BTI #283: Creating Recurring Revenue with John Warrillow
Release Date: 09/08/2021
Why Photographers Feel Invisible (And Why More Leads Won't Fix It)
Beyond the Image Podcast
You create great work. Your clients love the experience. So why does it still feel like no one knows who you are? In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick breaks down one of the biggest misconceptions photographers have about growing their business: believing that more followers, more leads, or another marketing tactic will finally make them visible. The truth is, most photographers don't have a lead problem. They have a positioning problem. You'll learn why talent alone doesn't create opportunities, how to become known for something specific, and what actually builds trust with the...
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The Most Expensive Marketing Mistake I Keep Making
Beyond the Image Podcast
What if one of the biggest wastes of money in your business isn't bad gear, a bad hire, or a failed ad campaign? In this episode, James shares one of the costliest mistakes he's made over the last 20 years: repeatedly hiring lead generation companies that promised a calendar full of qualified prospects. Instead, they delivered copy-and-paste outreach, unqualified meetings, damaged brand perception, and zero clients. You'll learn: Why automated outreach often hurts more than it helps How "guaranteed leads" can still waste your time and money The hidden cost of outsourcing your relationships...
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What to Do When a Client Cancels Your Photography Project
Beyond the Image Podcast
Every creative eventually gets the email or phone call they never want to receive: "We're going to have to cancel the project." Whether you're a photographer, videographer, designer, or creative entrepreneur, canceled projects can cost far more than just the paycheck. They cost planning time, production hours, reserved calendar space, and lost opportunities. In this episode of Beyond the Image, I share several real stories from my own business—including projects canceled just days before production—and explain how I now protect my business with stronger contracts, retainers, cancellation...
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Stop Blaming Your Gear: What Actually Makes a Professional Photographer
Beyond the Image Podcast
Most photographers overestimate the importance of gear and underestimate the importance of experience. In this episode, we break down why professionals don’t lose shots because of equipment—they lose shots because of decisions, skill gaps, or lack of clarity on what actually matters. The right gear matters only when it directly improves your work, your workflow, or your client results. Everything else is noise. Instagram: Substack: Website:
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When Should Photographers Start Charging for Their Work?
Beyond the Image Podcast
One of the biggest mistakes aspiring photographers make is believing they need "a little more" before they can start charging. More experience. More gear. More education. More portfolio work. But what if that mindset is the very thing holding you back? In this episode, James Patrick challenges the common belief that photographers need to reach some mythical level of perfection before they can monetize their work. Drawing from his own journey—from getting paid for his very first published photograph as a journalist to launching video production services decades later—James explores the...
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When Should You Refund a Client? (And When Should You Walk Away?)
Beyond the Image Podcast
Every creative entrepreneur will eventually face the uncomfortable question: Should I refund this client? In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick breaks down the only two situations where issuing a refund actually makes business sense. The first is obvious—when you've made the mistake and failed to deliver what you promised. The second is far more controversial: when dealing with a bad-faith client will cost you more in time, energy, and stress than the money is worth. Through real-world stories from more than two decades in business, James shares lessons on client accountability,...
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7 Revenue Streams Creatives Are Leaving on the Table
Beyond the Image Podcast
Too many photographers and creatives believe the only way to make more money is to raise their rates. But the reality is that many are already providing valuable services they simply aren't charging for. In this episode, I break down seven overlooked revenue opportunities that can increase profitability while delivering even more value to your clients. From equipment rental fees and digital file storage to behind-the-scenes content, additional revisions, and retouching beyond scope, these are services clients often request, expect, or benefit from, yet many creatives include them at no...
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Should Photographers Pay to Get Published?
Beyond the Image Podcast
Should photographers pay for magazine features, covers, and media placements? In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick explores the evolution of sponsored content, how pay-to-play publishing became commonplace, and why photographers need to rethink what publication actually means in today's media landscape. From the rise of sponsored content in traditional media to the explosion of niche digital publications, you'll learn the critical difference between earned media and sponsored media, how to evaluate publication opportunities as marketing investments, and why so many creatives...
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Other Photographers Are Not Your Biggest Competition
Beyond the Image Podcast
In this episode of Beyond the Image, James Patrick breaks down a growing issue within the photography industry: photographers turning overlap into warfare. After receiving messages from a photographer attempting to pull him into a dispute over a project concept, James dives into the deeper mindset driving so much of the sniping, undermining, accusations, and territorial behavior that exists within creative industries. Why do photographers become so reactive to perceived competition? Why do some creatives constantly monitor others while others stay focused on growth? And most importantly, why...
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Anonymous Job Posts Are Destroying Photography Pricing
Beyond the Image Podcast
If you’ve spent any time in photography Facebook groups, you’ve seen it. Anonymous posts asking photographers to drop their rates, share their portfolios, and compete publicly for work with almost zero project detail. And photographers… lining up to compete. In this episode, James Patrick breaks down why this system is broken, how it commoditizes creative work, and why it pushes talented photographers into a race to the bottom that nobody wins. He unpacks the hidden power imbalance behind anonymous job posts, why “just drop your rate” is a red flag for serious creative work, and what...
info_outlineIf today’s topic hasn’t been in the front of your mind over the last 18 months with everything that’s happened within our industry, it better be in the front of your mind after this episode. We are talking about the need to diversify your income sources, and more specifically, the importance and the power of leveraging recurring revenue into your business model where you are able to build, scale, and grow your business.
My guest today is the founder of The Value Builder System and best selling author or Built to Sell, John Warrillow.
IN THIS EPISODE
- The lightbulb moment when John realized the importance of creating recurring revenue in his business model.
- How John quickly grew his business and developed recurring income.
- The importance of productizing your business and incorporating a subscription model.
- Segmenting your audience.
- The Trojan Horse effect.
- Effective positions brands are taking with subscription models.
- TVR
- The reason you want to niche down and find one customer to serve.
- Packing value into the subscriptions you create.
- The 60-day window magic.
- The power of spontaneous gifts to your subscribers.
- Getting your subscriber fully integrated.
“Once somebody becomes a subscriber, they are infinitely more
likely to buy your other things.”
* Go lock in your pass NOW at FITposium.com!
Connect with John
Download FREE subscription model worksheet, learn about the drivers of value, and more at the link below!
We’ve Put Together a Collection of Useful Gifts for Listers of Beyond The Image (builttosell.com)
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For more, visit jamespatrick.com