Scaling Out Loud

Let's get real for a second. Everyone in this industry is out here posting their wins. The bookings, the revenue milestones, the glam shots from their best corporate activations. Nobody is posting about their 2 a.m. regrets.

This episode is the one I almost didn't record. Because talking about your biggest mistakes out loud is uncomfortable. But when I stepped into the coaching world, I made a promise that I would share the good and the bad. And today, I'm keeping that promise.

I'm pulling back the curtain on the five most expensive mistakes I've made in this business. Not the "oops, I forgot to reply to an email" kind of mistakes. I'm talking about the ones that cost me real money, real sleep, and honestly, my confidence, for a while.

The reason I'm sharing this? I didn't have a mentor when I made these mistakes. I was figuring it out completely on my own. If I can save you even one of these lessons, this episode is worth every uncomfortable minute it took me to record it.

What you'll learn in this episode:

Your Next Steps:

What does a seven-figure photo booth business look like when it's built by one person who also works full time at NBC's Today Show? Spoiler: it looks a little chaotic, wildly impressive, and absolutely worth listening to.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with my friend of ten years, Zach Shiffman, owner of Studio Z Photo Booth based in the New York metro area. Zach has built a seven-figure experiential business while simultaneously stage managing one of the most recognizable morning shows in America, and his path looks nothing like mine. Different systems, different structure, different mindset. And that's exactly the point.

Let's get real for a second: there is no single blueprint for building a successful photo booth business. Zach is proof that you can get there on your own terms. He started with a Groupon in 2012, grew into high-end corporate activations for brands like Disney Channel and the NBA, and now consistently lands five and six-figure event contracts. One client paid him $150,000 for four days of work. And he did it as a solo operator.

This conversation gets honest about the real trade-offs of running a lean business, the stress of being the only person, the tech systems that make it possible, and the mindset shifts that changed everything. We also talk trends, gear, pricing, white labeling, and what Zach would tell his 2012 self if he could go back.

What You'll Learn:

Your Next Steps:

What happens when three industry veterans sit down in Vegas and realize the conference they keep coming back to no longer feeds them? They build something new.

This episode is different. I'm sitting down with two people who have been shaping this industry for over 16 years, Meir and Lisa, the original founders of PBI (Photo Booth Professionals International), a conference that people in our industry are STILL talking about to this day. We're recording live from Photo Booth Expo, and we're finally sharing what the three of us have been quietly building for the past two years.

Let's get real. If you've been coming to the same conferences, hearing the same speakers, walking the same trade show floor, and leaving with a bag full of swag but no actual game plan, you already know something needs to change. You're not here for another tutorial on lighting setups or trading card templates. You're here because you've built something real and you're ready for what's next.

That's exactly why we created Illuminate, a curated, application-only retreat designed specifically for six-figure and seven-figure photo booth founders who are ready to scale, not just learn about it. We're talking about a room of 100 hand-picked operators, curated vendors, speakers from inside AND outside the industry, and a format designed to leave you with an actual roadmap, not just inspiration overload.

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on everything: why we built it, who it's for, who it's NOT for, and what you can expect from a room that's never existed in our industry before.

Ever scrolled through Instagram and watched yourself go from "I'm doing great" to "I'm a complete failure" in under 30 seconds? Yeah. Same.

In this episode, I'm getting real about something I still struggle with, even as a seven-figure photo booth business owner. Comparison. That sneaky, soul-sucking habit of looking at someone else's highlight reel and deciding that your behind-the-scenes isn't good enough. I'm talking about the time I saw a 25-year-old entrepreneur who'd sold her company for eight figures and immediately forgot that my own business was thriving, corporate clients were rolling in, and luxury weddings were booking solid through MDRN Activations and MDRN Photobooth Co.

Here's the truth: your timeline is not their timeline. And the moment you start running someone else's race, you lose sight of your own finish line. I share the stories of people who could have easily believed they were "too late" but trusted their path instead, like the Duffer Brothers who spent 20 years before creating Stranger Things, Vera Wang who designed her first wedding dress at 40, Lady Gaga who got dropped by Def Jam after just three months, and Colonel Sanders who got rejected over a thousand times before building KFC at 65 years old.

