Hair of the Dog Podcast

194 - Have you heard the old saying, "It's a marathon, not a sprint"?

Laurie Elmer and Knicki Lucrezi of Urban Dog Studio in St. Petersburgh, Florida, started 20-some years ago by building the first partnership that mattered.

The one they have with each other.

Then they published a book together and now they're capitalizing on the relationships they've built in their community with a podcast … to create even more relationships!

They're interviewing pet industry experts and business owners in their area to inform and entertain pet lovers of Tampa and the surrounding areas.

While they're connecting people within their community, they're also creating buzz about Urban Dog Studio – their pet photography business.

Laurie and Knicki join me on the Hair of the Dog podcast this week to share their journey from Day 1 to this wild moment where they're terrified to put themselves out there but they're just going to eat the frog and do it.

What to listen for
3:18 How Laurie and Knicki met and created Urban Dog Studio

5:19 Why a book project was the right place to start

28:49 Getting into the ears of your ideal client

37:23 What needs to happen before you launch your podcast

40:46 How Knicki moves past the fear of putting her voice out there

You guys, podcasting is easier than you think it is. We're almost 200 episodes in to the Hair of the Dog podcast. Can you believe it?!?!?

It's such a fun way to make connections in your community and get the word out about your business. This episode should give you the confidence to eat the frog, too … whether that frog is starting a podcast of some other marketing plan you've been avoiding.

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

193 - Pride Month is coming up. For the entire month of June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates the freedom to be themselves. 

You might be tempted to post an image on Instagram of a dog with a rainbow bandana and proclaim yourself to be LGTBQ+ friendly. #ally #pridemonth #equality #loveislove 

Please don't do that, says Lisa Peterson of Pawsh Photography in Minneapolis, my guest on this week's episode of the Hair of the Dog podcast.  

Lisa, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, shares her unique insights and experiences as a gay woman, shedding light on the importance of inclusive marketing strategies from posting about Pride Month to website language and model calls to diversify your portfolio. 

What to listen for 

4:58 How we develop unconscious biases toward different communities 

11:50 How Lisa broke out of her blissful lack of awareness 

13:46 Why it's vital to be consistent and respectful of the LGBTQ+ community 

16:04 How to conduct a model call to make your portfolio more inclusive 

23:19 How (not) to pose gay couples 

This is such an important conversation, one that touches my heart deeply. Lisa gives us some tips that will not only make us more inclusive as pet photographers but also help us be better humans in general.

Where to Find Lisa

• PawshPhoto.com
• Pawsh Photography on IG
• Pawsh Photography on FB

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

192 - Welcome to the Coaching Journals! 

Today, we're launching a new podcast series in which we're airing coaching calls between Heather Lahtinen and two members of the Hair of the Dog's Elevate community.  

Elevate is our next-level program where you get one-on-one contact with Heather and her team of coaches. In six months, you will learn how to set goals, take specific actions to benefit your business, get feedback, and refine and repeat. 

We invited our Elevate members to enter to win extra personal coaching sessions with Heather, which would be turned into podcast episodes so you can pick up some juicy bits to propel your own business forward. 

Our winners are (drum roll, please) Christi Baker of Christi Baker Photography in Atlanta and Monica Adalsteinsson of Pup + Me Photography in Phoenix. 

Heather embarks on a six-month journey with Christi and Monica to work with them on mindset, business processes and all the magic Heather creates with her coaching clients.  

Tune into the Coaching Journals to hear Heather help Christi and Monica set goals and meet them. 

What to listen for 

3:41 How many clients a month Christi needs to hit her revenue goals 

8:38 The brain games she's playing to keep her from moving forward 

14:39 Why we get stuck on the negative connotations of "selling" 

26:43 How Monica is refining her client membership program 

38:14 Why talking to more people nets more conversions 

40:15 Where Monica is getting stuck and how Heather helps 

Friends, this is just the beginning for Christi and Monica … and you! I am so stoked to see where our two photographers are going to take their businesses after these sessions with Heather. 

