Mini Sessions Made Easy

Happy Monday! With Thanksgiving ahead of us this week and the winter holidays not far off, I'm so excited for today's podcast episode. We're talking all about taking time off in your business! I completely believe in taking time away from your business in a healthy and positive way, so I can't wait to dive into my top tips for making that happen. This episode is inspired by my team, actually! The entire time is taking the majority of December off to enjoy the last few weeks of the year and I'm so happy for all of us! So, I wanted to share some tips for taking time off in your business. But... before we get into that, I want to remind you about something!

I want to share my new FREE guide with you: My $3K Mini Sessions Blueprint. It’s a step-by-step guide of what to do to make $3,000 on your next mini sessions… all on ONE date. Whether you’ve hit that goal before or just want to see if there’s other ideas to try, grab this free guide. It’s jam packed with tons of great information for you! Now that you've got that downloaded, let's head back to talking about time off!

My goal for the team is that we can be completely off - or only popping into the inbox once a week. We seriously want to limit our time working over the holiday season. It's been a huge goal of mine for this to be a possibility and I'm SO happy to say we're there. There's a few practical ways we've accomplished this!

Whether you're having this conversation with a team member or yourself, ask what does time off look like for you? For us, it was that the last 3 weeks of December, we'd be out of office. Someone will look in our inbox but ONLY respond if it's an emergency. Otherwise, it can wait. I don't want my team in the business every single day. We aren't taking any sessions this month and those are some of the big boundaries we've set for our time off. Decide what yours look like. Maybe it's taking 3 solid weeks off or just certain days. And on the days off, what are you going to do or not do in your business? Once you know what your boundaries are, you can take steps to protect that time.

One easy way to protect your boundaries is to set a digital reminder through an autoresponder. I know people love to hate on autoresponders but I'm a big fan of them. They easily protect your boundaries and help set expectations for anyone contacting you. Make it clear you're out of office and will respond when you're back in - unless it's an emergency. It gives your clients or students peace of mind to know they reached you at the very least - and they'll hear back soon.

The third thing you can to do to take extended time off is getting ahead on your work and content. You need to plan ahead so that you're not scrambling the week before you go out to publish content. You still want to stay consistent and be in the front of people's minds - so schedule ahead. Spend time batching your content so you can knock it all out. Then you can pre-schedule your social media posts and not have to worry about it while you're off!

If you're really anxious about taking time off, consider hiring a subcontractor who could check in on things for you! They would be in charge of putting out fires that pop up while you're out of the office. This isn't necessary but if it helps you feel more relief and comfortable with time off, do it! If you're in the place to make this happen, I encourage you to if you need it. And if you aren't, know that is truly NOT a big deal!

It's easy to feel like we can't step away or the business will crumble. But I'm here to give you permission to take a step back. Set boundaries you're comfortable with and give yourself that freedom to rest going into the new year. I know it can feel scary and like you're going to miss out on something big, but the right people will wait and respect the fact that you're taking care of yourself. Running a business isn't about working non-stop. It's about building a life you love! I hope these tips for taking time off help you realize it IS possible to run a successful business without being burnt out.

+ My $3K Mini Sessions Blueprint

Outline boundaries (3:10)

Set an autoresponder (5:12)

Get ahead on content (7:10)

Bonus tip: hire help! (9:28)

For the last few weeks, we've been diving into how to prepare for and build a team for your business. Today, I'm excited to be chatting with my integrator, Kat Schmoyer, about having someone in this position on your team. Ever since we started working together, we've both gotten a ton of questions about what her role is, how to know if you need one too, and so many other topics. So, we decided to sit down and pull back the curtain on what it's like working together with Kat as my integrator!

• Meet Kat (2:10)
• What is an integrator (4:36)
• Why operating in your zone of genius matters (7:06)
• What Kat's role looks like day-to-day on the team (10:03)
• How Kat helps me decide which dreams to follow (13:23)
• When are you ready to bring on an someone like Kat (16:27)
• What you can do to prepare yourself for an integrator (22:15)
• How being a visionary has been for Rebecca (29:03)

If you want to learn more about Kat and her incredible services, make sure to check out her website HERE! She has several blogs about being an integrator and what that means for your business too,  so go take a look. You can also find her on Instagram.

