Podcast Ep 327 - How is the Economy Impacting Photographers?

In this episode of the Flourish Academy podcast, Heather Lahtinen delves into a compelling conversation with two standout photographers from the Elevate program. Heather interviews Jess Rodriguez and Jessica Wasik, who share their incredible journeys from early struggles to achieving significant financial milestones. Discover how these photographers navigated economic challenges, leveraged community involvement, and implemented smart strategies to boost their businesses. 

Tune in to learn their secrets, get inspired by their success stories, and gain actionable insights to transform your own photography business.

Show Notes:

• Overcoming Challenges: Jess R. discusses her early struggles and breakthrough moments in her dog photography business.
• Strategic Growth: Jess W. reveals her strategies for attracting high-value clients and maintaining a steady flow of work.
• Economic Resilience: The discussion covers how both photographers adapted to economic shifts and found success despite challenges.
• Managing Expectations: Dealing with seasonal fluctuations and planning ahead for busy periods.
• Community Engagement: Insights into how community involvement and networking can drive business growth.
  
  

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Connect:

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TRANSCRIPT

You're listening to the Flourish Academy podcast, and today I'm sharing a recent call where I interviewed two photographers inside of our elevate program who are killing it. And all of those details are forthcoming. I hope that you enjoy our conversation. My name is Heather Lahtinen. I'm a photographer, educator, and entrepreneur, and I founded the Flourish Academy as a resource for photographers of all levels.

We want to help you pursue your passion on your own terms because we believe there is room for everyone. In this podcast, we focus on creating breakthroughs with your mindset to discover the things that are really holding you back in business and life.

My name is Heather Lahtinen. I'm the founder of the Flourish Academy and creator of our flagship program called Elevate, where we help photographers make more money, period. That's my goal.

I want you to make more money. And our core philosophy is that having a business does not. specifically consumer behavior and spending in all markets.

And I know that many of you are feeling like crap about the economy. And I'm sorry. I truly want to help you. I've been in business long enough over 20 years to know that our client market is always shifting.

So what worked a year ago or even a few years ago isn't working right now. And I think that many of us, you know, we'll find something that works. And then we just think or expect that it should last forever.

And then it doesn't. And it can be really disheartening. I have a really quick example for my business. When Facebook announced live videos, however many years ago, I jumped right on the bandwagon.

I have done 572 live videos over the course of several years. And it worked fantastic. thousand views on a video to like 33.

And at first, I complained about how Facebook is ruining lives, which is like sort of true. And then I just got to work. I just had to figure out things work until they don't.

And then you just have to figure something out. But here's the danger. You see posts about everyone's struggling and it confirms your bias. And then you think, well, there isn't anything you can do because it's outside of your control.

like, why would I? Why would you look for a cat in your house if you don't have one? It doesn't make any sense. So why would you take action on something you believe is completely outside of your control?

You wouldn't. But what I teach and elevate is that we just need to think differently about how we get clients in order to get clients. Last week on our strategy call, two of our members shared significant financial wins.

They're having a lot of success. And my immediate thought was, okay, the economy isn't affecting them. Why? And if it's not affecting them, that means it's possible to have a thriving business right now.

So then I got curious. I thought they tapped into something. And is there a way for me to figure out what that is and share it with everyone?

So like collectively we're not struggling as much. types of them.

There are some of you that are very new and you're just learning how all of this works and maybe maybe you're like, whoa, what's going on? This is hard. Am I going to be able to do this? I don't know. There's a lot of thoughts there.

But the second one is a professional photographer who's been in business for more than a year. And they might be thinking, oh my gosh, it's so much harder to make money. I've had photographers that have been in business for several years.

And in one case, over a decade, tell me that they are losing so much money this year. Anybody, does anybody have this feeling? Some of them are even considering getting a job.

But I'd like to offer that it's not about how much money you are losing, but how much money you will gain moving forward once you figure this out.

Once you have the strategies to overcome this challenge, you will have that for every challenge in the future. If you feel like your sales are down,

your revenue is down, you're losing money, I just want to reposition that for you. What if it's not about the loss, but it's about the gain that you will see in the future because you've figured it out?

What you will hear today is coming from two photographers inside of Elevate that have the strategies to support growth because they've gone through the process. They've worked with me and they adapted strategies.

They didn't think that it was outside of them. I am so thankful that my business went through the 2008 housing market crash because of what I've learned,

of what I learned. I thought, okay, if I could weather that storm, then I can figure out any other storm, even though it's for sure going to be different. Therefore, what if it's a good thing that this is happening because of the skill set that you will have now,

you'll get through this year, and you'll have it forever and ever. When you work with me and my team of coaches inside of Elevate, we teach you the process,

the strategy, what to do, tangible examples, what to think, and how to feel. And we help keep you on track, teach you how to evaluate and support you in failure because of what's happening right now.

Last week, one of our current members emailed me to renew her elevate, so it's a six -month program. And she was going to pay in full for six months to get the one -month free.

And then she asked me if we had a yearly option. And it was like, actually, I just created a yearly option that gives you two months free and access to our new VIP portal, where we have the wealthy photographer and how to double your business in four months.

But even if you don't join as a VIP, we just release a new money course called Empowered for weeks to building wealth in photography. And it was very well received. So you can check that out.

Okay, but let's get started. We are talking to the two Jessica's today. I'm going to ask them some questions. Let them share what's working in their business. I suggest you take notes.

You can ask questions in the chat, but at the end, I'll make sure we have time for a Q &A. So I am going to start, Jessica R. Can you unmute and like get us up to speed.

How long have you been in business? What have you been working on? How are things going? What are your thoughts? All of the details. So yes, I'm Jess. I've been in business for two years this past May.

And when I first started this business, my goal was to be known. I wanted to be known as the dog photographer in Las Vegas. I wanted to be top of mind when people thought,

hey, who should I go to for photos? Like, oh, you go to Jess, of course. So I have spent the last two years just being consistent and persistent with being everywhere in the dog community.

So showing up so that people you know remember your name. I started creating my own events,

just small ones, like pop -up type things that, you know, maybe were a low or no -income type of deal, but I got my name out there. I got my newsletter list,

you know, built up from that. And people now, after two years of being consistently all over the place, I've noticed starting this past April,

I've been more steady with my inquiries that started my over 7 ,000 K month was that this past April. And it's, it didn't flowed. Like I'll be transparent.

I had a 5 ,000 month. And then I had a 6th. And then this last July was 7 .321. So, but I'm getting there from last year when it was like maybe a $500 month.

You know what I mean? So it's just being everywhere that you need to be so that your client sees you and whether that's showing up on social media,

being tagged by the shelters, being, you know, collaborating with other people who will also share your content. Like the pet community, the photography community is super open I've learned and everyone's been very responsive with wanting to collaborate or wanting to,

you know, put together a small event of some kind because it's beneficial for everyone. chance it's happening.

You know, you got to, you know, put yourself out there. Okay. So when you ask clients, when they book you and you ask them, how did you find me? What are those categories?

Right now, it's word of mouth, which is great because it's from past clients or just, I heard your name from so and so, or I saw your work on someone's Instagram and Google. That's my main,

my main my main ones right now. What's what's with the Google is your SEO? It must be working. I have like all five star reviews. I ask everyone for reviews afterwards.

And that's been helping. And I get a lot of clicks on my page. My bounce rate is is low. So I think people are spending some time on there. And yeah,

I get a lot more inquiries. That's for sure. And it's for all kinds of things. Recently, I had one for a luxury apartment complex is hosting an event for their dog -loving customers,

specifically for them and their dogs. They're going to have mimosas and some other, like in a dog park. All of this is happening. And they want a dog photographer. And they're like, oh, we Googled you and we went to Instagram and saw your work and loved it.

So they messaged me through there, but they originally found me through Google. And now I'm doing some random events and I'm going to be put in front of, you know, 30 people who live in a luxury high -rise apartment with dogs that they love the spoil.

So it's little things like that that, like, add up and can turn into bigger things. Have you, do you ever have the thought when things like that come up? Do you, are you ever like considering, will this be a waste of time?

Does that ever cross your mind? No. Anything that is an opportunity to put me in front of people who like to spend money on their dogs is a good thing. So yes, I've been doing pop -ups that may be for $25,

$30 entry, or it's a donation. I'm collecting their names, their emails. I'm handing out my business card. They're seeing me show up at these events.

I'm seeing the same faces at these events. And now I'm going to be top of mind when they are thinking about doing photos. So Any opportunity is a good one to take. Okay, listen, that's a brilliant thought.

Any opportunity is a good one to take, period. The reason I ask the question is sometimes we try to vet these things by saying, well, like, is this a good use of my time? Are my ideal client's going to be there?

Am I sure this will be worth it? But it sounds to me like you did not ask yourself those questions. No, and what's crazy is that they've all led to bigger opportunities.

