Mini Sessions Made Easy

I’m so excited about today’s episode of the Business Journey podcast because I’m introducing you to my very first industry friend, Courtney Bosworth. We always have a great time together and recording this episode for you was no exception. Today, we wanted to really dive into why it’s important to have industry friends, how it helps us both, and just a little look into our friendship. I love when I get to see and talk with Courtney - and I hope you'll understand why a friendship like this is important for YOU to have, too. I'm too thankful to give you a little peek into our relationship today. So let's get talking! 

• Meet Courtney and learn about her business (1:39)
• How we became friends (3:05)
• What it was like before we had industry friendships (7:00)
• A reminder that getting out of your shell can be a good thing (9:30)
• Why you should remember you’re not the only one craving community (11:05)
• What our favorite thing is about having a friend in the industry (13:15)
• Some of our favorite memories (19:18)
• Why we believe in finding a business bestie (30:32)

If you want to learn more about Courtney, you can see her website HERE! She’s also got some amazing things up her sleeve for other moms in business. So, whether you’re a mom or just a photographer looking for some extra help, go take a look. Courtney is going to blow you away! 

+ Courtney’s Website

+ United

Welcome back to another episode of the Business Journey Podcast! I’m so excited about today’s topic because we’re going to be talking about ways to book out your mini sessions. I mean, anything about mini sessions makes my heart just so happy, but I especially love this topic! I’m going to be sharing 3 tips for booking out your mini sessions. Right now, it’s the beginning of September, so you should 100% be advertising your holiday minis and getting them booked. So I can’t wait to share these practical tips with you so that you can start filling up those sessions. 

Don’t forget, if you want to learn even more secrets about marketing, monetizing, and maximizing your profits with mini sessions, I have a FREE class for you! We dive deep into all of these topics, especially marketing, and it can be a huge help as you prepare for those holiday mini sessions. Sign up here! Now, onto those tips for booking out your mini sessions! 

If you don’t have an email list for your business yet, this is your sign to start one. It doesn’t have to be fancy…. I call mine my VIP list and it’s filled with past and potential clients. They’ve agreed to sign up for my list and give me their email so they get updates from me and priority booking access for any sessions we offer. I truly believe in the power of an email list because these are your warmest potential clients. That’s why I recommend emailing them first about your sessions. They’ve done the work and know what you do and they’re going to WANT to book first! (PS, if you want more tips about email marketing go check out Episode 12 of the podcast!) 

After you’ve emailed your VIP list, now it’s time to go to social media if you still have spots to fill. The first smart way to market on social media is to create scarcity. I go really in depth with this in my free class, but basically I recommend that you start marking with only ONE date for your minis. Instead of opening up three days at once, start with just one. When that fills, you can open the next date and so on. Not only does it create scarcity, but it also makes your shooting schedule easier - and less spread out! 

I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with photographers who stopped trying to offer mini sessions because they get discouraged after a week or two of advertising. Good marketing takes time! I always recommend giving yourself 6-8 weeks to be booking your mini sessions. Depending what time of year it is or what’s going on, bookings might be slow. But stick it out! In my Profitable Mini Sessions 2.0 course, I actually have a whole module on troubleshooting if you’re not booking minis. Just remember, don’t throw in the towel. There’s so many factors that can impact why you’re booking - so keep trying! 

The bottom line of booking out your mini sessions is to be patient and keep trying. I hope that these three simple tips help you feel ready to tackle your next mini sessions! You can do it!!

+ Free Minis Class

+ Profitable Mini Sessions 2.0

Start with your email list (2:22)

Smart marketing on social media (4:56)

Stick with it (7:50)

It’s Monday, so you know what that means: another episode of the Business Journey podcast is out! Today, we’re talking about three workflows every family photographer should be using. But, before we get too far into things… Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE class all about marketing mini sessions. As you prepare for fall and Christmas minis, it’s the perfect time to make sure your marketing is where it should be so you can have a fully booked calendar. Join us HERE!

