Ever wondered what it really takes to host a virtual summit? In this episode, I’m joined by my friends Bekah Read and Mara Kucirek to pull back the curtain on our 2025 Black Friday Summit. Together, we share a full launch debrief—what worked, what didn’t, the data behind 758 signups and 137 All-Access Pass sales, and the behind-the-scenes life moments that happened while running this summit as busy moms and business owners. Whether you’re planning a Black Friday promotion or dreaming of hosting your own virtual summit, this honest conversation is packed with lessons, encouragement, and strategies you can use right away.

• The planning process behind a 3-day Black Friday summit
• How we grew our email lists by over 700 signups through organic marketing
• The role of sponsorships, private podcasts, and an All-Access Pass played in our results
• Numbers, data, and conversions—from 758 signups to $4K+ in sales
• What we’d do differently if we host again in 2026
• And so much more (click here to read the blog post)

▸ Watch the YouTube video version of this launch debrief:

▸ Get The Simplified Black Friday Planning Kit: HERE

▸ Snag the All Access Pass for The 2025 Black Friday Virtual Summit: HERE

▸ Follow Mara Kucirek: HERE

▸ Follow Bekah Read: HERE

▸ Follow Ellen Yin/Cubicle To CEO: HERE

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🥳 Share a screenshot of this episode on your IG story and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can cheer you on!

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It’s officially Q4 of 2025—and if you’re a family photographer, you’re probably deep in busy season. But here’s the truth: now is also the perfect time to plant seeds for 2026 with long-form content that keeps working for you long after the editing rush is over.

In this episode (repurposed from my YouTube channel), I’m sharing three SEO-friendly blogging ideas you can batch out this October to attract dream clients, show up in search results, and position yourself as the go-to photographer in your city.

Whether you’re a family photographer wanting to book more sessions or a small business owner looking for sustainable marketing ideas, you’ll walk away with practical, keyword-rich content strategies you can implement right away.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why Q4 blogging matters for long-term SEO and future bookings
• Three blog post ideas that make you the searchable answer for potential clients
• How to use your existing client galleries to showcase wardrobe inspiration and style guides
• And so much more
• Read the entire blog post here

▸ Watch the YouTube video version of this training (with visuals!) → https://youtu.be/anbj_bb8QVk

▸ The Family Photographer's Marketing Society: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/the-family-photographers-marketing-society

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Are family photographers ready to simplify and automate the backend of their business?

In this episode, I’m breaking down the very first step in your client experience: your contact form. Instead of relying on the standard form that comes with your website template, I’ll show you how to replace it with a Dubsado lead capture form so that new inquiries automatically flow into your CRM—saving you time and eliminating the risk of losing leads.

Whether you’re on Showit, Squarespace, or another platform, this tip will help you create a smoother, more professional client journey from the very first touchpoint.

• Why replacing your default website contact form with a Dubsado lead capture form is a game-changer
• The exact steps to embed your CRM form into your website (using Showit as the example)
• Which fields to include (and which ones to skip!) for a streamlined inquiry process
• How this one small change can automate your lead management and prevent missed emails
• A free training resource to help you build a “Contact Page That Wows”
• Read the entire blog post here

▸ Watch the YouTube video version of this training (with visuals!) → YouTube Channel

▸ Get 30% OFF of Dubsado Here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/dubsado-coupon-code

▸ Want the free training mentioned? Create a Contact Form that WOWS: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/create-a-contact-page-that-wows

▸ Showit (get 1 month free with my link): https://showit.com/r/40ggld0m

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✅ Sign up for weekly reminders + free resources here → Business Tools

🥳 Share a screenshot of this episode on your IG story and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can cheer you on!

🔗 Affiliate links included. I only recommend products I personally use and love.

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Are you a service-based business owner already thinking ahead to Black Friday 2025? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I prepare months in advance, specifically, how I segment my email audience as early as August, so I know exactly who to promote to by November.

I’ll walk you through how I’m using Flodesk (my email service provider) and Showit (my website host) to create smart segments, confirmation pages, and primed audiences that are ready for my Black Friday branding photography offer. This is the same strategy I use with my launch clients, and it’s one you can start applying to your own Black Friday prep today.

