How Fitness Creatives Break Into Events, Build Their Style, and Avoid Burnout
In this episode, Brett Taylor shares how a health setback unexpectedly pushed him into photography and eventually into the CrossFit media world. From shooting local competitions to working major events like Magic City and Wodapalooza, Brett breaks down how he learned everything through experience, YouTube, trial and error, and simply saying yes to opportunities.
JT and Brett also dive into creative burnout, imposter syndrome, building confidence as a photographer, balancing a full-time career with creative work, and why documenting your progress matters more than chasing trends. The conversation explores networking in the fitness space, leading media teams, shooting athlete photo packages, venue creativity, and what it actually takes to survive long competition weekends as a creative.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Breaking into fitness photography without film school
- Learning photography through YouTube and repetition
- Shooting CrossFit competitions and athlete packages
- Building confidence while battling imposter syndrome
- Why creatives should document their progress publicly
- Creative burnout and balancing a 9-to-5 career
- Networking with photographers and media teams
- How venue design affects photography and storytelling
- Gear addiction, camera upgrades, and creative tools
- Why saying yes early on accelerates growth
- Leading a media team for the first time
- Transitioning from photography into video work
This episode is packed with relatable lessons for photographers, videographers, and fitness creatives trying to carve out their place in the industry while still keeping the process fun and sustainable.
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