Freedom Focus Photography

132 - Welcome to Biz Tip Thursday!  These are short actionable episodes in which Nicole takes something that's going on in her life or business and relates that to something that you can do NOW in your business!While this is a heart-breaking update - there is a silver lining of excellent customer service that we should all take notice of.If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag us, @hairofthedogacademy.Haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to www.hairofthedogacademy.com/apple, and thanks for your support of this show!LINKS:Check out the Hair of the Dog Academy.https://hairofthedogacademy.com/academy/Grab your FREE Editing 101  or Pricing 101 masterclass!https://www.hairofthedogacademy.com/editinghttps://www.hairofthedogacademy.com/pricingConnect with us on Instragram - @hairofthedogacademyhttps://www.instagram.com/hairofthedogacademy/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.

131 - When it comes to designing your website, the first step is to step back from the design elements. Sound counterintuitive? This week Mikaela Vargas of Pet Marketing Unleashed sheds some light on what makes an effective website, and where to begin your web-design process. We talk about minimum viable websites, and—for those further along—the automations that will next-level your business.              What To Listen For: The misguided Field of Dreams website mythHow one small change in your About-page photo can build extra trustWhich objections your homepage needs to addressWhy it's time to revive your long-dead blog—or start a brand-new oneHow to leverage Robert Cialdini's "commitment concept" in your biz The website platforms we most recommendAnd because a website's work is never done, listen around the 24-minute mark for my totally-doable, no-excuse-not-to thank-you page challenge! Resources From This Episode: Pet Marketing UnleashedPet Marketing Unleashed on InstagramUnleashed Petpreneurs on FacebookWix 101 course in the HOD AcademyHair of the Dog online community hubElevate Masters & Elevate Fundamentals Hair of the Dog Academy 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.

130 - This week we revisit a conversation from a recent episode, where Heather lost her mind over a $35,000 used Hermès purse. Spoiler alert: she's still bent out of shape about it!   Regardless, we're circling back to the self-assigned task of spending an (unfortunately) imaginary $100,000 in an entirely frivolous way. You'd think this would be easy, but we both struggled! Find out what we decided—and how you can weigh in with your own selfish-by-design spend.        What To Listen For: How Nicole's actual planned purchase got demoted to fantasyland Why people suffer from decision fatigueThe signifier that a spending decision is the right decisionHow Heather lost her imaginary office to airbnb-ers……and why she's urgently setting up a GoFundMe page Check out the Circle thread to share your hypothetical shopping list! (Favorite answers so far? A hot air balloon on standby; a storm-chasing vacation; and alllll the cast-iron waffle irons.)Resources From This Episode: Episode 123: Money Trigger SOS, with Heather LahtinenNEW Hair of the Dog online community hubCircle thread: How would YOU spend 100k?Elevate Masters & Elevate Foundations (now accepting applications!) Hair of the Dog Academy 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.

129 - Unless you're a newcomer to the Hair of the Dog ecosystem, you know that we recently moved our community group from Facebook to Circle. And if you were part of our free Facebook group, you might be aware that the change went over like a lead balloon. Or did it?! This week, Heather and I discuss decisions—big ones, little ones, hard ones, easy ones—and what happens when you piss people off. You can't avoid making decisions, so you better be prepared for the consequences of your choices. Listen this week to learn how.         What To Listen For: The 3 categories of decisions you make in business—and in lifeWhy Heather doesn't believe in wrong decisionsThe fear that's been lurking juuust below our subconscious for yearsWhy you should aim to be repellent 😏How having big decisions go sideways is secretly a good thingAnd while we're on the subject, our Circle members are loving things over there. If you're late to the party—don't worry! The invitation's still open to come join us.Resources From This Episode: NEW Hair of the Dog online community hubElevate Masters & Elevate Fundamentals (now accepting applications!)Dismantling Overwhelm training (Feb. 15th @ 1pm ET)Hair of the Dog Academy Beyond the Brushes, with Michelle ParsleyJOIN 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.

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 Elevate coaching programJOIN 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.

127 - This week we're on a quest for the holy grail of the modern world: more time. In the interest of brevity, I offer you our shortest-ever podcast, with just one helpful bit of "homework" to do. What To Listen For: The predictable pitfall of the human brainThe non-negotiable hours you need in your schedule How to do a time audit, to see where your time really goesHit play, have a listen, then gather what you need for your audit. We'll revisit this in a few weeks to chat about our findings!Resources From This Episode: All it Takes is a Goal, Episode 57, with John Acuff Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking, by John AcuffEpisode 122: New Year Planning with Heather LahtinenNEW Hair of the Dog online community hubHair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Elevate coaching programJOIN 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.

126 - As a money management and mindset coach, Erinn Bridgman works with female entrepreneurs to not only design profitable businesses, but to actually grow their personal wealth. And this week on the show, Erinn joins me to talk about what photographers (of any and all genders!) should be doing to get their financial pups in a row. What To Listen For: The biggest money-management mistake Erinn seesHow to start paying yourself consistentlyWhat PPA recommends as your maximum cost of goods soldHow to set yourself up for success if you're just starting outThe weekly "meeting" you need to have with yourselfErinn's kicking off a Wealthy Woman Accelerator shortly, so if that sounds like your jam, head to her website and get on her waitlist. And if you're reading this right as our latest podcast episode goes live, you're just in time to catch my free 7 Pricing Mistakes Photographers Make training, on January 26th! Register under the Upcoming Events tab in our new Hair of the Dog online community (open to all members of our free HOD community).Resources From This Episode: Erinn Bridgman's websiteErinn's InstagramErinn's YouTube channelYou Are a Badass at Making Money, by Jen SinceroGet Rich, Lucky Bitch!, by Denise Duffield-ThomasE-Squared, by Pam GroutWe Should All Be Millionaires, by Rachel RodgersNEW Hair of the Dog online community hubHair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Elevate coaching programJOIN 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.

125 - Today, we have a throwback Thursday episode, and this is going way back in the archives to episode number 31, Easy Accounting with Candus Kampfer. -----------Do you, dear pet photographer, get that panic-stricken look when the subject of accounting comes up? Does your bookkeeping process involve stuffing receipts into a battered shoebox? If so, this high-energy episode is for you! QuickBooks specialist Candus Kampfer joins me in this week's episode to take the fear out of finances, and to show you why you really, really want to get a handle on your books. We nerd out over numbers and give you the info you need to get started—or to refine your existing systems. What To Listen For: A common mistake photographers make when they start tracking incomeHow to discover your "bread and butter" — and grow your businessDifferent ways of creating and organizing simple accounting spreadsheetsHow to avoid burnout—and celebrate your hard work!A handy tax trick that won't land you in the slammerSkeptical that talking taxes can be fun? Join me and Candus as we demystify the bookkeeping process, and I promise you'll end the episode fired up to tackle your finances. Your business will thank you!   CONNECT WITH CANDUS:FacebookInstagramWebsite Confidence with QuickBooks training YouTubeCANDUS' RESOURCES:If you would like to learn more about QuickBooks, join her free QuickBooks workshop HERE.To access the excel spreadsheet Candus put together to track your income and expenses, click HERE.To try out QuickBooks Online, use this link and receive 50% off your first 12 monthsMore Resources:Have a question you'd like answered on a future podcast? Ask it here!Hair of the Dog AcademyHair of the Dog Facebook groupJOIN 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.

124 - A photographer's truism: There's always going to be someone cheaper. With the new year just underway, you might be revisiting your pricing or making changes to the way you do business. This short episode is your reminder to not freak out if there are cheaper pet photographers in your market! Choose your business model with intention, be strategic, be visible, offer value, and guess what? You'll find success. What To Listen For: The one thing to know, no matter what business model you're usingWhat to use as your point of differentiationHow to find the high-dollar clients hiding in your market What the photographers who are crushing it all have in commonWhy the steak at Duckworth's Cellar is worth your first-born childIf you haven't already, come join the 1,000+ pet photographers who are already falling in love with our new, easy-to-navigate, ever-so-awesome, free Hair of the Dog community! Resources From This Episode: Episode 118: Small Town Success, with Tracy MunsonNEW Hair of the Dog online community hubHair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Elevate coaching programJOIN 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.

123 - This week, Heather's in a prison of her own making, and I attempt to help with her jailbreak. The topic of discussion is a $35,000 Hermès purse, but the implications go far beyond that.  Join us for an emotion-packed episode on judgment, shame spirals, and why 2022 Heather is having a good laugh at 2018 Heather's expense. What To Listen For: Why I diagnose Heather with a "value conflict"...…and why she told me I'm completely insaneWhat prompted Heather to pace like a caged lion……and decide she'd rather be a robot than a humanAnd, a $100,000 challenge for you, dear listenerIn other news, have you made the move yet to our new Hair of the Dog community? The party's over on Circle now, and by all accounts it's a rager! (But not in the sense of, like, raging about a wildly overpriced handbag, à la Heather.) Resources From This Episode: Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry HicksFlourish Academy podcastFlourish Academy on FacebookNEW Hair of the Dog community hub (!!) 🎉🎉🎉Hair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Elevate coaching programJOIN 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.