But this isn't just a pep talk. I'm giving you the exact tools I use to pull myself out of the comparison spiral and get back to building.

What You'll Learn:

Why comparison is stealing your joy, your focus, and your confidence as a founder

The five practical strategies I use when I catch myself in the comparison trap

How negativity bias is wired into your brain and what to do about it

Why celebrating other people's wins actually fuels your own growth

The real-life stories of icons who were "behind schedule" and still changed the world

How shifting your energy from scarcity to abundance directly impacts your sales, pricing, and leadership

Your homework assignment to start retraining your brain this week

This episode is your reminder that you're not behind. You're building. And everything you're going through right now is part of the story you'll tell when someone asks how you built it.

Mentioned in This Episode:

We Regret to Inform You: The Rejection Podcast

Your Next Steps:

Work with Me: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/

Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub

Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

What if you could attend your own funeral? 

Not literally. But metaphorically—watching the version of yourself that built this business be laid to rest while you stand there, mourning and celebrating them at the same time.

I know that sounds heavy. Maybe even a little dark. But stay with me, because this might be the most important conversation we have all year.

That scrappy hustler who said yes to everything? Who worked until 2am, drove the van, set up the booth, ran the event, and did it all over again the next day? That person willed your business into existence when there was nothing there. That person deserves recognition. Respect. A standing ovation.

But that person also needs to die.

Because the version of you that got you to six figures is exactly the same version that's keeping you stuck there. And until you're willing to attend that funeral—to actually grieve them and say goodbye—you will never become who you need to be to get to seven figures and beyond.

This isn't about working harder. It's not about another system or strategy. This is about evolution. And evolution requires death and rebirth. You have to be present for both.

Today we're talking about why personal development isn't some woo luxury—it's the only thing that actually matters. We're diving into the specific ceiling most founders hit (spoiler: it's around $200-250K), why the hustler identity becomes your biggest limitation, and what it actually looks like to stand at your own funeral and let go of the version of yourself that's holding you back.

If you're stuck doing everything yourself, wondering when this business will finally give you the freedom you signed up for, this episode is your invitation to the funeral. Your own funeral. And you need to RSVP yes.

Photo Booth Expo Shopping? Ask These 5 Questions First.

Photo Booth Expo is coming up, and if you're anything like me a few years ago, you're already mentally spending money on that shiny new booth in Aisle 3.

The demos look incredible. The sales reps are convincing. Everyone around you is talking about what they're going to buy. And that voice in your head starts whispering: "This is the booth that's going to change everything."

But here's what I wish someone had told me before I dropped thousands at my first expo:

That equipment high you're feeling? It wears off about three months after the purchase, right around the time you realize you've booked the new booth twice and it's sitting in your garage collecting dust next to the OTHER booth you bought at last year's expo.

I've been there. I've made the expensive mistakes. I've bought equipment I didn't need, couldn't keep booked, and eventually sold at a massive loss.

But I've also learned exactly which questions to ask BEFORE swiping my card—questions that have saved me literally tens of thousands of dollars in equipment I almost bought but didn't.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact 5-question framework I use before any equipment purchase. These aren't the questions the sales reps want you to ask. They're the ones that separate strategic investments from expensive mistakes.

Because here's the truth: more equipment doesn't equal more bookings. It equals more complexity, more training headaches, and way more cash tied up in gear that's not making you money.

What You'll Learn:

Your Next Steps:

Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 

Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub

Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

If you've ever wondered why your wedding inquiries aren't converting, this episode is your answer.

Here's the truth: saying you "do weddings" tells potential clients absolutely nothing. It's like running a restaurant and saying you serve "food." Cool. So does everyone else.

The wedding industry isn't one big market. It's a hierarchy of five completely different tiers, each with their own clients, expectations, and rules. A $15,000 backyard wedding and a $250,000 luxury estate wedding aren't the same business. They're not even in the same universe.

And yet, most photo booth companies are trying to market to all of them at once. Budget couples think you're too expensive. Luxury couples think you're too cheap. Nobody knows where you actually fit, so nobody books with confidence.

In this episode, Catalina breaks down the five-tier wedding market framework and shows you exactly how to identify which tier you're accidentally attracting right now—and more importantly, how to strategically position yourself for the tier you actually want to serve.

This is the exact framework she used to build a multiple six-figure wedding division that runs on automation, attracts dream clients, and requires zero convincing or negotiating.

What You'll Learn:

Your Next Steps:

You've been pricing wrong this whole time. And I'm not talking about mindset, I'm talking about actual math.

Let's get real. When you started your photo booth business, nobody handed you a pricing playbook. So you did what everyone does, you googled it at 2 AM, copied what other companies were charging, and hoped for the best.

You looked at your costs, added a little on top, and crossed your fingers. Your brain was just trying to find the easiest answer. And that makes sense when you're starting out.

But here's the brutal truth: that instinct, that "easy answer" your brain defaulted to? It's probably wrong. And it's costing you tens of thousands of dollars every single year.

Because pricing a creative service isn't like pricing a product. It's not cost plus markup. It's not your desired income divided by the number of events you want to do. Those formulas work for physical products. They don't work for what we do.

And the worst part? Most of us don't realize we're using a broken formula until we hit six figures, we're fully booked, posting wins on Instagram, and wondering why we're still broke.

So today, I'm breaking down the five biggest pricing mistakes that six-figure photo booth founders make. These aren't soft mindset issues. These are concrete, tactical mistakes in how you're calculating your price. Mistakes your brain defaults to because you were never taught how to price the right way.

What You'll Learn:

This episode will make you rethink everything about how you price your services. And if you recognize yourself in even one of these mistakes, you're about to find out exactly how much money you've been leaving on the table.

Resources Mentioned:

Join the Monthly Coaching Call - January 26th: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/offers/mBozxsWy/checkout 

Your Next Steps:

Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 
Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub
Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

If you're still manually chasing leads at 11 PM, copying and pasting the same email for the fifteenth time this week, or worse, forgetting to send invoices because you're just too busy, this episode might be worth half a million dollars to you. No exaggeration.

Catalina gets brutally honest about the single system that saved her over $500,000 in staffing costs over the past decade. And it's not sexy. It's not a secret pricing hack or a viral marketing strategy. It's a CRM system, used the right way.

Back in 2014, Catalina was drowning in her first six-figure year, managing everything from a personal Gmail account and a Google spreadsheet. Leads mixed with spam. Follow-ups lived in her phone reminders. Invoices got forgotten. It was absolute chaos. Then she discovered what a properly set up CRM could actually do, and everything changed. She went from working through lunch breaks and weekends to managing her entire business in one hour a day.

But here's what most booth owners get wrong: they either buy the cheapest CRM they can find and wonder why it doesn't work, or they invest in a good one and only use 10% of its features. Both mistakes cost you time, money, and sanity.

In this episode, Catalina breaks down exactly what your CRM should be doing for you (spoiler: way more than storing contacts), the five workflows you need to automate right now, and why "I'll set it up later" is costing you thousands every single month you wait.

If you've ever felt confused by conflicting business advice, or worse, followed guidance from someone who's never actually done what you're trying to do, this episode is your wake-up call.

Catalina gets brutally honest about one of the biggest mistakes photo booth founders make: taking advice from people who haven't earned the right to give it. Whether it's the hobbyist in your local online community, the influencer who's never run a seven-figure business, or even well-meaning friends who don't understand your industry, bad advice is costing you time, money, and momentum.

This episode breaks down exactly how to vet the people you're listening to, why proximity matters more than you think, and how to stop letting other people's limiting beliefs become your ceiling. Catalina shares real stories from her own journey, including the moment she realized she was surrounded by the wrong voices, and gives you a clear framework for deciding whose advice actually deserves your attention.

If you're tired of spinning your wheels on strategies that don't work, or feeling like everyone has an opinion but no one has results, this episode will help you cut through the noise and focus on the mentors, peers, and guidance that will actually move your business forward.

What You'll Learn:

Resources Mentioned:

Your Next Steps: