If you're already booking the number of clients you want to work with, but it feels like you're spending so much unnecessary time behind the scenes, your systems and automations might need an update. In this episode, I sit down with Holly Birch to talk about what happened after she completely overhauled her HoneyBook workflows using automated systems.

What's especially interesting about this conversation is that Holly wasn't starting from scratch. She already had templates, proposals, email sequences, and workflows in place. But she knew her systems could be more efficient, more professional, and more scalable. A year after implementing new automations, we're looking back at what's actually changed in her business, from booking studio headshots automatically to creating a completely hands-off client experience for brand photography sessions.

We also talk about why switching CRMs isn't a decision to make lightly, how automation creates consistency, and why the ultimate goal isn't simply saving time—it's deciding what you want to do with the time you get back.

Find It Quickly

00:23 - Meet Holly

01:42 - Choosing a CRM

02:56 - Why Switching CRMs Is Hard

03:58 - Holly Before the Toolkit

06:24 - Commercial Workflow Gaps

08:25 - Brand Shoot Automation Flow

10:18 - HoneyBook Smart File Workaround

11:30 - Headshots Offer and Lead Forms

13:54 - Schedulers and Calendar Control

17:08 - Discovery Calls and Contact Paths

20:19 - Headshot Clients and Repeat Companies

22:39 - Prep Guides and Automation Savings

23:58 - Time Saved Per Client

24:27 - Updating Your Prep Guide

25:27 - Automation Timing Fixes

26:19 - Next Systems To Build

27:31 - HoneyBook Galleries Debate

30:23 - Pic-Time Integration Tips

32:32 - Reducing Digital Clutter

34:27 - Why Templates Help

36:01 - Systems Create Consistency

38:17 - Annual Systems Audit

41:56 - Biggest Process Logjam

43:00 - What To Do With Time

Mentioned in this Episode

The Systems Behind the Scenes: How Automation Buys Me Back Time for Marketing

HoneyBook

Flodesk

Dubsado

Pic-Time

Rebrand by Maddie Peschong

Connect with the Guest

Website: hollybirchphotography.com

Instagram: @hollybirchphoto

There's only one right order to build client experience systems in. Not one right tool, not one right CRM — one right order. And I've been doing it this way with clients for five years without ever naming it out loud.

Today I'm naming it. Order of Operations is my new four-phase framework inside Systems in Session, and I'm walking through all four phases in this episode — including the brand new one I've never talked about before, which happens before we touch a single workflow.

I'm also clearing up something people keep getting twisted, because I don't want it to be the reason you put this off until January. Whether you're already booked solid for the rest of the year or you're still steadily filling sessions, right now is the moment to work on your systems — and where we start depends entirely on which one of those is true for you. I explain exactly how I decide inside the episode.

I've got seven seats left inside Systems in Session for 2026. If one of them has your name on it, head to coliejames.com/systems and let's have a chat.

Mentioned in this episode:

→ Your Origin Story Is Your Marketing Superpower — Here's How to Tell It with Megan Yelaney (episode 334): https://coliejames.com/your-origin-story-is-your-marketing-superpower-heres-how-to-tell-it-with-megan-yelaney/

→ My guest episode on Business Not As Usual: How Systems Generate Revenue and Sustainability in Your Business: https://meganyelaney.com/2026/08/24/how-systems-generate-revenue-and-sustainability-in-your-business/

When your kid needs braces and you schedule a consultation, I think the bare minimum is to see the actual orthodontist, right?

Turns out that is a bad assumption. Here's how it went ⤵️

I took Chloe to three consultations this month and in this episode I'm walking you through all three to compare the client experience and how that affected my decision to choose one.

Then I want you to go figure out if your own client experience is similar to one I reviewed.

And if you're ready to give your systems a glow up, I've got 7 final Systems in Session spots for 2026. Come find me at coliejames.com/systems.

I gave three talks in three groups on three consecutive days this week, and in the last one I made an announcement I need to make here too: Systems in Session is no longer Dubsado-or-HoneyBook-pick-your-poison.

