This Can't Be That Hard

Raise your hand if you've ever had a client ask to see their photos during a session... who hasn't!? Conventional wisdom tells us to encourage them to wait for the final, edited images before sharing, right? Well, today's guest is turning that advice on its head.  Liz Hansen runs a highly successful (read: 7-figure) boudoir photography business... and credits her success with sharin...

Standing out in the highly competitive world of photography can feel difficult or even impossible at times. Great photos feels like it SHOULD be enough, but it almost never is... so how can we market our businesses in a way that encourages people to book us on something OTHER than price? The key is making your business impossible to compare to your competition. Today I want to talk about how you c...

Today we are zooming way out to look at the big picture journey of running a creative business. My guest is Brian Hood, host of the Six Figure Creative podcast, and he is breaking down the six levels of freelancing -what it takes to move from one level to the next, and what pitfalls to avoid along the way.  Whether you're just starting out in photography or a seasoned pro, today's episod...

Today we're talking about what you do when you have more business than you can handle. Champagne problem? Maybe... but even if you're not there just yet, I want you to listen in... because this is a very real issue that EVERY photographer can benefit from! Jill C. Smith is on the show talking about how she built an associate program in her family photography business. She has 3 associate...

Working in a creative field comes with so many perks, but staying creative in the midst of the go-go-go busy season can be tough.  Between the frenetic pace of the holiday season and the pressures of the end of the year, this is often a time when our creative well can start to run dry... at least MINE does. Never fear! I've got a system (of course I do!) for pulling yourself out of your photo...

If you aren't familiar with LifeTouch, they are the ENORMOUS business responsible for most of the school portraits in the U.S. If you're based in America, chances are good that you've sat in front of a LifeTouch photographer at some point in your life... but the experience of buying photos from Lifetouch as a professional photographer and a mom has really put some things into perspe...

On the list of ways we are constantly trying to improve our businesses, one thing that might get overlooked is building inclusivity and accessibility in our customer experience.  15% of the population identifies as neurodiverse and that number is growing every day. Today, Rose McAvoy is joining me on the podcast to share simple ways photographers can be more accommodating and accessible for our ne...

If you haven't figured this out by now, I really like technology that can streamline my workflow..... but I really L-O-V-E me some technology that can also make me stand out in the crowd and add a little wow to my client experience. Which is why I'm dedicating an entire episode to one of my favorite pieces of software: Loom. (#NotAnAd, just a huge fan!) Today I'm outlining 4 specifi...

Whenever I poll photographers about what they need the most help with, the answer I get (by a factor of 10) is marketing. It seems everyone is always on the lookout for ways to stand out and get themselves in front of a bigger audience.  But what if I told you marketing isn't the only way to do that? My guest today is Christina Lenkowski, a PR expert who specifically focuses on helping entrep...

How many times have you heard, "The customer is always right?"  But that's not always true (and can get downright toxic in the photography business).  Today I want to challenge some of the business advice we've all heard that I think may actually be harming your business. We all know how easy it is to get swayed by advice - especially when we're new or feeling unsure of ou...

Unless you've been actively avoiding the internet, you've probably heard of ChatGPT and other AI tools that are (at time, controversially) becoming more mainstream.  Since AI is probably here to stay, I wanted to bring on SEO expert Sarah Landa to talk about how photographers can utilize AI tools like ChatGPT to improve their SEO and content creation strategies. Sarah shares her experien...

I often hear from photographers that they feel awkward asking for a sale. It's a common struggle but one we have to work through in order to be successful business owners. Today's episode is short and sweet - but it's super important. When you're done listening, I hope you'll be reminded and feel reassured that you ARE delivering real value through your work... and you sho...

You know that feeling when you get crickets after delivering a gallery? Or even worse, when you get the "we need to talk" email from a client? GULP. Moments like those (while hopefully infrequent) can feel like a 10-alarm fire scenario... and knowing how to handle them can make or break your future relationship with that client.  So I brought in an emergency expert to help us. With over...

One incredibly effective way to promote your photography business is through charitable marketing. Not only can you get connected with potential bluebird clients, but you get to give back to causes you care about at the same time. However, if you don’t have a solid, well-thought-out plan for your charitable marketing, it can be an enormous effort with little to no payoff. My guest today is Nicole...

Today’s show is like that first crisp fall day - cozy, nostalgic and full of inspiration. Jude Charles is an author and filmmaker who has produced stories for companies like Google and Steve Harvey... but Jude started out like a lot of us do: with a camera, a passion, and a desire to succeed.  As visual artists and storytellers, Jude reminds us about the importance of what he calls “roadmapping” f...

Most photographers I know have had a tough year so far… I’m not sure whether it’s the post-covid bounce or the economy or something else, but inquiries and bookings have been down… pretty much across the board. The good news is that things look like they’re finally turning a corner, but if you are one of the people who have been feeling the strain in 2023, today’s conversation with Briana Tresko i...

If you are at a place in your photography business where the busy season means you're fully booked, you know how crushing it is when you have to turn people away.  This week my guest is the brilliant Jaye McLaughlin, a family photographer in the New York metro area sharing her GENIUS strategy for managing the high client demand during the busy season - without having to turn anyone away! Jaye...

Your website is arguably the most valuable marketing tool you have as a photographer. From the moment a potential client lands on your site until they click the button to connect with you, your website is doing all the work of attracting and connecting you to that client.  That’s a pretty big job, so in this episode, I want to walk you through a quick audit of your home page to make sure it’s in t...

Last year my friend Erin Brown brought the term “purposely part-time” to the podcast, and the response was absolutely overwhelming. It turns out that many photographers are intentionally part-time in their businesses - for reasons ranging from other careers they don't want to give up to being home with their families after school - so that phrase has caught fire!  Today I’m speaking with Lydi...

If you’ve ever considered a photography mastermind group, you know that once you dip your toe in that water it can get overwhelming pretty quickly. How do you know which group is the right fit? What questions should you ask? What goals should you set? What results can you expect? The list goes on... Today I am talking with Elena S. Blair who has been a leader in the group coaching space for quite...

Talking about the importance of pricing and sustainability is my jam, but I typically approach it from the "this is why it's important for YOU" perspective. The fact of the matter is that when enough photographers aren’t charging sustainable prices, it has major implications for the industry as a whole. Today's guest is Bonnie Sindelar. She’s a newborn and family photographer i...

Ever wish you could peek inside your clients' heads and hear what they're thinking? Yeah, me too. Which is why I (finally!) decided to interview one of my own long-time photography clients about her experience as a client, and specifically her thoughts about my membership program. We (necessarily) spend so much time thinking about photography from our own perspective that it can be hard...

Mind: blown... there are now a thousand Simple Sales Blueprint students out there in the world! When I first launched the Blueprint back in January 2020, I had no idea whether anyone would be interested in my system, but in just three short years, Simple Sales has taken root and spread like wildfire in the photography world. As my education business has grown, I've gotten more and more questi...

I started my photography business when my two kids were young, and in many ways, the business felt like having a third child. Just like having young kids, having a young business can feel pretty chaotic, and in both scenarios, when you're in it, it can be hard to believe you'll ever escape the chaos. But the chaos can and does end. Today I want to talk about a major but un-talked-about m...

Typically on this podcast, I deep dive on one topic per episode, sometimes with a guest and sometimes solo. But as we head into road trip season, I wanted to shake it up and give you something exciting and different to enjoy the next time you've got some extra time in the car (or on a walk or wherever else you listen to your podcasts)! For today's show, I reached out to a handful of my f...