When your first start your photography business, you need to make a plan for a period of time where you're building your client base up. It's normal to run at a loss for a year or two, but you need to have a plan in place for moving from that deficit into the land of profit. (If your profitability runway is too short, you’ll risk feeling like a failure. If it’s too long, you may never get off the ground) There are so many things to think about when you run your own small business that it can be ...
Aug 30, 2022•33 min•Ep. 175
As the busy season creeps up on us, often our stress creeps up right along with it. While some stress is inevitable (more clients = more work to do), it’s important to remember that at least part of the reason we chose to be photographers was to have freedom, flexibility, and control over our schedules and lives, so we need to run our businesses accordingly! This week, my guest is Flourish Academy founder Heather Lahtinen. With over 20 years of experience as a wedding photographer, Heather's got...
Aug 23, 2022•49 min•Ep. 174
For many photographers, self-promotion can feel a little painful even in the best of times. But what about those days (and weeks and months) when there are much bigger events (rightly) dominating our headlines and headspace? How do you send out a sales email or post about your upcoming mini sessions when those things seem trivial at best compared to what's happening in the world? Balancing the need to book work with our genuine sensitivity can be tricky... no one wants to be an insensitive jerk,...
Aug 16, 2022•23 min•Ep. 173
Every photographer uses technology to some degree or another. In this day and age, tech is required for everything from bringing new clients in to giving them a good experience to editing, backing up, and delivering the images themselves. And if you're not careful, it's far too easy to let your “tech stack” get away from you. Today, Colie James and I are having a conversation about the tech you absolutely need, the places where you may be able to consolidate, and strategies for not letting techn...
Aug 09, 2022•40 min•Ep. 172
When the economic forecast looks dark and stormy, it’s easy to get panicked about whether your photography business is up to the challenge. Panic, though, doesn't help... a plan does. Even in boom times, it's smart to keep our businesses ready for whatever storms may come. In today's episode, Annemie shares four important ways that you can sure up your strategy and take some of the fear out of the unknown. If you are feeling apprehensive about the next few months, or just want to bulletproof you...
Aug 02, 2022•27 min•Ep. 171
In the world of photography education, there seems to be an assumption that everyone is after the same goal: to make 6 figures and have a completely full roster of clients that’s booked out 3 years in advance. But there’s a very large subset of photographers for whom that doesn’t resonate… because that’s not in alignment with what they want or need from their businesses. Erin Brown artfully dubs herself a “purposefully part-time photographer,” and in this episode, she's sharing some of the speci...
Jul 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 170
Have you ever had a brilliant idea while driving or walking the dog that felt so clear and exciting at the moment, but then even a few minutes later when you try to write it down… it’s gone? This has happened to me so frequently that I actually created a system (shocking, I know!), not only to capture the ideas that occur to me (even at the most inopportune times), but actually get them into my workflow so I can act on them later. Today, I’m sharing that system with you in a short but actionable...
Jul 19, 2022•17 min•Ep. 169
Dealing with the legal side of running a business is complicated, confusing, and can feel like an overwhelming item on your to-do list... but the cost of NOT addressing it can be enormous. Luckily for us, Rachel Brenke - better known as The Law Tog - has spent the last 10+ years using her expertise as both a lawyer and a photographer to make the legal side of things accessible to us as creatives. Today on the show, Rachel and I talk about the importance of creating a great client experience, and...
Jul 12, 2022•43 min•Ep. 168
It's not uncommon for my new Simple Sales students to have lots of questions about the "rules" of the system. If they change this thing or tweak this step, will the system still work? Today I want to discuss the three modifications I most commonly get asked about in our Facebook group - how I have seen them work (or not work) for other photographers, and why I think that is. If you are new here and haven’t yet learned the 6 steps to the Simple Sales System, you may want to save this one until af...
Jul 05, 2022•30 min•Ep. 167
Adding films to your photography business can be a great way to up-level your client experience, and can be rewarding both artistically and financially. That doesn’t make it an easy transition, though! The business of offering films to your clients is totally different from the business of offering still images. If you've ever considered adding films to your repertoire - or if it's something that you've tried and had a hard time making it work - then today's conversation is going to be a great o...
