“It’s like a train. It’s going to pick up steam. If you keep at it, the referrals, the ideal clients will come. Do good work and do right by people. You can do it.”
It’s true what they say about your gifts making room for you: At the tender age of ten, Chip Dizárd received a piece of technology that would change the trajectory of his life.
On Christmas Eve 1978, he opened a gift and fell in love with the magic technology could create. His Atari 2600 would open his mind to exploring things and creating memories that last a lifetime.
As the years have progressed, so has his gift. Chip has been able to work with schools, churches, and businesses to grow their influence in their local and global communities. Skilled in web development, videography, photography, education, and public speaking Chip has taken his passion for technology and made it his mission to teach others.
Our hostess Luci Dumas and Chip chat about finding your ideal client by “eliminating the worst and expanding on the best,” homing in on their interests and tastes, and knowing exactly where to find them. Chip also whittles the art of finding your niche down to three questions: What are you passionate about?, What are you good at?, and What drives your economic engine?
Finally, Chip speaks on his mission to promote diversity and inclusion via his personal brand as a wedding photographer, and encourages others in the industry to do the same in their own way.
The key to incorporating diversity and inclusion in your business successfully? For Chip, it’s all about keeping this reality in mind: They’re not buying our services. They’re buying how our services make them feel.
Key Topics:
Moving beyond having only friends and family as clients (4:10)
How to find your ideal clients (17:14)
Where to find your first few clients (24:50)
How to find your niche (30:48)
Diversity and inclusion in the event industry (38:15)
The challenge of “being noticed” as a woman or Person of Color in the event industry (50:57)
Chip’s parting words (58:17)
Luci’s wrap-up (59:27)
Resources:
The Ideal Client Checklist: Email chip@chipdizard.com and mention The Profitable Photographer
Today, our hostess and Mastercraftsman Photographer Luci Dumas unpacks the 5 Love Languages and how we as business owners can use this concept to our advantage.
Originally published in 1992 by Gary Chapman as a guide to the five general ways that romantic partners express and experience love, the observations behind the 5 Love Languages can easily be used to nurture any type of personal or even professional relationship.
Listen in as Luci offers practical, tried-and-tested ways to demonstrate to your clients the love languages of physical touch, quality time, receiving gifts, words of affirmation, and acts of service to set your photography business apart from all the rest!
Key Topics:
An introduction to the 5 Love Languages (2:08)
How Luci learned about the 5 Love Languages (5:07)
Incorporating practices in your business that hit on all five of the love languages (7:39)
“If you can truly be curious, listen to them, ask questions and then you will get information from them so that you can deliver something. Curiosity leads to a place of empathy where then you can truly understand them and then you have the courage to act upon it.”
Today, our hostess and Mastercraftsman Photographer Luci Dumas sits down with returning guest Bryan Welsh, a Master Photographer with 43 years of experience under his belt (between generations). He is a sought-after speaker whose mission is to create impact through creativity and storytelling.
Our conversation focuses on Bryan’s takeaways from the book Exactly What to Say by Phil M. Jones regarding how photographers can improve their communication skills in order to ask great questions, which in turn lead to great conversations. Furthermore, he reveals the crucial difference between selling and professional selling.
Listen in as Bryan speaks on the four cornerstones to professional selling: 1) The worst time to figure out what to say is when you need to say it. 2) Curiosity is the fuel. 3) People make decisions for their own reasons, not for yours. 4) The person asking the questions controls the conversation.
Key Topics:
Positive and negative changes in the industry over the past four decades (4:48)
The first cornerstone (10:32)
The second cornerstone (16:35)
The third cornerstone (26:53)
The fourth cornerstone (34:27)
Overcoming the fear of trying to “convince” people (45:10)
Today, our hostess and Mastercraftsman Photographer Luci Dumas sits down with Michael Mowbray, master photographer, author, teacher, IPC juror and entrepreneur. He is deeply involved in all aspects of the photography industry.
His DeForest, Wisconsin-based studio focuses on seniors, headshots, family, and commercial photography, while his MoLight brand of lighting equipment has quickly become a leading reseller of Godox flashes and MoLight’s own unique lighting products.
Michael is the author of the popular photography books Shoot to Thrill and The Speedlight Studio (Amherst Media).
Listen in as Michael discusses how he was able to thrive as a photographer and business owner amid the most uncertain of times, beginning with the establishment of his company on 9/11.
The photography biz ace also talks about the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven him from an early age, the importance of being capitalized, and how one can even tell whether or not owning a business is for them.
Finally, Michael speaks on the advantages of off-camera flash in improving the quality of natural light photography.
Key Topics:
Navigating turbulent economic times as a photography business owner (7:56)
Delegating tasks and knowing when to hire (13:33)
Michael’s thoughts on entrepreneurship (19:31)
Knowing whether or not entrepreneurship is for you (26:22)
Establishing your content pillars (29:41)
Why it’s important to be capitalized as an entrepreneur (35:09)
Justifying higher prices (40:17)
The advantages of off-camera flash (42:55)
How to ensure your photos don’t look “fake” when using off-camera flash (48:43)
How to use a light meter with off-camera flash (52:25)
“If you were going to a networking event in person, what would you do, how would you respond to people approaching you, what would you share with them? These are the exact same things that you would do on your Instagram profile.”
Today, our hostess and Mastercraftsman Photographer Luci Dumas sits down with María Oliva, Founder and CEO of SMS Media, a social media coaching business for wedding vendors based in the DC area. She is on a mission to change the way wedding vendors approach Instagram by helping them create sustainable and fun strategies!
Listen in as the digital marketing master shares how Instagram can become your go-to tool for attracting dream clients and why it’s important to niche down in order to maximize your ability to reach and start building relationships with those clients.
Referring to Instagram as “a free networking platform online,” Maria encourages any photographer looking to build a brand to be proactive in starting and continuing conversations, and to personally extend invitations to those who interact positively with their posts to join their community.
She continues on to offer a treasure trove of practical tips and strategies to grow your Instagram following and, ultimately, your client base. These include using hashtags effectively, creating posts based on your content pillars, finding opportunities to collaborate with local vendors, and visual branding best practices.
Key Topics:
Why Instagram is a great tool for attracting your dream clients (5:25)
Overcoming excuses that stop you from investing in your business (10:49)
How to build a community on Instagram (15:41)
Using hashtags effectively (23:45)
Establishing your content pillars (29:41)
Collaboration with vendors on Instagram (33:37)
Making money on Instagram (36:11)
Understanding the buyer’s journey (38:44)
Visual branding on how to provide value on Instagram (41:49)
A big, exciting and maybe a little scary dream to have a successful, profitable and creative photography business doing exactly what you love for wonderful, grateful clients? Or do you want to bring your business to the next level of fun and profit.? If so, then this Podcast is for you.
For over 36 years, I have made a great living as portrait and wedding business, Luci Dumas Fine Photography, with no other source of income. No rich husband or lottery winnings, through the ups and downs of the industry and economy.
Now as a business coach with Insight Training for Photographers, I love love love to support photographers who want to do the same. This podcast is full of practical business info, and insights gained from my years in business, plus interviews with amazing people. My desire is to help you along on your joyful journey to success, however that looks to you.
