Join our free, 2-day workshop on 21 & 22 January 2026: subscribepage.io/businessworkshopwaitlist
If goal setting has ever left you feeling overwhelmed, behind, or unsure where to focus at the start of the new year - this episode is for you.
This conversation has been months in the making, and we talk about something we genuinely wish had existed earlier in our photography careers. In this episode, we’re sharing how we actually approach goal setting as photographers - and why that process led us to create our free 2-day business clarity workshop happening on 21-22 January 2026 followed by the year-long Business Mastermind.
We talk openly about how the start of a new year can feel emotionally loaded for creatives, why traditional goal-setting advice doesn’t always work for photographers, and how shifting toward structure, big picture and short-term planning can completely change the way you show up in your business.
This episode gently walks you into why we built our free workshop, who it’s for, and how guided support can help photographers move from vague intentions to a clear, realistic 90-day plan without pressure or burnout.
👉 You can find more about our upcoming Workshop and join the waitlist for our Business Mastermind here:
subscribepage.io/businessworkshopwaitlist
Focus & Flourish, Photography Business Talk is a podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to grow with clarity, confidence, and intention. Hosted by Marta Grabowska and Linda Hermans, each episode blends honest conversation with practical guidance on mindset, marketing, goal setting, and sustainable business growth - supporting photographers at every stage of their journey.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
As the year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on what 2025 really taught us - not the highlight-reel moments, but the lessons that shaped our businesses and mindset.
In this short and honest episode, we’re sharing the top three things we learned this year, plus one moment that stands out as a personal or professional win. We talk about the power of personal networks, how our pitching strategies evolved, what we learned about marketing and sales, and the reminder that growth rarely happens overnight.
If you’re ending the year feeling proud, frustrated, hopeful, or all of the above - this episode is for you.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers and creative business owners navigating growth, change, and long-term success. Hosted by Marta Grabowska and Linda Hermans, each episode combines real-life experience with thoughtful insights on marketing, pitching, mindset, and building a creative business that evolves with you.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
This episode is a little different...
As the year winds down, we’re inviting you into a feel-good conversation about what sparks joy, fuels creativity, and helps us truly switch off. We’re sharing our Christmas traditions, the small rituals that ground us, and the creative comfort habits that help us recharge after a busy year of client work.
We talk a lot about food (of course), festive traditions from different cultures, and the little moments that remind us why rest, connection, and joy are just as important as productivity. Think favourite meals, cosy routines, seasonal inspiration and permission to slow down.
Pour yourself something warm, settle in and let this episode be a gentle pause in the middle of the holiday rush.
Focus & Flourish is the go-to podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to build thriving, sustainable and profitable careers doing what they love.
Hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
In this heartfelt and deeply honest conversation, we sit down with the incredible Rachel Korinek of Two Loves Studio to explore what it really looks like to evolve, grow and sustain a creative career over the long term. Rachel shares her journey through different seasons of business - including the pauses, pivots, identity shifts and reinventions that shaped her as both an artist and a business owner.
We dive into portfolio curation, pitching, creative longevity, taking time off, finding inspiration again and how your work changes as you change. Rachel also shares her take on modern pitching - why it matters more than ever, what makes a pitch stand out today, and how to build a sustainable pitching routine even when you’re already established. Whether you're in a growth season, a plateau, or a moment of reevaluating your direction, this episode will give you clarity, encouragement, and practical steps to move forward with confidence.
WHERE YOU'LL FIND RACHEL:
Focus & Flourish is a podcast hosted by Marta Grabowska and Linda Hermans, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Pitching has changed. Massively. What worked in early 2020’s absolutely does not work in 2026, especially for photographers trying to connect with brands, agencies and marketing teams who get dozens of DMs and emails every day. In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly what modern pitching looks like, how clients want to be approached now, and how you can position yourself with clarity, personality, and real value.
We talk about how the landscape has shifted, why generic ‘I love your product!’ messages fall flat, and what it actually takes to stand out in a world of fast digital communication, AI-assisted research and brands craving authenticity. You’ll learn how to research effectively, personalise your outreach, keep your first message short, and follow up without feeling awkward or pushy. If you're ready to pitch smarter - not harder - this episode is your 2026 pitching roadmap.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is the go-to podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to build thriving, sustainable and profitable careers doing what they love.
Hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Hit play, get inspired, and start flourishing. One focused step at a time.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
A well structured proposal is what turns an inquiry into a signed client. In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly how to create photography proposals that are clear, professional and persuasive, without the jargon that leaves clients confused.
We walk you through our entire proposal process: what we include, what we leave out, how we structure pricing and how our proposals have evolved over time. You’ll learn how to communicate value, outline scope, avoid misunderstandings and present your work in a way that makes clients say ‘yes!’ with confidence.
If you’ve ever wondered how to package your services clearly, explain your packages simply, or design a proposal that reflects your brand, this episode will give you the tools, structure and insights to impress every client.
EPISODES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is a podcast hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Discovery calls don’t have to feel like a sales pitch or performance. In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly how we approach photography discovery calls so you can lead confident, grounded conversations that build trust, filter out misaligned clients, and help you book the projects you actually want.
We’re sharing how we prepare, structure the call, guide the conversation, handle pricing questions, and watch for red and green flags. You’ll learn how to shift your mindset from “I need to impress them” to “We’re exploring whether we’re a good fit.” This episode will help you communicate your value clearly, ask the right questions, set expectations, and walk into every call feeling prepared instead of anxious.
Whether you're brand new to client calls or ready to refine your process, this episode will help you turn every discovery call into a professional, empowering experience for both you and your clients.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is the go-to podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to build thriving, sustainable and profitable careers doing what they love.
Hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Hit play, get inspired, and start flourishing. One focused step at a time.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
If your laptop is constantly full, your RAW files are scattered everywhere and Lightroom feels like chaos waiting to implode - this episode is your new best friend. Today we’re breaking down our full workflow and file-handling systems as professional food photographers, so you can finally get organised and stop second-guessing yours.
And the best part? We each work totally differently and we dissect these different workflows in this episode.
One of us uses a fully automated system built around a Synology NAS, with seamless backups and zero manual steps. The other relies on portable SSDs, a structured folder system, and a manual (but super reliable) backup process. We walk through both workflows in detail, including how we handle working files when shooting on location, how we protect client files before we’re back at our main workstation and what we recommend for photographers at different experience levels.
From tethering, importing to Lightroom, through different approaches for how to work with Lightroom catalogs and image culling to long-term archiving, you’ll learn exactly how to build a workflow that works for you. Whether you want automation or simplicity.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Hit play, get inspired, and start flourishing. One focused step at a time.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
What does it really take to thrive as a creative in today’s photography and content world? In this inspiring interview, we sit down with Sharon Grossman, industry veteran, agent-turned-producer and founder of Piccallo, a creative production company based in London.
Sharon shares her decades of experience representing and producing for top photographers and filmmakers, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what agencies are truly looking for when they hire or represent talent. We talk about why specialising matters more than ever, how to position yourself for long-term growth and how to navigate the evolving landscape of video, tech and AI as a modern creative.
If you’ve ever wondered how to stand out, build the right relationships, or shift your creative business in a more strategic direction this conversation is packed with wisdom, insights and actionable tips.
Where you'll find Sharon:
A special offer:
Sharon is offering an exclusive opportunity for photographers who want to rent a photography studio kitchen space in London through Piccallo. To learn more or book your session, reach out to Sharon directly via Instagram or email.
Focus & Flourish is the go-to podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to build thriving, sustainable and profitable careers doing what they love.
Hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Hit play, get inspired, and start flourishing. One focused step at a time.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Visual storytelling isn’t just about beautiful images. It’s about creating connection, emotion, and meaning through your work. In this episode of Focus & Flourish, we’re diving deep into what visual storytelling really means for photographers and creatives and how to turn it into a signature part of your business.
We’ll walk you through how we plan our shoots, develop concepts, and create visuals that align with both client goals and our creative vision. You’ll learn how to balance structure with imagination, showcase your expertise even when your portfolio is small and use creative or spec photoshoots as powerful portfolio builders.
Plus, we’ll share insights from our Visual Storytelling Ebook. A resource designed to help photographers craft stories that stand out and sell. Whether you’re building your brand or refining your process, this episode will help you transform your photography into strategy-led storytelling that attracts your ideal clients.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is the go-to podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to build thriving, sustainable and profitable careers doing what they love.
Hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Hit play, get inspired, and start flourishing. One focused step at a time.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Ever wondered what a polished, professional client process looks like from start to finish? In this behind-the-scenes episode of Focus & Flourish, we’re walking you through our entire photography client workflow from first pitch to final delivery.
We share how our pitching strategies have evolved since our earlier 2024 episode, the mindset shifts that have changed how we connect with clients and why a strong proposal and feedback process can completely transform your client experience. You’ll learn how we approach revisions, delivery, and follow-ups and how we use client feedback to spark new opportunities and rebookings.
Whether you’re building your first client workflow or refining your current one, this episode will help you create a premium, confidence-driven process that turns inquiries into long-term relationships.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is the podcast for food photographers and creative entrepreneurs who want to build thriving, profitable and purpose-driven businesses. Hosted by professional photographers Marta Grabowska and Linda Hermans, each episode dives deep into the real-world challenges and strategies behind running a successful creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, mindset and workflow.
Whether you’re a freelance photographer, content creator or creative business owner, you’ll find practical insights to help you:
With honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews and proven business tips, Focus & Flourish, Photography Business Talk helps you turn your creative passion into a sustainable career. Tune in weekly to gain clarity, confidence and actionable strategies to help your photography business flourish.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
What does it really take to build a thriving photography business without a huge Instagram following? In this inspiring episode of Focus & Flourish, we sit down with Melbourne-based food, lifestyle and interior photographer Sally Hulse, whose work has been featured in major magazines and alongside iconic chefs like Gordon Ramsay.
Sally opens up about her journey from discovering photography to building a business grounded in professionalism, creative identity, and strategy all without relying on massive social media followings.
We talk about the power of community, SEO, confidence and staying true to your values while growing at your own pace. Whether you’re an emerging photographer or a seasoned creative, this conversation is packed with mindset shifts, marketing tips and real talk about what sustainable success actually looks like.
Where you'll find Sally:
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is the go-to podcast for food photographers and creative business owners who want to build thriving, sustainable and profitable careers doing what they love.
Hosted by Marta and Linda, two professional food photographers and educators, each episode dives deep into the real behind-the-scenes of running a creative business. From marketing and client pitching to pricing, confidence, workflow and mindset.
You’ll hear honest conversations, inspiring guest interviews, and practical strategies designed to help you:
Whether you’re just starting your photography journey or ready to scale your creative business, Focus & Flourish is here to help you do it with clarity, strategy and heart.
Hit play, get inspired, and start flourishing. One focused step at a time.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Social media can feel like a full-time job. But when used strategically, it can also be one of the most powerful tools for building your photography or creative business. In this episode of Focus & Flourish, we’re breaking down exactly what’s worked for us (and what hasn’t) when it comes to Instagram, LinkedIn, and beyond.
From creating a strong personal brand identity to connecting your content with real pitching opportunities, we share practical tips on how to use social media with intention. And without burning yourself out.
Whether you’re just starting to market your creative work or ready to refine your strategy, this conversation will help you show up online in a way that actually attracts clients.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
AI is changing the way we create, work, and run our businesses. And as photographers, that can feel both exciting and overwhelming.
In this episode of Focus & Flourish, we’re diving deep into how AI is already showing up in our photography businesses, from editing and pitching to content creation and idea generation.
But we’re not stopping there. We’re asking the bigger questions too: Will AI take over creative work? What’s the impact on the environment and society? And how can we, as photographers and creatives, build businesses that use AI thoughtfully while still giving back?
If you’ve ever wondered how to embrace AI without losing your artistry, or how to future-proof your creative business in an ethical, inspiring way, this episode is for you.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
We’re closing out Season 2 by sharing the biggest mistakes we’ve made in our food photography businesses (so you don’t have to).
From underpricing and overdelivering to ignoring our network and struggling with work-life balance, we’re laying it all out candidly and honestly. These are the things we wish we’d known earlier, and the hard-earned lessons that shaped how we work today.
Expect real talk about money, boundaries, productivity, and long-term growth. All that with plenty of takeaways you can apply to your own journey.
It’s the kind of episode we wish we had when we were starting out. See you there!
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
THANK YOU to Tether Tools for sponsoring this season of the podcast 🧡
Use our code FOCUS10 for 10% off your next purchase in the Tether Tools store: https://tethertools.com/?ref=167.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
We’re pulling back the curtain on how we market our businesses to generate leads - no fluff, no gatekeeping.
In this episode, we’re sharing the marketing strategies that have genuinely worked to bring leads into our food photography businesses. From, Instagram through past projects, alternative social media platforms to targeted pitching a.k.a. reaching out to brands with specific project ideas in mind.
We also talk about how optimizing our websites and using location-based SEO helps clients find us organically.
Whether you're just starting out or trying to build more consistent leads, we’re giving you a real-world look at what’s working right now, and how you can make it work for you too.
THANK YOU to Tether Tools for sponsoring this season of the podcast 🧡
Use our code FOCUS10 for 10% off your next purchase in the Tether Tools store: https://tethertools.com/?ref=167.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
We’re firm believers that great photography is more about skill than kit.
Creativity, storytelling, and understanding light will always matter more than having the latest gear. But since many of you have asked, we’re pulling back the curtain on what we use to get the job done.
In this episode, we share the cameras, lenses, and tools we rely on in our food photography work and why we chose them.
We’re also chatting about our experience with Tether Tools (our Season 2 sponsor!) and how tethering has helped improve our workflow on set.
LINDA’S GEAR
BODY + LENSES:
TRIPOD:
LIGHTS:
SOFTBOX:
MARTA’S GEAR
BODY + LENSES:
TRIPOD:
Manfrotto MT055 XPRO 3 with ball head MHXPRO-BHQ2
LIGHTS:
SOFTBOX:
THANK YOU to Tether Tools for sponsoring this season of the podcast 🧡
Use our code FOCUS10 for 10% off your next purchase in the Tether Tools store: https://tethertools.com/?ref=167.
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Ever felt like walking away from it all? You’re not alone.
In this special crossover episode with Rosslyn and Mikyla from the Food Photography Corner Podcast, we’re getting real about the moments we almost gave up on our food photography journeys - and how we turned things around.
We talk about the early struggles, the biggest challenges (hello, money stress, burnout, and self-doubt), and the powerful turning points that helped us keep going. From mindset shifts to business wins, practical strategies, and the support systems that lifted us up - this is a raw and honest look at the reality behind the glossy images.
If you're in need of a reminder that you're not alone - and that growth is still possible - this one’s for you.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
One of the trickiest parts of running a creative business? Explaining your pricing in a way that feels confident, professional, and empathetic.
In this episode, we talk about how to educate clients on everything that goes into a photography project - from the planning, creative direction, and logistics, to your workflow, timelines, and what your fee actually includes. We also explore ways to communicate your value through branding tools.
And when objections come up? We talk about how to handle them with clarity and grace - whether it’s explaining your fee structure or responding when a client says, “That’s too expensive for us.”
THANK YOU to Tether Tools for sponsoring this season of the podcast 🧡
Use our code FOCUS10 for 10% off your next purchase in the Tether Tools store: https://tethertools.com/?ref=167.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
Follow us on Instagram 📸
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️
Many photographers struggle to communicate the true value of their work and as a result, their services are often seen as just another expense.
In this episode, we explore how to shift that perspective.
We discuss why F&B brands need strong visual content, the real pain points creatives help solve, and how impactful imagery can directly benefit a client’s business. From improving brand presence to driving sales, we break down the tangible value of what we do and how to confidently price your services to reflect it.
THANK YOU to Tether Tools for sponsoring this season of the podcast 🧡
Use our code FOCUS10 for 10% off your next purchase in the Tether Tools store: https://tethertools.com/?ref=167.
RESOURCES WE MENTION:
The ChatGPT Prompt:
Create a buyer persona for a marketing director [Job Role] with [10 Years Experience] who works at a company in a in the [food and beverage industry] in Europe [Location] doing £50million [Average Annual Revenue] who is interested in purchasing [food photography services]. Include the following information:
Name: fictional nameResponsibilities: Top 5 roles or dutiesGoals: top 5 goals or motivationsChallenges: top 5 needs or challengesDaily Life: a short backstory including relevant emotions
Marta's socials:
https://foodsbymarta.com/
Linda's socials:
https://lindahermansphotography.com/
Focus & Flourish is a podcast for food photographers who are looking to start, grow and scale their creative business.
If you'd like to support our podcast, you can contribute by buying us a coffee through this link. Your support means a lot! ♥️