Photobooth Podcast

$5M+ While Keeping His Day Job: Zach Sciffman on Corporate Activations, Apple TV, and Coding With AI

Photobooth Supply Co

He still works early mornings as a TV stage manager for NBC. His photo booth business has passed $5 million in cumulative revenue anyway. How do you build a business like that as a one-man shop with a day job?

In this Millionaires Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Zach Schiffman of Studio Z in the New York City and New Jersey area. A TV stage manager who launched his business in 2012 while working at ESPN, Zach has run it alongside his TV career for 14 years, passing $5 million in cumulative revenue over roughly the last decade, including a $1.2 million year.

Zach breaks down why 'photo booth' doesn't appear in his brand, how leaning into an affluent market took him from $400 bookings to premium rates in his first year, and why his best clients say he isn't the cheapest option but is the one they don't have to worry about. He shares how one cold lead and a last-minute flight to show face turned into Severance activations for Apple TV, a $150,000 three-day event, and Comic-Con conversations, plus the full-circle moment of being hired back by ESPN as a vendor.

He also gets candid on corporate vs. weddings, chasing agency payments, getting ahead of trends before they hit the Facebook groups, and why he now codes custom apps and activations with AI so he never has to say no to a client. If you want to break into brand activations, charge what you're worth, or future-proof your photo booth business, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• Why Zach's records only start in 2016, and seeing a decade of revenue together for the first time

• Dropping 'photo booth' from the name: why the biggest experiential companies don't use it

• Building Studio Z alongside early mornings as an NBC stage manager

• Why he kept the TV job: union health insurance and the security to take risks

• Pricing for an affluent market: from $400 bookings to premium rates within the first year

• 'Not the cheapest option': why clients pay more for a vendor they don't have to worry about

• Flying to LA the next day for a client in a bind, and how showing up wins clients for life

• A one-man shop with event day players: staffing and gear storage in the New York market

• Weddings vs. corporate: why four weddings at $2,000 can't compete with one $25,000 corporate event

• Chasing payments and creative approvals when working through agencies

• The number one relationship rule for breaking into corporate: always show face to new clients

• Losing his Google rankings, a spam attack, and rebuilding SEO with AI agents

• The Severance cold lead: one flight that led to Apple TV activations, a $150K three-day event, and Comic-Con

• The ESPN full-circle moment: from a $27,000 salary to nearly a quarter of that in two days as a vendor

• Getting ahead of trends: an imported 360 that paid for itself in two events, and an $80K audio guest book side business

• Why he never says no to a client anymore: coding custom activations, games, and tools with AI

• UGC, iPhones, and TikTok: Zach's honest read on where the photo booth industry is headed

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:38 - Meet Zach Schiffman & the Millionaires Club

02:32 - Why 'Photo Booth' Isn't in the Name

05:46 - The TV Day Job & Why He Keeps It

09:28 - What Set Him Apart: Pricing for the Market He Wanted

15:31 - Running a One-Man Shop in New York

18:49 - Weddings vs. Corporate Brand Activations

23:06 - Building and Keeping Client Relationships

25:38 - The Severance Cold Lead

30:37 - $150K in Three Days & the ESPN Full Circle

34:01 - Where the Photo Booth Industry Is Headed

42:35 - What's Still Fun After 14 Years

Resources:

Studio Z:

Website:

https://www.studiozphotobooths.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/studiozphotobooths/?hl=en-gb

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/StudioZPhotoBooths/?locale=en_GB

Photo Booth Supply Co.

Profit Calculator:

https://pbsco.co/profitcalc

Quickstart Program:

https://pbsco.co/QSprogram

Want To Buy A Booth? Book A Call:

https://pbsco.co/podcall

Website:

https://pbsco.co/website

$220K From A Photobooth Side Hustle: Noah Katz on Repeat Clients, Training A Team, And More

Photobooth Supply Co

He's a photographer first, but the photo booth he added ten years ago has quietly pulled in over $220,000. Four booths and a team of six later, Noah Katz hasn't gone a month without a booth gig in years. So how does a side hustle become the part of the business that never slows down?

In this Millionaire's Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Noah Katz of The Big Picture Photo Booth in Longmont, Colorado, just north of Denver and Boulder. A professional photographer for about 16 years with NJK Photography, Noah added a Photo Booth Supply Co. Legacy booth to his business in May 2016 and has since crossed into the six-figure club with over $220,000 in cumulative photo booth revenue.

