I’m happy to announce that I will be having another encore of my Mind Your Business workshop, geared towards small business owners (especially photographers) who are in need of some help getting their business on track. This workshop is chock full of real, practical advice that you can integrate from Day One to help you book more clients, book better clients, and book them at the prices you want.  I will help you get legal, get your finances and taxes in order, show you multiple ways to keep costs and taxes low so you keep more of what you earn, and build packages and prices that will make your profit margin skyrocket and be far more enticing to brides.  We’ll work together to identify your target market and discover ways to specialize your marketing and advertising so that you are getting your name out to the type of brides you want to book.  I’ll tell you how you can adjust your shooting style to make your images more enticing to the top blogs and magazines, and what you need to be doing (and NOT doing) to get yourself published.  We’ll look at real life examples of photographer success stories and failures, and what you can do to integrate the lessons learned from those stories into your business (and avoid the pitfalls that put people out of business!).  We’ll talk about Search Engine Optimization and what I did to get myself to the #1 spot on Google for my key search terms, and how you can get there too.  We’ll discuss when and if you should go full time, and how to get there as quickly and smartly as possible.  I’ll share all of my tips for album design and sales and how I’m able to sell big, beautiful albums (and why you should, too).  And, most importantly, we’ll talk about how to make money doing what you love!

A few quotes from attendees of previous workshops..

“I was glad to hear you say that yes you love photography, but you’re in it to make money…..I was feeling guilty about having those thoughts!”

“I learned so much from your workshop!!  I have started meeting every 2 weeks with several other photographers in my area…which has proved to be priceless.. I have booked about 8 shoots simply from their referrals.  So again, Thanks you have transformed my business!”

“Thank you so much again for sharing all your wonderful information at your workshop and for being so approachable.   A lot of your insight and knowledge is going to help my work flow tremendously!”

“The workshop yesterday was insane, my brain hurts from all that info!!!  I have been to so many workshops and this is the only one that gave me my moneys worth.  Im so sick of hearing people tell me to be myself and charge what Im worth but not telling me how to actually DO that, and you did!  Thanks so much for being completely real and genuine and open with your information.  I cant thank you enough!!!”

“Thanks so much! Your workshop is one of the most helpful ones I have been to. You were so organized and gave great information. Thanks for being so open and informative. It was great!”

“What an amazing workshop!!!! I loved it and got great information.  It was totally worth every penny!  Thank you for offering it!”

“Thank you for putting on the workshop yesterday.  You have definitely have given me a lot good info!”

“I talked to my friend last night after she got home from your workshop – she was RAVING about you and couldn’t stop talking about how much she got out of it.  She said she felt so inspired, motivated, and ready to take her biz to the next level…all because of your encouragement!”

“You’re amazing. Today was over the top, information overload. I know a ton of photographers that say they’ll reveal everything, be absolutely transparent with others …and it’s a complete gimmick. The workshop ends up being about a whole lotta nothing. You are the real deal, sista! THANK YOU for your absolute honesty. I appreciate that you held nothing back and shared your heart about your LIFE as a photographer. My brain is completely fried and I don’t know if I’ve EVER taken notes quite like that before, but the EXPERIENCE was fabulous and I had a great time. I can’t wait to talk to you again…I’m sure I’ll have questions once I start processing all the info you gave us. “

I am so completely confident that you will walk away from this workshop satisfied with your investment that I will offer a 100% unconditional satisfaction guarantee.  That means there is zero risk – come to the workshop prepared to learn and ask questions, and if you don’t feel like you are walking away with the tools you need to transform your business and make more money, then just say the word and I will refund your registration fee.  In addition, after the workshop ends there will be an optional dinner where all attendees can come and bring their portfolio and/or pricing and I will review them personally to give you my feedback on how to improve.

The workshop will be held from 8 AM to 6 PM on Sunday, September 18th at the NYLO Hotel in Plano.  The price for the workshop will be $550 if you register before September 1, and $600 if you register after September 1. For more information on the workshop, click here, and to sign up for the workshop, click here.  I look forward to seeing you all there!

I’m thrilled to announce that I will be having an encore of my Mind Your Business workshop, geared towards small business owners (especially photographers) who are in need of some help getting their business on track. This workshop is chock full of real, practical advice that you can integrate from Day One to help you book more clients, book better clients, and book them at the prices you want.  I will help you get legal, get your finances and taxes in order, show you multiple ways to keep costs and taxes low so you keep more of what you earn, and build packages and prices that will make your profit margin skyrocket and be far more enticing to brides.  We’ll work together to identify your target market and discover ways to specialize your marketing and advertising so that you are getting your name out to the type of brides you want to book.  I’ll tell you how you can adjust your shooting style to make your images more enticing to the top blogs and magazines, and what you need to be doing (and NOT doing) to get yourself published.  We’ll look at real life examples of photographer success stories and failures, and what you can do to integrate the lessons learned from those stories into your business (and avoid the pitfalls that put people out of business!).  We’ll talk about Search Engine Optimization and what I did to get myself to the #1 spot on Google for my key search terms, and how you can get there too.  We’ll discuss when and if you should go full time, and how to get there as quickly and smartly as possible.  I’ll share all of my tips for album design and sales and how I’m able to sell big, beautiful albums (and why you should, too).  And, most importantly, we’ll talk about how to make money doing what you love!

A few quotes from attendees of the January workshop..

“I was glad to hear you say that yes you love photography, but you’re in it to make money…..I was feeling guilty about having those thoughts!”

“I learned so much from your workshop!!  I have started meeting every 2 weeks with several other photographers in my area…which has proved to be priceless.. I have booked about 8 shoots simply from their referrals.  So again, Thanks you have transformed my business!”

“Thank you so much again for sharing all your wonderful information at your workshop and for being so approachable.   A lot of your insight and knowledge is going to help my work flow tremendously!”

“The workshop yesterday was insane, my brain hurts from all that info!!!  I have been to so many workshops and this is the only one that gave me my moneys worth.  Im so sick of hearing people tell me to be myself and charge what Im worth but not telling me how to actually DO that, and you did!  Thanks so much for being completely real and genuine and open with your information.  I cant thank you enough!!!”

“Thanks so much! Your workshop is one of the most helpful ones I have been to. You were so organized and gave great information. Thanks for being so open and informative. It was great!”

“What an amazing workshop!!!! I loved it and got great information.  It was totally worth every penny!  Thank you for offering it!”

“Thank you for putting on the workshop yesterday.  You have definitely have given me a lot good info!”

“I talked to my friend last night after she got home from your workshop – she was RAVING about you and couldn’t stop talking about how much she got out of it.  She said she felt so inspired, motivated, and ready to take her biz to the next level…all because of your encouragement!”

“You’re amazing. Today was over the top, information overload. I know a ton of photographers that say they’ll reveal everything, be absolutely transparent with others …and it’s a complete gimmick. The workshop ends up being about a whole lotta nothing. You are the real deal, sista! THANK YOU for your absolute honesty. I appreciate that you held nothing back and shared your heart about your LIFE as a photographer. My brain is completely fried and I don’t know if I’ve EVER taken notes quite like that before, but the EXPERIENCE was fabulous and I had a great time. I can’t wait to talk to you again…I’m sure I’ll have questions once I start processing all the info you gave us. “

I am so completely confident that you will walk away from this workshop satisfied with your investment that I will offer a 100% unconditional satisfaction guarantee.  That means there is zero risk – come to the workshop prepared to learn and ask questions, and if you don’t feel like you are walking away with the tools you need to transform your business and make more money, then just say the word and I will refund your registration fee.  In addition, after the workshop ends there will be an optional dinner where all attendees can come and bring their portfolio and/or pricing and I will review them personally to give you my feedback on how to improve.

The workshop will be held on Sunday, November 14th at the NYLO Hotel in Plano.  The price for the workshop will be $550 but from now until October 1st I’m offering a discounted signup price of $450!  For more information on the workshop, click here, and to sign up for the workshop, click here.  I look forward to seeing you all there!

Tips for Photographers (T4P) is a regular feature where I talk about a cool tip that I think will benefit my fellow photographers. For more T4Ps, click here!

Every photographer should have an annual education budget. No matter how good you are, there’s always room to learn and grow, and who better to learn from than your peers? Learning opportunities are a fantastic way to pull yourself out of a rut and get inspired to reinvigorate your business and provide a better experience for your clients. After all, when you stop growing, there’s nowhere to go but down. However, there are so many learning opportunities to choose from, and many of them require a large investment, so it can be very confusing to photographers who are new to the game. Here is a bit of info on the different educational opportunities available to photographers these days.

