Ask me anything! In today’s episode, I’m sharing my first-ever Q+A chat and answering some of your questions. These questions are across the board for photography, intuitive content coaching, branding, personal life, and business.  

On Quianna Marie Weekly, we’re chatting about business growing pains, finding genuine connections, and celebrating wins of all sizes through the lens of a photographer at heart. Sprinkled throughout stories and interviews with past clients, photographers and other business owners this podcast is designed to help you step into your purpose and to truly create a life you’re proud of, a life worth photographing and sharing.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by The Green House, my resource garden for photographers! Let me help you AMPLIFY your heart online and in real life to turn bridesmaids into future brides through templates, workshops, and freebies!

Review The Show Notes: 

The Green House (5:46)

How Do You Remember To Take B-Roll? (6:30)

When Is The Best Time To Book A Brand Shoot? (11:10)

How Do You Stay So Positive And Happy? (16:15)

What’s Going On With Your New Fixer-Upper? (23:34)

Mentioned In This Episode:

The Green House: quiannamarie.com/shop

Easy B-Roll Ideas For Business Owners: quiannamarie.com/broll

Episodes 150-171 The Branding Series: quiannamarieblog.com/2025/01/05

Episode 133 Easily Connect With Content: quiannamarieblog.com/2024/04/08/133

Episode 130 Business, Sports, And Great Hair: quiannamarieblog.com/2024/03/18/130

Jamie Garland Hair: instagram.com/jamiegarlandhair

Review the Transcript:

Have you ever wondered what makes a business or someone professional? Is it experience? Is it their confidence? What makes someone legit or not? I’m not talking about faking a law degree or cheating on medical tests over here. I’m talking about the creative and entrepreneurial space. What makes you a professional?

I remember about 11 or 12 years ago, I had the opportunity to photograph a professional skateboarder. If you grew up in the nineties, Tony Hawk was a pretty big deal. Through the city, my aunt had her team post an event at one of San Jose’s newest skate parks. And when I say newest, I think it was the first and biggest skate park in the city of San Jose.

To build hype and celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new skate park, my aunt commissioned me to help photograph the event. At the time, I was working two jobs, plus babysitting, and taking photos to make money on the side. Literally on top of all of that, your girl was always a hustler. I was hustling, but still not completely shooting in manual yet, if you know what I mean.

I had an eye for photography and loved working with people, but I still had a lot to learn. My aunt asked me if I could make some name tag badges for myself and our little crew. Yes, when I say little crew, I even asked my friend Kelly that worked with me at Trader Joe’s at the time to help photograph with me.

I’m telling you, we didn’t know what we were doing, but we were more stoked to see Tony Hawk and so we were just going to figure it out. I asked my aunt what she needed and she asked me to create badges to look professional so security will let me through the park and we’ll be taken seriously as the hired professionals instead of just the fans.

They needed those professional photos and wanted us to get up close. Plus, this was over a decade ago, Facebook was only available to college students with a legit college email. If you’re old enough to remember that, oh my gosh, it was a real thing. And Snapchat wasn’t even available yet. They really relied on us to get those shots.

So back to the badges, I created a picture on Photoshop, use big red font that probably wasn’t so cute, but the big font said photography with press pass underneath it. I even went to OfficeMax to pick up those lanyard name badges, you know, like the, the ones that you would see like at conferences and events today.

Yeah, those really weren’t a thing. They were actually kind of hard to find. And so I was able to find him after going to a couple different office stores. But I really needed them for the legitness and I do air quotes over here, legitness. My Photoshop skills weren’t that great, but I printed them at Long’s, which is now CVS or Walgreens for their one hour photo, cut them out and slid them into the plastic badge holder.

I thought they looked all right and could pass as a media pass. When we got to the event, we were escorted behind the doors to meet Tony Hawk and a couple more professional skaters. I wish I remember their names. I’m just not that cool. Maybe my brother would remember. But, having that photoshopped badge felt like my ticket in.

It was then, holding my homemade media pass, that I realized, anyone can do this. No really, any Joe Schmo can have an inside connection, whip up a badge, and be taken seriously. It’s like all of a sudden something clicked that nobody really knows what they’re doing. Nobody really has the answers. We’re all just showing up and making things happen.

