Flourish Academy Podcast

What if your next photography client is already closer than you think?

In this episode, Heather shares a simple way to find potential revenue without constantly chasing new followers, inquiries, or strangers online. She breaks revenue opportunities into three powerful buckets: existing opportunities, past relationships, and new opportunities, and explains why photographers often overlook the first two. If you've been wondering how to get more photography clients or make more money in your photography business, this episode will help you see the opportunities that may already be sitting right in front of you.

Key Takeaways:

• Your next client doesn't necessarily have to be a stranger.
• Existing opportunities are often the fastest place to start.
• Follow up with open inquiries and unanswered proposals.
• Look for additional sales opportunities with current clients.
• Past clients and old leads are still valuable relationships.
• Someone who wasn't ready before may be ready now.
• Referral partners and vendors can become powerful sources of business.
• New opportunities still matter—but don't overlook the first two buckets.
• You don't need to constantly chase more followers to create revenue.
• Change the question from "Where will I find clients?" to "Where are the opportunities?"
• A scarcity question creates scarcity; a possibility question makes you look for options.
• Before deciding there are no clients or opportunities, make sure you've actually looked.

What if your next client isn't waiting to discover you, you've already met them? What if you're searching for new leads while money is sitting inside relationships you've already built? There may be far more opportunities around you than you're currently seeing. Press play, find your three buckets, and discover where your next sale could already be hiding.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

You don't need more clients. You need to know why the clients you want aren't booking.

In this episode, Heather breaks down the five most common places where movement can stop in a photography business: audience, offer, invitation, follow-up, and conversion. If you've been saying "I need more clients," "nobody is booking," or "my marketing isn't working," Heather will help you turn those vague frustrations into specific, actionable problems you can actually solve. This episode is about replacing business drama with clarity—and finally knowing what to do next.

Key Takeaways

• "I need more clients" isn't a diagnosis. It's a description of what you want—not an explanation of what's preventing you from getting it.
• Find where movement has stopped. Your problem is likely happening somewhere within your audience, offer, invitation, follow-up, or conversion.
• You may already have an audience. Past clients, old inquiries, email subscribers, referral partners, local businesses, and community connections can all be potential sources of business.
• More leads aren't always the answer. If you already have warm leads, your real opportunity may be reconnecting with the people who already know you.
• A clear offer makes buying easier. Your potential client should understand who the offer is for, what they're receiving, why they want it, what it costs, what to do next, and why they might act now.
• Posting isn't the same as making an offer. Beautiful images and visibility matter, but people also need a clear invitation to take the next step.
• Follow-up isn't bothering people. Someone not responding isn't necessarily a "no." Following up gives them another opportunity to make a decision.
• Clicks are information. If someone has clicked your offer, they've shown some level of interest. Don't dismiss that data.
• Don't immediately blame pricing. If people aren't buying, examine clarity, value, trust, timing, audience, messaging, and price before randomly changing your numbers.
• Too many priorities can kill momentum. You don't need to choose one thing forever—you need to decide what gets your attention right now.
• "I've tried everything" is probably not accurate. You may have tried several things, but perhaps not consistently, with the right audience, with clear messaging, or with enough follow-up.
• Turn passive problems into actionable problems. "Nobody is booking" becomes "I'm not having enough booking conversations." Now you have something you can measure and change.
• Choose one reasonable next action. You don't need a massive 90-day strategy. Take one action, gather information, and use the result to decide what comes next.

What if you don't need more clients—you need to know why the clients you want aren't moving forward? What if the problem isn't your entire business, but one place where movement has stopped? Once you can diagnose the real problem, you can stop guessing and finally know what to do next. Press play and discover the five places your photography business could be stuck—and the simple shift that can get it moving again.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode, Heather explores why we get distracted when a task feels uncomfortable and how avoidance often has less to do with discipline and more to do with our desire to escape discomfort. From editing thousands of images to marketing, sales, and bookkeeping, Heather breaks down how to identify the real reason you're avoiding something and create practical systems that work with your brain, energy, and business. Discover how replacing "I should" with "I could" can reduce shame, increase choice, and help you build a business you can actually trust yourself to run.