And if you're interested in learning more about Elevate and how it can take your business to new levels, all the details are right here. Get ready to fly. 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

191 - I received this email shortly before we left for spring break in Belize earlier this month:

Dear Nicole,

We’re canceling your Airbnb because we -- whoopsie! -- double-booked and you're out, sucka.

OK, sure, I'm paraphrasing but that is what happened.

And you know what? I was a wee bit frustrated. OK, not frustrated. I was legitimately pissed off. 

But I had two choices in moving forward: I could stay pissed off, scorch the earth and cancel the entire vacation or I could take a deep breath, get some perspective and get moving on an alternate plan.

Guess what? Belize was an amazing vacation.

 
That I was able to process the information, calm down and get sh** done fascinated the heck out of our friend Heather Lahtinen. She turns the table on me for this week's episode of the Hair of the Dog podcast and interviews me on my crisis management skills.

What to listen for

1:52 The full thought process from anger to Zen with my Belize trip
8:14 The time I was almost locked out of New Zealand
12:51 The 3-step process I use to manage crisis situations
14:51 Why divergent thinking beats convergent thinking -- and what the heck that means
25:17 How I decided no matter what happens -- I win

As my business mentor James Wedmore says, our businesses will only grow to the level of problems that we are willing to deal with.

What, my friend, are you willing to deal with to grow your pet photography business?

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

190 - Think about it for a second. What is stealing your time? 

OK, I'm going to stop you right there because that's your big problem: thinking about it.  

Our friend Heather Lahtinen, the master of productivity and top dog at Flourish Academy, recently learned that the best way to get things done is less thinking – more doing.  

If you give yourself too much time and flexibility to do one task, you're also giving yourself time to cultivate self-doubt and avoidance. And you're painfully limiting the amount of time you have left to get everything else done.  

Imagine if you set a timer to work on that one project for just one hour, eliminating all distractions like your phone and Facebook and your kids and … and … and .... Would you get it done?  

Heather joins me on the Hair of the Dog podcast this week to talk about the discipline you need to set your pet photography business up for success. 

What to listen for 

11:44 Why you should you schedule your free time first
15:17 How more scheduling = more freedom 
19:06 Why giving yourself too much time actually limits you 
24:22 How to shift from reactivity to productivity 
44:43 Why resistance is something you should embrace 

Do you want more on productivity and time management? Of course you do! Heather and I are hosting a FREE Power Hour on Wednesday, May 10, to share some hacks that will help you get the important tasks done while still having time for other aspects of your life. 

This is for photographers at all stages of their journey and it’s an actual workshop – meaning teaching < working. By the end of the hour, you’ll have learned how to optimize your time and achieve more with less effort.  

While anyone can join us live by registering here. You do have to be a member of the free Hair of the Dog community to catch the replay. JOIN US HERE. 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

189 - It's time for a reality check.

Yes, you can do it all but do you have to?

No! Guys, my life changed the day I figured out all the things in my business that I didn't want to do. Could I do them? Yes. Were they filling me with joy and satisfaction? No. Were they letting me spend time with my family and take all the trips I love to take?

Oh hell to the no.

Sara Monika, a documentary wedding photographer and photography educator in Ontario, Canada, figured it out too. She realized she wasn't taking as many clients as she could because she was too busy working on the nitty-gritty details of running her business.

Sara joins me on the Hair of the Dog podcast this week and shares eight of those nitty-gritty details that you can outsource to a virtual assistant.

What to listen for

9:08 How $15/week can buy back 3 hours of your time 

18:25 Why doing less actually earns you more
30:43 How many WEEKS of time Sara saves by hiring virtual assistants 

38:10 The mythical balance between business and a personal life

41:15 How to find your own virtual assistant 

Some many of the recurring tasks in our business can be taught to a virtual assistant. Sometimes they even do it BETTER than us! (I speak from experience for that -- all the amazing graphics you see in HOD land are created by my incredible overseas team). When you start to get some help in your business, you not only free up time to GROW your business, you also get to take a little time off.

Where to find Sara

• SaraMonika.com
• 5 Days to Your Dream (and affordable) Virtual Assistant
• Instagram
• Shine + Thrive on Apple Podcasts
• Shine + Thrive on Spotify

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

188 - Do you feel like you're just faking it sometimes?

When you think to yourself "I am not good enough" or "I'll never be as good as Blabla," you are hearing imposter syndrome take over in your brain.

And let me tell you, I do it too. 

I have left sessions wishing I had planned better, realizing I missed that shot or thinking I screwed the whole thing up.

My good friend Shelley Paulson does it too – and she's been in the business for almost 20 years! Shelley, one of the OG equine photographers, is my guest on the Hair of the Dog podcast this week and we're talking about imposter syndrome.

Shelley started in the business in 2004 by photographing her own horses and quickly became one of the most sought-after equine photographers in the U.S.

Yet she still struggles with feeling like she's faking it.

Shelley and I take a deep dive into those feelings and talk about the strategies we use to silence those "you suck!" voices in your head.

What to listen for

11:25 The amplification of the comparison game due to social media

14:12 Why defining your personal interpretation of success is crucial

23:24 What affirmations can bring success to your session

38:59 How constructive feedback can help move you forward in your craft

50:31 The magic of practicing gratitude and how it rewires your brain

Where to find Shelley

• Shelley Paulson Photography
• Shelley Paulson Education & Mentoring
• Shelley Paulson Stock Photography
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

Like Nicole, Karinda Kinsler's soul dies a little whenever a client doesn't order artwork.

Since we know how defeating that feels, today's podcast is here to help you avoid that experience.

Karinda is an equine photographer based in Montgomery, Texas, but her clients come to her from all around the country, paying a premium price for her sessions.

 Through those sessions she's refined her sales process to a place where she regularly makes $6,000 sales, and she's sharing three of her strategies with us on this week's episode of the Hair of the Dog podcast.

No slideshows.

No "yes, no, maybe."

No client walking away feeling uninspired and insecure.

Yes, she does a few things differently than the way you may have been taught but after learning about how she does it, I  know I'll be changing up my process, too!

What to listen for

7:07 The significance of starting off on the right foot with pricing

13:14 How understanding your client's personality is the first key to sales success

23:29 Strategies to manage your client's insecurities during her reveal session

31:35 The correlation between a big "love" pile and a $6,000 album sale

34:07 Why it's important to know your client's desires and budget

40:47 The impact of the way you shoot and how that affects how you sell

Where to find Karinda

• Karinda K Equine Photography
• Master Your Mind & Money
• Karinda's Podcast on Apple
• Karinda's Podcast on Spotify
• Instagram
• The Photography Business Tune Up Facebook Group

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

186 - If you're a regular listener to this podcast, you know I'm a big fan of gratitude and acknowledging our wins. 

And holy cow, am I full of wins and gratitude today. J. Nichole Smith and I are still soaring from all the wins we counted at Global Pet Expo, where we re-introduced the pet industry to Animalhaus Stock Photography. 

Global Pet Expo is one of the biggest pet-industry trade shows and to get in, you have to be either an exhibitor or a buyer. It is seriously exclusive and we were granted access to more than 1,000 pet-related businesses from around the world. 

The response was overwhelmingly positive! Not only were they super excited about the stock photography available on the site but there was also one big clincher for many of those businesses: our new match-making service where we make it SUPER easy for them to hire commercial pet photographers by matching them with alumni of our Commercial Pet Photography Academy (more details on that soon).  

As if that wasn't enough, we also invited three photographers from our recent class of Commercial Pet Photography Academy alumni to join us and kick-start their own commercial photography aspirations.

