Creative Banter Podcast

Madeline is one of the hosts at Creative Banter and we dive in to get to know her more! She talks about her photography background, her opinions on art, and the creative community she built.

Show Notes:

00:45

What does Madeline photograph?

1:12

What type of photography is Madeline definitely not interested in?

1:40

Madeline talks about her love for both natural and studio lighting.

2:57

Madeline talks about her intuitive creativity.

3:35

How does Madeline stay original when doing a lot of the same type of shoots?

5:57

Madeline’s take on her formal photography education in college and how it does or doesn’t affect her career now.

7:30

Madeline’s advice to newbies on how best to learn photography in the start of their career.

8:53

How does Madeline handle creative mental blocks?

10:20

If Madeline’s creative work were edible then what would it be?

11:20

Madeline explains what inspired her to grow the community DFW Creatives!

15:05

Madeline expands on DFW Creatives and the retreats that the community is now offering.

16:00

What are Madeline’s creative goals for 2020?

17:00

Harlee asks Madeline, “How do you define art?” and Madeline explains how philosophical that question is to her.

21:25

What does Madeline listen to while editing? Music? Podcasts? TV?

23:52

Madeline talks about her favorite time to shoot in the day and how she is absolutely not a morning person.

27:19

Madeline talks about her upcoming Big Bend retreat that she’s planning!

Harlee and Madeline jump on a phone call to record an episode over today's holiday - St. Patrick's Day. The Creative Banter hosts love to incorporate every holiday into their sessions! 

Currently, public places are shut down due to Corona so Harlee and Madeline are adjusting with studio recording and they talk about their current life updates and situations with what's going on.

We also ask for movie suggestions while we are quarantined at home! Are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day at home today? Drink a green beer and Guinness for us! 

Harlee and Madeline jump on a phone call to record an episode over today's holiday - St. Patrick's Day. The Creative Banter hosts love to incorporate every holiday into their sessions! 

Currently, public places are shut down due to Corona so Harlee and Madeline are adjusting with studio recording and they talk about their current life updates and situations with what's going on.

We also ask for movie suggestions while we are quarantined at home! Are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day at home today? Drink a green beer and Guinness for us! 

We get to know a lot about our host Heather Askins of Heather Buckley Photography in this episode! Harlee and Madeline ask her all kinds of business questions so we can learn more about her journey and passion for photography.

Learn what Heather’s photography work would be if it were edible! Hear about past struggles that made her a better business owner today and what she would tell herself five years ago now.

Heather gives us a lot of insight into being a good business owner as a creative. She’s an amazing photographer who treats her clients like royalty and we are so happy to share her words with you!

Show Notes:

00:20

Heather nervously exclaims that she hates being the center of attention haha

1:17

Heather talks about how she got into photography and what inspired her! Hint: It started with senior photography. No surprise there!

2:50

If Heather could give herself advice 5 years ago then what would she tell herself?

5:25

What non-photography things keep Heather inspired?

6:18

Heather talks about some of the best advice she’s ever been given.

7:24

On the business side, Heather talks reoccurring struggles she deals with.

9:15

Heather gives advice to young photographers just starting out.

14:10

We talk creative intuition versus practicing creativity like a muscle.

15:20

Heather talks about how she keeps her work original and true to herself.

18:23

What type of photography does Heather DEFINITELY not have interested shooting?

20:07

If Heather’s creative work were edible then what would it be?

23:00

Editing or Shooting: Which one does Heather like more?

23:27

Out of these three things, which of these does Heather focus on the most? Emotion, lighting, or composition?

25:13

Heather talks about her dream senior shoots! It includes destination shoots.

27:18

Heather expands on her senior teams and how fun they are!

29:03

If Heather was given $10,000 for her business then what would she do with it?

You can find Heather here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherbuckleyphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherbuckleyphoto/

Website: https://www.heatherbuckleyphotography.com/?fbclid=IwAR12lYxaNfeM0a0gy0PuZeqYWiLCibDWaalAtY5w41zFFHEkr1QAz8NPJp8

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherBphotos

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast/

We get to know a lot about our host Heather Askins of Heather Buckley Photography in this episode! Harlee and Madeline ask her all kinds of business questions so we can learn more about her journey and passion for photography.

Learn what Heather’s photography work would be if it were edible! Hear about past struggles that made her a better business owner today and what she would tell herself five years ago now.

Heather gives us a lot of insight into being a good business owner as a creative. She’s an amazing photographer who treats her clients like royalty and we are so happy to share her words with you!

Show Notes:

00:20

Heather nervously exclaims that she hates being the center of attention haha

1:17

Heather talks about how she got into photography and what inspired her! Hint: It started with senior photography. No surprise there!

2:50

If Heather could give herself advice 5 years ago then what would she tell herself?

5:25

What non-photography things keep Heather inspired?