Let’s define what a workflow is. When I say “workflow”, I basically mean a list of steps that you follow. I like to think of it as a checklist for whatever task we’re working on. And I believe every family photographer should be using the three workflows we’re going to talk about today! You can definitely write it out on paper or in an app, like Trello. My team and I LOVE using Trello because we can make templates of these workflows and apply them to every single client, blog, or whatever other thing we need to. It’s amazing to quickly see where everything is in the business!

The first workflow I think every family photographer should be using is a client experience workflow. This one should contain all of the steps that your clients go through for the first time the inquire with you to the delivery of their gallery – and even beyond if you have anything else you do (like ask for a review!). Write out your client experience as it stands now. Think about what touch points they receive, emails and other communication, all of it. Then decide how you might want to tweak that in the future. Do you want them to have a blog post about a frequently asked question? Do you want to add in gifting? That kind of thing! Then, you can start to automate these steps through a management software like Dubsado (my favorite!) or Honeybook.

Remember, the goal here is to be able to provide every single client with the same experience. If one family got a questionnaire, they all should. These checklists help you make sure that you are providing the same experience for each client!

The next workflow every family photographer should be using is a post-processing workflow. To me, this is everything that happens after you shoot the session. This would be things like backing up your images, culling photos, sending to your editor (or editing), blogging, and social media posts. Again, make a list of everything you do once you get home from your session! This is the kind of list that I keep in Trello. I’m able to add a list to every session there to make sure our team never forgets a step.  Trello also lets you add due dates which is super nice. I hate admitting it but in my first year of business, I definitely forgot to do some of those steps – even delivering galleries – so I never wanted that to happen again! That’s why I LOVE workflows!

The last workflow I believe every family photographer should have is a maintenance workflow. This one is often overlooked and contains tasks that many of us probably overlook. A maintenance workflow’s tasks will be done maybe once a quarter or throughout the year, but not every day or week. Tasks here might be things like backing up all of your photos, refreshing your website portfolio or adding new testimonials. I’d also encourage you to review your workflows each year too and see if you need to change anything up!

 Figure out what kind of system will work best for you: whether it’s an online list system like Trello, Asana, or Monday or a notebook. Create these workflows and follow them every single time you do one of these tasks, book a session, or need to go through some maintenance work. Believe it or not, once these are setup, they take so much pressure off of you to remember every single task! And seriously, any time that you can get back in your life by not having to remember all of this is a game changer!

+ FREE Minis Class

+ Trello

+ 20% OFF DUBSADO

+50% OFF HONEYBOOK

Client Experience workflow

Post-processing workflow

Maintenance workflow

Happy Monday! We’ve got another great episode of the Business Journey Podcast for you today! We’re chatting all about elevating your experience as a photographer by offering albums. Look, I swore for years I’d never offer albums. But the reality is that owning a business is a journey and sometimes on that journey… you wind up eating your words, ha! So, here we are: offering albums and loving every minute of it. Today, I want to dive into what the process looks like, our journey with albums, and how you can start adding it to your experience today! I truly believe in elevating your client experience with albums and I hope you will, too!

Before we get into everything, I wanted to share something exciting! I'm hosting a FREE class with the CEO of Kiss Books TODAY!!! This is a two part series to learn ALL about how I use albums in my client experience, specifically with mini sessions!! I can't WAIT to how you how I've been able to increase my profits AND serve my clients through albums!! CLICK HERE to join me TODAY at 2pm CST!! Select “Register to All Dates” when you join and be automatically enrolled in BOTH free classes (happening today and Thursday!)! A replay will be available and sent out shortly after the live class.

Now, onto today’s topic…

For the longest time, I said I would never offer albums for my clients. Albums are great but I was convinced that the only way to actually sell albums well was by doing in-person sales (IPS) and I did NOT have time for that. For years, that’s what I believed and albums stayed off my offerings. But, recently I connected with the CEO of Kiss Books, Sean Gordon. He helped me talk through this fear of offering albums because of IPS and having time. He totally transformed the way I look at albums now! (We’re talking a lot about this on our webinar on Thursday so make sure you sign up - CLICK HERE!)