I’m sharing this to remind you what’s the badge or media pass you’re working towards. What’s something on your list of things to do that you feel once you get it done, you’ll be taken seriously. Once you attend that event, earn that certificate, pass that test, or reach that certain metrics on social media, will you consider yourself a professional?

I want you to know this right now, right this second. You are a professional. Having experiences in your field, perfecting your craft, and establishing your business with referrals takes time. You have lived experiences and created results with what you were given. People need to know your story and how you can help them now.

If that feels hard to believe right now, try redirecting that thought to the fact that you’re taking your business seriously. You have a serious passion about your work. You are serious about making an impact. You are serious about making changes for your family, your lineage, and our communities. All of us are simply trying to be taken seriously.

For today’s episode, I’m going to roll out some frequently asked questions and some questions I just got from Instagram. When I dropped a question box, these questions are across the board for photography, intuitive content, coaching, branding, life, and business. I’ve always loved these episodes on other podcasts, because sometimes I hear questions that I didn’t even think to ask.

We’re keeping it lighthearted, going deep, and even getting personal. Tie up your shoes for your morning walk, get back to editing, or simply tune in on the go. P. S. I’d love to see what you’re up to while you’re listening. Please take a photo of what you’re up to and share that you’re tuning in. As soon as I see it, literally the millisecond that I see it, I will reshare and repost.

I just love you so much. Okay, ready, babe. Let’s get this party started. I have some burning questions. I can’t wait to answer. Let’s go.

Welcome to Quianna Marie Weekly, a podcast for creatives who love to celebrate wins, big or small by dancing in the kitchen, photographers who are excited to serve their clients and friends who are ready to chase.

It’s really, really big dreams. You can find all of the resources mentioned in this episode at kiannamarie. com slash podcast. Join me as I share weekly motivation, chat about growing pains, finding genuine connections and celebrating your wins. Through the lens of a photographer at heart. Come join me for a dance party.

Ready? Let’s go.

This episode is brought to you by the greenhouse, the resource garden for photographers and entrepreneurs to help you thrive through all seasons of life. Check out kianamarie. com slash shop to grab free guides, mini courses, resources, and tons of education to grow your goals. Plant big dreams and bloom abundance.

One product I am so, so hyped to share with you is the Bloom with B Roll. This B Roll basic course is designed to help you get started today capturing your magic, sharing that you are a professional and that you can be taken seriously. So head over to kianamarie. com slash shop. I also have all the links on the show notes as well as my Instagram as well.

Can’t wait to see you there. Okay, let’s get started with this first question. This first one is from Christina in Arizona. How do you remember to take B roll? I’m always so focused on my clients or at an event that I forget. Okay, this one is so fun and this is a good one to start with because it’s one of my most frequently asked questions, truly the hardest and I have it all caps.

The hardest part about behind the scenes and B roll content is simply remembering. Let’s start with why B roll is so important because we tend to remember the things that mean the most to us. And if you’re still on the thought train that capturing B roll is like adding another thing on your plate, it doesn’t sound fun or.

It’s not something that feels easy to generate more leads, then, of course, you’re going to keep forgetting. I prioritize recording B roll at every single photo shoot, event, meetup, and client experience. I’m sharing lots of grace here because I’ve been doing it for so long that I’m literally wired like it’s literally in my brain and it’s just as important as charging my camera batteries and sipping water during a photo shoot.

I’m not even kidding. I take it that seriously. I just do it with fluidity and consistency. I know that when I capture behind the scenes at my photo shoots, I get more increase. People see that I’m in demand. My value skyrockets and it opens a door to new networks and new opportunities. Okay, but how? Let’s get back to the question.

How do I remember? Let’s start with invitation content. When I think of, and I’m doing air quotes here, inviting new dream clients to my business, I have to lay out the details and make it easy to follow along. Let’s say for example, I’m rolling out invitation content to work with me using the who, what, when, and where method.

Let’s start with who, who am I, I literally want you to break this down like a third grader here. What’s your name? What’s your business? And by sharing a quick introduction as a smiling selfie, video intro, or even just a headshot, start with who you are. This is something that can be repeated, re shared, just updated all the time.