Key Takeaways:

• Distraction is often an attempt to avoid discomfort. Your brain may be seeking relief from tasks that feel boring, complicated, uncertain, or emotionally risky.
• Distraction doesn't automatically mean you're lazy. Understanding the discomfort underneath your behavior helps you respond more effectively.
• False productivity can disguise avoidance. Completing comfortable tasks may feel productive while allowing you to avoid the work that matters most.
• Get curious instead of judgmental. Ask yourself, "What am I thinking and feeling right now?" when you notice yourself trying to escape a task.
• Identify the specific discomfort. Is the task too big, confusing, boring, uncertain, or demanding for your current energy?
• Make the work less painful. Break tasks into smaller sections, create finish lines, add rewards, schedule breaks, or ask for support.
• Replace "should" with "could." "I should do this" creates pressure, while "I could do this" introduces choice.
• You can want the result without enjoying the task. It's possible to value the outcome while disliking the work required to achieve it.
• Stop designing systems for an imaginary version of yourself. Build strategies around your real energy, responsibilities, and working style.
• You don't need the universally perfect productivity system. You need a system that works for your brain and your business.
• Experimentation builds self-trust. When you find a process that works, you spend less time negotiating with yourself.
• Your goal isn't to love every task. Your goal is to create systems that make the work manageable and sustainable.

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What if the task isn't the problem—the way you're asking yourself to do it is? What if you could stop fighting yourself and finally create a system your brain can trust? The solution to your productivity struggles may not be more discipline, but a completely different approach. Press play and discover how to make the work less painful, stop the avoidance cycle, and build a business that works for YOU.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

What if you're not burned out because you're doing too much, but because of the way you're thinking about everything you have to do?

In this episode, Heather and Nicole Begley unpack the difference between being tired, overwhelmed, and truly burned out. They explore how resistance, self-judgment, and the pressure to get everything done can turn ordinary stress into suffering. Heather shares a simple question that has helped her navigate some of her most overwhelming seasons: "What do I want to pay attention to right now?" You'll also hear why movement, rather than simply resting, can be the reset some entrepreneurs and ADHD brains actually need.

And there's even more coming.

Heather reveals that she's creating a new, quick, bingeable mini-course all about burnout, designed specifically to help photographers understand what's happening when overwhelm starts taking over, and what they can actually do about it.

This is especially timely as photographers head into one of the busiest seasons of the year.

If you're anticipating a packed fall, you're already feeling stretched thin, or you've experienced that familiar cycle of overwhelm → exhaustion → guilt → more overwhelm, this is something you'll want to keep an eye out for.

And if you're an Elevate member, there's an extra bonus: members receive complimentary access to the courses Heather creates. It's another example of how Elevate isn't just about calls and coaching, it's an evolving library of resources designed to support you through the real challenges of running a photography business.

Key Takeaways:

• Being exhausted doesn't automatically mean you're burned out. You can be physically exhausted from meaningful, purposeful work without experiencing burnout.
• Burnout and overwhelm are different. Overwhelm may come and go; burnout can feel like you've reached a constant "redline."
• Resistance can turn pain into suffering. Fighting reality and judging yourself for what you're experiencing often adds another layer of stress.
• Acceptance creates space for wisdom. You don't have to love the situation to accept that it's where you are right now.
• Ask yourself: "Where have I fallen out of belief in my capability?" Overwhelm can be a signal that you're questioning whether you're capable of handling what's in front of you.
• You don't have to finish everything right now. The entire list can exist without demanding your attention simultaneously.
• "What do I want to pay attention to right now?" is a powerful reset. Bringing your attention back to the present can quiet the mental noise of everything else.
• Your brain may need movement, not just rest. Walking, riding, paddleboarding, or getting outside can help move some of that stress and energy through your body.
• Know what works for your brain. Traditional advice like "just sit down and relax" doesn't work equally well for everyone.
• Stop judging yourself for how you function. Understanding your brain and responding to what it needs can be far more productive than constantly asking what's wrong with you.
• You don't have to solve your entire life today. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is focus on what's happening now.
• Burnout is worth understanding before you reach the breaking point. Learning to recognize the signs early can help you make different choices before overwhelm becomes your baseline.

What if you're not failing; you're simply carrying more than your brain can hold all at once? What if one question could pull you out of the spiral and bring you back to what matters right now? Before another busy season pushes you toward burnout, you need to hear this. Press play and discover the mindset shift that could change the way you handle overwhelm, stress, and the busiest seasons of your business.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

What if building a $100K photography business could actually be fun and easy?

In this episode, Heather sits down with Jessica Wasik, owner of Bark and Gold Photography, founding member of Elevate, and now a head coach inside the program. Jess has built a photography business generating around $200,000 per year, but there was no magic formula behind it. Instead, her success came from experimenting, meeting people, staying visible, investing in education, and refusing to make every obstacle mean something had gone wrong. Heather and Jess unpack the clues behind her success and why you don't need more clients, more stress, or more hours to build a profitable photography business.

You can check Jessica's incredible work here: https://barkandgoldphotography.com/

This episode is also a powerful example of what makes Elevate different. Jess didn't simply learn from Heather; she became part of the community, grew her own business, and now helps other photographers do the same as a head coach. Being surrounded by photographers who are actively creating the results you want gives you something incredibly valuable: evidence that it's possible.

Key Takeaways:

• Success leaves clues. Instead of searching for one magic formula, study how successful photographers think, act, experiment, and respond when things don't work.
• Experimentation is a powerful marketing strategy. Jess is constantly testing new ideas rather than waiting for someone to tell her exactly what will work.
• Not every experiment needs to succeed. If something doesn't work, you can simply let it fade away and try something else.
• Meet people instead of waiting to be discovered. Jess recognizes that if people don't know she exists, they can't book her.
• Being an introvert doesn't mean you can't market yourself. You don't need to become an outgoing, extroverted salesperson. You can simply connect with people in a way that feels authentic to you.
• Stop worrying about things your clients aren't worried about. Photographers can spend enormous amounts of energy analyzing things that their clients don't even notice or care about.
• Learn to turn down the volume on your thoughts. Jess's "overthinkatorium" is a great reminder that you don't have to listen to every thought your brain produces.
• Look outside your industry for inspiration. Other businesses can provide fresh ideas when everyone in your own industry seems to be doing the same thing.
• Education can have a tremendous return. Investing in learning can give you skills, ideas, confidence, and strategies that continue paying off long after the initial investment.
• Don't chase every shiny object. Take what is useful from education and leave what doesn't fit your business or personality.
• You don't need more clients to reach six figures. You may simply need fewer, more aligned clients who are willing to invest more.
• You don't have to work yourself into the ground. Profitability and quality of life can coexist.
• Put yourself in proximity to people creating the results you want. Seeing other photographers succeed can provide evidence that your own goals are possible.
• Make business fun instead of miserable. There will always be challenges, but you don't have to build a business you hate running.

What if six figures doesn't require more clients, more hours, or more stress? What if the photographers already doing it could show you exactly what you're missing? Jess's story proves that success can be built through experiments, education, visibility, and a willingness to keep going. Press play and discover the clues behind a $200K photography business, and what you can start doing differently today.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

What if your brain is already working hard to prove you right?

In this episode, Heather explores how confirmation bias, attention, and identity influence the way photographers see their businesses. If you keep telling yourself there aren't enough clients, people won't pay, or you're bad at marketing, your brain becomes remarkably good at finding evidence to support those beliefs. Heather explains how to interrupt that cycle, choose more useful thoughts, and intentionally train your brain to notice opportunities, solutions, and possibilities you may have been overlooking.

Key Takeaways:

• Your brain looks for evidence that supports what you already believe. Your beliefs influence what you notice, how you interpret experiences, and what opportunities you recognize.
• "I don't know how to get clients" is not a permanent fact. It may simply mean you don't currently know how to get your next client.
• One experience doesn't prove a universal truth. A ghosted inquiry or a price objection doesn't mean nobody wants your work.
• Your brain can build either a positive or negative case. The thoughts you repeatedly practice become the evidence your brain searches for.
• Identity changes behavior. When you see yourself as someone who can figure things out, your actions begin to reflect that belief.
• "I'm an athlete" becomes a useful identity. Heather shares how this thought changed the choices she naturally made around movement, food, and health.
• You don't need to lie to yourself. Choose thoughts that are believable and useful, such as "There are people who would love what I offer."
• Marketing opportunities may already be around you. When you believe opportunities exist, you become more likely to notice people, conversations, and connections that could lead somewhere.
• Don't use mindset work against yourself. Noticing an unhelpful thought isn't another reason to criticize yourself. It's simply information.
• Ask: "What am I training my brain to prove?" This question can help you recognize the story you're building and consciously choose a different one.

