This Can't Be That Hard

Failure is an inescapable fact of life and business, but how we respond to it is what defines the experience. Whether failure happens in your art, your business, or your personal life, learning how to navigate setbacks with grit and grace is a major stepping stone on the way to success. 

This week's guest is Alison Hatch, who is sharing the difficult journey she experienced taking over the Photo Native conference. Navigating financial struggles, emotional hurdles, and the sting of failure, her story is a powerful reminder that these challenges are part of the growth process. Alison shares how taking big risks—despite the fear of failure—allowed her to grow both personally and professionally.

Failure is a natural part of business and personal growth. I hope Alison's story will encourage you to keep moving forward, take risks, and embrace the inevitability of failure as an essential part of success.

Links: 

• Visit Alison's website: AlisonBHatchPhoto.com and sign up for Alison’s Film Soup Course
• Listen to Alison's podcast: Photographer's Create

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!

Starting a photography business was one of the biggest bets I ever made on myself — until I did it again post-divorce. Both of those crossroads were both terrifying and a bit exhilarating.

Today my conversation is with another photographer who has bet on herself in similar ways. Rebecca Honeycutt, is a lifestyle children's and family photographer in Portland, OR, and today she's sharing her inspiring story of betting on herself and building a thriving photography business, even when the odds seemed stacked against her. And as much as I appreciate a good dose of inspiration, what I love most about this conversation are the concrete steps Rebecca shares that helped her make those bets... including working with a financial planner and diversifying her offerings. 

Links:

• Check out Rebecca's full portfolio for more inspiration: Rebecca's Website 
• Grab your FREE guide now: Conscious Composition + Color Guide

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!

I frequently hear from photographers who are thinking of reducing their prices as a way of attracting more clients. While I understand their logic, my advice is always to proceed with caution: the (potential) short-term gain always has to be weighed against the (potential) hit to their business' long-term sustainability.

In today’s episode, I'm sharing a cautionary tale about a business that recently shut down due to their financial missteps. This was a business I relied on for my own business, and their sudden and unexpected closure left me and hundreds (thousands?) of other business owners in a tough position. My hope is that this episode creates a silver lining of sorts out of the dark cloud of this story, because I don't want any of you to make a similar mistake in your own business!

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!

In this episode, I'm diving in on the artistry of photography - a topic I don't often cover on this podcast... but not to worry: it doubles a business conversation, too! Ashley Kaplan is my guest, talking about how creating truly unique and memorable photographs can be a huge part of your business and marketing plans if you know how to position and sell that difference. 

Ashley has mastered the skill of differentiating her work from her competition's... so much so that she is able to command higher prices and stay booked out months in advance. Tune in to learn how to lean into your inner artist to create a business that not only fills your bank account but also your artistic soul.

Links:

• Unlock your photography potential with Ashley Kaplan's Education site, where you can apply for mentorship or dive into her signature course, A Sense of Place. 
• Explore more of her work and offerings on her main website.

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 creatives, I think we tend to overcomplicate things (right!?), but I'm all about making it simple for you to run a profitable photography business, and sometimes the simplest way to do that is to make sure you are squeezing every last drop of value out of what you're already offering. 

In that vein, today I'm sharing some strategic ways to maximize your sales opportunities and earn more from your photography business by implementing some tried and true sales and marketing strategies in a way you may not have considered before. 

Links:

•  Learn how to set up a membership program in your business with Revenue on Repeat

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!

This episode really highlights the importance of intentionally stepping outside of our comfort zone to build a more inclusive businesses, and I'm grateful to Tiffany for her willingness to have this important discussion and share her insights with us. 

Links:

• Grab Tiffany's guide to setting up diversity model calls
• Get 20% off one-on-one mentoring with Tiffany through the end of 2024 when you mention TCBTH!

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!

I used to think I had a "black thumb" when it came to gardening, but back in 2020 when I had time to pay attention to my yard for the first time ever, I was surprised to discover that I had a bit more of a knack for it than I realized! 

Maybe that's less surprising now that I look back and see all the parallels between growing a garden and running a thriving business. Many of the skills I've learned in my business - things like patience, perseverance, and being willing to experiment and adapt - are the same skills you need to be a successful gardener. 

But one of the biggest lessons I've learned - both in business and in my back yard - is the value of having "perennials"; those repeat clients that come back year after year through a membership program. Instead of relying solely on one-time "annual" clients, a membership gives you that steady, predictable revenue stream, just like perennial plants that come back year after year and make your garden look beautiful with much less work. They take some upfront work to set up, but it can pay off big time in the long run.

So today I want to talk about how you can start thinking about your business like a garden, and consider how you can plant the seeds for more sustainable growth.

Links:

• Learn how to set up a membership program in your business with Revenue on Repeat

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!

Every photographer reaches a point in their business where they're ready for the floodgates to open. You flip the switch on the virtual "open for business" sign, take a deep breath, and hope that the clients rush in.

More often than not, though, we spend a good chunk of our businesses' early years (and sometimes later years) trying to find our people... and that process can be more frustrating than we care to admit. 

Today I'm talking with Bobbi Barbarich about exactly how to figure out what it is that makes your art stand out in a crowded market, and (more importantly) how to translate that into a marketing strategy that converts.

Bobbi has over 15 years of experience in the industry, and she's developed a unique approach to marketing her business that goes beyond just showcasing the quality of her photos. She explains how she's focused on communicating the values and voice behind her work, which has allowed her to connect with her ideal clients and book them at higher prices. I can't wait for you to listen to this episode; it's a unique perspective on marketing that we've never covered on the show before, and it's sure to inspire you to do some fine-tuning of your own messaging. 

Links:

• Bobbi's Education Website 
• Bobbi's Documentary Mini-Course
  • Use code TCBTH15 to save 15% when you buy before Aug 15th, 2024 
• Learn how to shoot better candids to book more clients. 
• Follow Bobbi 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!

There's a lot of talk in the photo community these days about inquiries being down, which inevitably leads to talk (and a whole lot of insecurity) about pricing.

The truth is, pricing may be a factor in the decreased inquiry equation... but it's only one factor. And the truth is that changing your prices without taking the time to evaluate the broader equation may do more harm than good.

If you've been considering a shift in your prices (or any other area of your business), today's episode is for you. I'm covering the 5 parts of the business equation, especially when there are fewer jobs to go around.

Link:

• Take the Business Alignment 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!

It's often when I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place I come up with my most brilliant ideas... and I know I'm not the only one. Pressure has a way of forcing us to think outside the box and get creative about solutions we might not have otherwise considered. 

Paula Brennan, my guest today, likewise found a creative solution in a time of need, and it revolutionized her business. Paula is a personal brand photographer known for her creative (and wildly popular) approach to  mini brand sessions. But these aren't your typical mini sessions: she's figured out a way to maximize her time and resources while also allowing her clients to participate in something bigger than just a "brand shoot."

Whatever your niche, Paula's ideas will get your creative juices flowing... my mind was spinning with the possibilities! Tune in to hear all the details on how she is able to supercharge her income with this smart strategy.

Links:

• Watch BTS of a full Mini Session at styled location as Paula captures 60+ sellable images in under 45 minutes, to learn how too can do the same! 

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!