Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Brendan Taylor of www.babyart.studio is an absolute powerhouse, and this is one interview, once recorded, I couldn't wait to share with you.

After discovering photography when his baby daughter was born, he knew that's what he wanted to do.

He quickly invested in lighting equipment and launched a mobile photography business, but the lack of security made it tough with a young family to support.

Brendan then took on a job as a photographer at a branch of a famous photography studio in the UK, where he had a chance to experience running a studio business.

Armed with that experience, and a bank loan, in 2008, he launched Taylor Made Portraits. Although it was an excellent first year, the following two were challenging and took him to the point of giving it all away.

Then, at a Photography Expo in 2013, he discovered a new style of newborn photography. He took a leap of faith, invested every last penny of his remaining savings in training with an internationally acclaimed newborn photographer and BabyArt Studios was born.

The business model changed, bookings and sales were through the roof, and his prices tripled!

He had found his differentiator and niche.

Today he has 11 studios in the UK, and the goal is to open 100 studios worldwide… or so I was led to believe.

In this interview, Brendan hits hard with home truths about running a successful photography business today. Plus, he shares one of the most successful lead generation tactics — Facebook Lives. 

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

  • How Baby Art Studios was conceptualized
  • The drive needed to have a successful photography business
  • How franchising works in the photography industry
  • Is it worth franchising your business
  • Why other photographers are upset with Brendan and how he runs his business
  • How to cope with bullying in the photography industry
  • The advantages of signing up as a franchisee
  • The ideal target market for photography franchising
  • Using Hubspot to manage a franchising business
  • Brendan's filtration system for identifying ideal clients
  • Why you should NEVER publish your pricing on your website
  • The importance of serving clients rather than selling to them
  • Why pushy sales should be discouraged
  • What to do to get a full sale opportunity
  • How to handle franchisees that can't close a sale
  • Reasons why photographers are not generally suited to franchising
  • The difference between a solo photographer and a business owner running a photography business
  • The importance of taking control of conversations with clients to have successful sales
  • Techniques to change your sales mindset
  • Why photographers avoid taking sales calls
  • Don't ask for mobile numbers if you're not going to call clients
  • How Brendan's Facebook Lives work
  • How to generate 250k sales in 15 minutes
  • How to use the lead ads gathered during Facebook Lives
  • The best time to do Facebook Lives
  • Brendan's plans for his franchising business
  • Brendan's business model and new business ventures
  • What is money

Brendan Taylor Photography Podcast

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with links to your version of this interview – the full-length and more revealing version where you hear the absolute best tips and advice from every guest.

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

You need to stop worrying about what props you're going to buy and start focusing on your numbers. Because no matter how many cute props you've got, no matter who you've been to training with, no matter how good your equipment is, it makes no difference. If they don't know who you are, and you're not marketing yourself well enough and you don't know your numbers, your business just won't succeed. – Brendan Taylor

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. There are also FB live video tutorials, role-play interviews and special live interviews in the group. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

Remember that we shouldn't be telling people things. We should be asking powerful questions because I believe telling is selling. – Brendan Taylor

In addition to everything above, you'll get access and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

Brendan Taylor Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Brendan shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode.

The people that are the right people for us value what we do, they value our time and our training and what we give as a service and they pay the money that what we sell our products for. – Brendan Taylor

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Brendan or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

Brendan Taylor Photography Podcast

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

Each week I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they really are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts, and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google, and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show, and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast and email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

When you own a photography business as a single person, you own a glorified job. You own a job. You don't own a business. – Brendan Taylor

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here is the latest review…

★★★★★ Love the podcast!

Via Apple Podcasts by Seattle birth photographer Becky Langseth in the United States on February 5, 2023.

Thanks Andrew, for the podcast. I love listening to it when I go for my daily walks. I always leave feeling inspired and encouraged as I work on my own photography business!

Thanks for the great content!

Brendan Taylor Photography Podcast

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Baby Art Studio

Baby Art Studios on Facebook

Brendan Taylor on Facebook

Brendan Taylor on LinkedIn

Baby Art Studios Franchise

Open with a Close: The twelve point guide to closing more sales by Matthew Elwell (Kindle Edition)

Time is money and money is time, and either way, I need both. – Brendan Taylor

Brendan Taylor Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Brendan for sharing his thoughts, ideas and advice on going all in on newborn photography nad doing everything it takes to build a successful business.

If it's not a mandatory field, if it's an optional field and they give you their phone number, we need to ring them. – Brendan Taylor

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions about this episode, please be sure to leave them below in the comment section of this post, and if you liked the episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post!

That’s it for me this week, I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew