What do pest control and portrait photography have in common? More than you might imagine.

They are both service businesses, and both industries have business owners complaining that their markets are “saturated” with tons of competitors. Some practitioners are thriving and others….are not.

Sound familiar?

In this episode of The ReWork, Allison sits down with Cameron Bawden, a serial entrepreneur and co-host of The Premium Mindset Podcast, who has built, scaled, and sold multiple service-based companies, including Green Mango Pest Control, Coconut Cleaning, and Agave Auto Glass.

Cameron and his wife Alyssa recently commissioned ATJ to create their family portraits. During that process, ATJ & Cameron struck up a conversation about service businesses and the real struggles that entrepreneurs face. That led to this podcast episode. 

From one truck and a dream to a multi-million-dollar exit, Cameron shares his hard-won lessons on building a premium service brand, leading a team, and growing without burning out. This conversation is packed with mindset shifts and practical tools photographers can apply right now. Like what it takes to stand out in a saturated market, build a loyal client base, and scale without losing your mind or your magic.

You’ll learn:

• The “sacred rhythms” that fuel long-term growth
• How to stand out in a saturated market
• The formula for knowing exactly when to hire help
• The psychology behind referrals and premium pricing
• Why the “ready, fire, aim” mindset might be your next best move

It’s part business therapy, part systems masterclass, and full of ideas that will make you rethink how you serve your clients and structure your studio for growth.

Episode Highlights:

• Stick to Your Sacred Rhythms. Growth comes from consistency—don’t abandon the principles that made you stand out in the first place.
• Different Beats Bigger. Cameron turned pest control into a premium brand by obsessing over design, experience, and service quality.
• Know When to Hire. Use Cameron’s simple formula: if you’re spending more than 50% of your hourly value on a task, it’s time to delegate.
• Systemize the Magic. Document what works—scripts, workflows, brand standards—so your excellence can be replicated.
• Raise Prices Without Fear. A thoughtful price increase can improve profit and client quality; value-driven customers rarely flinch.
• Build a Team That Complements You. Visionaries need systems people; creatives need operators. Hire your opposite and multiply your impact.
• Ready, Fire, Aim. Don’t wait for perfect—act, adjust, and learn. Momentum beats hesitation every time.

Key Takeaways:

• Different is the point, don’t dilute your vision to blend in, double down on what makes you stand out.
• Codify success, once something works, document it and repeat it.
• Buy back your time, use the 50% rule to know when to delegate.
• Client referrals are gold, they outperform ads two-to-one when your client experience is exceptional.
• Premium brands don’t apologize, price for the value you provide and let go of those who don’t see it.

About Cameron Bawden: a dynamic entrepreneur and co-host of the podcast The Premium Mindset. He founded and scaled service-based companies including Green Mango Pest Control and Coconut Cleaning, transforming them into high-growth, premium-branded businesses. Through relentless focus on operational systems, culture design and customer experience, he built brands that disrupted traditional service industries. Today he mentors other business-owners on pricing, scaling, hiring and building lasting value through a premium mindset. 

An inspiring reminder that premium brands aren’t born, they’re built, one intentional decision at a time. Stop cutting corners. Start standing out.

Click here to listen!

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“I love ATJ & The ReWork!.” <– If that sounds like you, please take a minute and rate and review the show! This helps us support more portrait photographers — just like you — move toward building the PROFITABLE, sustainable businesses that they really want. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let ME know what you loved most about the episode (and any topics you are dying to learn about). 

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You can also email me directly with your suggestions at: [email protected] - OR DM me directly on Instagram @atjphoto or @do.the.rework 

We’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and ideas! 

Links & Resources:

Download a Transcript

For Cameron Bawden’s Employee Roadmap/Pricing Playbook

and Customer Service Roadmap email [email protected]

The Premium Mindset Podcast

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Cameron Bawden

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