In the second episode of my Sustainability Series, I’m sharing how a major “lifequake” forced me to rethink everything about my business. Back in 2017, I hit a breaking point—I was working 50-60 hours a week, juggling too many types of jobs, and still not making enough to feel secure. I knew something had to change. That’s when I created what’s now known as the Simple Sales System. By streamlining my workflow and cutting out anything unnecessary, I was able to make more money in less time, all w...
Dec 17, 2024•13 min•Ep. 295
When life throws you curveballs—a health crisis, a financial downturn, or a global pandemic—how does your business hold up? In this week’s episode of This Can’t Be That Hard, I’m kicking off the Sustainability Series, a four-part exploration of why planning for longevity in your business is so important. I start this series with a story about challenges I've faced in my own life and business that could have been the end of my photography career, but instead were the catalysts that forced me to b...
Dec 10, 2024•13 min•Ep. 294
Ah, the sweet smell of a brand-new planner—there’s just something about it, right? That fresh-start feeling gets me every time, and as it turns out, my guest Brittnie Sturm feels the same way. Brittnie is a family photographer, mom of three, and a fellow systems enthusiast 🤓 who’s learned firsthand how powerful organization can be in running a better business and a smoother life. In this episode, she shares her journey from feeling completely overwhelmed to finding clarity through time blocking...
Dec 03, 2024•31 min
We’ve all been there: the to-do list feels endless, the deadlines are piling up, and the thought of getting it all done is just... laughable. Maddie Peschong knows the feeling, too. As a brand photographer, educator, and mom, Maddie has weathered her fair share of stressful seasons, and in this episode, she’s sharing how she finds her way back to balance. Why does overwhelm feel so paralyzing? Maddie explains how naming the real source of your stress is often the first step to tackling it. She a...
Nov 26, 2024•37 min•Ep. 292
I’ve taken my fair share of personality tests over the years, but none have resonated with me quite like the Enneagram. If you’re an Enneagram enthusiast, you might not be surprised to hear that I’m a Type 3 (The Achiever), and when I first read that description, I felt seen in a way that was almost embarrassing! In today’s episode, I sit down with wedding photographer and Enneagram expert Ellie McKinney to explore how understanding our Enneagram types can impact not only our personal growth but...
Nov 19, 2024•36 min•Ep. 291
Being a photographer can sometimes feel isolating, especially when you’re working solo day in and day out. But knowing you have a supportive network of fellow creatives? That changes everything. This week, I got to chat with Kim Box, the founder of The Motherhood Anthology . Kim has built a community that truly embodies the spirit of connection and openness I think so many of us are looking for. The Motherhood Anthology is more than just a place to learn—it’s a space where photographers come tog...
Nov 12, 2024•29 min•Ep. 290
Have you ever made the mistake of going to the grocery store without a list—or at least a plan? We've all been there, right? And while we might manage to wing it in the produce section or snack aisle, we almost always end up forgetting something essential. In the early days of my photography business, I actually ran things a bit like those haphazard grocery trips. Every morning, I’d jot down a list of to-dos from memory—relying solely on my brain to keep track of what needed to happen. On my goo...
Nov 05, 2024•16 min•Ep. 289
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 cringeworthy, mortifying, and downright bizarre situations that can come with running your own photography business! Thanks to everyone who shared their s...
Oct 29, 2024•42 min•Ep. 288
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 families have a pet that they consider part of the family, and yet most family photographers don't specifically encourage pets in their sessions or fe...
Oct 22, 2024•27 min•Ep. 287
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 15, 2024•18 min•Ep. 286
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 the process! Leah's story is a refreshing reminder that steady, intentional growth is often the key to long-term success. If you’re feeling stuck in yo...
Oct 08, 2024•35 min•Ep. 285
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 owners, and online educators as it's possible to be. But as different as it is, it's still business! Tune in to hear about the challenges, the lessons, a...
Oct 01, 2024•12 min•Ep. 284
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 privacy to my clients, and anyone who required more could pay an extra fee. But recently, I realized this approach no longer felt right to me, so I we...
Sep 24, 2024•20 min•Ep. 283
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 difficult journey she experienced taking over the Photo Native conference. Navigating financial struggles, emotional hurdles, and the sting of failure, her st...
Sep 17, 2024•34 min•Ep. 282
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 in Portland, OR, and today she's sharing her inspiring story of betting on herself and building a thriving photography business, even when the odds see...
Sep 10, 2024•36 min•Ep. 281
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 sharing a cautionary tale about a business that recently shut down due to their financial missteps. This was a business I relied on for my own business, ...
Sep 03, 2024•16 min•Ep. 280
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 sell that difference. Ashley has mastered the skill of differentiating her work from her competition's... so much so that she is able to command high...
Aug 27, 2024•29 min•Ep. 279
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 maximize your sales opportunities and earn more from your photography business by implementing some tried and true sales and marketing strategies in a way y...
Aug 20, 2024•28 min•Ep. 278
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, and in our conversation, she highlights the reasons why showing people a representation of themselves in our work matters. She shares her personal expe...
Aug 13, 2024•42 min•Ep. 277
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 thriving business. Many of the skills I've learned in my business - things like patience, perseverance, and being willing to experiment and adapt - a...
Aug 06, 2024•26 min•Ep. 276
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 people... and that process can be more frustrating than we care to admit. Today I'm talking with Bobbi Barbarich about exactly how to figure out what it i...
Jul 30, 2024•38 min•Ep. 275
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 broader equation may do more harm than good. If you've been considering a shift in your prices (or any other area of your business), today's episode is fo...
Jul 23, 2024•30 min•Ep. 274
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, and it revolutionized her business. Paula is a personal brand photographer known for her creative (and wildly popular) approach to mini brand sessions....
Jul 16, 2024•43 min•Ep. 273
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 guest appearance by Kristin Sweeting, who's sharing her insights on the psychology of pricing. She starts by acknowledging how emotional pricing can be, ...
Jul 09, 2024•38 min•Ep. 272
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 Inkpot Creative. Today on the show, they are sharing some of their favorite tips for injecting that hard-to-define "you" into your website. They cover ev...
Jul 02, 2024•37 min•Ep. 271
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 their year back by investing in the few hours it takes to get a new set up and running. That's what tools are supposed to do, after all: allow us to op...
Jun 25, 2024•46 min•Ep. 270
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 creatives, and her area of expertise is helping her clients identify and move past the deep-seated beliefs that are blocking their paths to success. I lo...
Jun 18, 2024•38 min•Ep. 269
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 and is on the show today to share both her experience with the course and the journey she's been on as she transitioned her business from all-inclusiv...
Jun 11, 2024•16 min•Ep. 268
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 photographer has taken several turns, from weddings to families to newborns and now boudoir photography. In this conversation, we talk about the importance of...
Jun 04, 2024•33 min•Ep. 267
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 which just putting in the hours without taking the leap might be holding us back. This got me thinking about the evolution of a photography business and...
May 28, 2024•17 min•Ep. 266
