler got into video. 07:48 - When Ashley, his wife, joined him in the business. 13:56 - Why there is suddenly such a demand for video from business owners. 19:08 - Why everyone should incorporate video into their marketing strategy on some level. 20:22 - Where to get started with video. 24:21 - How video can build trust with your audience. 26:31 - The opportunity available on YouTube (and why people can forgive video quality if it’s not 100%). 33:46 - The one thing that people CANNOT forgive when it comes to video. 36:27 - Where to get started with audio equipment. 44:15 - Why there’s value in hiring a professional to put together a promotional film. 50:46 - Video and social media Tyler is one half of the husband and wife videography duo, The Herrintons. Ty’s gift for storytelling began as just a young kid with a camcorder filming skits of his siblings in their day-to-day life. He can often be found browsing recent tech reviews, Apple products, or latest industry trends; he’s a sharp dresser, quick thinker, and an avid explorer. Ty is also the host of the podcast Ty's Tech Line.  For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-tyler-herrinton-episode-14/

Christina Scalera, attorney and founder of The Contract Shop, joins Davey for a discussion on effective client contracts. We cover questions like who needs a contract, common contract mistakes, what needs to be in a contract, and how to work the contract into the client experience. The highlights: 3:06 - From law school to yoga teacher to attorney for creatives 13:16 - Who needs a contract? And why is it such an afterthought for people? 21:52 - Why a contract benefits both parties. 24:58 - How can we make client contracts work for us in the client experience? 28:48 - Dealing with people asking to add or take things out of a contract. 35:48 - Why Davey & Krista never change their contract for anyone. 38:46 - The most common mistakes Christina sees people make with contracts. 44:12 - Who should sign the contract? Is it okay for the mother of the bride to sign the contract? 47:59 - Why you shouldn't be scared of getting specific in your contract? Christina Scalera is the attorney and founder behind The Contract Shop, a contract template store for creative entrepreneurs, wedding professionals, and coaches. Three years ago, Christina found herself dreaming of pursuing a more creative path, and she started to look for alternatives to her in-house legal job. She explored everything from teaching yoga to becoming a freelance graphic designer to opening an Etsy shop. In the process, she ended up coming full circle by creating a business that brought the benefit of her legal training to help her fellow creatives. When she’s not staring at a computer or awkwardly standing on cafe chairs for the perfect overhead latte photo, you can find her in the woods doing things that are sometimes dangerous but always fun, like riding horses, skiing and reluctantly camping. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-christina-scalera-episode-13/

Reina Pomeroy is the Founder of Reina + Co, the Life + Biz Success Coaching® Practice for creatives who are right brained and heart centered. She helps clients stop spinning their wheels and take action on what’s most important so they can become the go-to expert in their industry. She is a Coach, Speaker, Educator, Author of the Big Plan for the Creative Mind, and Podcaster. Reina is a host of the Creative Empire Podcast and the Fueled with Heart Podcast to educate new entrepreneurs. Reina’s work has been featured on the Entrepreneur on Fire Podcast, Entrepreneur.com, Brit + Co, The Huffington Post, and the Rising Tide Society. Find out your secret sauce and where to put your focus at www.reinaandco.com. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-reina-pomeroy-episode-12/

Terri Baskin is a Virginia-based international wedding photographer whose style is authentic, romantic and fun. Terri genuinely approaches each client relationship seeking to understand their uniqueness and their love story. Terri connects with couples who value their authenticity yet trusts her creative process. Like many photographers, Terri started her photography business she was working full time. Terri has maintained a full-time job while effectively growing her business primarily though referrals.Terri has been fortunate enough to share experiences at the WeSpeak Conference, Black Bride Bridal Brunch, The Bridal Space Podcasts and Showit United 2017. For the show notes, go to https://daveyandkrista.com/btb-terri-baskin-episode-11/