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This week's episode is a bit of a departure, but I promise it’s worth the ride: I’m sharing the story of a new business venture my husband and I launched at the beginning of this year.
Think you might be able to guess what it is? I'd be pretty shocked if you did... this new enterprise is about as different from our work as photographers, Airbnb owners, and online educators as it's possible to be.
But as different as it is, it's still business! Tune in to hear about the challenges, the lessons, and the surprising overlaps we’ve discovered along the way, and why the experiences we have as entrepreneurs is relevant to ALL kinds of business—no matter the industry.
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
As photographers, we walk a fine line when it comes to client privacy. On one hand, we rely on being able to share session photos for marketing and growing our businesses. But on the other hand, a ever-growing number of clients are uncomfortable with their images being shared publicly. It's a tricky line to walk.
For years, I offered some baseline privacy to my clients, and anyone who required more could pay an extra fee. But recently, I realized this approach no longer felt right to me, so I went back to the drawing board and came up with a new privacy plan that puts the control firmly in my clients' hands. Today, I want to share the updates I've made so you can take a look at your own policies and see if they need a refresh as well.
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Manglende episoder?
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Failure is an inescapable fact of life and business, but how we respond to it is what defines the experience. Whether failure happens in your art, your business, or your personal life, learning how to navigate setbacks with grit and grace is a major stepping stone on the way to success.
This week's guest is Alison Hatch, who is sharing the difficult journey she experienced taking over the Photo Native conference. Navigating financial struggles, emotional hurdles, and the sting of failure, her story is a powerful reminder that these challenges are part of the growth process. Alison shares how taking big risks—despite the fear of failure—allowed her to grow both personally and professionally.
Failure is a natural part of business and personal growth. I hope Alison's story will encourage you to keep moving forward, take risks, and embrace the inevitability of failure as an essential part of success.
Visit Alison's website: AlisonBHatchPhoto.com and sign up for Alison’s Film Soup CourseListen to Alison's podcast: Photographer's Create
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Starting a photography business was one of the biggest bets I ever made on myself — until I did it again post-divorce. Both of those crossroads were both terrifying and a bit exhilarating.
Check out Rebecca's full portfolio for more inspiration: Rebecca's Website Grab your FREE guide now: Conscious Composition + Color Guide
Today my conversation is with another photographer who has bet on herself in similar ways. Rebecca Honeycutt, is a lifestyle children's and family photographer in Portland, OR, and today she's sharing her inspiring story of betting on herself and building a thriving photography business, even when the odds seemed stacked against her. And as much as I appreciate a good dose of inspiration, what I love most about this conversation are the concrete steps Rebecca shares that helped her make those bets... including working with a financial planner and diversifying her offerings.
Links:Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
I frequently hear from photographers who are thinking of reducing their prices as a way of attracting more clients. While I understand their logic, my advice is always to proceed with caution: the (potential) short-term gain always has to be weighed against the (potential) hit to their business' long-term sustainability.
In today’s episode, I'm sharing a cautionary tale about a business that recently shut down due to their financial missteps. This was a business I relied on for my own business, and their sudden and unexpected closure left me and hundreds (thousands?) of other business owners in a tough position. My hope is that this episode creates a silver lining of sorts out of the dark cloud of this story, because I don't want any of you to make a similar mistake in your own business!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
In this episode, I'm diving in on the artistry of photography - a topic I don't often cover on this podcast... but not to worry: it doubles a business conversation, too! Ashley Kaplan is my guest, talking about how creating truly unique and memorable photographs can be a huge part of your business and marketing plans if you know how to position and sell that difference.
Unlock your photography potential with Ashley Kaplan's Education site, where you can apply for mentorship or dive into her signature course, A Sense of Place. Explore more of her work and offerings on her main website.
Ashley has mastered the skill of differentiating her work from her competition's... so much so that she is able to command higher prices and stay booked out months in advance. Tune in to learn how to lean into your inner artist to create a business that not only fills your bank account but also your artistic soul.
Links:Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
As creatives, I think we tend to overcomplicate things (right!?), but I'm all about making it simple for you to run a profitable photography business, and sometimes the simplest way to do that is to make sure you are squeezing every last drop of value out of what you're already offering.
In that vein, today I'm sharing some strategic ways to maximize your sales opportunities and earn more from your photography business by implementing some tried and true sales and marketing strategies in a way you may not have considered before.
Learn how to set up a membership program in your business with Revenue on Repeat
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
When I met Tiffany Crenshaw earlier this year, I knew I wanted to bring her on the podcast... and when she suggested a chat about not only the importance of showing diversity in your portfolio but also how exactly to go about making that a reality, I knew this episode was going to be a powerful one.
Tiffany is a lifestyle photographer in Alabama, and in our conversation, she highlights the reasons why showing people a representation of themselves in our work matters. She shares her personal experience as a Black photographer in a niche where that makes her stand out, and offers practical advice, like conducting intentional model calls and engaging with local cultural communities to build a more diverse client base for all photographers.This episode really highlights the importance of intentionally stepping outside of our comfort zone to build a more inclusive businesses, and I'm grateful to Tiffany for her willingness to have this important discussion and share her insights with us.
Grab Tiffany's guide to setting up diversity model callsGet 20% off one-on-one mentoring with Tiffany through the end of 2024 when you mention TCBTH!
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
I used to think I had a "black thumb" when it came to gardening, but back in 2020 when I had time to pay attention to my yard for the first time ever, I was surprised to discover that I had a bit more of a knack for it than I realized!
Maybe that's less surprising now that I look back and see all the parallels between growing a garden and running a thriving business. Many of the skills I've learned in my business - things like patience, perseverance, and being willing to experiment and adapt - are the same skills you need to be a successful gardener.
But one of the biggest lessons I've learned - both in business and in my back yard - is the value of having "perennials"; those repeat clients that come back year after year through a membership program. Instead of relying solely on one-time "annual" clients, a membership gives you that steady, predictable revenue stream, just like perennial plants that come back year after year and make your garden look beautiful with much less work. They take some upfront work to set up, but it can pay off big time in the long run.
So today I want to talk about how you can start thinking about your business like a garden, and consider how you can plant the seeds for more sustainable growth.
Learn how to set up a membership program in your business with Revenue on Repeat
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Every photographer reaches a point in their business where they're ready for the floodgates to open. You flip the switch on the virtual "open for business" sign, take a deep breath, and hope that the clients rush in.
More often than not, though, we spend a good chunk of our businesses' early years (and sometimes later years) trying to find our people... and that process can be more frustrating than we care to admit.
Today I'm talking with Bobbi Barbarich about exactly how to figure out what it is that makes your art stand out in a crowded market, and (more importantly) how to translate that into a marketing strategy that converts.
Bobbi has over 15 years of experience in the industry, and she's developed a unique approach to marketing her business that goes beyond just showcasing the quality of her photos. She explains how she's focused on communicating the values and voice behind her work, which has allowed her to connect with her ideal clients and book them at higher prices. I can't wait for you to listen to this episode; it's a unique perspective on marketing that we've never covered on the show before, and it's sure to inspire you to do some fine-tuning of your own messaging.
Links:
Bobbi's Education Website Bobbi's Documentary Mini-CourseUse code TCBTH15 to save 15% when you buy before Aug 15th, 2024 Learn how to shoot better candids to book more clients. Follow Bobbi on InstagramShare your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
There's a lot of talk in the photo community these days about inquiries being down, which inevitably leads to talk (and a whole lot of insecurity) about pricing.
The truth is, pricing may be a factor in the decreased inquiry equation... but it's only one factor. And the truth is that changing your prices without taking the time to evaluate the broader equation may do more harm than good.
If you've been considering a shift in your prices (or any other area of your business), today's episode is for you. I'm covering the 5 parts of the business equation, especially when there are fewer jobs to go around.
Take the Business Alignment Quiz
Link:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
It's often when I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place I come up with my most brilliant ideas... and I know I'm not the only one. Pressure has a way of forcing us to think outside the box and get creative about solutions we might not have otherwise considered.
Watch BTS of a full Mini Session at styled location as Paula captures 60+ sellable images in under 45 minutes, to learn how too can do the same!
Paula Brennan, my guest today, likewise found a creative solution in a time of need, and it revolutionized her business. Paula is a personal brand photographer known for her creative (and wildly popular) approach to mini brand sessions. But these aren't your typical mini sessions: she's figured out a way to maximize her time and resources while also allowing her clients to participate in something bigger than just a "brand shoot."
Whatever your niche, Paula's ideas will get your creative juices flowing... my mind was spinning with the possibilities! Tune in to hear all the details on how she is able to supercharge her income with this smart strategy.
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Pricing is probably one of the hottest topics in the photography education space. As someone who feels so strongly about helping photographers price themselves profitably that I've made it a cornerstone of my education business, I am always excited to bring you a fresh take on pricing... and today's show is exactly that.
Harvard Business Review elements of value pyramidSelf-hypnosis app "Magnetic"Profit First book
This episode features a guest appearance by Kristin Sweeting, who's sharing her insights on the psychology of pricing. She starts by acknowledging how emotional pricing can be, bringing up all sorts of insecurities and fears from our past and talks about how we can use an "anchor package" to expand what clients think is possible. This is one of Kristin's most popular episodes, and I thought it would be a good one to percolate on this time of year. Enjoy!
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
When I first started in this business, branding and online presence were not my strong suits. Over the years, though, I've come to realize how important it is to represent yourself well online... and after going through a massive website overhaul, I am even more attuned to how much work it takes to do that on a website!
Connect with KP and Jessie at their website - Ink Pot CreativeSign up for Strategy Sunday, Inkpot Creative®’s weekly email series that helps boundary-pushing creatives intentionally market to dreamy clients so easily it feels effortless.Follow Ink Pot Creative on Instagram
Enter KP and Jessie from Inkpot Creative. Today on the show, they are sharing some of their favorite tips for injecting that hard-to-define "you" into your website. They cover everything from visual branding elements to building trust to storytelling tricks that can help potential clients feel like they know you before even getting on a call.
I know website updates can feel daunting, but these small tweaks can make a big difference, so get out your notepads, and let's dive in.
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
I consider myself a systems and workflow fanatic. Whether it's a system or a piece of tech, I geek out about tools that help us optimizing and streamline our workflows, not just because I've experienced firsthand how those tools can make or break you in business, but because it genuinely brings me joy to watch people get hours (days! weeks!!!) of their year back by investing in the few hours it takes to get a new set up and running.
Get 1500 Free Edits when you try out Imagen AI Connect with Noella on Instagram Check in with the Imagen.ai Instagram account.
That's what tools are supposed to do, after all: allow us to optimize our businesses, serve more clients, and at the same time find that elusive work-life balance we all want. And the tool we're discussing on the show today does EXACTLY that.
I'm chatting with Noella Andres from Imagen AI. Imagen AI is helping photographers find more freedom by doing the heavy lifting on culling and editing so we're free to focus on the areas that really matter when it comes to customer service and growth.
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
This week, I'm branching out a bit from the strictly business talk to dive into the topic of unconscious programming. Specifically, how the thought patterns and beliefs we form as children can impact our creativity and businesses as adults, particularly around things like money and worthiness.
Website and Freebies SOCIALS: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTubePodcast: https://renee.io/triedandtrue
Renee Bowen is a photographer and mindset coach for creatives, and her area of expertise is helping her clients identify and move past the deep-seated beliefs that are blocking their paths to success.
I love Renee's practical approach to helping photographers work though their own mindset blocks, and I think you'll find her laid-back, grounded conversation inspirational and mind-opening.
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Simple Sales turned four years old at the beginning of the year, and since it first landed on the scene back in 2020, thousands of portrait photographers have used it to run more profitable, sustainable businesses.
Today's episode is an interview with one such student, Mackenzie Romagni. MacKenzie signed up for the Simple Sales Blueprint last year and is on the show today to share both her experience with the course and the journey she's been on as she transitioned her business from all-inclusive to Simple Sales.
P.S. This episode was recorded several months ago as part of our ten-part mini-series on the system, which you can find by searching for "The Simple Sales System for Photographers" on YouTube or any podcast platform. We're sharing it here on the show ahead of the big updates we're introducing to the course later this month. If you've been considering the Blueprint, now's a fantastic time to get started!Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Everyone's journey as a photographer is different, and learning to trust the ride can be really difficult... especially in this age of social media, where comparisonitis runs rampant.
Today's guest is my long time friend Jessica Arden (I even shot her wedding!), who lovingly describes herself as a "hot mess success." Jessica's journey as a photographer has taken several turns, from weddings to families to newborns and now boudoir photography.
Find Jessica's work at Jessica Arden Photography
In this conversation, we talk about the importance of staying true to yourself, even when it looks different from what everyone else is doing, and how creating systems and workflows is key to creating a truly profitable photography business.
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
I recently read a quote by Seth Godin where he distinguished between long work and hard work, describing long work as routine, consistent effort without risk that most everyone makes, and hard work as the innovative, risky, and potentially transformative efforts that some people are willing to make.
Both have their place, but there is a point at which just putting in the hours without taking the leap might be holding us back.
Read Seth Godin's Blog Post
This got me thinking about the evolution of a photography business and the concepts of broad work and deep work. In today's episode, I get into what that might look like in your business, and why taking the plunge and embracing deep work is worth the risk.
Links:Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! -
Almost every photographer I know has a love/hate relationship with Instagram. On one hand, it provides a free and relatively easy way for us to showcase our work and reach new clients. On the other hand, the amount of time it takes to create enough content to stay on top of trends and the algorithm can be enough to send you over the deep end. But what if there was a way to hack the system?
Today, in a special episode, my partner from The Consistency Club, Dayna Schaaf, is interviewing Angela Shae from Social Templates Co, a company that offers a solution to this problem, with plug-and-play reel templates for photographers. Not only will Angela share how you can start creating high-quality reels in a fraction of the time, but she breaks down a system for capturing behind-the-scenes content, organizing that content and batch-creating reels to streamline your IG workflow.
Try Social Templates for free for a month using code TCBTH
If you are looking to up your Instagram game to reach new clients on social media, tune in to this inspiring episode.
Links:Share your photography "nightmare" stories for a chance to be (anonymously!) featured on This Can't Be That Hard. Sharing is easy! Just go to thiscantbethathard.com/stories to record yours!
Resources:
Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review! - Vis mere