Noah breaks down how a side hustle to his photography became its own brand: splitting the booth off as a DBA, buying three more Legacy booths on the used market and paying each off within a few months, and building a team of six so he never has to turn down a date. He explains why running one identical booth model makes training simple, how he gets new hires from living-room setup to live gigs, and why every booth goes out with backups.

He also shares how he turns one-time bookings into repeat clients through customer service, wedding planners, schools and PTOs, plus why a mix of weddings, corporate holiday parties, proms, fundraisers, headshots and bar mitzvahs keeps his calendar full year-round. Then there's networking through his local chamber of commerce, and his plan to go from 76 events a year to 100 by working on the business, not just in it. If you're a photographer thinking about adding a photo booth, or you want to scale beyond what you can run yourself, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• Ten years with the Legacy booth: why a real DSLR and strobe sold a photographer on Photo Booth Supply Co.

• Making back the investment within two years, then paying off booths two, three and four in a couple of months each

• Splitting the photo booth into its own DBA, The Big Picture Photo Booth, and playing the long game

• Why running four of the same booth makes training a team of six easy

• The first hire: how getting double booked with photography gigs pushed Noah to bring on help

• Corny or opportunity? Why photographers should see the photo booth as a second shooter

• Always including prints: the keepsake that still hangs on corporate clients’ cubicle walls years later

• Turning one-time bookings into repeat clients: customer service, wedding planners and next year’s date booked a week later

• Why schools, PTOs and nonprofits keep calling back once you’re on their list

• The scaling rule: turn down a third gig two or three times, then add another booth so you never have to say no

• Staying busy year-round: weddings, holiday parties, proms, fundraisers, headshots, senior portraits and bar mitzvahs

• How Noah trains new team members: full setup and breakdown at home, then a live gig before going solo

• Live-event curveballs: troubleshooting a printer from a hiking trail and Scotch-taping a ripped paper roll

• Why every booth goes out with backup cables and a spare flash

• Networking in practice: chamber of commerce mixers, weekly groups and relationships that pay off a decade later

• From 76 events a year to 100: delegating gigs to work on the website and social media

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:13 - Meet Noah Katz

00:56 - The Six-Figure Club: Over $220K in Cumulative Revenue

01:34 - Playing the Long Game: Ten Years With a Photo Booth

04:00 - Scaling a Team of Six

06:38 - Photographers & Photo Booths: Corny or Opportunity?

10:11 - Turning One-Time Bookings Into Repeat Clients

13:25 - Diversifying: Headshots, Portraits & More

18:23 - Training: From Total Noob to Photo Booth Standard

24:34 - Networking in Practice

29:14 - The Road to 100 Events a Year

32:00 - Where to Follow Noah

Resources:

The Big Picture Photo Booth

Website:

https://thebigpicturephotobooth.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/bigpicturebooth/?locale=en_GB

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bigpicturephotobooth/

Photo Booth Supply Co.

Profit Calculator:

https://pbsco.co/profitcalc

Quickstart Program:

https://pbsco.co/QSprogram

Want To Buy A Booth? Book A Call:

https://pbsco.co/podcall

Website:

https://pbsco.co/website

$273K In Four Years: Danielle Lambart On Reels, Vendor Reviews, And Raising Your Prices

Photobooth Supply Co

She launched a photo booth business with a newborn, fresh off a layoff, in the middle of pandemic recovery. Four years later Danielle Lambart has made $273,000, gets most of her bookings from social media, and talks to maybe 1 or 2% of her clients on the phone. So how is she booking everyone else?

In this Six-Figure Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Danielle Lambart of EVNT Photobooth Co, a Central Florida photo booth business serving Tampa Bay, Pinellas, Sarasota, and sometimes Orlando. A former nightclub and events industry worker, Danielle launched in May 2021 after announcing her pregnancy in a photo booth, and has since made $273,000 in cumulative revenue, hitting $75,000 in 2025 alone.

Danielle breaks down the turning point: going from an all-digital, eco-friendly Salsa to Guac and Chips, finally offering the prints clients kept asking for, and raising her prices every year without losing clients. Her edge is service: fixing hair, checking teeth, and adjusting bra straps so every guest leaves the booth feeling good, not just holding a photo.

