Her Creative Empire
Her Creative Empire is a voice note for the women who never quite fit in — curious, creative, emotional, ambitious, and allergic to surface-level anything. Hosted by Leah Clancy, a photographer turned business coach and creative founder, this podcast is where art, business, identity, and soul collide.
Each week, Leah shares real, unfiltered solo episodes and interviews with women who’ve built thriving creative businesses — often after a massive life pivot in midlife. From painters and designers to retreat hosts and influencers, these are the stories of women who took the leap, bet on themselves, and did the wild thing, even when it was terrifying.
If you’ve ever felt too much, too intense, or too layered for the world around you… welcome home.
Her Creative Empire
The Grit That Saved me: Fire, Failure and Getting Up Again
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this solo episode, I’m talking about grit—the unglamorous, sweaty, get-back-up-again kind. The kind that shows up when your house burns down. (Yep, that happened.) The kind that keeps you going when your catalog business tanks spectacularly. (Also me.) And the kind that lets you smile through a massively awkward, under-attended ballroom event where you hired a band, belly dancers, and booked a venue the size of a Costco… for 30 guests.
I take you through the real stories that taught me what grit really looks like—plus why it matters more than talent, IQ, or even confidence.
You’ll hear:
- The surreal moment I watched my bedroom go up in flames
- How I lost money (and probably a little dignity) chasing a dream business in my 20s
- The ball that bombed—and the lesson that stuck
- Why failing big gave me the skills I needed to eventually succeed
- And the quote I come back to every time I want to crawl under a blanket and never try again
This one’s for anyone who’s ever failed, flopped, or felt like giving up. If that’s you—listen up. This is your sign to keep going.
Because your empire? It’s still waiting.
And you? You were built for it.
If you want to come hang out with me outside the podcast, you can find me over on Instagram at @leahclancyphotography where I share photography, business, behind the scenes life, and all the random things currently living in my brain.
You can also find me at leahclancy.com where you can learn more about photography, workshops, coaching, and everything I'm building.
And if you're in a season where you're trying to put yourself out there, grow something, get unstuck, or stop overthinking every move you make, I do offer one on one coaching and mentorship: https://leahclancy.com/coaching-application
And if this episode resonated with you, send it to a friend who needs the reminder that feeling a little cringe might actually mean they're doing something brave.