You are constantly meeting new people. You are constantly being exposed to new circles, new friends, new opportunities. And those people that follow you don’t know your life story. So even just starting out with that simple who, you’re inviting them to get to know you. Okay, let’s roll into the next one.

What? What do you do? How do you help your clients? What transformation are you delivering? What experience are you sharing for your clients? What can they expect from you? B roll clips for this can be quick snippets of your client experience, hyperlapse videos of you at your next shoot, or literally doing anything while working.

I know I speak to a lot of photographers here on the podcast because that is my background. That’s my wheelhouse, but literally insert your business, insert your passions. What is it that you do? People need to see it. Okay. And the next one is when, at what point. Should your dream clients reach out to work with you?

When is your next event? How can people get on your calendar? Again, these are all just ways to add context and little reminders for captions for you. These B roll clips can be pieces of your client experience again, your travels or more behind the scenes of working moments. So I’m sharing these things like little, just little reminders, right?

Like the who, what, when, where. Let’s get into the where. Where are you located? Where is the location of your next client experience? Are you working from your home office, out at a venue, or exploring nature for your next adventure? These b roll clips are perfect for location details, sharing pieces of your working environment.

I go into the strategy way deeper on episode number 133, connect with content, definitely circle back to that one and add to your playlist if this is a concept that you want to dive into deeper back to Christina’s question of always trying to remember, trust me, it gets easier with time, but the easiest part is remembering why it’s So important making B roll and behind the scenes video has been a priority for me and my business sharing these clips on social media, tagging friends, vendors, and clients that happily reshare make content creation, not only fun, but reach so much farther.

Make sure to grab my free guide, easy B roll ideas for business owners at KianaMarie. com slash B roll. It’s Q U I A N N A Marie dot com slash b roll and the B R O L has no hyphen. I also have it linked in the show notes as well and linked on my Instagram too so you can easily grab it and learn more.

All right, moving on to the next question. This one is from Julian Scottsdale, Arizona. When is the best time to book a brand shoot? First of all, simply because you’re interested in learning when is a good time already tells me you’re interested and you’re looking for a sign or permission to book a call and get on the calendar.

This is good news. I mean, this is great news, but you may be thinking, well, duh, Ki, you’re a photographer. And of course, always, right now, today is the best time to book. Let’s dig a little bit deeper to meet your needs right now. Sometimes we really need to burn everything down and start over with a legit styled brand session.

Other times, we just need a handful of fresh headshots and updates. Sometimes we even need something in between those two, right? So for context, Julie is a healer and online coach. She has some legit brand photos sprinkled with reels and earthy, reiki, meditation, and breathwork videos on her feed. So you see a beautiful blend of Like professional, beautiful portraits and that like a lifestyle branding session, but also sprinkled with real life content.

And I love that juxtaposition where you’re seeing the real, you’re seeing the polished and you’re just seeing all of that kind of blend together. I think she does a beautiful job of that. But let’s break down https: otter. ai

It may be time for a branding experience to help yourself energetically call on those higher paying clients and share deeper connections. The branding experience is great if you’ve recently pivoted or going in a whole new direction or really need to reintroduce yourself to your current audience and welcome new dream clients.

Do you have an established personal brand already, but need some fresh updates for an upcoming event or a new program you’re offering? The power hour shoots are intentional and efficient, even if they’re quick and easy peasy, it’s important to think about the lead time for your upcoming launches and promotions.

Now that we’re currently in Q1, we’re still in the beginning of the year, and you’re excited to launch something in Q3, so think maybe the end of summertime. Now really is a good time to book and get all of the marketing materials you need for that next session. Speaking of seasons, I want you to think about Magnolia, not the flower on the tree, but the Magnolia Empire created by Chip and Joanna Gaines.

I reference them a lot on the podcast and in my content, not only because I totally admire their growth and business, but because a lot of what they do is really relatable. I love a good example, so you can help determine which brand session is right for you. I want you to picture Joanna, Joanna Gaines, and imagine one of her recent cover shoots for the Magnolia magazine.

This magazine drops quarterly and aligns beautifully with the different seasons. Okay, so let’s say she’s planning an intentional cover shoot. Then she drops a new scented candle, a new children’s book, or a new line of paint for your home. And I’m obsessed, by the way. All of those will need fresh photos, content, and tons of marketing promotions.

