In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Tara Fjetland and I talk about launching your business in a new area. Is it better to start at a low price point and work your way up? How do you get new business in the door? And how do you adjust your business model? Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com...
Feb 19, 2021•18 min
I started my photography business in 2010, and went full time with it in 2011. In 2017, I co-founded The Family Narrative, which was - in a way - a second business, then in 2019, I launched This Can’t Be That Hard, which is now the business on which I spend the most time. As a three-business-running parent, you can bet I stress about the impact my work life has on my home life and my ability to show up meaningfully for my kids… and I know I’m not the only one that stresses about that issue. So t...
Feb 16, 2021•44 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Emily Hines and I talk about the why and how of diversifying your income as a photographer. What’s the best strategy when it comes to diversifying, and when should the different areas of your brand be kept separate or showcased together? Emily is a lifestyle family photographer based in Austin, TX. You can find her online here and here . Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/083 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get acc...
Feb 12, 2021•19 min
We are photographers in a time when the people in our target market are both inundated with beautiful photographs and incredibly passive about the way they consume those photographs… it’s a tough spot as someone who needs to market their services! Today I’m going to talk about how one small (but consistent) action can help change the way people interact with your brand and your photographs, slowly but surely helping them feel connected to you as a person and - eventually - buying from you. Show ...
Feb 09, 2021•19 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Tiernae Salley and I talk about moving past your comfort zone and making the leap from part time to full time. How do you know when it’s the right time? Tiernae is a lifestyle family photographer based in Indianapolis. You can find her online here and here . Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/081 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welco...
Feb 05, 2021•17 min
Sabrina Gebhardt joins me on today’s podcast to talk about the difference between running your business and letting it run you. With a solid background in business before ever getting into photography, you’d think Sabrina would’ve hit the ground running on her own business… but just like most of the rest of us, it took a lot of floundering before she said to herself “Wait a minute, this shouldn’t be this difficult!” Listen in to hear what she started (and stopped) doing, along with the tips she ...
Feb 02, 2021•39 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Megan Lacy and I talk about the struggle of getting re-established… after a new move, a new baby, or - if you’re Megan - a bit of both. How can we navigate forward when so much is in flux? Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/079 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. G...
Jan 29, 2021•16 min
Video is an extremely effective but also extremely underutilized tool when it comes to educating our photography clients, whether it’s before they’ve hired us, when they’re getting ready for their session, or when it’s time to purchase products. Today we’re talking about that first part, and how we can use video to help get noticed by potential clients noticed, make our brands stand out from the competition, and book more of the right clients. I’m giving you a formula for what to say, how to rec...
Jan 26, 2021•23 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Nikki Shefchik and I talk about not just the HOW of marketing, but the WHY… What is the real goal of marketing a photography business, and how can fine tuning your thoughts on the subject help you more effectively focus your efforts? Nikki is a lifestyle photographer based in Appleton, Wisconsin. You can find her online here and here . Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/077 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get acces...
Jan 22, 2021•21 min
Community is such an essential resource for any successful entrepreneur… no matter what we think, we actually CAN’T do it all alone! Today I’m sharing a conversation I had this weekend with the core of my photography community… my ride-or-die ladies, Kate Thompson & Posy Quarterman . We’re chatting intentions and goals for 2021, the talks each of us is giving at our upcoming conference, The Family Narrative, and our thoughts and feelings about the fact that the conference will - by necessity...
Jan 19, 2021•35 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Melissa Dorman and I talk about tweaking the finer points of the SImple Sales System… specifically the pros and cons of adding more collections and the concept of sending a proofing gallery. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/075 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group....
Jan 15, 2021•18 min
On January 7th, 2020, I officially launched the Simple Sales Blueprint for the very first time. I was brand new to online teaching, and having invested hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to get to that point, there was a lot riding on what came next. In celebration of the one year anniversary of that big day in my career, I’m sharing a few of the lessons I’ve learned about new ventures and how to approach them, along with a few of the success stories that my students were kind enough to ...
Jan 12, 2021•24 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Anouk Briere-Godbout and I talk about the mindset and strategies necessary to get some marketing traction when you’re brand new (never mind trying to do so in the midst of a pandemic). Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/073 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to...
Jan 08, 2021•19 min
One of the perennial issues on almost any photographer’s to-do list is branding… whether you’re updating your website, fine-tuning your messaging, up-leveling your social media, or overhauling your visual branding (logo, etc.), all roads lead to your BRAND. On today’s podcast, photographer and branding expert Erica Benson talks us through her process and gives you actionable tips to help your brand stand out in the crowd. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/072 Resources: New to the podca...
Jan 05, 2021•36 min
Happy 2021, everyone! Before we get back to our regularly scheduled Mini Mentoring episodes, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on what 2020 has meant and what I believe 2021 can bring in our businesses and our lives. Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/071 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Face...
