BTI #242: The Actual Role of Marketing with Shannon Fable
Release Date: 06/02/2021
Is Adobe in Trouble? The Free AI-Powered Alternatives Challenging Creative Cloud
Beyond the Image Podcast
What if you could replace your Adobe subscription with free software that does nearly the same thing? For photographers, designers, and filmmakers, Adobe has become an essential part of doing business. Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign, and After Effects are deeply embedded in creative workflows. But after years of monthly subscription fees, cancellation frustrations, and increasing dependence on software we no longer truly own, a new wave of AI-powered development and open-source alternatives is raising some serious questions. In this episode of Beyond the Image, James...
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Glamour Photography, Consent, and the Responsibility of Direction
Beyond the Image Podcast
What happens when a photographer forgets that the person in front of the camera is a collaborator, not a prop? During a recent glamour photography workshop, someone in the chat criticized the models for not being “sexy enough,” not showing enough skin, and not smiling enough. It sparked a larger conversation about what good direction actually looks like, and where the line gets crossed. Glamour photography isn’t about imposing a photographer’s expectations onto a subject. It’s about direction, expression, body language, styling, lighting, composition, implication and collaboration....
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40 Photographers Applied to Work With Me. Here’s What Went Wrong.
Beyond the Image Podcast
I recently had about 40 people apply to work with me. Some were great. Some were fine. And some were honestly shocking. The surprising part? It wasn't necessarily about their photography. Some of the applicants were probably very talented photographers. But they didn't know how to apply for photography work. In this episode of Beyond the Image, I break down what I saw and what photographers can do differently when they're trying to get hired, assist, collaborate, or land commercial work. We talk about: Why having a great portfolio isn't enough The difference between showing your work and...
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When You Can’t Shoot: Photographer’s Income Problem
Beyond the Image Podcast
James Patrick spent six days in the hospital and suddenly faced a problem every photographer should think about: when your income depends on you physically showing up with a camera, what happens when you can't? Getting sick. Getting injured. Taking care of your kids. Your car breaking down. Taking an actual vacation. For many professional photographers, time equals money. If you're not shooting, you're not earning. And that's a dangerous business model. In this episode of Beyond the Image, James breaks down why photographers need to stop relying exclusively on trading their time for money and...
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The 7 Biggest Portrait Lighting Mistakes I See Photographers Make
Beyond the Image Podcast
Great portrait lighting isn’t about owning more lights. It’s about understanding what your light is actually doing. After photographing more than 800 magazine covers and working with photographers for years, I’ve seen the same lighting mistakes come up again and again. In this episode of Beyond the Image, I break down the 7 biggest portrait lighting mistakes I see photographers making and, more importantly, how to start thinking about lighting differently. We’ll look at mistakes like relying too heavily on the brightest part of the light, only lighting the broad side of the face,...
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Photography Copyright Explained: How to Protect Your Photos, Brand & Business | Wendy Neal, Esq.
Beyond the Image Podcast
What happens when someone uses your photograph without permission? Who actually owns the copyright? Should you register every photo you take? What happens when a client wants the RAW files? And what legal protection do you really have when another photographer, contractor, client, magazine, or business uses your work? For Episode 700 of Beyond the Image, James Patrick sits down with attorney Wendy Neal for a deep dive into copyright, trademarks, licensing, contracts, infringement, and protecting the intellectual property behind a photography business. With 27 years of legal experience spanning...
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What Photographers Get Wrong About Copyright (And How to Protect Your Work)
Beyond the Image Podcast
You created the image. You own the copyright. So what happens when someone uses your photograph without your permission? In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick breaks down one of the most overlooked parts of running a photography business: understanding and protecting your intellectual property. James explores the difference between copyright and trademark, why photographers often wait until something goes wrong to learn about their rights, what questions to ask when your work is used without permission, and why contracts, licensing, documentation, and education matter. He also...
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Not Every Client Has to Be Your Client
Beyond the Image Podcast
What do you do when a company with more than $70 billion in annual revenue asks you to work for one-tenth of your normal rate? You could try to convince them that your pricing is justified. You could explain your experience, your overhead, your equipment, your expertise and the value of the work. Or you could have a completely different conversation. In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick breaks down what happened when a major company presented him with a budget dramatically below his normal rate, and why he chose not to negotiate against himself. Instead of simply discounting his...
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I Followed Peerspace's Rules. They Flagged My Account Anyway.
Beyond the Image Podcast
What happens when you follow a platform’s rules exactly as they’re written… and still get flagged? In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick shares his recent experience with Peerspace after a potential renter tried to move a conversation off-platform. James did exactly what Peerspace’s rules require: he refused and kept the conversation on the platform. He was then flagged by Peerspace anyway. What followed raised much bigger questions about the relationship between Peerspace and the small businesses that supply its marketplace. James breaks down Peerspace’s increasingly...
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You Don't Need More Leads, You Need This Instead
Beyond the Image Podcast
If your answer to every slow season is, "I just need more leads," this episode is for you. The truth is, most photographers don't have a lead problem—they have a client journey problem. In this solo episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick breaks down why chasing more inquiries isn't the answer and why building a complete marketing journey is what creates consistent, predictable business growth. You'll learn: Why more leads won't fix a broken marketing process The client journey every photographer should be intentionally designing Why marketing is more than social media How to stop...
info_outlineWe have a special episode for you today. As we were going back through our archives, I found this interview with Shannon Fable back in 2019 for a separate podcast that I used to run called the FITposium podcast. As I was re-listening to this interview, I realized this was such an in depth, powerful interview about marketing and how we chose to market our brand and services, I knew I needed to share this with you. So, let’s dive in.
Shannon Fable is a fitness business consultant and serves as chair of the board for American Council on Exercise’s (ACE). Shannon focuses on business development with fitness brands; she helps them dig into where they want to go, who they think their target market is, and help them develop a strategic plan on how to get there.
IN THIS EPISODE
- How the fitness and health industry has changed in the last 3-5 years.
- The importance of working from an abundance mentality in this industry.
- Earning the attention of the audience you’re trying to connect with correctly.
- Realizing that marketing doesn’t get you clients, it gets you awareness.
- Why having patience in the sales cycle is key.
“When their (the customer’s) level of trust lines up with the value they’re putting on what you’re doing, then they will buy.”
- Not being afraid to give, give, give, and give in order to build relationships.
- Why content marketing is crucial.
- To stop selling out of your own pocket.
- What to do differently when price is an objection.
- Why you need to set up a business and offer a variety of services/products.
- The 3 things you can always monetize:
- A digital product for passive income
- A group product
- A one-on-one coaching product
- Are you a freelancer or an entrepreneur?
- How and why you need to get really clear about what you want.
“If you’re not willing to give away your information without fear that giving it away will steal from your potential to monetize what you know, you are not going to make it in this business because people can get that information somewhere else.”
Connect with Shannon:
Website: www.shannonfable.com/
Instagram: @sfable
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