The Six Figure Photography Podcast With Ben Hartley: Photography Marketing | Improve Photography | Sprouting Photographer

Last week I was doing a shoot in Portland, OR and had the opportunity to stop by the Fundy Software offices to sit down with its founder, Andrew Funderburg. If you've been a listener of the podcast for a while, you have no doubt heard me talk about Fundy Designer. It changed everything for me and my business. That's why I'm so excited to be doing this episode with Andrew. Andrew is a true industry leader and is on a mission to help people preserve and tell their stories through print. In this episode we explore the importance of print and why photographers NEED to be offering it to their clients as well as provide strategies on how to do that.     Resources Mentioned Download Every Facebook Photo You Have Fundy Designer  

"Knowing where the trap is -- that's the first step in evading it." ― Frank Herbert, Dune Today's episode is a personal one as I take a look back at the evolution of my photography business and all the mistakes I made along the way. I'll be covering my top 8 biggest business blunders in the hopes that you'll learn from my missteps.     Resources Mentioned Kimberly Houston Episode Google Voice Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlight Magmod Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

Your website is often the first touch point your potential clients have with your brand. Having a website that properly represents YOUR brand and the message you want to communicate is essential to attracting the types of clients you want and repelling the ones you don't. That's why I invited Jennifer Olmstead and Jeffrey Shipley from Tonic on the podcast today. Tonic helps photographers creates websites that convey their brand's personality and potential. They do this through their beautiful cocktail inspired designs that have been used by some of the top photographers in the industry. In this episode, I talk with Jen and Jeff about their design philosophy and what it takes to create a successful website. What You'll Learn * The critical component that all great websites have in common (most people get this wrong) * The 3 step framework Jen uses to maximize user experience * Why you shouldn't always put your favorite images on your website   *BONUS. Tonic loves you guys. Enter SIXFIGURE at checkout for 15% off any of their designs. Resources Mentioned Tonic Justin and Mary Photography Start With Why - Simon Sinek TED talk Showit Michael and Carina Photography Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

In my first year of business, I decided to handle my own taxes. I didn't make that much money from photography that year and I told myself that I couldn't "afford" an accountant. This was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made and trust me when I say I paid for it later. Tax season is one of the most stressful times of the year, which is why I'm excited to have Trevor Mckendrick on the show today. Trevor has a masters in accounting and is a successful entrepreneur having just sold his tech startup for over $500,000 after scaling it to a 1,000,000+ users. In today's episode, we cover everything a photographer needs to know about accounting and taxes. What You'll Learn * When the right time to incorporate your photography business is * Where to find an accountant you can trust * The 3 questions you should ask an accountant before you hire them * The little-known trick Trevor recommends to save on self-employment tax * How to outsource your accounting inexpensively * The best practice you should be using to make your accountant's life easier (and your bill cheaper)   Resources Mentioned Legal Zoom Jared Bauman of ShootDotEdit Interview Thumbstack Breanna McKendrick Photography Trevor McKendricks's Website 15 Frequent Tax Mistakes Made By Freelancers Accounting Course For Entrepreneurs And Freelancers Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

Have you ever finished your work day and feel like you didn't accomplish anything important? You know you did work, but it doesn't feel like you made any progress towards your true goals. Today's guest puts it best when he says, "Don't mistake motion for progress, a rocking horse can be in motion all day long but a rocking horse doesn't move anywhere." Who is this wise mystery man? Bryan Caporicci from Sprouting Photographer! Bryan is a veteran in the wedding photography industry and hosts his own podcast called Sprouting Photographer, which was named one of the Best of iTunes by Apple in 2014. He's been a speaker at conferences like WPPI, Shutterfest, and the Canada Photo Convention. Recently he launched his own studio software to help photographers improve their workflows and take back some of their time. In today's episode, we get into what it means to be busy and how photographers should be managing their time to reach their goals. What You'll Learn * What the "lie of busy is" * Why Bryan is on a mission to redefine busy * The 3 most important areas photographers should put their time for maximum growth * Why you need to be aware of the "false rush" * The "vacation method" Bryan uses to determine what's important (and what isn't)   Resources Mentioned Sprouting Photographer Sprout Studio SFPP 09: Becoming CEO Of Your Photography Business With Heidi Thompson Rescue Time ShootDotEdit SFPP 01: How To Create Persuasive Website Copy With Kimberly Houston Redefine Busy Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

