The Portrait System Podcast

The 12 Week Startup program has started! Every Tuesday, host Nikki Closser goes live with special guests, and we record it to give it to you as a special bonus episode on The Portrait System podcast. If you want to be a part of the live and interact with Nikki and the guests, go to suebryceeducation.com/live every Tuesday at 11am Pacific time. If you are not a member of Sue Bryce Education and wan...

Today, we have a very special guest on the Portrait System podcast! Trista Smith is the owner of Reclamation and a talented dress designer whose dresses have been worn by Pamela Anderson and Jessica Simpson, among others. Listen in as Trista tells us all about how she built her business by immersing herself in the world of photography and networking with photographers she liked so they would promo...

Have you ever wanted to hear the secrets to overcoming fear and self-doubt from a self-made woman, author and successful television host? Then, you're in for a treat with this week's episode! Today, host Nikki Closser interviews hairstylist Tabatha Coffey. Tabatha started her hairdressing career at 14, and has since then become a successful salon owner, published author and host of several televis...

You are in for a very special episode today on the Portrait System Podcast! Matthew Jordan Smith joins us as a guest all the way from Japan to tell us all the secrets to his success. From empowering young black children through photography to photographing Oprah, and becoming a published author, Matthew's journey has been incredible and full of surprises. Throughout this interview, Matthew tells u...

In this week's episode, host Nikki Closser interviews Jai Mayhew, an incredibly successful and talented photographer with a unique story. Before getting into portrait photography, Jai was a commercial photographer, and she has been able to use the skills that she acquired in her commercial experience to empower women through portrait photography. Throughout the episode, Jai tells us all the secret...

You are in for a unique story this week on the podcast! Today's guest is portrait photographer Emma Burcusel. Emma came from Romania to the U.S as a student 15 years ago and is now a successful business owner. Throughout this episode, Emma tells it all about the ups and downs of her story, how one client made her realize that she needed to change her pricing immediately, and how Sue Bryce helped h...

In this week's episode, host Nikki Closser interviews photography business owner Tammy Zurak from Cordova, Tennessee. Before being a photographer, Tammy was working a corporate job in sales and quickly hit the glass ceiling. Despite her insecurities, she took a leap of faith and started her own photography business. By applying the Sue Bryce Model and using her networking skills to her advantage,...

The Portrait Masters Awards and Accreditations 2020 are now open for submission! You can win awards and prizes and receive points toward becoming an Accredited Portrait Masters Photographer. Today's guest, Richard Wood, is one of the many talented judges of the competition. A top photographer and educator from New Zealand, Richard tells us all about the secrets to creating a winning image in this...

In this week's episode, meet photographer Bassam Sabbagh who retired after a successful career in aerospace engineering to follow his dream of exploring the arts. Following the Sue Bryce model, he started his own portrait photography business and, with perseverance and hard work, found success. Listen in as Bassam shares with us all the ups and downs of his journey, from the first steps of his bus...

In this second bonus episode about going back to work in the time of COVID-19, we have invited a few SBE members to talk about their experience having to keep their photography business running during the quarantine and dealing with the new guidelines for reopening. These photographers from all over the world have been incredibly creative and ingenious! If you're looking for inspiration and new id...

This week, you're going to hear a different story than you're used to on this podcast. In today's episode, host Nikki Closser interviews portrait photographer Lindsey Snavely, who, unlike many of our previous guests, loves her full time job, and instead of leaving it, decided to create a photography business on the side and make both worlds work for her. Lindsey found a way to build her business a...

Afraid to take that big step in your life that could change everything? Then, you'll definitely want to listen to this episode for inspiration! In this week's episode, host Nikki Closser interviews successful portrait photographer Kelly Day from Germantown, TN. Kelly tells us all about everything she went through on her journey, from leaving a corporate job that made her happy but did not complete...

