Welcome back to another fun and informative episode of The Profitable Photographer Podcast!
We are so excited to have fellow Photography Business Coach Heather Chesky here to spread her biz wisdom! Heather has some incredibly practical, tangible, and INSPIRING advice for you and your photography business so now’s the time to listen up!
For Heather, it all started over 20 years ago in her high school photography class. While she has always kept photography close to her heart as a hobby, she was skeptical that it could be a “real job.” As a result, she spent far too long at a horrible “real job” (tale as old as time!), until one day, about 10 years ago, she was unexpectedly laid off. Luckily for her (and for us!), this catapulted her into her own successful photography business!
Inspired by the need to support her family and new 8-month-old baby, Heather not only replaced her income, but DOUBLED IT within her first year! Yahoo!! (Hey, her program is called “The Booked Photographer” for a reason!)
Now Heather’s business is still thriving and she loves passing her knowledge on to other Photography Business Owners just like you! We are thrilled to have her here today to expand our business toolbelts with tips on attracting ideal clients with model calls and social media.
One of Heather’s top marketing tools? Model calls!
She shares how putting out a call for volunteer models can lead to long and bountiful client relationships.
When putting out a call always, always, always:
BE SPECIFIC about the ideal client you are trying to attract
“Alongside great systems and routines, habits are key to becoming, and staying, organized” – Chrissy Halton.
A fabulous quote that encapsulates this episode of the Profitable Photographer Podcast–it’s all about getting your business organized using a CRM!
Our host, Master Photographer and Photography Business Coach Luci Dumas, sat down with guest Charlotte Isaac. Charlotte is a Business Operations Consultant who gave up her role as a Corporate Ops Manager so she could serve small business owners one-on-one. She loves working with clients who love their clients, especially photographers!
Through her signature program, Ease Seekers Society, and her DIY Dubsado training, Charlotte helps overwhelmed and overworked Entrepreneurs build customized solutions so they can serve their clients better, automate busywork, and feel confident in their business. Sounds like we could all use a little Charlotte in our busy lives!
We are so excited to blow your mind with all Charlotte’s got to offer! She’ll go over:
What the heck is a CRM ?
When to automate and when to hire
Designing and automating a welcome packet
Personalizing your automated check-ins & planning moments to surprise & delight
The many, many possibilities offered by a CRM
And how do we know it’s time to automate? Charlotte says, if we do something over and over again, it’s a perfect opportunity for automation!
You don’t have to do this whole photography business thing alone! Let Charlotte show you how to make life a little easier.
“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen, again and again, fear must be overcome again and again.” Abraham Maslow
Today is a solo episode with “yours truly”, Luci Dumas, on the topic of how to decide to jump, pause, or walk away…i.e….the challenge of making decisions and taking action in one direction or another. I go deep into what to consider when creating something new, or leaving something you have tried that isn’t serving the big picture anymore.
There are so many decisions we make every single day in our photography businesses, right? Little ones and big ones. So…many…things. I am sure you have had lots of these and will have more
How to market, what to charge, where to spend our time.
Should we hire help and how do we find them?
Is it time to move, quit a job, leave a community of friends, colleagues, a spiritual community, or a relationship? These are often such hard decisions. Even changing camera systems or photo labs or letting someone go that is working for us is not easy.
This podcast episode explores this topic including fun tips when you have a choice in front of you, on how to decide:
the coin toss
the mirror test
the gut check vs. the fear factor
the energy evaluation
I am not suggesting I am a master at this. I often stay too long and miss out on opportunities or just wasted time and energy, with little to show for it. I wish I had left the full-time wedding industry and jumped into baby photography sooner, spent more money and time hiring a coach and getting more help years ago, tried more new ideas, and even found a studio space that was bigger than the one I was in for decades. But…I have made enough great choices in life that have helped me have 40 years of success, travel, fun…and so can you.
Hot off the press! It’s another incredible episode of The Profitable Photographer Podcast!
Join our host, Master Photographer and Photography Business Coach, Luci Dumas, as she gabs with Branding and Website Designer Emily Foster about all things branding!
Not only is Emily a Branding and Website Designer, but, to our delight, she SPECIALIZES IN WORKING WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS! Too perfect! With 7 years of design experience and a background in event marketing, she loves everything related to photography and the wedding industry. (BONUS: She’s also a recent bride so she knows a thing or two about the current client-side of wedding photography.)
According to our guest, “branding is the visual voice of your business.” It is THE key to ensuring that your company’s message is getting out in the world and attracting those fabulous ideal clients along the way.
And guess what! Your brand should be effective, not just pretty! Tough stuff, we know, but Emily is here to help!
Here’s just a taste of Emily’s tips for branding:
Make sure your logo is scalable and easy to apply. Keep it simple! (And make sure it looks good both in color AND in black and white)
Figure out where your ideal clients are finding you. What questions are they asking?
Keep track of your audience. Using a CRM (customer relationship management) will help you organize who is who.
Listen now for the full gamut of Emily’s branding and design wisdom!
Wowing with your Website! Today we are talking to Emily Lee about amping your website to the next level!
Emily Jane Lee is the owner of the website design business “By Emily Jane”, where she specializes in creating custom Squarespace sites for wedding professionals and creative service providers.
With her former experience as a photographer, she fully understands how difficult it can be to create a website that actually helps you stand out and make money. That’s why Emily loves helping other creatives get more dream client inquiries by incorporating proven strategy and professional design into their websites.
(AKA: HAVING A PRETTY WEBSITE ISN’T ALL THERE IS TO IT! Listen as Emily shares her expertise on creating a site that isn’t just beautiful, it’s also user-friendly and performs well in Google search results.)
Emily finds it especially important to make sure your site is functioning well on mobile. According to Emily, over half of your website traffic is taking place on mobile (!!!) so it’s important not to dismiss this common blindspot.
Don’t fret, Emily is here to help! She’ll cover:
Why we must optimize our websites for mobile (and what that even means)
Top 5 mobile mistakes photographers make on their site
How to audit your site for mobile-friendliness going forward
This will affect OVER HALF of your site views? I wouldn’t wait to listen if I were you!
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.
