Success Beyond Podcast

Businesses need processes to run efficiently. If you’ve been listening for any amount of time, then you know that I love and appreciate all of the processes that help a business stay on track. The same can be said for your marketing processes, but so many times I’m asked about creating a true marketing process. 

Honestly, no system or process is right for every business. However there are a few things that you can do to ensure that no matter the system you use, you have an efficient process for marketing and sharing your work. 

First off, after you’ve completed a shoot, pull some of your favorite pictures from the shoot into a separate folder to share later across your social platforms. For instance, if you had a 10 picture gallery, pull your favorite 2 to 4 into a “marketing folder” that you pull from for your channels.

Then curate the pictures based on seasons, themes, or type. Whatever makes the most sense for your business and the type of photography you do. This makes it so much easier to find the right photo at the right time to share. 

Now that you’ve separated out your best work and then further divided that work across themes, you can repurpose your work. Don’t JUST use it on your social channels. Include your photos in blog posts, in email newsletters, and anywhere else that you need graphics.

Plus, if you want to make the marketing and sharing process even easier, invest in a scheduling system that works across platforms!

The goal is to streamline your marketing and make it easy to find the content you need when you need it. What can you implement today to make your marketing just a little bit easier? 

[00:48] Thank you for joining me!

[01:46] Marketing needs a system too.

[02:47] Listen as I discuss why a marketing system is important.

[05:17] When you go into a photo shoot, you are creating that photo, use that content in your marketing.

[07:25] Tip #1 is to pull your favorite images from your gallery into another space.

[09:51] Tip # 2 is to curate your content.

[10:02] Repurpose your content is tip three.

[12:37] I recommend you start a newsletter if you don’t already have one.

[13:34] I also believe you should use a scheduling system.

[17:03] If you use the same workflow for your marketing process every time, it will save you time.

[23:28] The reason you want to create a marketing process is to streamline your marketing.

[25:10] Thank you for listening!

Links and Resources

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

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Creating impact is the goal of most every business owner I know. But how does one go about creating an impact when much of their work is local? Listen as Lisa Staff shares the impact she has created through photography in her tiny community of Hilton Head and why relationships are the key to impact. 

Over the course of 20 years Lisa has brought her own special flair to the world of photography. She captures life moments, branding, editorial images and more all with the goal of telling stories that we all connect with. The love she has for photography and storytelling is evident in her body of work and in the way she approaches each session.

But how has her passion created impact? 

More than anything, the realization that building relationships generates impact was what set Lisa on the path of transcendent creation. Her goal is of course to have clients come back over and over again during their life’s moments, but also to build a relationship of trust and understanding that makes them feel unbelievably comfortable.

Listen as Lisa digs into her path in photography, the role of social media, and why impact is solely created through dynamic relationships. She is such a vibrant personality and the vigor she has for life shows in the way she discusses her one true passion. 

In This Episode:

[01:11] I am so excited to have Lisa on the show!

[04:34] Lisa speaks about how she got started in photography.

[07:21] Listen as they discuss how women underestimate their powers.

[11:25] Lisa discusses how she has created an impactful business.

[16:17] Boundaries are important when you own a business for yourself and your team.

[21:07] Lisa talks about how to know you are creating a business that has a long-lasting impact.

[25:42] Lisa shares how networking has cascaded into some of the best relationships and the growth of her business.

[29:55] Lisa speaks about some things she does to fill her bucket and allow her to enjoy what she does.

[33:58] Start by starting is one tip Lisa has for anyone wanting to start their own business.

[35:44] HoneyBook is Lisa’s favorite business tool.

[36:23] Start by starting is Lisa’s favorite quote.

[37:35] Lisa shares where she would take Jenn to get a drink in Hilton Head.

[40:04] Thank you for listening!