6:18

Heather talks about some of the best advice she’s ever been given.

7:24

On the business side, Heather talks reoccurring struggles she deals with.

9:15

Heather gives advice to young photographers just starting out.

14:10

We talk creative intuition versus practicing creativity like a muscle.

15:20

Heather talks about how she keeps her work original and true to herself.

18:23

What type of photography does Heather DEFINITELY not have interested shooting?

20:07

If Heather’s creative work were edible then what would it be?

23:00

Editing or Shooting: Which one does Heather like more?

23:27

Out of these three things, which of these does Heather focus on the most? Emotion, lighting, or composition?

25:13

Heather talks about her dream senior shoots! It includes destination shoots.

27:18

Heather expands on her senior teams and how fun they are!

29:03

If Heather was given $10,000 for her business then what would she do with it?

You can find Heather here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherbuckleyphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherbuckleyphoto/

Website: https://www.heatherbuckleyphotography.com/?fbclid=IwAR12lYxaNfeM0a0gy0PuZeqYWiLCibDWaalAtY5w41zFFHEkr1QAz8NPJp8

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherBphotos

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast/

We get to know a lot about our host Heather Askins of Heather Buckley Photography in this episode! Harlee and Madeline ask her all kinds of business questions so we can learn more about her journey and passion for photography.

Learn what Heather’s photography work would be if it were edible! Hear about past struggles that made her a better business owner today and what she would tell herself five years ago now.

Heather gives us a lot of insight into being a good business owner as a creative. She’s an amazing photographer who treats her clients like royalty and we are so happy to share her words with you!

Show Notes:

00:20

Heather nervously exclaims that she hates being the center of attention haha

1:17

Heather talks about how she got into photography and what inspired her! Hint: It started with senior photography. No surprise there!

2:50

If Heather could give herself advice 5 years ago then what would she tell herself?

5:25

What non-photography things keep Heather inspired?

6:18

Heather talks about some of the best advice she’s ever been given.

7:24

On the business side, Heather talks reoccurring struggles she deals with.

9:15

Heather gives advice to young photographers just starting out.

14:10

We talk creative intuition versus practicing creativity like a muscle.

15:20

Heather talks about how she keeps her work original and true to herself.

18:23

What type of photography does Heather DEFINITELY not have interested shooting?

20:07

If Heather’s creative work were edible then what would it be?

23:00

Editing or Shooting: Which one does Heather like more?

23:27

Out of these three things, which of these does Heather focus on the most? Emotion, lighting, or composition?

25:13

Heather talks about her dream senior shoots! It includes destination shoots.

27:18

Heather expands on her senior teams and how fun they are!

29:03

If Heather was given $10,000 for her business then what would she do with it?

You can find Heather here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherbuckleyphotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherbuckleyphoto/

Website: https://www.heatherbuckleyphotography.com/?fbclid=IwAR12lYxaNfeM0a0gy0PuZeqYWiLCibDWaalAtY5w41zFFHEkr1QAz8NPJp8

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherBphotos

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Positivity is a hot topic. But what is it? And how do you practice it?

From Law of Attraction, energy, and gratitude, we discuss all things about positive mindsets. Your mindset affects your business and creativity and we believe in the power of mental strength being a backbone for reaching your goals.

Hear what we have to say about healthy positivity versus toxic positivity, manifestation, and forming a mindset of abundance.

“The peace of mind I’ve been getting from my mindset lately….I feel so stable that [stress] can’t shake me anymore and it makes me go after my business in a way where I couldn’t even more forward before out of paralysis and anxiety.” - Madeline

Show Notes:

00:20

The history of Law of Attraction

2:22

Definition of Law of Attraction

3:05

When is the first time we discovered Law of Attraction?

6:15

Harlee share’s a personal story of how you feed off of the energy you surround yourself with.

7:18

How being creative and putting yourself in meditative states bring positivity to your mind.

“When you’re creating art, you open your mind up to a meditative state.”

8:50

What is Toxic Positivity vs Positivity? How to accept negative emotions from yourself and others!

16:03

Being transparent and not “good vibes only” all the time is important. This even affects your brand and business and how your audience connects to you.

18:35

A positive mindset is the most important aspect when running a business. Mental strength is vital.

21:36

Awareness of your emotions and behavior is key as opposed to avoidance and putting yourself in a negative vicious cycle.

22:20

How do creatives bring a positive mindset into their business?

27:28

Positive shared energy from your community is a great way to connect to others and succeed.

33:50

Gratitude Journaling: A wonderful way to grow a strong mindset.

Handling stress in difficult times can be more manageable with a positive mindset.

................................................................................................

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast/

As photographers, a big part of our job is location scouting. We want to have go-to spots to shoot at for our clients.

Different clients will want different things so how do we figure out where and when to shoot at different places?

