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
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
info_outlineFeeling like a ping pong ball bouncing between tasks all day? Constantly switching from editing to emails to client calls and ending up mentally exhausted with nothing meaningful accomplished?
We've been there. That scattered, overwhelmed feeling where you're busy all day but can't point to what you actually got done. The research backs it up too - every time we switch from task to task, we waste time and mental energy.
As military spouses who've moved our photography businesses multiple times, we've learned that protecting our mental energy isn't just nice to have - it's essential for survival. Between client work, family life, and the chaos of military moves, we had to figure out systems that actually work.
What You'll Learn:
- Why task-switching is draining your brain and costing you precious time
- How to batch similar tasks together for maximum efficiency (like recording 5-6 videos in the same sweater!)
- The exact scheduling boundaries we use - including "No Meeting Mondays" and "Free Fridays"
- How limiting client calls to specific days actually improved our client service
- Why blocking your kids' school days off immediately is non-negotiable
- The $39 one-time purchase tool that beats Calendly's monthly subscription
- Military spouse pro tip: How to block an entire year's worth of holidays using your spouse's Liberty schedule
- The mindset shift that helped us earn full-time income while working part-time hours
Key Takeaways:
- "There's plenty of research to show that we waste a lot of time when we switch from task to task. So if you can time block and do batch create content or batch edit, then you're saving yourself a lot of time and again, mental fatigue."
- "I only do client calls Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between twelve and two... I was doing them every single day, and I just was like, I cannot waste more time."
- "Friday and Monday are completely blocked off on my calendar. So I only do meetings Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday."
- "I am making a very good amount of money for what I am doing - part time work but it is a full time income."
- "The first thing I do when I get the school calendar is I immediately go into my work calendar and I block off any days the kids are off school. Every single one of them."
Resources Mentioned:
- Calendly (free version available)
- TidyCal ($39 one-time purchase)
- Tave scheduling feature
- HoneyBook
- Google Calendar
- Google Calendar tasks for recurring reminders
Your Next Steps:
-Work with Melissa: https://pictureperfectrankings.com -SEO Self Audit Checklist: https://pictureperfectrankings.myflodesk.com/self-seo-audit -35+ Blog Post Topics for Photographers: https://pictureperfectrankings.com/35-blog-post-ideas -Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/pictureperfectrankings
-Work with Alison: https://alisonbellphotographer.com/how-to-move-your-business -Free Moving Checklist: https://alisonbell.myflodesk.com/checklist -Marketing Funnel Basics: https://alisonbell.myflodesk.com/funnel -Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/alisonbellphotog