Meet Brianna Shrader

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brianna Shrader a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Brianna, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
I’ve had to overcome imposter syndrome several times throughout my career, and I think that any time I dive into something brand new – I’ll have that feeling again. That – should I be doing this? Am I good enough to do this? What will people think? – feeling. I’ve come to realize that feeling is more about discomfort and chartering the unknown than it is about actually being an imposter. Any time you do something new, or start something new there’s going to be a level of discomfort and questioning of yourself – and when I have that feeling I now know it means I’m in a growth period; I’m embarking on something new and exciting and that is always going to come with discomfort. I believe that’s how I know I’m on the right path. It’s a big part of the process – if it feels easy it’s probably not going to move the needle a whole lot. Growth begins at the edge of your comfort zone.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve been running a successful photography studio for the past 9 years. I have a team of 13 people who work for me at Shy Heart Studios as photographers and dedicated support staff as well. We specialize in Weddings, Families and Personal Brands. For many years I have wanted to get into teaching and I’m finally adding that to my repertoire. In January of 2024 I launched my next big adventure which is Photography Business Education. In 2023 I dove into the world of AI for business growth and have seen such a massive transformation that I am now teaching others how to utilize AI to grow their photography businesses. I launched my first Masterclass in partnership with PhotobizX and have a LOT more up my sleeve for this year on the teaching front!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
This is such a great question and it’s really hard to choose just three but here are my top 3:

1. Continued Education / Mentorship. I have always had someone to bounce my ideas off of, but it wasn’t until I invested in a business coach that I really began to transform everything I do. My only regret is not investing in this sooner!
2. Connection is key. This is another thing in my business that I put on the back burner. I used to hate networking in the wedding industry. I did it occasionally but never with purpose. In the last year I really began to expand my network so far beyond the photography world and it has been the best thing for my business and even for my personal life.
3. Delegation. In small business we often feel like we have to hunker down and do everything ourselves so that we can hang onto every penny while we grow… but the truth is, investing in someone you can offload mundane tasks to, will free you up to do more income generating work and will help you grow faster!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for people to collaborate with in every aspect of my business. Right now, I would love to connect with Photography podcasts, or educational resources so that I can share my AI knowledge with more photographers out there. I want to teach as many photographers as I can about the growth methods I have been implementing that have completely transformed my business. Anyone who is interested in hosting a mastercalss with me can find me on instagram @brianna_shrader or my photography page @shyheartstudios and of course by email [email protected]

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Shy Heart Studios

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