050: Reaching 50 Episodes: A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Listeners

Mica: [00:00:00] Welcome. To the 50th episode of The Savory Shot, a podcast about the art and soul of working in food photography. Y'all know who I be. I'm your host, who loves you most, Mica McCook. I am a food photographer born and based in Austin, Texas. If you are from that state, come holla at your girl.

First, let me just start off by saying, thank you for being here. Thank you for being awesome. And also to say that today's episode will probably be the shortest of the Savory Shot history. Like I'm not even going to throw in the intro or a sponsor message. I just want to dive in with a sweet, sweet love letter.

Y'all, it feels surreal to be here today. Recording the 50th episode. I'm freaking out. Y'all, when I started this podcast, I had a vision. [00:01:00] I had a dream, but I never imagined that we would reach this incredible milestone. I really thought that I probably wouldn't make it into 30 episodes that I would get burnt out in a year.

Running a podcast is a lot of work. A lot of work. As y'all know, I keep it real. I do not sugarcoat anything. But y'all, this is incredible. This journey has been filled with ups and downs, moments of doubt, but more importantly, moments of pure joy. I have had some of the most incredible conversations.

I've cried with my guests, I've laughed, I've disagreed with my guests. We've just had some of the best conversations. This podcast really is a work of love. I love it. I love this show. I love you guys. I love the community. Everything about it, I love. And it is hard work, [00:02:00] but it is worth it. A bazillion, katrillion, bazillion, trillion times worth it.

I remember the first time I sat down to record an episode. I was so nervous, so excited, and unsure of what the future held. I really was just going in by the seat of my pants. I knew that I'd been holding it off because the pressure of perfection. I wanted this show to be perfect. And there just came a point where I had to do it, imperfectly. Just start it and I'm so glad that I did. But I really didn't know what I was doing, but I knew one thing for certain. I wanted to create a space where we could talk about the art and soul of food photography, sharing stories, inspire each other, help each other grow. I wanted to have a space where we could really get into the nitty gritty of what it's like to be a [00:03:00] freelancer.

Because let me tell you, I was so sick of hearing interviews where it's like, yeah, everything was so perfect. And I picked up a camera and then boom, I'm a millionaire. I knew that's not how it worked. And I wasn't interested in those conversations. I was interested in learning about life experiences that we can take as lessons in our own careers.

From the beginning, the goal was to build a community. I know that entrepreneurship freelancing is a lonely existence and I wanted to change that. I'm still working on it. Like I feel like I have a group of listeners, but I don't have a place where a community can congregate. Maybe this will be the year that I start a Facebook group, because that seems to be the best place. I thought about Patreon, but not everyone has a Patreon. So Facebook it is. Facebook, it's going to [00:04:00] be. I'm going to create a Facebook group for everybody. To go share and be a part of. If you prefer a different place like Linkedin.

Let me know. I'm down for that, too. But right now I'm, I think I'm just going to create a Facebook group because I know that having a community, having a family. It just makes this business. This really tough industry to be in, less tough, less lonely. Just less. So I want to continue to build a podcast where the audience is just amazing, so that's what I'm going to do.

I'm truly grateful for each and every one of y'all. Your support, your feedback, your enthusiasm. It all means the world to me. For the ones who have been with me since episode one, y'all are my ride or dies. You've been through this journey with me from the [00:05:00] beginning.

So you've listened to episodes where the audio is just shit tastic, but you stuck with me. I can't say thank you enough, but I will continue until the very end of this show, which will probably be like a bazillion episodes in. I will continue to say thank you for being on this journey with me, because I really couldn't have done it without you.

Hitting 50 episodes is a big mother effing deal y'all. Over the course of these episodes, man, we've covered so many topics. We've covered everything, like technical aspects of photography, to the creative process, to the business side, to the personal stories and experiences. Each episode has been a learning experience. Not just for y'all, the listeners, but also for me as the host.

I've grown so much from that first episode, from the way that I ask questions, the research that I do, the way that I guide interviews has all been a [00:06:00] learning experience. And really, I owe all of this incredible journey that you and I have been on together.

As a food photographer, I've had the pleasure of working with some amazing people and capturing some truly beautiful images, and I love that and I'm proud of that. And long after your girl is gone and off this planet, I'm proud that there will be something of mine that I created out there that will live beyond me.

But being a part of this podcast has added a whole new dimension to my work. Ya girl likes to talk. I'm a talker. But really, I'm a connector. I love connecting people. I love connecting with people. People. So of course, podcast is a natural evolution of who I'm becoming. This podcast has given me the opportunity to connect with other [00:07:00] photographers, artists, producers, people that work on the business side of food photography and people from all over the world.

I have had the pleasure of interviewing people in Singapore, in Portugal, in the UK, in Canada, in Arizona, in Seattle, like there just hasn't been a.

