Creating a membership program in your family photography business is a win/win: your clients get yearly photos they can rely on and you get a predictable monthly schedule and income. But what if you don't photograph families? What if you're a boudoir photographer, or a brand photographer, or something else... could a membership work for you? Today's guest is here to answer that question (and so many more)!

Monica Adelsteinsson is a dog photographer in Phoenix, and she's joining me on the show to share how she successfully introduced and launched a membership to her relatively niche market (including a fantastic Instagram strategy I'm DEFINITELY adding to my next launch)!

Links: 

• Learn how to create a portrait membership
• Monica's Website
• Follow Monica 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!

What would you do if you woke up one day to find that all the social media accounts you use for your business had been shut down? That's exactly what happened to my guest, Megan Lacy.

You've probably heard the old adage "don't put all your eggs in one basket," and when it comes to marketing your photography business, that's great advice... especially when the basket is owned by someone else! Social media can be an amazing place to build your network and market your business, but it's important to remember that your place there is never guaranteed. 

Today, Megan Lacy is sharing the horror story she's currently facing in the hopes that it can help you avoid a similar situation.

Links: 

• Megan-Lacy.com/podcast - contact Megan if you have advice for getting her accounts back

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!

Keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of social media can feel like a full-time job on top of your photography career (especially if you’re like me and don’t really love doing it). But there’s no denying that social media is a big part of most of our marketing strategies these days, so love it or hate it, we need to at least be able to fumble our way through the basics!

I wanted to bring on a working photographer who juggles all the platforms, content creation, and algorithm juggernauts really well and pick her brain about how she approaches social media. That person is Cassidy Lynne, and I think no matter where you are in your social media journey, you are going to learn something from today's episode!

Links: 

• Cassidy on Instagram
• Cassidy's website: CassidyLynneEducation.com

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 think we all know that SEO is crucial when it comes to growing our businesses and getting more inquiries, but it can feel like a complicated (or even impossible) nut to crack. 

Enter today’s guest! When Melissa Arlena relocated from DC to Florida, she was able to quickly and successfully relaunch her business with a simple SEO strategy based entirely on blogging.

It turns out, blogging is not dead, but there is a new and improved way to go about it that will help you rank more quickly on Google. In this episode, Melissa’s breaking the whole process down into a way that's easy to understand and simple to implement. Whether you're relocating soon or just want to increase your business' reach, this episode is a must-listen!

Links: 

• Melissa's "Where to Share" Checklist
• Melissa's SEO Resources

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 never a perfect time to start a business, have a baby, or get a puppy... at some point, you just jump in and say "I guess we're doing this!" 

We recently got a new puppy (Lasso... yes, after Ted Lasso), and spending so much time with this bundle of fluff has reminded me of all the joys - and struggles - that come with starting something new. It's both exciting and frustrating at the same time, with big learning curves in between... Which is exactly how I felt about starting a photography business!

So whether you're new in your business, in a period of growth, or just want to hear cute puppy stories while you edit, snuggle in for some Lessons From Lasso. 

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!

Brands evolve over time, and rebranding is a project that most of us have to tackle at some point in our businesses… but it can be a daunting process! Confusion about where to start, what to do, and what to say can turn what should be an exciting process into a frustrating slog.

Today, Rachel Greiman of Green Chair Stories is sharing her expertise on the rebranding process. She gives advice on the order of operations and tips on how to decide what you can DIY versus what's better to outsource.

If rebranding is on your radar in the near future, this is one you'll want to take notes on!

Links: 

• Green Chair Stories Website: https://greenchairstories.com
• 15% Off "The Guide to Write Your Site Right" with the code THISCANTBETHATHARD15

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’ve been in business for any amount of time, you're probably familiar with burnout - it happens to the best of us. A lot of the resources out there focus on how to avoid burnout, which is great until you suddenly find yourself in the middle of it with no plan for how to turn the ship around. 

In case you find yourself in the throes of burnout - now or in the future - my guest Krista Marie Lynch has some solid strategies to help you reframe and move through burnout, so you can get back to finding the joy and creativity in your business. 

Links: 

• Listen to Krista's Podcast - She Calls Her Shots 
• Download the Profit Planning Worksheet 
• Check out Krista Marie 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!

So many photographers feel annoyed at best (and overwhelmed at worst) when it comes to the financial side of running a small business - most photographers aren't born bookkeepers, but of course as small business owners, it's something we all have to manage.

Tanya Hirschy from Tidy Books Boutique is on the show today talking about why it’s important that we take some time to clean up our finances before the end of the year (hint: it can save you time, stress, and money!), and to give us some strategies for making that process as easy and painless as possible.

Links: 

• Download Tanya's Tax Checklist for Photographers 
• Follow Tidy Books Boutique on Instagram - @tidybooksboutique 

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’m all about sharing the mistakes I made in my business to help you avoid making the same ones…. and one of the biggest, most costly mistakes I've ever made was not bothering to create a sale at the holidays for the first 8 years of my business. When I do the math, I estimate that one mistake cost me north of $50K (it still hurts to write that number!) 

If the word “sale” makes you cringe inside, then this episode is for you. There are plenty of reasons you can come up with to not run a holiday sale, but today I want to share 5 really compelling reasons why I think you should. Listen in with an open mind - I think you’ll be surprised at what you might learn!

Links: 

• Take the Holiday Sales Quiz to find out how much you could make this year. 

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's path to success looks different. Some of us went to school for photography, while others of us picked up a camera for the first time when our babies were born. I think one of my favorite things about talking to photographers is that no two success stories are ever the same. 

Today’s guest is someone I have Instagram stalked for a long time, both for her beautiful images and her powerful words. And over the last few years, I've watched as her business has exploded.

From a social media perspective, it might seem like Carmen Bridgewater is one of those photographers who hits it big out of nowhere, but just like 99% of success stories out there, there was a long road leading to her "overnight success!" 

Links: 

• You can find Carmen at CarmenBridgewater.com
• and follow her on IG @carmen.bridgewater

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!