So even volunteering at the shelter, I'm not getting paid for that. I love doing it. All I asked for in exchange was that they tagged me in the posts and make it known that I'm the photographer for that and they can do whatever they want with those photos.

From that, I was asked to do for one shelter, their biggest fundraiser of the year called Best in show. I had to photograph 30 puppies over two weeks. All of my work was printed in a magazine and sent out to customers.

There was a show and all the dogs that got adopted there. I've gotten inquiries just from that. And all of the advertising that I had a full page ad, all of it was free. And the other shelter has asked me to do their calendar contest.

They run it. They do all of it. I didn't have to put any work into it other than booking everybody for their time slots. I showed up. I had an idea for the calendar this year just to make it different and they loved it.

So I'm getting to roll with that, however I want to do it. And they're having an event that's like $150 per booth in October. I get to do that for free.

So it's like doing these free things has led to like all of this like free advertisement basically. And so that's why I say take those opportunities because you never know where they're going to lead. Did you,

Did you, or how did you overcome any fear of rejection if you approach someone? I guess I'm just not that type of person.

I'm not afraid to share that I love dogs or to talk to someone about their dog and figure there's at least some common ground there for speaking to someone about a dog that they have that you know that they have.

And so what's the harm and just bringing up, like, you know, your dog's adorable. By the way, I'm a pet photographer. I just was at a party over the weekend. Same thing. Don't know these people. They mentioned they had two dogs. And like, let me see your dogs.

By the way, I'm a pet photographer. And they go, oh, really? Yep, here's my information. If you ever, just casual, didn't push it. I'm just, we're hanging out. And now that's going to be top of mind next time they want to do photos.

And you just say that all the time, no or where you are who you're meeting? Pretty much. Depends on the time and place. And if I know they have pets, I don't just be like, hi. Yeah.

But if I see that, you know, this is somewhere that I can let myself be known and what I do, then yes. And my husband is a big cheerleader as well. I've always just like,

hey, did you have you met Jess? He does a whole lot of that when we're out places to make sure that people know who I am and what I do. And then at any point, did you ever feel sleazy?

No. Salesy, like, ew, gross. I shouldn't be doing this. No, because the way that you're wording it is your dog is gorgeous and deserves great photos and let me take those photos.

And I'll repeat something that a client just told me during an IPS session, which was, like, she was crying during the session. She's like, you know what? I take so many photos of my dog,

myself, on my phone every day. He's my service dog. I love this dog. She's like, but you took photos capturing the way that he looks at me in like a way that I can't do and that I've never seen before.

She was just like, I haven't seen this side of it because I'm never in the photos with him like that. And it just made her tear up. She's like, look at the way he's looking at me. I don't know that because I'm just taking it from my viewpoint.

So it's kind of like if you get the, oh, I have a ton of pictures on my phone. I'm like, but do you have them together, you know, and capturing that bond together and just having something a little different,

you know, it's offering something that you think that they'll love. And it's like, well, if they don't like it. They don't have to use it. That's another thing is taking rejection as in like,

okay, on to the next one. Maybe they'll, you know, in a few months they'll be ready. You know, maybe next year they'll be ready. So taking it as, you know, maybe next time, you know, and think about me in the future. But, you know,

I'll book a couple in a row and then have one more and it's a no. And it's like, okay. Like, it doesn't affect me. I don't take it as it's the end of the world. Sure, you can be a little bummed like, oh, I really wanted to photograph that dog.

Like, of course there's that, but I don't let your target demographic is who is your client and not just a dog owner.

For me, it's probably when you go back and who made my best sales and who did I bond with like the most. They were between 35 and 45, single or married,

no kids, love the spoiler dog, has a professional career and spent over $2 ,000 on their dog. That is my client. That is who I am marketing to.

to that is who I'm speaking to on my website and on my social media pages you're not going to service everyone so niche down and speak to those people find out like who that is in your mind is it someone who likes to go hiking is it someone who likes to go to the beach is it families like who are you talking to and once you figure out your marketing and what you want to say that is who's going to be coming to

you And the reason you were so clear on your marketing is because you figured out who that person was. Yes. How did you do that? Metrics. Jess has a great graphic,

too, for all of that. But that and just keeping track of, like, my sales and who that was and realizing, like, I mean, even like a step beyond, like,

oh, these are people they, they dress well. They like to travel. They all have the the same things in common, right? They're all like, look at my dog and I dressed him up in this, or we're going on this. I'm taking my dog on a vacation because it's,

you know, their time is near, you know, it's like, okay, these are the type of people that I want to be talking to. So yes, the economy can be up and down, but my ideal client is still booking sessions.

I'm getting, you know, and it's beyond just the private clients like that. There's, you know, commercial or business opportunities. I've had several business owners asked me. Did it ever,

like, did you ever have any point this year? So in the last, say, seven or eight months, where you had concerns about the economy or are people hiring you? Not about the economy.

It was more thinking that I was going to have a slow summer because it's like 108 million degrees here during summer. And I knew that as much as I can promote sunrise sessions,

I'm not as good Monica is added and nobody really likes to book sunrise sessions here, at least not as often as she does. So I knew that bookings would be slow,

but this year, I guess I booked all the way up until June. July, I went on vacation for 18 of those days,

but I still booked two sessions and then all the sales from my June sessions is where all that money came from. And now August, I'm just pushing like book now,

my fall calendar is going to fill up. I only leave certain amount of sessions per month so that I don't overwhelm myself with all the edits I have to do after. And I'm counting on like the big sales.

So instead of like 20 sessions a month, you know, it's like six to eight is like a comfortable place for me so that I can stay ahead of everything. And if I in my mind think, well, you know, each client's like maybe a minimum of a thousand dollars if I go in event.

Would you like to show up? It's a fundraiser for dogs. And yes, I have to pay for a booth, but I'm going to be specifically put in front of people who like to spend money. So things like that is what I'm focusing on for August,

is like get the bookings, go to events and like see people right before busy season. And then it should be, you know, good to go from here on out. Like, do I know that?

No, but that's what I'm in my head, like, that's what's going to happen this year because I've been consistently showing up places. So it's very different from last year. I've already surpassed last year's entire income.

In June, I surpassed it. So, you know, I'm not making, I'm not quite where Jess is, but I'm getting there. But a hundred percent increase on your revenue for a year. I mean,

do you consider that a success? Yeah, I think so. I think so. How much did you bring in in July? seven thousand three hundred twenty showing up why because because you believe you can impact the results correct yeah it's not like outside of your control yeah and anytime you're putting yourself out there whether you're at an event or you're meeting someone on the street just getting your name you know in their in their

hands you know here's my business card here's this here's what i do and then they see your work which speaks for itself i've never had anyone say oh pictures are okay like of course they're you know not what they're used to taking you know so like everything,

that belief that people are ready, willing, and able to pay. Actually, that's, if we could focus on one part of that belief tried today in terms of the economy, you have this belief that people are ready,

willing, and able to pay. What is your average sale? Right now, well, the last two in a row were $2 ,200. And I had one before that that was was 850.

So I'd say there's somewhere between there, but the majority have been like the 1 ,500 range if I were to look back on this past like the six months of seven months of this year.

So yeah. And you do in -person sales. Yes. I switched from how I was doing it last year and this way just works for me. I think throwing out like I think it's a mindset thing for sure or when you tell people like,

here's the, well,

this is $1 ,000, but now you have your credit. But I already made that $250. So I did make that $1 ,000 sale. So it's a little bit of, it's less work for me because I was editing all the photos in advance too before.

And now I'm just editing what they like. And I've realized what they like is very different from what I like out of the photos. Yeah. So I've done that opportunity. And the sales are higher because they're just like falling in love with these photos,

but also I can talk them through things a little bit more, and I can hear, you know, my client say things like, I've never seen this, you know, my dog look at me like this before. So I'm there for that part,

but also, yeah, the sales have been definitely higher since I switched, which started in April. So that's when my numbers started going up. So just changing how I was doing things because I'm sure everyone can agree that you've probably changed how your website looked,

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And that is just always kind of like in my mindset. And so, yeah, just you're not giving up on yourself. This is still, I have, you know, the amount of free time I have from this compared to,

obviously 18 days of vacation that I didn't have to request off for that I just took. Being independent. Yes, it's work and it takes some time to put systems in place and figure out what you want your business to be.

And yeah, you're going to have slow months and then you're going to have crazy months. And then maybe once you figure things out, it's going to stay like that. And that's kind of where I'm at is, you know, now I have a whiteboard calendar of how I'm going to post social media.

You know, like this is just social media posts for the whole month. So I can see it. I can change it when I need to. But it makes me feel a little more at ease instead of like scrambling last minute to, you know, throw something out,

you know, for the day. I can see it. And now I love the way that I'm doing them.

So figuring out what's working for you because something different will work for everybody. But finding what's working for you, how do utilize that to the best way that you can is what's helped me and just continuing education,

continuing calls like this and learning from other people and what's working for them and what's not on top of just continuing to put myself out there has has put me in this position.