It's an area of the planet that I haven't connected with someone. Really, it's because of this podcast. This podcast is becoming a platform for people to share knowledge, to exchange ideas, and really celebrate the art of food photography and being in it. When I think back to the early days of the podcast, I'm reminded of the challenges I faced.

There were so many technical issues. I didn't know what the heck I was doing. Scheduling conflicts, lots of moments of self doubt, but through it all, I persevered and I couldn't have done it without you. I kept pushing forward because every single [00:08:00] time I came real close to the edge of saying, you know what?

This is just too much. I can't do this. One of you will email me or send me a DM and you'll just tell me about what kind of impact that the show is having on you. And that is like a refuel for me to like get up and go, okay, someone is learning something from this. Someone is gaining something from this.

So I got to keep on going if, if, if not for me, for them. That's why we're here. We are here. 50 episodes stronger and more passionate than ever. I can't wait to discover what we'll talk about in the 100th episode and the 200th episode. I really don't know how far this show is going to go. But as of right now, your girl has no idea.

No signs of stopping or slowing down. I love this show. One of the most rewarding aspects of this show has been hearing from y'all, the listeners. Please keep emailing me. Please keep [00:09:00] DMing me. I might not respond right away, but I will respond. I do see your messages, your comments, and your Everything. It's been a source of inspiration, a source of motivation, knowing that these episodes resonate with you, that they inspire you, that they help you in your own photography journey.

It is the best feeling in the world. There's not a shoot that I will book. There's not a mountain that I will climb that will feel better than hearing from you and your accomplishments from the lessons. You share your stories with me. You share your challenges, your triumphs, you are vulnerable with me and I feel like it's creating such a beautiful sense of community, which is why I'm going to start the Facebook group so we can all get together and connect with each other because I want this podcast to be more than just a podcast.

I want it to be a family. I want it to feel like a community. I could not be prouder of this [00:10:00] podcast that I've built, but I haven't done it alone. Even though I say it's a one woman show, it it is in a way, but really it's not because there is no community. There is no show if there's no listeners. So thank you guys for being a part of this.

I've learned the importance of preparation, the value of authenticity, the power of storytelling. There are times when I'm like, am I being too wild on this show? Like this is supposed to be like a professional grown up show and I'm over here cracking jokes about M& Ms.

I'll, I'll drop an F bomb or I'll say shit. And I'm like, is this professional? Then one of you will remind me that it's real. And that's what you crave. That's what you seek. You want real. You want authenticity. So that's what I bring. But also every episode I strive to bring y'all content that is not only informative, but inspiring and engaging.

It's one thing to hear what you should be [00:11:00] doing, but you need to be motivated to do what you're doing, to keep doing what you're doing, to move forward. The whole point about learning is to put what you learn into action. It's like, don't buy a book and then read it and then don't do anything that the book applies and then complain that nothing's changed in your life.

Well, it's the same thing with this podcast. These guests are coming on, they're giving you advice, they're telling you, Hey, this worked for me, it might work for you. So take what they have to say and apply it to your own life. But more than anything, it's just wonderful to be part of a wonderful community of food photographers.

Food photography.

Yes, it's about food. That's like the connector. That's the anchor. But really it's about people and the culture and the passion that goes into creating beautiful images that honor the people in the culture. That is what I aim to celebrate here on The Savory [00:12:00] Shot. We uncover the magic that makes this field so special because food photography is special.

Being in this industry is special whether you're a stylist, whether you're a photographer, a producer, a consultant, whatever it is, you are part of something so magical and so beautiful. So I hope that you take pride in that and give yourself a little pat on the back. That's what this, this podcast is.

It's basically a big ode, a big love letter to food photography and the people who work within it. This episode. This 50th episode, if, if I may brag on that self promote that a. This 50th episode celebrates the hard work, the dedication and love that we pour into our craft. It reminds us why we started this journey, why we stay in this journey. I don't know about y'all, but [00:13:00] I look forward to many more episodes to come. I want to close this out to take a moment to thank some very special people. To my family and friends, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement to the amazing guests who have shared their knowledge and experiences. Thank you for being a part of this journey. And more importantly to y'all, the listeners, thank you for tuning in for believing in this show and for being part of the Savory Shot family.

As we move forward. I am so excited about the future of The Savory Shot. I have so many exciting topics lined up, new guests to introduce, more stories to share. Y'all, I'm here. I'm in it to win it. I'm committed to continuing to bring you the best content possible, to inspire you, to educate you, and to celebrate the wonderful world of food photography.

Here's to 50 episodes of The Savory [00:14:00] Shot. Here's to the journey we've been on, the lessons we've learned, and the community we've built. And here's to many more episodes to come. Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey. I'm grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Gracias. Danke, Shane. Merci. Shoot, I forgot all the other ways to say thank you, but in all the languages, thank you very much. Till next time, y'all.

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