Business Straight Up Podcast - Business Help for Creative Entrepreneurs & Photographers

In this episode of Business Straight Up, the podcast for photographers and creatives, I talk with Jenn Smith about marketing for photographers and creatives, and email automation. Plus marketing, pricing, and why you should NOT shy away from the conversations that are sometimes hard to have about profit and money!

We are almost done with the first quarter of 2019 - and how are you doing with your goals? I recorded this awhile back and wanted to share today how I set my goals each year, and CRUSH them because I'm able to stay focused and actually track the steps to get there. I also have a FREE gift for you, a goals tracking sheet that I have used for the past few years in my business. It's a tool to help you track everything monthly and keep your eye on the bigger picture, so you can actually GET THINGS DONE!

How many of you have learned something new, then done nothing to implement it into your business? Or maybe you sit in your email all day, or doing other small tasks that keep you busy, but they're not actually moving your business forward? I know I have done BOTH - so believe me when I say that I'm not pointing any fingers here, I'm guilty too! In this episode of Business Straight Up, the podcast for photographers and creatives to find business help, we are talking with the amazing Lauren Armstrong, of Create Your Future Academy. She specializes in helping business owners implement the things in their business that will actually help them reach their goals, and finding clarity on what those things actually are!

I know you have probably heard that you need an email list, and you're probably thinking not YET. I'm not big enough yet, I don't even know what I would say! But the reality is that building your marketing efforts on social media ALONE is a dangerous game, and a gamble. Today we talk about the reasons that email marketing is an important tool to add to your marketing strategy, and some upcoming FREE classes to help!

Does talking about money make you super uncomfortable? NOT anymore, friends! Today's amazing guest is Alex Chalkley - a crazy successful boudoir photographer based in Virginia, and we have three seriously sweet topics - finances, marketing, and TRAVEL. My three favorite things, right? We are going to talk about Alex's photography pricing guide, as well as her photography marketing ideas that work. Because things have CHANGED, and it's time to get on board! Listen in and let me know what you took away from this - because I'm sure it will be a TON of things, I know I did!

Here we are - Black Friday time! And there are so many Black Friday deals for photographers, how do you know what to invest in, spend on, and choose? In this episode of Business Straight Up we are going to go through deciding what to buy, and how to afford it, and some realities of thinking like a CEO when purchasing, instead of a shopper!

I know, I know - In Person Sales for Photographers can be TERRIFYING, but in this episode of Business Straight Up, the podcast for creative entrepreneurs and photographers, we are going to break it down! Why to use in person sales, HOW to use in person sales, and what you can do to really move yourself forward to start providing an amazing experience for your clients!

Today's episode is specifically for MOMS. That's right moms, welcome to another episode of Business Straight Up, the podcast for photographers and creative entrepreneurs, today we are going to talk about MOM GUILT and how you can let go of it to build a successful business while being an amazing mom!

Do you have website shame? You know what I'm talking about - when you hand someone a business card or send someone an email and you're not PROUD to have them visit your website! In this episode of Business Straight Up, the podcast for creatives and photographers, we are going to dive into website shame with the amazing Ruth-Ann Bowen, a web strategist and designer!

Have you ever sat down in front of your computer with a blank screen in front of you, ready to type something AWESOME out, and you just freeze? In this episode of Business Straight Up, the podcast for photographers and small business owners, I am thrilled to have the amazing Nicki Krawczyk with me to talk about writing copy for your website! Creating a message that resonates with your ideal clients is SO important, and being able to adequately express that message is another beast entirely. We are going to go into creating and sharing that message, to attract the people you most want to work with!

We all have experiences daily that affect us in positive and negative ways. When these experiences are with businesses, we learn more about who we want to be as business owners, and how we want to treat our own clients. These episodes are short and sweet, something you can listen to quickly, unedited, and full of things to think about when it comes to running your own business. Think of the Business Lessons Shorts as little BONUS episodes, in addition to the regular episodes you've come to know and love. While the Business Lessons Shorts won't have shownotes, you can view the standard episode shownotes at http://www.businessstraightup.com/podcast .

I know what you're wondering - is blogging even still relevant, with all of the social media capabilities now? Short answer - YES! In this episode of Business Straight Up, the small business podcast for photographers and creatives, we discuss why blogging is still absolutely relevant, and what it can do for your business. Plus, ideas on what to write about, and best practices to get more done in less time!

In this episode of Business Straight Up - the podcast for photographers and creative entrepreneurs, we are going to talk about the four letter dirty word... FREE. Yep I said it! You've made it! People know who you are! And now they're asking you to work for free. There's always a reason, whether valid at this point in your life and business or not, and it can be hard to say no. So how do you know when you should work for free? I have guidelines for you! This has been one of my most popular articles and I expanded in this episode with a bonus reason. Download the cheatsheet at www.businessstraightup.com/exposure

Welcome to another awesome episode of Business Straight Up, the small business podcast for creatives and photographers! Today I am talking with the crazy brilliant Elena Lipson, a coach and teacher that focuses on being productive and reaching your goals because of self care! Entrepreneur self care is something that tends to fall by the wayside because let's be real - we are SO BUSY with so many things happening, that by the time we take care of our families and our businesses, there isn't much left for ourselves! Elena and I are going to talk about energy cycles, a morning routine, what it can do for your life and your business, and about what to do with those fearful thoughts that can sometimes take over when you're facing something that you haven't done before. I can tell you from experience that even for someone who is NOT a morning person, that morning routine is truly life changing!

Welcome to another rockstar episode of Business Straight Up, the small business podcast for creatives and photographers! Today we are offering some photography business help, and automation for photographers - that's right, automation is NOT a dirty word and can be used to create an amazing and consistent client experience! Tim Hussey and I talk about automation and what that can mean for you and your business. Plus, huge bonus - yes, you CAN get your life back. Get OUT of the monotony of the same tasks over and over again, and move into your creative zone!