When it comes to building a photography business, you need a camera, some clients, and a little bit of hustle, and you’re good, right?Well, while you do need all those things, Kristina Mack would argue that you need one more essential piece: your business fundamentals. Planning your workflows, creating detailed and well-crafted experiences for your clients (even if you have a basic budget), and understanding how to price for profitability can make or break your business.So today, Kristina is ...

If I can be frank for a moment: as creatives, we sometimes get too precious about our process of creating art. We need the right conditions, the best lighting, the perfect mindset, or else we feel like we can’t create because it might not be perfect or even good.The problem is, we can get so hung up on this that we never end up creating at all as we wait for all the stars to align. So in this episode, I’m sharing how I’ve started letting go of this ideal standard of creativity to just get bac...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I wish I could have a luxury brand, but…”Well today, Lindsay Walden is here to address those “but”s. Because you’re probably not lacking talent or clientele or even location, the first thing you need to address is your trepidation. When it comes to luxury, confidence and willingness to step into the space in the first place is what keeps most photographers on the outside.In this episode, Lisa chats with Lindsay all about her workflow for luxury clients...

We all have thought patterns we fall into from time to time. Things like self-doubt, procrastination, perfection are all classics for many creatives. One might say we even indulge–or over-indulge–in some of these emotions to our own detriment.Because while we can’t prevent ourselves from feeling the whispers of these emotions, letting them linger too long ultimately hurts our energy and creativity.So in this episode, Lisa is sharing how she’s learned to break free from indulging in negative e...

Between the two of them, Jenny and Allison have decades of experience as luxury photographers. And this year, after being friends and colleagues for much of that time, they’ve finally launched a brand new program together to empower photographers to take control of the business side of their work.In this episode, Lisa sits down with Jenny and Allison to chat all about what exactly The Profitable Portrait Society is, some of the biggest hurdles they see photographers face over and over again, ...

Baking often gets described as a science instead of an art, which might be true to some degree… But while we can get a recipe from someone else, we still have to adjust to the unique environment we’re working in, whether it’s dry, humid, using different brands of flour, etc. We have to experiment and test and trial it until we find the recipe that works best for our own environment.And it’s not just baking that’s subject to this. As it turns out, creative success works pretty much the same wa...

When it comes to sharing her love of art, color, photography, and business, Kellee Wynne isn’t shy. But that openness and willingness to say what’s on her mind didn’t always feel like a good thing when she was growing up. Instead, it’s been a skill she’s spent more than a decade refining and cultivating through her various business ventures as an artist, author, business mentor, and podcaster.In this episode, Kellee and I chat all about sharing knowledge and cultivating a community online. We...

The age of AI is here… and that’s not a comforting realization for many of us working in the creative field. But the technology isn’t going away, so what if we could use AI tools to elevate our work, instead of replacing us?That’s the future Justin Benson and the team at Aftershoot have in mind for AI in the photography field. In today’s episode, Justin shares just what Aftershoot is, why it can be a game-changing assistive technology for photographers, and how he hopes the creative world wil...

Before Valerie Eidson found photography, she tried every other creative field first. Eventually, she found herself behind a camera with a new problem: how to learn and develop her own voice and style.In today’s episode, Valerie and I sit down to chat about the key decisions that helped her create her own unique perspective when it comes to her photography. She shares her best advice for other photographers just starting out (spoiler: you just have to keep shooting), and how she navigates the ...

While artistic interest runs in Anna Kruse’s family, she didn’t immediately take an interest in photography. In fact, she didn’t even begin photography until she became a mother, but it wasn’t until the loss of her father that she finally decided to make photography into her career, after truly understanding the gift of captured memories. In today’s episode, Anna vulnerably shares her story of love, loss, and passing her family’s artistic legacy to another generation. She explains what p...

When it comes to motherhood and business, there is no perfect balance. In some seasons, one takes precedence over the other… and that’s okay! Finding success in both requires holding space and giving ourselves grace when both parts of our life feel less than harmonious. In this episode, family photographer Aspen Dawn shares how exactly she goes about navigating the ebb and flow of motherhood and her photography business. She shares the mental health struggles she’s faced and the ways she...

Sandy beaches, wind and waves, and small children everywhere… sounds like a recipe for chaos when it comes to a photoshoot, right? Well, to be honest, it is! And that’s okay with Kristen Coberly. In this episode, Kristen shares how she’s learned to embrace the chaos of photographing large families by planning for multiple outcomes, going with the flow, and learning to turn toddler meltdowns into memorable keepsakes. She shares her very best tips for photographing big families, including ...

For Liz Devinny, photography isn’t her only interest. In fact, her passion for art and education (she’s a middle school and high school teacher!) led her into her photography career. Along the way, she’s developed her own playful, bright style by experimenting with color and using her teaching experiences to set all of the family members at her photo shoots at ease.In this episode, Liz shares how she got started in photography, how she created her signature style and encourages her students t...

Iwona Podlasinska started her career as an architect, but once she became a mother, she discovered her newest inspiration: her children. That prompted her to pivot into the world of photography, and she’s been honing her creative craft ever since!In today’s episode, Iwona and I chat about her incredible career as she’s focused on fine art children’s portraiture and educating other photographers. We dive into how she’s developed her own eye-catching style, how she thinks about composition, and...

Nicole didn’t start her career as a photographer. She just had a love for animals and knew she wanted to work with them forever! When she finally did pick up a camera, it took her a few years before she niched down to just pet portraits, but since then, she’s created a thriving, profitable business doing just that! In this episode, I chat with guest Nicole Begley on what got her into photography, why niching down was a scary, but necessary, choice for her business, and the mindset changes...

As creatives, the legal side of running a business can be really intimidating for us. What protection do we need? Can we just use a contract from the internet? What do we do when someone steals our photographs?! Well, in today’s episode, I’m chatting with Kiffanie Stahle to answer all your burning legal questions and hopefully ease some of your fears around the legal process! Kiffanie is so gracious and takes her time explaining exactly what we need to know about contracts, copyrights,...

As photographers, we’d love to spend all of our time just photographing and working with our clients. Unfortunately, in 2024, it takes a little more than that to attract new clients to your business, but cultivating a successful marketing mindset doesn’t always feel intuitive to creatives. So in today’s episode, I’m talking to Carolina Guzik, expert photographer, host of the TOG Republic podcast and marketing genius, to discuss the way she successfully markets her own business. We cover so...

Everywhere you look on the internet, you can find pricing guides, information, and others talking about the revenue their businesses generate. And that’s all fine and good, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter when it comes to your individual business. What really matters is whether or not you’re pricing for profit in your business. But “what about industry rates?” you may ask. Well, in today’s episode, my guest Jamie Devlin is here to remind us why we need to keep our eyes on...

If you’re alive in 2024, I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of overwhelm. It’s so common, little space robots on Mars are even feeling it (not a joke, this literally happened!) In fact, these feelings of overwhelm can be so powerful, that they paralyze us from getting anything done at all! But with distractions, options, and ideas everywhere these days, how do we manage and cope with being overwhelmed? Well, in today’s episode, Lisa is going to lay out a tried and true system for...

Does it ever feel like you’re working around the clock but still can’t seem to get anything done? There’s a common misconception that the more we work, the more productive and successful we’re going to be. But that’s simply not true! In today’s episode, I’m interviewing Brittnie Renee, a professional family photographer and educator who helps her students leverage systems and intentional time blocking to streamline their businesses and optimize productivity in 15 hours per week or less! We...

Does your photography business ever feel like it’s just too “heavy” to maintain? Is your messaging lacking a clear strategy that sets you apart from the competition? Are you struggling to attract your ideal clients on a consistent basis? In today’s episode, I’m interviewing Sean Brown, a professional senior photographer and educator who has mastered the systems, strategy, and authenticity required to launch a successful photography business.  We cover so many important points from taking a...

When you’re a photographer, you learn that no session is quite the same as the last! That’s especially true when working with children and, in particular, children who are neurodivergent. So what can you do during those sessions to ensure your studio is a safe and inclusive environment for everyone? This guest has the answer! In today’s episode, I’m interviewing Stacey Feasel, a professional family photographer and parent of a neurodivergent child herself. You’ll hear how her own experience...

As photographers, many of us are guilty of spending thousands of dollars on equipment, gowns, and props that, at the surface, seem to offer endless variety. But are these things really what drive creativity? Could there be a better investment of your time and resources than the latest trend? In today’s episode, I’m interviewing Esther Kay, a professional maternity photographer and educator who believes that lifetime learning is the best investment you can make in your business. You’ll hear...

Preschool aged children are such a fun group to photograph! Just ask Trina Julius, a professional preschool photographer of 10 years who has photographed thousands of 4 to 5-year-olds over the course of her career. In today’s episode, Trina shares how she discovered her passion for preschool photography and what she loves most about working with this endearing age group where every day is as unique as her subjects. From strategies for working with different personalities to overcoming...