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Freedom Focus Photography

Welcome to the Freedom Focus Photography Podcast, the essential audio hub for portrait photographers eager to launch and elevate their businesses to achieve their ideal version of success.

Hosted by Nicole Begley, a former zoological animal trainer turned accomplished family and then pet/equine photographer, this podcast is your go-to resource for transforming your photographic passion into a thriving business.

Since making the leap into photography in 2010 and quickly scaling her business to six figures, Nicole has dedicated herself to guiding photographers like you to transform their businesses from low-profit, high-stress operations into a profitable, sustainable businesses by teaching how to confidently price your services, sell products, and attract higher-paying clients.

Join Nicole and a vibrant community of like-minded photographers on the Freedom Focus Photography Podcast. Together, we’ll explore the paths to a profitable photography business that supports the life you’ve always envisioned.

Copyright: ℗ & © 2020 Hair of the Dog Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Key to Client Inquiries with Kim Hartz May 26, 2020

Show notes

015 - One soft, squishy golden retriever pup was all it took for Kim Hartz to abandon a promising career start as a food and general portrait photographer. Fast-forward ten years and Kim not only specializes in pets, but she's also the educator behind the much-loved Pet Photography EDU, a technical course nested within the Hair of the Dog Academy.

In today's episode, Kim joins me to talk about client inquiries, branding, and how to reliably turn leads into sales.

What To Listen For:

The $18,000 mistake Kim made when first starting her business
The value in having a sounding board outside the photography industry
Why you should require a phone number from every new lead
A common error pet photographers make in thinking about their target market

According to gazillionaire Jeff Bezos, "Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room." Kim's advice in this episode might not lead to Bezos-style bucks, but it will help ensure that your every client interaction reinforces the positive branding message you need to make it big!

Resources From This Episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

Finding your style with Craig Turner-Bullock May 19, 2020

Show notes

014 - International award-winning photographer Craig Turner-Bullock is a bit dubious about calling himself an award-winning photographer. Find out why, and pocket some sage advice on developing your own creative style from the masterful New Zealand artist, teacher and mentor behind Furtography.

What To Listen For:

What it is that truly defines your style (in other words, what's your "glitter"?)
The worst place you can look for inspiration as a pet photographer
Why Craig doesn't publish images with people in them
How personal projects can actually help generate revenue
The importance of entering print competitions—even if you're intimidated!

Hear how to curate your portfolio, embrace your passion, sell clients on H-U-G-E prints (Craig specializes in stupid-beautiful panoramics) and more in this fun episode!

Resources From This Episode:

Furtography
Furtography Academy
Find Your Style online course (enrollment closes May 31st!)
Craig's Instagram and Facebook
Hair of the Dog Academy FREE intro editing course
Hair of the Dog Academy panoramic image tutorial (free to members)
Hair of the Dog Academy
Hair of the Dog Facebook group

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

Where do we go from here? May 12, 2020

Show notes

013 - Across the country and throughout the world, things are slowly starting to re-open. What happens now with your business?

This episode is a short and sweet check-in, to get you thinking about how to handle your business in these next few months once Peak COVID-19 has passed. Yes, there's uncertainty, but the reality is that as entrepreneurs, we have more control over our careers than most people do. And that's a wonderful thing!

What To Listen For:

The empowering questions you should be asking yourself
Why potential clients are in the perfect state of mind to say 'yes' to your services
What fear is, and why it isn't worth getting sucked into
Precautions and practical changes I'll make as I start to reschedule sessions

It's always a good time to pause and examine your mindset, but perhaps right now it's more important than ever. Join me in this mini dachshund-size episode as we contemplate what lies ahead.

Resources From This Episode:

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

How Niching Down Can Grow your Business with Shelley Paulson May 05, 2020

Show notes

012 - Open up Shelley Paulson's website and it's immediately clear what her specialty is—and how incredibly talented she is within the realm of equine photography. In this episode, I chat with Shelley about her decision to niche down and focus exclusively on horses, and the explosive growth her business experienced once her energy was channeled into that seemingly narrow arena. But regardless of your specific subject matter, the wisdom Shelley shares from her 16 years as a professional photographer is worth a listen.

What To Listen For:

The importance of having multiple income streams
How competition in your market creates a surprising advantage
Why it's worth spending more time on the front end with your clients
One non-obvious skill that every animal photographer should master

If learning to photograph horses has been on your to-do list, be sure to grab Shelley's info-packed e-book, The Quick Start Guide to Equine Photography, filled with enough helpful hints to conduct your own successful equine session. And—bonus!—through May 15th you can save $20 (no code needed).

Resources From This Episode:

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

Timeless Marketing Strategies with Luci Dumas Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

011 - This week's episode is a conversation with portrait photographer and business coach Luci Dumas, whose photography business has survived six—count 'em, SIX!—recessions over the last 38 years, and emerged stronger after every single one. Luci, whose superpowers include consistently notching high-dollar sales, shares with us what she's learned about thriving in challenging times and offers some fantastic lockdown-friendly marketing strategies.

What To Listen For:

The advantage of creating a time chart for yourself
An exercise called the "cake and cringe" (sounds delicious!)
How to mine the gold you already have in your business
Stretching your clients' financial comfort zone, in a non-yucky way

As an awesome bonus, the first 10 photographers to email Luci will receive a complimentary Create the Business of Your Dreams strategy session, a $400 value for each of those lucky (and fast-fingered) listeners!

Resources From This Episode:

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

How Books Fill Your Calendar with Caitlin McColl Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

010-On this episode I'm joined by Caitlin McColl, one of our beloved pet photographers Down Under. In addition to running Ragamuffin Pet Photography and co-hosting the Pet Photographer's Club podcast, Caitlin leads a brilliant program called From Concept to Coffee Table, designed to teach pet photographers how to build their client base through self-published books.