+  Kat's Website

+ Visionary / Integrator Quiz

This week, we've got another great episode about the next step in building a team: bringing on full time employees. Before you run away, hear me out! Although I know you may not be in the place to be making these hires right now, you will be one day. And setting up a strong foundation now will make all the difference when you are ready to start making those hires! Last week, we talked about how to prep for building a team, so I think this is another great foundational piece you need when building the team of your dreams!

Before we dive into all of that though, I want to share my new FREE guide with you: My $3K Mini Sessions Blueprint. It's a step-by-step guide of what to do to make $3,000 on your next mini sessions... all on ONE date. Whether you've hit that goal before or just want to see if there's other ideas to try, grab this free guide. It's jam packed with tons of great information for you! And now... back to our topic of the day: bringing on full time employees!

It can be tricky to know if you're ready to hire someone full-time. But, a good rule of thumb is to look at who you have working with you already. If you've got a few subcontractors working for you (maybe your editor, virtual assistant, and social media manager) but you're still ready to continue scaling, it might be time to consider a full time hire. While you have these other people working under you and you realize you could afford to bring someone on for 40 hours a week, you might also be in the position to consider that hire. I recommend having 3-6 months of that person's salary in the bank before you commit to anyone though, so that if something happens, you're protected! It's not just for me: it's for them. I want them to know that I'm taking the responsibility of hiring them seriously and I want them to feel secure in their choice to work with a small business. So to me, that's the first step of knowing you're ready to hire someone full time!

There's two places to hire from: IN the industry and OUTSIDE of the industry. There's pros and cons to both. When you hire within the industry, you have someone that's more likely to be familiar with the software and systems you use. That's definitely a plus! But, there's something to be said for training someone from the ground up. In my business, we've hired three other people beyond my husband who are full-time and we've trained every single one of them. For us, it made sense because we have really specific processes we want to use and want them to know. Not to mention, our employees are amazing and super smart so it didn't take long to train them! Additionally, when you hire someone who isn't the expert in what they do, it's a little bit cheaper. Again, you have to train and teach them, but for us, that made more sense.

Now, if you're wondering where to go to find these amazing people, make sure you join Behind the Lens and watch my masterclass on Outsourcing! I share all sorts of tips, including where I go to find the amazing team members I have!

For me, I've always hired for personality and trained for skill. It's more important that I find the RIGHT people for my team. Teaching them to do a job is easy! We're big on knowing our team members strengths and weaknesses here, and using that to our advantage as well. It's no secret that my full-time employees' positions have changed and evolved since they started, but it's all been for the better. We've actually had everyone take the Strengths Finder test so we can make sure we're doing what really aligns with who they are and what makes them unique. It's been really eye-opening for all of us and allowed us to put our employees in their zone of genius, which is truly the best for all of us.

I honestly still have to pinch myself that this is real some days. If you had asked me a year ago if I'd have multiple full-time employees, I'd say no way. But it's been amazing to help my business grow and scale. I love being able to serve more of you well because of my incredible team. I hope this little snippet into how we hired full time employees is helpful for you! Make sure you join Behind the Lens and learn more about my outsourcing tips there - and tune into the podcast episode above to hear all about my full-time employees right now. These ladies are amazing!

+ My $3K Mini Sessions Blueprint

+ Behind the Lens

How do you know if you're ready? (3:15)

Who do you hire? (5:46)

What do you look for in a hire? (9:27)

I'm so excited today because we're starting our mini series here on the Business Journey Podcast all about building a team. Maybe you're interested in building a team soon - or maybe not, but the information we're sharing in this mini series is going to be super helpful when you're ready to make the leap. Today's episode is all about what to do before you hire a team member, which is the perfect place to start when you're dreaming of a team.

Before we dive into building a team, I wanted to share about a new freebie I've put together. It will show you five ways to grow your email list from 0 to 100 subscribers! Email marketing is SO important for small business owners (learn why I believe that HERE). Now, back to building a team.