What if your brain has been proving your limiting beliefs right this entire time? What if the clients, opportunities, and possibilities aren't missing—you've simply stopped noticing them? The story you repeat becomes the evidence you see, the actions you take, and the results you create. Press play and discover what you're training your brain to prove—and how to start building a completely different case.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

If you've been feeling stuck, frustrated by inconsistent revenue, or overwhelmed by all the things you could be doing to grow your photography business, this bonus episode is for you.

Heather is inviting a group of photographers to join her for a 30-Day Revenue Sprint in September—and the goal is simple:

Pick a number. Make a plan. Take action. Adjust based on reality. Finish strong.

This isn't a four-week course where you consume more information and walk away with another giant list of things you should be doing.

Instead, you'll spend 30 days focused on one thing: generating revenue.

You'll choose a specific September revenue goal, work backwards to determine what you'll need to sell, identify where the money could come from, and then take action.

And when something doesn't work? You won't spiral.

You'll look at the results as data, not drama, figure out where the breakdown happened, make an adjustment, and keep moving.

The Sprint includes four calls with Heather, two bonus calls with Nicole Begley focused specifically on offers and pricing, and a private Facebook group where you can stay connected throughout the month.

And there's something bigger happening here, too.

This is a chance to experience what ongoing business coaching actually looks like: you take action, bring the results, figure out what's next, and keep going—with someone helping you see what you can't always see on your own.

If 30 days of this kind of support can change what you believe you're capable of creating, imagine what could happen with that support all year inside Elevate.

Key Takeaways:

• Stop consuming and start creating. More courses and information aren't necessarily what you need. Sometimes you need to take what you already know and put it into action.
• Choose an actual revenue number. "I want more clients" isn't a measurable goal. Pick a specific number and build backwards from it.
• Revenue generation is active. Don't sit around waiting for inquiries. Follow up, reach out to past clients, create offers, and look for opportunities to make money.
• You don't need to know the perfect strategy. Ask yourself: "What am I willing to try?"
• Your thoughts can come along for the ride. You may immediately think your revenue goal is impossible. You don't have to eliminate those thoughts before taking action.
• Results are data, not drama. If something doesn't work, don't make it mean your business is failing. Look at the evidence and decide what needs to change.
• Adjust instead of starting over. More leads? Better follow-up? Stronger offer? Different pricing? The answer is in the data.
• Don't mentally quit before the month is over. There may still be time and opportunities to create revenue.
• The real goal is bigger than one month's revenue. You're learning how to intentionally create revenue instead of waiting and hoping that business happens to you.
• Skills compound. What you learn about generating revenue in September stays with you long after the sprint ends.
• You don't have to do it alone. The support, accountability, and coaching are part of what makes this experience different.

What if you stopped waiting for clients to find you—and learned how to create the revenue you want? What if 30 days of focused action could change what you believe you're capable of? This isn't another course to consume; it's a month to make money, test ideas, learn, and keep moving. Press play, pick your number, and discover what you can create when you stop waiting and start taking action.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode, Heather sits down with Sandy McCarthy, a longtime Elevate member who has built a six-figure photography business primarily photographing pets and their people. Sandy shares what actually contributed to her success—not a secret marketing strategy, but years of experimenting, meeting people, learning new skills, managing her thoughts, and continuing to move forward even when things didn't work. This is an honest look at what building a successful photography business really takes.

You can check Sandy's work at https://www.sandramccarthyphoto.com/, and you can connect with her on https://www.facebook.com/sandramccarthyphoto.

