Girlbossing Too Close to the Sun: SEO, Boundaries, and Relaunching Yourself (ft. April Brown)

Girlbossing Too Close to the Sun: SEO, Boundaries, and Relaunching Yourself (ft. April Brown)

This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with April Brown, a Jacksonville-based marketing, SEO, and conversion rate optimization specialist. Coming from a 10-year corporate career as a marketing director, April now helps female entrepreneurs and service-based businesses become "future millionaires"—but her most challenging project was learning how to audit her own life. In this episode, you’ll hear: * The "Outranking Google" High: April shares the hilarious and terrifying story of the 6:00 AM phone call that landed her on a Zoom meeting with representatives from Google, YouTube, the NFL, and a major TV provider. Discover how her SEO strategy worked so well that she accidentally outranked the tech giants for "NFL Sunday Ticket"—and why her client forced her to turn her video off. * The "Mommy Always Works" Low: A deeply vulnerable look at the reality of hyper-growth and the trap of saying "yes" to everything. April opens up about the massive burnout that led to a 36-hour workday cycle, a strain on her marriage, and the heartbreaking moment her young daughter gave her the ultimate wake-up call: "Mommy always works. We do not see her not working." * The "27 Services & Rebranding for 3 Years" Unexpected: What happens when an expert spreadsheet-maker and SEO guru gets audited by her own CFO? April shares the shocking realization that she was offering 27 different services while only truly enjoying four of them—and how she completely forgot she hadn't had a "real" live website up for three years. April’s story is a powerful lesson in establishing hard boundaries with yourself, implementing systems like "Do Not Disturb" automations, and treating life like a "test season." If you are currently grinding around the clock, hiding from your inbox, or wondering how to scale without losing your family, this episode is your roadmap to pulling back and reclaiming your joy. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. * 🎙️ Want to connect with April? Check out her legendary 3-year landing page at AprilBrown.co [https://aprilbrown.co/] or follow her journey and DM her on Instagram @aprilbrown.co.

Heirlooms, Boundaries, and the Beauty of a 15-Year Journey (ft. Michael & Laura)

This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Michael and Laura, a husband-and-wife photography team based in Richmond, Virginia. With 15 years in the industry, their story is a beautiful testament to what happens when you prioritize relationship over transaction and intention over scale. In this episode, you’ll hear: * The "Full-Time Leap" High: Laura shares the emotional journey of leaving a 9-year career as an elementary school teacher to go full-time in photography. Discover how "teacher skills" translate to wedding days and how this leap allowed them to expand their family through foster care and adoption. * The "Square Footage" Low: A real-talk look at the challenges of running a business together in a small home office. Michael and Laura discuss the seasons where work-life balance felt like a myth and the difficult (but necessary) conversations required to find a healthy line between being business partners and being a married couple. * The "15-Year Celebration" Unexpected: How a business built on community leads to clients who stay for a decade and a half. From receiving gifts for their children to throwing a 15th-anniversary party for their past couples, Michael and Laura explain why they don’t want "high-end" clients—they want "their people." Michael and Laura’s story is a raw reminder that while we document "perfect" days for others, our own success is found in the boundaries we set, the resilience we build in the lows, and the legacy we leave within our own four walls. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. * 🎙️ Want to connect with Michael & Laura? Check out their work at MichaelAndLauraPhotography.com [https://michaelandlauraphotography.com/] or follow their journey and DIY projects on Instagram @michaelandlauraphotography

Simplicity, Software, and the Strength of the Human Spirit (ft. Daniel Usenko)