Over the last year or so, I've built up a team in my business and now, I'm loving the chance to help other business owners build their own teams. One of the most common questions I get asked from other photographers is how to prepare to build a team. They may not be totally ready right now, but they want to get to a place where they are ready in the future. I think that's an amazing question because it's never to early to start preparing to build your team. A lot of these tips I'm sharing today, I wish I had done when I started building my team. Now, it's a breeze to bring on someone new because we know what we're doing! So, here's what you should do before you hire a team member!

Think about every single thing that you do (or need to do) to make your business run. Get as micro was you need, but list it all out. We're doing this because I want you to see how much you actually do every day in your business. Once you know all the things you do, it's much easier to determine what you can let someone else do for you! After you've got it all written down, highlight what only YOU can do. If it requires your actual face, voice, or has a direct impact on your revenue, highlight it. In the end, there should be a few things highlighted - now it's clear to see how much you could truly hand over to someone else. With what's on your list, think about what you can automate and mark it with a star! These are things that you don't have to do physically anymore!

With anything that isn't highlighted, start documenting your process. One of our favorite programs to do this is with Loom. It's a free recording software and you can literally do a screen recording of whatever you're doing. This is a great way to teach someone how to do something - like a gallery delivery for example! You can also document your process in a Google Doc or a Trello checklist. Our team does a lot of checklists and Loom recordings - but do what works for you. When it's time to onboard a new hire, you can send them the recording and checklist to review instead of having to hold their hand and teach them everything.

As you start to record and document these processes, look at how efficient they are. Are you including unnecessary or redundant steps? If you are, think about how to make it easier. When you hand it off to someone, you want that task to be as streamlined as possible. You may still wind up making changes after someone else comes in to help, but that's not a bad thing!

Most of these tips are practical, actual things to go. But part of being a team leader is having a vision. Think about where you want to be in a few years and lay out the roles beneath you that you want someday to make it happen. This is a bit of a dream scenario so don't think about costs right now - just where you want to be and who you'll need. Once you know who you might want, it's time to prioritize your hires as money and time allow. Having this dream organization chart helps me stay focused as our business evolves.

If you have any questions at all about hiring a team member, let's talk. I'm so passionate about building a team because I think it can be life changing for you as a business owner. Truly, it's never too early to start planning for your team, either. And, if you're interested in talking more deeply about hiring team members, I'll be going over this process in my Mastermind. It's currently full but you can join our waitlist for the next round! I work with 10-12 business owners in a mix of hot seat calls and education, so we can deep dive into your business! So, join the waitlist here if that's something you're interested in!

+ How to Go from 0 to 100 Email Subscribers

+ Mastermind waitlist

+ Loom

+ Trello

Write out what you do as a business owner (3:43)

Document the process (6:40)

Make your process efficient (8:35)

Create a dream organizational chart (9:30)

I'm so excited to welcome you to another episode of the Business Journey Podcast, because today we're talking about what to do after your mini sessions are over. I'm diving into my favorite workflow tips for after your sessions. We've talked a lot about how to plan and prep for them, but what do you do when you head home? How do you manage all of the images and clients you had the chance to work with? Today, we're going to break down how workflow tips for after your mini sessions! Before we jump into all of that, though, I wanted to let you know about my Free Minis Class! This class dives into what many sessions are and how to structure them right so that you can maximize your profit. And then we talk a ton about marketing. You can check it out at HERE.

Honestly, coming home from photographing a bunch of minis and then jumping right into post processing is kind of overwhelming. So, I recommend waiting a day to get into all of your editing. They're long days and sometimes things go really well - and let's be real, sometimes they don't. But waiting a day allows some of that emotion to cool so that you can be in the right headspace to edit your images (or send them to your editor!). Back them up as soon as you get home, but don't start culling or editing in that moment. Trust me!

