Often Ambitious: A Photography & Business Podcast
Business & Finance
About
Often Ambitious is for photographers, creatives, and entrepreneurs who want to work less, make more, and build a business that actually supports their life, not one that runs it. Hosted by business strategist Alora Rachelle , this show is grounded in lived experience. Alora built a six-figure wedding photography business while raising kids, then went on to help wedding photographers generate over $3 million in collective revenue through Wedding Atelier. She’s done the work, questioned the rules, and helped others stop overworking for underwhelming results. Each episode cuts through the noise with conversations about profitable pricing, boundaries without apology, authority without hustle, and growth that leaves room for creativity, rest, and a life you don’t need a vacation from. If you’re ambitious but done with burnout, performative busywork, and chasing success that costs you everything else, Often Ambitiou
Episodes
- 247. How Sammy Went From $3K to $10k+ Weddings (in less than 12 months)
Alora interviews Wedding Atelier student Sammy about rapidly repositioning her wedding photography business toward the luxury market in under a year. Sammy shares how she joined in the fall of 2025, raised pricing from $3,600 to $6,500, bo…
- 246. Wedding Industry Hot Takes & Copy That Sells with Taylor De la Fuente
Host Alora interviews wedding copywriter Taylor De la Fuente, Wedding Atelier's copy coach, about what’s not working in wedding marketing and sales in 2026. 03:16 Why Pricing Transparency Wins 06:09 Educate Prospects Better 08:54 Stop Rely…
- 245. How Julia Went From $6K to $30K Weddings & The REAL Truth about Luxury Clients
On the Often Ambitious podcast, Alora interviews her student and Wedding Atelier co-coach Julia, a luxury wedding photographer in Quebec, about her rapid business transformation from a $6K starting package to $20K, $30K, and beyond. Julia…
- BONUS: Wedding Atelier Is Opening Soon (Everything You Need to Know)
Wedding Atelier is opening soon (for the first time this year)! And in this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on everything. What's inside, who it's for, what actually changes when you have the right brand, strategy, and pricing struct…
- 244. Systems & Video: Creating a Warm Client Experience for Wedding Photographers with Colie James
Colie James is a Disney-loving Systems Strategist and the host of the Business-First Creatives podcast. Based outside Boulder Colorado, she loves helping photographers & creative service providers automate their processes, reclaim their ti…
- 243. Why Posting More Isn't Getting You More Bookings (And What Actually Does)
In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on why I built the Double Your Inquiries Sprint and what I kept seeing happen with photographers who were doing "all the right things" and still stuck in the spiral. IN THIS EPISODE: The patter…
- 242. CEO Cleaning: Why Your Life Feels Messy (And How to Fix It)
-- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Most Photographers Are Missing) on May 19th at 12PM ET. I'm breaking down the three specific shifts taking photographers from stuck at $3K–$5K…
- 241. How to Have Wedding SEO with Sarah Does SEO
Sara Dunn is the go-to Wedding SEO expert for planners, photographers, venues, and other wedding pros who want to rank higher on Google without the tech overwhelm. As the founder of Sara Does SEO, she offers done-for-you services, coaching…
- 240. What a Five Figure Month Actually Looks Like (for Photographers)
If you’re serious about building a profitable year, start here: 📌 → The 12-Month CEO Architecture ($7) Your 30-minute yearly calendar blueprint. Design your revenue. Set your boundaries. Build your year with intention. 🗂️ Build your plan…
- 239. Why Instagram Is Still the Fastest Visibility Lever in 2026
00:00 Booked 17 Weddings 04:28 Attract Repel Mindset 05:35 Why Wedding Work Matters 06:26 Templates Over Trends 11:52 Community With Results -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Mo…
- 238. How to Double Your Inquiries with Instagram (this week)
00:00 Welcome Back + Where I’ve Been 02:22 Industry Shifts & the Real Problem: Consistent Inquiries 03:13 The Big Idea: Story-Driven Content That Attracts 03:48 Introducing the Marketing Membership + Founder’s Invite 04:41 My Instagram Ori…
- 237. Wedding Photography Trends & Predictions in 2026
In this episode, host Alora delves into the enduring trends and predictions for the wedding photography industry in 2026. Alora also discusses the importance of versatility and creativity in capturing memorable wedding moments. -- 🏛️ I'm…
- 236. My Biggest Lessons & Crash Outs of 2025
2025 Reflections: Mindset, Rest, and Evolving as an Entrepreneur In this podcast episode, Alora delves into her five key lessons from the year 2025. She emphasizes the importance of mindset, specifically how adopting the right mindset is c…
- 235. Here's What's Coming in 2026...
