EP 27: From Vibes to Data: Building a Business That Actually Works with Sam MacKinnon

EP 31: The PSD File That Refused to Be Deleted Turned into A New Fantasy Football App with Jordan Sheldrick

A World Cup-timed conversation about design, fantasy football, and finally finishing the idea you've been sitting on. Jordan walks through the origin story of his design career (Ninja Turtles, rap crew websites, and a Google Nexus hardware project he still calls his favorite), why football's visual design has lagged behind American sports, and how he used AI tools — ChatGPT first, Claude later — to finally build the product that had been sitting as an unopened PSD file on his hard drive for years. The conversation covers everything from his deliberately monochrome, "more Nike than football" design choices, to the realities of vibe coding without a backend background, to why loyalty to underperforming players (in the game, at least) doesn't pay. It's a conversation for anyone who has an idea quietly gathering dust — and a reminder that "done is better than perfect" applies just as much to a passion project as it does to a client brief. ABOUT OUR GUEST:Jordan Sheldrick is a creative director and designer whose work spans advertising, web, product, and brand design, including projects with Ubisoft, EA, Crafton, and Google. He's the creator of CampoV, a fantasy football platform built around following goals and players across Europe's top five leagues. You can find his portfolio at jordansheldrick.com [https://jordansheldrick.com] and follow his work on LinkedIn. * Capo V — Jordan's fantasy football project: capo-v.com [http://capo-v.com] * Jordan's website: jordansheldrick.com [https://jordansheldrick.com] * Jordan on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordansheldrick/] * The Games That Built Us - HIGH SCORE (Netflix) [https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81019087]— the role-playing games episode Shelly recommended to Jordan ABOUT THE HOST: Shelly Waldman is the founder of Creative Camp [https://creativecamp.pro] — an education and coaching business helping commercial photographers build sustainable, profitable careers. She's a commercial photographer herself, with a background in finance and economics and a career that's spanned New York, San Francisco, and London. Shelly geeks out on pricing, usage licensing, and pitching — and on this episode, on fantasy football design, too. Follow Shelly on Instagram: @shuttershelly [https://www.instagram.com/shuttershelly] Find Creative Camp at: @creativecamp.pro [https://www.instagram.com/creativecamp.pro] KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING + SUPPORT THE SHOW: We love hearing from you, Campers — drop us a line or tag us in your thoughts: * 📩 Email or DM: hello@shellywaldman.com [hello@shellywaldman.com] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creativecamp.pro] * ☕ Buy us a coffee (we love chai lattes): buymeacoffee.com/creativecamp [https://buymeacoffee.com/creativecamp] * 📬 Sign up for the Camp Bulletin — industry insights, creative opportunities, and the latest show: Subscribe here [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1292113/152397802558719123/share] If this episode sparked something for you, share the episode with a friend and send leave a review — it helps other creatives find the show. High fives for leaving e a comment on Spotify or YouTube or a review on Apple Podcasts. It means more than you know. 🔥 Creative Camp is an education and coaching community for commercial photographers and creative freelancers. Visit us at creativecamp.pro [https://creativecamp.pro]

EP 30: Burnout to Bookings: How Showing His Personality Turned into Clients Andrew Keher

