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 that allowed her to reach real profitability in her photography business. Nicole is also a brilliant educator (and teacher at our upcoming Family Photography Online Retreat), and she shares the four stages all of us as photographers go through and what we need to move forward in each stage. This episode has something for everyone. Let’s dive in! What’s in this episode: [00:00] Intro [02:27] Nicole explains her life-long love of animals [05:09] Why Nicole is a huge proponent of niching down and how niching down to pet photography elevated her own business [10:49] How Nicole prepares for her pet photography sessions and interacts with her furry friends the day of the session [16:35] How Nicole handles nervous pet owners  [20:28] The four stages of photography business that every photographer goes through  [26:09] The messaging shifts photographers need to make to move through each stage [30:29] Nicole’s lightning round, including her best business advice! Tune in to this episode to learn how niching down can help you create a thriving photography business, just like Nicole has done with pet portraits! For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/a-passion-for-pet-portraits-making-furry-friend-photography-a-profitable-business-with-nicole-begley/ Grab the replay for the 2024 Online Newborn Retreat!