Alora returnsvwith a plethora of new ideas and an exciting announcement. She discusses her journey of overcoming creative blocks, tuning into her own intuition, and the development of new offerings aimed at transforming the photography ind…
- 234. A New Chapter is coming...
🪩 Made six-figures as a Wedding Photographer? Ready to scale to multiple six-figures without adding more weekends? Or Are you an artist or creative entrepreneur ready to launch your first product or service? 📝 Apply for the Mastermind he…
- 233. The Real Secret to Standing Out in 2026
-- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Most Photographers Are Missing) on May 19th at 12PM ET. I'm breaking down the three specific shifts taking photographers from stuck at $3K–$5K…
- 232. Why You’re Not Booking Luxury Clients (Let’s Get Honest)
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora discusses the challenges of booking luxury clients as a wedding photographer. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Most P…
- 231. Let’s Catch Up: Life, Launches, and Lessons
It’s been a season , friend, so let’s catch up. ☕ In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what life has really looked like lately... -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That M…
- 230. From Burnout to Booked Out: How Jenn is Hitting Six Figures in 8 Months
In this episode of The Wedding Atelier Podcast , host Alora sits down with alumni Jenn, who went from burnout to booked out—and hit six figures in just 8 months. Jenn reveals how she ditched the scrappy hustle for a strategy that worked: R…
- 229. The Power of Positioning: How Emily Doubled Her Prices and Hit Six Figures
In this episode of The Wedding Atelier Podcast , Alora sits down with alumni Emily R to unpack her six-figure transformation. Emily once struggled to book weddings at $2,400, even after multiple rebrands that failed to attract the high-end…
- 228. Is Wedding Atelier for you? Here's Everything You Need to Know
In this episode of The Wedding Atelier Podcast , host Alora Rachelle pulls back the curtain on her signature program, Wedding Atelier—the proven system designed to help wedding photographers scale to six figures without burning out. Celebr…
- 227. The Truth About Raising Your Prices Without Losing Clients
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora addresses the anxiety and strategies associated with raising prices for weddings. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Mo…
- 226. How We Help You Double your Prices Before The Year Ends...
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora reflects on the Wedding Atelier program, from idea to multi-million dollar student wins. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (…
- 225. How to Attract High End Clients Who See You as the Only Option
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier Podcast, host Alora discusses how photographers can avoid being ghosted and attract dream clients by leveraging their unique artist story. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding For…
- 224. The 3 Biggest Myths Keeping You Stuck at $3k...
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora dives into the prevalent myths that hinder wedding photographers from raising their prices beyond $3,000. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's…
- 223. From Burnout to Booked Out: How to Make $100k with less than 20 Weddings
In this solo episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora discusses strategies to transition from burnout to a fully booked schedule by managing fewer than 20 weddings a year. Alora introduces two frameworks designed to help wedding…
- 222. Becoming the CEO of Your Wedding Business with Heidi Thompson
GET YOUR FREE TICKET TO THE BOOK MORE WEDDINGS SUMMIT In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora welcomes Heidi Thompson from Evolve Your Wedding Business to discuss the critical shift from being a business owner to becomin…
- 221. Stock Photography is an Easy Income Stream with Aubrey Westlund
In this episode of the Wedding at Podcast, the host welcomes back Aubrey Westland, the expert in stock photography, after more than three years. The conversation delves into the intricacies of the stock photography industry, covering essen…
- 220. Scale Your Photography Business using SEO & AI Scott Wyden Kivowitz
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, guest Scott from Imagen.ai shares his journey from general portrait photography to becoming a highly successful niche wedding photographer specializing in proposals. He discusses the importan…
- 219. She Got 3 Workdays a Week Back — and Made More Money Doing It with Sara Monika
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora welcomes Sara Monika, a seasoned wedding photographer and outsourcing expert. Sara shares her experiences and strategies for helping photographers save time and increase their inco…
- 218. Why More Couples Are Choosing Hybrid Photo & Video Packages with Shayna Lloyd
Shayna Lloyd is a Montana-based traveling photographer and videographer for the adventurous and laid-back. Shayna’s signature video style can be described as “vlogs mixed with indie films” and her photos follow suit; Shayna’s story-driven…
- 217. How I'm Managing this Summer as a CEO & Mother of two
In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora discusses her strategies for balancing motherhood, self-care, and her business during the summer. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working…