She also shares the networking playbook that means she rarely needs to pick up the phone: skipping networking events, leaving Google reviews for fellow vendors and venues (one has 100,000 views on one of the biggest hotels in her area), and a reels routine that brings in 75 to 85% of her business. Plus her blueprint for filming at every event, how she balances motherhood with HoneyBook automations, and the advice she'd give her 2021 self. If you want to grow a photo booth business with social media, raise your prices with confidence, or build a business around your family, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• Announcing her pregnancy in a photo booth, and the operator conversation that sparked the idea

• Launching in May 2021 with a newborn, post layoff, in the middle of pandemic recovery

• Her first month: hustle, trial and error, and a mobile bartender friend who passed along clients

• 57 bookings in year one: free events, low prices, and building a reputation first

• Raising prices every year, and why a client of five years has no problem paying more

• The jump to $75K in 2025: moving from an all-digital Salsa to Guac and Chips and printed experiences

• Why prints are less scary than you think: about ten events to feel fully comfortable

• The networking playbook: skip networking events and make every event your networking

• Leaving Google reviews for venues and fellow vendors, and the review with 100,000 views

• Why she only talks on the phone to 1 or 2% of her clients

• Getting 75 to 85% of her business from social media, plus why she edits in CapCut and posts on LinkedIn

• The reel blueprint: arrive early, film the details, and shoot video while snapping photos

• Balancing motherhood and a business with workflows, automations, and HoneyBook

• Upping the game every year: service over equipment, the spotlight booth, and keychains for an NHL team

• Advice to her 2021 self: skip digital-only and get a quality website

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:47 - Meet Danielle Lambart & the Six-Figure Club

02:25 - Announcing Her Pregnancy in a Photo Booth

03:45 - Launching in May 2021 & 57 Bookings in Year One

06:15 - Raising Prices Without Losing Clients

08:32 - The Jump to $75K: Guac and Chips

12:40 - The Networking Playbook: Google Reviews for Fellow Vendors

15:47 - The Reels Strategy & Blueprint

20:44 - Balancing Motherhood & Business

24:42 - Upping the Game Every Year

27:23 - Advice to Her 2021 Self & Where to Follow

Resources:

EVNT Photobooth Co

https://evntphotoboothco.com/

EVNT Photobooth Co, Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/evntphotoboothco/

Photo Booth Supply Co.

https://photoboothsupplyco.com/

Profit Calculator:

https://pbsco.co/profitcalc

Quickstart Program:

https://pbsco.co/QSprogram

Want To Buy A Booth? Book A Call:

https://pbsco.co/podcall

Website:

https://pbsco.co/website

From Nonprofit Side Hustle to $550K: Preston Hilburn on Surviving Covid, Running Ads Early, and More

In the first week of Covid, Rocky Mountain Photo Booth canceled 40 events. The business was barely two years old. Today it's at $550,000 in cumulative revenue, with revenue up every year outside of Covid. What got it through, and what made it take off?

In this Six-Figure Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Preston Hilburn of Rocky Mountain Photo Booth, a Salt Lake City business serving the whole state of Utah. Preston started the business in 2018 as a side hustle alongside a nonprofit career, on the back of an idea from his husband, and has since built it to $550,000 in cumulative revenue. He went full-time four years ago, and last year the business did a little over $155,000.

Preston breaks down the turning points: breaking into the market through nonprofits, fundraisers and the Pride Festival, riding out 40 cancellations in a single week of Covid, and growing a fleet from one Queso booth to two Guac and Chips, two Salsas, a Salsa 2 and a Tortilla 360. He explains how he knew each expansion was the right call, why he's now launching a roaming booth, and how selling experiences instead of price points keeps a multi-product brand from getting lost.

He also shares a take we don't hear often: start running ads from day one. Plus how post-event follow-up texts and emails turn guests into clients, why sharing with other operators beats keeping secrets, and how a referral network with other vendors helps everyone win. If you want to scale a photo booth business, survive a slow season, or leave your day job for a photo booth side hustle, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• Pulling the numbers for the first time: the shock of seeing $550,000 in cumulative revenue since 2018

• How the photo booth landscape has changed since 2018, and why a DSLR booth put Rocky Mountain ahead in Utah's huge wedding market

• Starting as a side hustle: his husband's entrepreneurial nudge and the nonprofit career that spotted the opportunity

• Breaking into the market through nonprofits, fundraisers and the Pride Festival with Equality Utah

• Using post-event follow-up texts and emails as an extra touchpoint that brings in organic clients

• When to expand your fleet: turning down clients, adding lower price points, and keeping everything on one platform

• Launching a roaming booth: why Preston was hesitant, and why networking-heavy events in Park City made it make sense

• Positioning a brand that does more than one thing: transparent pricing and selling experiences, not price points

• Surviving Covid: canceling 40 events in one week, holding deposits, grant programs, and continuing to market

• Going full-time four years ago and leaving the nonprofit to be "a part of the party"

• From around $20,000 in year one to a little over $155,000 last year, with revenue up every year outside of Covid

• Why working for yourself can feel like less work, and building an entrepreneurial power couple

• Advice for your first 90 days: start running ads early and pick one or two markets to break into

• Building a referral network and white label partnerships with other photo booth operators

• Goals for 2026: being okay financially and keeping more time sacred for friends and family

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:47 - Meet Preston Hilburn & the Six-Figure Club

01:56 - How the Industry Has Changed Since 2018

04:41 - Take Me Back: Why Photo Booths?

07:52 - Knowing When to Expand Your Fleet

10:07 - Launching a Roaming Booth

12:54 - Positioning a Multi-Product Brand

14:53 - Surviving Covid & Going Full-Time

19:28 - Best Year So Far & Life After the Nonprofit

23:31 - Advice for Your First 90 Days: Start Running Ads

27:39 - Building a Referral Network

30:18 - Goals for 2026 & Where to Follow

Resources:

Rocky Mountain Photo Booth

https://www.rockymountainphotobooth.com/

Rocky Mountain Photo Booth, Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/rocky_mountain_photobooth/

Rocky Mountain Photo Booth, Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/rockymountainphotobooth/

Profit Calculator:

https://pbsco.co/profitcalc

Quickstart Program:

https://pbsco.co/QSprogram

Want To Buy A Booth? Book A Call:

https://pbsco.co/podcall

Website:

https://pbsco.co/website

How to Scale a Photo Booth Business to $1 Million: Ryan Veil's Full-Service Playbook

Photobooth Supply Co

Photo booth was the last service Ryan Veil added to his business, almost an afterthought behind photo, video, and DJ. Two decades later it helped carry Studio Veil past $1 million in cumulative revenue, and he got there without ever racing anyone to the bottom on price. So what does a million-dollar, full-service operator actually do differently?

In this Millionaires Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Ryan Veil of Studio Veil in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area of Minnesota. A serial entrepreneur and musician who started out in video, Ryan has been in business for over 20 years and full-time for about 15, building a multi-service operation that covers photography, videography, DJ, and photo booth across roughly 300 weddings and events a year. He added photo booth in 2011, and it recently helped push Studio Veil across the $1 million cumulative revenue mark.

Ryan breaks down the turning point: buying an enclosed CapturePod booth that introduced him to PBSCO founder Brandon years before the company existed, then jumping on board early for the image quality. He explains why photo booth became the catalyst that let him leave his day job, how he treats every one of his four services as full service instead of a cheap add-on, and why he has never been a fan of the drop-off booth.

He also shares the philosophy behind the numbers: never discount and never make price your competitive advantage, lead with transparent pricing and strong design, and remember that you are not in the photo booth industry, you are in the relationship industry. If you want to scale a photo booth business, add it to a full-service operation, or finally leave your day job, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• How photo booth went from a cost-prohibitive dream in 2005 to a natural addition in 2011, and why Ryan jumped on PBSCO's booth early for the image quality

• The CapturePod connection: owning the same enclosed booth as Brandon before Photo Booth Supply Co. existed

• Why adding photo booth was the catalyst that let Ryan go full-time and leave his day job

• The "more than one event per week" benchmark that told him it was time to quit the nine to five

• Going from 15 events in 2010 to 73 the year after adding photo booth

• Why Ryan has never been a fan of the drop-off booth, and the white-glove service he runs instead

• The secret formula: consistency, systems, good people, and treating no service as a throwaway