Jan 01, 2021•5 min
On this, the last installation of the holiday special episodes for 2020, I’m sharing my guest appearance on We Are Photographers , the Creative Live podcast hosted by Kenna Klosterman. I’m a long-time fan of Creative Live and of Kenna, and her podcast is one of my favorites - the guests she chooses and the stories she explores are always so inspiring. Kenna and I go way back (see the video below for evidence), and perhaps because of that, I particularly loved this conversation. I hope it inspire...
Dec 29, 2020•1 hr 5 min
This past summer, I released a series of episodes about business alignment. Ensuring that all the parts of your business are aligned is an ongoing and ever-so-important task, so I thought I’d package up the first two episodes for you to listen to back to back, and re-post the freebie I created to go along with them. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/069 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our commu...
Dec 22, 2020•47 min
Today I’m sharing the replay of an interview I did with Vicki Knights and Eddie Judd over on their fantastic podcast Shoot, Edit, Chat, Repeat where we talked about how to respond to inquiries, why it's so important to educate your clients before they book (and the best way to do that), how to get a client to make a spending decision, and how collections are an important part of the sales process. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/068 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethath...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 16 min
During the month of December, I’m taking a break from creating new content for the podcast, and instead sharing some stuff I think you’ll enjoy from the past year. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/067 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request acces...
Dec 08, 2020•21 min
During the month of December, I’m taking a break from creating new content for the podcast, and instead sharing some stuff I think you’ll enjoy from the past year. Today I’m sharing a conversation I had with Carolina Guzik on her podcast The Tog Republic. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/066 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-f...
Dec 01, 2020•46 min
When Kristyn Miller and I scheduled time to record this episode of Mini Mentoring, we had one plan for what we were going to talk about. Then, once we set the timer and actually talked it through, it turned out we had a whole different conversation on our hands. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/065 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, bus...
Nov 27, 2020•19 min
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt are on fire. Their new book Glory was released last month and instantly hit the New York Times Bestseller list, and yet in the midst of promoting that, managing a full roster of private and commercial clients, working on their second book, and chasing their new puppy Pixel around, they made time to chat with me on This Can’t Be That Hard. You absolutely can’t miss this conversation! Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/064 Resources: New to the podc...
Nov 24, 2020•36 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, I’m chatting with Jaye McLaughlin about making changes in an established business and helping long-term clients adjust. Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!...
Nov 20, 2020•20 min
Most photographers set out to run a relatively simple business, but it’s surprisingly easy to quickly make things more complicated than they need to be. In this episode, I’m going to give you a quick way to assess whether you’re overcomplicating your business, and if you are, an easy strategy for identifying where things need to be streamlined and simplified. Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/062 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get acce...
Nov 17, 2020•21 min
In this slightly unusual episode of Mini Mentoring, I’m chatting with Dreama Spence, a photographer who planned and executed an UnSchooled portrait session concept this fall. She’s giving us all the details - from her offer and marketing strategy to how things went and what she’ll do differently next time. She’s even included a link to her sales page for you to take a peek at! Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/061 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to ge...
Nov 13, 2020•23 min
Get ready to be inspired! Carolyn Fong, Posy Quarterman, Sarah Sido, and Maryam Salassi are on the show talking about their creative solutions to Covid restrictions that they’ve introduced in their businesses, and even if these aren’t the right solutions for you and your business, they’re bound to get the wheels turning. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/060 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our ...
Nov 10, 2020•44 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Martin Knowles and I chat about adding a new business line and business model to your existing brand without rocking the boat. Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/059 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to req...
Nov 06, 2020•18 min
I don’t know ANYONE who wouldn’t benefit from a real win at the end of this insane year, so in this episode, I’m announcing that registration is open for an end-of-year challenge I’m putting on, and giving you all the details you need to know. As the name suggests, this challenge has been designed to earn you big money (at least $1000), but that’s just ONE of the wins… and there are two more after that! Click play for all the details… Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/058 Re...
Nov 03, 2020•18 min
In this episode of Mini Mentoring, Amy Sanusi and I chat about the enviable but still problematic situation of being fully booked, but still wanting to serve your returning clients. The conversation ranges from good communication to setting boundaries to creating systems that allow you to prioritize returning clients. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/057 Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our com...
Oct 30, 2020•16 min
There are a million ways to learn what you need to learn to be a successful photographer - books, youtube videos, online courses, workshops, conferences… even podcasts! But navigating that enormous number of resources can be frustrating, especially when the help you need is either very specific or very broad. One solution is to find a coach or mentor who has been there and figured things out, and who will work with you individually to help you cut through all the confusion. Maz Pedersen is one o...
Oct 27, 2020•32 min