Hopefully I can explain our system well to you.... but, when we start organizing files from our mini session, we put all of our mages on a hard drive. I have one master folder for that set of mini sessions. Always put the location and the date! Then, inside that master folder, we have three more folders. A "Capture" folder which is where all of the RAW files will go. Next is a "selects" folder, which will have any images we choose as the final images for our clients. And then finally, we have an "Output" folder, which is the final edited images. Within those folders, I have a folder for each family. I label it by the number session they were of the day (1, 2, etc.) and then mom's first and last name... so the file name might look like: 1-Rebecca Rice when I'm all done. This helps me keep everything in order so there's no confusing who is who!

Once you've got all of your folders set up and the photos dumped into the "Capture" folder, it's time to batch your work. By that I mean, sit down and cull all of your photos at the same time. Edit them and deliver the images at the same time to your clients. By doing each family individually, you're not really maximizing your time. Instead, focus on one type of task at a time. I've found I'm a lot more productive when I can do everything at once, for example: I cull in PhotoMechanic. It's a one time purchase and it's amazing because it's SO much faster to cull through images - and more efficient. Then I go into Lightroom and edit everything and then do one sitting where I prep the galleries in Shootproof.

There's two purposes to having your workflow organized. One, it gets it out of your head and makes sure that your entire team knows what's going on. If something happens to you or you need help, how do you explain to someone where everyone is in the process? Have a written list so that it's easy to follow, no matter who's helping you. The other reason that you need to organize your workflow is to ensure that every client gets the same experience. I've talked about Trello before - but we use it for our team and every session has a checklist so that we make sure we know what's going on! PS. Don't forget - in Behind the Lens, we actually share our EXACT workflow and Trello board with you so that you can get your workflow organized today!

There you have it! Four easy tips to master your workflow after your mini sessions. Running a profitable and successful business is really about organizing yourself in a way that works for you. Creating systems that can be easily replicated at high volume is important and the best way to make sure you make it through your busy season in one piece! I hope these tips help you this year with your mini sessions!

+ Behind the Lens

+ Free Minis Class

Wait a day to start (2:53)

Organize your files (3:59)

Batch your work (6:58)

Write out your workflow (8:38)

Welcome back to another episode of the Business Journey Podcast. Today's episode is really important to me because it's something I did wrong my entire first year of business.  I learned quickly afterwards that I didn't want my business running on a trajectory that put me in a space of exhaustion and burnout. So, today I want to share some tips that are super practical to help you avoid burnout and tackle your busy season. These tips will help you feel in control, fresh, and ready to keep working!

Before we jump into those tips, I want to remind you that I do have my FREE Mini Sessions class running right now. In this class, you'll learn how to elevate your client experience - without more stress for you, and improve your marketing strategies so that you can become fully booked. If you're ready for those tips (and more!), sign up here. Now, onto those tips!

I learned this from Ashlyn Carter. She's a copywriter and she's always helped me believe that it is possible to work from a place of rest and not hustle. It seems like so many people in our industry are always pushing and "hustling". The truth is that you don't have to work from that pace to be successful. Sure, working from a place of rest might take you a little longer, but it will be more fulfilling in the end. My first year in business, I photographed over 100 families. By the time the fall ended, I was burnt out. I wanted to sleep for a whole week and I couldn't. Life kept going on around me. And I decided in that moment, I couldn't do that again. The tips I'm about to share will help you find this margin and breathing room, too. It's such an amazing feeling!

Anything you do for your clients from the session, editing, or post-processing, write it out. I know you think you know it and you have it all in your head, but when you're in the middle of a busy season... something is going to be forgotten. And even if it's not, you're going to just feel crazy overwhelmed. So these written processes are what you come to lean on when the crazy hits. Our checklists help make sure every single client is given the same experience, no matter how busy we are. Our team uses Trello and if you're in Behind the Lens, we actually talk about our exact system and process for this software (plus you'll get a template for our workflows!).

One thing that's important in avoiding burnout is to know your capacity and to stick with it. It's one thing to know you've reached capacity, but it's another entirely to actually stick to it and tell people "no". Just because there's white space or margin in your calendar and life doesn't mean you need to fill it with bookings. Being completely overwhelmed because you can't say "no" doesn't help anyone. It leads directly to burn out and if you're running at 120% all the time, you're never going to have time to recover. Frankly, it's not sustainable or healthy for you or your business.

