This Can't Be That Hard

Pricing is probably one of the hottest topics in the photography education space. As someone who feels so strongly about helping photographers price themselves profitably that I've made it a cornerstone of my education business, I am always excited to bring you a fresh take on pricing... and today's show is exactly that.

This episode features a guest appearance by Kristin Sweeting, who's sharing her insights on the psychology of pricing.  She starts by acknowledging how emotional pricing can be, bringing up all sorts of insecurities and fears from our past and talks about how we can use an "anchor package" to expand what clients think is possible. This is one of Kristin's most popular episodes, and I thought it would be a good one to percolate on this time of year. Enjoy!

Links:

• Harvard Business Review elements of value pyramid
• Self-hypnosis app "Magnetic"
• Profit First book
  
  

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!

When I first started in this business, branding and online presence were not my strong suits. Over the years, though, I've come to realize how important it is to represent yourself well online... and after going through a massive website overhaul, I am even more attuned to how much work it takes to do that on a website!

Enter KP and Jessie from Inkpot Creative. Today on the show, they are sharing some of their favorite tips for injecting that hard-to-define "you" into your website. They cover everything from visual branding elements to  building trust to storytelling tricks that can help potential clients feel like they know you before even getting on a call. 

I know website updates can feel daunting, but these small tweaks can make a big difference, so get out your notepads, and let's dive in. 

Links:

• Connect with KP and Jessie at their website - Ink Pot Creative
• Sign up for Strategy Sunday, Inkpot Creative®’s weekly email series that helps boundary-pushing creatives intentionally market to dreamy clients so easily it feels effortless.
• Follow Ink Pot Creative 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!

I consider myself a systems and workflow fanatic. Whether it's a system or a piece of tech, I geek out about tools that help us optimizing and streamline our workflows, not just because I've experienced firsthand how those tools can make or break you in business, but because it genuinely brings me joy to watch people get hours (days! weeks!!!) of their year back by investing in the few hours it takes to get a new set up and running.

That's what tools are supposed to do, after all: allow us to optimize our businesses, serve more clients, and at the same time find that elusive work-life balance we all want. And the tool we're discussing on the show today does EXACTLY that.

I'm chatting with Noella Andres from Imagen AI. Imagen AI is helping photographers find more freedom by doing the heavy lifting on culling and editing so we're free to focus on the areas that really matter when it comes to customer service and growth.

Links:

•  Get 1500 Free Edits when you try out Imagen AI 
• Connect with Noella on Instagram 
• Check in with the Imagen.ai Instagram account.

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 week, I'm branching out a bit from the strictly business talk to dive into the topic of unconscious programming. Specifically, how the thought patterns and beliefs we form as children can impact our creativity and businesses as adults, particularly around things like money and worthiness.

Renee Bowen is a photographer and mindset coach for creatives, and her area of expertise is helping her clients identify and move past the deep-seated beliefs that are blocking their paths to success. 

I love Renee's practical approach to helping photographers work though their own mindset blocks, and I think you'll find her laid-back, grounded conversation inspirational and mind-opening. 

Links:

• Website and Freebies
•  SOCIALS: Instagram,  Facebook, TikTok,  YouTube
• Podcast: https://renee.io/triedandtrue

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!

Simple Sales turned four years old at the beginning of the year, and since it first landed on the scene back in 2020, thousands of portrait photographers have used it to run more profitable, sustainable businesses.

Today's episode is an interview with one such student, Mackenzie Romagni. MacKenzie signed up for the Simple Sales Blueprint last year and is on the show today to share both her experience with the course and the journey she's been on as she transitioned her business from all-inclusive to Simple Sales. 

P.S. This episode was recorded several months ago as part of our ten-part mini-series on the system, which you can find by searching for "The Simple Sales System for Photographers" on YouTube or any podcast platform. We're sharing it here on the show ahead of the big updates we're introducing to the course later this month. If you've been considering the Blueprint, now's a fantastic time to get started!

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!

Everyone's journey as a photographer is different, and learning to trust the ride can be really difficult... especially in this age of social media, where comparisonitis runs rampant.

Today's guest is my long time friend Jessica Arden (I even shot her wedding!), who lovingly describes herself as a "hot mess success." Jessica's journey as a photographer has taken several turns, from weddings to families to newborns and now boudoir photography.

In this conversation, we talk about the importance of staying true to yourself, even when it looks different from what everyone else is doing, and how creating systems and workflows is key to creating a truly profitable photography business.  

Links:

• Find Jessica's work at Jessica Arden Photography 

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 recently read a quote by Seth Godin where he distinguished between long work and hard work, describing long work as routine, consistent effort without risk that most everyone makes, and hard work as the innovative, risky, and potentially transformative efforts that some people are willing to make. 

Both have their place, but there is a point at which just putting in the hours without taking the leap might be holding us back. 

This got me thinking about the evolution of a photography business and the concepts of broad work and deep work. In today's episode, I get into what that might look like in your business, and why taking the plunge and embracing deep work is worth the risk. 

Links:

• Read Seth Godin's Blog Post

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!

Almost every photographer I know has a love/hate relationship with Instagram. On one hand, it provides a free and relatively easy way for us to showcase our work and reach new clients. On the other hand, the amount of time it takes to create enough content to stay on top of trends and the algorithm can be enough to send you over the deep end. But what if there was a way to hack the system? 

Today, in a special episode, my partner from The Consistency Club, Dayna Schaaf, is interviewing Angela Shae from Social Templates Co, a company that offers a solution to this problem, with plug-and-play reel templates for photographers. Not only will Angela share how you can start creating high-quality reels in a fraction of the time, but she breaks down a system for capturing behind-the-scenes content, organizing that content and batch-creating reels to streamline your IG workflow.

If you are looking to up your Instagram game to reach new clients on social media, tune in to this inspiring episode.

Links:

• Try Social Templates for free for a month using code 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 wish I could wave a wand and help every photographer see their superpower - that one thing they do better than anyone else - so that they could use it to own their place in the market.

Since I'm (sadly) not a fairy godmother, I'm doing the next best thing by bringing on Casey Fatchett of The Nerdy Photographer. Casey and I geek out on marketing, SWOTs, and other tools you can use to take stock of your business, but I particularly loved his marketing superhero analogy... and I think you will too.

It can be hard to look objectively at your business, but Casey is sharing some great tips for how to figure out what sets you apart and how to use that to create a thriving 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!

Remember that feeling of first love? That intoxicating, overwhelming feeling of being completely obsessed with that person, to the point where they were all you could think about day and night? Finding photography can be a lot like falling in love (and starting a business is like that first big commitment)... but after that initial spark fades, where do we land? 

Today I'm talking about the 4 phases of your relationship with your photography business; from the initial spark, to the reality check, to the crisis moment, and finally the maturity and stability phase. 

Each phase is important and has its ups and downs. So no matter which phase you're currently in with your photography business, I hope today's episode will resonate.

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!