Freedom Focus Photography

112 - This week, mindset-ninja Heather Lahtinen and I return to our series on money. We talk about a common deep-seated fear that blocks financial success, and also go down some kooky tangents—like why I don't want to be seen on a boat (blame the 2009 SNL video?). If your bank account balance still isn't where you want it, do yourself a favor and listen to this episode. You might need to question your thinking around what money means—and Heather's here to guide you through. What To Listen For: What having loads of money means to your amygdala The asinine thing Heather caught herself sayingWhy pet photographers are often afraid to market themselvesHeather's new area of research—and her deeply held beliefs about flying coachHow hating on Jeff Bezos can keep you in the poorhouse If all this talk about money is triggering you, great! That's incredibly valuable information, because something that triggers you has something to teach you. As you dig in and discover how these issues show up in your own life, hit us up on Facebook and share what you've learned!  Resources From This Episode: Flourish AcademyPodcast Episode 95: Upgrading Your LifePodcast Episode 101: Money TriggersPodcast Episode 103: Heather's Money MayhemPodcast Episode 105: When Do I Start Charging?Hair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair of the Dog Elevate coaching program 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.

111 - This week's podcast 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: Overhaul (or Create) Your Website to Maximize Your SalesPhotographing in Studio with One LightThe Fundraising Gallery Show: A Win-Win-WinBuild Your Business with a Holiday Gift GuideAn Intro to In-Person SalesSelf-Publishing for Pet Photographers...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! Resources From This Episode: Hair of the Dog Summit Hair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair 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.

110 - It's fair to call it a major pivot: When Alex Cearns went full-time as a pet photographer in 2009, she left behind a career in counterterrorism. And although the work was more joyful, it still felt like baptism by fire to successfully manage a full calendar of clients. These days, thankfully, up-and-coming pet photographers have far more people to turn to for advice—including Alex herself. Joining me from her home in Perth, Australia, Alex talks about her photography journey, her rescue-related projects, and the wisdom she's learned along the way. What To Listen For: The business-consultant advice that Alex ignored altogetherHow she developed her studio shooting planWhy Alex ignores her competitors—but couldn't succeed without themThe fascinating insight she gleaned from post-2009 global marketsHow to leverage your storytelling superpowersWhy you don't want to volunteer for animal rescues (a brilliant bit of advice!)Have you registered for the upcoming Hair of the Dog Summit, happening next week? Alex kicks off the summit, sharing her hard-earned wisdom on how to build your confidence, stay motivated and improve your resilience as a pet photographer. Join us on Nov. 2-4 for only $10!!! Resources From This Episode: Houndstooth StudioHoundstooth Studio on FacebookHair of the Dog Summit Hair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair 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.

109 - Earlier this year, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced that IG is no longer a photo sharing app. Cue the record scratch. Say wut?? If you've spent a minute on social media lately, the pivot to prioritizing video comes as no surprise. Equine photographer Shelley Paulson has been watching the trend develop for years, which is why she started dabbling in video creation back in 2014. This week, Shelley joins me to talk about what's changed in the world of video, and how you can take advantage of video's emotional power—both for increased reach in your marketing efforts and to create a better experience for your clients.   What To Listen For: How standards for video production have shifted in recent yearsThe most challenging part of offering video to clientsIdeas for mixing stills and videoHow to leverage video for commercial opportunitiesWhat Shelley predicts for the future of video and technologyShelley's also teaching a video class in the upcoming Hair of the Dog Summit, happening on November 2-4. Get registered today for just a $10 donation to the HOD Conservation Fund, and you'll get live access to Shelley's course and the entire lineup of educators! Resources From This Episode: Shelley Paulson PhotographyShelley Paulson on FacebookShelley on InstagramAdobe Premiere RushAnimotoRemco Veurink Equestrian on IGHair of the Dog Summit Hair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair 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.

108 -  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! We all have things that we value enough to have a little spending "splurge" now and then. For me, it's never shoes - but often travel. However, even I might run into some money blocks with today's BizTip Thursday comparison. What would be required for you to spend $2000/night on something that could be had for only $300? What would be required for your clients to want to spend $2000 with you vs. $300 with someone else? Let's discuss.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.

107 - This week, a short and celebratory podcast. Now that the Hair of the Dog Conservation Fund is officially a 501(c)3 non-profit, I want to talk about finding my life's purpose—and what it might look like for you to find yours. What To Listen For: The limiting misconception about "finding your purpose"What it feels like to be in alignmentHow to get closer to your core purposeA homework exercise to help bring you clarityExamples of other pet photographers' passionsI'm just guessing here, but if you're cueing up this podcast, your purpose might have something to do with pet photography. And if that's the case, you'll definitely want to join the Hair of the Dog Summit this November. For a teensy $10 donation to the HOD Conservation Fund, you'll get live access to an entire lineup of awesome educators. Get on the waitlist here! Resources From This Episode: Hair of the Dog Summit Hair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair 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.

106 - 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!Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which you had everything planned out, dare I say perfectly, and then something happens to make it all go COMPLETELY off the rails? I'm not talking a little blip but a full-on March 16th, 2020 level off the rails event. Well, I had to deal with one lately and in this BizTip Thursday I'm sharing that experience. In the end? It turned out even better than I could have imagined!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.

105 - Deciding when to start charging for your work is like having a baby: You're never going to feel completely ready. If you're a human—and I assume that you are—you'll always make mistakes and have room for improvement. Regardless, this week Heather and I hope to convince you that if someone in your market is willing to pay you for photography, then forpetessake LET THEM PAY YOU!!! Have a listen, and hear us out. What To Listen For: The components of an MVP (that's 'Minimum Viable Product')   How to set appropriate client expectations if you're newThe "dead zone" of photography pricing What to say when you need to re-shoot a sessionHow to Malcolm Gladwell your way into better imagesStill don't feel like you're ready to charge? Try running your reasons through Heather's BS Detector—it's the surefire way to know if they're legit, or just excuses protecting your ego from bumps and bruises.  Resources From This Episode: Episode 95 - Upgrading Your Life, with Heather LahtinenEpisode 101 - Money Triggers with Heather LahtinenHoundvision: Lake Tahoe pet photography workshopsFlourish AcademyFlourish Academy on FacebookFlourish Academy on InstagramHair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair 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.

104 - 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!Creating beautiful images and high-end products aren't always enough to truly offer your clients a high-end service. Join me on the Great Lobby Search of 2021.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.

103 - As I sneak off to Iceland this week with the hubs, I'm turning the reins over to podcast regular and mindset maven Heather Lahtinen. And...Heather has a question for you.All these principles and personal growth strategies we talk about on the podcast—are you putting them into practice in real life? Do you even notice when your emotions are hijacking your thought process? (That's two questions, oy.) This week, Heather walks you through a recent real-life example of putting mindset principles into action—so we can all learn some valuable lessons from her crazy-brain train.  What To Listen For: The rotten rear-end news that sent Heather spiraling into tearsWhat our financial decisions actually come down toHow even small loose ends can have an oversized impactThe brilliant business move Mercedes makes for its customersWhy overcoming your ego is good for your bottom lineEnjoy your one-on-one time with Heather, and I'll catch you in next week's episode!   Resources From This Episode: Episode 95 - Upgrading Your Life, with Heather LahtinenEpisode 101 - Money Triggers with Heather LahtinenDave Ramsey's personal finance blogBlink, by Malcom GladwellFlourish AcademyFlourish Academy on FacebookFlourish Academy on InstagramHair of the Dog Academy Hair of the Dog Facebook groupHair 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.