Now, she already has her legit brand in images. Now, she’s adding supplemental photos and content for those new campaigns. In our world, like you and me, listen to this right now, we really just need a quick power hour. I mean, for Joanna Gaines and her team, that may be a two day extravaganza brand shoot with dozens of stylists, tech guys, hair, makeup, lighting, location props, and like all the hoopla, right?

But for you and me and our reach, we can really knock out a ton in just a couple hours. Booking a brand session and all of the timing for that truly is up to you. So no pressure here. I know that when my clients work with me to update their websites, splash fresh content on their social media, and energetically they rise through the roof.

I’m really not a saleswoman over here. It’s just my passion to Serve you, help you feel seen, support your wildest dreams and help bridge the gap energetically and with strategy to get you from where you are today to where you want to be in full alignment with your highest self. Recently on the podcast, I just released an entire series called the Branding Series to help you prep, produce, and promote your next brand shoot.

Take a scroll back through episodes 150 through 171. Literally there’s so many and they’re so good. I’m not even joking. They are like coaching calls. Like they’re not even just interviews. It’s like I legit asked all of these industry leaders, educators. And coaches, the questions that I wanted answered, so they’re so good.

There’s a ton of encouragement and education from industry leaders in there. You got to go check them out. And that’s what I love about doing this podcast. I literally created this bolt for you. So whether you are planning to book a brand session, maybe you’re thinking about it. You literally can get through the entire episode, like from beginning to end, or you can just kind of pick and pull as needed.

Like, I love that. I love getting all the fun facts and then picking and pulling like what I want right now, right? Okay, let’s dive into the next question. Coming in hot from Natalie in San Jose. How do you stay so positive and happy every day? I, I love this question because honestly, I do get it a lot. And if you know me in person, you know, I’m pretty bubbly, happy go lucky, and always smiling.

One of my nicknames in high school was sunshine, and I’m not even joking. I literally wake up every day happy. Like, I just, I wake up happy. I smile, I’m excited for the day, and You know, even though I may be a little bit tired or my feet may be cold or something like I am genuinely excited for the day.

The quick answer is that that’s how I’m wired. I really do think I release more dopamine than the average person, so we may have that going for me, but I always look for the best in every situation. I believe everything happens for a reason, what’s meant for me is already mine, or it’s on its way to me.

And honestly, I think being a grouch is really ugly. I’m being called to answer from a different perspective. So let’s go a different route here. I feel everything really, really deeply. So my highs are sky high and my lows are rock bottom, like keep digging 10 feet deeper. And that’s where my lows hit. I’m really passionate, I’m emotional, and I get excited about the little things.

Instead of just telling you more about how I’m wired, the question really is, how do I stay so positive? Because I really think it’s truly a choice. It’s easier for me to smile than to frown and to be angry. Growing up, I was always taught that every action has a reaction. If you’re feeling angry, there’s always layers to that.

You’re not really mad that your dog is pawing at the door, wanting to tell you that she has to pee, but really she just wants to go sit outside and stare at you. Yeah, no, you’re, you’re really upset that a warm lead ended up working with someone else. Right? So you’re not really mad at your dog. You’re mad at the situation that’s happening around you.

You don’t really have road rage at the snowbirds that are driving 60 miles per hour on the freeway when everyone else is going 80. You’re actually irritated that you’ll be right on time and parking will make you late. And if you’re new here, a snowbird, if you’re not familiar with the Arizona or maybe Florida life, um, and some of the warmer parts of the country, snowbirds are typically older people.

There are oldies and retired community, and we’re maybe even just the independently wealthy, let’s be honest. That live in other parts of the country, typically Midwest or even Canada, and then they come here in the wintertime because it’s literally perfect here. I mean, it’s cold for us. I’m freezing, but for them, it feels good, right?

And I laugh because Mike always it’s irritated them when they’re, they’re slow, right? Like they’re, they’re on their retired life, right? So they’re slowly walking through the grocery store. They’re slowly entering and merging onto the freeway and it just drives Mike crazy and I laugh. I always tell him, babe, don’t be mad because that’s going to be us one day.