I probably sound like a broken record because we talk about outsourcing and automation a lot, but I truly believe and am passionate about both! Look through your client experience and see what you can automate in your CRM (like Dubsado). After you've done that, determine what you can outsource to someone else. I know it can be hard to let go of your editing or writing, but if it saves you time and someone can do it just as well - if not better - than you, why wouldn't you let them help? You can read about my experience with outsourcing my editing HERE.

I don't know about you, but if I don't write something down or put it on my calendar, it won't happen. So literally, plan your rest in. Block off certain days or weeks that you won't be shooting. It's a non-negotiable appointment now and your whole job is to rest. If you plan to rest, you'll have much more to give to your business and your family/relationships. Trust me!

I hope that these tips help you avoid burnout as we go into a super busy fall. I want you to be able to thrive through your busiest seasons and take them in stride, instead of letting them run you. You deserve that and your family, relationships and clients deserve that too.

+ 20% OFF DUBSADO

+ Behind the Lens

+ Free Minis Class

Working from a place of rest (2:17)

Write out processes ahead of time (5:16)

Know your capacity (7:19)

Automate + outsource (11:54)

Plan your rest (13:44)

I'm so excited - it's Monday, so we've got another great episode of the Business Journey Podcast to share with you! Today, we're welcoming a sweet friend of mine: Dolly DeLong. If you've been listening for awhile now, you know that I mention Dolly quite a bit. I always say "#belikedolly" because she is just amazing, so sweet, and is truly a champion of community building. She was one of my first friends when I moved to Nashville and I'm so thankful for her. Dolly is a family photographer and educator here in Nashville, TN and is just a wealth of knowledge. She is an expert in all things automations and workflows and systems, and so I know you guys are in for a treat because today we're talking all about automations for your family photography business. So grab your notebook and let's chat!

Here's what we're talking about today!

• Meet Dolly (1:30)
• Why automations matter as a family photographer (2:20)
• A reminder that you are smart/savvy enough to build your workflows (3:36)
• What happens to your business if you aren't there to run it (6:05)
• Start by creating email templates (11:30)
• Automate your lead capture form (20:00)
• How to streamline your entry points (32:01)
• Write a proposal for your business (36:20)

Dolly is seriously changing the game when it comes to workflows and automations for small business owners, so make sure you check her out! Her website is HERE and she's on Instagram, too. She is amazing, so go see what she's got for you!

+ How to Create a Contact Form That Wows (Dolly's Training)

+ 20% OFF DUBSADO

+ 50% OFF HONEYBOOK

+ Email Templates

Another great episode of the Business Journey Podcast is live! I'm chatting with a good friend of mine, Robe Greene, who's literally the King of Flash for Photographers. He's just incredible and so knowledgeable - and I'm so happy that he's here to talk with us today. Rob and I met because I bought a camera for one of my associates and when he dropped it off, we just hit it off. He's been an incredible resource for me and my students... if you're in Behind the Lens, you'll recognize Rob! I'm thrilled to be sharing him with you all today and I hope you realize that flash isn't as scary as you think! He's sharing some super practical tips about how to become more confident with your flash.

• Meet Rob (1:40)
• Rob and I have a surprise for you! (4:25)
• The reality: we all hate shooting flash (6:31)
• How Rob got started using his flash (8:45)
• Flash photography is based on the same concepts as natural light photography (9:40)
• It's okay if you don't understand your flash! (11:23)
• Flash photography uses same exposure settings you already use (13:28)
• Flash photography gives you more control over your final images (18:57)

As you'll see once you listen to the whole episode, Rob is truly the expert when it comes to flash. And he (and I) truly want you to feel confident using your flash. It's a great tool for us as photographers. That's why I'm SO excited that we're going to be hosting this joint webinar on Thursday and Friday. Remember, it's FREE and you can get replay if you miss it (or just want to watch it again!), but only if you sign up. Trust me when I say Rob will help you feel more comfortable and confident with that cute little flash you carry around and try to avoid using. It will seriously change your life! Join us later this week - I hope to see you there!! SIGN UP HERE!