When I realized I didn’t have to do IPS to sell albums, everything changed. We decided to try out the offer and added to my collections and associate team. Surprise? It worked! We have clients buying albums now. They've never seen them. They aren’t coming to my studio to go through them or design them. And my clients are LOVING them! 

Through offering albums to my clients, I’ve come to realize there’s some very distinct benefits to offering albums. First, it elevates your client experience and justifies higher pricing for your sessions. It also helps set you apart. How many family photographers around you right now include albums in their collections? Now you can offer these beautiful albums! Seriously, KISS creates beautiful albums that your clients are going to love. And they’re affordable for you! 

Even more important than that, we’re creating the tradition of printed photos for our clients. Many clients don’t realize how badly they want their photos printed until they’re in their hands. Now, they’ll have the expectation to have an album each year. What an amazing experience - and heirloom to pass down! Personally, we have young kids right now who want to look through photos all the time. Imagine being able to provide that memory to your clients! 

Make sure to sign up for the webinars this week so you can be part of the rest of the conversation about albums and offering them as a photographer. I’m so excited to be jumping into this world with all of you! I hope this helps you get excited to start elevating your client experience with albums!!

+ KISS Books Webinar 

+ KISS Books Discount

The KISS Books Webinars (1:39)

My Journey with Albums (4:04)

Benefits of Selling Albums (6:16)

I’m so excited for today’s episode of the Business Journey podcast! Today, I’m talking about the best investment I ever made for my business! I’m several years into my business now and I’m a huge believer in education for business owners. No matter where you are in business, I absolutely believe that education can make a huge difference in your business. Of all the investments in education I've made over the years, I’m confident that my mastermind investment was the best one I ever made for business. 

Before we get too into everything, I want to remind you about a FREE class we have for you! It’s all about mini sessions and how to market for success. Check it out HERE - so you can get your fall minis off to a good start this year! Now, back to masterminds… 

If you’ve never done or heard of a mastermind before, it’s basically intimate group coaching. One person is in charge of teaching and running the mastermind and there’s usually 6-10 other members of your group. You learn together, bounce ideas off each other, and really become a tight knit group. In the last 18 months, I’ve been a part of 4 masterminds. And while it’s been a big investment (we’re talking almost $18K), I whole-heartedly believe it’s the best thing I could have done. By the way - I’ve made all that back (and then some), which is one way to tell those masterminds were absolutely worth it!

I want to share something exciting with you! I’m actually starting my own mastermind! It’s been something in the works for a long time over here, but I’m finally in a place where I’m ready to share about it! Like many masterminds, there will be an application so that we can decide if this will be a good fit for you (or not). You can find that application HERE! Read on to see if a mastermind might be the best fit for you - and don't forget to apply! 

Over the last 18 months, and because of all of these masterminds, I have greatly accelerated my growth. Do I believe I could have gotten here on my own? Of course, but without the help I had, it wouldn’t have happened as quickly! I gained so much value from my coaches and the other students in my masterminds. With their help, I was able to make better decisions in and for my business. They’ve been where I am now and I could make more educated and thoughtful decisions with their guidance. 

I also really believe in masterminds because of the relationships you form. Not only did I get industry leaders literally in my back pocket, cheering me on - but I got to connect with other amazing leaders in the group. There’s something really amazing about connecting with people who know exactly what you're going through. Some of my best relationships now are from these groups! 

And the last reason I believe in masterminds is because of accountability! I’m very much a self-starter. I’m a visionary and Enneagram 3. I like to do all the things. But, it was amazing to have people in my corner reminding me about those things I started and never made it back to. They were there reminding me of all of the ideas I had, and not only reminding me - but helping me go after those things. Not only that, but you have lots of other people looking at your business and helping you generate ideas to make sure you’re reaching the goals you set for yourself. What more could you ask for?! 

Masterminds are truly for business owners who are ready to level up in their businesses! I never offer 1:1 mentoring so this mastermind is really a special group and I can’t wait to see who winds up in our mastermind!! If you’re wondering what’s included, I want to break it down for you. You’ll get weekly calls with me and unlimited Voxer access to me. We’re going to make our mastermind 1 month long. It’ll be intense but it will be so much fun! If you’re at all interested, make sure you apply - even if you’re not 100% sure if you’re a good fit or not. 