 Amanda, Angela, and Jennifer were voted by their peers to have the biggest breakthroughs from the course and that’s how they got their golden ticket to Global. While there they were unleashed to network with all of those businesses and use the knowledge they gained in the course to go home with huge successes, including some contracts to start negotiating!  

On today's Hair of the Dog podcast, Nic and I take you behind the scenes of Global. We chat about all those wins and the future of the commercial pet photography industry. 

What to listen for 

8:19 The three ways pet-related brands can work with Animalhaus 

14:21 The surprising thing pet brands know they need in their images 

18:20 How our guest photographers booked clients at the show 

26:43 Why you should explore commercial pet photography  

32:14 Why you shouldn't explore commercial pet photography  

Are you ready to expand your pet photography business and break into the world of commercial pet photography? Join us for the Transform Your Business with Pet Photography training series with a private podcast and live workshops. 

We get started on April 12 but you can register now.  

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

185 - Do you know what Occam's razor is? Basically, it's the principle that the simplest explanation is most likely the right one. 

When we get wrapped up in fear and dread -- some of us get paralyzed into inaction -- the best solution may be the easiest one.  

Take our friend Heather Lahtinen, for example.  

She looked at her YouTube channel, realized she needed to update a bunch of videos and got struck by an intense feeling of dread. It would be a time-consuming task, especially with an old iMac that makes Photoshop feel like it's running through a vat of molasses … 

Turns out one question helped Heather dig deep and she came up with an exciting new solution.  

*Heather says hello to her shiny new Mac mini M2 friend!* 

Heather is my guest on the podcast this week and we’re diving into the ways we can take all the tasks on our ‘Dread List’ and get motivated to actually tackle them. 

What to listen for 

7:46 The that task I dread the most 

13:53 How outsourcing can be a possible solution 

28:04 How one question led Heather to her breakthrough 

33:32 Why you need to connect with a future vision of your business 

42:00 Templates, workflows and automation … YES! (visualize my fist-pump) 

Now, guys, Heather and I aren't saying you have to run out and buy a new computer or new gear to start tackling your "Dread List." But we do want to challenge you to find simple ways to motivate yourself and make those tasks a little more fun. After all, what if it could be easy? 

Then you might find yourself knocking those tasks off your list like a boss! 

Where to find Heather 

• Flourish Academy 
• Facebook  
• Instagram 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

184 - Get your sparkle pants on. This episode is going to be a doozy. 

There are few pet photographers who don't know who Kaylee Greer is. The brilliantly creative mastermind behind Dog Breath Photography and the author of Dogtography, Kaylee's energy is 24-7 overflowing and infectious. 

Listen to this woman giggle and your day instantly gets better. 

Here's the thing, though: She has struggled with her business – pricing, setting boundaries, comparing to the competition, all the things! -- just like you have. Er … just like we have.  

That's right. We. Because I've been through it all, too. 

Both Kaylee and I understand the complications of believing in yourself and launching your pet photography business. We get it. 

So, today we're bringing you the top five biggest mistakes we both made when we were starting out.   

What to listen for 

9:17 Kaylee shares all the details about Shutterhound: The Conference 

28:03 Why it's important to set clear boundaries in your business 

35:17 You aren't too expensive. You offer a premium service. 

43:43 Why not every inquiry is your ideal client 

54:36 Look beyond pet photography for inspiration 

I think we all know that success doesn't come without its fair share of mistakes and lessons learned. By sharing our mistakes, Kaylee and I hope we can help you either avoid them or overcome them if you're already experiencing the same struggle. 

And P.S. don't miss the early bird pricing for the Shutterhound conference in Las Vegas, Sept. 5-6. It is going to be magical. I'll be there with my sparkle pants and I'm throwing out my old presentations to bring you ALL NEW stuff. 

Where to find Kaylee 

• Shutterhound: The Conference 
• Adventures in Dog Photography on Apple Podcasts 
• Dog Breath Photography 
• Facebook  

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

183 - Do you ever have those days when you just don't feel like there's enough time to get everything done? 

Yeah, me neither. LOL! LIES! Some days, I feel like my to-do list looks like Santa's list in those kids' Christmas movies. Yours probably feels pretty similar. 

That feeling like I never have enough time? That's a limiting belief -- and it doesn't serve me to work from a place of stress and lack. To help me change this belief, there's no one better in the world than Heather Lahtinen. 

For this week's podcast episode, I turned myself over to Heather, my good friend, the head honcho at Flourish Academy and the leader of our Elevate program. I needed her help to work through some time management frustrations. 

We hit "record" so we could share it with you, we set a timer for 20 minutes and Heather completely changed my life. 

What to listen for 

10:38 How my frustrations lead me to question all of my life choices 

16:13 Why only certain interruptions throw me off 

20:54 The way we start shifting this belief 

26:38 The simple reframe that has completely CHANGED MY LIFE 

It turns out five hours a day are exactly what I need to get everything done. 

No, that's not right. Not need. Want.  

Take a listen to this coaching call and you'll see exactly what I mean by that. 

Where to find Heather 

• Flourish Academy  
• Facebook  
• Instagram  

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

182 - I know it's nice to think you can just put up a website, post a few times on Instagram and get found by tons of clients. 

I sure wish it was that easy. 

It isn't. You have to actively market your pet photography business to get found. 

One of the best ways to do that, according to Zoe Hiljemark, is local PR. 

Public relations. AKA earned media.  

We're talking about getting your name and work out there in your community through local news media, from newspapers to TV stations and social media influencers. 

Zoe specializes in public relations and marketing for professional photographers, helping people like you be highly visible and have a thriving business … with lots of clients! 

Zoe is my guest on today's podcast and we are talking about leveraging your story, the universal appeal of pets and your amazing images to get some buzz. 

What to listen for 

4:31  The moment Zoe realized the importance of professional photography 

14:08 How to determine your "hook"

20:13 Why there's no time like the present to get earned media 

30:20 Who to send your pitch to 

35:43 The press release isn't dead but … 

42:33 Thinking beyond traditional news media 

Guys, getting your story into local media outlets helps establish you as an expert in your field. A feature in the local newspaper or lifestyle magazine can do wonders to showcase your knowledge and skill as a pet photographer. 

You build trust within your community and get the attention of potential clients. 

Make sure you listen to this episode with Zoe and find the confidence to put yourself out there. 

People love pets. People will love your work. People will love you. But they need to know about you first. 

Where to find Zoe

• ZoeHiljemark.com
• A free press release template and other freebies
• PR-Savvy Photographers Facebook Group 
• Instagram

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

181 - Oooh, sometimes don't you want to just punch something? 

It's so easy to get frustrated when you're running a business, especially a photography business where you get to wear all the hats … photographer, marketer, accountant and on and on.

There are more constructive things we can do, though, to ease our stress load and take action in our business. Johl Dunn joins me on this week's podcast episode to talk about the ways we bind ourselves up in fear, which prevents us from taking action.

If you haven't heard of Johl yet, he's The Mindset Coach and his mission is to help photographers like us achieve success by living with a more positive mindset. His approach centers on three key aspects -- mindset, motivation and action --- and, in this episode, Johl gives us all kinds of juicy tidbits on how to hack those into your life. 

What to listen for:

10:55 How decisive action and fear go hand in hand

14:02 Tools to help you take that action

25:55 The limiting beliefs that are holding you back

36:10 How one small thought can turn into something great

42:39 Get started with your conscious commitment

Johl's right. Life is too short to be stuck in our fears and not chase our dreams. He recently closed his multi-six-figure portrait studio business to chase his dream, going all in on his coaching business.

What is your dream to chase and how can you manifest that reality?

Where to find Johl

• The Mindset Coach
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagam

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

180 - You've heard the old cliché about death and taxes, right? They're the only two certain things in life.

And neither one is pleasant.

But Tiffany Bastian is, and she makes one of those certainties less painful. The taxes, of course.

Tiffany is the founder of Bastian Accounting, an organization that works exclusively with photographers, helping them get and stay tax compliant. Her group provides online course education and full-service accounting, tax preparation and business formation. 

Tiffany has more than 15 years of experience in the tax and accounting world. She has an master's in business administration in accounting and she's a Certified Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisor. She's also an IRS Enrolled Agent.

On today's episode of the Hair of the Dog podcast, Tiffany gives us a pretty detailed overview of what you can use as a tax deduction for your pet photography business … and what you can't. 

I just know there's so much inside this episode that you aren't claiming on your taxes yet. With tax season just around the corner, it's time to figure it out.

What to listen for:

5:08 The key to writing off your OWN photo shoots

12:36 Are dog treats a deductible expense?

27:16 How to calculate your home office deduction

38:00 Changing money due to Uncle Sam into a retirement contribution

50:00 Why hiring a tax adviser actually saves you money

Look, you can't just grab a drive-thru coffee on your way to a shoot and call it a write-off. Nor can you claim the gift of a canned ham.

Wait … what? Yeah, that's what I said. Make sure you listen to find out what that's all about.

Where to find Tiffany

• Bastian Accounting
• A FREE copy of the Photographer's Business Expensive Breakdown
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

179 - There is no such thing as "competition." 

Every pet photographer has a different style, a different approach, a different attitude toward doing business.  

That's why it's OK to make friends with other photographers in your area. 

Heather Lahtinen and I both run educational websites to make you a better photographer and a better businessperson. Sure, you could say we're competitors but we make it work and send each other clients. 

Just like Heather did when she was one of the most successful wedding photographers in Pittsburgh. 

You can employ this strategy in your community, too, setting up a referral system with other photographers.  

What to listen for: 

4:37 Partnering with the competition is not an outlandish idea 

12:10 The importance of working with photographers you trust 

20:11 Your market isn't as saturated as you think it is 

26:33 How Heather and I define our "partnership" 

It is OK to be friends with the competition! It's even better if you can start sending each other clients when you know one might not be the right fit for you. 

Get started on making those connections now. 

Where to find Heather 

• Flourish Academy 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

178 - Do you know what the biggest difference between DSLR and mirrorless is? There's no mirror!

Ummmm … duh, Nicole. That's why they call it "mirror-less." 

But really, when you make the switch to mirrorless, you might even be holding your shutter release button down and thinking the whole time "I got a lemon! This thing isn't doing anything." Meanwhile, you just loaded 8,362 images onto your memory card because you didn't hear a thing. 

Haha! Can a memory card even hold 8,362 images?  

Seriously, though, you guys, there are some major differences between your digital single lens reflex camera and the new mirrorless systems. I brought onto the podcast today Unleashed Education's gear guru Charlotte Reeves to break it all down for us. 

Charlotte, also of Charlotte Reeves Photography in Brisbane, Australia, is a graphic designer turned award-winning photographer. She is a master of natural light, especially backlight, and has an eagle eye for the teeniest of distractions in an image. 

What to listen for: 

2:52 Charlotte's struggle with GAS … gear acquisition syndrome 

10:14 The differences between DSLR and mirrorless 

18:22 The mind-blowing mastery of animal eye detection 

25:31 The benefits of the flippy screen 

32:31 Why you don’t have to ditch your DSLR right now 

Where to find Charlotte 

• Unleashed Education 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• YouTube 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

177 - Heather Lahtinen likes to save money. She doesn't like to spend money. She's an accumulator. 

Heather is back for another episode to talk about money, mindset shifts and how she was convinced to spend $18,000 on coaching for herself. 

