June 2, 2025 • 42 mins
What happens when a wedding photographer decides to completely pivot their business to better align with family, values, and lifestyle? In this honest and inspiring episode, Austin shares how he transitioned from long wedding days and digital galleries to building a thriving family portrait business that centers around in-person connection and lasting artwork.
After years of burnout and missing emotional connection with clients, Austin began working with photography business coach Karinda and restructured his approach from the ground up. Now, his clients invest an average of $2,300 per session—and he gets to witness their reactions in real time. Even more importantly, he’s created a sustainable business that allows him to be present with his two young children.
Austin opens up about:
- Facing the fear of raising prices
- Learning how to market face-to-face at farmer’s markets
- Building confidence around sales conversations
- And letting go of social media comparison traps
One of the most powerful moments? When Austin installed large-scale portraits of his own family and saw firsthand the value of printed artwork. That experience changed how he saw his work—and how he communicated its worth to clients.
If you're feeling stuck, burnt out, or simply wondering what else is possible for your photography business, this episode is the dose of clarity and courage you need to hear.
Meet Austin Liberato
Austin Liberato is a passionate portrait photographer who believes in capturing life’s most meaningful, emotional moments—whether it’s a wedding day or a quiet moment with family. Known for his heartfelt approach and storytelling style, Austin isn’t just a photographer; he’s a cheerleader, third-wheel, and sidekick for the people he photographs.
After years of photographing weddings, Austin transitioned his business to focus on family portraits, creating artwork that becomes a lasting part of his clients’ homes. His work is rooted in connection, authenticity, and the desire to preserve memories that matter.
See more of Austin’s work at www.liberatophoto.com or follow him on Instagram at @liberato.photography.
Connect with Karinda!
- Ready to Sell More Wall Art? Join us in Your Magic Year to Sell More Wall Art
- Website
- Photography Business Tune-Up with Karinda K. - Free Facebook Group
- IG @Masteryourmindmoney
Thanks for listening!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Mindset and Money Mastery for
Photographers the podcast.
We help overwhelmedphotographers make more money
while simplifying their businessby mastering their you guessed
it mindset and money.
Tune in each week for practicaland actionable tips to take
your photography business up anotch.
Let's dive right in.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Okay, so today we have Austin joining us.
Austin, as in.
I always say Austin, thecoaching client, austin, because
my husband's here is alsoAustin, so that's now become the
joke in our house If I'm likeAustin and then I have to
clarify.
So we have Austin on here today.
He is one of my coachingclients that is graduating and
moving on to spread his wingsand I asked him if he would come
(00:43):
on here and do like a littlepodcast episode where we can
talk about his journey, hisexperience, his business.
Maybe he has something valuableto share with you guys today.
So welcome Austin.
You want to introduce yourself?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Thank you, yeah, thanks for having me.
I can see how the Austin thinggets quite confusing back and
forth.
So I am from Denver, colorado.
I have in the past primarilyphotographed weddings, but
reached out to Corinda to helpme with my family portrait side
of the business and get thatgoing.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I love that.
So I think you found me on thepodcast, is that right?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Yeah, can I say the name?
Yeah, yeah, it was the PhotoBiz X podcast.
You did an interview on there.
Okay, I love what you had tosay.
I've listened to them for yearsand I just really clicked with
what you were talking about.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yes, I love that.
So you listened to that podcastand then did you go find my
podcast next, or did you justcontact me right away?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I think, I like researched into you.
I don't think I went straightto your podcast.
I think I started like lookingyou up and making sure you were
like a real person.
You know the typical stalkingthat you do for your higher
coach, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, appropriate, appropriate, for sure, and
that's what I was talking toCorey, one of our other coaching
clients, and she was like Iwouldn't listen to all the
podcast episodes because Iwanted to know what you thought
about things.
She's like that's how I knewthat was the right choice for me
.
Awesome, I love that.
So you hired me because youwere wanting to transition more
into portraits and kind offigure out how to make that work
(02:07):
in your business.
So what kind of has been orwhat was pushing you to lean
more into portraits?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I think that would be that.
It's my stage of life is thestarting a family.
I have two kids now, so I havea two and a half year old boy
and a one year old girl and Ifound myself at weddings, like I
was at the age of weddings whenI was shooting weddings, and
now I'm moving to the familyside and so now I'm kind of
transitioning to families.
(02:34):
Who knows, maybe one year I'lldo seniors or move on to the
next thing, which you wouldthink is kind of strange,
because you shoot horses, I dofamilies and it's like well,
what did you connect to Austin?
I think what it was was whatyou talked about how you bring
the client through the clientjourney and experience, more so
than what we shoot, because whatwe shoot is so different.
(02:55):
But it's how you talked abouthow you bring clients through.
That experience is what reallyclipped with me.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, I love that.
It's funny.
I feel like business genreschange with your phase of life.
So, like I did in the same way,I did weddings when I was like
getting married, freshly marriedmyself.
Then I did newborns I don'tknow where that came from
because I didn't have a kid.
I was actually terrified ofbabies when I photographed
newborns.
Every time a mom would hand meher baby when they came into the
(03:22):
studio I was like, oh no, I'mgoing to break it.
So that was kind of weird, butI still love photographing
newborns at the time.
And then I shifted back intohorses, which is kind of where I
started, before weddings.
So, yeah, it's interesting howseasons of life I was thinking
about that last night.
I was like I wonder if everyonegets that like five year itch
where, like, after doing thesame thing in your business for
(03:45):
five years, you start to feel alittle like restless, like, oh,
I need to do something differentor I need to like change or
something needs to be different.
Do you think that you got thatlike itch that you needed to do
something different?
Were you getting bored at allwith weddings or was it just a
phase of life thing?
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I think it's both it's phase of life and two like
man, working eight, 10, 12-hourdays on weddings Like it's a lot
, and being away from yourfamily on the weekends.
It's getting tougher andtougher, yeah for sure.
And who knows, maybe I'lltransition to equine if my
daughter gets into, you know,equestrian stuff.
Maybe in a couple of yearswe'll be working together again
(04:20):
when my daughter you know doingequine, you know riding
equestrian and doing that kindof thing.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I can see it now.
You're going to be like.
I photographed my first horse,corinda.
I just had to do it.
I couldn't say no.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I love that.
So was there a point in timewhen you kind of started to
realize like I could make thesame amount of money from one
portrait session as I could awedding.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah, definitely, and that kind of came from
initially, listening to thatpodcast that I was talking about
learning more about other sidesof the industry and hearing it
good.
In here there's a I meanhonestly, there's a bunch of
coaches and things on thatpodcast that I've listened to.
But when I had said it earlier,when I heard you talk, it just
really resonated with me morethan any other and that's what
(05:02):
just made me reach out me morethan any other and that's what
just made me reach out.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I love that.
So what was the process like ofyou digging in to the program
and I'll add a side note thatAustin was in our Master, your
Mind and Money, which is ourhigher end coaching program.
That's super intense.
It's a lot.
What was that like for you kindof diving into it and starting
to go through and watch thevideos and learn?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's like starting over, almost, like you get into
the first ones and you alwayswant to jump into, like, okay,
how do I start making money anddoing this part?
You start from the beginning.
You talk about the whys and allbehind the scenes parts so that
you build a good foundation andthen you work into the sales
(05:43):
processes, the pricing and allyour self-doubts and that kind
of stuff the other parts of it.
It was really good for mebecause it was.
It was such a it's such a bigchange.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
That it was really nice to get into.
I guess getting back to thebasics and starting from the
beginning.
It felt like it's strippingaway everything that I thought I
knew about my business andbuilding that back up.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, so was there anything that surprised you the
most?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Oh, what surprised me the most.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
That's a big question .
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, I think, coming from weddings and doing kind of
more of like a shoot and burnAlthough I do have um, I did
sell albums at the time I thinkit's finding out that clients do
value your work and that youhave to find them, but that
they're willing to pay for me.
You know, right now twothousand three thousand dollars
(06:38):
like right for for forphotography.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Some images yeah, Wayne, before you found me and
before you really understoodthat, what did you think that
clients would spend?
Was there like a number in yourhead where you're like people
won't spend more than X dollars?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I don't know about an exact number, but you always
like for weddings, you alwayskind of throw it out there.
There's so much competition andeverything.
You throw the number out there.
You're like it's like slidinginto the number over.
You're like, will it buy?
And it's like looking at thosenumbers now it's like, oh my
gosh, it's nothing.
Yeah, compared to doingportrait sales stuff.
Yeah, to answer your question,there wasn't exactly a number
(07:17):
that I thought that was likethat's a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, so how do you feel about the difference in
what your clients are spendingnow versus what you thought was
possible or what you were doingbeforehand?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
I mean, I think it's, I feel like it's almost
normalized now.
You know, each time you climbup the rung of a ladder it's the
highest you've been.
But you look down and see likewhere you've came from, it's,
it's.
It just feels almost normal now.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
So it still doesn't mean I'm not nervous.
When I do it, I'm alwaysnervous.
But if you're not nervous,you're not growing.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Right, that's a good point for sure.
So what do you think like hassurprised you the most about
your interaction with yourclients whenever you're selling
them, while in providingoffering this experience to them
, like what has been the mostsurprising part about their
reaction, or their response toit?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
The ones that cry.
I've had one or two ladies, onelady, but it was like so
thankful and so excited aboutthe portraits she just was like
crying on the Zoom call.
She loved them so much and thenwe plan on doing another.
She's having another kid, soshe it was.
She had a one-year-old at thetime.
This was a few months ago.
They're having another kid inabout.
(08:24):
It was uh, she had aone-year-old at the time there,
this was a few months ago havinganother kid in about eight
months or so.
She's already reached out aboutdoing another portrait session
that's amazing is that?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
because I'm guessing, when you delivered your wedding
portraits or your weddingphotos, were you just sending
them a gallery and then youdidn't get to see their reaction
, did you?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
yeah, you just kind of hope on them, sending you
like an email like oh my gosh,we love them, or text, you know,
oh my gosh, I love them, right,um, with albums, um, you know,
I do get that reaction because Iput something together for them
and I get to see it, but itit's, I don't know, it was never
really the same, I think yeah,I don't know if, like, couples
(09:02):
from weddings are just kind oflike almost burnt out a little
bit, like they're so excitedthey're always.