So I am saying it now. I am claiming it. Mike and I are future snowbirds. So if you didn’t know what a snowbird was, that’s those are the people that come to visit. And then typically once it starts really warming up and it gets a little too hot for them, then they head back to their homes in other parts of the country.

So anyway, back to being happy. Once you can be hyper aware of your emotions, it gets easier to pinpoint the pain point and either feel it to heal it or take a deep breath and let it pass. As a recovering people pleaser, I really do always find a way to make dark situations brighter and always see the good in people.

Another way to tactically increase, because I mean, like I said, I’m kind of getting into the, this is just the way I am, but like, I know the question is how do you choose happiness? Another way to tactically increase your joy and happiness in your life and business is to simply make more time to celebrate the little things.

I hope you’re celebrating all of the big milestones, but I live for the tiny ones too. Taco night? Let’s pour a margarita and toast to a Tuesday. If you hit all the green lights on the way to the grocery store, high five me please because that’s a big deal. Cleaning out the car and doing a deep clean with the vacuums that are free by the way at the car wash, that deserves a special Starbucks treat.

Getting my 10k steps in or more, I’m always saying or more. I’m journaling that and thanking my body for being so strong and healthy to bring me steps closer to my big dreams. When we spend more time in gratitude, we become magnetic to abundance. I also, P. S. this is another thing that I have to add before I go to the next question, I also really limit the drama and bullshit in my life.

No really, I’m being serious. I don’t have anyone in my life that I have to keep secrets from or tell them anything at the perfect time or they’ll blow up or make me feel like I’m walking on eggshells. The people in my life bring me joy, they feel like sunshine, and after I hang out with them, I either feel fulfilled Fired up or simply at peace.

And if you have anyone in your life that doesn’t make you feel that way, it’s time to do some editing in your real life. I know I’ve mentioned editing your life in business before with some reels and some Instagram stories. If that’s something you’d like me to elaborate with and talk more about editing your real life.

Let me know, shoot me a text. If you have my number or slide into my DMS, that’s literally an entirely new episode, we can go down that rabbit hole, but I love that concept of. editing your life, right? A lot of us are photographers, we edit photos, we edit our business, but let’s talk about editing our life.

Speaking of things that bring me joy, I’m so grateful for this review from at Jamie Garland hair. So if you have a moment, head over to Jamie Garland hair on Instagram, give her some love. She is such a boss, babe. I love her. And we recently had a interview go live on the podcast. And I just want to take a quick sec and share her review.

I love listening to Kiana talk. She exudes positivity, kindness, and inspiration. It was so fun to be a guest on my favorite podcast. Tune in if you want to learn from an amazing host and great guest. After listening to Kiana Marie Weekly, I always leave feeling good. Oh my goodness, Jamie. Thank you so much for your sweet review.

I’m so grateful for a conversation about building a thriving team, brand, and educational offers right from your chair. Jamie is a talented hairstylist and educator in the Bay Area. I just had the opportunity to photograph a big brand session for her too in her entire salon. And Jamie is such a baller that while I was there, she got the studio below her, like literally like she’s on the second story and this other business was on the second story.

They’re also a team of beautiful, hardworking, intelligent hairstylists. And while I was there, they booked a session with me. Like, I literally doubled that revenue that day simply because Jamie is just a baller and I’m so grateful. So please check out episode number 130. business sports and great hair with Jamie Garland to hear more about her and just learn some more.

So I appreciate that review. I am so grateful for every single review and share for the podcast. I read every single one and it means the world to me to see these posts and shares on social media too. If you have just two minutes, please head over to the Apple podcast to leave a review. It helps this show pop up for other business owners like me and you to see it and to add their playlist.

Okay, we have time for one more question. This one’s personal. Let’s get going. Okay, so this one is from Sarah in Dallas, Texas. What’s going on with your new fixer upper and his mom moving in with you in the new house? Okay, so let’s back up here. If you’re new here, hi, let me catch you up. In 2019, I made the decision to purchase a home in Arizona.

I was already bouncing back and forth in the Bay Area. And I finally made the decision to move full time and invest in a home in Arizona. Now, back in that time, I would say like 2018, 2019, um, this is pre 2020 obviously. And I was doing it in the wedding industry. Completely booked out. I was booking 40 to 50 weddings a year.

