If you’ve listened to Made for Minnesota Moms before, you know the usual setup. I sit down with a Minnesota woman who supports moms through pregnancy, birth, or postpartum, and I ask her everything. This episode is different. My business coach, Colie James, took the host seat and interviewed me instead.
It felt a little weird to be the one answering questions. But Colie knows my business inside and out, so she pulled things out of me I don’t usually talk about, about my photography and about this podcast. We covered why I started the series, how I went from art school to newborn sessions, why I’m so into Fresh 48s, and where I want this show to go.
So if you’ve ever wondered who’s behind the mic, this one’s for you. I’m Megan Norman, a Minneapolis newborn and family photographer, a mom of three, and apparently now a photographer supporting Minnesota moms with a podcast I never planned to start.
Meet Colie James, the Coach Who Flipped the Script
Colie James is my business coach, and she’s the reason a lot of my back-end actually works. She’s a Dubsado Certified Specialist and a HoneyBook educator, which is a fancy way of saying she
helps photographers and creative business owners build systems so their businesses run without them doing every single thing by hand. She hosts the Business-First Creatives podcast, she’s based in Colorado, and she has one daughter, Chloe.
Colie set up my client emails, my booking process, and the workflows that make me look way more organized than I feel. (She also talked me into making this podcast, but more on that in a second.) When she offered to interview me, I said yes because she’s done it before on her own show, and because I trusted her to make it fun instead of awkward.
Why I Started Made for Minnesota Moms
As a photographer supporting Minnesota moms, Instagram started feeling performative to me. I was posting, but I wasn’t really connecting with the women I wanted to reach, and I missed real conversations.
Around the same time, I kept learning about people who support moms that I had no idea existed. I didn’t know what a postpartum doula was. I didn’t know chiropractic care could help with labor and delivery. I didn’t know there are concierge doctors who come to your house. Once I started finding out, I couldn’t stop.
So I started having conversations with women I already knew and admired. It wasn’t supposed to be a podcast (Colie pushed me on that one too). But the chats were so good, and there was so much useful information in them, that putting it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify just made sense. Made for Minnesota Moms is for moms who have a million questions and zero time to dig through the internet at 2 a.m.
From Art School to Newborn Sessions
I never planned to be a newborn and family photographer or a photographer supporting Minnesota moms. I went to the University of Minnesota and got my fine arts photography degree, and I figured I’d end up in advertising as an art buyer. Turns out that’s a really niche job, and it just wasn’t happening for me.
So I started shooting for friends, something I’d done back in high school. Then I lost my job right when my oldest, Olive, was born, and there wasn’t much turning back after that. I started with everything (weddings, seniors, families, newborns) and slowly niched down. I stopped doing weddings around 2022, and more recently I added Fresh 48 sessions so I could focus more on newborns.
These days, as a photographer supporting Minnesota moms, I offer in-home newborn sessions, family photography, and Fresh 48 sessions in the hospital. If the term is new to you, a Fresh 48 is photos taken in the first day or two after birth, usually right in your hospital room. (I break down what a Fresh 48 session is and how it compares to a newborn session in earlier posts if you want the full rundown.)
Watch or Read, Your Call
I know moms are busy, so I’ll make it easy. If you’d rather hear the whole conversation (and catch the parts where I got a little sappy talking about my kids), press play below. If you’d rather skim, keep scrolling. I pulled out the questions Colie asked and the answers that matter most.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9JJR95FGQU
Q&A With Colie James and Megan Norman
1. What first got you into Fresh 48 sessions?
A friend photographed the birth of my third baby, and asked if she could come do a Fresh 48 at the hospital. I said sure without overthinking it. Then I saw the photos. My oldest, Olive, burst into happy tears the moment she walked in to meet her baby brother, and we have it. You can see exactly how she looked at him. You can’t fake that. It’s raw and real, and that sold me.
2. How do people actually book a Fresh 48 with you?
It’s usually neither an inquiry form nor me pitching it. It’s people hearing me talk about why I love it. I’ll get into a conversation about Fresh 48s, they get excited, they ask for the link, and we’re off. (That’s a big reason I like doing this podcast. You can hear someone’s passion in their voice in a way a website can’t really capture.)
