A lot of professional photographers struggle to find a balance between work and friendship—especially when friends played a crucial role in portfolio building in the first place. Today on the podcast, I'm talking about how to work with friends as a professional photographer in a way that avoids awkwardness and makes sure that you're not giving aways hours of free services that you don't really feel comfortable giving away.

I'm also talking about when I do give away free photos and how I do it in a way that doesn't take over the time that I've set aside to spend on paid projects.

Be sure to access the note I send my own friends when they ask for photos (search for episode 99 on photofieldnotes.com). Feel free to adapt this note for your own use.

Do you have your own opinions about how you like to work with friends? Message me at @photofieldnotes, and your comment could be included in next week's show. Be sure to let me know if you want to be credited for your comment or remain anonymous.

Episode 99: Working With Friends as a Professional Photographer

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In the span of 5 years, Liz grew and sold a successful blog, got bought out of her second company, and built the third into a multiple six-figure party that just won’t quit! In other words, she now teaches online entrepreneurs to simplify the whole “email marketing thing” and finally master their sales in a way that leverages their personality, vision, and values.

Episode 190: Writing Email Newsletters Made Easy with Liz Wilcox

Ashley Freehan is a multi-passionate entrepreneur. She is a business coach for photographers, a brand photographer, and podcaster. She is passionate about helping photographers confidently step into their role as CEO in their business so that they can increase their profits, while working less and without sacrificing their family or their sanity. She does this through her podcast and group coaching program called the Side Hustler to CEO.

Episode 189: Owning the Role of CEO in Your Photography Business with Ashley Freehan

As a money management coach, Erinn Bridgman empowers entrepreneurs to design businesses that are not just ‘profitable’, but actually grow their personal wealth. Born with an entrepreneurial spirit, Erinn cut her chops by scaling her photography business to over six figures in under two years, affording her the capital to begin funding the real estate empire she and her husband now run. Erinn now supports business owners to not just ‘scale their business’ but to use it as a means for building personal wealth.

Episode 188: Money Management for Photographers with Erinn Bridgman

What if you're too sick to photography your session or event? What's happens to your business if something happens to you? In this short episode, I'm setting out simple steps you can take to put together an emergency plan for your business.

Does Your Photography Business Have an Emergency Plan?

I try to show different viewpoints on this podcast, and for the past few weeks, I've been really digging in to understand why I left the in person sales model and why it never felt quite right to me. After discovering the podcast Duped: The Dark Side of Online Marketing with Michelle Mazur and Maggie Patterson, I realized that in person sales has potential to be emotionally manipulative toward clients. Buckle up as I dig into my research and share stories to back up these points. I'm also sharing a better way to offer clients the full service, including opportunities to get art into their homes, without manipulation and hard sells.

Episode 99: Working With Friends as a Professional Photographer

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