Today on the podcast I’m talking to Ginny Erickson, the paintbrush-wielding creative genius behind one of my all-time favorite small businesses, Erickson Surfaces. Ginny and her team create stunning photography backdrops and shapes that help artists tell stories and have gathered quite a wonderful community together around their products. But as with any success story, Erickson Surfaces didn’t happen overnight, so I’m excited to hear Ginny tell us about the ups and downs in the journey to...

Today on the podcast I’m talking to Michela Ricci, a coffee-slinging, community-building,  forward-thinking entrepreneur who is making moves in Phoenix, Arizona. Michela is the founder of The Early Bird: a mobile coffee bar turned events company that she started to serve the Phoenix area (which was also one of my first customers when I was a baby photographer.) While Covid was a challenge to The Early Bird, Michela is a resilient entrepreneur and emerged with her latest creation: Monsoon...

I have been struggling with the start of the new year to think over my direction for myself. I wanted to talk a bit about the habits and practices that I’m taking into this year while I work on growing my creative skills and finding what is next for me. I think sometimes it’s ok to not totally know what is next for you, but having a consistent practice and things in place to keep you creating momentum as you work towards finding your next venture is the best way to keep yourself growing and...

Our last episode of 2021 is a Q+A! We talk through contracts, lighting modifiers, inspiration, and what I would tell myself 5 years ago. Grab full show notes and links from the episode on Moriahbrooke.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on the podcast I'm talking to Sara Silm, a freelance journalist and stylist who currently resides in the Béan region of southwestern France. It's hard to sum Sara up in a paragraph because she does and is so much, and has lived many lives on just about every continent throughout her multifaceted career. These days you might know her from her dreamy Instagram account, Chateau Montfort, where you can escape into her stunningly styled images of the French countryside. Her book, How To...

Today I'm talking with Viola Minerva, a multi-hyphenated creative entrepreneur located in Helsinki, Finland. Art director, photographer, graphic designer and videographer are just a few of the many titles she wears (and wears WELL, might I add.) She's also a published author with multiple books out in the world, including her latest The Nordic Winter Cookbook. Viola is the epitome of an artist and I'm excited for us to get a glimpse behind the curtain into her creative process. ACCESS the...

Today is a listener Q+A! If you liked this format let me know and we will do some more Q+As on a regular basis :) ACCESS the full show notes for this episode and download some business-building freebies here:https://moriahbrooke.com/podcast/ In this episode you’ll learn: - How I break down a client estimate - How I manage health as an entrepreneur - A little more on my cookbook deal ..And more! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. ...

Today I'm talking with Renee Li, a Long Island Based food photographer and videographer. Renee has some of the most immaculate food videos I've seen, and I'm excited for you to get a peek into her process! In this episode you'll learn: Renee's story of starting her business Her top tips for shooting video Her favorite lenses and lighting set-ups for shooting video Renee's plans for 2022 And more! For more on Renee, follow her on Instagram @foodie_renee --- This episode is...

Today we're talking all things portfolio websites: why they matter, how to make them effective, and how to check yours to make sure you're setting yourself up to get the jobs that you truly want. **ACCESS the full show notes for this episode and download some business-building freebies here:https://moriahbrooke.com/podcast/** In this episode you’ll learn: Why a strategic website is important for photographers How to evaluate your website content How to curate your portfolio items to...

Today I'm talking with Ashley Cuoco, a Roanoke Virginia-based based food photographer, stylist, recipe developer, home cook, and mom! Ashley has amassed an impressive list of clientele over the past few years including ALDI, Spice Islands, DeLallo Foods, Sur La Table, Nature's Greens. It all seems perfectly kismet, given that her last name means "cook." Ashley lives to love and serve through food and hospitality, and her love of food and gathering extends to nonprofit work as well. I'm...

Today I'm talking with Lorena Masso, a San Francisco-based food and drink photographer. Lorena has a background in Culinary Arts, which she studied in Buenos Aries, which eventually lead her to her career in food styling and photography. Lorena's story starts in Mexico, where she was born and raised, and you could almost guess it based on the vibrant, earthy tones that fill her portfolio. She's a true artist, and I'm excited to learn more about her process and vision today. In this episode...

Today I'm talking with Rachel Simons, a Aussie mom of two running a Tahini Empire here in New York City. After 15 years as a media lawyer, Rachel turned her life long passion for food into Seed and Mill, the tahini brand you've probably heard me rave about because it's just that good. Rachel is a positive ray of sunshine, and I can't wait to hear her wonderful accent talk us through the story of starting and running a thriving food brand. In this episode you’ll learn: The Seed and Mill...

One of the key truths I've learned over the past few years is that most business success is simply the result of consistent actions repeated throughout time. It's about small, ordinary actions, repeated even when it gets tough or you're facing rejection, that eventually leads to extraordinary results and success. As creatives, it can be tempting to let "feelings" dictate the course of your day, but what happens is we end up context switching throughout the day, which takes away mental energy...

Today I'm talking with Roberta Dall’Alba, a food photographer, blogger, and photography educator based in Palma, Italy.  Roberta is a maven in the kitchen (you can tell based on her stunning images) and has a self-proclaimed obsession with baking. Oh, and she's also really into cats. Roberta has an impressive list of clientele, including, but not limited to: Nikon, Adobe, Samsung, and Barilla. Her eye for detail is impeccable and lucky for us, she generously shares her wealth of knowledge...

Today I'm talking with Allie Beau, a Chicago based food and drink photographer, studio owner, and new mom. Allie is Queen of the elaborately styled flat lay, and has some of the most stunning motion shots my eyes have seen. Shes also a prop styling fiend, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous of her masterful collection. Aside from the creative end, Allie is a rockstar business women, and I'm excited to learn more about how she left her corporate job and has maintained such a...

Today I'm talking with Reagan Byrne, a Boston-based beverage and restaurant photographer with some of the most stunning drink shots your eyes will ever behold. She's shot for a host of both local and national brands, most notably Sam Adams. She'd never tell you this, but she's an absolute wizard when it comes to studio drink shots, and I'm forever in awe of the behind-the-scenes clips that she shares on Instagram (for example, the time she created a fake pool with hairdryers.) She's also an...

Today I'm talking with Jenny Bravo, a portland based food photographer, prop curator, studio owner, trained chef, certified health coach, and mom of two. Jen's work seamlessly weaves between drool-worthy styled food, clever product shots, and images that show greater brand stories, such as a recent series she photographed for Luke's Lobster. As if that all wasn't enough, we're here to talk about income diversification for food photographers, because Jenny also has a stunning pottery line with...

Entrepreneurship requires a strong mindset and self-awareness around your own limiting beliefs to be successful. Today we're talking through 6 lessons that have helped me as I've grown my businesses.  ACCESS the full show notes for this episode and download some business-building freebies here: https://moriahbrooke.com/podcast/e16-lessons-that-changed-me-as-an-entrepreneur/ In this episode you'll learn: The biggest limiting belief that we have around creativity (and what to believe...

Hi, I’m Moriah Sawtelle, and you’re listening to Manual Mode: a podcast for photographers and entrepreneurs who are looking to take control of their creative careers and make good art out of the everyday. I’m a New York City based food photographer, author, 20-something, dog mom, and owner of my creative agency, The B Edit. But those job titles didn’t come to me overnight, and it was quite the trip to go from working as a 9-5 web designer to running my own multi-faceted, multi-hyphenated...