Whether you’re a family photographer, a service-based business owner, or someone who’s tired of throwing together last-minute sales, this episode will help you:

• Understand why segmenting your audience months ahead of Black Friday sets you up for success
• Learn how to use Flodesk to create segments for your warmest leads
• See how Showit can support your email strategy with simple confirmation pages
• Read the entire blog post here

▸ Watch the YouTube video version of this training (with visuals!) → YouTube Channel

▸ Flodesk (get 50% OFF your first year with this code): https://flodesk.com/c/DOLLYDELONGEDUCATION

▸ Showit (get 1 month free with my link): https://showit.com/r/40ggld0m

▸ Ready to map out and plan your Black Friday for 2025? Get The Simple Black Friday Planning Kit HERE

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✅ Sign up for weekly reminders + free resources here → Business Tools

🥳 Share a screenshot of this episode on your IG story and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can cheer you on!

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Big news, friends—Black Friday doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or chaotic! In this behind-the-scenes episode, I’m sharing how I’m simplifying my own Black Friday 2025 plan for my photography business and using one clear content strategy: repurposing long-form content to strategically prime my audience ahead of my offer.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall with your marketing or scrambling last-minute in November, this episode will walk you through how I’m preparing now (in September!) to ensure my Black Friday promotion is smooth, strategic, and simplified.

Whether you’re a family photographer or a small business owner, you’ll walk away with practical tips to help you organize your content, repurpose what you already have, and build momentum that leads directly to your Black Friday offer.

• How to simplify your Black Friday plan without overwhelm
• Why I chose ONE clear offer for Black Friday 2025 and how I’m preparing for it
• How to repurpose long-form content (like blogs, YouTube, and podcasts) into weekly pre-launch content
• The importance of segmenting your audience ahead of time to warm them up
• Why priming your audience 6–10 weeks out is essential for launch success
• How this same approach can help both photographers and service-based business owners

▸ The Simplified Black Friday Planning Kit (co-created with Mara Kucirek & Bekah Read)

▸ Watch this episode on YouTube

▸ Read the blog post that goes with this episode

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✨ Thanks for joining me on The Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast! If you loved today’s episode:

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Are you actually using the real words your clients are typing into Google when they’re searching for a photographer like you? In today’s episode, I’m showing you a simple tweak you can make to your contact form that helps you discover the exact keywords your clients are already using to find you.

This small backend shift in your CRM (like Dubsado or HoneyBook) can completely transform how you approach blogging, YouTube, and podcasting—because you’ll finally have client-driven keywords to use in your content marketing. And the best part? It’s 100% organic marketing. No ads required.

Whether you’re a family photographer or a creative small business owner, you’ll walk away from this episode with a practical strategy for:

• Capturing the exact search terms your clients use when they find you online
• Organizing those keywords in a project management tool (like Trello)
• Repurposing client-driven keywords into long-form content for SEO
• Building a sustainable marketing system that doesn’t rely on paid ads
• Using your contact form as a hidden goldmine for SEO research

Read the entire blog post or watch the whole YouTube video HERE

▸ The Essential Launch Email Checklist (FREE) → https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/emails-needed-for-a-launch

▸ Dubsado (get 30% OFF with this link!) → https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/dubsado-coupon-code

▸ Shoutout to Kara Duncan of The Kara Report → https://thekarareport.com/

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✅Sign up for weekly reminders to stay updated on all things systems, SOPS, marketing, and workflows to impact the backend of YOUR family photography OR creative business! You can snag freebies here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/business-tools

🥳Post a screenshot and some of your favorite key takeaways on your IG story, and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can repost it!

🔗Affiliate links included, which means I might make a lil' money when you click. I only recommend people, products, & programs I use & ❤️

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Big news, friends...Flodesk and ThriveCart finally released a direct integration, and it’s a total game-changer for small business owners! In this episode, I’m walking you through how the new Flodesk + ThriveCart integration works, why you no longer need Zapier to connect the two, and how this update can save you both time and money in 2025.

Whether you’re a family photographer, a creative educator, or a service-based business owner, this episode will show you how to:

• Connect Flodesk and ThriveCart without Zapier
• Automatically add new customers to the right Flodesk segments or workflows
• Streamline your tech stack and simplify your backend systems
• Use this integration to better support launches, memberships, or digital product sales

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many tools or tired of paying for unnecessary integrations, this one is for you.