Jun 28, 2022•52 min•Ep. 166
We all get to the point in our business where we need to raise our prices. But if you aren’t taking the time to understand why your prices need to go up (and even more importantly, how you're going to align that price increase with your overall business model), you're setting yourself up to fail. Today I'm covering 5 questions you should ask yourself before you increase your prices and walking you through the exact steps you should take to successfully raise your prices. Links: Sign up for the S...
Jun 21, 2022•23 min•Ep. 165
You know when you have that perfect client experience? From the moment they reach out, they're excited to work with you, there's no pushback on your pricing, the shoot is a breeze, and when you deliver their images they absolutely gush? It’s just an amazing experience from start to finish. Don’t you wish you could clone those clients? Today’s guest, Heidi Thompson, is showing us how to do exactly that. Heidi’s method for finding and attracting your bluebird clients is different from anything you...
Jun 14, 2022•26 min•Ep. 164
When you're a solopreneur, your to-do list can feel never-ending. Taking a break, stepping away, or even ( gasp! ) going on vacation can seem like a luxury reserved for the non-self-employed. After twelve years in business, I wish I could say I no longer have a hard time taking time off from work, but to be honest, it's still something I struggle with. That said, I've finally come to understand that breaks are not an indulgence but a non-negotiable requirement for the health of my creative busin...
Jun 07, 2022•21 min•Ep. 163
As photographers, we spend a lot of time focusing on our visual storytelling, but as entrepreneurs, our written communication is just as important. Like it or not, your words are as likely as your photographs to land you your next job... or to lose it. Today, creative copywriting specialist Courtney Fanning is sharing the 4 different types of buyers in the world, and how we can use our writing to connect with each of them. Don't forget your pencils, people - this is a jam-packed episode you’ll w...
May 31, 2022•30 min•Ep. 162
One of the easiest traps entrepreneurs can fall into is filling our time with the busywork of running a business, and in so doing, postponing or missing bigger opportunities or changes that could dramatically improve our businesses and our lives. A lot like having a baby, there is never a “perfect” time to make changes - especially big ones - in your business. There’s always going to be a good reason to wait - but what does waiting cost you? Today, I’m talking about a skill that is essential to ...
May 24, 2022•14 min•Ep. 161
If you believe a task or a project is going to be easy, the smallest roadblock can seem insurmountable. But if you're mentally prepared for a challenge, those roadblocks become an expected part of the journey. A lot of photographers go into business believing that their side hustle won't require much effort - what's so hard about doing something you love and getting paid for it, right? Running a business - even a simple one - is a major undertaking, and expecting otherwise is setting yourself up...
May 17, 2022•31 min•Ep. 160
The most common complaint I hear from other photographers is that they hate trying to get people to buy. On one hand, I get it - there’s something inherently uncomfortable about tooting your own horn and asking people for money. On the other, I worry that mindset is hurting you! Years ago, working in New York City in a totally different industry, I learned the difference between what makes selling feel gross and what makes it feel really good. Today, I’ll be sharing those lessons with you and gi...
May 10, 2022•21 min•Ep. 159
Have you ever heard the term “your strength is in your struggle?” The Simple Sales System was born as the result of a life transition that forced me to take a good hard look at my business and my numbers. Once I got over the struggle of doing that (and saw the massive results it created in my business and my life), I wanted to help other photographers do the same thing, ideally before they were forced to do so by events outside of their control. Today, Cassidy Parker Smith is sharing about the s...
May 03, 2022•27 min•Ep. 158
There's more than one way to run a successful small business... photography or otherwise. But with all the variety out there, successful businesses share one important trait: they are fully aligned under one of three models - The Donkey, The Unicorn, or the Workhorse. Back in episode 38, I described each of these business models in detail (so if you haven’t listened to that yet, I’d suggest doing so), but today I want to dive deeper on clarifying how you can determine which business model you ar...
Apr 21, 2022•21 min•Ep. 157
I'm always surprised when people express an interest in my personal life... you come here for photography business strategies, not the latest on this single mom's love life, right? Well, today you're going to get a bit of both. Back in February, I announced I'd gotten engaged, and instantly started getting pinged with questions about who this guy was and what our story was all about. So today, I asked Riley to join me on the show for a little introduction. But just in case you're worried that th...
Apr 19, 2022•45 min•Ep. 156
A few weeks ago my refrigerator (finally) died. I knew it was on the outs, so it wasn’t totally unexpected, but surprise expenses like that can be a big bummer, right? Today’s guest, MicKallyn Elis, calls those kinds of surprises “Oh 💩! Expenses”, which is exactly how I feel about them! MicKallyn is a financial coach who specializes in helping solopreneurs gain control of their finances. She understands that in a business like photography, income can fluctuate, and in this episode, she's sharin...
Apr 11, 2022•37 min•Ep. 155
It’s easy to fall into the trap of advertising that we do ALL THE THINGS - saying "no" to work that comes your way can be scary, especially when you’re first starting out as a photographer! But the last thing you want is for your business to come across as a “jack of all trades, master of none.” The fact of the matter is that niching down can really benefit your business… if you do it the right way. Today, I’m talking to Tavia Redburn about how she successfully niched down into one of the most e...
Apr 05, 2022•29 min•Ep. 154
When photographers want to increase booking rates, we tend to think about the things people see BEFORE they reach out to us - our social media or our websites. And although working on those can bring more inquiries in, a much easier issue to address is what happens AFTER they reach out... getting the people who inquire to you to actually hire us. The number one factor that will sway someone to hire you over the other photographers they've found is connection. Authentic connection can feel vague ...
Mar 29, 2022•23 min•Ep. 153
Several years ago, right in the middle of one of her busiest seasons at work, Sabrina Gebhardt had a series of major, totally unpredictable personal issues hit all at once - a health emergency, a natural disaster, and a death in the family. When you run a solo business, you can't just call in sick... you have to manage the explanations, the reschedules, and the apologies, even when you may not be feeling up for it. Today, Sabrina's sharing the lessons she learned from that situation, and how the...
Mar 22, 2022•35 min•Ep. 151
Want to make more money? I mean… who doesn’t?!? But most of the time, we think the only way to make more is to charge more. Not true! Today, I’m sharing three super-effective strategies for earning more money that you can implement quickly and easily in your business without raising your rates (or worse, discounting your work to try and get more clients). Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! W...
Mar 15, 2022•21 min•Ep. 151
If you’ve ever stared longingly at the photo byline in a major publication and wondered “how can I get THAT job?!?" today’s interview is for you! For the last couple of years, Carolyn Fong’s portraits have frequently been seen illustrating stories in top news publications and ads for major brands, but the path to get there was neither short nor easy. In our conversation, Carolyn shares the details of her journey and what she’s learned along the way. Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantb...
Mar 08, 2022•43 min•Ep. 150
Since his last guest appearance on This Can’t Be That Hard, a lot has happened in Cornell Watson’s career. Most of it has been hugely positive: he’s become a regular contributor to several major news outlets, including the New York Times and the Washington Post; he’s received several awards, including a grant from the Alexia Foundation, and - last summer - was offered an artist’s residency at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History at UNC-Chapel Hill. Last week, though, the e...
Mar 01, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 149
Gloria Chou is an expert when it comes to P.R. and how to pitch yourself. And maybe “pitching yourself” isn’t on your radar as something you believe you need to do, but it should be! Think about it: you’re pitching yourself when a client contacts you, when you’re applying for a job, when you’re asking to be considered as a speaker at a conference or a guest on a podcast… as entrepreneurs, we’re really pitching ourselves all the time! So today, Gloria’s sharing her CPR method for nailing your pit...
Feb 22, 2022•21 min•Ep. 148
The Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 rule) tells us that only 20% of our actions are responsible for 80% of our success… so the big question is: how do we find that 20% and do MORE of it? Well, one thing that definitely WON’T help find the 20% is dragging your feet on taking action. Today I want to remind you that the thing that makes your art better - getting out of your own way and trying (and yes, sometimes failing), will also ultimately make your business better… then inviting you to dive in....
Feb 15, 2022•11 min•Ep. 147
It’s hard to write the show notes when you haven’t listened to the episode, but that’s exactly what I’m doing, because this episode was fully managed - from concept to final edit - by my amazing marketing wingwoman, Dayna… and I’m not going to listen to it until it drops. What I CAN tell you is that it features the stories of five of my amazing students, and who doesn’t love a good story? I seriously can't wait! Watch the Simple Sales Masterclass Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbeth...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 146
