Todays episode features Rose and Thomas from Bittersweet Designs in the USA and they're bringing something out of the ordinary but so relevant to the show. These guys are experiencing growth and success in the wedding and portrait photography business world and have grown from nothing to complete success with gorgeous work and smart marketing.
They've had a roller coaster ride to get to where they are after 6 years in business. From multiple website failures and completely changing the business model from custom branding to creating Photoshop templates for photographers, they are constantly learning to adapt and evolve in this industry.
In this interview, learn how they cleared their debt, quit their day jobs and are growing their design business step by step. I know you're going to find their story motivating, inspiring and with so many great ideas to grow your business you had better have some note taking capacities at the ready!
What’s on Offer for Premium Members
If you’re a premium member, you should have received an email with a very special promo code to give you 50% off some already attractively priced and pretty special offerings from Rose and Thomas. You can also find the promo code in the Premium area of the site.
You'll also find one of their Magazine Pricing Sets for your use, absolutely free!
If you're on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the same promo code from Karen, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your podcast app.
Promo Code for FREE Listeners
If you’re a listener to the free version of the podcast, Rose and Thomas are spoiling you with a promo code to save you 30% off whatever you order from their store by using the code PHOTOBIZ at the checkout.
Head over to the shop at http://designbybittersweet.com and have a look at some very cool designs, logos, cheat sheets, marketing material and heaps more.
This promo code is valid till October 24th 2015.
What is your big takeaway?
Following this interview, I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway is – what is the one thing that you’d like to implement or learnt from what was shared? Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.
The amount it costs to promote pins is a lot cheaper than if you were to do a Facebook ad – Bittersweet Designs
If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Rose and Thomas or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below.
iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs
Each week I check for any new iTunes reviews and it's always a buzz to receive these… for a couple of 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 is the biggest search engine when it comes to podcasts and it's your reviews and ratings that help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners means 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 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.
Invaluable Resource
In iTunes by Atlanta wedding photographer, Chris Cottrell of Cottrell & Co. Photographers in the USA on August 22, 2015
Huge “Thank You” Andrew for the Podcast.
Having spent about 9 months lurking on the free side I made the switch to the Premium Content early in 2015. There's a “golden nugget” in every show and we've been able to implement some of what we've learned from each episode.
We are currently rebranding to “Cottrell & Co. Photographers” and really trying to drill down to find our people thanks to Kristen Kalp. We are beginning to work with the type of clients we like and feel we are getting our heads around pricing, marketing and more.
Andrew has been super helpful with the technical challenges that we have encountered and always responds very quickly to our requests.
Keep up the great work Andrew, look forward to listening to the next podcast.
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
Design by Bittersweet on Facebook
Design by Bittersweet on Pinterest
Design by Bittersweet on Instagram
Thank you!
Thank you again for listening to the show and thanks to Rose and Thomas for being fantastic guests and showing what can be achieved if we're prepared to work for it!
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, hope everything is going well for you in life and business!
Thanks and speak soon
Andrew
Thanks for having us on the show Andrew! We enjoyed it and will be listening to future guests.
Thomas, the pleasure is 100% all mine – I love everything about your story, what you’re doing with your business and how you’re doing it!
Not to mention the gorgeous work Rose creates.
I’m looking forward to following your progress and massive growth.
Speak soon
Andrew
P.S Thanks too for the lovely iTunes review – I hope you get the chance to hear the “shout out” I gave you in this weeks episode.
Wow! That one was packed with a lot of great info! Really enjoyed the tidbits on how to better use both instagram hashtags and the heyo cart for facebook. Looking at different ways of selling giftcards though the heyo service. Thanks for yet another great interview!
Thank you, Ville! We were thrilled to be able to share a few tips with other creative entrepreneurs. If you sell digital items, we’d highly recommend giving Heyo a shot. Best of luck to you and your biz!
Hey Ville – thanks for adding your comments and so good to read your takeaways from the interview. Love to hear how you go with your gift cards and Heyo once you get it going.
Even though I have the opportunity to hear these two gurus pretty often, I still totally enjoyed listening to this podcast! They blow me away with their genius marketing and gorgeous designs. This is a great team in and away from business!
Gurus…haha. Hope you got some useful tidbits that can be applied to your business, Nancy! Thanks for listening :). It means a lot!
Thanks for adding your comments Nancy… Sounds like you either know Rose and Thomas personally or live close enough to hear them speak occasionally?
Either way, lucky you! Having access to a couple like these two would be motivation enough to get your marketing and designs into shape and on track… always!
Another intresting interview. Thanks Bittersweet Designs for sharing your business story.
Again Instagram turns out to be the most efficient social media channel … I have to be more aware of that. Thanks again.
Thanks for the nice comment, Michal! Instagram has done amazing things for our business. Hopefully, it’s doing the same for yours and you were able to take away a few helpful hints! We appreciate the listen!
Thanks Michal – love to hear how you go with your Instagram efforts and targeting if you give what Thomas shared a try in your area.
Thank you Bittersweet Designs for sharing your story, it was inspiring to listen to and wish my husband would work with me. Awesome work guys!
Hi Jodi! Thanks for listening and for leaving such a nice comment :). Never in a million years did I think my husband would be working alongside me in this industry — you never know how valuable people of opposite talents can be until you work with them! Thomas has blown me away with his mad marketing skills!
Love that you enjoyed this interview Jodi – thanks for adding your comments.
If you’re looking to have your husband work with you in your business… Have you tried giving him a job, no matter how small, that is important to the business and satisfying to him?
Sometimes all it takes is handing over some responsibility to someone else and relying on them to do a great job. Once they see their worth in the business and the possibility to make a difference, that’s all they’ll need to be off and running.
If it were me in your husbands shoes, I’d want a job which is both important to the business and one that you’re struggling with that I could possible do better. It might be guy thing but I’d want to feel what I was doing was important to the success of the business and valuable.
This episode was great! I wish I would have known Rose and Thomas were going to be on, I bought their Mini Magazine a few months ago to create a PDF to send to potential clients for a first contact and it has made quite the positive effect! This $60 investment instantly made me look like a $5,000+ wedding photographer. Their designs are great and super easy to customize.
I had no idea about promoted pintrest posts and I WILL be looking into them to reach new clients!
FANTASTIC interview!
Rose, Thomas, thank you, thank you, thank you!!
WOW! Thanks for the amazing support, Ray! You’re totally making our heads swell up, haha. Your comment just made my day (maybe even the entire week)! I feel like I’m really sllllllooooowwww at designing the templates, so it’s always great to hear how much of an impact they make on clients. Best of luck to you and your photo biz!
Hey Ray, so good to read your comments and sorry about my slack timing in replying.
Love hearing about the positive your PDF Mini Magazine is having… And for such small investment.
Drop back and let me low how the promoted Pinterest posts go once you give them a try – I’d love to hear.
Hope you’re well mate and thanks for commenting.