▸Read the blog (and watch the YouTube Video) that goes with this podcast: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/flodesk-thrivecart-integration/

▸The Essential Launch Email Checklist: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/emails-needed-for-a-launch

▸Thrivecart: https://dollydelong--checkout.thrivecart.com/thrivecart-pro-account/

▸Flodesk (get 50% OFF with this code): https://flodesk.com/c/DOLLYDELONGEDUCATION

💻Website

📱Instagram

🎥YouTube

✅Sign up for weekly reminders to stay updated on all things systems, SOPS, marketing, and workflows to impact the backend of YOUR family photography OR creative business! You can snag freebies here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/business-tools

🥳Post a screenshot and some of your favorite key takeaways on your IG story, and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can repost it!

🔗Affiliate links included, which means I might make a lil' money when you click. I only recommend people, products, & programs I use & ❤️

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re in the first few years of running your small business, chances are you’ve felt buried under all the noise—everyone telling you which tools to use, which platforms to be on, and which strategies are “must-dos.” That overwhelm doesn’t just waste your time; it can keep you stuck and prevent you from making real progress.

That’s why in this episode, I’m cutting through the noise and sharing the four simplified marketing tools that actually matter for small business owners. These are the exact platforms I use to streamline my marketing, keep my overhead low, and show up consistently as a team of one. Whether you’re exhausted by daily posting, confused about email marketing, or unsure what website platform to invest in, this episode will help you simplify your decisions and finally feel confident in your marketing system.

-Read the blog that goes with this podcast: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/best-marketing-tools-small-business/

▸Enji: https://www.enji.co/marketing-for-family-photographers?ref=mjvkymm

▸Showit (get ONE month for FREE): https://showit.com/r/40ggld0m

▸Flodesk (get 50% OFF with this code): https://flodesk.com/c/DOLLYDELONGEDUCATION

▸Showit Template Shop Recommendation (Makena Delaney) https://makenadelaney.com/shop

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✅Sign up for weekly reminders to stay updated on all things systems, SOPS, marketing, and workflows to impact the backend of YOUR family photography OR creative business! You can snag freebies here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/business-tools

🥳Post a screenshot and some of your favorite key takeaways on your IG story, and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can repost it!

🔗Affiliate links included, which means I might make a lil' money when you click. I only recommend people, products, & programs I use & ❤️

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 197, Dolly sits down with Mara and Bekah to share the behind-the-scenes story of why the three of us have teamed up to host the Black Friday 2025 Virtual Summit and how it can help your business prepare with actionable strategies for the busiest sales season of the year. To read the blog post that goes with this podcast episode, click HERE

🎟️Get your free virtual ticket to the Black Friday 2025 Summit: https://blackfridaysummit.com/

🎟️Get your free virtual ticket to the Black Friday 2025 Summit: https://blackfridaysummit.com/

🎉 Emails needed for a launch (Free PDF) HERE

🎉 Are you a family photographer and need weekly marketing help? Join the Family Photographers' Marketing Society: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/the-family-photographers-marketing-society

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🎁Free Gift From Rebekah

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🎁Free Resource From Mara

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📱Instagram

🎥YouTube

✅Sign up for weekly reminders to stay updated on all things systems, SOPS, marketing, and workflows to impact the backend of YOUR family photography OR creative business! You can snag freebies here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/business-tools

🥳Post a screenshot and some of your favorite key takeaways on your IG story, and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can repost it!

🔗Affiliate links included, which means I might make a lil' money when you click. I only recommend people, products, & programs I use & ❤️

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 196 of the Systems & Workflow Magic Podcast, I chat with Rebekah Read (Bekah) about how to optimize your Black Friday sales page using SEO and AI so your offers are searchable, compelling, and ready to convert in 2025. To read the ENTIRE blog post that corresponds with this podcast, just click HERE

🎟️Get your free virtual ticket to the Black Friday 2025 Summit: https://blackfridaysummit.com/

🎟️Get your free virtual ticket to the Black Friday 2025 Summit: https://blackfridaysummit.com/

🎉 Emails needed for a launch (Free PDF) HERE

🎉 Are you a family photographer and need weekly marketing help? Join the Family Photographers' Marketing Society: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/the-family-photographers-marketing-society

💻 Website

📱Instagram

🎁Free Gift From Rebekah

💻Website

📱Instagram

🎥YouTube

✅Sign up for weekly reminders to stay updated on all things systems, SOPS, marketing, and workflows to impact the backend of YOUR family photography OR creative business! You can snag freebies here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/business-tools

🥳Post a screenshot and some of your favorite key takeaways on your IG story, and tag me @dollydelongeducation so I can repost it!

🔗Affiliate links included, which means I might make a lil' money when you click. I only recommend people, products, & programs I use & ❤️

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.