I was like when I asked forreviews, like I get reviews, but
it was never that kind ofreaction.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
I agree with that.
I, every time I sent a weddinggallery out, I would be like,
okay, did they see it?
Do they like it?
Like, oh my gosh, what if theyhaven't said anything?
Or they're like thanks, theylook great.
Like that's all it looks great.
Do they know how many hours Ijust stared at their face
editing all those photos?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, when I don't hear anything, I lose sleep for
nights.
I'm like do they hate me?
Do they hate the photos?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
That is an interesting point about.
The thing that you really loveis that now you get to see your
client's reaction to yourportraits.
I kind of feel like that's likea drug for me.
Now it's like the best part ofit for me is getting to hear
that the clients actually likewhat I create.
Was there any fear around, likehow people were going to feel
about narrowing down theirphotos with you, or did you have
(09:56):
any like hesitations aboutgoing into that process?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
That's a good question.
Did I have fear about themliking?
You know, I still do kind ofsometimes have a little bit of
fear, I think because what Icreate for them is such a I put
my heart and soul into it andlike I want them to love the
images as much as I love them.
Because for me, when I createthese like when I do shoots for
(10:19):
my wife, for other kids, like Ijust did one for Mother's Day I
love those photos and she lovesthem so much.
I want my clients who see thosephotos to love them just as
much.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So there is a little bit fewer when you go, like when
I go into reveal like are theygonna love them?
Speaker 3 (10:33):
and the vast majority of them have been, as you would
call them, kind of like overlovers.
Yeah, I would say maybe a lotof just writers.
I haven't really run into toomany unders.
I think my personality kind ofattracts like over and just
writers.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I love that.
Do your clients?
How do your clients feel aboutthe process of narrowing down
photos?
Because a lot of times I hearphotographers say like I'm so
scared to like make my clientnarrow down the photos, or I
feel like I'm robbing them bymaking them narrow down their
photos.
Do you think that's the case,or do you think your clients
appreciate that you're sittingthere and guiding them through
(11:09):
that process?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
My thought on that is when I look back, because my
wife and I have gotten shootsdone every year since we got
engaged.
So we've been married for five.
It'll be five years this year,six years this year, and I've
noticed that, like we use havealways gotten like digital
galleries, we only ever print acouple of them, you know, to put
(11:30):
on the wall.
So for me, when I am helping myclient narrow those down, I
know that a vast majorityusually people don't even touch
them in their wedding album orin their wedding galleries.
Like digital galleries.
People don't really download buta few of them, their very
favorite ones.
So I'm just helping them get tothat point to select their very
favorite ones that are alsogoing to look the very best on
the wall.
So I've never really had anissue with that because that's
(11:52):
how I feel about it.
It's like they're really on awedding gallery.
If I return seven or 800,there's like three or four that
are just like those are the onesthey want on the wall and so,
no, I don't have an issue toomuch with helping them narrow it
down.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, I love that.
That's important.
I think I had someone I waschatting with a few weeks ago
and they said like I feel reallybad asking my client to narrow
them down, like I want them tohave all of them, and I was like
I actually feel like by givingthem all of them we're actually
doing them a disservice, becausethen they're overwhelmed and
they might not even ever get tothe few that they really love to
display in their home or toprint out or to look at, because
(12:28):
they're just like stare at themfor hours and then they just
close their phone becausethey're like I don't know which
one.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
It's analysis, paralysis, paralysis, analysis.
Yeah, when there's too many,you don't tend to make a
decision.
When you have limited choices,then I think you're better at
making decisions.
So that's actually one part ofthis whole thing that I've not
really had too much of.
An issue is helping peoplenarrow down on this stuff, but I
could see how people would seelike, oh, I want them to have
everything.
Yeah, sometimes, if it was meand I was the client, that's a
(12:58):
disservice to me.
I feel like yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So talk to me a little bit about the selling
part.
Do you feel like you're sellingreally heavily on your Zoom
meeting, where you're doing yourreveal and selling, or do you
feel like a lot of that comesinto play elsewhere in the
process?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
It comes into play from your teachings.
Before we ever get on the Zoommeeting.
We're doing all that.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
That doesn't mean I'm not still nervous.
I'm always, you know it's agood nervousness, but no, I feel
it makes it much more easy whenyou just say everything up
front.
It can be tough, especiallythat first initial call, when
that's when a lot of yourclients you know will say, oh,
maybe like the decision, if it'sthe for the right fit with each
other, because you don't wantto, you don't do them the
(13:52):
disservice of them.
Find out later on and I'm notperfect at that.
I'm definitely getting better.
Going back and watching a lotof your videos has helped me
refine some of the things.
Um, I'm really good with thosekind of videos, like re-watching
and watching that kind of stuff, but no, once we get into the
sales part, like they shouldknow and have an idea, yeah, is
it less salesy than you thoughtit would be in the beginning?
Speaker 2 (14:13):
were you like ever concerned, like I know I want to
sell products, but like youwere grossed out by it or
anything?
Or were you always like we'llsee how it goes?
Speaker 3 (14:20):
um, a little bit of both.
Yeah, I think now that I, forme, what I had to do is also
have some of my own massiveprints in my house from some of
my shoots that I did, and now Ireally appreciate those and
that's helped me say, man,everybody else needs to have
this in their home, because Ihave two huge prints, I think,
(14:43):
40 by 60 of my kids upstairs, or40 by 50 of my kids upstairs,
you know, one of each in ourdining room and having that made
me appreciate it and made mewant to give other people the
opportunity to have that as wellyeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
How would you describe the sheer amount of
content that you went through inthe videos?
And I don't even know like, didyou watch all the videos?
Have you gone through all ofthem?
Are you still like?
This is a lot.
I'm still getting through them.
I went through.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I'll be honest, I didn't go through everything,
but I went through a vastmajority.
I went through the five stepsand the what were the five I was
just looking at the other day,yeah, yes.
And then the six steps, onemultiple times amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I love that, yeah, and then after, that is the
marketing side.
So I always say, like you haveto fix your pricing, your base
of your business, your clientexperience, before you market
yourself, because you don't wantto market yourself and get more
poor quality clients or clientsthat aren't spending money with
you.
So for the marketing side ofthings, how has this changed the
way you're marketing yourbusiness?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
So I have I've really dived deep into the farmer's
market stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
And I'm trying that out.
I can't speak on it quite yetbecause I've only done one.
I was supposed to do it thispast weekend but I actually got
really sick.
Our whole family was sick thispast weekend.
We're all recovering but I'llbe at the next one this coming
weekend so I'll have to reportback.
But I've really dived headlonginto it because I've been to our
farmer's market before a numberof times and just the people
(16:13):
that are there seem like theclientele of people that I kind
of want to be around, and thefirst one I went to I felt like
was it showed a lot of potential.
I talked to the people whoworked them and they said, look,
it's the really slow season forit.
People who are who worked themand they said, look, it's the
really slow season for once.
It gets into the summer in thenext month or so it really picks
(16:33):
up and I got good vibes from it.
I've had some conversations sofar.
We talked a little bit aboutthis the other day and so.
But I'm still really in thebeginning of that.
But I'm really diving deep intothat part um of of the
marketing side I'm gonna kind ofsee where that takes me.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yeah, I love that events are such a big part of
the marketing side.
I'm going to kind of see wherethat takes me.
Yeah, I love that Events aresuch a big part of my business.
I feel like this cool partabout it is there's something
different about talking tosomeone face-to-face.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I'm much better face-to-face.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Much better.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
It's like in the internet space you have to stand
out so much and you have tolike figure out how to get
somebody to get to know you, butwithin like five seconds,
somebody face to face can get toknow you and see who you are
and like feel for who you are.
And I thought it was funnybecause you mentioned to me that
when your kids were there andyour wife was there with you,
that like it got really busy andeveryone wanted to talk to you
when your family was there,which I think is super cool and
(17:23):
interesting because, like we areour family, is our business,
right, it's a whole thing.
And I think it's really coolthat, like you noticed that that
even made a difference at thefarmer's market too.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Thankfully, this farmer's market is really close
by.
They are coming to every one ofthem between their naps.
Because when my two and a halfyear old and my one year old
daughter were there, like it waslike we were the talk of the
town it's like we had puppies atour booth or something, and off
to the town, it's like we hadpuppies at our booth or
something, and other familieswere coming up and talking, I
was like what the heck am Ichopped liver, just like here,
by when I was there in thebeginning by myself, and the
(17:53):
family came and they laughed andit was just me.
It was just like you know,people walking by every once in
a while and the family was there.
It was like it was.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
It was, it was hot, it was the place to be so wait,
tell your two and a half yearold, like four, and then.
And then your four year old cansit there.
And my child now, when I'm atevents, he'll sit there and be
like, does your horse want acookie?
Do you want a sticker?
And so he'll like, sit thereand ask people when they're
walking by.
He'll be like do you wantsomething?
We have stickers.
They're really cool.
You want a sticker?
So funny.
(18:21):
He, he, like haggles people.
I don't really do that when I'msitting at events either, but
I'll just be like hey, kai, askthese people walking by if they
want a sticker.
I'm doing it Work for your charm.
Give your kids some, some funstuff to give to people and you
know people can't say no to kids.
Yeah, so I, I really love that.
So where do you see yourbusiness going forward from here
?
Like, what is your vision ofwhere you're going or how do you
(18:43):
think this is going to changethe 10 year goal plan of your
business from here?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
So I'm starting to.
The biggest part is I'mstarting to push away or move
slowly away from weddings.
It's still kind of like mybread and butter, like safety
blanket.
I guess you could say More, mysafety blanket.
You know, like I know, in ninemonths I have this money coming
in.
Yeah, we hold on to thatfeeling, um, but mentally I am
(19:11):
pushing towards the familyportrait stuff, ips, um, and
looking in that direction andmoving everything towards there.
Currently, with my marketingstuff is the, like I said, the
farmer's market, and then I'vealso been doing a lot of
auctions and that's currentlywhere, like since I've just
started the farmer's marketauctions have I've also been
doing a lot of auctions andthat's currently where, like
since I've just started thefarmer's market auctions have
been where most of my businessstuff has come from.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yeah, I love that and I always say like when you're
building your business or you'retrying to go into a new genre,
you kind of have to make yourown momentum and pull the people
in until the organic trickle ofpeople comes in.