I was literally, I mean, six figure photographer. I was, I was so proud of the work I was doing. And I really thought, oh my gosh, Arizona has a very distinct. Wedding season and it’s kind of like the old school like what I grew up with like, um school calendar, right? So september october through like may june That’s when a lot of the weddings are popping off here in arizona And it’s even as i’m here.

It’s even a little bit shorter than that window I would say the majority of them happen Closer to october and they kind of start wrapping up around like april may because up at that point It’s just too hot and sweaty and gross. Um, but there of course are other parts of arizona that you can go Um, that’s a little bit cooler But anyway, my mindset back then was I was going to dominate like both territories.

I was going to kill it in San Jose Bay Area. My territory back then was like big sort of like Tahoe if you’re familiar with Northern California. That’s that was my territory. Those are my venues. I rocked it. I was so proud of the work I was doing there and I really wanted to expand here in Arizona. Now, if you know anything about the Bay Area, and specifically San Jose, Morgan Hill, like South Bay, really just anywhere in the Bay Area, it is so expensive.

It is, I mean, it tops the charts in the most expensive area to live. It’s close to Silicon Valley. I could not afford a home. So I decided I’m going to invest and I’m coming out here. And, you know, as I was bouncing back and forth, my mom really didn’t think I was going to go. My mom was convinced that I was going to just come visit my best friend, Sari, maybe make some money out here, maybe book a couple photo shoots or a couple of weddings.

But like, I would never leave the Bay Area. I would never leave San Jose. We’re four generations deep. Why leave, right? And so, I think I changed her mind. So while she was coming out, my mom and I decided together that instead of me buying a little condo or like a home way in the outskirts, like I would say like an hour or two outside of Scottsdale, which is like what I really could afford at the 200, 000 to like the 300, 000 price point, even back then.

We decided to invest together. So talk about a dream come true and a nightmare in one sentence of the idea of being a young adult and purchasing a home with my mother. My mom is my best friend. She is, she’s incredible. I love her dearly and I’m saying, and there were also a lot of just conversations about growing up and living together and everything from, you know, just living together with your mother.

You can only imagine what that was like, right? So I I have kept this home. So the home that we have purchased together, we purchased this in 2019. It’s a new build in Mesa, Arizona. We absolutely adore it. And this is our home like this. I literally call it Nana’s house. My mom goes by Nana, and this is just the Nana house.

So this is an investment for me. I am still paying the mortgage on it. And Mike and I have just recently purchased a fixed rubber together. I just mentioned this on the last episode, I kind of like flew by it quickly. But this is something that is just near and dear to my heart that we have this investment.

I’m not paying rent to my mom. I’m not paying her mortgage like this is an investment for the both of us. And I get to continue the next events like the next adventure and real estate opportunity with Mike. So we have a little fixed wrapper. It’s amazing. Ma is not moving in with us. That was a super long winded answer to say, nope, she is not.

She is happily staying in our home here in Mesa and it’s just great. It’s, it’s great. My mom has her own space. I have my own space. I’m developing this new life with Mike and it’s just, it’s just been so fun. So now technically I have two houses, like, which is crazy to me because I still feel like, what am I doing?

And, uh, it’s just been the biggest blessing. All right. So I just want to say thank you so much for joining this conversation for some personal and business Q& A. This passion project of mine is truly a gift to make these connections. Looking forward to more conversations that leave you feeling inspired, encouraged, and supported.

If you have any questions you’d like answered, please shoot me a DM. I’d love to answer any questions. I can go on the go, like if there’s something quick I can answer, you know I will be responding. And if it’s a long winded answer, like some of these today that probably didn’t have to be so long winded, but if it is something that we can kind of workshop through, I would love to shout you out on the podcast.

So in case, and nobody told you today, you’re incredible. You’re capable of making your dreams come true. You are needed and our world needs you. Keep on dancing, baby. I cannot wait to chat next week. Okay. Love you. Bye. That’s a wrap on another episode of Quianna Marie Weekly. Thank you so much for your listenership and support.

You can find the resources and show notes for this episode and more at QuiannaMarie.com I’d be honored if you’d show your support by leaving a review and rating on your favorite podcast app until next time, keep on dancing.

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