In this episode, Shelly sits down with Liverpool-based documentary wedding photographer Andrew Keher to talk about the slow business snowball that becomes a quiet avalanche, why your best content might be the story behind a photo nobody would look twice at, and the two frameworks (three layers + MICE) that have given Andrew — and now his students — a way to show up on social media without losing their minds in the process. The origin story nobody's telling. Andrew didn't pick up a camera until he was 29, after a particularly bad day being shouted at in a windowless construction office. At a wedding he was attending he spotted a wedding photographer doing Jäger shots with the guests and thought — I want that job. A small loan, a mentor, and a lot of second-shooting later, he had a career. For nearly a decade, Andrew's business grew through word of mouth and strong SEO — and then he stopped doing any of it. Post-COVID, he entered 2024 with four weddings booked and money running out. His response: buy a new camera, update the website logo, and hope for the best. (Spoiler: this is not the strategy.) How viral comedy reels saved a struggling business. Resources & Links * Andrew Keher Photography — andrewkeher.com [https://andrewkeher.com] * Andrew on Instagram — @andrewkeher [https://www.instagram.com/andrewkeher] * The Brand Inn — Andrew's online community for photographers working on their social media and branding — skool.com/the-brand-inn [https://www.skool.com/the-brand-in] * David Stubbs — the documentary photography mentor Andrew credits with shaping his approach to the craft * 5 Tips to Market Your Business without the Algorithm [https://5marketingtips.subscribepage.io/] OUR GUEST: Andrew Keher is a documentary wedding photographer based in Liverpool, UK, and he's become one of the most followed and most practical voices on social media strategy for photographers, and runs The Brand Inn: an online community where photographers come to work on their digital presence in a fantasy-themed tavern, complete with wizard's hat. YOUR HOST Shelly Waldman is the founder of Creative Camp — an education and coaching community for commercial photographers and creative freelancers who want to build sustainable, profitable businesses. She's a working commercial photographer herself, and when she's not hosting the Creative Campfire podcast she's helping photographers understand their worth, nail their pitches, and actually get paid what they deserve. 📍 creativecamp.pro [https://creativecamp.pro]📸 @creativecamp.pro @shuttershelly [https://www.instagram.com/creativecamp.pro]✉️ hello@shellywaldman.com [hello@shellywaldman.com]

EP 29: From Surgeries to Seven Continents: The Business of Travel Photography with Michael George

What does it take to build a career that spans National Geographic, Apple, Airbnb, and a palace in Jaipur — all while keeping your creative voice intact? In this episode, Shelly sits down with photographer, writer, and educator Michael George to talk about the winding road from a Florida hospital (yes, really) to photographing penguins in Antarctica, why licensing your images matters more than you think, and what it's like to get taken down by Pharaoh's Revenge in the Egyptian desert. In This Episode The unlikely origin story. Michael didn't get on a plane until he was 18. Before that, his camera got him into places most people never see — including scrubbing in to photograph brain surgery at 16. That early lesson that a camera is a key, not just a tool, has shaped everything since. The Camino de Santiago. A 500-mile walk from France to Spain that became Michael's first real travel story and a masterclass in brutal editing. His journaling process became a kind of creative art direction for his images, and the lessons from that project (including learning to cut 150 photos down to 8) still inform how he works today. The editorial vs. commercial question. Michael shoots for National Geographic and Airbnb, Aēsop, and Apple. He shares how he navigates briefs that range from completely open to highly controlled, and why he's lucky that most commercial clients come to him because they already know what he does. How the business actually works. Michael breaks down his rough income pie chart. The lecturing life. From Yale and NYU to National Geographic Expeditions, Michael talks about why teaching has become a core part of his career and how working with hobbyists who still get giddy over an in-focus bird photo is the antidote to burnout. Licensing, copyright, and why it matters. A Camino photo from 2012 just landed in a DK book. That unexpected cheque is the whole case for holding onto your copyright. Michael and Shelly dig into why young photographers too often sign it away — and what's at stake with contracts like the Wall Street Journal's current full buyout clause. The Egypt health saga. Morocco's street cats (and the global cat report). Michael's unofficial side project photographing the sweetest street cats he's ever encountered leads into a wider conversation about cat culture around the world. What's next. Michael is quietly pitching a zine on Japanese theme parks — including one entirely dedicated to onions, complete with claw machines where you win an onion. We are here for it. ABOUT MICHAEL GEORGE: Michael George is a New York-based photographer, writer, and educator whose work has taken him across all seven continents. Find him at michaelgeorgephoto.com [https://www.michaelgeorgephoto.com] or on Instagram @michaelgeorge [https://www.instagram.com/michaelgeorge/]. ABOUT THE SHELLY WALDMAN: Shelly Waldman is a photographer, educator, andthe founder of ⁠Creative Camp⁠ [https://creativecamp.pro]. With a background in finance and a decade behind the lens, she helps creative entrepreneurs build sustainable, profitable careers. Creative Campfire is where she pulls up a chair and has the honest business conversations most creatives wish they'd had sooner.Follow Shelly on Instagram: @shuttershelly [https://www.instagram.com/shuttershelly]Find Creative Camp at: @creativecamp.pro [https://www.instagram.com/creativecamp.pro] We love hearing from you, Campers — drop us a line or tag us in your thoughts: * 📩 Email or DM: hello@shellywaldman.com [hello@shellywaldman.com] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/creativecamp.pro] * ☕ Support the show, Buy us a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/creativecamp [https://buymeacoffee.com/creativecamp] * 📬 Need help with navigating usage or your marketing? — get the basecamp bundle. Learn more [https://outpost.creativecamp.pro/basecamp/?ref=pod] If this episode sparked something for you, we'd love a review — it helps other creatives find the show. Leave a comment on Spotify or a review on Apple Podcasts. It means more than you know. 🔥 Creative Camp is an education and coaching community for commercial photographers and creative freelancers. Visit us at creativecamp.pro [https://creativecamp.pro]

