Fundamentals to Kick-start your Business (ft. Photographer Brant Bender)

What happens when a passion starts to outgrow its “side hustle” label—but the next step feels unclear? In this episode, Kellie sits down with Brant Bender to break down exactly how to turn creative passion into a sustainable business—without the guesswork.Brant Bender, founder of Brant Bender Photography, is a highly respected portrait and wedding photographer with over 15 years of experience capturing authentic, emotional stories. Trained as a photojournalist and having worked with both local newspapers and international publications, he has built his business from the ground up—facing setbacks, navigating near-failure, and ultimately creating long-term success.In this conversation, Kellie interviews Brant on the real, unfiltered fundamentals of starting a business: how to manage time, finances, and priorities, how to invest in the right equipment, and—most importantly—how to find and learn from a mentor. His insights go beyond photography, offering a blueprint for anyone ready to take their idea seriously.This episode is also deeply personal. Brant was Kellie’s original mentor when she first explored photography in 2015. With his guidance, she launched “Kellie Rene Photography” just one year later and successfully ran it as a part-time business for over four years. That full-circle journey brings an added layer of credibility and impact to this conversation.Whether the idea has been sitting in the back of your mind for years or you’re just starting to explore it, this episode delivers the clarity, structure, and motivation needed to take the first real step.Because turning passion into a business isn’t just possible—it’s learnable.Interested in connecting with Brant? Check out www.brantbender.com online, or @brantbenderphotography on instagram. Enjoyed this episode? Visit kelliesbrocchi.com and follow Kellie ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠ ! Loved the show ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@doboth.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠? Leave a review and share what you learned—we love to hear from you! #DoBothDisclaimer: Views and opinions are personal and do not reflect that of the DOD.