I can’t wait to start reviewing applications. Together, we’ll decide if this is a wise investment for your business. I want you to feel confident, to hit your goals, and I can't wait to pour into you and your business! Get that application in. Remember, you can apply HERE!

+ Mastermind Application

+ Free Mini Session Class

What is a Mastermind? (2:09)

My exciting news! (3:38)

Why Join a Mastermind (5:50)

What's included in Rebecca's Mastermind (15:45)

Today’s a super special episode of the Business Journey podcast because we’re chatting with someone who’s important and vital to my business: my private editor! Alisa and I will be talking all about what it’s like working with a private editor and why you should consider outsourcing your editing. I truly believe that outsourcing can change your business and your life, so I’m thrilled to be chatting with Alisa about everything editing today! So many of my students ask when they should hire an editor and my answer is always “yesterday!” but, in all seriousness I think it’s a great place to start your outsourcing journey, so let’s dive in! 

• Alisa’s journey to becoming a private editor (3:00)
• The role of a private editor: what they do (and don’t!) for photographers (5:33)
• How Alisa works to match photographer’s styles (6:42)
• A reminder that it’s okay if YOU aren’t the one editing your images! (9:55)
• When you’re ready to hire a private editor (11:27)
• How having an editor has allowed me to remove my emotions from the editing process (18:02)
• What Alisa looks for in potential clients (20:28)
• What a private editor can cost (25:06)
• How photographers can find the best fit for them when looking for editors (29:30)

If you want to learn more about Alisa, you can check out here website HERE! She’s also launching a course this fall for anyone interest in how to edit photos and become an editor, which is amazing!! In the meantime, she has a free course as well and I can’t wait for you to get it if editing is something you’re interested in. A huge thank you to Alisa for coming to chat with me today all about private editing for photographers. I’m so thankful for her in my business - and I know you will be too when you hire out your editing.

+ Alisa's website

+ Cultivated Edits

+Janelle Joy Photo Editing

I'm thrilled we've got another episode of the Business Journey podcast for you today! Today's topic is all about Behind the Lens, my membership for family photographers. I thought it was the perfect time to chat more about what Behind the Lens is, who it's for, and a little inside scoop about how it's made! This membership was created with family photographers in mind. I wanted to give family photographers a look at REAL family portrait sessions so they could see what it's like, why I make the choices I do for lighting, posing, and how I run my session. It's filled with behind the scenes footage of actual family photos sessions I photograph plus my voice over to explain what's going on. Each month, members also get a Masterclass from me or a guest expert. We've talked about Pinterest, blogging, flash, and so much more already and we're only 4 months in! Anyway, I want to dive into the making of "Behind the Lens with Rebecca Rice", so let's get to it!

Honestly, this membership had been on my heart for SO long. I learned from incredible educators when I first began my journey into photography. But the problem was, I couldn't really find resources specific to family photographers. So much of what I could get access t was for weddings, seniors or newborns. And while that's all great and taught me so much, I realized there was a void here. Family photographers were being left out. So I decided I want to fill that gap and offer something for family photographers. I waited for a year and a half to be in a season of life where this membership was actually feasible and it's been so worth it so I could serve you all well!

When I first started as a family photographer, I would ask local photographers if I could shadow them. I just wanted to see an actual family photographer in action. And honestly? A lot of them said no, because they thought I would be direct competition. This was why I wanted to create an element of virtual mentorship. That way, no matter where you are, you can learn from a photographer who's been there. So in the videos that are a part of Behind the Lens, I take the time to break down each of my decisions when it comes to lighting, posing, and prompts.

Another thing I realized while I was sorting through the education I completed for my own business is that resources in the photography world are EXPENSIVE. And they're definitely worth it! I truly believe that. But, I also know that it isn't always in someone's budget to pay hundreds of dollars for a course. So I wanted to create something that was affordable, no matter where you are in your business. That's another reason I wanted to include masterclasses in addition to the behind the scenes footage. I want you to have access to something helpful, in every stage of your business.

