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64: The Real Reason Photographers Avoid Their Books (It's Not Math)

Keep It Moving

Release Date: 06/23/2025

BONUS: A Chat with Sabrina Gebhardt show art BONUS: A Chat with Sabrina Gebhardt

Keep It Moving

This episode is a re-share of an interview we did with Sabrina on her podcast, Shoot It Straight. Sabrina is a fellow photographer and business educator. We talk a lot about navigation transitions in photography and in business. Its that "messy middle." Enjoy this bonus episode and as always, let us know what you think on the Gram.    Links: or Get Melissa’s Free Find Alison on IG Find Melissa on IG  

info_outline 79: Mini Mentoring with Kristina Graff in Washington show art 79: Mini Mentoring with Kristina Graff in Washington

Keep It Moving

We're looking for photographers to be featured on future Mini Mentoring episodes! Mini Mentoring is a series where Alison & Melissa get the low down on a real life business owner in need of more business. Whether that’s because they’ve relocated, or pivoted niches we’re walking through their business can giving them our recommendations to keep it moving. Kristina Graff moved from New Mexico to Washington state two years ago - talk about a change of scenery! She's gone from fully booked in NM to struggling to fill short sessions in WA. She's a senior and family photographer...

info_outline BONUS: Alison's Interview on Conversations with a Hostess to Build Community show art BONUS: Alison's Interview on Conversations with a Hostess to Build Community

Keep It Moving

This is not a normal business episode. It may seem like left field for our norm, but in that waiting period of re-establishing yourself, your business, or niche, you need to live your life.  Amy's podcast, is all about building community wherever you are through hosting. We discuss everything from Alison's personal background on holiday hosting to super easy, no-planning parties with the neighbors.  On this episode we chat: How to include your kids in party prep Small party ideas to meet your neighbors How moving challenges our holiday events Adapting to new communities  Amy...

info_outline 78: Photography Marketing Systems with Dolly Delong show art 78: Photography Marketing Systems with Dolly Delong

Keep It Moving

We're diving deep with Dolly DeLong, a family photographer and systems guru who learned how to scale her business while juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship. Dolly shares the exact frameworks and strategies that helped her build a thriving photography business without sacrificing her sanity—and she's breaking down how photography business systems can transform how you manage clients, marketing, and everything in between. On this episode: How to build backend systems, SOPs, and workflows that actually work for family photographers The PIGGFEL framework for strategic marketing and...

info_outline 77: SEO For Photographers: Get Found & Booked show art 77: SEO For Photographers: Get Found & Booked

Keep It Moving

We're breaking down SEO for photographers in plain English to show you why it matters so much for your business—because the people finding you through search spend the most money and book the easiest. On this episode: How to choose the right keywords your ideal clients are actually searching for Optimizing your homepage to clearly answer who you are, what you do, and where you serve Setting up Google Search Console and image SEO to drive consistent traffic Episodes from the show:   Tired of being invisible on Google? Learn the 5 SEO mistakes keeping photographers...

info_outline Replay: Best Photography Business Books on Audible show art Replay: Best Photography Business Books on Audible

Keep It Moving

We're sharing our favorite business books to read during your holiday travels—the ones that actually changed how we run our photography businesses. Whether you're relocating, restructuring, or ready to scale, these books tackle pricing, marketing, niching, and making money as a photographer. On this episode: Website tools and platforms that make updates easy without hiring a designer Five must-read business books every photographer entrepreneur should read How to pick just one actionable idea from each book to implement immediately Top 5 Business Books for Photographers by Donald...

info_outline 76: Email Marketing for Photographers: Getting Out Of The Spam Folder show art 76: Email Marketing for Photographers: Getting Out Of The Spam Folder

Keep It Moving

We're diving into the technical side of email marketing today because what's the point of crafting the perfect marketing email if it never actually reaches your clients? Let's talk about sender reputation, engagement strategies, and how to make sure your mini session announcements don't end up in digital purgatory. On this episode: Setting up email authentication and building sender reputation Warming up your email list with engaged subscribers Creating a consistent email schedule year-round   Tired of being invisible on Google? Learn the 5 SEO mistakes keeping photographers from...

info_outline 75: Quarter 4 Confessions: The Goals We Forgot We Set show art 75: Quarter 4 Confessions: The Goals We Forgot We Set

Keep It Moving

We're back with another quarterly check-in where we're sharing what's working, what we've let go, and how we're pivoting our businesses as we head into the new year. Spoiler: sometimes the best business move is knowing what not to do anymore. On this episode: Hiring support and building systems Letting go of offers that no longer serve you Shifting focus from revenue goals to profit Podcast - on - Use code ALISONBELL to get  your first whole week FREE.    Tired of being invisible on Google? Learn the 5 SEO mistakes keeping photographers from getting found (and how to fix...

info_outline 74: Mini Mentoring with Mollie S Moving from Texas to Florida show art 74: Mini Mentoring with Mollie S Moving from Texas to Florida

Keep It Moving

We're looking for photographers to be featured on future Mini Mentoring episodes!   Mini Mentoring is a series where Alison & Melissa get the low down on a real life business owner in need of more business. Whether that’s because they’ve relocated, or pivoted niches we’re walking through their business can giving them our recommendations to keep it moving. Mollie Salazar is a wedding and family photographer moving from Texas to Florida and she’s got tons of lead time! The stressor is that Mollie is the primary breadwinner for her family of 4 - including some expensive...

info_outline 73: Why I Finally Hired a Coach (And You Should too!) show art 73: Why I Finally Hired a Coach (And You Should too!)

Keep It Moving

We're getting real about why knowledge isn't enough and how accountability changes everything. Alison shares her personal experience hiring a nutritional coach—and the powerful parallels it revealed about what we actually need to move our businesses forward. On this episode: Why you already know enough (but still aren't getting results) The real value of coaching: accountability and application Calculating the cost of not investing in yourself Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start implementing? Melissa has resources to help you create content that attracts your ideal clients—check...

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More Episodes

Y'all, can we talk about the elephant in the room? That pile of receipts sitting on your desk, the QuickBooks notifications you've been ignoring for months, and that sinking feeling every time tax season rolls around? Yeah, we're going there today.

This week, we're bringing you Melissa's actual bookkeeper, Jenny Vazquez from Foxtrot Bookkeeping, to spill ALL the tea about why photographers need to stop DIYing their books and start treating their finances like the business asset they are.

"I just think putting negative energy towards your money is never good... when you're working on your money or looking at your money, you want it to be positive." - Jenny

What You'll Learn:

  • The #1 reason photographers should outsource their bookkeeping (hint: it's not what you think)
  • How often you should actually be updating your books (Jenny's answer might surprise you)
  • The most common bookkeeping mistakes photographers make and how to avoid them
  • Why using your personal Venmo for business expenses isn't the end of the world (but here's how to fix it)
  • The difference between working with an independent bookkeeper vs. your CPA's bookkeeping service
  • When to make the leap from spreadsheets to QuickBooks (and why you probably should have done it already)
  • Smart receipt organization systems that will save you during an audit
  • How proper bookkeeping can actually help you make better business decisions throughout the year

Bonus Gold Nuggets:

💎 The Gmail Receipt Hack: Create a new email folder each January (like "2025 Receipts") and set up automation to tag PayPal receipts. Just drag and drop receipts throughout the year for instant organization.

💎 The B&H Photo Strategy: Buy all your camera gear from one retailer so you can log into your account years later and pull all purchase history for depreciation tracking.

💎 The Weekly 10-Minute Rule: Jenny's ideal schedule is just 10-15 minutes weekly to review transactions while they're fresh in your memory.

💎 The Venmo Mix-Up Fix: Accidentally paid a contractor from personal Venmo instead of business? Just email your bookkeeper the receipt - they'll handle the reconciliation magic.

💎 The Subscription Audit: Ask your bookkeeper for a list of all your monthly subscriptions. You might be shocked at what you're paying for and forgot to cancel.

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