How to Create Your Own Luck in the Wedding Industry

In this inspiring episode of The Level Up Podcast, hosts Taylor Petronovitch and Kelley Gilster sit down with Austin Trenholm, a luxury wedding photographer with 20 years of experience, to discuss how you can create your own luck in the wedding industry.

Austin shares his journey from starting photography at 14 to building a thriving business that consistently books $10K–$18K weddings. He explains how strategic positioning, mindset shifts, and embracing competition can lead to "lucky" breaks. If you're a wedding photographer or videographer looking to scale your business, book luxury clients, and stay motivated, this episode is packed with actionable advice you won't want to miss!

In this episode, we cover:
✔️ Austin’s journey from small-town photographer to luxury wedding pro
✔️ How overcoming imposter syndrome fueled his business growth
✔️ Pricing strategies for scaling into the luxury market
✔️ Creating your own luck through preparation and opportunity
✔️ The role of networking at industry events like Engage
✔️ How embracing competition leads to continuous improvement
✔️ Strategies for balancing local and destination weddings for profitability

💬 What steps are you taking to create your own luck?
DM us on Instagram @TheLevelUpCo or share your biggest takeaway in the comments on YouTube — we’d love to hear from you!

⭐ Loving this episode?
Subscribe, rate, and review so more wedding photographers and videographers can discover strategies to level up, book luxury clients, and grow their businesses sustainably.

Timestamps:

00:00 – 05:00 | Introduction
05:01 – 12:00 | Austins Photography Journey
12:01 – 20:00 | Overcoming Self-Doubt & Building Confidence
20:01 – 28:00 | Pricing Strategies & Scaling the Business
28:01 – 34:00 | Creating Your Own Luck in Business
34:01 – 40:00 | The Role of Competition & Continuous Improvement
40:01 – 43:00 | Final Thoughts

The next round of The Luxury Mastermind will start in October 2025! We are thrilled to welcome you inside our signature 12 week program. Learn more + save your seat here >> https://thelevelupco.com/mastermind

📲 Love this episode? Screenshot and share it on social media! Tag us on Instagram at @TheLevelUpCo and let us know your biggest takeaway.

The Level Up Co. Resources:
- Wedding Planner Email Templates: https://thelevelupco.com/planner-email-template-bundle
- Elevated Client Experience Bundle: https://thelevelupco.com/client-experience-bundle
- Elevated Shot List: https://thelevelupco.com/elevated-shot-list
- The Luxury Framework Course: https://thelevelupco.com/theluxuryframework
- The Luxury Pricing Mini Course: https://thelevelupco.com/reset

Connect with Taylor , Kelley + The Level Up Co.:
🔗Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelevelupco/
🔗Taylor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorpetrinovich/
🔗Kelley's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/618studios/
💻Website: https://thelevelupco.com/