One of the best ways to differentiate yourself in your market is by mastering off-camera flash. It sets your work apart from your competition and allows you to charge premium prices. That's why I invited Zach Gray on this week's show. Zach Gray needs no introduction. In the wedding photography world, you'd be hard pressed to find a photographer more knowledgeable about off-camera flash than Zach. He's a member of the exclusive Sandisk extreme team, has personally instructed over 1200+ photographers through his live workshops, been a regular on CreativeLive, is one of Wescott's top endorsed pros and his work has been featured everywhere from People Magazine to Rangefinder. In this episode of the SFP podcast, we'll be discussing how to actually go about learning off-camera flash as well as a ton of other valuable advice from one of the best wedding photographers in the world. What You'll Learn * Why it's not enough to be a natural light photographer * How to set up off-camera lighting in a time crunch (i.e receptions) * What the "experience" based economy is * The "marketing machine" Zach uses to get clients * The #1 piece of gear Zach thinks is undervalued * The lighting system that gets him world class results   Resources Mentioned Zach and Jody's Website Inverse Square Law Example Cheetah Stand Westcott Rapid Box Canon 600 EX-RT Speedlight Love Is The Killer App by Tim Sanders Luke and Cat Podcast Interview Profoto B1 Vagabond Mini Elinchrom Ranger Quadra Westcott Rapid Box Octa XL Westcott Rapid Box Octa XXL Sekonic L-358 Flash Master Light Meter Sekonic L-478D LiteMaster Pro Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill The Off-Camera Lighting Portrait System Zach and Jody Client Questionnaire Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

Managing money as a photographer can be challenging, especially if you do weddings which is very seasonal. That's why I brought Carrie Smith on the show today. Carrie is a financial coach, writer, and the founder of Careful Cents. After paying off all her debts in 2012, she quit her full-time accounting job a year later to pursue entrepreneurship and blogging. Her advice has been featured on The Huffington Post, Glamour magazine, Lifehacker, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and many more. In this episode of the SFP podcast we'll be discussing how to manage an irregular income as well as how to establish a relationship with your client upfront so getting paid never becomes an issue. What You'll Learn * The #1 thing that you MUST do to make working with clients less stressful * How to handle off season income * The downside of becoming friends with your clients (and the BRILLIANT trick you can use to bring up uncomfortable topics i.e MONEY with them) * What a "Money Day" is and why you NEED to set one up with yourself   Resources Mentioned Careful Cents Photography Pricing Calculator Fresh Books Virtual Staff Finder Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

On the show today is Josh Withers! Josh is a wedding celebrant from Australia who's been featured on The Today Show, ABC, and dozens of other wedding related outlets. Why would I bring a wedding celebrant on a photography podcast you ask? Josh is truly passionate about weddings and creating an amazing experience for couples. He also has a unique perspective on competition and how to deal this new folks who enter the industry that I think is refreshing and worth sharing. We'll be discussing what to do when competitors start to infringe on your turf and why you should be embracing your competition. What You'll Learn * Why being in a crowded market is actually a GOOD sign * Why comparison is the thief of joy * How to move past a scarcity mindset   Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

Do you ever look at the sheer volume of photos that need to be edited after a wedding and cringe? For a long time that was me. Editing was taking up all of my time and I was left with no time to actually GROW my business. Something had to change. I resisted outsourcing my photo editing for a long time because I thought I would be losing creative control of my photos and that this is what my clients were paying me for. When I finally let go and handed my images over to an editor it was one of the best business decisions I ever made. That's why I brought Jared Bauman on the SFP podcast today. Jared Bauman is a Co-Founder and President of ShootDotEdit, one of the most well known post processing partners for wedding professionals. Some of the biggest names in the photography industry trust ShootDotEdit with their images and Jared is one of the premiere experts on photography outsourcing. Prior to ShootDotEdit, Jared was a professional photographer and ran a successful customer focused photography studio based out of his hometown, San Diego California. We'll be discussing the pros and cons of outsourcing your editing as well as other tips to save time so you can do more meaningful work. What You'll Learn * Why photographers were never meant to be editors * How to afford outsourcing your editing * How to outsource your editing AND keep creative control * When it's time to start outsourcing your editing * How ShootDotEdit keeps your photography consistent between weddings * Why it's important to LIMIT the amount of photos your give your clients   Resources Mentioned ShootDotEdit Foto Skribe The E-Myth Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

Legal protection is NOT one of the more sexy topics to cover like attracting customers or maximizing profits, but it's one of the most critical. That's why I brought Rachel Brenke on the show today. Better known as The Law Tog, Rachel is the foremost leader in helping photographers protect their businesses. She's been featured on CreativeLive, WPPI, PPA, and just about every other major publication not only because she is a expert in her field - but also because she's able to take a dry subject (like the law) and make it easy to understand and approachable. In this episode Rachel provides a fantastic overview of what you should be doing to protect your business as well as a ton of other actionable advice. What You'll Learn * Why investing in your protecting your business is so important * Why your contract is your "No Man" * What the "Legal Trinity" is and how to make sure you're protected * When you realistically need to start thinking about legal protection   Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

