Creative Women, Capacity, and Building a Rural Business Without Burning Out: A Conversation with Brooke Juma Ehlers

Cowgirls Over Coffee

This week, I’m joined by my good friend and western lifestyle photographer, Brooke Juma Ehlers, for a conversation that hits home in all the right places. We talk about what it really takes to build a business alongside your life without losing yourself in the process. If you’ve ever felt like your ambition and your exhaustion are in a standoff, this episode is for you.

We chat about:

• The mindset shift that comes when “go hard” stops working.
• What slow burn really looks like in business and at home.
• Why connection is the strategic advantage most women are missing.
• The difference between doing less vs. doing what actually matters.
• What to do when your identity is built on overworking and you’re ready to change.

Brooke shares how she’s shifting gears a bit from a full-time wedding photographer to launching Western Wedding Roundup, and why she’s no longer chasing “fast growth at all costs.” We discuss delegation, setting timers, reworking the way we spend our time, and how small decisions can create big freedom.

This one’s for the woman with a head full of ideas, a calendar that’s borderline unmanageable, and a quiet knowing that something’s needing to shift. Whether you’re a rural creative, a solo entrepreneur, a ranch wife, a mom, or all of the above … this episode is your permission slip to stop white-knuckling it through every single day with that slow burn.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Screenshot this episode, tag @cowgirlsovercoffee and tell us about your biggest takeaway or what “slow burn” looks like for you. Because the more conversations we’re having, the quicker we iterate, the faster we find our capacity and the better we feel doing it!

Follow Brooke on IG: @_brookejumaphotography_

Learn more about Western Wedding Roundup