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

Photography business coach Bernie Griffiths of www.berniegriffiths.com will be a familiar name to regular listeners of the podcast. Bernie is portrait photography business coach based in Australia and services portrait photographers world wide. Following numerous requests for more content specifically aimed at photographers getting started in business or looking to make the jump from part time to full time, I chased Bernie up for his thoughts on how to make the successful leap to pro photographer.

In the interview, Bernie lays out the ten things you need to consider if you're serious about making photography a profitable business today. From mindset to pricing, to technique and selling… if you have't thought these things through before making the leap, you're in for a tough ride and more than likely, failure.

The beauty of what Bernie has to share is he has been in exactly the same position you are and is currently helping photographers at all levels, succeed in their businesses. At the time of recording, Bernie is booked solid and not taking any more clients. This guy is in high demand and knows his stuff when it comes to building successful portrait photography businesses.

If you're an experienced shooter and already have a profitable business, be warned, there may be things you hear in this interview you know you should be doing and keep avoiding. This could be the perfect wake up call!

Here’s some more of what we cover in this interview:

  • 10 things to keep in mind for new photographers looking to go Pro
  • How do you know when you’re ready to go pro
  • Is it alright to keep your full-time job and test the waters first
  • The problem with dipping your toes to see if photography is a good fit
  • Being patient and waiting for results
  • How long it took Bernie to build a successful career in photography
  • How soon will you see results
  • What was the turning point that made Bernie decide his business is doing great
  • Setting realistic prices when starting out in your business
  • When should you raise your pricing
  • Can you be too cheap when you start or is there no such thing as too cheap
  • How you price your service dictates who you attract
  • What should be your starting point when pricing your service and products
  • Shoot whatever you want and practice your art
  • The importance of learning how to do in-person sales
  • Bernie's Soft Sales System
  • Get out of your comfort zone
  • The importance of learning how to run a business
  • Why one needs to be uncomfortable to learn the ropes of the business
  • How to get over the fear of rejection
  • Why you need to keep records and look at your books
  • The minimum kind of records you need to keep in a photography business
  • Why you need to have fun and enjoy running your business
  • Be flexible and challenge yourself to do something different
  • Stop assuming everyone is your customer

Bernie Griffiths 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.

When you’re starting off, it’s okay to be not that expensive but you have to grow those prices as your business grows – Bernie Griffiths

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

Plus special member-only interviews.

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 happening in the group.

You will not find more friendly, more motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Joining a Mastermind Group (encouraged by Andrew) has been incredibly valuable and fun, I look forward to connecting with my group members every week. Jina Zheng, Premium Member and Melbourne Children photographer.

And that's not all… you get a set of steak knives… I'm kidding!

Seriously though, that's not all. In addition to everything above, you'll get access to 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.

Bernie Griffiths Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Bernie 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 what your takeaways were, what you plan to implement in your business as a result of what you heard in todays episode.

Shoot, shoot, shoot. Just take heaps of photos. Get experience as well. The more you’re doing, the more you’re learning – Bernie Griffiths

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

Bernie Griffiths Photography Podcast

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 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 key words or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

Bernie Griffiths Photography Podcast

It is okay to have bad numbers because you can do something about them. If you don’t know you’ve got bad numbers, you’re just going to get in more and more trouble and probably your business will just disappear – Bernie Griffiths

Bernie Griffiths Photography Podcast

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

Bernie Griffiths

ASWPP: Advanced Success for Wedding and Portrait Photographers

ASWPP on Facebook

Success Secrets of a Professional Photographer by Bernie Griffiths

Kristy Ressel Photography

Kristy Ressel on Instagram

Kristy Ressel on Facebook

Epsiode 198: Bernie Griffiths – Facebook Ads and The Missing Link To Successful Sales

Episode 030: Bernie Griffiths – Photography Business Success Coach

Epsiode 136: Bernie Griffiths – A Challenge for You to Book More Portrait Photography Sessions

Crowd Funding Support page for Neil Bowlers Wife and Children

Bernie Griffiths Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and thanks to Bernie for coming on and sharing so much about his thoughts on the business side of building a successful portrait photography business.

Time is the most important commodity that you need to create a successful business – Bernie Griffiths

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