One of my favorite quotes is "What got you here won't get you there." In order to take your business to the next level you need to change your strategies as well as your mindset. You need to go from being a photographer, to being the CEO of a photography company. It's a small change, but an important one. But what exactly does being the CEO of your photography business mean? Well that's what I invited Heidi Thompson from Evolve Your Wedding Business to talk about on the podcast today. Heidi helps wedding professionals grow their businesses and is a self proclaimed "marketing geek" who's been featured on The Huffington Post, Social Media Examiner, Sprouting Photographer, and about a dozen other high profile outlets. What You'll Learn * Why you need to abandon the "build it and they will come" mindset * The two ways you should be dividing up your work load * What being CEO of your business REALLY means * What "context switching" is and what it's costing you * The factors that actually influence your price point   Resources Mentioned Evolve Your Wedding Podcast Interview With Alan Berg Linchpin by Seth Godin Freckle Time Tracking Software Wedding Photography Pricing Calculator The E-Myth Revisited Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

One of the biggest areas I think photographers can get value from is learning more about social dynamics, or how people interact with other people. This is especially important because we provide a service. We deal with people every day. When we meet with clients and we’re not only selling our services, but we’re selling ourselves. That’s why in this episode of the SFP podcast I'll be interviewing Jordan Harbinger from the Art of Charm. Jordan is an expert in social dynamics and he co-founded one of the top ranked podcasts in iTunes that teaches people how to improve their life and business through social skills. His podcast has been downloaded millions of times and he’s met, interviewed, and coached some of the most successful people on the planet. Today we’re going to talk to him about overcoming limiting beliefs, how to build confidence in your work, how to quickly establish rapport with potential clients and tons more awesome stuff. What You'll Learn * What people pay a premium for (hint: it has nothing to do with your work) * Why you shouldn't compare your work to other photographers * How to deal with being an introvert and a small business owner   Resources Mentioned Art of Charm How To Win Friends And Influence People Your Success Doesn’t Depend on Someone Else’s Failure Blog Post Gary Vaynerchuk Best of The Art of Charm Podcast Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

One of the largest struggles I hear from photographers is that they're not happy with the quality of their work. When I probe further and ask why they're unhappy with their images they say things like... "The venue was dark and ugly" or "The wedding party arrived late and I only had 15 minutes, if I had more time I could have created the kind of images I know I'm capable of" I hate to be blunt, but these people need some tough love. It's your responsibility to deliver. There are no excuses. You need to control the wedding day so that you have what you need to produce beautiful artwork for your clients. That's why in today's podcast episode, I'm running through 20 tips and strategies I've learned over the past 5 years on how to take charge of the wedding day so that you can capture those jaw dropping shots. What You'll Learn * Why luck is a four letter word * How to establish your authority on a wedding day * How to handle family photographers   Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

Four years ago I paid a graphic designer $2500 to rebrand my photography business as a luxury service. That $2500 ended up being one of the best investments I ever made. As a result of that rebranding we now attract 10-20k weddings. Branding your photography business plays a major role in not only the amount of money you'll make, but also the clientele you'll attract. I've seen first hand the power branding can have on your business, so when I was planning out the topics I wanted to cover on the podcast, branding was at the top of the list. That's why I invited Amy & Jordan Demos to be guests on today's show. When I think about who's doing branding well in the photography industry, Amy & Jordan are the first people that come to mind. Amy & Jordan have had their work featured in People Magazine, E! Online, The Huffington Post, and they were speakers at WPPI last year. Basically, they're killing it. In this episode I talk to Amy & Jordan about why branding is so important and how you can create your own authentic brand. What You'll Learn * What you should be doing to attract your ideal client * Why being polarizing is a GOOD thing * What your "true" job is on a wedding day * How to find your deeper "why"   Resources Mentioned Amy & Jordan's Blog The Quickstart Guide To Your Dream Job How To Win Friends And Influence People Seth Godin's Blog David And Goliath Start With Why Love And Respect Quitter Sponsors Fundy Software Photo Booth Supply Co.

I'm super excited about today's podcast guest. This week I sat down with Cole from Cole's Classroom. Cole is a self taught wedding photographer who hustled his way to the top of one of the most crowded wedding photography markets in the country. In this episode we talk about how Cole went from having zero experience to building a massively successful wedding photography business and what it took to get there. But what's interesting about Cole is that he doesn't have just one success story, he has two. After Cole created a thriving wedding photography company he transitioned to education to help other photographers do the same. In two years Cole has grown his website from nothing to one of the largest photography communities online and has attracted over 100k+ fans. What You'll Learn * How Cole went from not owning a camera to having a thriving photography business * How to compete in a saturated market * Why most photographers fail * How to use automation to earn more * The secret to rapid growth   Resources Mentioned Cole's Classroom Cole's Classroom Free Lightroom presets 17 Hats Shoot Flow