One of my favorite parts of Behind the Lens is that I can cater the content you receive each month based on the feedback I get from students. I've shown sessions with toddlers, an in home lifestyle session, a mommy and me session. It's been really fun to come up with something that's unique each month to provide you with the best possible education. And as a little sneak peek, we've got a session with adult children coming up soon and a cake smash! But, it's not just about the type of session. It's also about locations. I'm showing students how to take little parts of their neighborhood and make magic. We've talked about using flash in a dark house. One session is even on the beach! I want to be sure that you feel prepared for any situation you're in. I seriously listen to all of your feedback and requests. When I knew I wanted to do this membership, I wanted it to be fluid and able to adjust to your needs!

This membership would not be possible without every photographer that has joined in, provided feedback, and taken our classes. We currently have over 400 members! It's amazing. Seriously, I love watching each and every one of you become better photographers, ask for help, and build a community. It's just incredible.  I would have never imagined that this would grow so fast, but it just goes to show how needed this resources. And I love that I get to help step in and fill that gap.

If you're not a member of Behind the Lens, now's the time to jump in! It's $14/month and I promise it will be the best $14 you've ever spent. You'll get access to the behind the scenes videos, masterclasses, and our Facebook community - which might just be my favorite part!

+ Behind the Lens Membership

Why did I make Behind the Lens? (2:06)

Behind the scenes format (5:07)

What's the cost? (7:44)

What kind of content is included? (9:20)

A thank you! (13:00)

Today's episode of the Business Journey Podcast is a really special one. We're celebrating that I've been full-time in my photography business for ONE full year! There's been so many great moments and plenty of moments that taught us some hard lessons. But, I thought today it might be fun to talk about a few of the lessons I've learned over the last year.

Before we dive into all of that, I want to share my FREE resource with you as you're planning those fall minis! It's planning season, people! This resource gives you 12 great themes for mini sessions. They're all tried and true, so I hope that they help you kickstart your planning this year. You can grab it HERE!

If you don't know much about me or my backstory, let me recap for you. First off, this isn't my first year in business. It's just my first year full-time. I was in ministry before I went full-time in my business. For 9 years, I worked in youth ministry and while I was there, I began my photography business. During my first year in business, I surpassed my full-time job income... which we didn't expect at all. At the time, I was totally content with my church job and kept my photography as a side gig for a bit longer. It was a great creative outlet. At the same time, the Lord began to move our hearts around a move to Nashville, TN. Since my husband is a musician and radio producer, it seemed like a great idea. But, we never really knew when it was going to happen.

Last summer, we were really pushed and realized that was our sign. At that time, I left the church job and became a photographer full-time. Daniel came into the business full-time with me in September. We still can't believe that my business provides full-time jobs for BOTH of us. I never dreamed of this. Honestly, I didn't think I wanted to be home full-time and be with my kids - I just wanted my work and to be with them around that. But when COVID hit, I realized how lucky we really were. And I love it now! I thought sharing some of what we've learned this year might help you - wherever you are in your business!

Working from home full-time is a lot harder than I thought it would be. When you work for someone else, they control most of your job. When you work, where you work, and all that stuff. But when you run your own business, you're the boss! You can control what you do. I'm a naturally self-motivated person, so getting what I needed done wasn't the problem. Instead, finding our rhythm as a family was the tricky part. I know that I prefer scheduled times to work. It's better for me. But with kids and the space we lived in last year, it was hard. Now that we're in our new home, I have an office for the first time. Daniel has a studio. We've started scheduling work hours and have hired a nanny. We've found what works for our family and our business and that's key.

If you've never heard the term, batching is simply a time management principle where you do like things together. Instead of writing just one blog post, I'll sit down and write 4. Then I can go to the next step of the prepping process for all four for the month instead of doing the entire process every time I sit down. Since I only have three days a week to work, I have to be super intentional. So I have laid out my week in a way that allows me focus on ONE type of task at a time so I can prep as much as possible in one sitting. For example, on Fridays, I record my podcasts. I try to record as many as I can at once so it's off my plate.