• Volume versus boutique: how Studio Veil fills the middle ground between a solo operator and a giant franchise

• The biggest turning points on the road to $1 million, from Brandon’s vision to being an early advertiser on The Knot

• "Do not discount": why racing to the bottom on price is a losing game for everyone

• Leading with design: transparent pricing on the website since day one, and the COVID-era rebrand that reset the brand

• The one thing he’d do sooner: raise prices faster and invest in social media earlier

• What holds photo booth operators back: ego, and forgetting they are in the relationship industry

• Why referrals, venues, and preferred vendors now drive a growing share of bookings, including 21 weddings a year from a single venue

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:37 - Meet Ryan Veil & the Millionaires Club

01:52 - Crossing the $1 Million Threshold

02:52 - Take Me Back to 2011: The Origin of Studio Veil

06:09 - The Catalyst to Go Full-Time & Leave the Day Job

08:26 - Full Service, Not a Cheap Add-On: Skipping the Drop-Off Booth

11:14 - The Secret Formula: Systems, Good People & Good Service

15:32 - Volume vs. Boutique: The Full-Service Positioning

19:43 - The Biggest Turning Points & "Do Not Discount"

23:10 - Leading With Design: Pricing Transparency & the Rebrand

27:08 - One Thing He’d Do Sooner: Prices & Social Media

29:51 - What Holds Operators Back: Ego & the Relationship Industry

32:39 - Referrals, Venues & Preferred Vendors

35:17 - Where to Follow Studio Veil

Resources:

Studio Veil

Website: https://studioveil.com/photo-booth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioVeil

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioveil/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@studioveil

Photo Booth Supply Co.

Profit Calculator: https://pbsco.co/profitcalc

Quickstart Program: https://pbsco.co/QSprogram

Want To Buy A Booth? Book A Call: https://pbsco.co/podcall

Website: https://pbsco.co/website

$400K With Zero Marketing: Ryan Murphy on Answering the Phone, the Kentucky Derby, and Going Full-Ti

Photobooth Supply Co

He does zero marketing, advertises nowhere, and still can't cover all his bookings. In just over four years Ryan Murphy has pulled more than $400,000 out of a photo booth business built on one habit almost nobody sticks to. What is he actually doing differently?

In this Six-Figure Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Ryan Murphy of Next Event Photobooth in Louisville, Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby. A drummer who spent years working corporate events and galas, Ryan bought his first booth in 2021 and has since made over $400,000 in cumulative revenue, averaging six figures a year and running his business as a full-time gig since January.

Ryan breaks down the turning point: watching a competitor's Windows-based booth crash at the Derby, choosing an iPad-based system that has never let him down across 24 activations in four days, and building a family-run operation with his wife and 17-year-old son. He is now Ford Motor Company's video and photo activation team at the Derby, three years running.

He also shares the anti-marketing playbook that keeps his numbers climbing 20 to 40% a year: no ads, no Wedding Pro, no chasing leads. Just an on-point website, a Google Business listing, and the discipline to answer the phone and call people right back. Plus his phone-first sales process, the gala gift-card strategy that turns free work into paid bookings, and why the road to $1 million might be closer than he thinks. If you want to scale a photo booth business, break into corporate events, or leave your day job for a photo booth side hustle, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• Working the Kentucky Derby as Ford's photo and video activation team: 24 activations in four days

• Why Ryan bet on the photo booth business in 2021 after a record band year vanished in 48 hours

• How SBA relief money funded the first booth, and the supply company call that sold him on a hands-off model

• Why he chose an iPad-based booth: watching a Windows-based competitor's 360 crash at the Derby

• Building a family-run business: how his wife and 17-year-old son run the glam bot for Ford execs

• The zero-marketing formula: no ads, no Wedding Pro, an on-point website, and a Google Business listing

• The one habit that beats every marketing spend: answer the phone and call people right back

• The Friday-Monday cold outreach routine that lands Ryan in a client's inbox twice

• The BMW call that changed everything, and how corporate content on your website compounds into more bookings

• Becoming a vendor in your local public school system so you get the first phone call, price no longer an issue

• Ryan's phone-first sales process: tell me about your event, don't talk price, and close 99.9% of the time

• Why 'checking in' reeks of desperation, and the automated follow-up that replaces it

• The gala gift-card strategy: donate a digital booth, write it off, and turn free events into paid upsells

• Expanding to four Guac and Chips booths in 2026, white labeling, and the confidence behind the bet

• The road to $1 million and why it might be closer than Ryan wants to jinx

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:38 - Meet Ryan Murphy & the Kentucky Derby

02:10 - The Six-Figure Club: Over $400K in Cumulative Revenue

03:00 - Take Me Back: Betting on the Photo Booth Business in 2021

05:41 - Full-Time or Side Hustle?