But you have to be so strategicin the way you do it that you
don't devalue your brand or youdon't do something that a year
or two down the road is going tokick you in the butt.
(19:54):
Right, you want to always makethose really good strategic,
long-term strategies inmarketing because it does take
time.
I genuinely think that it takesthree years to really get that
organic trickle in of business,and those first few years you
kind of have to fight to pullthose people in and get that
momentum going.
And then things start to takeoff and it gets easier.
(20:15):
But those first few years areso important to just go out
there, pull the people in andnot just sit there and be like
well, nobody's booking, I guessnobody wants me, I guess I'll
just lower my prices or I guessI'll just stand on a street
corner and be like who wantsphotos, like that's something
really important.
I think that I try to harp onand try to tell people is like,
just keep going in those earlydays, use those smart strategies
(20:38):
Like you talked about, likegoing to events using the silent
auction strategy to just kindof get the people in.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yeah, I'm trying to get I don't know who said this.
I'm trying to get more no'smeaning I'll get more yeses.
Yeah, I'm just like trying tofigure out those like okay, what
can I get into?
What can I do to where I canget more no's?
That means I'll get more yeses.
You know it's just a numbersgame of talking with people and
that kind of stuff, because itis it's it's.
It's tough bringing people incurrently, but I do have that
(21:04):
experience from like weddingswhere when I first started, man,
I was like working every night.
Whenever I had a previous job,I was working every night after
work, like for hours, like okay,working on marketing, working
on my website, working oneverything I could doing styled
shoots, doing second photographygigs, and so I know that build
up to then it like gets easier.
You get past a certain point,like okay, that's a little
(21:24):
easier.
So it's good to hear that,because that's something I do
need to hear you know for thefuture.
It's like, okay, it's not goingto always be, it's going to be
a hustle, but like not as hardas I'm going right now.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Right, and I think there's so many people that get
so like disheartened in thatbuilding phase that they're just
like, well, people aren'tbanging on my door and it looks
like because social media isgreat at making us feel like
this.
It looks like that all theseother photographers in the
Facebook group have all theseclients and they're so busy and
they're always booked, whensocial media has a great way of
(21:56):
deceiving us and making us thinkthat other people are more in
demand or more booked out orthings like that, than they
actually are.
So then we start comparingourselves too.
I don't know if you've noticedthat about yourself.
I feel like that's probablywomen probably deal with that
more than men do.
But there is that thing whereyou see other people and you're
like they're doing it and I'mnot.
I must be failing.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
No, I mean, I think, I think every photographer feels
that way.
I do.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
You see these people with these insane photos.
You know I think of weddingsbecause most of my feed is still
wedding stuff, you know, andyou look on your stream like how
can I compete with that?
But yeah, somebody reaches outagain.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
You know yeah, and I think this crazy part and I
think this is really bad in thewedding world too is that so
much of what you see on socialmedia from other photographers
that look like they're doing allof these cool things.
It's just all fake.
It's styled shoots, it's fakemodel call outs.
It's them working for free,hustling their butts off to make
no money for having the coolfeed that is featured on the
(22:56):
wedding blogs and that, to me,is like it's the most
infuriating thing and it doesn'tdo it doesn't really do any of
us a whole lot of good and itdoesn't even do your real
clients any good.
Cause, when a real person comesto you and you're like, oh, I
have to pose a real person, it'snot a model now, and then it's
like crap, what do I do?
Speaker 3 (23:13):
yeah, yeah, especially with the yeah, the
style shoot stuff.
I think I mentioned thatearlier.
I did like one way back when Ivery first started.
I was like, first off, this ismy style.
Secondly, like if somebody seesthis and I can't reproduce,
like I'm sitting out in a fieldhaving a picnic with all these
nice things and it's kind oflike is that who I am and what I
do?
No, so that's like a one anddone thing.
(23:33):
I was like no, I shouldn't bedoing that.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Yeah, I I did a few.
I did a style shoot once, for Idid the style shoot that I knew
was going to be on the cover ofa magazine and they were like
you can have the cover, tell uswhat you want to do.
And I was like, okay, I'llcreate something.
But and I did a few of thosebecause that's what you did,
like in the wedding space youdid that so that you could get
featured on the blogs to helpyour SEO and that was like the
whole game.
So it's funny.
(23:57):
We had a neighbor and she cameup to me one day and she's like
I just found this photographer.
Look, single photo on thisphotographer's website was from
one workshop that I went tomyself as well.
And it was like her website wasstunning and had all these epic
(24:19):
photos and I'm like she couldnever replicate any of that
stuff that she's showing people.
And here my own neighbor waslike, look at this, isn't this
cool?
And I'm like I've taken everysingle one of those photos but
they've honestly never even comeoff a memory card.
I don't even think I didanything with them because I was
like, well, I'm never going tobe able to create these, but
it's fun to go like sometimeslearn and watch and see the way
other people shoot, and I'm justmore of a lurker in those
(24:42):
situations, or I just never doanything.
I never touch the photos.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
No, I agree with you.
I do appreciate sometimes justseeing different people's
different approaches.
You know, to see how they, youknow, approach a situation with
couples, families, whatever itis.
That's always really nice.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, for sure, yeah.
So before you worked with me,had you worked with other
business coaches before?
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I had briefly yeah, yeah Once before and it and it
just that's how.
That's why you kind of likestruck a chord is that I knew
what I didn't want.
Um, and that was something thatwas like kind of like a cookie
cutter, like here's how you dothings.
Lately scripted thing, becausewhen I got out of that I was
like this is not my voice, isnot who I really am.
(25:25):
Yeah, I didn't feel I felt likeif style shoot, so I'll shoot
for business.
Yeah, that's a good way forbusiness.
It was like this is not who Ireally am.
Yeah, I didn't feel.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
I felt like if I don't shoot, so I'll shoot for
business.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Yeah, that's a good way to put it, yeah, for
business.
It was like this is not, thisis all created for me.
And so, with that knowledge oflike what I didn't want when I
and I wasn't, whenever I heardyour podcast, I wasn't even
really looking that much I heardoh, what'd she say?
Well, that makes sense.
I like that, you know.
And then I started thinkinglike creeping on, like your,
(25:51):
like Instagram or your websiteor something like that, because
your name's really easy Corinda,there's not that many.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
And I was like what's that?
I'm easy to stalk.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Yeah, yeah.
And then I started lookingthrough stuff.
I was like you know what Got toyour booking page.
I was like, okay, I think weshould do this.
Let's just do this.
Let's just see what happens.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I so okay on that note of the cookie cutter thing,
were there any moments when youwere like dang it?
I wish she would just give usthe thing and just hand it to us
so we had it versus.
The way I teach is very muchlike here are the steps you need
to take to build it and here'swhy you need to build it that
way.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Now go build it yourself you give like for me at
least, just like the rightamount of push and like
information.
You go through your whole likescript of stuff and information
and like you're pretty detailedabout it, like and how you go
through talking with families orcouples and like, or, I'm sorry
(26:50):
, with families and everythingand that was, but you're not
giving us the exact script.
You know to word for word.
You're, even though you'reeverything.
Here's the thing you have.
You talk about like the wholesales process and you have
multiple videos on it and all ofthem are slightly different
than how you talk about it.
So you can tell that you're.
You don't have a script thatyou exactly stick to.
You have a framework and sothat framework is really great
(27:14):
and that I have built my ownthis very similar on the list,
but it's my own twist and my ownvoice to it yeah, I that.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I think that's important because I remember,
like when I was doing newborns,for example, I remember having
this one mentor and they werelike here is my script for the
phone consultation and here'swhat you need to say, and you
just need to take the words thatare in red and replace them
with what you want to say, andI'm like this doesn't sound like
me, and then I never used itbecause I was so overwhelmed.
And so I think that's why I tryto be like hey, here's the idea
(27:43):
of what we're doing in each partof this.
Here's how I say it and I do.
You're right, I say it slightlydifferent every time I say it.
I always say like I can say itin my sleep, but every time it
comes across, it comes acrossdifferently because it is me and
my heart and soul, andsometimes I am feeling in a
different mood than I am, butit's all the same point of it,
but it just comes acrossdifferently from time to time.
(28:04):
So that's really funny that yousaid that and brought that up,
because, you're right, I dosometimes vary a little bit the
way I say it.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Which also kind of reinforces it, like there's not
an exact script, like as long asyou have the framework and you
hit certain points, the rest ofit should flow.
You know, know, I think whatespecially helped too is like
like you're not giving uspricing, you're pushing us
towards like here's what youshould, here's what you look
like, here's what you need tothink about, here's, here's what
(28:31):
your cost is.
Now you need to multiply thatby four or five percent.
You know all those, you knowthose little pieces.
Percent, four or five timesfour or five percent.
You wouldn't be making money.
Uh, and what was really nice islike okay, I got into it and
like put that whole thingtogether and I'm like price
comparing from all the differentplaces that I'm going to pull
pricing and you know, use whitehouse, then I use graphing white
(28:54):
house, and so I'm comparingthem, everything.
I put all together and I sendit to you and then I get the
thumbs up, thumbs down onwhether it was really good, on
what I did, and here's why orwhy not.
So I've created this wholething and it's been vetted by
you.
You didn't just give me theprice yeah, so I feel more
confident with it yeah, I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
So you were one of the people that showed up to
like all the Q&A calls.
You were like the Q&A callleading student of the year.
What were those Q&A calls likefor you, or what was the value
with those for?
Speaker 3 (29:24):
you.
What I really loved is so I'mworking on my own part of my
business, but I love topping onpeople's questions that are in
different stages of it, becausethey had questions that I didn't
think of or know to think of,to ask that kind of thing, and I
felt like every time we got onthere, you always had like, uh,
here's a few knowledge bombs todrop on us.
(29:46):
You we didn't just go in thereand like, oh, no questions today
, or, austin, it's just me andyou today.
Here's, here's my few questionsthat I have for you, corinda.
It was like, okay, now we'vegone over the questions, here's
a few knowledge bombs on, here'ssomething we're gonna learn and
I I'm going to teach you.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Right, yeah, I think like when we get on those calls,
sometimes there's no questionsand I just kind of start asking
questions about what y'all aredoing and try to find something
I can help y'all with, because Iknow that there's something
there to be worked on.