Hear how the three photographers of Creative Banter work location scouting and hear their dos and don’ts!

Show Notes:

00:20

Why we location scout and find it so important!

1:00

It’s imperative to know your actual location before shooting there.

1:18

How do we find our locations?

2:20

Heather could be a detective because of her location scouting skills!

3:49

How to make sure you aren’t on private property and trespassing - You have to have permits in certain places while other public or private places will kick you out.

9:10

Safety is important! How to make sure a place is safe and why.

9:40

Locations change based on time of day and sun angle – Heather talks about an app she uses just for this. We discuss golden hour in an urban setting versus in a nature setting and how that changes lighting.

11:11

Madeline travels all over for locations and talks about how she plans them out with her clients.

12:58

Heather gives her clients a list of locations they can choose from and talks how she does this and why.

13:55

Do you scout an actual venue location before a shoot?

14:50

How we save spots we have seen in person and don’t want to forget on our printed or digital maps with notes about why we like the location.

16:43

Back to safety – this is so important, photogs! It’s ok to say no to a location and to your client. Also, know your clients before showing up to locations alone!

19:40

Harlee expands on the importance of safety with knowing your photog if you’re a client and vice versa!

20:54

Photographers – stop asking your clients to do dangerous things in precarious locations! Communicate with your clients and make sure they are communicating with you.

22:20

Photographers asking other photographers for locations: navigating how to ask and why you should be okay with rejection.

25:37

Heather makes an important point – it’s not about this huge, grand scene. Some of the best locations are simple and as a good photographer you can make a spot look great. It’s not all about location.

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast/

We LOVE to celebrate the holidays at Creative Banter so we always add in personal stories and fun facts surrounding each holiday we feature. Whether you hate Valentine's Day or not, we have some fun banter over here about this love day. 

Heather has a fantastic Valentine's story. HINT: a stupid boy leads to a best friend. 

At one point, Madeline needs to clarify a historic fact involving naked men spanking clothed women.

Happy Love Day, everyone! 

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast

Inside tips from Tiffany Hopwood, CPA! She tells us everything we need to know about documenting and filing for taxes. Tiffany is also a professional photographer so she has a lot of knowledge and empathy for us small, creative business owners.

Tiffany loves working with the new business owners the most – “In one hour from now, when you leave here, you’re going to feel so much more confident and so much better than you did and that’s so rewarding to me!”

Taxes can be intimidating and difficult but if you hire a good CPA like Tiffany then they can help you sort everything out and it’s not even time consuming.

“You can live chat me anytime and I’ll answer your questions. I get random tax questions all the time and I absolutely love answering them. It’s absolutely free – no obligation. I just like helping people get their businesses set up correctly so they don’t have to be scared of taxes.” - Tiffany

Show Notes:

1:04

Tiffany, a CPA and photographer, introduces herself.

2:50

What made Tiffany want to be a CPA?

3:34

The 5 questions we ask each guest. Tiffany goes more into detail on her photography career as well!

10:58

As a CPA, whom does Tiffany typically work with?

12:15

If Tiffany could tell all small business owners one thing before they came in to see her then what would it be?

13:42

The most common question Tiffany gets from photographers.

15:43

Tiffany gives us info on LLC versus Sole Proprietor.

17:20

What are the main steps to take when starting a business and filing taxes? Find a system!

1. QuickBooks or studio management software. 2. Decide LLC vs Sole Prop. 3. Reserve website and domain names. 4. Register for franchise tax and register for sales tax. 5. Keep you personal and business accounts separate.

19:30

Keeping personal and business bank accounts separate: how to and why!

20:27

Sales Tax! Add it into your business plan and how to do this. Sales Tax also varies per state.

22:57

How do you document and then file taxes for when you get paid in cash? Documenting all revenue is important for goals and business plans.

24:19

What are expenses that photographers or business owners don’t think they can write off? What are things you can’t write off but is a common mistake?

From clothes and coffee to rent and car payments: how and what to write off.

29:36

How soon should someone reach out to Tiffany before taxes are due? She breaks down how to organize your total income and a list of expenses by type that you can bring to her so she can start working with you.

31:44

Mileage vs Gas : how to document and write off.

35:40

Hobby vs Business – The IRS is strict on how you file.

36:54

How much time does a CPA typically need from a new business owner for filing? Tiffany typically meets in 1-hour increments. First, Tiffany goes over all questions. Then she goes over the accounting software you use and will fix issues. Further meetings will take place as needed.

38:21

Where is Tiffany located if they want to meet in person?

39:44

This or That!

You can find Tiffany here:

https://www.facebook.com/TiffanyHopwoodCPA/

https://www.tiffanyhopwoodphotography.com/

You can find Creative Banter Podcast here:

Website - https://creativebanter.wixsite.com/podcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/creativebanterpodcast/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/creativebanterpodcast/