Freedom Focus Photography

159 - This week we draw back the curtains on one of Heather Lahtinen's coaching calls inside the Elevate program. In this one-on-one chat with a seriously stuck student, Heather offers a new way to think about to-do lists, and a practical tool for tackling them efficiently. What To Listen For:The thing that slows you down and saps productivityWhat to ask yourself when you're drowning in to-dosWhy you need a fluorescent Sharpie on handHow to assess your calendar from an energetic perspectiveWhen to take refuge in your linen closetIf you're a faithful listener, you know Heather hands out actionable, cut-through-the-BS advice on the regular. What you might not know is where to get your own personal dose of Heather: inside the Elevate program, where she'll help blast through any obstacles standing between you and the business of your dreams. Apply before this Friday, using the link below!  Resources From This Episode:Hair of the Dog Elevate (applications close September 30th)Hair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

158 - The last few years have thrown a lot of curveballs at Michigan-based photographer Michelle Crandall. A full calendar of dog-sports event photography was washed down the drain by COVID, prompting a pivot to private sessions. Then a simple dog-safety concern spiraled into Michelle organizing her own event—a massive (and unexpected) undertaking that thrust her business into the spotlight.   What To Listen For:How a local business course changed her thinkingWhere Michelle's marketing plan went wrongWhy neighbors saw her pointing a gun at her driveway 👀The toilet-plunger decor that elevated her eventHow to capitalize on this "safe" connection-building strategyYou might assume that anyone coordinating with 54 different businesses to plan an event must be an extrovert. To that, Michelle offers a heaping pile of NOPE. Hear the what, why and how of Michelle's event-planning adventure in this latest episode!Resources From This Episode:Pets in FocusPets in Focus on FacebookPets in Focus on InstagramKnow What You're For, by Jeff Henderson (free audiobook with Audible trial)*SECRET LINK* to our spreadsheet-sharing partyEpisode 109 - Why You Can't Ignore Video, with Shelley PaulsonHair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

 This week's episde was recorded specifically to tell you...don't listen to this week's podcast!Today is the first day of our live Hair of the Dog Summit online, so we're currently over there, soaking up all the trainings from our fantastic summit speakers. Won't you come join us? What To Listen For: Creating Dreamy Dog Portraits with Monica van der MadenEditing Commercial Quality Studio Images with Ewan CheyneSecrets to the Mythical 5-Figure Client with Karinda KinslerHow to create a Marketing Plan in 60 Minutes with Mark RossettoUnleashing Expression in your Dog Photography with Charlotte Reeves and Craig Turner-Bullock...and more! But if you're late to the party and the live summit's already over, don't worry. You can purchase all the recordings here, to keep forever and listen to at your leisure! JOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

As you might have heard by now, the Hair of the Dog Summit is coming back from Sept.13-15.  But in the meantime, I thought it would be really fun to replay some of the podcast episodes of some of our Summit speakers.In this replay, we bring you another incredible episode from one of our regular coaches inside the Academy, Kim Hartz of Kim Hartz Photography.----140 - Chances are, you have a lot on your plate. Maybe you're running a business, or working in a full-time job. You might be parenting small humans or be the primary caretaker of pets. Or maybe—bless you, dear listener—you're doing all of the above.So how do you keep all those balls in the air, without losing track of things or feeling overwhelmed? That's what my conversation is about this week with Kim Hartz, photographer extraordinaire, Academy and Elevate coach, wife and busy mother of three.   What To Listen For:Why we're feeling nostalgic for the early-COVID daysHow Kim maps out her year, to keep things on trackWhat you can expect to pay for outsourced editing workThe magical words to use when guiding your clientsAnd a challenge for you, from Nicole—do it this week!Regardless of your specific responsibilities, you'll appreciate this week's real-talk and life-management recommendations!  Resources From This Episode:Episode 15: The Key to Client Inquiries, with Kim HartzEpisode 97: Getting Started with Off-Camera Flash, with Kim HartzKim Hartz's websiteEvolve Edits retouchingDenise Duffield-Thomas money-mindset blogTweek calendar appHair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityHair of the Dog Summit (Sept.13-15)JOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

157 - Good things come in threes, they say, and with Heather Lahtinen on the podcast for a third week in a row, I'd say they—whoever those mysterious, omniscient minds are—are spot on. This week Heather reached out for my help. When we hit "record," I had no idea what was coming. Turns out, the problem Heather's wrestling with is one I'd wager is familiar to many of you. Hear all about Heather's commitment issues this week, and what it is she finds absolutely paralyzing.       What To Listen For:When to ask for forgiveness instead of permissionWhy you should never invite Heather to a movieThe uncomfortable thing your mind needs to get comfy withHow having too much of a financial cushion can backfireThe financial move to make before going full-timeYou'll also hear about my grandma's savvy investment, decor decisions for the chicken chapel, and who's soon to be creeping around the woods near Heather's house. 👀  Resources From This Episode:Barkelona Pet Photography RetreatFlourish AcademyHair of the Dog Summit (Sept. 13-15)Hair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityHair of the Dog ElevateJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

