Podcast · Business

Creativ Rise Podcast

by Joey and Christy Speers · English · Business

A weekly podcast that turns creatives into 6 figure business owners. Each episode brings business strategies for the growing creative. Hosted by Joey & Christy Speers. Find more at www.creativrise.com

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 29 min
Latest: 7 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026 · 51 min

Why Brands Keep Rehiring This Outdoor Filmmaker (Ian MacFadyen)

Watch This Video Next - https://youtu.be/fHx33G_FJs0 Ever wonder how some creatives get paid to travel, shoot in the mountains, and work with the outdoor brands they already love? Most talented creatives can make a great video. The hard part is explaining what that video does for a brand's business. Without that, it's tough to land bigger clients, and even tougher to keep them around. That's exactly where Ian McFadden was when he moved to Colorado to go after brand work. He had the skills, but no proof and no clear sense of what brands actually wanted from him. In this episode, recorded late…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E304 · 30 Sep 2026 · 32 min
What To Do If You’re Stuck Making $50k/Yr As A Photographer/Filmmaker
Booked $4,500 this month and completely exhausted? Had an amazing sales call, then got ghosted? Pitched your dream brand and got offered a free jacket? These are three of the most common spots we see creatives get stuck in. And the longer you stay there, the more it wears on you. You start to resent your clients, dread sales calls, and check your phone every five minutes hoping it's them. Most of the time, the fix comes down to how you price, how you close, and how you pitch. In this episode, Joey puts Christy on the spot with three real scenarios she's never heard before, and she walks…
E303 · 23 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Cliff Jumping Taught Me Everything I Know About Sales
Ever send a proposal, hear nothing back, and decide they must not be interested? What if that silence has nothing to do with you? Last weekend at Lake Tahoe, Christy spent a good chunk of the afternoon yelling at her identical twin sister Leslie from a hundred yards down the shore, trying to get her to jump off a cliff. Leslie kept shaking her head. But Christy could tell she wanted to do it. Most creatives treat a quiet inbox like a no. They send a cold PDF, get ghosted, and move on. Meanwhile, the client is standing on the edge, interested and just too nervous to take the step. In this…
E302 · 16 Sep 2026 · 14 min
Nobody Plans For Growth To Stop. Here's What To Do When It Does.
Nobody wakes up and decides to have a flat year. But plenty of creatives get to December with the same revenue, the same pricing and the same empty calendar they had last January, and no real explanation for it. In 2021, Joey put on a shirt and realized he was 20 pounds heavier than the year before. He was playing sports, going to the gym, and eating tacos three or four times a week. He never decided to gain the weight. He just never decided not to. That's drift, and it works exactly the same way in a creative business. Here's the part that makes it dangerous: drift only ever moves in one…
E301 · 9 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
How Amber Moon 5x'd Her Income As A Photographer Without Shooting Weddings or Brands
$1,450 for a newborn session, and the client says yes without blinking. 👀 If that sounds impossible in the portrait space, this one is for you. The portrait space comes with a story attached, and most of us got handed it early: this is the work you do because you love it, not because it pays. Sessions get priced at $200. Packages get sold by the hour. And the whole model quietly trains you to compete on time instead of on the experience you actually deliver. Amber Brown has been building the other version. She's a family and birth photographer in Roseville, California, a mom of a four year…
E300 · 2 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
The Good, Bad & Practical of Working With Your Spouse - A Tell All
Two weeks into dating, we started working together. Six years later, we still do it every single day. Working with a spouse, a sibling, or a best friend is one of the most requested topics we've ever had on this show, and for good reason. Almost nobody talks about what it's actually like. Here's the tricky part. When you build a business with the person you live with, there's no line between the workday and the rest of your life. Every deadline, every big decision, and every win lands in the same house you eat dinner in. Nothing gets postponed, which sounds hard until you realize it's the…
E299 · 26 Aug 2026 · 40 min
What 450 Creatives Have Taught Us About Growing A Photo & Video Business
What if the thing holding your business back has nothing to do with your work? We've coached over 450 creatives at this point, and the most successful ones are almost never the most talented ones. We get on calls with filmmakers and photographers who are better shooters than we'll ever be. Better gear. Better organized. One guy had a spreadsheet of every person he'd ever pitched, when he followed up, and what he sent. And the business still wasn't moving. Talent can actually work against you here, because it hands you something to keep polishing instead of something to test. So you re-edit…
E298 · 19 Aug 2026 · 28 min
10 Ways To $10k/Mo (Real Examples From Real Creatives)
10 creatives. 10 niches. 10 strategies that are producing real money right now. Sometimes growth comes from learning a new tool or a new trick. And sometimes the fastest thing you can do is look over the shoulder of someone a step ahead of you and see exactly what's working for them today. Most growth advice stays vague. Post more, stay consistent, raise your prices, good luck. So you end up testing something for six months before you ever find out whether it was going to work. The creatives who move fastest skip that part. They borrow what's already proven and run it in their own business.…
13 Aug 2026 · 7 min
Giveaway Announcement - We Gave Away The Camera 45,000 Creatives Asked Us For
47,382 of you entered. One of you is getting a camera today. We read through as many of those comments as we could. Not just the Canon vs Sony vs Fuji arguments (though those were elite). The other ones. The people telling us what they'd shoot if they won. So many amazing projects and dreams inside this community! If that was you, we hope this whole week nudged you closer to it. Book the shoot. Send the pitch. Start with what you already own. And thank you for showing up for this the way you did. 47,000 comments is not a giveaway thing, that's a community thing. You turned a camera into a…
E296 · 5 Aug 2026 · 26 min
Are Your Cheaper Packages Killing Your Bigger Packages As A Creative (Here’s The Fix)
Get Your Ticket For The $10k/Mo Creator Workshop - www.creativrise.com/workshop You've got the portfolio. You've got the reviews. So why does it feel like pulling teeth to get someone to say yes to your biggest package? 👀 We asked a room full of creatives to put a hand up if selling their core offer felt hard. Almost every hand went up. The problem isn't the price. It's the position they're in. A stranger isn't evaluating your work. They're evaluating their risk. Asking someone who found you last week to hand over $8,000 for a wedding day or a full brand campaign is an enormous leap of…
E295 · 29 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
How Louelle Made A Year's Income In 60 Days Shooting Photo & Video
Would you raise your prices if you knew it would get you more inquiries, not fewer? 👀 Most creatives price from fear. You look at your number, imagine the client's reaction, and shave a few hundred off before you ever send the guide. It feels like you're removing an obstacle. You're actually adding one. Louelle Adanza was charging $1,700 for a full wedding video and $500 for an entire brand campaign shoot. The work was gorgeous. The bookings were slow, the conversations circled the budget, and she was too burnt out to take on more anyway. Then she changed the number. Weddings now start at…
E294 · 22 Jul 2026 · 23 min
How to Get Clients to Pre-Sell Themselves Before They Ever Inquire (Full Funnel Breakdown)
This week Christy and I are pulling back the curtain on something we've never fully explained before: the exact reason some inquiries go quiet right when things should be heating up. ⚡️ If you're a photographer, filmmaker, content creator, or social media manager running your own creative business, this is the pinned post and content funnel we've personally used for over a decade. A client goes cold after what felt like a great first conversation. Someone downloads your pricing guide and you never hear from them again. It happens to almost every creative business, and most people assume it's…
E293 · 15 Jul 2026 · 28 min
4 Things We Do When Life Falls Apart (But the Business Can't)
In this episode of the Creativ Rise Podcast, Christy and I are getting real about something we don't usually talk about publicly: what it actually looks like to run a creative business through a genuinely hard season of life. If you're a photographer, filmmaker, content creator, or social media manager and you've ever felt like you're falling apart personally while still being expected to show up for clients, this episode is for you. 😮‍💨 We're walking through the hardest stretch we've faced in over a decade of business ownership, including a pregnancy loss earlier this year and a due date…
E292 · 8 Jul 2026 · 19 min
Never Get Ghosted On An Invoice Again: The System We Use To Get Paid
In this episode of the Creativ Rise Podcast, I'm breaking down exactly how Christy and I collect payments on time and in full, without chasing clients or hoping they eventually pay. If you're a photographer, filmmaker, content creator, or social media manager running your own business, this is the payment system, contract clause, and late payment policy we actually use. 👀 Go to our IG and send us a message that says “Contract Clause” and I’ll send you a free copy of our autocharge + late payment penalty clause! Getting stiffed on an invoice is one of the most stressful parts of owning a…
E291 · 1 Jul 2026 · 29 min
How To Get Hired For Your Brain, Not Just Your Camera (We Made $14K In The Last 14 Days)
In this episode of the Creativ Rise Podcast, Joey and Christy break down how to go from $500 day rates to $10K-$15K months as a photographer, filmmaker, content creator, UGC creator, or social media manager. After booking $14,000 across two projects in just 14 days, they're sharing the 4 specific shifts that took their pricing, and their clients' trust, to a completely different level. Most creative entrepreneurs think bigger budgets come down to having a better portfolio. They don't. Good work is the baseline now. Clients pay premium prices for trust, certainty, and results, not pretty…