Links and Resources

Find Lisa:

Lisa Staff Photography

Instagram

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

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Unless you’ve built your photography business specifically around one big milestone in a person’s life, I’m looking at you wedding photographers, then client retention strategies are huge. Client retention is one of my favorite topics to talk about, so listen in to learn strategies for retaining your clients as a photographer. 

First of all, first impressions make a huge difference. I love bringing on a new client and then getting to send them a welcome gift. They feel appreciated, I’m leaning into one of my own personality traits, and they know that I’m serious about our time together. The same can be said for your business. Something quick and easy that reminds your client of how much they mean to you.

Then of course follow that up with under promising and over delivering. This is true for every business. If you know that you can get the deliverables to them in 24hours then let them know that the time frame is 48 to 72hours. When they get them sooner than expected they’ll be impressed and feel like they were a priority to you. 

Also, set expectations up front. This can be done in the form of a Welcome Packet and initial onboarding email (Highly Recommend!) and will establish boundaries right from the beginning. Everything from hours of operation, how to communicate with you, expectations on deliverables, etc. 

A welcome packet makes it so much easier to keep everyone on the same page. 

If you’ve loved these tips, then listen to the entire episode to find out my absolute favorites. Client retention is huge in photography. You want to become their lifetime photographer. If they have a big milestone you want to be the first person they think to call. 

If you start implementing these ideas, then you WILL be the first one they call!

In This Episode:

[00:45] Thank you for joining me!

[01:13] Learn about the little things you can do to retain clients.

[03:45] One of my tips is to give clients a welcome gift to let them know you are glad they are working with you.

[07:22] Why you should under promise and over deliver..

[07:50] Set expectations upfront so they know what they can expect when working with you.

[10:41] I like to let my clients know I am thinking about them by sending them a little something for their birthday or anniversary, and it doesn’t have to be extravagant.

[11:20] The next thing you can do to wow your client is to be prepared.

[13:45] Let them know that you love their business the same way they love it.

[14:36] My final tip is to go above and beyond for your client.

[18:20] Thank you for listening!

Links and Resources

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

Pinterest Freebies

Have you ever considered switching your sales process to in-person? When Angelica Pompy decided to do it she saw huge changes in her business and now she knows she’d never go back. Listen in to hear more about her story, her photography, and why she’s a firm believer in in-person sales. 

Angelica has always loved the art of photography. Creating a safe space for her clients to realize that being in front of a camera doesn’t have to be scary and awkward is one of her favorite things to do. She’s also dedicated to being your forever photographer. 

What does that mean? 

Think of any and every special occasion in your life and KNOWING that you want Angelica there to capture your memories. That’s a forever photographer. It’s all in how she makes you feel from the consultation all the way until you’re seeing your very own breathtaking wall art. 

She truly prides herself on making the entire process of hiring a photographer an experience that you want to repeat over and over again. Which is how you make in person sales a highly effective way of boosting your bottom line and providing one of a kind service. 

Angelica is sharing it all in this episode. If you’re ready to see how in person sales can and will change your photography business, then listen in and get ready to take notes. You’ll never want to go back to the usual sales process when you realize how fulfilling it is to make sales with real people.

In This Episode:

[00:58] I am so excited to have Angelica on the show!

[03:33] Angelica shares how she got started in photography.

[06:16] Listen as Angelica discusses being published in Elle Magazine.

[09:30] Learn more about in person sales and how valuable it can be.

[14:13] Hear all about the editing style she has perfected.

[16:05] Why adding a song to the portrait presentation just adds to the experience.

[18:10] Angelica discusses the transition to printed photos and how she educated her clients to the change.

[20:42] Listen as Angelica shares how IPS has quadrupled her business.

[23:44] Quick tips on how to price your work.

[28:24] How she handles her work life balance.

[33:46] One tip for anyone wanting to start IPS.

[35:32] Dubsado is Angelica’s favorite business tool.

[36:20] Angelica shares her favorite quote.

[36:38] If you and I were to grab a drink in Jacksonville, where would we go and what would we drink?