05:58 - Why He Chose Photo Booth Supply Co.

09:15 - What He Does Differently: The Zero-Marketing Formula

14:50 - The One Event That Shifted Everything: The BMW Call

19:52 - The Sales Process: How Ryan Secures Bookings

23:35 - Following Up Without Chasing: Automated Outreach

26:13 - Expanding to Four Booths in 2026

28:11 - Doing Well in Louisville & Advice for Smaller Markets

33:17 - The Road to the Millionaires Club

Resources:

Next Event Photobooth:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/nexteventphotobooth/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/nexteventphotobooth/

TikTok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@nexteventphoto

Photo Booth Supply Co.

https://photoboothsupplyco.com/

How to Scale a Photo Booth Business to $590K: Kenny McSpadden

Photobooth Supply Co

For 13 years The Kenny Show was a side hustle behind a full-time city job. Now it's at nearly $600,000 in cumulative revenue, branding booths for the biggest names in cannabis. What flips a decade-long side hustle into a full-time business?

In this Millionaire's Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Kenny McSpadden of The Kenny Show, a Fresno, California photo booth business owner and 20-year photographer who just crossed into the six-figure club, then blew past it to roughly $590,000 in cumulative revenue. Kenny started the photo booth business in 2009 and ran it as a side hustle for 13 years before going all in full-time.

Kenny breaks down the turning point: buying one of the first walk-in booths in 2022, scaling a multi-booth fleet on demand, and moving into corporate cannabis events, from Sativa Sundays infused brunches to sponsoring Alien Labs and running dispensary grand openings across California. His edge isn't the gear, it's the service: being up front and personable with every guest instead of sitting off to the side.

He also shares his event sponsorship strategy: why he worked a four-day Napa film festival for free, what to negotiate for when you take no payment, and how to pick sponsorships that actually pay off. If you want to scale a photo booth business, break into corporate events, or leave your day job for a photo booth side hustle, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• How a makeshift booth built with a paper cutter in 2009 became The Kenny Show, and where the name came from

• Why Kenny ran a photo booth side hustle for 13 years, and the shift that finally pushed him full-time

• Buying one of the first walk-in booths in 2022: booked six months out before it arrived, paid off, then bought a second

• How to scale a photo booth fleet on demand: the "can't fulfill a date two or three months in a row" rule for buying the next booth

• Breaking into corporate cannabis events, from infused brunches to sponsoring Alien Labs and California dispensary grand openings

• Why service is the differentiator that gets photo booth operators rehired

• Corporate vs. consumer events: memento vs. brand recognition, and how Kenny brands the booth, photos, and tap-to-start screens

• The event sponsorship strategy: turning a free four-day Napa Stream Fest gig into 100+ Instagram followers and new bookings

• What to negotiate for when you work an event for free: logo placement, social outreach, and real ROI

• When the money got real: out-earning the full-time city job and deciding to walk away

• Kenny's advice for escaping the side-hustle mentality and going full-time with a photo booth business

• The one money mistake to avoid while scaling, and the road to $1 million

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:46 - Meet Kenny McSpadden & The Six-Figure Club

02:08 - 13 Years as a Side Hustle: What Kept Him Going

03:08 - Where the Name "The Kenny Show" Came From

04:59 - Why He Chose the Walk-In Booth

06:37 - The Full Fleet & Building a Team

07:47 - Breaking Into Corporate Cannabis Events

12:57 - Corporate vs. Consumer Events

15:45 - How & Why to Scale Your Fleet

17:54 - When the Money Got Real & Leaving the City Job

19:20 - Advice for Escaping the Side-Hustle Mentality

21:01 - Event Sponsorship Strategy: What to Negotiate For

25:21 - The One Mistake to Avoid

26:17 - The Road to $1 Million & Where to Follow

Resources:

The Kenny Show

https://www.thekennyshow.com/

The Kenny Show, Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thekennyshowphotobooth/

Photo Booth Supply Co.

https://photoboothsupplyco.com/

How to Scale a Photo Booth Business to $590K: Kenny McSpadden

Photobooth Supply Co

For 13 years The Kenny Show was a side hustle behind a full-time city job. Now it's at nearly $600,000 in cumulative revenue, branding booths for the biggest names in cannabis. What flips a decade-long side hustle into a full-time business?