I'll now build your client experience inside any of the five CRMs I actually recommend — Dubsado, HoneyBook, 17hats, Sprout Studio, or VSCO Workspace (formerly Táve). Because you were never paying me to teach you how to push buttons in a tool. You're paying me for reviews, referrals, and repeat clients.

Also in this one: what's changed at all five CRMs recently, why I'll look at an all-in-one built on a real CRM but not at gallery software cosplaying as one, three weeks into my Systems Professor app build, and Knock Knock — the personal video tool I built this week because I got tired of the workarounds.

Want to see Knock Knock in action? Go to https://coliejames.com/systems and click the bubble in the bottom right. Send me one while you're there — I have 10 seats left in Systems in Session for the rest of 2026.

Best CRMs for Photographers

Latest episode with Kara

What if the marketing strategy you've been treating like an optional task is actually the one thing that could create a more sustainable business? In this episode, I sit down with Kara to talk about one of my favorite topics: outsourcing your blogging. If you've been relying heavily on social media to attract leads, this conversation might completely change how you think about your marketing strategy.

We dig into the difference between social media and search-driven marketing, why user intent matters, and how blogging can continue working for your business long after you hit publish. We also discuss why blogging is one of the easiest marketing activities to delegate and why building a library of content creates long-term business assets that continue generating results for years.

If you've ever wondered whether blogging is worth the investment, this episode will help you think differently about the role SEO can play in creating a business that doesn't depend on constantly showing up on social media.

Find It Quickly

00:23 - Meet Kara and the Series

00:46 - Why Blogging Beats Social

03:42 - Search Intent and Keywords

05:51 - Keyword Strategy vs ChatGPT

07:47 - Discoverability vs Client Content

09:14 - When to Outsource Blogging

11:30 - Long Game SEO ROI

13:27 - Rankings Reality Check

16:33 - TikTok as a Search Engine

18:17 - Using AI the Right Way

20:34 - Outsourcing for Strategy

22:54 - Hands Off Blogging Workflow

27:20 - Deciding If Blogging Fits

31:06 - Blog Posts as Editable Assets

Mentioned in this Episode

Building a Steady Stream of Potential Customers through SEO and Pinterest with Kara Duncan [Marketing with Intention Series]

Connect with the Guest

Website: thekarareport.com

Instagram: @thekarareport

Podcast: thekarareport.com/podcast

I got myself in a little pickle this week — three presentations, three days in a row. And the one I'm most fired up about is tomorrow's.

Here's why: the number one objection I get when I start talking about automating your client experience is that you don't want it to feel automated for your clients.

So in this episode I'm walking through the three kinds of systems you can build and why you get to decide at every single stage of your client experience how much automation and how much personalization belongs there. It's not all or nothing.

If you want the actual how, that's what I'm covering in Human by Design. Free training, and I'm announcing a 48-hour bonus you'll only hear about if you're registered. Systems in Session is open for 2026 with 10 spots left.

Grab your seat: coliejames.com/human

Work with me: coliejames.com/systems

If you think you don’t have enough clients to need systems in your business, this episode might completely change your mind. Whether you’re balancing a business with a full-time job or running a part-time side-hustle, you don’t have less need for systems—you have less time to operate without them.

In this episode, I’m chatting with my client Jess Hoffman, a Florida-based pet photographer who runs her photography business alongside a full-time corporate job. Jess and I have worked together on her Dubsado systems and client communication, and we’re digging into what changed when she stopped trying to piece everything together and built a client experience that could actually support the way she works.

We talk about replacing required discovery calls with a book-first process, using video to educate potential clients before they book, and automating client communication without losing personality. Jess also shares how making one simple change to her booking process led clients to prepay for her highest collection—before she even photographed their session.

