Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Focused AF

Focused AF

Focused AF

Focused AF is a (fun) business-focused podcast for wedding creatives, co-hosted by award-winning husband-and-wife wedding photography teams Ben & Karis, and Jenn & Ro, where we help fellow wedding creatives with their sales & marketing, with laid-back conversations and real talk with some of our most favorite people in the universe.
bookmark
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Seasons

Top 10 Focused AF Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Focused AF episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Focused AF for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Focused AF episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Focused AF - Episode 029 - Fernando Serrano
play

04/01/24 • 148 min

Managing a wedding business that does 400+ events a year is no small feat; but that is exactly what Fernando Serrano and his partner do at Blanc Noir Event Group. Learn how he leverages his time, charm, and relationships to maintain one of the busiest and most successful entertainment companies we know.

Also, learn some of the personal struggles that he had with unprofessional wedding vendors while planning his own wedding last year. You definitely don't want to make the same mistakes as these vendors did!

You can check Blanc Noir Event Group here:

IG: @blancnoirevents

Website: https://bneventgroup.com/

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Episode 010 - Nathan Desch
play

07/10/23 • 99 min

Here's an industry secret that very few talk about: one can actually second-shoot their way to a full calendar and eventually into an incredibly successful career. Join our interview with Nathan Desch today as we talk about:

1. How newcomers and veterans can transform themselves into more attractive candidates for hiring primaries and studios.

2. Some common mistakes that photographers make when presenting themselves to hiring primaries and studios.

3. Why he created the platform https://shootwith.me to help studios & primaries find associates and second-shooters, and how photographers are now leveraging this platform to fill their calendars.

Today's drink is the "Philly-Adjacent Wooter-Ice"

1 dash of grenadine

1 oz cherry vodka

Top off with Sprite or ginger ale

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Work less, earn more. It's the American Dream, right?

Well, not so fast.

In today's episode, we take a deep dive into starting, growing, and managing an associate brand. Karis & Ben started their associate brand, Pearl Paper Studio back in 2013, and have since grown their team to 14 photographers, documenting over 80+ weddings/year in one of the most saturated markets on the planet. Learn more about their struggles and business philosophy which has helped shape their team to what it is today. Pro tip? Owning & managing an associate brand is not for the wary, and it's definitely not as easy as it looks!

Today's drink is an Amaretto Sour.

1 oz Amaretto liquor

.5 oz simple syrup

.5 oz lemon juice

Combine all ingredients over ice. Stir. Garnish with cherry.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Episode 006 - Emily Rochotte
play

06/05/23 • 95 min

On today's episode, we are joined by Emily Rochotte, a social media strategist and professional blogger who shares with us some of her tips & tricks on creating a marketing strategy in today's quickly-changing wedding marketplace. We also talk about outsourcing, ChatGPT, and even a phenomena known as "Posting & Ghosting" (and a million reasons why you shouldn't be doing that).

This episode's drink is a Pina Colada. Here's how you make it!

Two generous squirts of coconut cream

.75 oz coconut rum

.75 oz white rum

Top off with pineapple juice

Garnish with cherry

You can serve this iced or blended (we didn't have time, so we went iced today!).

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Episode 005 - How We Use AI In Our Work
play

05/31/23 • 79 min

As business owners, we are always looking for ways to make our lives a little easier, earn more revenue, and run our businesses a little more efficiently. This is where AI comes in. Over the past couple of years, AI has completely transformed the landscape of the wedding industry, especially in the wedding photography space. Grab a seat and your favorite beverage, join us, and learn about all the ways that we use AI in our work.

Today's drink is a Orange Blossom-Rose Vodka Tonic with Blueberries & Thyme

1 oz Ketel One Botanicals Orange Blossom Rose Vodka

Top off with tonic

Garnish with blueberries & thyme

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Episode 004 - Mike Zawadzki
play

05/22/23 • 90 min

Mike Zawadzki is a wedding photographer based out of Northern NJ. Listen to his inspirational story of hitting rock bottom, then eventually climbing to the top through perseverance, hard-work, and finally surrendering to his destiny and role in this world. We also talk about building an associate team, his best marketing tips, and the importance of authenticity and service as an entrepreneur.

Today's drink is the Cran-Orange Tonic with Berries & Thyme

1 oz orange juice (extra pulp)

1 oz cranberry juice

1 oz tonic

Pour all the ingredients into an old-fashioned glass, and garnish with berries & thyme (the thyme is the secret here!)

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Pilot - Why We Started a Podcast
play

04/24/23 • 46 min

Ben, Karis, Jenn & Ro talk about how they met, the evolution of their friendship, and why they started a podcast. This episode also features Ben's World Famous Bengarita! (recipe below)

Bengarita Recipe

  • 1 oz Tequila
  • 1 oz Triple Sec
  • 1 oz Fresh Lime Jucie
  • .75oz Simple Syrup
  • Rimmed glass tumbler with equal parts sugar, salt and lime zest

Shake ingredients with ice, and pour into prepared glass tumbler.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Every time you snap a photo, ask yourself this (and be honest): are you doing it for the clients, or are you doing it for yourself, your brand, or your portfolio?

As artists and business owners, we all have our own reasons for doing things the way we want to do them. But at the end of the day, it's nearly unanimous that a "service-first" mentality is the one thing that will bring you success and longevity in your business.

In today's episode, we talk about how we serve our clients in the most meaningful ways, that turn them from customers into some of our biggest, raving fans.

For this episode, we are enjoying Mo's Special Slider:

  • 1000 lbs of ground beef
  • 1000 slices of American cheese
  • 500 slider buns
bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Episode 015 - Serving Your Customers
play

09/12/23 • 48 min

Remember that moment during the initial consultation where you promised the clients that you'd always go "above-and-beyond" for them, and that your customer service is probably the best thing since sliced bread?

Did you really mean it when you promised them all those things?

Or do you find yourself waving your contracts in their faces when they require a little bit more of you later?

If you've been in business long enough, you'll find that most days are fun and easy, but others can be draining and demoralizing. At the end of the day, you're in the service industry. Happy clients is what provides you with longevity in this business and it starts with serving first.

In this episode, we also talk about:

  • What we do when clients ask us to do more than we're contractually obligated to provide.
  • How do deal with difficult vendors.
  • That one time where the 2nd shooter slept with the groom! (eek!)

We're still going virtual at the moment, so no drinks for this episode. But we'll be back in the studio in no time!

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Focused AF - Episode 031 - Taylor Jackson
play

05/13/24 • 72 min

Taylor Jackson is a husband, dog-dad, world-traveler, photographer, educator, and pizza-connoisseur. In this episode, we learn how he keeps his creative energy up, year-in and year-out, even after having done over 1000+ weddings in his career.

You can check him out here:

IG: @taylorjackson

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorJacksonPhoto

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

How many episodes does Focused AF have?

Focused AF currently has 50 episodes available.

What topics does Focused AF cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts and Business.

What is the most popular episode on Focused AF?

The episode title 'Episode 010 - Nathan Desch' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Focused AF?

The average episode length on Focused AF is 80 minutes.

How often are episodes of Focused AF released?

Episodes of Focused AF are typically released every 13 days, 5 hours.

When was the first episode of Focused AF?

The first episode of Focused AF was released on Apr 17, 2023.

Show more FAQ

Toggle view more icon

Comments