In this Millionaire's Club episode of the Photobooth Podcast, Amber talks with Kenny McSpadden of The Kenny Show, a Fresno, California photo booth business owner and 20-year photographer who just crossed into the six-figure club, then blew past it to roughly $590,000 in cumulative revenue. Kenny started the photo booth business in 2009 and ran it as a side hustle for 13 years before going all in full-time.

Kenny breaks down the turning point: buying one of the first walk-in booths in 2022, scaling a multi-booth fleet on demand, and moving into corporate cannabis events, from Sativa Sundays infused brunches to sponsoring Alien Labs and running dispensary grand openings across California. His edge isn't the gear, it's the service: being up front and personable with every guest instead of sitting off to the side.

He also shares his event sponsorship strategy: why he worked a four-day Napa film festival for free, what to negotiate for when you take no payment, and how to pick sponsorships that actually pay off. If you want to scale a photo booth business, break into corporate events, or leave your day job for a photo booth side hustle, this one's for you.

We Break Down:

• How a makeshift booth built with a paper cutter in 2009 became The Kenny Show, and where the name came from

• Why Kenny ran a photo booth side hustle for 13 years, and the shift that finally pushed him full-time

• Buying one of the first walk-in booths in 2022: booked six months out before it arrived, paid off, then bought a second

• How to scale a photo booth fleet on demand: the "can't fulfill a date two or three months in a row" rule for buying the next booth

• Breaking into corporate cannabis events, from infused brunches to sponsoring Alien Labs and California dispensary grand openings

• Why service is the differentiator that gets photo booth operators rehired

• Corporate vs. consumer events: memento vs. brand recognition, and how Kenny brands the booth, photos, and tap-to-start screens

• The event sponsorship strategy: turning a free four-day Napa Stream Fest gig into 100+ Instagram followers and new bookings

• What to negotiate for when you work an event for free: logo placement, social outreach, and real ROI

• When the money got real: out-earning the full-time city job and deciding to walk away

• Kenny's advice for escaping the side-hustle mentality and going full-time with a photo booth business

• The one money mistake to avoid while scaling, and the road to $1 million

Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Begins

00:46 - Meet Kenny McSpadden & The Six-Figure Club

02:08 - 13 Years as a Side Hustle: What Kept Him Going

03:08 - Where the Name "The Kenny Show" Came From

04:59 - Why He Chose the Walk-In Booth

06:37 - The Full Fleet & Building a Team

07:47 - Breaking Into Corporate Cannabis Events

12:57 - Corporate vs. Consumer Events

15:45 - How & Why to Scale Your Fleet

17:54 - When the Money Got Real & Leaving the City Job

19:20 - Advice for Escaping the Side-Hustle Mentality

21:01 - Event Sponsorship Strategy: What to Negotiate For

25:21 - The One Mistake to Avoid

26:17 - The Road to $1 Million & Where to Follow

Resources:

The Kenny Show

https://www.thekennyshow.com/

The Kenny Show, Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/thekennyshowphotobooth/

Photo Booth Supply Co.

https://photoboothsupplyco.com/

Live From PBX: Networking With Planners To Stay Booked

Photobooth Supply Co

In January alone, Marco booked 30 events. About 20 of them came from referrals. And most of those referrals trace back to just six to eight people.

Marco Buenrostro of MBP Photo Booth (San Antonio, TX) has been in the photo booth business since June 1, 2015 — and over that decade, he's built a referral machine so powerful that most of his events simply come to him. A Millionaires Club member with $1.7 million in tracked cumulative revenue (and likely closer to $2.3 million when accounting for the years before his CRM), Marco's secret isn't ads or SEO. It's genuine human connection, strategic community involvement, and knowing exactly how to make planners and corporate clients feel like friends — not transactions.

