Hey Photogs! This week, Mike talks about the top 3 websites mistakes he sees on photography websites, how to make Facebook ads work for you, website design and URL's, and using a business email. 

Links mentioned in show:

Creating Your Ideal Client

Pingdom Website Speed Tester

WP Smush Image Compression

Justin Sturges' SEO Episode

Jonathan Alonso's Google My Business Episode

Join Mike's Facebook Ad course to get started growing your business:

The Photogs Guide to Facebook Ads

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

On Q & A episodes, Mike answers questions submitted by the Facebook group, Photogs Unite!, every Mondays at 5:00pm PST.

If you have a question that you want answer, you can submit it at [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com. 

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! You're on the run, trying to get the perfect shot, you haven't eaten in six hours, yet food is the last thing on your mind and you end up binge eating a whole pizza when you're finally done. Or you're at your computer all day, working on your photos or your business and the only exercise you get is going to the bathroom and back to your desk. That's not a sustainable lifestyle. We need exercise and we need to eat consistently (although not a pizza for every meal). So, Mike sits down and talks with Shannon Shearn about making these healthy lifestyle choices and what you can do to get started towards a healthier, happier you. 

More About our Guest Speaker:  

When Shannon Savage Shearn was in college, where she spent the majority of her time hunched over a computer, she had experienced horrible back pain and decided she needed to get fit. She made a career change and moved to Montreal to train as a Cirque Du Soleil performer. Later, she became a personal trainer to help show people that you can do anything at any age. She launched her business, Savage Wellness, to help busy moms and others find a way to be healthy and fit, without spending tons on a gym membership. You cant also find her on Instagram @Savagewellness and on Facebook at Savage Wellness.

Discussion Topics:

• Things don't have to be all or nothing.
• One cookie doesn't break a diet.
• Making one small healthy choice a day can make a huge impact in the long run. 
• Find ways to keep yourself moving throughout the day (walking, biking, yoga, etc.).

Join Mike's Facebook Ad course to get started growing your business:

The Photogs Guide to Facebook Ads

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

If you have any questions about this episode or want to give me some feedback (I love all feedback) you can email me here: [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com.

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! This week, Mike answers questions about donating to charities, how to soften shadows, and he talks with Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking about managing your time and productivity.

More About our Guest Speaker: 

Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. is the founder of True Focus Coaching Inc., a speaker, coach, and Psychologist with 20 years of experience helping people reach their goals. She empowers entrepreneurs and professionals to get a grip on time so that they can get to the next level in their lives and businesses. She believes that you have to find the time management system that works for you, that solutions are found by paying attention to the present moment, and that just like Michelangelo had to chip away at the stone to find the statue, we have to get rid of all the extra stuff that isn't the core of your life. Her Facebook page is True Focus Coaching and you can email her at [email protected]

Links mentioned in show:

Dr. Sarah's Course - Jump Start Your Productivity

Promo Code: SAVE50

Westcott Eyelighter

Justin Sturges' SEO Episode

Galen Mooney's Squarespace Episode

Q & A #6: 5 Secrets to Building a Website

Jonathan Alonso's Google My Business Episode

The Law Tog

Nick Nelson's Organization Episode

Join Mike's Facebook Ad course to get started growing your business:

The Photogs Guide to Facebook Ads

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

On Q & A episodes, Mike answers questions submitted by the Facebook group, Photogs Unite!, every Mondays at 5:00pm PST.

If you have a question that you want answer, you can submit it at [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com. 

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! Do you have defining values? What are they? And how do they help you become a better person and photographer? For example, if we say 'United Airlines', you may have more negative thoughts than positive, and that's because they lack core values (or are inconsistent with them), which creates a toxic environment that causes dogs to die and people getting dragged off planes. Mike talks with Joe Tye about these values and how they can help you create a cultural blueprint, how to stop yourself from thinking negative thoughts, and how creating this environment can help your business.

More About our Guest Speaker:  

Joe Tye is CEO and Head Coach of Values Coach, which provides consulting, training and coaching on values-based leadership and cultural transformation. Joe earned a master's degree in hospital administration from the University of Iowa and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is the author or co-author of fifteen books including his newest release Building a Culture of Ownership in Healthcare (with Bob Dent). His book The Florence Prescription: from Accountability to Ownership has more than 500,000 copies in print. Prior to founding Values Coach in 1994, he was chief operating officer for a large community teaching hospital. On the volunteer front, Joe was founding president of the Association of Air Medical Services and a leading activist fighting against unethical marketing practices of the tobacco industry's white collar drug pushers. Joe and his wife Sally have two adult children and they live on a small farmstead in Iowa. You can email him at  [email protected].

Discussion Topics:

• How to build relationships with clients and contractors
• Being the best human being
• The transition from accountability to ownership
• Creating a cultural blueprint

Links mentioned in show:

United Breaks Guitars Video

Alison Stratten's Episode

The Mind and The Brain by Jeffrey Schwartz

The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns

Join Mike's Facebook Ad course to get started growing your business:

The Photogs Guide to Facebook Ads

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

If you have any questions about this episode or want to give me some feedback (I love all feedback) you can email me here: [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com.

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! This week, Mike answers questions about the difference between LLC vs. sole proprietorship, what poses to use for actor headshots, pricing corporate work, and more!

Links mentioned in show:

The Law Tog

17Hats

Sprout Studio

ShootQ

Join Mike's Facebook Ad course to get started growing your business:

The Photogs Guide to Facebook Ads

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

On Q & A episodes, Mike answers questions submitted by the Facebook group, Photogs Unite!, every Mondays at 5:00pm PST.