It requires a Would you give Jess from two years ago,

yourself, from two years ago? I mean, I guess just like keep going. Like you're going to, you've got this.

Like just keep doing what you know, which isn't everything, but you're going to learn. I used to say like fake it till you make it kind of thing of like, just keep doing it. You'll figure it out.

You'll learn, you know. But I'm not faking it. I'm being authentic. And I. little things where you can rely on people in your community because,

you know, between those and these calls, like, you need that. You need the support system in multiple ways. So it's like you've got lifelines. You've got these calls. You're watching other people come in and ask their questions.

Like, how do I run this, you know, event? And it's like, oh, yeah. You're learning something constantly from everyone around you. And everyone's like your biggest cheerleader and just trying to help promote you and like make you,

you know, everyone wants to see each other succeed in this community I've learned. So just a whole lot of that. So put yourself out there, but meet people in this community that you can talk to.

And it's been super helpful for me. Maybe surround yourself with the type of people that believe that we can thrive and have success and that anything is possible. Yes. What advice would you give someone who's listening to this and feels both inspired and like,

oh, like, how am I ever going to get there? Like, realize that things, it's going to take time,

but if you are serious about being a business owner and serious about your work and always getting better at what you're doing and not going into things thinking you know everything or that you've done enough things already.

I did that event last year. I don't want to do. You have to just go all in. It's like the best advice I could say. Like whatever community you're in in the photography world of like what you're shooting,

like go all in. I'm like in the dog community here. Like I put myself out there from podcasts to, you know, vet clinics, having pictures of my stuff on their walls to,

you know, collaborating with other people. And like I said, with the shelters, I'm known through the people who adopt because they see my name repeatedly. It's just showing up in all aspects of your business.

Like, be everywhere, do all the things. Meet all of the people. All you have to do is talk and meet people. How long have you been in Elevate? When did you join? I want to say it was like a year in to things.

Like maybe the January. So I started in, I launched in May. So I say maybe the January after, I think I joined Hair of the Dog. And then through that, I was on a couple of these calls.

And then I had a couple messages with Monica, and she said, you know, I asked her how she was liking things. She raved about you, of course. And so, yeah, I joined,

I think, I want to say January, February of that within that first year. What's been your favorite part? I would say, I mean, calls like this, even like these types of calls are the ones where it's like the Q &A,

like last minute stuff. Even if I don't have a question. It's like, well, maybe someone else does and it's something I'm not thinking of. Right. You know, and I could be, sometimes I'm not always showing up with my face on there.

And it's because I'm multitasking. But, you know, I like, I'm listening. I'm there. I'm trying to, you know, engage and be, you know, active in the comments. But it's, I'm learning something all the time from other people,

from you, from just, I think just constantly keeping that going of just being engaged, you know? Like, like I said, you have to just be all into this and that will give you that freedom of taking 18 days off a vacation.

Yeah, right. And still believing that you could do it, that you could have that kind of month is unbelievable. That comes from a thought that it's possible to do it. Right. And then you just execute based on that thought,

which reminds me, do you have a specific, and if you don't, that's okay, like training inside of Elevate that you found really helpful? There's so much. Everybody that jumps in is always like it's way more than they thought.

Yeah, I think the mindset stuff for sure is like realizing like, oh, like I think when I first joined, I didn't realize that was a big part of it. It's not just like knowing the business stuff.

It's your mindset needs to change. It's not to like, oh, maybe I can do it. Oh, I don't know if this is to like, I can do it and this is going to work. And if it doesn't, who cares, move on and learn from it and change it for next time.

And that sounds easy to say, but like you kind of have to hear it over and over again or see that other people also are struggling sometimes and realizing like, yeah, that was me last week. I just didn't, you know, get on a call and talk about it.

So it's just realized, you're represented everywhere, you know, here. And that's, I think, just being, having the community in general, like I love the calls. editing.

This is amazing. And are you on track for that? I think so if things continue the way they are with my bookings and everything else. So I'm I'm thinking yes.

Okay, great. That's awesome. Let's up it to 100. Let's add 25K to that. How does that set? The way the IPS sessions have going like it's it's not impossible i'll just say that nothing's impossible correct but i'm not going to like kick myself for not doing it i'm already proud of just the fact that i was like i'm here sure you're paying me to take these photo something i've just been doing like on the side you know

while i had my job and now it's like no people are really paying me it's like a real thing doing like it's it's kind of wild uh to think about um And just, I think also something that helps with the motivation is,

like, people at my last job thinking, oh, good for you and your little thing. So cute. Okay. Well, watch me. I love to say watch me.

Yeah. I actually love to be underestimated. That's so fun. Yeah. Okay. I want to leave you with this. First of all, thank you so much for sharing all of this information. But I want to leave you with this. If you project to,

like, end of December, early January next year. like keep keep doing what I'm doing.

It's working. Something's working. People are still booking me and it's from a variety of things. Like I said, it's not just the regular like, here I want photos with me and my dog. It's, I just got an inquiry while we're on this call.

I could see it. It says, quote, from a vet clinic that wants to take headshots, I think, of each employee and their dogs. So things like that are, and like the events that keep coming up, like you just,

you know, there is no limit. Obviously, like, don't overwhelm yourself and you can say no to things. But take those opportunities. Don't be afraid to try things.

Like, don't, don't be afraid to go walk into like a boutique dog bakery and say, hey, do you want to do a thing where I do pop up photos here? It's going to bring business to you and get myself out there too.

They're not going to say no. If it's bringing in business, no one's going to tell you no. So just go out there and, you know, try something. It doesn't have to be that, but it just, you know, if you want to be known,

if you want to be top of mind of people, you just have to keep showing up in every place that those people are going to be searching for you. That's it. Just show up. I love that. And if you are increasing your capacity for complexity,

which is a thought I choose to think, then I can actually do more now than I previously could because I am improving the efficiency of my systems, because the more you do,

the faster you get at it. And if you cross a line where you become overwhelmed, then that's just, that's just clarity that tells you where you might need to pull back. It's all a learning process and systems that I have in place now.

I didn't have them when I first started. I had to figure that out. Like, oh, maybe I should, you know, May I have a calendar? Maybe I should, you know, It goes more than me about something before I just go, like, throw myself out there.

So just little things, you know, it's a work and progress, like, all the time. But you're only getting better. So every day. Every day.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing all of that. Yes. Okay. Also, to your point about no limits, we're about to talk to Jess W. And I'm pretty sure she's on track for a $200 ,000 year.

So Jess, give us an update. Where are you? What's going on? Tell us everything. Yeah. I'm entering my eighth year in business this September. And to look back,

like, it has gone so fast. And it's been absolutely incredible. This year has been my best year ever i'm coming off a 25 000 month in july which is my highest ever um i don't even know how it happened it just happened whoa whoa we need to slow down 25 000 in one month yeah so 17000 of that was in the first two weeks and 13 000 of that was in one day of sales which was like,

what? What? One client or? There's two clients. Oh, okay, okay. Yeah. It was fun. I enjoyed that. I had a really good time.

Right, right. Okay, where are these people coming from? How are you getting them? Both of those clients are actually book project clients. So I do a lot through Google.

I get a lot through silent auctions and then a lot through calendar contest and book projects. Those are my top three. Okay. Google,

so like just searches SEO? Yep. What are you doing for your SEO? Do you know that's making that impact? I have no idea. I blog a lot. I'm everywhere online.

I've never paid for SEO or done a course. I'm consistent. Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm. Yeah, that's really important. You have a Google My Business listing. Oh, yeah. I love that.

And I get the reviews. I love. I send everybody home with the review request. If they don't do it, they get an end -of -the -year request. And, yeah, they just plot them in there. And I get so happy to read them.

Yeah, no, that's amazing. So these people that are finding you on Google, they're just putting in, what, pet photographer near me? Yeah, pet photographer, pet photographer, dog photographer. Okay,

okay. So SEO for both you and Jess as you and Jess are, is been working really well. Yeah. So silent auctions, give us an overview of that. I will do any silent auction in my area that I believe my ideal client will be at,

um, higher price point on ticket entries. I treat them like any other client in that I don't really give them a lot. I just give them the session and I assume that they're going to buy like my other clients.

So they're only really gifted a five by seven batted print. Okay. And then that's it. And then they have the ability to purchase more. Yes,

because I don't talk about what they even want. I just bring them in and we have their session and I do my ordering appointment like any other client so you treat them like any other client and what does that conversion looks like in terms of sales um this year i've only had um like one client who took his free right and left so they're all spending they're almost always not more yeah okay what is your okay is

there a difference you can maybe delineate this average sale from something like that versus a client a full client no difference no difference yes which is how much what's an average sale for you um so far this year my average sale is 36 90 36 90 almost 4 000 yes what do you attribute that to i just assume people are gonna pay me like i just i don't make a big deal of it to me and i i make it normal that you

just give me money for dog photos. A lot of money. People are ready, willing, and able to pay. Yes. You and Jess have a similar attitude here, which is like, why wouldn't they pay me?