In this interview, Marco breaks down his entire relationship-based growth strategy, from how to find the right industry organizations to join, to how he maximizes sponsored event tables by filling the seats with VIPs, to the exact LinkedIn vs. Instagram content approach he uses to reach both corporate and social planners.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why Marco only actively nurtures 6–8 planners — and how that drives the majority of his 350–500 annual events

• The difference between a free "collaboration" and a real sponsored event — and how to negotiate one that actually benefits your business

• How he uses sponsored event tables, hotel gift cards, and giveaways to stay top of mind without ever feeling transactional

• The biggest mistake photo booth owners make when reaching out to planners (and what to do instead)

• His LinkedIn vs. Instagram content strategy — same event, two completely different captions, two different audiences

• How to network as an introvert: starting online, then making the in-person transition feel natural

• Why offering kickbacks or percentages to planners is a red flag — and what to do instead

• The referral compounding effect: how one contact inside a corporate organization can eventually put your name in the entire company's rotation

• His 2026 goal: moving the business toward an all-corporate model

Follow Marco & MBP Photo Booth:

📸 @mbpphotobooth

START YOUR BIZ

☞ How To Start Guide: https://pbsco.co/HowToStart

TAKE THE QUIZ

☞ See which photo booth is best for you: https://pbsco.co/PhotoBoothQuiz

SHOP ALL PHOTO BOOTHS

☞ Get your booth here: https://pbsco.co/ShopAllBooths

ACCESS FIESTA SOFTWARE

☞ Try free for 30 days: https://pbsco.co/FiestaTrial

HAVE QUESTIONS?

☞ Book a call with a Photobooth Strategist here: https://pbsco.co/ContactPBSCO

CONNECT WITH US

☞ Website: https://pbsco.co/Website

☞ Instagram: https://pbsco.co/Instagram

☞ Facebook: https://pbsco.co/Facebook

☞ Tiktok: https://pbsco.co/TikTok

Live From PBX: Standing Out In A Saturated Market

Photobooth Supply Co

$2.2 million in revenue. 190 five-star reviews. A waitlist of clients who don't even ask about price. And it all started with a cold call to a wedding planner 11 years ago.

Laura Vance of Flash And Frame Photo Booth (Kelowna, Canada) built one of the most recognizable photo booth brands in her market by doing things most operators overlook — showing up early, training a team that guests remember by name, keeping a shot list at every wedding, and refusing to compete on price even when the market got saturated.

In this interview, Laura breaks down exactly how she built a premium brand from the ground up, how she hires and trains her "booth babes and booth bros," why one relationship with a single wedding planner contributed an estimated $100,000 to her revenue, and what she says on sales calls that has clients paying invoices within five minutes of hanging up.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why Laura stopped trying to explain her pricing and started selling peace of mind instead

• The live event interview process that tells her everything she needs to know about a potential hire

• How her "shot list" approach sets Flash Frame apart from every other photo booth at a wedding

• The "if we can, we will" philosophy that has made her irreplaceable to repeat corporate clients

• How one cold call to a wedding planner 11 years ago turned into an estimated $100K in revenue

• The complimentary audio guest book add-on she gives to planner referrals — and why it works

• Why she never quotes price on the phone and sends visual proposals instead

• The 80/20 rule for sales calls: ask questions 80% of the time, pitch 20%

• Her advice for anyone afraid to get on the phone with clients

Follow Laura & Flash And Frame Photo Booth:

📸 @flashframebooth

START YOUR BIZ

☞ How To Start Guide: https://pbsco.co/HowToStart

TAKE THE QUIZ

☞ See which photo booth is best for you: https://pbsco.co/PhotoBoothQuiz

SHOP ALL PHOTO BOOTHS

☞ Get your booth here: https://pbsco.co/ShopAllBooths

ACCESS FIESTA SOFTWARE

☞ Try free for 30 days: https://pbsco.co/FiestaTrial

HAVE QUESTIONS?

☞ Book a call with a Photobooth Strategist here: https://pbsco.co/ContactPBSCO

CONNECT WITH US

☞ Website: https://pbsco.co/Website

☞ Instagram: https://pbsco.co/Instagram

☞ Facebook: https://pbsco.co/Facebook

☞ Tiktok: https://pbsco.co/TikTok