Ready to learn more about Rob? You can find him at Square 8 Studio on all social media platforms and YouTube. His website is HERE too! He has so many amazing things coming for photographers - you won't want to miss the chance to connect with him.

+ FREE Flash Class with Rob and Rebecca 

+ Behind the Lens Membership

Happy Monday and welcome back to another episode of the Business Journey podcast! I'm so excited to share today's topic, because I'm telling you all about my break from social media. This is one of those episodes where I'm really pulling back the curtain and letting you see what life has been like lately. Having authentic and real conversations like this is so important to me and I can't wait to see what you think!

At the beginning of August, I was super active on my social media. Not just posting and marketing active... but spending a LOT of time scrolling through Instagram and Facebook. It just sucks you in! You know how that is. I've tried to set limits before, but they weren't working. I found myself reaching for my phone throughout the day if I felt bored or had a lull. After getting really anxious one night because I couldn't remember where my phone was, I realized that I had become pretty addicted to it and to being constantly up to date. I decided then and there that I was going to take a big break from social media. I deserved better, so did my family!

As a business owner, I knew it was going to be a little tricky but I have a team that helps with pushing content out. Occasionally, there's something I have to post personally so I would hop into the app, post it, and leave. Otherwise, it was up to my team to create and schedule the content. I actually deleted the apps from my phone! With the new iOS update, I actually did the quasi delete option so I could quickly do my business posts as needed. But it was off my home screen and way out of mind. I also turned off motivations and set up time limits. It was amazing!! Even just in the first few days, I realized that I was being really intentional with that time and not letting the apps run my life.

When I'm not letting the apps suck my time, I'm an avid reader. So I made a point to pick up new books and read during this social media break. It made such a huge difference for me! And not just that, but being "bored" was good for me overall. I was more present with my kids. I could read and relax. My screen time just dropped dramatically all the way around - not just on those apps. With my Apple Watch, I was able to walk away from my phone more - I still got notifications if someone needed me. But I knew when it could wait (and when it couldn't!) and addressed it that way.

Honestly, the biggest thing I learned (and remembered) is that I can find what I need after the fact. There is no reason for me to need to see everything as it happens. I didn't miss people's dinner photos or my family's trips to the zoo. Later, when I logged on in my dedicated windows, I saw those things. And even if I hadn't, I could go look if I was worried. But I didn't really miss anything by stepping away. So, here's your challenge: take a week off of social media. See what happens for you, your family, and your business. You might be surprised! I'm here cheering you on!!

Why I took a social media break (1:26)

How I managed with my business (4:36)

What I did instead (6:50)

My take aways (10:11)

We've got a super exciting and jam packed episode of the Business Journey podcast today! My content writer, Kristina Dowler, is joining us today to talk all about blogging for family photographers. Kristina is our team's copywriter and she writes all of our blogs and emails. She's just incredible and an extension of me, so it's been such a valuable relationship! She is an expert in blogging which is why I'm thrilled to be talking about what she does and what you can be doing for your own business! Blogging is such a great (free) tool for your business and your marketing. Don't sleep on it. Today's episode will definitely convince you that it's worth the time and effort... and that you have more to say than you realize!

• Meet Kristina (3:06)
• The benefits of blogging for family photographers (6:04)
• Why optimizing your blogs really does matter (9:40)
• How often should you be blogging for your family photography business? (12:00)
• Blogging is a long-term game (16:13)
• What can family photographers blog about? (17:31)
• A few practical tips about how to make Google happy with your blogs (28:08)

If you want to learn more about Kristina and her business, check out here website HERE! Not only is she a virtual assistant and content writer for small businesses, but she's now coaching too! If you think you need some extra help in your business, go check her out, seriously!

+ Email Templates

+ Kristina's 10 Tips to Kickstart Your Blog 

+ Kristina's website