#123: Hear from my Real Client! Why Your Brand Sessions Need Strategy
Take It Personally
Cassie Beech, owner of Made with Grace and Grit, is a brand photography client of mine and joined me for a conversation about the significance of brand photography in business. Cassie shares her initial struggles with DIY brand content and the transformation after adopting a strategic approach to brand photography, which includes collaboration and planning, professional hair and makeup, and selecting optimal locations. We delve into how strategic, professional brand photos can boost business image, attract the ideal clients, and provide a bank of quality content for various marketing needs....
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#122: How Rachael Transformed Her Brand Session Experience
Take It Personally
Rachel, of Rhody Ray, shares her journey from having a scattered approach to photography to niching down and strategizing her brand photography business. Through the Build a Strategic Brand Session training and Rebrand coaching, Rachel was able to have a plan to transition from wedding photography to brand photography, while keeping her clients top of mind. Rachel discusses the challenges of shifting her brand's focus, the importance of strategic planning and client questionnaires, and how pitching to potential clients has enhanced her business and confidence. Her experience with returning...
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#121: The One Thing You Need to Sell Out Your Mini Sessions
Take It Personally
So often I hear from other photographers that their mini sessions were a failure. When asking them about it, they share they only promoted it a few times but because no one was booking, they stopped sharing about it. This mistake of essentially quitting before starting is something I commonly see with mini sessions. The only way to fill your mini sessions though is to talk about them! Many photographers get really in their head about marketing their mini sessions, but their mindset around it is so important, which is the topic of this episode. Any time you are struggling to market your mini...
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#120: How Sean Booked 30 Mini Sessions as a New Photographer
Take It Personally
In this episode of Take It Personally, Sean, owner of Unique Unicorn Photography, shares his transformative experience with the . Initially struggling to attract clients after deciding to fully commit to their photography business, Sean and his wife discovered mini sessions as a strategic entry point for client acquisition. The episode delves into how this approach not only built their portfolio rapidly but also significantly increased their client base by booking 30 families during a single weekend. Sean discusses the importance of marketing, branding consistency, and the value of community...
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#119: How I Consistently Have High-4-Figure Mini Session Days
Take It Personally
In this episode, I share my successful strategy for conducting high-4-figure mini session days! Since starting mini sessions in 2020, I have seen significant revenue growth and average $7,000 on these mini session days. I'll be sharing an overview of the simple strategy I have in my business that allows me to accomplish this. Here are the main highlights from this episode: 00:52 My Mini Session Journey: From Start to Success 01:58 Strategic Insights: Transforming Mini Sessions into Brand Builders 03:29 Yearly Growth: A Deep Dive into My Mini Session Evolution 05:55 Maximizing Profits with...
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#118: Do I Really Need an Email List as a Local Business?
Take It Personally
The topic of email marketing seems to be coming up more and more both inside of , my group coaching program, and just in general. When I am talking to other creatives, it's always things like, "Do I really need an email list? Should I start using email as opposed to social media?" I've utilized email marketing in my business and am a huge believer in it. But I personally have a few issues with how email is being sold to a lot of creative entrepreneurs, specifically local service providers, like photographers who serve a local market. If that is you and you've had related questions about...
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#117: Leveraging AI in your Photo Business with Tech Savvy Creative
Take It Personally
Dawn is a former software engineer, turned wedding photographer, who pivoted back to technology to assist creatives in overcoming their intimidation with tech. Dawn is currently juggling roles as a Product Marketing Manager at Flodesk and running Tech Savvy Creative. In this episode, she shares her journey and the importance of integrating technology into creative professions. Topics we discuss in this episode are the transformative power of AI in photography, tools like ChatGPT for content creation, highlighting how AI tools can significantly save time and enhance productivity, and tools for...
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#116: How I'd Handle Business Money Differently If I Were Starting Over with Gina Knox
Take It Personally
One of my goals at the beginning of 2024 was to act like a grown up when it comes to my finances, and I have to say, I'm killing it so far–and that is in huge part to the program 6 Figure Saver. I'm thrilled to have Gina Knox, the financial coach behind 6 Figure Saver, on the podcast today. Gina is known in her circle as Money's Mom, and helps entrepreneurs with variable income save six figures in their businesses. In under three months, I've saved just shy of $40,000 in this program without cutting expenses or strict budgeting. Instead, Gina emphasizes the significance of spending on the...
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#115: Using Blogging to Connect with Ideal Clients with Kate Wark
Take It Personally
Kate has been on the podcast before talking about , and I love what Kate is doing with her business. Her photography business sort of started “accidentally” and after working together in , she was able to drop down to part-time in her 9-5 to be able to spend more time on her photography business. Alongside taking brand photos, Kate also helps clients with copywriting! She took her PR skills to be able to grow another arm in her business where she offers blogging services to creatives. Visuals are a huge part of personal branding, but messaging is so important too. Kate is sharing tips...
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#114: Why Personal Branding is CRUCIAL as a Photographer
Take It Personally
I did my annual mini session day in January, and I had multiple photographers be a part of it. They admitted to me they felt uncomfortable on the other side of the camera. It essentially allowed them to have more empathy for their clients because they can understand how it feels being in front of the camera during a branding session. I think this is a crucial part of building a personal brand and specifically as a brand photographer. You can tell your clients everything about how branding photos are important and how people will connect with photos of themselves more and they can help them...
info_outlineI’m sitting down with another business owner for this episode, Jeremy Brech, to discuss what this unique, and possibly difficult, time can mean for your business or businesses in general. I know we are all hoping to make it through with our sanity, but ultimately with our business still intact.
There are so many unknowns, and emotions are all over. And that’s okay. This situation is not normal or ideal, but I have found talking with other business owners or people who are experiencing the same thing to be helpful.
And that’s what this conversation is today. Jeremy Brech is with DJ Jer Events and Lighting Design. He is an incredible business owner in the Sioux Falls area. He is known nationwide for his DJ skills, along with lighting and design and other business aspects. Jeremy has been in business for 24 years, and he has so much value and insight to offer.
Here’s a look at some of the things I discuss with Jeremy:
- Why he loves Sioux Falls and believes the strong economy has helped when hardships or recessions have hit.
- How making good financial decisions early on in his marriage and for his business helped put him in a comfortable position to be “recession-ready” (and he highly recommends Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University).
- Managing your money is important, but you also need to manage your time. This “extra” time is your opportunity to work on your business, which will help put you in a better position for the future.
- Prioritize family time too, and support locally if possible (i.e.: take out food, purchase gift cards, etc.).
- Jeremy shares how he and his team are specifically helping their clients out and supporting others right now.
- Info on the small business stimulus.
- Thank your community and those still supporting you, and support them back. It’s not a marketing strategy, it’s caring for other people.
A few highlights from this episode:
[10:22] Look to see how you can help other people – in your market, in your industry. Be the person to help somebody out if they are in need.
[17:15] It’s not so much about financial gratification, it’s more about the gratification of knowing that you can make an impact, especially in times like this.
[27:21] Reach out to those businesses who have been there for you. Reach out to those clients that have allowed your business to be a business or survive. Send them a thank you, and check in to see how they are doing. Every type of hope that we can get is exactly what we need.
Thank you to Jeremy for joining me today! It was a great reminder to take time to prepare your business for the future and ultimately, to do more outside of it to support each other through this time. You can connect with Jeremy on his website here.
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