EP 28: Answering Your Usage Questions: Licensing, Local Markets, and Finding the Price That Works

Shelly and Lauren are hosting a live deep-dive on ⁠usage licensing.⁠ [https://creativecamp.pro/usage] Lauren walks through a real case study where usage renegotiation happened after a shoot wrapped.⁠ Rachel Korinek⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/stories/twolovesstudio/] joins to share how terms shifted in the 24 hours before her shoot — and what happened. Tickets: $97 — includes a 14-page workbook. Newsletter subscribers⁠ [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1292113/152397802558719123/share] get a discount code which now expires May 8, 2026. Episode Summary: Shelly and Lauren tackle a listener question from Tara @teragigotstudio, a food photographer navigating usage licensing in her local market. From baking usage into your creative fee without line-iteming it out, to why restaurants operate on razor-thin margins and what that means for your quote, to how to explain licensing using movies and Spotify — this episode gets into the nuance that most "just charge for licensing!" advice skips entirely. What Tara Asked: Tara wrote in wondering whether her ability to charge for usage is limited when competing photographers aren't charging for it at all. She lost a restaurant group job to a photographer who charged a fraction of her rate, and she's trying to figure out how to price strategically in a local market where she's still finding her footing. What's Covered: * Why aligning on budget before you quote changes everything — and the range technique (credit: Andrea Stern) that actually gets people to give you a number * How to bake usage into your creative fee without a separate line item — and why you still need a per-image rate for anything beyond the package * Perpetual vs. time-limited licensing for local clients, and why Lauren defaults to perpetual for restaurants * How exclusive → non-exclusive can be a pricing lever when a client can't meet your rate * The Getty Calculator tiering logic (national → regional → local) and how to apply it even though the tool is gone — plus FotoQuote as a resource * Why the most profitable dishes matter more than the most popular ones when scoping a restaurant shoot * Profit First by Mike Michalowicz for building pricing from your actual numbers * How to explain usage to clients who don't get it: a movie ticket is a one-time viewing license; a Spotify consumer account doesn't cover commercial use * Raw files, scope creep, and why "what happens if scope expands" needs to be in your contract before the shoot starts * Fotoquote — pricing software for photographers * Profit First by Mike Michalowicz * Creative Camp Instagram @creativecamp.pro [https://instagram.com/creativecamp.pro] Quotes from the show: "Whether you know you're paying for usage or not, there is a usage fee. I took the photo — I have to license it to you." — Shelly "Clients aren't sitting on bags of money trying to keep it from you. Stay focused on finding a compromise and educating them." — Lauren Stay in touch and resources to grow your business: Drop a comment, send us a DM at @creativecamp.pro [https://instagram.com/creativecamp.pro], or reply to the newsletter. Tara's question opened up a thread we've been pulling on for weeks — what's your version of it? Live usage workshop — May 12th [https://creativecamp.pro/usage]: Real case studies, Lauren and Shelly live, Rachel Korinek as a guest, and a 14-page workbook. $97. Newsletter subscribers [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1292113/152397802558719123/share] get a discount code before the 8th. Basecamp Bundle [https://outpost.creativecamp.pro/basecamp/]: The foundational resource library for creative freelancers. Everything you need to pitch, price, and promote your creative business — all in one place.  Creative Sidekick: [https://creativecamp.pro/sidekick] 1:1 mentorship with Shelly for photographers ready to work on the business, not just in it. Application and discovery call required.

