What if the most profitable thing in your business isn't your highest-priced offer?

That's the question behind this episode - and the answer might surprise you. I brought in two photographers, Jenn Chen and Allison Maxwell, who have each built something I find genuinely fascinating: a lower-priced, accessible offer that sits at the front of their business and funnels clients into their higher-ticket work. Not as a loss leader or freebie, but as an actual profit center that also happens to grow their audience and warm up ideal clients.

Jenn runs a family and newborn photography business in California and started doing confetti mini sessions early in her business as a creative list-building strategy. Allison is based in central Arkansas and built her Playful Portraits offer out of necessity after an unexpected relocation.

In this episode, we dig into...

•   How both women made sure their accessible offer felt genuinely different from their full work (so it wouldn't cannibalize their regular bookings)
•   The soft, non-pushy way they convert mini clients into full-price clients over time    
•   Why Allison says 95% of her full-price work traces back to Playful Portraits - either directly or through referrals
•   What it actually looks like to be a "model mullet" - donkey in the front, unicorn in the back

Links:  

• Follow Jenn Chen on Instagram: 
• Explore Allison Maxwell’s Photography Resources
• See Allison’s Work on Instagram 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

You know that moment when you look at your bank statement and realize you're still paying for software you stopped using three months ago? Yep. We've all been there.

Profitability isn't just about what you charge - it's about what you keep. And for most photographers, there's money unnecessarily leaking out of the business every single month that a little attention could stop.

In this episode, I'll walk you through my strategic approach to evaluating business expenses - not as a slash-and-burn exercise, but as a way to make your spending actually work for your business model. You'll come away with:

•   A clear process for getting every expense out of your head and onto paper (or into Airtable!)
•   Two simple filters to help you decide what's worth keeping and what isn't
•   The "don't starve your business" principle (because cutting the wrong things can cost you more in the long run)
•   A lightweight tracking system to keep expenses from getting away from you again

Whether your bank account is looking slim after slow season or you just want to feel more in control of where your money goes, this episode gives you a practical framework to work through it.

LINKS:

•   Photographer's Business Dashboard
•  Business model quiz

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

What if "Just raise your prices" is the wrong advice for right now?

That's a question a lot of photographers have been sitting with lately - and honestly, it's one worth taking seriously. When budgets feel tight and bookings feel uncertain, the standard advice can start to feel a little tone-deaf. But here's the thing: there are real, strategic ways to increase your profitability without ever touching your prices.

In this episode, I'm revisiting a framework I introduced way back in Episode 38 - the Donkey, Workhorse, and Unicorn business models - and looking at it through a fresh lens. Because after 16 years in this industry, I can tell you that the most profitable version of my business wasn't the one where I was working the hardest or charging the most. It was the one where I finally got smart about how I was structured.    

In this episode, I'm breaking down:  

• Why profitability is about what you KEEP, not just what you charge  
• The three business models that can all be profitable in photography (and the very different ways they get there)  
• Why the donkey model is the most misunderstood (and often the most profitable) of the three  
• How to calculate your actual effective hourly rate so you can see exactly where you stand

This episode is the first in a four-part pricing and money series, and it sets the foundation for everything we'll be covering this month. Whether you're feeling nervous about the economy or just curious about whether there's a smarter way to structure things, this is a good place to start.

LINKS:

• Take the business model quiz:
• Listen to Episode 38 (from 2020)

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

What if the reason your marketing isn't converting has nothing to do with your content... and everything to do with the part that comes after it?

In this episode, Annemie and Dayna get a little theatrical to break down one of the most important (and most avoided) distinctions in your business: the difference between marketing and selling, and why you genuinely can't have one without the other.

Using Wicked as their framework, they make the case that Glinda (your marketing) gets all the love, while Elphaba (your selling) gets an unfair bad rap. But here's the truth: the magic only happens when they work together.

In this episode:

• Why marketing alone won't grow your business, and what has to happen next
• Where selling gets its "wicked" reputation (and why that's worth unpacking)
• How understanding your numbers changes your relationship with pricing conversations
• What it looks like to switch hats between marketing mode and selling mode, and why that skill is everything

No sparkly wand required... but it wouldn't hurt!

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Picture this: you're cruising down the highway, passing billboard after billboard without really registering any of them. Then hunger strikes, and suddenly that McDonald's sign is the only thing you can see.

That's how marketing works: you're not introducing yourself once and hoping for the best. You're showing up again and again, so that when your client's _"I need a photographer!"_ moment finally hits, yours is the name that comes to mind.

But here's the catch: even when someone is ready to pull off at the next exit and book, their brain starts throwing up speed bumps: questions about pricing, worries about their messy house, uncertainty about how the whole process works.

In this episode, Annemie and Dayna break down how to use your email and social media marketing to sand down those speed bumps before someone even _thinks_ about booking, making the decision to hire you feel easy, obvious, and overdue.

In this episode, we cover:

• The rule of seven, and why the repetition in your marketing isn't annoying, it's necessary
• Four of the most common client hesitations and how to address each one
• How to turn your FAQs and prep guide into a steady stream of evergreen content
• Why a clear, specific call to action matters more than you think (and what "vague booking" is costing you)

By the end, you'll have a whole new way to think about your social and email content... less like a relentless content treadmill, more like a helpful guide walking your ideal clients right to your door.

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

For a long time, SEO gave us a set of rules to follow. There were a lot of rules, and following them all wasn't ever _simple_, but at least the playbook was fairly clear. These days, though, the landscape has shifted…

With the proliferation of AI tools and search algorithms, the way people find information online is evolving quickly. The rules around SEO are changing as well, and many photographers are wondering what actually matters now.

This week I’m joined by Corey Potter of Fuel Your Photos. Corey is a former wedding photographer who now helps photographers make their websites more discoverable, and he’s been studying AI's impact on search since the very beginning.

In this conversation, Corey breaks down what SEO really looks like in 2026. We talk about how AI powered search tools are influencing the way people look for photographers, why ranking on Google doesn’t always guarantee clicks anymore, and what photographers should focus on instead.

If SEO has started to feel overwhelming lately, this episode will help you focus on the fundamentals that still matter… clarity, consistency, and making it easy for both people and search tools to understand exactly how you help your clients.

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

If you’re anything like most photographers, the thought of walking into a fundraiser, hosting an event, or introducing yourself at a networking mixer makes you want to put on your soft pants and climb back into bed. Which is exactly why I’m betting the rock quadrant of your marketing system is probably the one that needs the most attention.

The truth is, in-person marketing can be one of the fastest ways to build real momentum in your business… but that requires finding opportunities that feel aligned and doable!

For this episode, I went back through the archives and pulled together some of the best strategies we've covered on the podcast and bundled them into one super episode. These strategies aren't just effective, they're very doable! Grab a notebook, because there are a lot of ideas packed into this one...

• First, Nicole Begley shares charitable marketing strategies that actually convert.
• Then Michelle Franzetti walks through her creative approach to hosting gatherings that bring people together.
• Next, Michelle McAfee explains how to use your studio or other physical spaces as a relationship building tool.
• And finally, Angelica Pompey shares practical scripts for how to start conversations with anyone and what to say once you’re in the room.

You’ll walk away with permission to keep things simple and a reminder that the goal of networking is not to "win" the room. It’s to show up, be helpful, and let those relationships compound over time.

Ready to start filling your rock quadrant and building real momentum in your marketing? Listen in… and don’t forget to grab this week's action items at thiscantbethathard.com/darkroom.

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

As the slow season fog lifts and spring energy kicks in, it can be tempting to try to chase the perfect marketing strategy… only to end up overwhelmed, second-guessing every move, and wondering why marketing always feels like a gamble.

This month, we're doing something brand new on the podcast called March Marketing Madness, and for the first time ever, we have a guest host! This Can't Be That Hard's very own marketing director, Dayna (who many of you know from the Consistency Club) is taking over the mic to walk us through a fun, practical way build a marketing game plan that actually works.

In this kickoff episode, Dayna and I introduce the Marketing Madness Bracket, a gamified way to think about your marketing ecosystem. We break your marketing efforts into four quadrants that work together to create real momentum.

Be sure to download your free March Marketing Madness Bracket inside the Darkroom Companion app  so you can map out your strategy, spot the gaps, and make smarter decisions about where to focus your energy this year. 

If you're ready to stop guessing where your next client is coming from and start building a marketing strategy that works, this episode is your starting line!

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

If you want your photography to be more than a hobby, getting your finances organized isn’t just a “nice to have” - it’s the foundation for a profitable, sustainable business. If you’ve ever promised yourself that “next year will be different” when tax season rolls around, this episode is for you.

Today, I’m joined by Tiffany Bastian, a no-nonsense accountant with over 20 years of experience who works exclusively with photographers across the US. Tiffany’s not a photographer herself, but she’s made it her mission to help creative entrepreneurs ditch the shame, get organized, and finally feel confident about their money. Imagine having an accountant who actually understands the ins and outs of your business - from digital files to sales tax in every state!

In this episode, we’re:

• Breaking down the emotional roadblocks that keep so many photographers stuck in financial overwhelm 
• Sharing the first, most powerful step to financial clarity
• Demystifying bookkeeping and showing you how a little organization can lead to more freedom, better pricing, and less stress at tax time
• Exploring how financial organization isn’t about losing your creative spark - it’s about empowering you to run your business like a CEO and live the life you want

Ready to stop dreading your numbers and start feeling in control? Tiffany’s practical tips and real talk will help you take that first step - and trust me, your future self (and your bank account) will thank you!

LINKS:

• Check out Tiffany’s free guide, “Five Money Moves,” to jumpstart your financial organization.
• Learn more about Tiffany and her work with photographers.

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Organization is not just about what your clients see… it's also about how your business feels to you.

In this episode, we dive deeper on our organization theme by looking at internal systems… the behind the scenes structure that keeps everything running smoothly.

I’m joined by Stacey Rolfe of Tog Hub, who helps photographers build streamlined, sustainable systems inside their CRMs. Stacey shares why burnout isn't usually about talent or motivation; instead, it's about capacity. When your schedule, pricing, and workflows are built around someone else’s life instead of your own, things start to crack.

We talk about

• setting boundaries around your real life first, then building your business around that
• quarterly CEO planning so you are not drifting off course
• creating one single source of truth for inquiries, bookings, and client communication
• using templates and simple pricing structures to dramatically reduce mental load

If your business feels reactive… like you are constantly paddling under the surface just to keep up… this conversation will help you see how a few intentional systems can create more calm, more confidence, and a lot more sustainability.

LINKS:

• Grab the FREE DIY Trap Masterclass and learn what’s really holding your business back.
• Streamline everything behind the scenes

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!