Like, of course they're going to pay me. Right. The big thing I found that I've tested this year that's been really successful is like a pre -purchase product credit. So when I send them their information on their product and design guide,

there's a paragraph that says, essentially, if you want to, you can pre -purchase any amount from $100 up through this link. But if you pre -purchase $995 or more,

I will gift you an additional 10 % on top of whatever you've pre -purchase. Every client that I've done that, I would say 80 % will pre -purchase,

and then they'll all spend more at the appointment. Of course they will, because they've already spent money and it's they don't remember that. and if it doesn't,

I can just delete it and never do you ever know. But I've loved it so much. Yeah, it was just an experiment, right? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sorry,

I got a little bit sidetracked. So we have SEO, top three ways people are finding you, SEO, silent auctions and book or calendar projects. Is that correct? Yep. Are there any other ways that,

like, how's your referral word of mouth? It's really good. Every client who spends money with me that I like, which means they were in a pain, gets a referral gift certificate to give to anybody.

That just comes on the session fee. Any client who I like and spends money with me is also a repeat client, so they never have to pay another session fee ever. They can just come back and book.

And so this year, I've had 20 % repeat clients, 80 % new clients. 20 % repeat, 80%. So if anyone hasn't met Jess before, she loves numbers,

spreadsheets, formulas. She tracks everything. She is like our pricing, Dubsado, tracking everything coach inside of Elevate. Did you know she's the head coach inside of Elevate?

Because she has mastered this so well, 80 % new. Okay, and these new people could be coming from Google silent auctions or the book and calendar projects. Okay, that makes sense. I think sometimes we forget that word of mouth can be a marketing effort.

Like if you, if you're struggling with marketing and you put at the top of your marketing strategy, I'm just going to pour into my current clients. The people that are in front of me right now,

they will love you so much and then they will tell others. And I just think people kind of I don't even know where I can echo so much of what just said of just it being a mindset thing where I just don't believe that it won't work.

I've never been employed by another person beside myself. So I feel like I've always had to figure it out. And so just not having it work is not an option. I'm not going to fail. And I don't like to fail.

So I'm going to figure out a way to make things work. Like that's just what I expect. good things are going to happen people are going to pay me money and i just keep looking along i don't listen to anybody talking about it how bad things are i just i'll x right out of it i turn it off i just don't care you can have that i don't want to be around that at all and that's what i like about this group is like

we get what's happening and there's people who are doing what i want to do and i just look at those people and you know it's so important to note that it's not like we ignore the fact that there's an economy right like we know that people are struggling and it is challenging it's just different so we don't ignore it we don't pretend it's not there but we focus on what we can do and the strategies we can put in

place and how we can take action in order to move the needle forward and that's where we take this like this control this responsibility like oh i'll just figure this out did it ever occur to you like to worry about the economy no i used to worry about the weather but that was done would you agree with that yeah i would never market to this area because these people don't care and they also don't treat animals like

my good clients treat animals so no no so you went outside of that about an hour closer to the city yeah same same okay uh what would you well no first question how long have you been in business it'll be eight years in september okay what would you tell just from eight years ago.

That just was a control enthusiast to the max. I have had to let go to let my business grow to where it is now. And I'm actually loving it. It's really fun.

So you don't have to do everything alone. People are good at what they're good at. And it's nice to let them show you that. So you can focus on what you're good at and what you enjoy. And it's possible.

Like it could be fun. It doesn't have to be complicated. It can be fun. but that's a lot of money to get in an hour.

I think you've done a really good job getting connected and staying connected with the wonder and awe of what you're doing. Like, how is this even a real thing that I can roll around on the ground with puppies and make $25 ,000 in one month?

Like, what? It's too easy in the best way. Like, it's so fun. It's okay. And it's okay that it's easy. I love it. Yeah. And I always say if you're not having fun,

you're missing the point. 23 % net profit from last year,

I think it'll be fine. I'm pretty sure I'll make it. I'm pretty sure you will too. What is the like as a coach inside of Elevate, you work a lot with pricing. What is one thing that you see repeatedly that you feel like,

oh, if people just understood this would make it so much easier for them. Yeah, it's like fear of charging what you need or want to charge and that It's okay that if something costs you a lower cost of goods,

that you charge what you want to make on it because the value is there. Like, the people who want that will pay for it. I struggled, like, with wanting things to be accessible.