Find It Quickly

02:00 - Why Pet Photography

02:55 - Charging From Day One

05:52 - Systems Mindset Begins

09:58 - Simple Sales Explained

10:53 - Dubsado Workflow Struggles

11:50 - Audit to Blueprint Jump

13:00 - Video Instead of Calls

19:49 - Handling Corporate Inquiries

21:06 - Upsells and Pay Upfront Wins

25:06 - Gallery Education and Mockups

29:05 - Selling Wall Art With Samples

35:00 - Why Systems Matter Part Time

Mentioned in this Episode

The Experience Edit

Connect with the Guest

Website: hoffhousephotography.com

Instagram: @hoffhousephotography

I recorded this one live on the last day of week two of my birthday sabbatical, and it published about ten minutes after I stopped talking. Because I spent the last seven days — on roughly four hours of sleep a night — building a custom client portal that replaced Airtable, Fillout, Notion, Google Docs, and Google Sheets in my business.

What started as "let me move my AI assistants out of ChatGPT" turned into a full app where my clients log in, map their client journey, draft their emails, submit support tickets, send me voice notes, and do their weekly check-ins. I had a fully deployed version in 12 hours after telling myself since February that I needed time to plan it.

I also knocked South Dakota off my list (47 states down, 3 to go), and I get into the irony of doing the exact thing I tell y'all not to do with your own systems.

Not only was this an upgrade to my own systems, but an upgrade to my client experience.

Demo and debrief coming to the blog soon. Get on the list so you don't miss it: coliejames.com/subscribe

Work with me: Systems in Session | The Experience Edit

Have you ever wondered why some stories feel effortless to tell while others never seem to land? In this episode, I'm sitting down with Breanna Owen to explore how Human Design can completely change the way we approach storytelling in our businesses.

Instead of trying to tell every story or following someone else's content formula, we're diving into how your Human Design can help you identify the stories you're naturally meant to tell—and why those stories create stronger connections with your audience.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode 254: Using Human Design to Transform Your Business Strategy with Breanna Owen

Episode 216: Energetic Email Strategy for Connection & Conversion with Breanna Owen

Episode 277: How Human Design Is Influencing the Way We Do Business with Sabrina Gebhardt

Episode 299: Done-for-You vs. Done-with-You: Which Model Fits Your Business? with Brittany Herzberg

Connect with Breanna

Website: owenyourmark.com

Grab the Email Type Freebie: owenyourmark.com/energy-type-email-playbook

Instagram: instagram.com/owenyourmark

Most business owners think they need a dramatic transformation story to connect with their audience. In this episode, I sit down with Megan Yelaney to unpack one of the most overlooked pieces of effective marketing: your origin story. We explore why so many entrepreneurs struggle to tell their story, how to identify the version that's most relevant to your current audience, and why authenticity will always outperform trying to sound impressive.

Along the way, I found myself reflecting on my own business evolution (from photography to systems strategy) and realizing that my story has changed just as much as my business has. If you've ever wondered whether your story is "interesting enough," this conversation will completely change how you think about marketing.

Find It Quickly

00:25 - Meet Megan

01:48 - Why Origin Stories Matter

03:23 - Megan’s Career Pivot

06:03 - Pretty Awkward Goes Viral

08:03 - Twins and Business Reset

10:30 - Colie’s Professor Edge

16:00 - Not Dramatic Enough

21:32 - Choosing Your Story

25:06 - Beyond Your Own Story

26:59 - Case Studies That Convert

28:33 - Organizing Client Proof

32:29 - Who Gets the Credit

34:34 - Reusing Testimonials Smartly

37:40 - Where to Share It

40:56 - hort Form to Long Form

43:08 - Stories Beat Teaching

Mentioned in this Episode

Brittany Herzberg: brittanyherzberg.com

Done-for-You vs. Done-with-You: Which Model Fits Your Business? with Brittany Herzberg

SEO is Everywhere: Optimizing Your Content with Brittany Herzberg

Embracing Workflows & Automations in Your CRM: HoneyBook Case Study with Brittany Herzberg

SEO through Case Studies | Simple SEO Series with Brittany Herzberg (Part 3)

Jordan Gill: instagram.com/systemssavedme

Connect with Megan

Website: meganyelaney.com

Instagram: instagram.com/meganyelaney

Business Story Blueprint: meganyelaney.com/business-story-blueprint

Business Not As Usual: meganyelaney.com/podcast