3. What are some common objections or things people worry about most when it comes to Fresh 48’s?
How they look. You just had a baby, you’re in the thick of it, and being photographed feels like a lot. But a Fresh 48 is really about your interactions with your new baby, not your hair or your outfit. I look back at my own session with Ford, and I don’t love how I look in every shot. I love how those photos make me feel. They bring me right back, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
4. What if the older sibling won’t cooperate?
Then we capture exactly that, and it’s still great. I’ve had a toddler give his new sibling a full stink eye (those made some of my favorite photos). I’ve had a little boy who cared way more about the balloon he brought than the baby. I’ve had kids who didn’t want mom holding the baby at all. None of that is a problem. It’s their honest reaction in that moment (and that’s the whole point.)
5. Why book a baby plan instead of one session?
A baby plan is you prioritizing that first 18 months before it disappears. You commit to up to three sessions, and it’s basically choose your own adventure. It might be a maternity session, a newborn session, and a one-year session. It might be a Fresh 48 paired with a newborn session. You get a discount on the session fee and your collections, and we make sure everyone gets in the photos (mom included, not just the kids).
6. How do you help someone choose between a Fresh 48 and an in-home newborn session?
A lot of people think they want a newborn session, then they hear me talk about Fresh 48s and end up booking both, because they’re really different experiences. A Fresh 48 is about 30 minutes in the hospital, fast and raw, since someone’s always coming in to check on you. An in-home newborn session is about an hour and a half at your house, calmer, with your nursery and your kids being themselves. Together, they make a really nice pair.
7. Why should someone hire you instead of one of the national hospital photo companies?
If capturing that time matters to you, please capture it, even with one of those companies. But with them, you don’t know who’s walking through your door or what their skill level is. Hospital lighting is tricky, and you have to know how to work with it to get something flattering. With me, you know exactly who you’re getting. We’ve usually talked before you book, you know what to expect, and you can actually relax and be in the moment. (Colie helped me build the emails and processes that make that part feel smooth.)
8. Where do you want the podcast to go from here?
I want to bring more first-time moms on to talk about what they planned for and what caught them off guard. A friend suggested I start sharing birth stories too, which I love, because everyone’s is different and hearing them can be really empowering. I’ve also got an episode coming with a client who travels the world with her two kids. I just want to keep sharing women doing interesting things, so other moms can think “I could do that” or find a resource they didn’t know existed.
The Real Life Rescue Kit
At the end of every episode, I ask my guests for three Minnesota recommendations that actually help moms in real life. Since I was the one in the guest seat this time, Colie asked me. Here’s what I shared.
Takeout rescue: Nico’s Tacos. On a long day when we don’t want to cook, their family taco meal (and the fajita one) is a crowd pleaser for everyone at our house. My friend turned me onto them during Covid, and I didn’t even realize there was a location close to us. So easy.
Outing worth the effort: Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis Park. I know another guest mentioned it, but it really is our go-to. They’ve got a fabulous nature center with interactive activities, birds you can go see, and a Halloween party every year that reminds me of being a kid (homemade, great prizes, all three of my kids have loved it).
Local resource for moms: Can I say the podcast? At this point I’ve interviewed so many people and learned so much that Made for Minnesota Moms has become my own local mom resource. If it weren’t that, I’d point you to my local mom Facebook group, because that’s where I go when I need to find literally anything.
Where to Find Me
- About me
- Family photography
- Newborn photography
- Fresh 48 sessions
- Follow along on Instagram
- Listen to the podcast
- Get in touch
Photographer Supporting Minnesota Moms: A Note From Me
I started Made for Minnesota Moms because I think Minnesota moms deserve real conversations and real resources, not generic advice from a search bar. Being a photographer supporting Minnesota moms has always been bigger than photos for me. I want you to leave here with something you can actually use, whether that’s a Fresh 48 you didn’t know you wanted or a name to look up later.
If you want to know when the next episode drops, sign up for my newsletter. And if you’re still pregnant and getting ready for everything that comes next, grab my free Minneapolis Pregnancy Guide for local resources you can actually use. If you’re ready to document this season of your family’s life, I’d love to connect.
Because this season goes fast, and it’s worth remembering.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and reflects my own experience as a photographer. Session details, pricing, and offerings can change over time, so reach out for current information.
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