This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Daniel Usenko, the visionary founder and CEO of Pixellu (Smart Albums). A photographer turned tech innovator, Daniel has spent over a decade revolutionizing how our industry handles album design, but his journey is about much more than just software. In this episode, you’ll hear: * The "Integration" High: A deep dive into the two-year mission to integrate Smart Albums with KISS Books. Daniel shares why "simplicity is addictive" and how this breakthrough aims to rescue a new generation of photographers from the tedious Photoshop workflows of the past. * The "Broken Back" Low: A raw and humbling look at the physical cost of pushing limits. After completing a full Ironman for his 40th birthday, Daniel discovered he had been living and working with a broken back for months—forcing a difficult conversation about health, aging, and what it means to be present for your family. * The "Reinvention" Unexpected: How losing his personal domain name led to a two-year hiatus from the web, and how a recent spark at a creative conference inspired him to relaunch his site and embrace "boring" family photos as the ultimate proof of life.Daniel’s story is a refreshing blend of tech-forward thinking and old-school appreciation for the tangible. Whether you’re struggling with business growth or a personal setback, this conversation will remind you that while technology moves fast, the most valuable things—our health and our memories—require us to slow down.Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected.🎙️ Want to connect with Daniel? Check out SmartAlbums.com [https://smartalbums.com/], his new photography site at Usenko.co [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://usenko.co], or follow his personal journey on Instagram @danielsenko.

Vulnerability, Value, and the Power of 'Yes' (ft. Amanda Waltman)

This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with Seattle-based family photographer and podcast host Amanda Waltman. With over 23 years in the industry, Amanda’s journey is a masterclass in reclaiming your identity and finding strength in life’s most humbling moments. In this episode, you’ll hear: * The "Legion of Youth" High: How a random connection led to a decade-long partnership with the Seattle Seahawks, allowing Amanda to document the stories of homeless and at-risk youth during the team's Super Bowl era. * Reclaiming Autonomy: The "Low" that forced Amanda to quit photography for a year after being told her laugh was "too loud" for a corporate studio—and how she returned on her own terms. * Redefining Success through Loss: A heartbreaking and honest look at navigating back-to-back miscarriages, and how motherhood finally broke her addiction to the 80-hour "hustle" culture. * The 'Series of Unfortunate Events' Unexpected: From her husband’s tech layoff to a freak accident that left Amanda with a broken foot and surgery during her busiest season, she shares the lesson her therapist gave her: "Just say yes to the help." Amanda’s story is a raw reminder that entrepreneurship isn't a straight line. It’s a series of peaks and valleys that test our resolve and force us to decide who we want to be when we can no longer "do it all" ourselves. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 🎙️ Want to hear more from Amanda? Check out her podcast at TheEditWeekly.com or follow her photography journey on Instagram @amandawaltmanphoto!

Systems, Scaling, and Small Town Success (ft. Kylee Maughan)

This week on High, Low, and Unexpected, Shaun sits down with northern Utah photographer and business coach Kylee Maughan. With 15 years in the industry, Kylee has mastered the art of the "mompreneur" shuffle—growing a multiple six-figure brand while remaining a present, hands-on mom. In this episode, you’ll hear: * The "Groove" High: How Kylee reached the point where her business generates $500K+ while she still has time to volunteer at her kids' school and read 75 books a year. * The Adrenal Failure Low: A vulnerable look back at 2016, when running a high-volume business with 75+ weddings and zero systems led to a stress-induced health crisis. * The Power of the First Hire: Why outsourcing editing and bringing on a Virtual Assistant (VA) is the only way to move from "owning a job" to "owning a business." * The Pivot to Branding: How the 2020 lockdown forced a shift from weddings to baby brand photography, eventually leading to a dream collaboration with the iconic Gerber Baby brand. Kylee’s journey is a powerful reminder that we don’t rise to the level of our goals—we fall to the level of our systems. Whether you are feeling burnt out in the "editing cave" or looking to scale your team, this conversation offers a roadmap to building a business that serves your life, not the other way around. Listen now on High, Low, and Unexpected. 📸 Ready to stop the hustle and start scaling? Check out Kylee Maughan’s coaching and photography at KyleeAnne.com or follow her behind-the-scenes on Instagram @kyleeann.maughan!