- 216. Fix Your Mindset. Raise Your Prices (here's how)
In this episode, host Alora shares the significant role of mindset in achieving success, particularly in the wedding photography business. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Most…
- 215. Attract Weddings with Blogs in POV Style with Inkpot Creative
In this episode, Alora interviews Jesse from Ink Pot Creative to discuss the intricacies of SEO and blogging for wedding photographers. Jesse provides invaluable tips on keyword research, crafting compelling blog content, and leveraging ve…
- 214. How to Get Inquiries this Week using Instagram with Social Templates
📲 GET YOUR FIRST MONTH OF SOCIAL TEMPLATES FREE ! 🤳🏽 After over a decade as a wedding photographer, Angela stepped away from the industry, burnt out and craving a slower pace of life as a young mom. During a year-long sabbatical, she na…
- 213. 3 Things You Need Legally for Wedding Photographers with The Legal Paige
👩🏼⚖️ 40% OFF the entire TLP Shop + an extra $10 OFF with code: ALORA10 📑 💵 Stock up on the contracts you need from May 19 - May 22, 2025! In this episode of the Wedding Atelier podcast, host Alora welcomes Paige, founder of The Legal…
- 212. How to be Authentically Artistic with Miles Witt Boyer
In this episode of the podcast, Alora welcomes Miles Whitboyer, a distinguished wedding and commercial photographer based in Bentonville, Arkansas. Renowned for his cinematic storytelling and authenticity, Miles shares his valuable insight…
- 210. You Can Still Make $100k (This Year) inside Wedding Atelier
-- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working in 2026 (That Most Photographers Are Missing) on May 19th at 12PM ET. I'm breaking down the three specific shifts taking photographers from stuck at $3K–$5K…
- 209. How Julia went from sending $6k to $12k proposals
In this episode, Alora welcomes special guest Julia, one of her alumni, who shares her inspiring journey from struggling with bookings to achieving rapid wins by raising her prices from $6k to $12k in just two months -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a f…
- 208. How Khariza made $142k with Weddings (before going Full-time)
In this episode, host Alora welcomes a special guest, her alumni Khariza, to discuss her inspiring journey in building her growing wedding photography business while maintaining a full-time job. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The…
- 207. $10k Wedding Series: Pricing Strategies to Double Your Prices NOW
In this episode, host Alora wraps up the 10K wedding series with her favorite topic: the three crucial pricing strategies every wedding photographer needs to charge 10K for weddings. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Weddin…
- 206. $10k Wedding Series: How to Attract Aligned Dream Wedding Couples Right Now
In this episode, host Alora discusses the current downturn in inquiries and how societal changes are affecting consumer behavior beyond the wedding industry. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a free live training, The $10K Wedding Formula: What's Working…
- 205. How Jenn booked $38k in weddings in just two months
From Scientist to Full-Time Photographer: Jen's Inspiring Journey In this episode, host Alora speaks with Jen, one of her recent alumni, about her rapid and impressive success in transforming her side hustle into a fully-fledged photograph…
- 204. $10k Wedding Series: "The Market Being Saturated" is a Myth (here's why)
In this episode, Alora discusses the importance of creating an incomparable wedding photography business to stand out in the industry. She explains the concept of being 'incomparable' and debunks the myth of market saturation in the weddin…
- 203. 5 Mindsets You Need to Build a Profitable Business (this year)
In this episode, host Alora kicks off a new series focused on helping wedding photographers book $10K weddings. The episode delves into the five crucial mindsets required to build a successful and profitable business. -- 🏛️ I'm hosting a…
- 202. Rebrand Series: Official Brand Session Guide: Do’s and Don’ts
In this episode, Alora shares her comprehensive guide on planning and executing a successful brand session. Reflecting on her recent brand shoot, she covers the challenges and lessons learned, providing practical tips and strategies to mak…
- 201. Getting Over Yourself: Embracing the Journey to Self-Growth
In this podcast episode, host Alora kicks off the mindset series by exploring the concept of 'getting over yourself' as requested by listeners. She shares personal insights inspired by her spring break experiences, explaining the psycholog…
- 200. Why No One Is Booking Your Highest Package
Celebrating 200 Episodes & Mastering Pricing Strategies for Wedding Packages In this milestone episode, Alora celebrates the podcast reaching 200 episodes and almost 100K downloads. She reflects on the importance of taking breaks and consi…
- 199. Rebrand Series: Behind the Styling of a Brand
In this episode of the rebrand series, Alora discusses planning photo shoots, working with a personal stylist, and the importance of mindset for success. 00:00 Introduction to the Rebrand Series 00:22 Challenges of a Brand Session 01:12 Ex…
- 198. How to Avoid the Pricing Dead Zone in the Wedding Industry
In this podcast episode, Alora addresses common concerns about pricing for wedding photographers, including the fear of entering the 'pricing dead zone.' 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:48 Understanding the Pricing Dead Zone 04:…