The Dead Pixels Society Podcast

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Ever wonder how a “boring” photo of a metal part could move a seven-figure sale? Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society sits down with veteran photographer Kirk Voclain to unpack four decades of pivots, from a cereal‑box Instamatic to seniors that paid the bills, then into commercial, industrial, and real estate work that sells outcomes, not megapixels. Voclain...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Ever wonder how a school photo lab with 600,000 students a year keeps quality high when half the photographers are new each season? We sat down with Robert Ste-Marie , CEO of 36Pix , to explore Eva. This data-driven evaluation platform scores every image so managers can catch problems fast, coach with clarity, and tie rewards to real outcomes. No fluff—just the...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Taxes drain more profit than most owners realize, and that single fact changes how we build, run, and sell a creative business. The Dead Pixels Society sits down with accounting expert Tanya Lawrence to map out the moves that protect cash today and increase valuation tomorrow—without drowning in jargon or guesswork. She starts with the foundation: Choosing the...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What if the problem isn’t your logo, but the foundation under it? We sit down with brand strategist Jessica Adanich to explore how real positioning, consistent visuals, and honest storytelling turn a business from forgettable to first choice. Adanich’s journey from sculpture and glass blowing to leading marketing at Mace, then launching Design Pod Studio, sets...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! A musician’s tour, a borrowed camera, and a rowboat on Central Park’s lake: that’s the unlikely path that led Ash Fox from nightlife photography to building a full-service proposal planning studio in New York. This interview digs into how a niche chose her, why proposals feel more honest than weddings, and the exact steps that turn a fantasy location into a smo...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! The Dead Pixels Society sits down with SPAC’s leadership, Coree Cooper and Calvin Harrell Jr. , to unpack how a volunteer-driven nonprofit became the world’s largest gathering for school, sports, and volume studios—and why its focus on workflows, profitability, and community sets it apart. Harrell describes how SPAC evolved from film-era hotel meetups into a gl...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What does it really take to build a creative career that lasts—from film backs and FedExed portfolios to AI search and virtual production walls? The Dead Pixels Society sits down with commercial photographer and stock photo library owner Stewart Cohen to trace a candid arc across decades of change, revealing what fades, what scales, and what never stops matteri...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Pricing isn’t the problem—meaning is. We sit down with author and podcaster Miriam Schulman to unpack the mindset and mechanics behind selling creative work without racing to the bottom. From her journey off Wall Street into a thriving art career, Schulman shares a practical framework for moving past fear, charging premium prices with confidence, and helping bu...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What if your archive could fund your mission? We sit down with HistoryIT founder and CEO Kristen Gwinn-Becker to reveal why most organizations are far less “digital” than they think—and how a smart strategy can turn dusty boxes, dying tapes, and scattered drives into a living, searchable asset that powers storytelling, alumni engagement, and real fundraising re...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What if your photo books could talk back? Not with another app or QR code maze, but with a small, tactile device that lets you record and play stories, songs, and memories at the press of a button. The Dead Pixels Society sits down with Geoffrey Stern , the founder of Voice Gift and the longtime audio mind behind Build‑A‑Bear’s wildly successful “sounds,” to un...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What if the best photo you take is just the start? The Dead Pixels Society sits down with Heath Lassiter, founder of Niche AI , to explore how volume imaging is transforming from prints and proofs into living, brand‑ready media—think fusion assets mapped to body parts, refined face replacement, and motion‑from‑stills that parents and guests can’t wait to share....

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Ever notice how a new boss “fixes” a process that wasn’t broken—and six months later everyone is quietly doing it the old way again? That loop is costly for small businesses, and we sought a more effective approach. William Holsten , a business mistake prevention specialist, author, and former brand leader, will unpack why errors repeat and how to prevent them...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! The physical photograph is making a powerful comeback, and dye sublimation printing technology stands at the forefront of this renaissance. In this eye-opening conversation with Jeff Huang , corporate officer of Taiwan-based HiTi Digital, we explore how this 25-year-old company has positioned itself as a unique force in the printing industry by manufacturing bo...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Step into the psychology of branding with Jean-Pierre Lacroix , a veteran branding expert and leader of Shikatoni Lacroix Design , whose career spans creating iconic retail concepts like the Kodak Image Center. This eye-opening conversation challenges fundamental assumptions about what makes customers loyal to brands and why even industry giants sometimes catas...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! The traditional world of school photography is undergoing a remarkable transformation, blending time-honored practices with cutting-edge technology and data-driven marketing approaches. In this revealing conversation, Tim McCain , Chief Evangelist of Captura , and Michelle Federschneider, VP of Commerce, take us behind the scenes of this evolution. McCain share...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! From construction industry websites to photography businesses, the digital landscape is transforming at breakneck speed – and those who adapt will thrive while others fade away. When Wes Towers received a business valuation three years ago, identifying AI as an existential threat to his company, he faced a pivotal choice: resist or evolve. His decision led to h...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What happens when an entrepreneur with no background in photography or AI sees an opportunity in the headshot market? In this conversation, Ricardo Ghekiere , founder and CEO of BetterPic , reveals how he transformed a small startup he acquired for just $1 into a multimillion-dollar AI imaging company. Ghekiere shares his remarkable journey of growth, from sett...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What's really holding your business back from reaching its full potential? The answer might surprise you. In this eye-opening conversation with Brandon Pflieger of Capital Growth Partners , we uncover the often-overlooked foundations of business growth and the uncomfortable truth that many entrepreneurs need to hear. Pflieger brings a refreshing perspectiv...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Ever wondered how successful entrepreneurs spot untapped market opportunities hiding in plain sight? Carl Armijo's journey from civil engineer to thriving business owner offers a masterclass in customer-focused growth. When COVID-19 disrupted traditional career paths, Armijo pivoted to real estate photography—a choice that perfectly balanced his need for f...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! Struggling to make sense of SEO for your photo business? You're not alone. Search engine optimization often feels like arcane wizardry to small business owners—a necessary evil that's either too complex to understand or constantly shifting beneath your feet. Steven Schneider , co-founder of TrioSEO , shatters these misconceptions in this enlightening...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! The intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence represents one of the most challenging legal frontiers of our digital era. In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr. C. Daniel Miller (The Copyright Detective) unpacks the complex world of intellectual property rights when machines can generate content indistinguishable from human creation. From hi...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! In this interview, Hans Hartman describes the seismic shifts in the imaging industry and how the Visual 1st Conference stands at the epicenter of these changes. Moving to KQED's spacious headquarters for its 13th edition, this year's gathering promises an elevated experience with theater-style seating, immersive displays, and the industry's most...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! The digital marketing landscape has transformed drastically, forcing photo retailers and imaging businesses to rethink their strategies. In this illuminating conversation with Max DesMarais , Director of Strategy at Vital Design , we explore how small photo businesses can effectively compete against industry giants despite limited marketing budgets. DesMarais r...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! What if everything you've been taught about sales is actually holding you back from extraordinary success? Marc Von Musser, sales expert and founder of Soar and Roar , challenges conventional wisdom with a refreshing perspective that could transform your approach to business. Growing up as the son of a renowned photographer who captured 150 national magazi...

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text! The quiet power brokers in your organization aren't always who you think. Michelle J Howe , founder of Empath Evolution , reveals a startling truth on the Dead Pixels Society podcast: Roughly 25% of your workforce consists of highly empathic individuals who dramatically influence your company's energy, culture, and success. As Howe shares her transfor...