Links and Resources

Find Angelica:

Pompy Portraits

@pompyportraits

Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

Pinterest Freebies

2021 is starting off big for Success Beyond the Lens. We just launched a brand new website, a new course is opening up soon, and we’re officially opening up Done in a Day system setups! It’s going to be a great year and I wanted to start it off right. Letting you know my hopes and goals for the year and by sharing my word for the year.

My word for this year is “trust.” Trust isn’t something that comes easily to me in many cases, but for this year I’m looking to trust in myself that I can make big changes and shifts in my business and life. I’ve got this. 

It falls in line with my phrase from 2020. Nothing is too big. I am able to do the big, hard things and my business will absolutely grow. It’s amazing to see how that mindset shift has impacted this past year in business.

But 2021 has even more to offer. Keep an ear out to learn more about the launch of my first Virtual Assistant course and program. It’s going to be an amazing way to learn more about the needs of photographers and how you can be the one to assist them. 

This is going to be the year of working less and making more and I’ve got the business plan to do it. Listen in to hear all about what this year has on tap for Success Beyond the Lens and how you can implement some of this into your own business.

Let’s do this y’all!

In This Episode:

[00:44] Welcome to the first episode of 2021.

[02:28] I am so excited to share the launch of my new website, please check it out!

[07:30] My word of the year for 2021 is Trust.

[11:03] I am officially launching Done In A Day setups.

[12:22] Are you ready for my first new Virtual Assistant course? SURPRISE!

[17:46] Listen as I explain how you can work less and make more.

[19:27] It is going to be an amazing year!

[23:40] Thank you so much for listening!

Links and Resources

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

Pinterest Freebies

Do you believe it’s possible to go from being a graphic designer to a booked out wedding photographer in eighteen months? Listen to my guest, Joy Michelle, and I chat about how she did it, the importance of branding, and much more on this episode. 

Joy is an intimate wedding photographer, a YouTuber, and a coach to other creatives like herself. She helps photographers go from passionate to profitable through courses, her Facebook group Photo Boss, and coaching. 

Learn how she got her start in photography, why she believes education is so important when building a small business, and why she teaches and coaches today. Joy also shares the one book she thinks everyone should read called Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller and his course Business Made Simple University.

Joy shares her course Hook and Book Brides, one mistake she made when building her business and why it is so important to niche down and market to your ideal clients. She also gives one piece of advice for anyone who is thinking of becoming a wedding photographer.

Joy and I finish up with three final quick-fire questions, where she shares that HoneyBook is her number one business tool. This was such a fun and exciting conversation so grab a margarita and join us.

In This Episode:

[00:43] Hey there, friends!

[01:33] Joy, thank you for joining me today.

[03:01] Can you tell us where you got your start and how you got to where you are today?

[06:06] Joy shares why she believes education is so important and why she teaches and coaches today.

[07:28] What book would you suggest a person wanting to be a wedding photographer should read?

[09:47] Joy speaks about one mistake that she made that she doesn’t want anyone else to make.

[12:00] Joy discusses her course Hook and Book Brides that focuses on marketing and branding.

[14:30] Joy speaks about marketing to her ideal clients and niching down to be memorable.

[16:01] What is one piece of advice that you would give listeners today?

[16:51] Joy shares what her favorite business tool is and why.

[19:37] What is your favorite quote?

[20:17] What is your favorite nightcap?

[20:57] Thank you so much, Joy, for coming on the show today!

Links and Resources

Building A Story Brand by Donald Miller

Business Made Simple University with Donald Miller

HoneyBook

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Find Joy:

Joy Michelle Photography

Hook and Book Brides

It doesn’t matter if you like numbers or not, as a business owner you have to understand your money. Katelyn Magnuson is the freelance CFO and knows how to help you work through your numbers to reach your goals.

Katelyn spent her 20s moving through various roles between corporate and the online space. What she learned is that our parents’ and grandparents’ way of doing money… no longer works. 

We chat about how you can set yourself up for success and which money habits you need to establish now. Here’s the thing… it’s easier to make money than to save money… so how can you start making more money? 

Listen as Katelyn shares her best tips for approaching your taxes and how you can find more write offs. Check out Katelyn’s site if you know you need help getting your numbers in order now!

In This Episode:

[01:27] Welcome to the show, Katelyn!

[02:13] Katelyn shares a little of her background and how she got where she is today.

[05:06] Katelyn speaks about things she does in her business and where she feels she is the strongest.

[06:08] What do you mean by, “you are not your parent's money expert?”

[08:12] Katelyn discusses the financial strategies that she shares with her clients.

[10:13] They speak about Dave Ramsey and how her beliefs differ from his even though the end goal is the same.

[11:49] Are you focusing on a scarcity and lack mentality and staying broke instead of flourishing?

[13:13] Katelyn shares some photography do’s for taxes.

[15:32] You must have a separate bank account to keep your business and personal assets protected.

[16:14] Keeping receipts and having accounting software is very important.

[18:46] Which accounting software do you recommend?

[20:39] Anything $75 dollars or over the IRS wants a receipt.

[22:52] Katelyn speaks about traveling for an event, but you stay longer, how the IRS looks at those expenses.

[25:53] Mileage is a big write off, but there are some caveats that you need to understand.

[29:00] Katelyn shares her biggest don'ts.

[31:08] Should businesses accept Venmo for payment of services?

[33:33] Katelyn gives her number one tip for listeners today.

[34:30] What is your favorite quote?

[36:01] Hubdoc and Xero are Katelyn's favorite business tools.

[36:56] If we went out for a drink, what would you order?

[38:13] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Find Katelyn:

Katelyn Magnuson

@thefreelancecfo

Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… and again… and again… You HAVE to have a functioning and efficient CRM to grow and scale your business. Now how you use the CRM may be different depending on the way you run your business, but not having one is not an option. (I mean it is… but only if you’re not looking to grow!)

So the first thing to consider is how much automation you want or need to have. What does that mean? So many things! When someone completes a lead form, do you want an email to automatically go out? If they respond and book a call for a specific service, do you want a call prep email to go out? If they sign on the dotted line of your contract, do you want the invoice to immediately follow? 

Dubsado is going to have way more options for automation, but not every business NEEDS a ton of automation. Which is why the first thing you need to contemplate is what you want and need your CRM to do beyond housing your lead and client information.

The other thing to think about is ease of use. How techy are you and how detailed do you want to get with your automation? Honeybook is hands down the easier platform to use, but Dubsado allows you more freedom with automation triggers and scheduler options. 

Listen in as I go through both of these amazing platforms. If you have questions or just want to know more about how you can implement a CRM in your business, click here to book a strategy call. 

In This Episode:

[01:47] Learn more about CRM's and why you need them.

[02:30] Jenn shares the podcast schedule through the rest of the year.

[04:18] The first question you should ask yourself is, how much automation do you want or need to have?

[04:56] Dubsado gives you more options for automation than HoneyBook does.

[07:48] HoneyBook beats out Dubsado on ease of use.

[09:59] Both CRM's have a scheduler, and they both work well, but there are a few things you need to be aware of.

[11:38] Dubsado gets points for integrating the scheduler into their workflow process.

[12:36] Jenn likes both system's ability to create different funnels based on where your clients are within your process.

[14:49] Branding is something that Dubsado does that HoneyBook doesn't.

[16:00] The client experience is better on the HoneyBook system.

[18:27] Jenn recaps the important questions to ask yourself before deciding on a CRM.

[18:48] Do you have the time and money to invest in learning Dubsado? Dubsado has a higher learning curve.

[20:52] Thank you for listening to the show!

 Links and Resources

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

Pinterest Freebies

Discount Codes: 

Dubsado - jbays913

Honeybook - JennBaysVA

Coming into 2020, I like many others, had big plans, dreams, and expectations. Despite the way it has actually turned out, I’ve still hit some big goals and made some huge changes. Looking back, this has been a great year for my business and my life and I’m so excited to recap it in this episode. 

Covid really seemed to take over all aspects of my life when the lockdowns happened. I went from having my son in daycare and working in my office to having Davie home and having to abandon my office. Which put a wrench in the amount of time I actually had to work. 

Sound familiar? 

But this experience made me accomplish something that I’d been working toward for at least half a year. I finally niched down and started focusing on one specific type of client. I had already started this process but I really dug in and got even more adamant about only taking on the “right” type of client. 

Which led to me having some of my biggest months in business to date. Because I could focus on creating content specific to my ideal clients and I’ve been able to use this podcast to drive my content production. So I’ve had more time to speak with potential clients and up my conversion rates. 

It’s amazing what high pressure, major changes, and factors that you can’t anticipate or change will do for your business when you’re determined to make it work. Listen in to hear all of my revelations and how 2020 has played out overall. Let’s make 2021 the best one ever!

In This Episode:

[00:46] Thank you for listening to this first year of the podcast.

[02:42] I’m sharing all the goals I had for 2020.

[05:09] … and then Covid happened.

[08:16] Working with a toddler is not for the faint of heart.

[13:00] But it really helped me to narrow down my focus and to put more effort in revenue generating activities.

[18:16] Which means 2020 has been my best in business so far.

[19:00] I’m even growing a team now.

[24:46] My hopes for the end of 2020 as we move into 2021.

[27:26] Thank you so much for listening!

Links and Resources

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

Pinterest Freebies

After surviving an abusive relationship, starting over from scratch with her parents, and then building a business that she’s proud of, Diji Shujahi found herself stranded due to Covid. Listen as she shares her story and why all of the twists and turns have led her right to where she’s supposed to be.

Diji grew up in Abu Dhabi, far from her family’s Indian roots. After she finished school her parents set her up in a disastrous arranged marriage. She got to stay in Abu Dhabi for a time, but when her ex-husband began to abuse her and her kids she knew she had to leave. 

So she packed up her family and went back to her parents. There she rebuilt her life and created a business that she’s extremely proud of. At the beginning of 2020 she was set to participate in an event for her company and found herself stranded in the Philippines while her parents are watching over her kids.

She has not been allowed back home since. 

Listen as she shares how she’s spent her time, why she’s considering a move to the Philippines, and why, despite the hardship of being separated from her kids, she’s excited about her time there. 

Diji has such an inspiring story and you won’t want to miss it.

In This Episode:

[01:09] Welcome to the show, Diji!

[01:26] Diji shares her background and how she began her entrepreneurial journey.

[11:41] Listen as Diji discusses what she loves and how she made it happen.

[16:25] Diji speaks about being locked down in the Philippines since the pandemic started.

[20:05] Diji shares how devastated she was when she couldn’t leave and go home to her children.

[23:29] Leveling Up During A Pandemic is the book Diji wrote during her time in the Philippines.

[29:36] Diji speaks about the show she will host in the Philippines soon.

[31:19] Why I went back to therapy.

[35:58] Diji discusses who her nine influencers appear in her book.

[39:55] Diji shares what she wants the listeners to take away from this conversation.

[41:28] Trello and Canva are Diji’s favorite business tools.

[43:00] Diji shares her favorite quote.

[47:21] Diji talks about where she and Jenn would go and what they would drink if they met up in the Philippines.

[48:56] Thank you for listening!

Links and Resources

Find Diji:

Leveling Up During A Pandemic

Facebook | Instagram

Find Jenn:

Success Beyond The Lens

@successbeyondthelens

Instagram 

@successbeyondthelenspodcast

Facebook | Picbabun

Grab your Boundaries Resources

Editable Welcome Packet Template

Pinterest Freebies