I just have to sometimes get itout of y'all to figure out what
that is that you need help with.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yeah, sometimes for me, honestly, sometimes I just
don't even know the questions Ishould be asking, even though I
know I have a problem.
Sometimes for me, it's like youstart to pick and I'm like, oh,
wait a second, that's a.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
That's something I need help with, you know, yeah,
yeah, I love that.
Um, so you also had one-on-onecalls.
What were your one-on-one callslike for you, or do you
remember anything like reallyvaluable that you got out of
your one-on-one calls?
Speaker 3 (30:42):
I mean I think the most valuable one was pricing.
I think that was like the firstone, just because that kind of
set the stage with beingconfident with the rest of it.
You know, I think I think whenI submitted mine, I think my
prices were too low and you kindof walked me through like okay,
(31:02):
okay, here's how much you'respending for this, like you need
to be making this much, andhere's how much you're taking
off like taxes and you know likeyou may charge x amount but
you're only getting like half ofthat.
Honestly, because you knowbusiness costs and that kind of
thing.
And walking me through why Ishould feel confident charging
more was a big, big one, becauseonce you you have that, because
(31:22):
I think I can't speak foreveryone else, at least for me
as a student.
Being confident in your pricinghelps with every other part,
especially coming from a shootand burn style where I'm not
charging that much comparatively.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah, yeah for sure.
Do you know kind of round aboutwhat your average sales kind of
around now for the clientsyou've had?
Speaker 3 (31:42):
So I'm averaging just above 2,000, like 2,300.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
I'm selling some small wall art stuff.
I think part of that is justgetting more confident in what.
I'm doing and I'm getting theremore and more and, like we
talked about, I need to work onmy album sale part with the wall
art, you know yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Once you get that album on there, you're like four
grand easy I've got it, I'vegot it.
You've got it, we.
I talked to cory earlier andshe said she hadn't sold an
album in like 10 years, orsomething crazy like that, until
she started the coachingprogram with me, and now she
sells albums all the time.
So maybe you just need to havetalked to Corey.
Corey, what's your secret?
(32:26):
Yes, because that's the thing.
Like, you can get to like that$2,000, $2,500 easy, just with
all art, but if you're missingthe album sale too, then that
kind of takes your sales to thenext place, which will be just
one little piece that's missing.
That you've got to figure outOne little thing that can make
the difference.
And then all of a sudden itunfolds and you're like oh,
(32:47):
every client's spending four or$5,000 now.
So I love that.
Okay, if there was one piece ofadvice or one thing that you
think every photographer needsto know, like if you were like
this is the one thing that Iwish I knew when I was growing
my business, or this is the onething I think each and every
person listening here needs toknow.
Is there something that comesto mind?
(33:07):
That's a good question, and Itotally.
Although Austin didn't evenknow he was recording a podcast
episode today, I just sprungthis on him.
I was like, hey, let's do this.
So this is totally off the cuffthat I'm asking him these
questions.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I think that, from where I'm coming from, selling,
you know doing weddings, andit's basically doing digital
galleries.
I think for me, what I needed toknow and hear was that people
do value your work and valuelike physical artwork for their
(33:43):
home, because that you know thatwe do in-person sales stuff for
because that was that was newto me, that part of like because
I've always just like oh,here's your digitals, you can
have an album.
You know, my process withalbums is more than just that.
But yeah, I think, just knowingthat there are people out there
for me that do value and wantthat service, that help them put
(34:08):
artwork on their walls, that'svery nice of their family.
And part of that too was for me, first off learning it in this
group and this course, but alsothen doing it myself and putting
it up in my own house.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Yeah, I love that.
If somebody is thinking aboutworking with me or thinking
about going through this processto switch and sell wall art or
sell more wall art, what wouldyou say to them about making the
investment in themselves andjust doing it?
It takes money.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
To make money, you have to invest in yourself.
If you don't know where to gowith your business and you don't
know what to do, you've you'vehit a hit a wall.
You're switching genres.
The next step is for me it'salways been like I did it with
one of my guys but weddings isto hire a coach, somebody that's
done before, a mentor I think,because I don't think I see you
(34:54):
as much of a coach as like moreof a mentor, walking us through
and providing like that, that,those knowledge bombs.
I say it Just that knowledgeand everything that you did and
that you know we'd have ourconversations.
I felt like when we get donewith our little one-on-ones or
our group calls.
It'd be like a little hoorahand I felt all pumped up and
ready to go afterwards and gomake those calls and everything
(35:16):
else.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Yeah, that's how I say it.
I like to give people the goodkick in the butt and a nice way
to go do the thing.
I think we all need thatencouragement and I think that's
the difference too, in likebuying a course to work through
versus having a coach or amentor that you're working with,
and I always say, like I havecourses, but the courses are
(35:44):
just how I get you the knowledgethat's in my brain.
The real magic happens on thegroup coaching calls or your
one-on-one coaching calls orthrough the support channels,
because you need the knowledge.
But then you also sometimesneed someone to look at you and
say, hey, austin, for you.
I really think you shouldconsider this, or have you
thought about it like this andsomebody that actually kind of
knows what you're doing in yourlife and where you're at in
general, not just a totalstranger, because I think that
(36:05):
also makes a difference.
Like I try to get to know y'allin your situations, in your
lives and where you're at, andunderstand that somebody who has
two young kids at home versussomebody who has grown kids that
are out of the house versus asingle person like everyone's
lives are different and noteveryone's business is the same
versus a single person.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Like everyone's lives are different and not
everyone's business is the same.
And I mean just to that example, some of the curriculum stuff
in the course was going andfinding your money and doing the
farmer's markets or the markets, those kind of things.
And I read through that, took abunch of or you know, watched
the videos, took a bunch ofnotes and everything.
But then we hopped on I thinkit was a group q and a call and
you really helped me hone thatto make it much more personal
(36:46):
and much more actionable for me.
So I had read that stuff and Ihave the notes sitting over here
and now, when I look back atthem and then with the
information you give me, I'mlike, okay, yes, I need to hop
in that, I need to do this, Ineed to make sure I have that.
My, my setup is set up this way.
You know that kind of thing.
So, yes, having a person is somuch sex.
(37:08):
Just then, you know justcourses.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Yeah, yeah, I started becoming the course person
who'd buy the courses and Inever watched anything because I
was like I would get frustratedor I'd get overwhelmed and then
I would just like shut it downand never look at it again,
because I was like I need help.
But who do I ask for help?
Which is part of the reason Iwas like I don't want to be the
person that just sells a courseto somebody and is like here's
the course, you're on your own,figure it out.
(37:32):
It's just not my mo of what Ilove to do.
And people are always like, hey, will you sell your course by
yourself, by itself?
And I'm like I really want youto have my help as you do it,
cause that way you're moresuccessful with what you do.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
So, yeah, I completely agree with that, yeah
, awesome.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Well, is there anything else you feel like you
need to share with the world ortell the world?
And if not, will you telleveryone where they can find you
, so that way they can followalong with your journey and your
business?
Speaker 3 (37:59):
Yeah, so most of my photography stuff is on my
Instagram.
That's just LiberatoPhotography.
You'll see a lot of weddingstuff on there, but it's slowly
becoming more and more family onthere, so it'll slowly be
changing.
But besides that, I mean thiswhole coaching stuff helped me a
(38:21):
lot, put me in the rightdirection and made me feel more
comfortable stepping away fromthe wedding side of things,
because it's really difficult, Ithink, to change gears at least
it was for me and feelcomfortable doing it.
I need somebody's help and Iknew that Like I couldn't just
do it myself.
And it has made me feel morecomfortable.
And now I'm just working on allthose, those, all those little
(38:43):
goals that we put together andworking towards everything.
Well, hopefully in the next fewmonths I can get my sales up to
five 6,000 more, and I'mfeeling more and more confident
as I as I go along with witheach sale and everything, cause
that's been that was my biggestthing, I think is just man
before call.
Oh, getting pumped up, got todo some push-ups, got to get the
(39:04):
blood flowing, even thoughthey've been sold.
I've talked about pricing andall this other stuff beforehand
and it's not IPS Me, I'm just aworrier, that's not what I do,
so I get more and morecomfortable.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I love that.
Got to get pumped up.
You can hear my voice in theback of your head.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Just pumped up.
You can hear my voice in theback of your head.
Just good, on the call, it'sgoing to be fine.
My wife knew your voice becauseI listened to the podcast Once.
I was in the course all thepodcasts you did, because they
were always just playing.
They're like is that Corinda?
I was like that's Corinda.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
That's the weirdest thing to have people be like.
My spouse knows exactly whatyour voice sounds like.
I will say I think it's reallyfunny because my coaching
program is all like unicorn andsparkles and rainbows or
whatever.
But over the last year I've hadlike a good group, decent group
of men who've joined mycoaching program and I kind of
laugh because I'm like I talk topeople like at imaging or like
(39:54):
trade shows and I'm like I talkto men come up and talk to me
and I'm like I promise, althoughit's very like unicorny and
purple and hot pink, like Ipromise, although it's very like
unicorn-y and purple and hotpink, like I do have a lot like
male coaching clients too.
And there is a place for you inhere, because I'm always afraid
that my brand like turns menaway because it's the unicorns
and hot pink and purple stuff.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I don't think I noticed, I don't even know.
I think because I heard youfirst.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
And knew your….
Speaker 2 (40:21):
It didn't matter, yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Then when I got to the website I was like, okay,
cool, he likes the new card.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Cool, you didn't notice it.
That's good to know.
I love that.
Well, it was so good chattingwith you and if any of y'all are
ever in Colorado, y'all need toreach out to Austin to do your
family portraits or yourcouple's portraits somewhere up
at four.
He does really cool studiostuff too.
We're going to probably make atrip to Colorado this winter and
I'm going to figure out how toget Austin to take our family
(40:49):
portraits, because we have nothad family portraits this year
and we are much needed.
So make sure y'all reach out tohim if y'all are ever in the
area.
I'm sure he would love toconnect and photograph you and
your family and create somethingepic and sell you some wall art
, I know some epic locations.
You know, that's the problem assomebody who convinces people to
charge more money is that itbackfires, because then the
(41:10):
people I'm around start chargingmore money and it costs me so
much more to work with them Eventhe person that does my hair.
I convince her to charge memore money and all of a sudden
I'm paying double what I used topay Sign.
You know Well, it was greatchatting with you.
Thanks for being on here todayand I'm sure we'll see you again
soon.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Yeah, this was fun, thanks.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Thank you so much for listening.
If you enjoyed this episode andyou'd like to support the
podcast, please make sure youshare it on social media or
leave a rating and review.
As always, you can check outthe links and resources in the
show notes over atmasteryourmindmoneycom.
To catch all the latest from me, you can follow me on Instagram
at masteryourmindmoney, anddon't forget to join our free
(41:51):
Facebook group PhotographyBusiness.
Tune Up with Corinna Kay.
Thanks again and I'll see younext time.
Welcome to Mindset and Money Mastery for
Photographers the podcast.
We help overwhelmedphotographers make more money
while simplifying their businessby mastering their you guessed
it mindset and money.
Tune in each week for practicaland actionable tips to take
your photography business up anotch.
Let's dive right in.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Okay, so today we have Austin joining us.
Austin, as in.
I always say Austin, thecoaching client, austin, because
my husband's here is alsoAustin, so that's now become the
joke in our house If I'm likeAustin and then I have to
clarify.
So we have Austin on here today.
He is one of my coachingclients that is graduating and
moving on to spread his wingsand I asked him if he would come
(00:43):
on here and do like a littlepodcast episode where we can
talk about his journey, hisexperience, his business.
Maybe he has something valuableto share with you guys today.
So welcome Austin.
You want to introduce yourself?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Thank you, yeah, thanks for having me.
I can see how the Austin thinggets quite confusing back and
forth.
So I am from Denver, colorado.
I have in the past primarilyphotographed weddings, but
reached out to Corinda to helpme with my family portrait side
of the business and get thatgoing.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
I love that.
So I think you found me on thepodcast, is that right?
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Yeah, can I say the name?
Yeah, yeah, it was the PhotoBiz X podcast.
You did an interview on there.
Okay, I love what you had tosay.
I've listened to them for yearsand I just really clicked with
what you were talking about.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yes, I love that.
So you listened to that podcastand then did you go find my
podcast next, or did you justcontact me right away?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I think, I like researched into you.
I don't think I went straightto your podcast.
I think I started like lookingyou up and making sure you were
like a real person.
You know the typical stalkingthat you do for your higher
coach, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, appropriate, appropriate, for sure, and
that's what I was talking toCorey, one of our other coaching
clients, and she was like Iwouldn't listen to all the
podcast episodes because Iwanted to know what you thought
about things.
She's like that's how I knewthat was the right choice for me
.
Awesome, I love that.
So you hired me because youwere wanting to transition more
into portraits and kind offigure out how to make that work
(02:07):
in your business.
So what kind of has been orwhat was pushing you to lean
more into portraits?
Speaker 3 (02:13):
I think that would be that.
It's my stage of life is thestarting a family.
I have two kids now, so I havea two and a half year old boy
and a one year old girl and Ifound myself at weddings, like I
was at the age of weddings whenI was shooting weddings, and
now I'm moving to the familyside and so now I'm kind of
transitioning to families.
(02:34):
Who knows, maybe one year I'lldo seniors or move on to the
next thing, which you wouldthink is kind of strange,
because you shoot horses, I dofamilies and it's like well,
what did you connect to Austin?
I think what it was was whatyou talked about how you bring
the client through the clientjourney and experience, more so
than what we shoot, because whatwe shoot is so different.
(02:55):
But it's how you talked abouthow you bring clients through.
That experience is what reallyclipped with me.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah, I love that.
It's funny.
I feel like business genreschange with your phase of life.
So, like I did in the same way,I did weddings when I was like
getting married, freshly marriedmyself.
Then I did newborns I don'tknow where that came from
because I didn't have a kid.
I was actually terrified ofbabies when I photographed
newborns.
Every time a mom would hand meher baby when they came into the
(03:22):
studio I was like, oh no, I'mgoing to break it.
So that was kind of weird, butI still love photographing
newborns at the time.
And then I shifted back intohorses, which is kind of where I
started, before weddings.
So, yeah, it's interesting howseasons of life I was thinking
about that last night.
I was like I wonder if everyonegets that like five year itch
where, like, after doing thesame thing in your business for
(03:45):
five years, you start to feel alittle like restless, like, oh,
I need to do something differentor I need to like change or
something needs to be different.
Do you think that you got thatlike itch that you needed to do
something different?
Were you getting bored at allwith weddings or was it just a
phase of life thing?
Speaker 3 (03:59):
I think it's both it's phase of life and two like
man, working eight, 10, 12-hourdays on weddings Like it's a lot
, and being away from yourfamily on the weekends.
It's getting tougher andtougher, yeah for sure.
And who knows, maybe I'lltransition to equine if my
daughter gets into, you know,equestrian stuff.
Maybe in a couple of yearswe'll be working together again
(04:20):
when my daughter you know doingequine, you know riding
equestrian and doing that kindof thing.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I can see it now.
You're going to be like.
I photographed my first horse,corinda.
I just had to do it.
I couldn't say no.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I love that.
So was there a point in timewhen you kind of started to
realize like I could make thesame amount of money from one
portrait session as I could awedding.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Yeah, definitely, and that kind of came from
initially, listening to thatpodcast that I was talking about
learning more about other sidesof the industry and hearing it
good.
In here there's a I meanhonestly, there's a bunch of
coaches and things on thatpodcast that I've listened to.
But when I had said it earlier,when I heard you talk, it just
really resonated with me morethan any other and that's what
(05:02):
just made me reach out me morethan any other and that's what
just made me reach out.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I love that.
So what was the process like ofyou digging in to the program
and I'll add a side note thatAustin was in our Master, your
Mind and Money, which is ourhigher end coaching program.
That's super intense.
It's a lot.
What was that like for you kindof diving into it and starting
to go through and watch thevideos and learn?
Speaker 3 (05:23):
It's like starting over, almost, like you get into
the first ones and you alwayswant to jump into, like, okay,
how do I start making money anddoing this part?
You start from the beginning.
You talk about the whys and allbehind the scenes parts so that
you build a good foundation andthen you work into the sales
(05:43):
processes, the pricing and allyour self-doubts and that kind
of stuff the other parts of it.
It was really good for mebecause it was.
It was such a it's such a bigchange.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
That it was really nice to get into.
I guess getting back to thebasics and starting from the
beginning.
It felt like it's strippingaway everything that I thought I
knew about my business andbuilding that back up.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
Yeah, so was there anything that surprised you the
most?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Oh, what surprised me the most.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
That's a big question .
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Yeah, I think, coming from weddings and doing kind of
more of like a shoot and burnAlthough I do have um, I did
sell albums at the time I thinkit's finding out that clients do
value your work and that youhave to find them, but that
they're willing to pay for me.
You know, right now twothousand three thousand dollars
(06:38):
like right for for forphotography.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Some images yeah, Wayne, before you found me and
before you really understoodthat, what did you think that
clients would spend?
Was there like a number in yourhead where you're like people
won't spend more than X dollars?
Speaker 3 (06:54):
I don't know about an exact number, but you always
like for weddings, you alwayskind of throw it out there.
There's so much competition andeverything.
You throw the number out there.
You're like it's like slidinginto the number over.
You're like, will it buy?
And it's like looking at thosenumbers now it's like, oh my
gosh, it's nothing.
Yeah, compared to doingportrait sales stuff.
Yeah, to answer your question,there wasn't exactly a number
(07:17):
that I thought that was likethat's a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yeah, so how do you feel about the difference in
what your clients are spendingnow versus what you thought was
possible or what you were doingbeforehand?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
I mean, I think it's, I feel like it's almost
normalized now.
You know, each time you climbup the rung of a ladder it's the
highest you've been.
But you look down and see likewhere you've came from, it's,
it's.
It just feels almost normal now.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
So it still doesn't mean I'm not nervous.
When I do it, I'm alwaysnervous.
But if you're not nervous,you're not growing.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Right, that's a good point for sure.
So what do you think like hassurprised you the most about
your interaction with yourclients whenever you're selling
them, while in providingoffering this experience to them
, like what has been the mostsurprising part about their
reaction, or their response toit?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
The ones that cry.
I've had one or two ladies, onelady, but it was like so
thankful and so excited aboutthe portraits she just was like
crying on the Zoom call.
She loved them so much and thenwe plan on doing another.
She's having another kid, soshe it was.
She had a one-year-old at thetime.
This was a few months ago.
They're having another kid inabout.
(08:24):
It was uh, she had aone-year-old at the time there,
this was a few months ago havinganother kid in about eight
months or so.
She's already reached out aboutdoing another portrait session
that's amazing is that?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
because I'm guessing, when you delivered your wedding
portraits or your weddingphotos, were you just sending
them a gallery and then youdidn't get to see their reaction
, did you?
Speaker 3 (08:41):
yeah, you just kind of hope on them, sending you
like an email like oh my gosh,we love them, or text, you know,
oh my gosh, I love them, right,um, with albums, um, you know,
I do get that reaction because Iput something together for them
and I get to see it, but itit's, I don't know, it was never
really the same, I think yeah,I don't know if, like, couples
(09:02):
from weddings are just kind oflike almost burnt out a little
bit, like they're so excitedthey're always.
I was like when I asked forreviews, like I get reviews, but
it was never that kind ofreaction.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
I agree with that.
I, every time I sent a weddinggallery out, I would be like,
okay, did they see it?
Do they like it?
Like, oh my gosh, what if theyhaven't said anything?
Or they're like thanks, theylook great.
Like that's all it looks great.
Do they know how many hours Ijust stared at their face
editing all those photos?
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, when I don't hear anything, I lose sleep for
nights.
I'm like do they hate me?
Do they hate the photos?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
That is an interesting point about.
The thing that you really loveis that now you get to see your
client's reaction to yourportraits.
I kind of feel like that's likea drug for me.
Now it's like the best part ofit for me is getting to hear
that the clients actually likewhat I create.
Was there any fear around, likehow people were going to feel
about narrowing down theirphotos with you, or did you have
(09:56):
any like hesitations aboutgoing into that process?
Speaker 3 (09:59):
That's a good question.
Did I have fear about themliking?