So I left one accessible product on my price list and nobody buys it. So it's just there, like, I don't know, a buffer piece of mind. Like, if you want to pay that, that's fine, but nobody does.

And when I let go of that and I realize, like, okay, I'm going to increase. for like limited edition sessions.

I have tried studio photography and discovered I hated every minute of it. Sorry, Mara. It's just not me. I photographed in homes and in backyards and hated it and hated the images.

So I just don't do it anymore. And it's okay. If you want an in -home photographer, then you're going to have to go after because I'm not the person for you. And I'm okay with that because I don't want to be miserable.

Right. Right. I don't want to be miserable. What do you happen to remember what your pricing was when you started? When I started, and I bounced around, I was 175 session fee.

My wall art might have started at like $2 .95. I think my first three months, I made $600. You had a goal of me to make $1 ,000, and I, like, I failed. I made $600.

And then I went and I said, I have to change something. And then the following year, I started IPS and my first. No,

especially удив me it birth rise waycis rise rise idee thankow way rise birth birthffenof,

rise birth rise encour beginnings marca way senior photographer. Like,

we span all of that. What do you wish you could tell everyone in Elevate that might help them see things differently? Like, what advice would you give them? Elevate was,

like, the mindset training. I didn't know I needed. Like, I felt good on photography. That's fine. I don't even think you have to be really good at it, like, exceptional. I think you just have to do a decent job.

The business I felt good at, but I didn't realize that there are like the little mindset tweaks that were still creeping in here and there, even though I would not want to admit that I would have like a money block or a fear of this happening or something bad happening that I couldn't figure out how to handle.

And having like for training wise, like the CTFAR, I probably do twice a week at least on everything good or bad. And it can shift your perspective and thinking so quick without you having to spiral into like a frenzy and me.

minds around the thoughts we have around our business. And one of those thoughts is like nothing is working. The economy is terrible. And it just makes you feel awful. And then that leads to your actions and results.

So when just is referencing self -coaching, this is something I teach. It's like how to wrangle your brain. You know, and like get it under control. I probably run that on my brain twice a day.

Like yeah, it's good. What am I thinking that's driving those results and being Thank you. accountability having people there who are below your level above your level at your level and getting their perspective on how they would handle everything good bad confusing um it's really just the accountability i have people i can talk to every day about anything i'm struggling with or if i want to celebrate um especially

celebrations because it's not easy to find people who will not look at you like you're bragging or you're just you know you're just I think that the way we frame it is like,

you can do this too. This is what you and Jess have created both Jesses is like so inspirational, so aspirational because it's possible, right? Don't you feel like,

I feel this way? Like if I could do it, anyone could do it? Yes. Like I remember starting and Nicole was one of the people who at that time was in my area. And I'm like, well, she's doing it. What the heck i can do the same thing yeah just have to believe that you can do it and then it not having it happen just doesn't happen yeah the belief the belief is huge which is why we have entire trainings dedicated to

nothing but increasing your belief in yourself and your clients without without considering what's going on in the world or the economy and yeah we were all in Pittsburgh at that time when Nicole was still here.

And I could, when I first met her, I couldn't believe that somebody could make money photographing dogs. I was like, wait, what do you do? Yeah. It was great too because I saw that.

And then I had all these people locally that they gave me that leg up and got me started, whether it was somebody handed me an event that they were no longer going to do. And I now got connected to that community and that group of people or somebody taught me how to do pricing or how to structure a business.

It was all stuff I didn't know, but there was no like gatekeeping and secrets. Everybody was just so generous with what they taught me. I know. I love and I loved from the beginning that we created that type of community,

you and I, Nicole, together, because I think it really looks different than a lot of other communities where we're just like, you can do anything. Everything is possible. And it's okay when it doesn't work.

And it's okay when you feel like crap because we're going to come around you and support you in that failure or when you run your scientific experiments and sometimes they go great. I always say like on any given day,

I'm going to feel like a genius and like a complete idiot, like in the same day. Yep. Yeah. I just had that happen. I'm trying to outsource. I'm looking to hire a new editor and I apparently didn't know how to suddenly export a lightroom catalog that I've done 10 ,000 times.

And I'm sitting here going, I am so smart for outsourcing, look, if I'm going to provide these people with a job. And at the same time, they're probably like, I don't want to work for her. She can't even send me the files. It's fine. It's fine.

It's fine. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us for being an example of what's possible and for making this happen. I really appreciate it.