Have you ever had an emotionally draining job that you dreamt of leaving to follow your true passion? If yes, you'll want to hear this episode! Today's guest is Hadonica Murphy, a young portrait photographer from Cleveland, MS who started photography as a hobby to get away from the stress of her job as an ER nurse. Soon, she found a way to create her own business and use same-day reveals to find s...

In this special bonus episode, we have invited a few SBE members to talk about their experiences having to keep their photography business running during the quarantine and dealing with new guidelines for reopening. From organizing a fundraiser to photographing porcelain cups for businesses, these photographers have been incredibly creative and ingenious. If you're looking for inspiration and new...

Today's guest is Angi Lewis, a portrait photographer from Houston, TX who has found incredible success in her business by applying the Sue Bryce Education model and using paid Facebook ads. Host Nikki Closser dives deep with Angi to talk about her inspiring journey, the pressure of making her business successful to maintain her family's health insurance, and how following her true passion paid off...

Changing career can be a daunting thing. You constantly ask yourself if you're going to make it, while dealing with extraordinary financial pressure and wondering if you made the right decision. Today's guest knows all about this. Cat Ford-Coates now owns a successful photography business with a sales average of $3200 per photoshoot and two associate photographers, but before that, she was in a co...

Did you ever stray away from your true passion to get a regular job, and now dream of going back? Then, this is the episode for you! This week, business owner and photographer Nikki Closser interviews Julie Ulstrup, a successful portrait photographer who, after going to college to follow her passion for photography, became a school counselor for 20 years. But in 2017, Julie found Sue Bryce Educati...

Have you ever had to work alongside your significant other? You are not the only one! In this week's episode, host Nikki Closser interviews Mitzi Starkweather, a successful portrait photographer with a $2400 sales average who has always had a passion for photography since she was a child. After she decided to follow the SBE model and launch her business in 2016, she hired her husband to work along...

Today is a special episode! Our host, Nikki Closser, becomes a guest and shares how she went from burned out social worker to successful photographer with two studios (in two different states) using the SBE model. Kristina Houser, one of the first guests of the Portrait System, comes back to interview Nikki and the two talk about the challenges and successes Nikki experienced while transition...

Did you ever want to give up and quit photography? Then, this episode will definitely inspire you! Today's guest is Joanna Booth, a successful photographer located in Houston, Texas who shoots multiple genres and owns two different photography brands. Throughout this episode, Joanna shares how she thought she was going to quit photography but made a successful come back using the Sue Bryce model....

Have you ever been afraid to make a big change in your life and get into debt? You aren't alone! Today's guest is Gerson Lopes, a successful portrait photographer who dropped everything and moved from Brazil to California within two weeks to follow his dream to be a photographer and become Sue Bryce's assistant. Throughout his interview, Gerson shares with us the challenges he faced, how he got in...

Have you ever felt like you wanted to start your own business and explore your passion but it just sounded too scary or impossible to do? If so, this is the episode for you! In this week's episode, host Nikki Closser interviews Mapuana Reed, a mother of 6 with a witty and lovable personality and an incredibly successful portrait photographer based in Hawaii. Mapuana shares with us how she felt lik...

Have you ever done a consultation with your clients? It seems that so many portrait photographers miss this really important step of selling. In this bonus episode taken from a 5-part educational video series available on the Sue Bryce Education website, Sue takes us through exactly how to do a consultation with a client. From what could go wrong to the best strategy to adopt, you will learn every...

Have you ever wondered how to market your photography business? If so, this is the episode for you! This bonus clip was taken from a 2-day workshop that Sue Bryce put together covering every possible angle of marketing and how you can best use your own personality to make the most of how you market and network. If you want to learn more about marketing and getting your business to where you want i...

If you've ever struggled with self-value, then you'll want to hear this episode! In this bonus clip taken from Sue Bryce's keynote at the 2019 Portrait Masters Conference, Sue talks about self-value, how positive focus can attract wealth and the concept of manifestation. Teaching self-value is one of Sue’s super powers and she does not disappoint with this talk. If you want to learn more about man...