You know, I still do kind ofsometimes have a little bit of
fear, I think because what Icreate for them is such a I put
my heart and soul into it andlike I want them to love the
images as much as I love them.
Because for me, when I createthese like when I do shoots for
(10:19):
my wife, for other kids, like Ijust did one for Mother's Day I
love those photos and she lovesthem so much.
I want my clients who see thosephotos to love them just as
much.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So there is a little bit fewer when you go, like when
I go into reveal like are theygonna love them?
Speaker 3 (10:33):
and the vast majority of them have been, as you would
call them, kind of like overlovers.
Yeah, I would say maybe a lotof just writers.
I haven't really run into toomany unders.
I think my personality kind ofattracts like over and just
writers.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I love that.
Do your clients?
How do your clients feel aboutthe process of narrowing down
photos?
Because a lot of times I hearphotographers say like I'm so
scared to like make my clientnarrow down the photos, or I
feel like I'm robbing them bymaking them narrow down their
photos.
Do you think that's the case,or do you think your clients
appreciate that you're sittingthere and guiding them through
(11:09):
that process?
Speaker 3 (11:10):
My thought on that is when I look back, because my
wife and I have gotten shootsdone every year since we got
engaged.
So we've been married for five.
It'll be five years this year,six years this year, and I've
noticed that, like we use havealways gotten like digital
galleries, we only ever print acouple of them, you know, to put
(11:30):
on the wall.
So for me, when I am helping myclient narrow those down, I
know that a vast majorityusually people don't even touch
them in their wedding album orin their wedding galleries.
Like digital galleries.
People don't really download buta few of them, their very
favorite ones.
So I'm just helping them get tothat point to select their very
favorite ones that are alsogoing to look the very best on
the wall.
So I've never really had anissue with that because that's
(11:52):
how I feel about it.
It's like they're really on awedding gallery.
If I return seven or 800,there's like three or four that
are just like those are the onesthey want on the wall and so,
no, I don't have an issue toomuch with helping them narrow it
down.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, I love that.
That's important.
I think I had someone I waschatting with a few weeks ago
and they said like I feel reallybad asking my client to narrow
them down, like I want them tohave all of them, and I was like
I actually feel like by givingthem all of them we're actually
doing them a disservice, becausethen they're overwhelmed and
they might not even ever get tothe few that they really love to
display in their home or toprint out or to look at, because
(12:28):
they're just like stare at themfor hours and then they just
close their phone becausethey're like I don't know which
one.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
It's analysis, paralysis, paralysis, analysis.
Yeah, when there's too many,you don't tend to make a
decision.
When you have limited choices,then I think you're better at
making decisions.
So that's actually one part ofthis whole thing that I've not
really had too much of.
An issue is helping peoplenarrow down on this stuff, but I
could see how people would seelike, oh, I want them to have
everything.
Yeah, sometimes, if it was meand I was the client, that's a
(12:58):
disservice to me.
I feel like yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
So talk to me a little bit about the selling
part.
Do you feel like you're sellingreally heavily on your Zoom
meeting, where you're doing yourreveal and selling, or do you
feel like a lot of that comesinto play elsewhere in the
process?
Speaker 3 (13:16):
It comes into play from your teachings.
Before we ever get on the Zoommeeting.
We're doing all that.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
That doesn't mean I'm not still nervous.
I'm always, you know it's agood nervousness, but no, I feel
it makes it much more easy whenyou just say everything up
front.
It can be tough, especiallythat first initial call, when
that's when a lot of yourclients you know will say, oh,
maybe like the decision, if it'sthe for the right fit with each
other, because you don't wantto, you don't do them the
(13:52):
disservice of them.
Find out later on and I'm notperfect at that.
I'm definitely getting better.
Going back and watching a lotof your videos has helped me
refine some of the things.
Um, I'm really good with thosekind of videos, like re-watching
and watching that kind of stuff, but no, once we get into the
sales part, like they shouldknow and have an idea, yeah, is
it less salesy than you thoughtit would be in the beginning?
Speaker 2 (14:13):
were you like ever concerned, like I know I want to
sell products, but like youwere grossed out by it or
anything?
Or were you always like we'llsee how it goes?
Speaker 3 (14:20):
um, a little bit of both.
Yeah, I think now that I, forme, what I had to do is also
have some of my own massiveprints in my house from some of
my shoots that I did, and now Ireally appreciate those and
that's helped me say, man,everybody else needs to have
this in their home, because Ihave two huge prints, I think,
(14:43):
40 by 60 of my kids upstairs, or40 by 50 of my kids upstairs,
you know, one of each in ourdining room and having that made
me appreciate it and made mewant to give other people the
opportunity to have that as wellyeah, I love that.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
How would you describe the sheer amount of
content that you went through inthe videos?
And I don't even know like, didyou watch all the videos?
Have you gone through all ofthem?
Are you still like?
This is a lot.
I'm still getting through them.
I went through.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I'll be honest, I didn't go through everything,
but I went through a vastmajority.
I went through the five stepsand the what were the five I was
just looking at the other day,yeah, yes.
And then the six steps, onemultiple times amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I love that, yeah, and then after, that is the
marketing side.
So I always say, like you haveto fix your pricing, your base
of your business, your clientexperience, before you market
yourself, because you don't wantto market yourself and get more
poor quality clients or clientsthat aren't spending money with
you.
So for the marketing side ofthings, how has this changed the
way you're marketing yourbusiness?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
So I have I've really dived deep into the farmer's
market stuff.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
And I'm trying that out.
I can't speak on it quite yetbecause I've only done one.
I was supposed to do it thispast weekend but I actually got
really sick.
Our whole family was sick thispast weekend.
We're all recovering but I'llbe at the next one this coming
weekend so I'll have to reportback.
But I've really dived headlonginto it because I've been to our
farmer's market before a numberof times and just the people
(16:13):
that are there seem like theclientele of people that I kind
of want to be around, and thefirst one I went to I felt like
was it showed a lot of potential.
I talked to the people whoworked them and they said, look,
it's the really slow season forit.
People who are who worked themand they said, look, it's the
really slow season for once.
It gets into the summer in thenext month or so it really picks
(16:33):
up and I got good vibes from it.
I've had some conversations sofar.
We talked a little bit aboutthis the other day and so.
But I'm still really in thebeginning of that.
But I'm really diving deep intothat part um of of the
marketing side I'm gonna kind ofsee where that takes me.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Yeah, I love that events are such a big part of
the marketing side.
I'm going to kind of see wherethat takes me.
Yeah, I love that Events aresuch a big part of my business.
I feel like this cool partabout it is there's something
different about talking tosomeone face-to-face.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I'm much better face-to-face.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Much better.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
It's like in the internet space you have to stand
out so much and you have tolike figure out how to get
somebody to get to know you, butwithin like five seconds,
somebody face to face can get toknow you and see who you are
and like feel for who you are.
And I thought it was funnybecause you mentioned to me that
when your kids were there andyour wife was there with you,
that like it got really busy andeveryone wanted to talk to you
when your family was there,which I think is super cool and
(17:23):
interesting because, like we areour family, is our business,
right, it's a whole thing.
And I think it's really coolthat, like you noticed that that
even made a difference at thefarmer's market too.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Thankfully, this farmer's market is really close
by.
They are coming to every one ofthem between their naps.
Because when my two and a halfyear old and my one year old
daughter were there, like it waslike we were the talk of the
town it's like we had puppies atour booth or something, and off
to the town, it's like we hadpuppies at our booth or
something, and other familieswere coming up and talking, I
was like what the heck am Ichopped liver, just like here,
by when I was there in thebeginning by myself, and the
(17:53):
family came and they laughed andit was just me.
It was just like you know,people walking by every once in
a while and the family was there.
It was like it was.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
It was, it was hot, it was the place to be so wait,
tell your two and a half yearold, like four, and then.
And then your four year old cansit there.
And my child now, when I'm atevents, he'll sit there and be
like, does your horse want acookie?
Do you want a sticker?
And so he'll like, sit thereand ask people when they're
walking by.
He'll be like do you wantsomething?
We have stickers.
They're really cool.
You want a sticker?
So funny.
(18:21):
He, he, like haggles people.
I don't really do that when I'msitting at events either, but
I'll just be like hey, kai, askthese people walking by if they
want a sticker.
I'm doing it Work for your charm.
Give your kids some, some funstuff to give to people and you
know people can't say no to kids.
Yeah, so I, I really love that.
So where do you see yourbusiness going forward from here
?
Like, what is your vision ofwhere you're going or how do you
(18:43):
think this is going to changethe 10 year goal plan of your
business from here?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
So I'm starting to.
The biggest part is I'mstarting to push away or move
slowly away from weddings.
It's still kind of like mybread and butter, like safety
blanket.
I guess you could say More, mysafety blanket.
You know, like I know, in ninemonths I have this money coming
in.
Yeah, we hold on to thatfeeling, um, but mentally I am
(19:11):
pushing towards the familyportrait stuff, ips, um, and
looking in that direction andmoving everything towards there.
Currently, with my marketingstuff is the, like I said, the
farmer's market, and then I'vealso been doing a lot of
auctions and that's currentlywhere, like since I've just
started the farmer's marketauctions have I've also been
doing a lot of auctions andthat's currently where, like
since I've just started thefarmer's market auctions have
been where most of my businessstuff has come from.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yeah, I love that and I always say like when you're
building your business or you'retrying to go into a new genre,
you kind of have to make yourown momentum and pull the people
in until the organic trickle ofpeople comes in.
But you have to be so strategicin the way you do it that you
don't devalue your brand or youdon't do something that a year
or two down the road is going tokick you in the butt.
(19:54):
Right, you want to always makethose really good strategic,
long-term strategies inmarketing because it does take
time.
I genuinely think that it takesthree years to really get that
organic trickle in of business,and those first few years you
kind of have to fight to pullthose people in and get that
momentum going.
And then things start to takeoff and it gets easier.
(20:15):
But those first few years areso important to just go out
there, pull the people in andnot just sit there and be like
well, nobody's booking, I guessnobody wants me, I guess I'll
just lower my prices or I guessI'll just stand on a street
corner and be like who wantsphotos, like that's something
really important.
