Building a photography business is in itself a work of art and creativity - no two businesses look exactly the same. What I love about that is that it means we can all build our businesses to fit our lives. On the flip side, not having a clearcut path can make it difficult to strategize and grow. Elin Azganun is a new-ish photographer. She's been in business for just over a year now, but her story is somewhat unusual in that she came into the business of photography from a business background an...
Mar 28, 2023•29 min•Ep. 205
If time is money (as the saying goes), then automation and outsourcing should be your two best friends. On the other hand, what often sets us apart in our small businesses are our personal touches and customer service, so many photographers (understandably) struggle to find a balance between personalization and profitability. Longtime listeners know that I'm a big fan of automating my workflow and outsourcing work where possible, but I balance that with personal touches that my ideal customers a...
Mar 21, 2023•21 min•Ep. 204
When most of us think of school portraits we think about those awkwardly-posed artifacts of our youth, complete with plastered-on smiles and fake-laser backgrounds. And as a photographer, those are probably not the kind of photos that inspired you to get into business, right? Fine art school photography is gaining traction as an alternative to those cheesy school portraits, and Lindsey Turner is one of the lifestyle family photographers who has added it to her repertoire with great success. Toda...
Mar 14, 2023•27 min•Ep. 203
When I think about what really helped me gain traction and success in my photography business, it wasn't any one program, tool, or even system. At the end of the day, what really helped me go from hobbyist to business owner was the willingness to bet on myself, over and over... even when it felt scary. Confidence (not to be confused with arrogance or irresponsible decision-making) is the unsung hero of small businesses, and it's something that a lot of artists - particularly female artists - str...
Mar 07, 2023•38 min•Ep. 202
If you've ever heard of the 100 Days of Light Challenge, then you know today's guest, Caro Cuinet Wellings. Caro started this challenge 7 years ago, and in that time, it has become a worldwide phenomenon. Caro's a source of constant inspiration to me as both an artist and a businesswoman, and I think the artist in you is going to sincerely enjoy this conversation about photography, art, publishing, and the human connection we find across continents and languages while pursuing similar goals. Lin...
Feb 28, 2023•39 min•Ep. 201
200 episodes of the podcast is a big milestone, so I wanted to do something a bit different! Today I'm answering all kinds of listener-submitted questions on everything from dealing with unhappy photography clients to the ins and outs of the education side of my business, to the scoop on my upcoming nuptials. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions - I was truly overwhelmed by the response! - and thank you for being a listener these last 3 years. I (literally) couldn't do it without you. A...
Feb 21, 2023•43 min•Ep. 200
Most of the time on this podcast, I give you practical, actionable strategies to improve your photography business. Why? Because I know that when your business is succeeding, you are not only reaping the rewards of that success, but you are also (hopefully) feeling the joy that comes with doing something you truly love for a living. But once in a while, it's important to take a quick break from the nitty-gritty details of running a business to check in with yourself and see if what you are build...
Feb 14, 2023•10 min•Ep. 199
Finding new clients can feel like an uphill battle. You put yourself out there on social media, ask your clients for referrals... and sometimes it's crickets. If only there were a way that people in your area could find you with a simple search.... OH WAIT! Today's interview is with Chris Dawkins (aka Meredith's Husband), a decades-long veteran of the SEO business (so he really knows his stuff!) and the host of "Meredith's Husband," a podcast dedicated to SEO for photographers. SEO may not be a ...
Feb 07, 2023•43 min•Ep. 198
I'll be the first to say this episode is a departure from the usual for This Can't Be That Hard. While I tend to stick to practical, actionable steps for your photography business, I also always like to keep an eye out for areas where I can push myself (and you!) to try new things that may help us grow. Natalie Jennings has an unconventional way to help her students get unstuck, make decisions, and crush self-doubt - Tarot card readings. If you've been in business for any amount of time, you kno...
Jan 31, 2023•34 min•Ep. 197
If it hasn't happened already, at some point in your photography business, something is bound to go wrong. From corrupted cards to unhappy clients to issues with your gallery software, s%*t happens, and how you deal with it is going to ultimately determine how catastrophic - or not - it ends up being to your business. Today I am sharing an anonymous but real-life story that happened to one of my students, and sketching out a game plan for you to follow next time something goes sideways in your b...