Key Takeaways:

• There is no magic strategy. Successful businesses are often built through lots of experimentation and a willingness to keep learning.
• Sustainable pricing matters from the beginning. Sandy chose to start at a sustainable price rather than building a low-price business and trying to raise prices later.
• Your first big sale can change what you believe is possible. Seeing someone willingly invest significant money can create important evidence that your business model can work.
• Patience is a business skill. Building a successful business takes time, and you can't always know in advance which efforts will pay off.
• You have to be willing to try things that don't work. Failure isn't evidence that you're incapable—it is information.
• Learning new skills creates more possibilities. Sandy initially resisted learning lighting, but eventually discovered how valuable that skill became for both her studio and location work.
• Don't assume you know why people behave the way they do. You rarely know what's happening in someone else's head, so avoid creating stories about why someone did or didn't book.
• Keep going. The more you continue experimenting and solving problems, the more likely you are to figure out what works.
• Your brain will tell you to quit. Thoughts like "I'm not good enough," "this isn't working," or "maybe this isn't for me" are not facts.
• You don't have to build your business like someone else. There are many different ways to create a successful photography business—the right one is the one that supports your goals and your life.

There is no secret strategy hiding behind a six-figure photography business. There is patience, experimentation, uncomfortable decisions, and the willingness to keep going. If you're wondering whether your business can actually work, Sandy's story is the proof you need to hear. Press play and discover what happens when you stop looking for the shortcut and commit to the long game.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode, Heather and Nicole unpack what happens when someone else's success triggers that uncomfortable thought: "Why not me?" They explore why our brains naturally move toward comparison, how we turn someone else's win into evidence that something is wrong with us, and what becomes possible when we choose curiosity and inspiration instead. If you've ever celebrated someone else's success while secretly wondering what you're doing wrong, this episode will help you see the situation—and yourself—very differently.

Key Takeaways:

• Someone else's success is not evidence that you're failing. Their sale, revenue, or achievement has nothing to do with your worth or your business.
• Comparison turns someone else's win into a problem about you. Your brain can quickly move from "I'm happy for them" to "What am I doing wrong?"
• Taking things personally creates unnecessary suffering. You assign meaning to something that was never actually about you.
• You can choose inspiration over comparison. Instead of asking, "Why not me?" ask, "What can I learn from this?"
• Get curious about other people's success. Ask how they found the client, what they offered, how they marketed, and what happened behind the scenes.
• Your feelings can reveal your thoughts. When you notice jealousy, frustration, or shame, pause and ask what you're making the situation mean about you.
• There is no shame in wanting what someone else has. You can acknowledge that you want the result without turning that desire into self-criticism.
• Your focus affects how you feel and how you act. Focusing on what you're lacking creates desperation; focusing on serving others creates a completely different energy.
• "Tell me more" can be a powerful business strategy. Curiosity can turn someone else's success into information that helps you create your own.
• Success can be evidence of possibility. Someone else doing what you want to do can remind you that it is possible—not prove that you're behind.

What if someone else's success isn't proof that you're behind—but proof that it's possible? What if the sale you're comparing yourself to could actually teach you how to create your own? You can spiral into "Why not me?" or you can get curious and ask, "Tell me more." Press play and learn how to turn comparison into inspiration—and someone else's win into your next opportunity.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode, Heather and Nicole Begley unpack the thoughts that make selling feel uncomfortable, awkward, or even "gross." They explore why photographers hesitate to make offers, the assumptions we make about what clients can afford, and how fear of rejection can keep you from giving people the opportunity to work with you. The big shift? Your job isn't to convince someone to hire you—it's to confidently extend the invitation and let them decide.

Key Takeaways:

• Your job isn't to convince people to hire you. Your job is to make the offer and allow them to decide.
• "I don't want to bother them" is a thought worth examining. If you believe you're bothering someone, you're naturally going to hesitate.
• Selling becomes easier when you shift from "get energy" to "service energy." Instead of trying to get a yes, focus on offering an opportunity that could genuinely help someone.
• Don't make financial decisions for your clients. You don't know what they value, what they're willing to invest in, or what they can afford.
• Don't be the one who tells yourself no. Give people the opportunity to say yes or no for themselves.
• You may undervalue your work because your skills feel easy to you. What you've spent years mastering may feel simple now—but that doesn't mean it's not valuable.
• What if you're not too expensive... but too cheap? Pricing can influence perceived value, and lower isn't automatically better.
• Rejection isn't a verdict on you. Someone choosing not to buy doesn't mean they're rejecting you, your talent, or your worth.
• Your feelings can reveal your thoughts. If you're feeling nervous, heavy, or hesitant, get curious about what you're thinking underneath it.
• Belief makes sharing your business easier. When you genuinely believe in yourself, your offer, and the value you provide, making an invitation becomes much more natural.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram