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You love photography, but running a business? That's a different story. If you've ever thrown up your hands trying to figure it out yourself and said "This CAN'T be that hard!!!" you've come to the right place. Host Annemie Tonken's secret superpower is cutting through the confusion to give you actionable, step-by-step strategies and systems that will help you build a business that reflects your values, serves your needs, and thrills your clients. Tune in to find out why thousands of photogr ...
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Confusion is My Superpower/Superhero RPGs are My Other Superpower
Confusion is My Superpower (Superhero RPGs are My Other Superpower)
This is a podcast about me, Jesse, and how I have a hard time understanding simple things and a simple time understanding complex things. Also, sometimes it’s my other show about tabletop role-playing games, which I do professionally! I’m docpalindrome on everywhere. Best listened at 1.5x speed...
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A few weeks back, I put out the call for your photography-related horror stories... from silly mistakes to dealing with nightmarish clients, to just plain bad luck. We've all been there. When you're a small business owner, things are bound to go wrong sometimes, and as much as we take our jobs seriously, there's also value in acknowledging the crin…
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In the never-ending battle to stand out from other photographers in your niche, you may have tried many different tacks - whether in your editing style, your locations, or your business model. But have you ever considered that the thing that could push you to the top of your ideal client's list might already be living in their home? Over 66% of US …
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I’m all about sharing the mistakes I made in my business to help you avoid making the same ones…. and one of the biggest, most costly mistakes I've ever made was not bothering to create a sale at the holidays for the first 8 years of my business. When I do the math, I estimate that one mistake cost me north of $50K (it still hurts to write that num…
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Leah O'Connell has been a family photographer for over a decade, and her success has been a slow crescendo. In this era of streaming movies and Amazon Prime, we often expect everything to happen quickly, but most businesses - perhaps especially photography businesses - take a while to reach the point of sustainability... which is simply a part of t…
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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 own…
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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 …
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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 difficul…
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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. 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 i…
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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 sha…
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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…
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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 maximi…
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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, a…
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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…
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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 peop…
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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 broa…
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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. Paula Brennan, my guest today, likewise found a creative solution in a time of need, a…
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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. This episode features a gue…
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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! Enter KP and Jessie from Ink…
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I’m confused, Joe’s confused, this one dude’s… scary, LG’s… well, she’s good. What does confusion mean in the face of horror? Yeah. Deep stuff.
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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 t…
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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. Renee Bowen is a photographer and mindset coach for cre…
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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 …
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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 photogra…
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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 wh…
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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 w…
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I wish I could wave a wand and help every photographer see their superpower - that one thing they do better than anyone else - so that they could use it to own their place in the market. Since I'm (sadly) not a fairy godmother, I'm doing the next best thing by bringing on Casey Fatchett of The Nerdy Photographer. Casey and I geek out on marketing, …
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Remember that feeling of first love? That intoxicating, overwhelming feeling of being completely obsessed with that person, to the point where they were all you could think about day and night? Finding photography can be a lot like falling in love (and starting a business is like that first big commitment)... but after that initial spark fades, whe…
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In the realm of marketing tools, your website reigns supreme, but navigating the sea of advice on its design can be daunting, to say the least. That's why I'm thrilled to welcome Kelsey Christine, a web designer who focuses on serving photographers. Today, Kelsey will guide us through the dos, don'ts, and latest trends in website design for photogr…
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It's no secret that I've automated and outsourced everything but the absolute necessities in my photography business, but it wasn't always that way. For the first 7 years of my business I did it ALL myself... and it nearly killed me. When necessity forced me to change my approach, I hoped it wouldn't destroy the personal, high-touch brand I'd worke…
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I have long believed that the intersection of your (multiple) talents is where the magic for your business lies. So many of us have skills that we could bring to the table, but often don't because we think they have nothing to do with photography - or that they will somehow water down our photography business. Amanda Dudzik turns that notion on its…
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Every photographer has had the experience of dealing with an unhappy client (and if you haven't yet, you will at some point!). There's no two ways about it: that situation sucks, and will probably have you second-guessing yourself and your business. Today I am talking with Rachel Utain-Evans about how to handle difficult conversations with unhappy …
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Today I'm sharing a story I find pretty mortifying. As a professional photographer, I have dedicated countless hours to not only organizing my clients' photos, but also preaching the importance of good backups and organization... ...and yet the shameful truth is that my own family's photos are mostly a jumbled, unedited mess. Suffice it to say when…
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When I find a way to work smarter, up-level my client experience, and stand out from the crowd - especially when the strategy is so easy to implement - the first place I want to share it is right here on the show! Dayna's joining me to nerd out about not one but two new pieces of affordable tech that we've been using and loving, and that we think h…
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It's often hard for clients to have a clear vision about how they can or should display their photographs in their homes, so getting them to purchase products and larger print collections can be challenging. Family photographer Sharisse Rohan is using customized digital wall mockups to overcome that hurdle with her clients and it's working brillian…
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Right about now, a lot of portrait photographers are crawling out of their slow-season dens and gearing up for the inquiries, sessions, editing, etc. that come with the change in weather. Most of us spent the slower months optimizing our businesses behind the scenes - which is great! - but the transition from learning and planning to actually imple…
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One of the main things that can set you apart from your competition is the customer experience you provide. This isn't limited to how you handle issues when they arise, but includes the way your clients feel when they work with you - from the moment they reach out to inquire with you until the moment they write a review and each step in between. Cu…
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An estimated 1 in 5 people fall on the neurodivergent spectrum, which means that you have probably worked with a client who is on that spectrum… even if you didn't know it at the time. As we all strive to give our clients an elevated experience, taking stock of how we can better accommodate all of our clients’ needs should be at the forefront of th…
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Most portrait photographers are accidental entrepreneurs - they're talented artists who wake up one day and think, "hey... maybe I could actually make some money doing this thing I love!" Fast forward a few years and the vast majority of those artists have closed up shop, not because they didn't have the talent, but because running a business - no …
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For a long time in my career, I shied away from the idea of affiliate marketing… and that's a decision I kick myself for now! Most of us make recommendations every day without even thinking about it (read this book, check out this show, I love this shampoo, etc). Combine that with the fact that in creative businesses, we face inevitable ebbs and fl…
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A photography business comes with a lot of flexibility; we can choose the hours or days we want to work, who we want to work with, and when or where we shoot. But one thing that we don't always have control over is change... and when a massive change occurs, it's basically like starting all over again. Like it or not, many photographers face some a…
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Raise your hand if you’re the kind of person who agonizes over decisions. If you write long pro/con lists or take months to decide on the next move, I’m looking at you! While that kind of thoughtful, contemplative approach is to be commended in many areas of life, in others, there's potential for getting stuck in analysis paralysis… and that can be…
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248 - Designing the Life (and Business) You Want with Kristin Sweeting with Kristin Sweeting
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As wrap up the first month of the new year, it's the perfect time to dream big about our goals and aspirations. But how do we actually achieve those dreams? Today I'm talking with Kristin Sweeting about her proven process for life and business design that has helped so many creatives go from dreaming to achieving. If you've ever found yourself sayi…
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If you've ever felt intimidated by (or even mistrustful of) using flash during a portrait session, then this episode is for you. My guest this week is Kim Hildebrand, a family photographer from Seattle who swears by using flash in her in-home shoots. We dive into the differences between flash and strobes, how to get started with flash on a budget, …
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It's the time of year when we all have stars in our eyes and big visions for the year ahead, but how to we take those visions and make them a reality? Today I'm sharing my favorite method for actually achieving goals - first by identifying what you need to do to make daily progress and then by committing to taking small action every day. I know you…
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The people you choose to surround yourself with have a profound impact on you - how you think, how you act, and ultimately, the results you get. The same is true in our businesses. Success in business requires not just strength of craft but strength of mind, and if we want to achieve that success, one of the best things we can do is surround oursel…
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Confession time: Do you avoid looking at your business's financial numbers until it's tax season and your accountant MAKES you do it? If you struggle with understanding the financial side of your photography business, you aren't alone. Budgeting and forecasting can be daunting tasks (especially to us creative types)! Today I'm bringing you an incre…
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As the year winds down, you might be looking over your expenses from the year... and I'd be willing to bet there are some pieces of software or tech that you're considering getting rid of. Now I'm all for keeping an eye on expenses, But before you unsubscribe or cancel that software, I want you to listen to today's episode. The fact of the matter i…
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I went to see a movie and I have feelings about it.
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Raise your hand if you've ever had a client ask to see their photos during a session... who hasn't!? Conventional wisdom tells us to encourage them to wait for the final, edited images before sharing, right? Well, today's guest is turning that advice on its head. Liz Hansen runs a highly successful (read: 7-figure) boudoir photography business... a…
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What’s a dude gotta do to make ends meet around here?
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