Final planning for the Hair of the Dog Summit (Sept 13-15) is well underway and as I was putting our final list of speakers together, I realized quite a few of them have already been on the podcast and some of those were some of your favorite episodes! So what better way to gear up for the Summit is to re-release them! In this particular replay, we bring you back one of my favorite podcast interviewees of all time - Tracy Goodwin! -------128 - Calling Tracy Goodwin a voice coach is like calling The Rock just a wrestler. Her work goes far beyond, say, training actors in a convincing Irish brogue—though she can do that, too!We're fortunate to have Tracy with us this week for a fascinating episode on the psychology of voice. There's more to it than you might expect, and it's stuff you need to know. Because unpacking what's in your voice can make the difference between getting the sale…or coming up empty.       What To Listen For: The data Tracy's seeing right now that she's never seen beforeWhy your pricing doesn't matter nearly as much as you thinkThe 2 key things when it comes to selling your workHow your subconscious plays tricks on youWhat Tracy wants people to feel in the first 30 seconds after they've metLearn how to confidently sell your work—without going full ShamWow—in this exceptional episode! Resources From This Episode: Captivate the Room (Tracy's website)March Voice ExperienceNEW Hair of the Dog online community hubHair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Summit (Sept.13-15)JOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

156 - Podcast regular Heather Lahtinen has a brand-new side hustle. It's cash only, and she's willing to cut a deal in the parking lot out back. This week you'll hear all about her offbeat new biz: what it is, why she started it, and how she turned a profit in less than two weeks (😯). This is a fantastic case study for keeping things fun and easy, without sacrificing success!    What To Listen For:What to ask yourself when photography starts feeling stressfulThe feelings-based "data" you really need to haveHow not to use Hair of the Dog Academy!What Heather's clients are actually buying (hint: it's not The Thing itself)How to use your hobbies to inspire your businessWork feeling like a bit of a struggle lately? Channel some of Heather's Why not?! energy into your own business, and you're sure to see results!   Resources From This Episode:E & H Fairy Hair on InstagramHair of the Dog Summit (Sept. 13-15)Hair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityHair of the Dog ElevateJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

155 - This week's episode was an especially fun one to record, because my guest—the incomparable Heather Lahtinen—was sitting right by my side, a literal guest for the week here in North Carolina. And somewhere during the course of our work conversations in the office, on the boat and over Charlotte's best shrimp and grits, I confessed to a longstanding fear that left Heather shocked. So of course we had to record a podcast episode as she helped me unpack things!         What To Listen For:The surprising fear that keeps me awake at nightWhat does it mean when you have a recurring dream? The question to ask yourself once you've labeled your fearWhy repeated rejections are actually good for youAnd an embarrassingly neurotic confession 😬If you're 100% fearless—if there's simply nothing in this world that sets your amygdala abuzz—go ahead and skip this episode. But if you're an actual human being with actual human emotions, it's worth hearing how Heather suggests you handle your fear. Resources From This Episode:Hair of the Dog Summit (Sept. 13-15)Hair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityHair of the Dog ElevateJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

154 - J. Nichole Smith is allergic to waiting. A busy brand consultant, marketer and mom, Nic doesn't have the time or the patience for businesses that take days to get back to her. And, she says, neither do the potential clients who reach out about your photography services. This week Nic and I discuss the single most important change you can make to your booking process—and why so many pet photographers are resistant to doing it.   What To Listen For:How you're inadvertently killing your potential clients' mojoWhat your inquiry process telegraphs to peopleThe part of your schedule you really need to formalizeHow to leverage a potential client's momentumThe brilliant booking strategy used by one savvy (and sold-out) photographerNic also introduces a new solution to your booking and client-management woes: the Book Your Pet platform, with a version tailored specifically for pet photographers. It's fast, it's easy, and—best of all—it's free!Resources From This Episode:Bookyourpet.com app J. Nicole Smith on InstagramAcuity scheduling softwareCalendly scheduling softwareVenmo digital payment platformHair of the Dog Summit (Sept. 13-15)Hair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityHair of the Dog ElevateJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

153 - Karinda Kinsler might be the first pet photographer I've met who started her career photographing…cows. This week she shares her backstory, along with the epic project that launched her equine photography brand. We also talk pricing, mental obstacles to making money, and why you should bare it all for the camera. 😬   What To Listen For:The urge you need to fight while building your businessWhat Karinda's clients feel before they hear her pricingWhy she resisted taking credit cards for so longKarinda's beef with Dave Ramsey and his financial adviceThe best way to learn about posing people with their petsKarinda's part of the speaker lineup for our upcoming Hair of the Dog Summit—three days jammed with invaluable info on both the art and the business of pet photography. To catch Karinda's talk—Secrets of the Mythical 5-Figure Client—hop on our Summit VIP waitlist today!Resources From This Episode:Master Your Mind Money (Karinda's Instagram)Photography Business Tune Up with Karinda K. Simon Sinek's TED talk Episode 152: Childhood Shoes and Money Mindset, with Denise Duffield-ThomasHair of the Dog Summit (Sept. 13-15)Hair of the Dog AcademyFree Hair of the Dog CommunityHair of the Dog ElevateJOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.