Oh yeah, that does sound like a lot of money, doesn't it? I mean, it's a new compact car. Or a travel trailer to go see the world. Or a motorcycle. 

Hmmm … I think I want to see Heather on a motorcycle. 

This episode is all about what it takes to make a big investment in yourself and the mental blocks we need to break down to get past our doubts of saying "yes." 

What to listen for: 

6:17 The difference between micro and macro mind shifts 

9:16 How disempowering questions can stop you from moving forward 

19:42 Who Heather believed in so much she spent $18,000 

34:55 The four questions Heather asks herself before jumping in 

41:57 The ripple impact of investing in yourself 

Heather is a goal-setter and a go-getter, you know that. She's already made that $18,000 back and now she's on her way to her seven-figure business. 

So I ask you, what's holding you back from investing in yourself? 

Where to find Heather 

• Flourish Academy 
• Instagram 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

176 - I promise today's episode about end-of-life pet photography isn't as depressing as it might sound. 

So many of us dive into pet photography with the vision of rolling around on the ground and having some serious snuggles and giggles with happy, healthy dogs and horses and all the animals. 

That's what Angela Schneider thought, too, even though she had been through the agonizing loss of her beloved boy, Shep. 

When she noticed that one-third of her clients at Big White Dog Photography were coming to her for end-of-life sessions, she started to study pet loss grief so she could understand their needs and support them better. 

Then her world turned upside down. Her mom died on January 28, 2022, and she was left wanting to understand so much more about her own grief and pain.  

One year later, she has created One Last Network and is teaching other pet photographers about grief and how we can better serve our clients who come to us for rainbow sessions. 

And that's what Angela and I are talking about on today's episode. 

What to listen for: 

10:52 How Angela niched Big White Dog Photography by hearing the dreaded four-letter C-word 

19:31 The whirlwind of events that led her down the path of pet loss grief 

30:00 You might double your end-of-life clients by learning about grief 

36:04 Why you shouldn't feel bad about charging for end-of-life sessions 

49:31 One thing you can do during your end-of-life sessions to support your clients 

You guys, so many of us are doing these sessions and Angela has come up with a way to level up the service you offer. And you know how much I love niching down in your business! 

Where to find Angela 

• One Last Network 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Big White Dog Photography 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• LinkedIn 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

175 - Are you tired of setting goals that never happen? Are you ready to create a clear plan?

Boy oh boy, you gotta listen to this episode.

It's just me this week, all by myself. But don’t you worry, I have a ton of goodies for you.

Whether you're just starting out or have been in the pet photography industry for a while, this episode can help you take your business to the next level.

Today, I have 10 timeless lessons that I've picked up since I launched my first photography business 13 years ago.

13 years ago? Holy shamoley, where does the time go?

From pricing to marketing, I am all about giving you actionable advice and inspiration. These 10 timeless lessons are essential for running your pet photography. 

What to listen for:

4:14 The more you charge, the more you get paid

12:06 How to overcome your brain block about selling artwork

20:17 The difference between making great photos and having a successful business

22:11 Why you need to get out of your comfort zone and talk to people

29:24 I answer the question "when does this feeling of 'I can't do this' go away?"

You guys, we have to remember that the pet photography business is constantly evolving and it's easy to get caught up in all the new technology and trends.

With these 10 timeless lessons, though, you can build a foundation that's solid.

Upcoming training

On Wednesday, January 18, I'm hosting a master class with Heather Lahtinen to get you ready to smash your goals out of the stratosphere. We're taking you much deeper than SMART goals to a process that helps you reach our biggest goals faster.

Join us!

One more … on Wednesday, January 25, Jessica Wasik from Bark & Gold Photography is hosting a free training to show us how she used her calendar contest strategy to build her six-figure pet photography business from nothing. 

Register here. 

JOIN THE PARTY:

• Connect with us on Instagram
• Explore valuable pet photography resources here
• Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers.
• Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that.
• Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.