I think that I try to harp onand try to tell people is like,
just keep going in those earlydays, use those smart strategies
(20:38):
Like you talked about, likegoing to events using the silent
auction strategy to just kindof get the people in.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
Yeah, I'm trying to get I don't know who said this.
I'm trying to get more no'smeaning I'll get more yeses.
Yeah, I'm just like trying tofigure out those like okay, what
can I get into?
What can I do to where I canget more no's?
That means I'll get more yeses.
You know it's just a numbersgame of talking with people and
that kind of stuff, because itis it's it's.
It's tough bringing people incurrently, but I do have that
(21:04):
experience from like weddingswhere when I first started, man,
I was like working every night.
Whenever I had a previous job,I was working every night after
work, like for hours, like okay,working on marketing, working
on my website, working oneverything I could doing styled
shoots, doing second photographygigs, and so I know that build
up to then it like gets easier.
You get past a certain point,like okay, that's a little
(21:24):
easier.
So it's good to hear that,because that's something I do
need to hear you know for thefuture.
It's like, okay, it's not goingto always be, it's going to be
a hustle, but like not as hardas I'm going right now.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Right, and I think there's so many people that get
so like disheartened in thatbuilding phase that they're just
like, well, people aren'tbanging on my door and it looks
like because social media isgreat at making us feel like
this.
It looks like that all theseother photographers in the
Facebook group have all theseclients and they're so busy and
they're always booked, whensocial media has a great way of
(21:56):
deceiving us and making us thinkthat other people are more in
demand or more booked out orthings like that, than they
actually are.
So then we start comparingourselves too.
I don't know if you've noticedthat about yourself.
I feel like that's probablywomen probably deal with that
more than men do.
But there is that thing whereyou see other people and you're
like they're doing it and I'mnot.
I must be failing.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
No, I mean, I think, I think every photographer feels
that way.
I do.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
You see these people with these insane photos.
You know I think of weddingsbecause most of my feed is still
wedding stuff, you know, andyou look on your stream like how
can I compete with that?
But yeah, somebody reaches outagain.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
You know yeah, and I think this crazy part and I
think this is really bad in thewedding world too is that so
much of what you see on socialmedia from other photographers
that look like they're doing allof these cool things.
It's just all fake.
It's styled shoots, it's fakemodel call outs.
It's them working for free,hustling their butts off to make
no money for having the coolfeed that is featured on the
(22:56):
wedding blogs and that, to me,is like it's the most
infuriating thing and it doesn'tdo it doesn't really do any of
us a whole lot of good and itdoesn't even do your real
clients any good.
Cause, when a real person comesto you and you're like, oh, I
have to pose a real person, it'snot a model now, and then it's
like crap, what do I do?
Speaker 3 (23:13):
yeah, yeah, especially with the yeah, the
style shoot stuff.
I think I mentioned thatearlier.
I did like one way back when Ivery first started.
I was like, first off, this ismy style.
Secondly, like if somebody seesthis and I can't reproduce,
like I'm sitting out in a fieldhaving a picnic with all these
nice things and it's kind oflike is that who I am and what I
do?
No, so that's like a one anddone thing.
(23:33):
I was like no, I shouldn't bedoing that.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Yeah, I I did a few.
I did a style shoot once, for Idid the style shoot that I knew
was going to be on the cover ofa magazine and they were like
you can have the cover, tell uswhat you want to do.
And I was like, okay, I'llcreate something.
But and I did a few of thosebecause that's what you did,
like in the wedding space youdid that so that you could get
featured on the blogs to helpyour SEO and that was like the
whole game.
So it's funny.
(23:57):
We had a neighbor and she cameup to me one day and she's like
I just found this photographer.
Look, single photo on thisphotographer's website was from
one workshop that I went tomyself as well.
And it was like her website wasstunning and had all these epic
(24:19):
photos and I'm like she couldnever replicate any of that
stuff that she's showing people.
And here my own neighbor waslike, look at this, isn't this
cool?
And I'm like I've taken everysingle one of those photos but
they've honestly never even comeoff a memory card.
I don't even think I didanything with them because I was
like, well, I'm never going tobe able to create these, but
it's fun to go like sometimeslearn and watch and see the way
other people shoot, and I'm justmore of a lurker in those
(24:42):
situations, or I just never doanything.
I never touch the photos.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
No, I agree with you.
I do appreciate sometimes justseeing different people's
different approaches.
You know, to see how they, youknow, approach a situation with
couples, families, whatever itis.
That's always really nice.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Yeah, for sure, yeah.
So before you worked with me,had you worked with other
business coaches before?
Speaker 3 (25:04):
I had briefly yeah, yeah Once before and it and it
just that's how.
That's why you kind of likestruck a chord is that I knew
what I didn't want.
Um, and that was something thatwas like kind of like a cookie
cutter, like here's how you dothings.
Lately scripted thing, becausewhen I got out of that I was
like this is not my voice, isnot who I really am.
(25:25):
Yeah, I didn't feel I felt likeif style shoot, so I'll shoot
for business.
Yeah, that's a good way forbusiness.
It was like this is not who Ireally am.
Yeah, I didn't feel.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
I felt like if I don't shoot, so I'll shoot for
business.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Yeah, that's a good way to put it, yeah, for
business.
It was like this is not, thisis all created for me.
And so, with that knowledge oflike what I didn't want when I
and I wasn't, whenever I heardyour podcast, I wasn't even
really looking that much I heardoh, what'd she say?
Well, that makes sense.
I like that, you know.
And then I started thinkinglike creeping on, like your,
(25:51):
like Instagram or your websiteor something like that, because
your name's really easy Corinda,there's not that many.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
And I was like what's that?
I'm easy to stalk.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Yeah, yeah.
And then I started lookingthrough stuff.
I was like you know what Got toyour booking page.
I was like, okay, I think weshould do this.
Let's just do this.
Let's just see what happens.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I so okay on that note of the cookie cutter thing,
were there any moments when youwere like dang it?
I wish she would just give usthe thing and just hand it to us
so we had it versus.
The way I teach is very muchlike here are the steps you need
to take to build it and here'swhy you need to build it that
way.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Now go build it yourself you give like for me at
least, just like the rightamount of push and like
information.
You go through your whole likescript of stuff and information
and like you're pretty detailedabout it, like and how you go
through talking with families orcouples and like, or, I'm sorry
(26:50):
, with families and everythingand that was, but you're not
giving us the exact script.
You know to word for word.
You're, even though you'reeverything.
Here's the thing you have.
You talk about like the wholesales process and you have
multiple videos on it and all ofthem are slightly different
than how you talk about it.
So you can tell that you're.
You don't have a script thatyou exactly stick to.
You have a framework and sothat framework is really great
(27:14):
and that I have built my ownthis very similar on the list,
but it's my own twist and my ownvoice to it yeah, I that.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
I think that's important because I remember,
like when I was doing newborns,for example, I remember having
this one mentor and they werelike here is my script for the
phone consultation and here'swhat you need to say, and you
just need to take the words thatare in red and replace them
with what you want to say, andI'm like this doesn't sound like
me, and then I never used itbecause I was so overwhelmed.
And so I think that's why I tryto be like hey, here's the idea
(27:43):
of what we're doing in each partof this.
Here's how I say it and I do.
You're right, I say it slightlydifferent every time I say it.
I always say like I can say itin my sleep, but every time it
comes across, it comes acrossdifferently because it is me and
my heart and soul, andsometimes I am feeling in a
different mood than I am, butit's all the same point of it,
but it just comes acrossdifferently from time to time.
(28:04):
So that's really funny that yousaid that and brought that up,
because, you're right, I dosometimes vary a little bit the
way I say it.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Which also kind of reinforces it, like there's not
an exact script, like as long asyou have the framework and you
hit certain points, the rest ofit should flow.
You know, know, I think whatespecially helped too is like
like you're not giving uspricing, you're pushing us
towards like here's what youshould, here's what you look
like, here's what you need tothink about, here's, here's what
(28:31):
your cost is.
Now you need to multiply thatby four or five percent.
You know all those, you knowthose little pieces.
Percent, four or five timesfour or five percent.
You wouldn't be making money.
Uh, and what was really nice islike okay, I got into it and
like put that whole thingtogether and I'm like price
comparing from all the differentplaces that I'm going to pull
pricing and you know, use whitehouse, then I use graphing white
(28:54):
house, and so I'm comparingthem, everything.
I put all together and I sendit to you and then I get the
thumbs up, thumbs down onwhether it was really good, on
what I did, and here's why orwhy not.
So I've created this wholething and it's been vetted by
you.
You didn't just give me theprice yeah, so I feel more
confident with it yeah, I lovethat.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
So you were one of the people that showed up to
like all the Q&A calls.
You were like the Q&A callleading student of the year.
What were those Q&A calls likefor you, or what was the value
with those for?
Speaker 3 (29:24):
you.
What I really loved is so I'mworking on my own part of my
business, but I love topping onpeople's questions that are in
different stages of it, becausethey had questions that I didn't
think of or know to think of,to ask that kind of thing, and I
felt like every time we got onthere, you always had like, uh,
here's a few knowledge bombs todrop on us.
(29:46):
You we didn't just go in thereand like, oh, no questions today
, or, austin, it's just me andyou today.
Here's, here's my few questionsthat I have for you, corinda.
It was like, okay, now we'vegone over the questions, here's
a few knowledge bombs on, here'ssomething we're gonna learn and
I I'm going to teach you.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Right, yeah, I think like when we get on those calls,
sometimes there's no questionsand I just kind of start asking
questions about what y'all aredoing and try to find something
I can help y'all with, because Iknow that there's something
there to be worked on.
I just have to sometimes get itout of y'all to figure out what
that is that you need help with.
Speaker 3 (30:19):
Yeah, sometimes for me, honestly, sometimes I just
don't even know the questions Ishould be asking, even though I
know I have a problem.
Sometimes for me, it's like youstart to pick and I'm like, oh,
wait a second, that's a.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
That's something I need help with, you know, yeah,
yeah, I love that.
Um, so you also had one-on-onecalls.
What were your one-on-one callslike for you, or do you
remember anything like reallyvaluable that you got out of
your one-on-one calls?
Speaker 3 (30:42):
I mean I think the most valuable one was pricing.
I think that was like the firstone, just because that kind of
set the stage with beingconfident with the rest of it.
You know, I think I think whenI submitted mine, I think my
prices were too low and you kindof walked me through like okay,
(31:02):
okay, here's how much you'respending for this, like you need
to be making this much, andhere's how much you're taking
off like taxes and you know likeyou may charge x amount but
you're only getting like half ofthat.
Honestly, because you knowbusiness costs and that kind of
thing.
And walking me through why Ishould feel confident charging
more was a big, big one, becauseonce you you have that, because
(31:22):
I think I can't speak foreveryone else, at least for me
as a student.
Being confident in your pricinghelps with every other part,
especially coming from a shootand burn style where I'm not
charging that much comparatively.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah, yeah for sure.
Do you know kind of round aboutwhat your average sales kind of
around now for the clientsyou've had?
Speaker 3 (31:42):
So I'm averaging just above 2,000, like 2,300.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
I'm selling some small wall art stuff.
I think part of that is justgetting more confident in what.
I'm doing and I'm getting theremore and more and, like we
talked about, I need to work onmy album sale part with the wall
art, you know yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Once you get that album on there, you're like four
grand easy I've got it, I'vegot it.
You've got it, we.
I talked to cory earlier andshe said she hadn't sold an
album in like 10 years, orsomething crazy like that, until
she started the coachingprogram with me, and now she
sells albums all the time.
So maybe you just need to havetalked to Corey.
Corey, what's your secret?
(32:26):
Yes, because that's the thing.
Like, you can get to like that$2,000, $2,500 easy, just with
all art, but if you're missingthe album sale too, then that
kind of takes your sales to thenext place, which will be just
one little piece that's missing.
That you've got to figure outOne little thing that can make
the difference.
And then all of a sudden itunfolds and you're like oh,
(32:47):
every client's spending four or$5,000 now.
So I love that.
Okay, if there was one piece ofadvice or one thing that you
think every photographer needsto know, like if you were like
this is the one thing that Iwish I knew when I was growing
my business, or this is the onething I think each and every
person listening here needs toknow.
Is there something that comesto mind?
(33:07):
That's a good question, and Itotally.
Although Austin didn't evenknow he was recording a podcast
episode today, I just sprungthis on him.
I was like, hey, let's do this.
So this is totally off the cuffthat I'm asking him these
questions.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I think that, from where I'm coming from, selling,
you know doing weddings, andit's basically doing digital
galleries.
I think for me, what I needed toknow and hear was that people
do value your work and valuelike physical artwork for their
(33:43):
home, because that you know thatwe do in-person sales stuff for
because that was that was newto me, that part of like because
I've always just like oh,here's your digitals, you can
have an album.
You know, my process withalbums is more than just that.
But yeah, I think, just knowingthat there are people out there
for me that do value and wantthat service, that help them put
(34:08):
artwork on their walls, that'svery nice of their family.
And part of that too was for me, first off learning it in this
group and this course, but alsothen doing it myself and putting
it up in my own house.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Yeah, I love that.
If somebody is thinking aboutworking with me or thinking
about going through this processto switch and sell wall art or
sell more wall art, what wouldyou say to them about making the
investment in themselves andjust doing it?
It takes money.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
To make money, you have to invest in yourself.
If you don't know where to gowith your business and you don't
know what to do, you've you'vehit a hit a wall.
You're switching genres.
The next step is for me it'salways been like I did it with
one of my guys but weddings isto hire a coach, somebody that's
done before, a mentor I think,because I don't think I see you
(34:54):
as much of a coach as like moreof a mentor, walking us through
and providing like that, that,those knowledge bombs.
I say it Just that knowledgeand everything that you did and
that you know we'd have ourconversations.
I felt like when we get donewith our little one-on-ones or
our group calls.
It'd be like a little hoorahand I felt all pumped up and
ready to go afterwards and gomake those calls and everything
(35:16):
else.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Yeah, that's how I say it.
I like to give people the goodkick in the butt and a nice way
to go do the thing.
I think we all need thatencouragement and I think that's
the difference too, in likebuying a course to work through
versus having a coach or amentor that you're working with,
and I always say, like I havecourses, but the courses are
(35:44):
just how I get you the knowledgethat's in my brain.
The real magic happens on thegroup coaching calls or your
one-on-one coaching calls orthrough the support channels,
because you need the knowledge.
But then you also sometimesneed someone to look at you and
say, hey, austin, for you.
I really think you shouldconsider this, or have you
thought about it like this andsomebody that actually kind of
knows what you're doing in yourlife and where you're at in
general, not just a totalstranger, because I think that
(36:05):
also makes a difference.
Like I try to get to know y'allin your situations, in your
lives and where you're at, andunderstand that somebody who has
two young kids at home versussomebody who has grown kids that
are out of the house versus asingle person like everyone's
lives are different and noteveryone's business is the same
versus a single person.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
Like everyone's lives are different and not
everyone's business is the same.
And I mean just to that example, some of the curriculum stuff
in the course was going andfinding your money and doing the
farmer's markets or the markets, those kind of things.
And I read through that, took abunch of or you know, watched
the videos, took a bunch ofnotes and everything.
But then we hopped on I thinkit was a group q and a call and
you really helped me hone thatto make it much more personal
(36:46):
and much more actionable for me.
So I had read that stuff and Ihave the notes sitting over here
and now, when I look back atthem and then with the
information you give me, I'mlike, okay, yes, I need to hop
in that, I need to do this, Ineed to make sure I have that.
My, my setup is set up this way.
You know that kind of thing.
So, yes, having a person is somuch sex.
(37:08):
Just then, you know justcourses.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Yeah, yeah, I started becoming the course person
who'd buy the courses and Inever watched anything because I
was like I would get frustratedor I'd get overwhelmed and then
I would just like shut it downand never look at it again,
because I was like I need help.
But who do I ask for help?
Which is part of the reason Iwas like I don't want to be the
person that just sells a courseto somebody and is like here's
the course, you're on your own,figure it out.
(37:32):
It's just not my mo of what Ilove to do.
And people are always like, hey, will you sell your course by
yourself, by itself?
And I'm like I really want youto have my help as you do it,
cause that way you're moresuccessful with what you do.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
So, yeah, I completely agree with that, yeah
, awesome.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
Well, is there anything else you feel like you
need to share with the world ortell the world?
And if not, will you telleveryone where they can find you
, so that way they can followalong with your journey and your
business?
Speaker 3 (37:59):
Yeah, so most of my photography stuff is on my
Instagram.
That's just LiberatoPhotography.
You'll see a lot of weddingstuff on there, but it's slowly
becoming more and more family onthere, so it'll slowly be
changing.
But besides that, I mean thiswhole coaching stuff helped me a
(38:21):
lot, put me in the rightdirection and made me feel more
comfortable stepping away fromthe wedding side of things,
because it's really difficult, Ithink, to change gears at least
it was for me and feelcomfortable doing it.
I need somebody's help and Iknew that Like I couldn't just
do it myself.
And it has made me feel morecomfortable.
And now I'm just working on allthose, those, all those little
(38:43):
goals that we put together andworking towards everything.
Well, hopefully in the next fewmonths I can get my sales up to
five 6,000 more, and I'mfeeling more and more confident
as I as I go along with witheach sale and everything, cause
that's been that was my biggestthing, I think is just man
before call.
Oh, getting pumped up, got todo some push-ups, got to get the
(39:04):
blood flowing, even thoughthey've been sold.
I've talked about pricing andall this other stuff beforehand
and it's not IPS Me, I'm just aworrier, that's not what I do,
so I get more and morecomfortable.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
I love that.
Got to get pumped up.
You can hear my voice in theback of your head.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Just pumped up.
You can hear my voice in theback of your head.
Just good, on the call, it'sgoing to be fine.
My wife knew your voice becauseI listened to the podcast Once.
I was in the course all thepodcasts you did, because they
were always just playing.
They're like is that Corinda?
I was like that's Corinda.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
That's the weirdest thing to have people be like.
My spouse knows exactly whatyour voice sounds like.
I will say I think it's reallyfunny because my coaching
program is all like unicorn andsparkles and rainbows or
whatever.
But over the last year I've hadlike a good group, decent group
of men who've joined mycoaching program and I kind of
laugh because I'm like I talk topeople like at imaging or like
(39:54):
trade shows and I'm like I talkto men come up and talk to me
and I'm like I promise, althoughit's very like unicorny and
purple and hot pink, like Ipromise, although it's very like
unicorn-y and purple and hotpink, like I do have a lot like
male coaching clients too.
And there is a place for you inhere, because I'm always afraid
that my brand like turns menaway because it's the unicorns
and hot pink and purple stuff.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I don't think I noticed, I don't even know.
I think because I heard youfirst.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
And knew your….
Speaker 2 (40:21):
It didn't matter, yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Then when I got to the website I was like, okay,
cool, he likes the new card.
Speaker 2 (40:27):
Cool, you didn't notice it.
That's good to know.
I love that.
Well, it was so good chattingwith you and if any of y'all are
ever in Colorado, y'all need toreach out to Austin to do your
family portraits or yourcouple's portraits somewhere up
at four.
He does really cool studiostuff too.
We're going to probably make atrip to Colorado this winter and
I'm going to figure out how toget Austin to take our family
(40:49):
portraits, because we have nothad family portraits this year
and we are much needed.
So make sure y'all reach out tohim if y'all are ever in the
area.
I'm sure he would love toconnect and photograph you and
your family and create somethingepic and sell you some wall art
, I know some epic locations.
You know, that's the problem assomebody who convinces people to
charge more money is that itbackfires, because then the
(41:10):
people I'm around start chargingmore money and it costs me so
much more to work with them Eventhe person that does my hair.
I convince her to charge memore money and all of a sudden
I'm paying double what I used topay Sign.
You know Well, it was greatchatting with you.
Thanks for being on here todayand I'm sure we'll see you again
soon.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
Yeah, this was fun, thanks.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
Thank you so much for listening.
If you enjoyed this episode andyou'd like to support the
podcast, please make sure youshare it on social media or
leave a rating and review.
As always, you can check outthe links and resources in the
show notes over atmasteryourmindmoneycom.
To catch all the latest from me, you can follow me on Instagram
at masteryourmindmoney, anddon't forget to join our free
(41:51):
Facebook group PhotographyBusiness.
Tune Up with Corinna Kay.
Thanks again and I'll see younext time.
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