I already mentioned that we have a nanny, but there's so many ways to bring help into your business and personal life. And believe me, it is always worth it! I will admit that I had a hard time with this at first. I was worried about supporting our family and also being a control freak... but, I've learned to trust that God will provide. I've built a team who help me with all of my business stuff and we have a nanny at home supporting our family. Although I may not know how our income will look every month, I can plan and budget and do my best.

I could go on for days about all of the things I've learned, but I'll end with this one. Being home with my kids has been such an unexpected blessing. I never planned on both me and Daniel being home with them. I was a working mom with kids in daycare. But being able to be home for nap times and lunches together has really been so sweet. If we want to leave the house and go out for lunch together, we can. We can go to the park together and play when we want to. Being able to have that flexibility is SUCH a great feeling. It's also really weird. I didn't have that for a long time - I had limited vacation time, a strict schedule, and now I don't. Now, I can make our life what we want.

This year hasn't always been easy. We've had some bumps in the road, but even in the rough seasons, God is so faithful and He provides for us. I'm so happy that our journey has brought us here. And, if you're on the cusp of going full-time in your business, I wish you SO much luck. Plan carefully, think and be strategic, and enjoy the ride. It's so worth it.

+ 12 Ideas for Mini Session Themes

My back story (2:15)

Find a rhythm (6:33)

Batching is key (12:41)

Bring on help (14:06)

Enjoy the blessing (16:37)

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Transcript

As family photographers, we have a natural busy season and a natural slow season. For me, I've found summer and winter to be slower. Everyone loves having photos done in the spring and fall, so making the most of my slower seasons has always been important to me. For anyone offering mini sessions, now is the time to be planning for those fall and Christmas sessions, which we talked about on a recent episode (listen HERE). And, don't forget, if you're working on minis for the fall and winter, I have a great FREE resource to help you decide which themes to go with! Beyond prepping for mini sessions, there's other ways to maximize your slow season, so today let's jump into 5 things you can be doing before work picks up again! These tasks will help you optimize your business so everything is running efficiently, even on your busiest days.

When I'm not shooting a lot, the first thing I do is review my client experience. Take the time to look over the entire process from start to finish. What is it like when they inquire with me? Am I sending emails - and what's included? How can I serve my clients better? I've talked a ton about client experience on the blog before now, so you can look through some posts about that. But really, it's just about being in my clients' shoes and making sure they're having the best possible experience with me. I want it to be easy and to reduce any questions or concerns on their end. And it doesn't end there. Think about how you can serve them well after your session (or during it!), like a cooler with water for sessions or a thank you gift of an ornament after a Christmas mini. Little things like that can go a long way!

Alright, so I know this is a pretty boring task, but trust me: it will make a difference in your busy seasons. Workflow will mean something different to everyone... it could be an actual workflow in Honeybook or Dubsado, or just a Trello checklist. Whatever it is, make sure you have a single system that works for every single client so you never lose track of what's going on with them or their photos. And, if you don't have a workflow already, now's the time to start one. Take a piece of paper and write EVERY single part of your experience with a client. This is a process you should review regularly. But, definitely take the time each slow season to ensure your workflows are as optimized as possible. Seriously, if you don't need something anymore, REMOVE it. And if you want to add something new in (like asking for reviews!), build out the steps to make that happen.

During your slow season, you should be looking at what you can automate and delegate when it comes to your business. Are there emails you can setup to go automatically? What about questionnaires or guides? You don't need to be the one pushing "Send". Put that CRM to use! Also take the time to look at what you can outsource. As you grow and get busier, getting help is going to be key! Trust me, it's way more affordable than you think. If someone else can do it at least 80% as well las you (or better), that task can be outsourced. Outsourcing will allow you to focus your energy where it's needed most. You can read more about my thoughts on outsourcing here!

A great way to help maximize your off season is to plan ahead for your next season. Right now, that would look like planning for the fall! So, take out your calendar (digital or paper) and decide what dates you're going to be shooting. This is especially helpful when you're planning fall and Christmas mini sessions. But, regardless of what you're shooting, determine when you can do it. Also add in days to edit and prep galleries and of course, days off. Busy season can drain even the best professional so build in time to take a break!

The last thing you can do to maximize your slow season is to back up your photos. I know it sounds silly, but it's something that's overlooked ALL the time by photographers. And I have so many horror stories to convince you about WHY this is important. But trust me, it is. So take the time and back up those photos. For me, that looks like the online gallery on Shootproof  and two backup drives that are identical copies of each other. Even when a session is way over, I keep the galleries in my Shootproof archive so I always have them. There's so many places you can back up photos: Blaze, Dropbox, Google Drive, whatever it is, BACK THEM UP!

I hope these five tasks will allow you to maximize your slow season! It's so easy to let things run the way they have forever... but that's not how you grow. Take the time to invest and work on your business. Your future self will thank you!

+12 Ideas for Mini Sessions

+  20% off Dusbado

+ 50% OFF HONEYBOOK

+ Shootproof

Look over your Client Experience (4:28)

Update your workflows (7:33)

Automate whatever you can (9:41)

Plan ahead for the next season (12:58)

Back up your photos!!! (14:30)

It's Fall mini session prep time! That's why I recently hosted a Q & A about fall mini session prep and I thought I'd share some of the things we discussed with you! Preparing for mini sessions shouldn't be overwhelming. It should help you feel like you have a plan and you're going to sell out all of your spots because you're ready and prepped your audience. So let's dive into our Fall Minis Q & A! I hope these questions (and answers) help you feel ready to go this year!

I see this question a LOT, especially around holiday sessions like Red Truck mini sessions. If you don't have the setup yet for your holiday minis, which is totally cool, there's a few things you can do. The first is to rent your setup for 1 day for a few hours to capture promotional shots. Have a model call and bring in a real family to photograph in your setup. If you aren't able to rent your setup or the space for a small period of time, ask the rental company or location if they have any photos you can use for advertising. It's not always ideal but it can work. Post that image alongside images you've taken so people know what they're getting.

I think running a Christmas in July special can be a great way to build excitement for your Christmas minis. I would hold off really promoting your fall mini sessions until you're done with your Christmas in July marketing, though.  I know for me and my team, we've sold almost all of our Red Truck mini session spots from this month's promotions alone! As soon as they fill up or July is over, you can start pushing the general fall mini sessions and then bring back the sign ups for Christmas ones again as it gets closer.

I get this question a lot, but I think the answer is if it's a unique setup, then absolutely do it again! I know for me and my business, I do have clients that will book the same (or similar) setups year to year. For some families, it becomes a tradition. And for new families, it's nice to be able to offer them something they may not have been able to book the year before. If you're worried about it, you could also add an additional setup that's an option. That gives people more variety to choose from so they don't feel like they're "stuck" with the same setup as the year prior.

The short answer? No! It's the perfect time to start getting your plan together for your fall and holiday mini sessions. If you're part of my Behind the Lens Membership, there's actually a quarterly planning masterclass from this month where we walked through how to plan mini sessions specifically with my associate, Bonnie. It's SO helpful and a great video to watch. All of that to say, now is the best time to start penciling in your dates for mini sessions and begin to plan the promo shots, marketing and all of that. In many ways, we're in an "off season" as family photographers, so take advantage of that.

Another really popular question I get is about picking themes for mini sessions and if every session has to have props. I personally don't think every mini session has to have a big theme or props. Often for fall mini sessions, I'll pick beautiful locations. And I like giving that option to my families the option to have something that isn't themed or bright and colorful because they may want something they can display year round. Or it's just not their thing. For Christmas minis, I always try to offer the themed and non-themed setups because everyone likes something different! And PS, if you need more ideas, download my FREE guide with 12 theme ideas that work for mini sessions!

As you can see, we got into some REALLY fun topics about mini sessions. And there's SO many more over on the podcast today. Click "play" above and listen to them all. I hope this Fall Minis Q & A helps you plan your fall sessions with more confidence this year.

Promo shots without a setup (2:04)

Christmas in July (5:32)

Offering the same setup (7:42)

Is it too early to advertise? (10:01)

How do I pick themes? (12:03)

+ Behind the Lens Membership

+ 12 Themes Freebie