E290 · 24 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 16 min
They Live In a Van and Make $25K/Mo as Photographers - The Story of Adam & Clara
What if the problem wasn't your work... but the way you're pitching it? After learning a new outreach strategy, Adam and Clara sent 71 pitches, received 57 responses, and generated over $38,000 in revenue in the last few months while living and working from the road in Australia. Adam and Clara are travel photographers and creators from Australia who went from living in a self-converted bus to building a full-time creative business on the road, working with dream tourism boards & brands who benefit from content in the outdoors. In this episode, we talk about how they transitioned into their…
E289 · 17 Jun 2026 · 22 min
I Ran a Giveaway Funnel for 7 Days & Got $50,000 in Photography Inquiries (Here's The Exact Funnel)
Get Your Spot In The Live Workshop - Book Your Next Client in 7 Days With a 7 Day Giveaway Funnel™ - Limited to 10 Spots In this episode, Joey and Christy are breaking down the exact giveaway funnel strategy that generated $50,000 in inquiries in 7 days, and how photographers, filmmakers, content creators, and social media managers can use it to book more clients without a massive following. Most creatives have tried a giveaway at some point. And most didn't book a single client from it. Not because giveaways don't work - because the giveaway wasn't built for the right person. When you give…
E288 · 10 Jun 2026 · 59 min
From $500 Videos to $25K Months at Age 20 w/ Will Latham
In this episode of the Creativ Rise Podcast, Joey sits down with 20-year-old filmmaker Will Latham of LumaWorks Video. Will graduated high school two years ago, skipped college, and has been building his video business full time ever since. In the six weeks of the Creativ Rise Mastermind alone, Will closed $73,000 in contracts, including his first five-figure deal and a 12-month retainer, going from charging $500 for product videos to landing $25,000 months before his 21st birthday. This episode is a masterclass in what actually separates creatives who stay stuck at low rates from those who…
E287 · 4 Jun 2026 · 21 min
How to Win The Deal Even If You're More Expensive - What Creatives Can Learn From Luxury Hotels
In this episode, Christy is breaking down why creatives lose deals to cheaper, closer, or more experienced competitors - and the exact middle funnel strategy that flips that around, even when you're the most expensive option in the room. Most photographers, filmmakers, content creators, and social media managers focus almost entirely on portfolio content and conversion content. What gets skipped is the middle: the content that makes someone actually like you. And without that, even a warm inquiry turns cold the second they see your price. Christy uses a story from her stay at the Montage in…
E286 · 29 May 2026 · 1 hr 7 min
The Difference Between Outdoor Photographers Who Make It And Those Who Don’t w/ Ross Bernards
In this episode, Joey sits down with Ross Bernards, an adventure and outdoor lifestyle photographer from Fruita, Colorado, who tripled his business in 18 months and had two $20K months in the same year after years of feast-or-famine cycles and scattered strategy. Ross had tried everything. Ads, outreach, tips from other photographer friends. Nothing was connecting because none of it was a system. He was firing tactics at the wall and hoping something stuck. The income rollercoaster reflected exactly how disjointed the approach was. What changed wasn't working harder. It was overhauling how…
E285 · 21 May 2026 · 27 min
"Sorry, It's Out Of Our Budget" — Reply With This To Win The Deal
In this episode of the Creativ Rise Podcast, we’re breaking down how to handle pricing objections as a photographer, filmmaker, content creator, or social media manager. If you've ever heard "this is too expensive," "we don't have the budget," or "we found someone cheaper," this episode gives you a step-by-step playbook for responding without dropping your price. Most creatives treat "it's too expensive" as a dead end. It's not. Every pricing objection is hiding one of two problems: a cash flow issue or a perceived value gap. Knowing which one you're dealing with is the difference between…
E284 · 13 May 2026 · 18 min
Should You Put Prices On Your Website? (The Honest Answer)
In this episode, Joey and Christy are breaking down one of the most asked questions in the creative business space: should you put your pricing on your website? 👀 It sounds like a simple yes or no. But the real answer depends on exactly where your business is right now, and getting it wrong is costing creatives either bookings or time. For photographers, filmmakers, social media managers, and other creative entrepreneurs, this question comes up at every stage of business. Too many creatives either hide their pricing and lose trust, or post it too early and kill their inquiry volume before…
E283 · 6 May 2026 · 36 min
Something Is Happening Inside The Creative Industry
In this episode, Joey and Christy are breaking down what just happened inside Round 15 of the 6 Week Creativ Rise Mastermind, where 37 creatives booked $611,407 in just 6 weeks, and more importantly, what you can learn from it as a photographer, filmmaker, social media manager, or content creator trying to grow your business. This isn’t a one-off result or a lucky round. This is a pattern. Across 155 deals, 17+ retainers, and creatives from all over the world, we’re seeing the same moves create the same outcomes again and again. If you’ve been wondering how people are landing $5K, $10K, or…
