This episode felt like such a full-circle moment for me. I’m talking with my former photography mentee, Cortnie Davis, who has grown from an 18-year-old wedding photographer into a thoughtful consultant helping creative entrepreneurs build calmer, more sustainable businesses.
Cortnie began her career behind the camera and later added floristry to her creative life. Today she works at the intersection of creativity, systems, and sales, helping wedding professionals and other service-based creatives turn all that invisible behind-the-scenes work into intentional systems that actually support their businesses.
With a background in hospitality and years of client-facing experience, Cortnie believes strong processes should feel human and supportive — not rigid or overwhelming. She’s equal parts people-obsessed and spreadsheet-loving, and her work focuses on helping creatives build workflows that allow their artistry to thrive.
In our conversation, we also reminisce about her early photography days and the moment at a conference when a little encouragement helped her keep going. Hearing how that stayed with her all these years truly touched my heart.
We also talk about the powerful mindset shift from scarcity to service, and why documenting your workflows and using tools like HoneyBook and ShootProof can make running a photography business so much easier.
In this episode
• The moment of encouragement that helped Cortnie stay in photography
• Why a service mindset can calm anxiety and make selling feel natural
• How documenting your workflows can completely change your business
• The importance of personal touches in client communication
• Systems and tools that free creatives to focus on what they love
A thoughtful, honest conversation about creativity, burnout, service, and building a photography business that feels calmer, clearer, and more profitable — without losing the human touch.
To connect with Cortnie hello@cortniedee.com
Connect with Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas:
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