If you have a book project in mind, or are looking to increase your reach, reputation and revenue, grab your pen and notepad—you'll definitely want to jot down some notes.

What To Listen For:

Why it's critical that people pay to participate
How to find enthusiastic promotional partners
A common trap to avoid while shooting book clients
The one thing you must have in place before launching a book project

Intrigued and ready to learn more? Use the code HOTD to save $200 on Caitlin's 12-month resource-rich program, designed to increase your revenue many times over and get your gorgeous coffee-table book out into the world!

Resources From This Episode:

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

50 Things you can do NOW in your pet photography business Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

009 - So here we are, adjusting (perhaps?) to the new normal of staying home. If you're feeling like this is a golden opportunity to work on your pet photography business but don't know where to start, this episode's for you. In it, I take you through fifty awesome ideas for improving your business that you can do from the comfort of home.

As always, give yourself some grace. Don't beat yourself up about what you are or aren't accomplishing right now! However, if you're motivated but in need of a nudge, I hope this massive brainstorming session will do the job.

What To Listen For:

Three different ways you can get organized (and make money doing it)
Idea #20: Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 until you've done this
Hints for running a successful sale for previous clients
An exciting addition coming soon to the Hair of the Dog Academy!

When we're overwhelmed, we often keep working on the easy, low-hanging fruit, or spend days playing around with fun new techniques. Do you have the capacity to choose one or two of the hard things off this list, and dedicate these next few weeks to accomplishing those? What would your business look like if you did??

Resources From This Episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

The Magic of Collaborations with Marika Moffitt Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

008 - The sense that "we're all in this together" is something that a lot of people are feeling right now, thanks to current global events. The vital role of community, cooperation and collaboration is on full display in the daily news reports, and possibly even in your own neighborhood.

In that spirit, my guest this week is Marika Moffitt of Dirtie Dog Photography, who shares how forging relationships with other pet-lovers in her Seattle community led to a total transformation of her business. As Marika says, "We can be so focused on building ourselves...that we forget how much we'll actually get out of supporting somebody else."

What To Listen For:

How looking at your business with a beginner's mindset can pay dividends
The realization that prompted a complete shift in her messaging
How to build momentum for events and out-of-the-box ideas
The incredible power of tapping into the "child heart"

If the idea of making your pet photography business bigger than yourself resonates with you, this is a can't-miss episode!

Resources From This Episode:

Dirtie Dog Photography: https://www.dirtiedogphotography.com
Seattle Pet Collective podcast: https://www.seattlepetcollective.com
The Limelight Pet Project: https://www.thelimelightpetproject.com
Hair of the Dog Academy: https://hairofthedogacademy.com
Hair of the Dog Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hodcommunity/

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

From Shoot and Burn to Boutique Business with Shaleena Jones Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

007 - As you envision the future of your pet photography business, it's really helpful to hear from other pet photographers about the evolution of their businesses. In this episode, I chat with Shaleena Jones of Give a Dog a Bone Photography about her journey from an all-digital, bargain-basement-price model to a boutique business, and about the lessons she's learned along the way.

What To Listen For:

The nerve-wracking experience that finally shifted her away from digital-only
Why not offering prints is a disservice to your clients
The change she made to entice more clients into buying albums
A mindset shift in how to think about "failures"

Don’t forget that when you leave a review (wherever you listen to podcasts), you can include questions about what you're struggling with in your business. I'd love to tackle those topics in future podcast episodes, so let me know what's on your mind.

Resources From This Episode:

Give a Dog a Bone Photography: https://www.giveadogabonephotography.com
Hair of the Dog Academy: https://hairofthedogacademy.com
Hair of the Dog Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hodcommunity/

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

Managing your Business in Challenging Times Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

006 - We interrupt your regularly scheduled podcast for this special message: Shit got crazy.

With COVID-19 bringing life as we know it to a standstill, I'm guessing that many of you, like me, contracted into a state of fear and overwhelm. It's understandable; this is a really big deal. At a certain point though, it's counterproductive to continue binge-watching the news and stress-eating your way through your stockpile of snacks.

In this episode, I talk about how to overcome your fears, refocus your thoughts, and use this time productively to further your goals. The actions you take now are going to directly affect what your business looks like once these storm clouds pass and we emerge from this unprecedented mess (and sooner or later, we will emerge).

What To Listen For:

The critically important thing that you can control in these uncertain times
An exercise to help shift your mindset into more positive territory
The importance of continuing to show up for your clients/audience
How to reframe this situation as something beneficial for you and your business
Ideas for making the most of this time of staying home and social distancing

With the world essentially hitting the "pause" button, there's a huge opportunity to take a deep breath, refocus, and move forward with grace and gratitude. Will you join me in taking advantage of that?

Stay safe and healthy, friends—

—Nicole

Resources From This Episode:

The Jim Fortin Podcast: https://www.jimfortin.com/podcast/
Hair of the Dog Academy: https://hairofthedogacademy.com
Hair of the Dog Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hodcommunity/
Looking for where to get your marketing focus during this time? Grab my free masterclass detailing the 3 marketing strategies that built my business: https://www.hairofthedogacademy.com/marketing

Download a PDF transcript for this episode:

CONNECT + LEARN MORE:

Explore all things photography education at nicolebegleyedu.com

Ready to build a profitable photography business? Visit freedomfocusformula.com

Master the craft of pet photography at hairofthedogacademy.com

Follow along on Instagram - @nicolebegleyofficial

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