Jan 24, 2023•15 min•Ep. 196
Photography businesses are like snowflakes... no two are exactly the same. That's often appealing to the creative in us - there are a ton of things you can customize and personalize about your business to make it the perfect fit for you. On the other hand, it's a problem when we're tempted to compare our success with someone else's because that comparison is never apples-to-apples. Hannah Smith is a purposely-part-time photographer in Cincinnati, OH, who has gone from brand new to fully booked i...
Jan 17, 2023•35 min•Ep. 195
Most photographers struggle with marketing. Whether it’s because we don’t have the time, have trouble coming up with fresh ideas, or just feel uncomfortable promoting ourselves, marketing often gets pushed to the back burner until we're desperate. But marketing really only works well when you're consistent about it. Joining me on the show is Dayna, the woman at the helm of TCBTH’s marketing efforts. Over the last 18 months, she's had a front-row view of the marketing successes and struggles in o...
Jan 10, 2023•25 min•Ep. 194
A really great customer experience is something that will keep clients coming back to you again and again. But contrary to what we might think, our client's experience is a lot more than just what happens on the day of the session and how much they like the photos we deliver…. There are so many opportunities to give them that "WOW" experience (or not)! Today, I'm sharing a tool that will help you map out your customer's journey every step of the way, then figure out where and how you can improve...
Jan 03, 2023•24 min•Ep. 193
As we get ready to kick off 2023, I wanted to take some time to help you figure out what areas of your business you need to focus on in the upcoming year. Often, when we are in the thick of running our businesses, it’s difficult to get a big-picture view of what’s working and what’s not. So this week and next, I am sharing a couple of helpful tools that will help you map out where you are currently putting your time, energy, and resources in your business - and see if you might want to shift tho...
Dec 27, 2022•15 min•Ep. 192
Creating a membership program in your family photography business is a win/win: your clients get yearly photos they can rely on and you get a predictable monthly schedule and income. But what if you don't photograph families? What if you're a boudoir photographer, or a brand photographer, or something else... could a membership work for you? Today's guest is here to answer that question (and so many more)! Monica Adelsteinsson is a dog photographer in Phoenix, and she's joining me on the show to...
Dec 20, 2022•26 min•Ep. 191
What would you do if you woke up one day to find that all the social media accounts you use for your business had been shut down? That's exactly what happened to my guest, Megan Lacy. You've probably heard the old adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket," and when it comes to marketing your photography business, that's great advice... especially when the basket is owned by someone else! Social media can be an amazing place to build your network and market your business, but it's important t...
Dec 13, 2022•27 min•Ep. 190
Keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of social media can feel like a full-time job on top of your photography career (especially if you’re like me and don’t really love doing it). But there’s no denying that social media is a big part of most of our marketing strategies these days, so love it or hate it, we need to at least be able to fumble our way through the basics! I wanted to bring on a working photographer who juggles all the platforms, content creation, and algorithm juggernauts re...
Dec 06, 2022•33 min•Ep. 189
I think we all know that SEO is crucial when it comes to growing our businesses and getting more inquiries, but it can feel like a complicated (or even impossible) nut to crack. Enter today’s guest! When Melissa Arlena relocated from DC to Florida, she was able to quickly and successfully relaunch her business with a simple SEO strategy based entirely on blogging. It turns out, blogging is not dead, but there is a new and improved way to go about it that will help you rank more quickly on Google...
Nov 29, 2022•40 min•Ep. 188
There's never a perfect time to start a business, have a baby, or get a puppy... at some point, you just jump in and say "I guess we're doing this!" We recently got a new puppy (Lasso... yes, after Ted Lasso), and spending so much time with this bundle of fluff has reminded me of all the joys - and struggles - that come with starting something new. It's both exciting and frustrating at the same time, with big learning curves in between... Which is exactly how I felt about starting a photography ...
Nov 22, 2022•16 min•Ep. 187
Brands evolve over time, and rebranding is a project that most of us have to tackle at some point in our businesses… but it can be a daunting process! Confusion about where to start, what to do, and what to say can turn what should be an exciting process into a frustrating slog. Today, Rachel Greiman of Green Chair Stories is sharing her expertise on the rebranding process. She gives advice on the order of operations and tips on how to decide what you can DIY versus what's better to outsource. I...
Nov 15, 2022•43 min•Ep. 186
If you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you're probably familiar with burnout - it happens to the best of us. A lot of the resources out there focus on how to avoid burnout, which is great until you suddenly find yourself in the middle of it with no plan for how to turn the ship around. In case you find yourself in the throes of burnout - now or in the future - my guest Krista Marie Lynch has some solid strategies to help you reframe and move through burnout, so you can get back to fi...
Nov 08, 2022•35 min•Ep. 185
So many photographers feel annoyed at best (and overwhelmed at worst) when it comes to the financial side of running a small business - most photographers aren't born bookkeepers, but of course as small business owners, it's something we all have to manage. Tanya Hirschy from Tidy Books Boutique is on the show today talking about why it’s important that we take some time to clean up our finances before the end of the year (hint: it can save you time, stress, and money!), and to give us some stra...
Nov 01, 2022•43 min•Ep. 184
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 number!) If the word “sale” makes you cringe inside, then this episode is for you. There are plenty of reasons you can come up with to not run a holiday ...
Oct 25, 2022•18 min•Ep. 183
Every photographer's path to success looks different. Some of us went to school for photography, while others of us picked up a camera for the first time when our babies were born. I think one of my favorite things about talking to photographers is that no two success stories are ever the same. Today’s guest is someone I have Instagram stalked for a long time, both for her beautiful images and her powerful words. And over the last few years, I've watched as her business has exploded. From a soci...
Oct 18, 2022•34 min•Ep. 182
Evan Berding is an incredibly talented custom furniture maker who happens to also be my one and only brother. What's funny is that for all our similarities (siblings, artists, entrepreneurs), there are also a lot of big differences. Evan and I take very different approaches to our work, and I always love chatting with him about how who we are has shaped the paths we've taken. Today I'm sharing our conversation about the challenges and benefits of being an artist in business - how some of those a...
Oct 11, 2022•40 min
VIP Days have been gaining popularity over the last few years as a way for business owners to offer high-touch, high-value services that deliver fast results to their clients. If you've ever wondered how you could expand your photography business, either to increase revenue, stand out from the other photographers in your area, or to allow for more flexibility in your schedule, today's conversation about VIP Days with Jordan Gill of Systems Saved Me is going to get your wheels turning! We're cove...
Oct 04, 2022•39 min•Ep. 180
Most of the time on this podcast I give you ideas for how to refine your business, streamline your systems, and improve your workflow. But today I want to talk about WHY doing those things is important. One of the (many) reasons it's good to have a well-run business is so can keep your eyes open for the golden opportunities that are all around you. Sometimes as soloprenuers, we're so busy juggling the many hats we have to wear that we can struggle to see the forest for the trees (especially duri...
Sep 27, 2022•13 min•Ep. 179
If you’ve been a photographer for any amount of time, you’ve probably had a card malfunction, or a drive corrupt, or watched as Lightroom choked in the middle of exporting a session. Oh 💩, right? In those moments, I always wish I could just pick up the phone and call my own personal IT department to make THEM fix it. This past spring, in the wake of the worst data nightmare that I have personally experienced, I was connected with Ryan Hamic of Zen Flow tech, who - it turns out - is exactly that...
Sep 20, 2022•38 min•Ep. 178
For years, I've encouraged photographers to talk to prospective clients on the phone. For a variety of reasons, I believe it's the best way to not only book more clients, but to start the process of working together off on the right foot. But these days, more and more people - photographers AND their clients - are reluctant to pick up the phone... which has led some of my students to explore different ways to initiate contact. Sabrina Jill and Melissa Arlena are students of mine who've been usin...
Sep 13, 2022•34 min•Ep. 177
One of the most common questions that I get asked here at This Can't Be That Hard is: “How do I get more photography clients?" Right? It's the photography marketing magic bullet (say that 10 times fast!) that we are all looking for. But as you know by now, I’m a believer that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for your marketing. It’s about trying different things, seeing what sticks, and above all, staying consistent. That said, I sure do love sharing fun, interesting strategies when I hear...
Sep 06, 2022•42 min•Ep. 176