If you have a question that you want answer, you can submit it at [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com. 

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! So, getting insurance can be a daunting task, asking questions like how much will it be? Should I get coverage for ALL my equipment? What's a business interruption policy? And then you pull your hair out trying to figure out what to do. Not to fear, Mike talks with Ed Castner about getting the right insurances for your business. What questions you should ask, why it's important to be honest with your agent, and how to get started today.  

More About our Guest Speaker: 

Ed Castner has been an independent insurance agent 10 years. Nationally ranked in the top 5 for personal lines insurance producers, he provides solutions across the country for high net worth individuals, executives, and professional athletes. His services include home, auto, boat, flood, jewelry/fine art, and more. You can find him on his Linkedin page, contact him at [email protected], or call him at 239-822-0212 (if in the U.S.).

Discussion Topics:

• Networking with the right people.
• Learning when to move forward in your business.
• Understand your coverage; don't be surprised about it's policy until it's too late.
• Ask the hard questions to your agent.
• Spending a little bit now for the right coverage can save you a lot when things go wrong.

Links mentioned in show:

Rachel Brenke's The Law Tog

Insurance Guide For Photogs

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

If you have any questions about this episode or want to give me some feedback (I love all feedback) you can email me here: [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com.

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! This week, Mike answers questions about reveal walls, calculating commercial rates, IPS without a studio, selling through distributors, and more on the Facebook and Instagram ads!

Links mentioned in show:

WordPress Thrive Themes

The Photog's Guide to Facebook and Instagram Ads

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

On Q & A episodes, Mike answers questions submitted by the Facebook group, Photogs Unite!, every Mondays at 5:00pm PST.

If you have a question that you want answer, you can submit it at [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com. 

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! We are the ring leaders of the shoot and it's up to us to dictate the energy, the enthusiasm, and make it a fun day for our clients. But if you just hide behind the camera, without putting on a 'performance', you'll never make your clients feel comfortable and the photos will show it. Mike talks with Corey Poirier about being a performer in your photo session. They talk about overcoming fears of public speaking, how you can turn your passion into a business, and understanding what you like doing in your business and what jobs you can outsource.

More About our Guest Speaker: 

Corey Poirier is a multiple-time TEDx, MoMondays and PMx, Speaker. He is also the host of the top rated 'Conversations with PASSION' Radio Show, founder of The Speaking Program, and he has been featured in multiple television specials. A columnist with Entrepreneur and Forbes magazine, he has featured in/on CBS, CTV, NBC, ABC, is a Forbes Coaches Council member, and is one of the few leaders featured twice on the popular Entrepreneur on Fire show. He has also interviewed over 4,000 of the world's top leaders. One of his most recent talks took him to New York City where he had the extreme pleasure of speaking to At-Risk Youth at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club. 

Discussion Topics:

• Learning how to command the stage (even if the 'stage' is just one person).
• Being confident with your clients.
• Do you want to start a business or just do photography on the side? 
• Learning how to live on purpose and serving with passion. 

Links mentioned in show:

The Speaking Program

That Speaker Guy

Corey's eBook "Enlightened: Becoming the Best Version of YOU in 5 Easy Steps

Jab Jab Jab Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

E-Myths Series by Michael E. Gerber

Amy Porterfield's Podcast

Outsourcing with Upwork

Amy Bond's Episode

Joe Pulizzi's Episode

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

If you have any questions about this episode or want to give me some feedback (I love all feedback) you can email me here: [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com.

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! This week, Mike answers questions about shooting animals, writing up a contract, upgrading your gear, pricing your commercial work, and more!

Links mentioned in show:

TheLawTog

The Photogs Unite! Resource Page

Erica Castner Episode

Nick Nelson Episode

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

Mike answers questions submitted by the Facebook group, Photogs Unite!, every Mondays at 5:00pm PST.

If you have a question that you want answer, you can submit it at [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com. 

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.

Hey Photogs! Do you say to yourself "I'll do it tomorrow," a lot about a particular task that you have to do? Do you then beat yourself up for not doing said task, which then causes you to not be in the mood to work at all? Well, Mike sits down with Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking to discuss ways on how to beat your procrastination habits. Are you actually procrastinating or are you strategically planning? How can we start focusing on our goals? And why do we procrastinate in the first place?

More About our Guest Speaker: 

Sarah Reiff-Hekking, Ph.D. is the founder of True Focus Coaching Inc., a speaker, coach, and Psychologist with 20 years of experience helping people reach their goals. She empowers entrepreneurs and professionals to get a grip on time so that they can get to the next level in their lives and businesses. She believes that you have to find the time management system that works for you, that solutions are found by paying attention to the present moment, and that just like Michelangelo had to chip away at the stone to find the statue, we have to get rid of all the extra stuff that isn't the core of your life.

Discussion Topics:

• Procrastination and delay
• Managing cognitive load
• Managing emotions in business/life
• The importance of setting boundaries, and how to stick to themstrategies for maintaining resiliency.
• How feeling overwhelmed causes procrastination, and how to avoid overwhelm the limitations of willpower.

Links mentioned in show:

Finished: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff

"5 Steps to Bust Through Procrastination and Overwhelm" free eBook

Dr. Sarah's website, "True Focus Coaching"

Join the Photogs community! Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/photogsunitegroup or instagram.com/photogs_unite.

If you have any questions about this episode or want to give me some feedback (I love all feedback) you can email me here: [email protected] or head on over to our website, www.photogsunite.com.

And please leave me an honest review! It helps other photogs find this show and we can help more people create the images they imagine and build the business they dream of.