Conferences: For wedding photographers, there are two main conferences – PPA’s ImagingUSA, and WPPI’s annual conference. ImagingUSA is held in January in a different city each year, rotating around the country, while WPPI is held every February/March in Vegas. Most conferences include a number of master classes (full-day or multi-day workshops taught by a photographer or studio to a small class), keynote speeches (30-60 minute speeches by industry leaders given in massive rooms to hundreds of attendees), short seminars, industry parties, and trade shows. Although conferences are a great place to learn, the biggest value in attending a conference is the networking potential. Rarely do you get to rub elbows with so many of the best photographers in the world all in one place and see all of the newest trends and products affecting the industry. And, if nothing else, it’s a ton of fun! With airfare, hotel, conference fees, and all the money you will inevitably spend at the trade show, conferences can be pricey, but virtually everyone who attends will tell you that the money is well worth it.

Workshops: These are the most popular form of education among photographers. Generally, workshops last anywhere from 1-5 days and are often held on the workshop-giver’s home turf (although lately many photographers are giving workshops in destination locations). These can be taught by one photographer, one studio, or a collection of different photographers. Workshops are great because you really get to delve deep into the workshop-giver’s business practices and shooting style, and it’s usually easy to get personal attention from them if you have specific questions. It’s also a great networking opportunity – I have met some of my best friends in the industry at workshops. Workshops tend to be the most expensive option – usually $1000-$2500, not including travel or accommodations – and there’s always the risk that you won’t get your money’s worth. I’ve personally spent thousands of dollars at workshops that I didn’t learn much from. My best advice is to talk to several people who have done the workshop before, and ask them about their experience. If the majority of them were pleased with their investment, chances are you will be, too.

National Tours: Similar to workshops, these are one-day speaking engagements given by a photographer as he/she/they travel the country. Usually held in hotel ballrooms, these tours often have hundreds of attendees, so personal attention from the lecturer is virtually impossible. On the plus side, these tours are generally very affordable (most are less than $150 for a full day) and convenient to attend since they come to your local area, and it can be a great opportunity to meet other local photographers. Unfortunately, because of the large number of attendees, often the topic matter is very superficial and generic, and in most cases a large portion of the day is dedicated to advertising the actions, software, or other products that the photographer is selling.

One-on-One Consultations: These are, in my opinion, the best option for most photographers. Ranging anywhere from $500-1500, these consultations are literally one-on-one – just you and the person giving the consultation. The topics can be tailored to suit you and your business, you can ask as many questions as you like and skip over topics that don’t apply to you. Most of the time these consultations also include a short photoshoot so that you can see the photographer at work. With this type of learning experience, you’re much more likely to get your money’s worth, but there isn’t the same potential for networking that you get with conferences, workshops, and national tours.

Many photographers are now doing webinars or selling DVDs and books, as well. Webinars are generally sponsored by an industry supplier such as an album company, printing press, canvas manufacturer, or web hosting provider and are free or discounted to their customers. DVDs and books are generally sold by photographers as a less expensive alternative to their workshops. Most of these options focus on a specific topic (for example, Zack Arias’ OneLight off-camera lighting DVD or The Image is Found’s Crazybooth Guide). These options generally cost a few hundred dollars and are fairly well-known in the industry, so I recommend searching for reviews on forums before making a purchase (but beware of anyone offering to sell you their copy at a deeply discounted rate – this is often a scam, not to mention blatantly illegal).

When searching for the educational opportunity that is right for you, keep in mind who you are as a photographer and what your long-term goals are. If you want to work mostly local, you should not be taking workshops from people who primarily shoot destination weddings. If your goal is to shoot 10-12 weddings at $15k each, you shouldn’t be doing consultations with photographers who shoot 50-60 “shoot and burn” weddings a year. Sure, you may learn a lot from these people, but chances are that much of their advice will not apply to you or your business. Remember that everyone’s work is unique, and the quality of someone’s work rarely reflects the success of their business. Instead of taking workshops from people whose images you like, focus on the business models that fit you, and learn from those people.