E282 · 22 Apr 2026 · 36 min
We Shot Coachella for a Brand… Here’s What We Learned As Creatives
In this episode, Joey and Christy are breaking down their full behind-the-scenes recap of shooting Coachella 2026, including the date mix-up that almost cost them the job, the 5 a.m. wrap time at the Neon Carnival, and the exact lessons every commercial photographer, filmmaker, and content creator needs to hear about pitching and shooting major brand events. 🫣 Most photographers, filmmakers, social media managers, and UGC creators stay on the sidelines of brand event work because they think it's "too intimidating" or they feel like they need a massive portfolio to pitch Coachella,…
E281 · 15 Apr 2026 · 24 min
The Best $750 We Spend Per Year - 5 Subscriptions My Creative Business Can't Live Without
In this episode, Joey is breaking down the exact five software tools he and Christy use every year to run their photography and filmmaking business - and the total cost is just $750 a year. Most photographers, filmmakers, content creators, and social media managers are either overspending on tools they barely use, or piecing together a free-tool workflow that's quietly costing them in missed clients and dropped details. The reality is, the software running your business directly impacts how professional you look, how many leads you close, and how smooth your client experience feels. And most…
E280 · 9 Apr 2026 · 30 min
If You Feel Stuck, These 4 Things Might Be Why
In this episode, Joey and Christy are breaking down the mindset blocks that are quietly keeping creative business owners stuck, undercharging, and playing small before they even give themselves a real shot. Most creatives don't realize how much of their stagnation is self-inflicted. It's not the market. It's not the economy. It's not a lack of talent. It's the stories they tell themselves before a client ever gets the chance to respond. Photographers, filmmakers, content creators, and social media managers work incredibly hard to build their craft, but then they get in their own way when…
E279 · 1 Apr 2026 · 47 min
How to Fix Underpricing Your Work
In this episode, Joey and Christy are breaking down the most common pricing questions they get from creatives in the wedding and brand space - and their answers might flip how you think about pricing entirely. Here’s the key: pricing is branding. What you charge signals who you are, what you're worth, and whether clients can trust you before they ever respond to your quote. Most creatives obsess over their website, their socials and their portfolio - and completely overlook that their price tag is doing just as much talking. Ep 279 tackles the questions that trip up photographers,…
E278 · 26 Mar 2026 · 37 min
The Ultimate Pricing Strategy For Photographers, Filmmakers & Social Media Managers In 2026
BIG UPDATE: The brand new 2026 Creativ Rise Pricing Calculator is here! As always: completely for free! If you’re a photographer, filmmaker, content creator or SMM & struggle with how to price your work - start using this tool here . What is your pricing strategy?If it’s merely based off the photographer down the street, a low day-rate, or just going with your gut and hoping for the best - this episode (and new tool) is for you. In this episode, Joey walks through the exact pricing framework creative entrepreneurs use to charge confidently for brand photography, wedding packages, UGC…
E277 · 18 Mar 2026 · 25 min
Why You’re Stuck With Low-Paying Clients (And How to Fix It)
You've probably heard the advice a hundred times: "just find clients with more money." Cool. Super helpful. But if that were all it took, you wouldn't still be sending $500 invoices. Here's the truth nobody talks about: the size of your paycheck has almost nothing to do with the size of the company you're working with. It has everything to do with the size of the problem you're solving. In this episode, Joey and Christy break down exactly how to make the shift from cheap clients to higher ticket clients - and the one mindset shift that unlocks scaling your creative business. Here's what they…
10 Mar 2026 · 12 min
Hard Work Doesn't Always Mean Growth - A Wake-Up Call For Creatives
Most creatives think the answer is just working harder. More hours, more shoots, more hustle. But if your business looks the same as it did a year ago, the problem isn't your effort — it's what you're doing with it. In this episode, we're breaking down the real reason creative businesses stay stuck, and it has nothing to do with talent. We cover three shifts that actually move the needle — why you can't get consistent results from inconsistent marketing, why the old playbook stops working as the industry evolves, and why surrounding yourself with the right people is one of the…

About Creativ Rise Podcast

Creativ Rise Podcast is a English business podcast from Joey and Christy Speers. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Joey and Christy Speers
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 29 min
Latest episode: 7 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1533601801
Rights: Joey and Christy Speers

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