About | Maddie Mae | Adventure Instead Academy

I want to help you become
a bomb-ass successful
photographer and entrepreneur

and teach you things no one else in this industry is even
talking about. Because building a business is really freaking
hard—but it’s even harder if you do it on your own.

That’s what

I’m here
for

Because there’s space for ALL of us in this industry.
I’m not your competition

I’m your…

Teacher

Biggest Fan

ultimate supporter

I want to see you win (because you’re freaking awesome)

But real quick…let’s go over some numbers, because…

I think what’s missing in educators in this industry is transparency and vulnerability.

The Stats

Need more convincing?

Here’s some stuff we’re proud of

11

years photographing weddings & elopements

140

average *organic* inquiries per month for elopements

41

Countries visited

150+

Customer reviews with 5 star rating

114

elopements photographed in 2021

$7,900

Average price per photographed elopement

# of Weddings/Elopements

Average Package Price

Annual Gross Revenue

Features & Awards

Rangefinder

30 rising stars

Junebug

Best of the best

Forbes.com

Featured on

How did I get here? And more
importantly…

How can
I help you?

Well, the growth I’ve experienced (and continue to) isn’t an anecdotal thing, and it wasn’t pure luck.

I went to business school and learned how marketing works and then strategically applied that to my business (you can too).

My success didn’t happen by chance—it was strategically planned and implemented using the exact same marketing and business tactics I teach in my courses.

I’m not better than you, and I’m not your competition.

Everything I’ve created is completely replicable—and I’m totally willing to show you how.

So if you want to

Learn
How to

build YOUR business, not just a few anecdotal hacks… you’re in the right place.

Cause I’m all about:

Concrete, step-by-step action plans (rather than just some inspirational fluff)

Data-backed methods that work every time (not just what worked for me once)

Strategies that result in the most bookings for as little of your *time* as possible (not just how to inflate your follower count, or other vanity metrics that don’t pay your bills).

Tools for long-term sustainable success (not just hacks & gimmicks that might work today, but won’t tomorrow)

Vulnerability, transparency, accountability, and long-term support. I care that you actually learn, and am open to criticism and feedback… and I LOVE questions.

A few free gifts from me to you

Read, watch, and take action with the following FREE resources

What I learned from judging Junebug’s Best of the Best Wedding Contest

Photography Skills|December 21, 2022

How I judged Junebug’s Best of the Best Wedding Photo Contest & What I Learned

Grow Your Business|September 30, 2022

Our Fans

Curious if this works?

See what our fans have to say

“incredible breadth of knowledge”

Learning from Maddie Mae was the best investment I have made in my business. I felt that I was on shaky ground when it came to all the ins and outs of adventurous elopements and the instruction she provided has given me the solid footing that my business needed. She not only has an incredible breadth of knowledge about marketing, but is an impressive communicator and teaches in a way that you can actually comprehend and take action. I'm a bit of a perpetual student… so when I say that learning from Maddie Mae was by far the best learning experience I have ever had—it's no joke. Maddie genuinely wants everyone to succeed in the industry. She’s not just spouting community over competition, she’s living it.

Jackleen Leed

“absolutely the BEST educator”

Maddie Mae is absolutely the BEST educator I have ever had! I have been in the industry for 14 years and learned SO much from her! She packs so much info into everything she teaches and breaks it down in a way that’s easy to understand! She communicates not only the “what”, but the “why” behind it. Her passion for education, attention to detail, explanations every step of the way, and her complete transparency is truly inspiring! I HIGHLY recommend Maddie Mae in all aspects of teaching & mentoring for elopement photographers!! Every single thing I learned from her has been SO valuable!

Cassandra Oldenburg

“totally worth the investment”

Maddie Mae excels at teaching! She knows her stuff backwards and forwards and it shows. I have been so impressed with how jam-packed and expertly organized her content is! There was more to learn about elopements than I expected. I’m very impressed with her focus on efficiency, business acumen, and branding. I’m just starting out in this market so learning from Maddie was a huge level up for me. It was so useful to realize all that I don’t know and it made me so excited to grow! Learning from Maddie was totally worth the investment.

Keith Folken

And last but

definitely
not least

I care a lot about photography, but I care even more about… humans and the environment

I recognize my many privileges and am still learning how to best use my platform and voice to amplify those in much different, often worse, positions.

Two groups I’m incredibly passionate about learning from and supporting are the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. I’m committed to being both an ally and a friend—for the long run. Because allyship isn’t trendy—it’s an active, every day decision I’ll continue to make.

I also care deeply about the environment and protecting our public lands as much as possible. Though my role may be small, I’m playing my part by running a carbon neutral business and partnering with the Leave No Trace Organization to educate myself & other photographers on best practices when shooting outdoors.

It’s also my goal to empower all women in the business space to be confident & knowledgeable AF—because female-owned and operated business fuel the world.