EP 27: From Vibes to Data: Building a Business That Actually Works with Sam MacKinnon

What happens when the vibes stop being enough? In this episode, I’m joined by operations strategist Samantha MacKinnon — my partial COO and the person helping me rein in the chaos behind the scenes. We get into what it really takes to move from scattered ideas to focused execution, why most creatives struggle with prioritization, and how data (yes, even if you hate it) can actually give you more freedom — not less. We also talk about building systems that support your brain (not fight it), the difference between collecting knowledge vs. implementing it, and why sometimes the most important question isn’t if something will work… but how. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many ideas, unclear on what’s actually moving your business forward, or resistant to looking at your numbers — this one’s for you. 💡 Key Takeaways * Why most creatives are stuck in “focus” (and how to get out of it) * The balance between data + intuition in decision-making * How to prioritize when you have too many ideas * The real reason your business might feel scattered * Why “you can’t run a business on vibes alone" * The shift from knowledge consumption → implementation * How to build systems that actually support your workflow * What happens when you bring on a team (and why it can still feel messy) * The power of asking harder questions in your business * You can’t grow what you’re not measuring * Data doesn’t remove creativity — it supports better decisions * If you say yes to everything, nothing gets done * Systems should flex to you, not the other way around * Sometimes the problem isn’t the strategy — it’s a lack of focus 🔗 Resources & Links * Samantha MacKinnon → https://samanthamackinnon.com/ [https://samanthamackinnon.com/] * Fixer Series (Sam’s monthly workshop + resources) → https://samanthamackinnon.com/fixr-series [https://samanthamackinnon.com/fixr-series] * Social Life (community mentioned in the episode) → https://photocamp--ohsierra.thrivecart.com/social-life-2026-6/ [https://photocamp--ohsierra.thrivecart.com/social-life-2026-6/] * Tiny Experiments (Referenced for procrastination: head, heart, hand) Keep the conversation going with us here at Creative Camp: * Drop us an ⁠email⁠ or a DM over on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/creativecamp.pro]. * Support the show by ⁠buying us a coffee⁠ [https://buymeacoffee.com/creativecamp] (we love chai lattes) * Sign up for our ⁠Camp Bulletin [https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/1292113/152397802558719123/share], where we drop nuggets about industry insights, creative opportunities and the latest show. * We'd love a review as it helps others know to listen as well as it helps us get found among the plethora of podcasts. If you're Spotify leave a comment on the show, and on Apple give us a review. About the Host: Shelly Waldman hosts Creative Campfire, a podcast for creatives who want more — more clarity, more confidence, more financial stability, and more honest conversations about what it really takes to build a business. With a career spanning finance, commercial photography, and education, Shelly brings both heart and numbers to the table. She’s passionate about helping creatives understand their value, navigate growth, and create businesses that feel aligned and abundant. Whether she’s interviewing industry leaders or sharing her own lessons learned, Shelly’s goal is simple: to pull up a chair to the fire and have the conversations that move creatives forward. You can find her on IG at @shuttershelly and @creativecamp.pro