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

Vincent Pugliese of  The Freelance Tribe is the author of a new book, Freelance To Freedom and is todays podcast interview guest.  Before his days as an author, Vincent had been a professional photographer for the past 23 years – shooting for newspapers and magazines plus covering weddings.

The new book is the story of how he and his wife started a side wedding business to get them out of their low paying newspaper photography jobs. In less than four years, the wedding photography business helped pay off all their debt, including their family home!

I wasn't sure if their success was the result of living frugally or because the wedding photography business was a huge success and that's exactly what I set out to learn in this interview.

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

  • The road to success and the struggles Vincent encountered when starting out
  • How Vincent started his photography business
  • What made Vincent decide to leave his fulfilling career and start out on his own?
  • Why did he choose the wedding photography niche?
  • The one thing Vincent did to skyrocket his income
  • The sacrifices he and his wife had to make to pull themselves out of debt
  • Why having less choices makes your life easier and better
  • What are the little things that makes the difference when looking to escape debt?
  • Knowing how and when to control your money and the tremendous benefits involved
  • The real secret to spending less
  • The little spending habits to avoid which will pull you down unnoticed
  • How Vincent went from 4 to 25 weddings in just over a year
  • Vincent's wedding photography marketing strategies when he was starting out
  • Sending random messages and why it works so well
  • Why you NEED to get involved with a mastermind group
  • What pushed Vincent to write a book on escaping debt?
  • What the Freelance to Freedom covers
  • Understand why you're doing what you do (beyond money), is essential to your success
  • Discover your ‘bridge' and understand why it is vital to build it for success
  • Finding your niche, knowing what makes you different and stand out
  • What Vincent took from his newspaper shooting days into his wedding photography business

Vincent Pugliese 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.

What I had to figure out was what she wanted our life to look like when we have kids and when they're older. She described it to me and I was like, well let's go and build it this way. And once she got that, she was willing to work with me too. – Vincent Pugliese

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 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.

Vincent Pugliese Photography Podcast

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything away from what Vincent 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.

You know I think we've gotten so entrenched in a consumer culture that we think we gotta spend a lot of money to have some fun. And that wasn't the case. – Vincent Pugliese

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

Vincent Pugliese 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.

Here's the latest rating and review…

My favourite podcast in the whole wide world!

In iTunes by Broome wedding photographer, Julia Rau in Australia on January 16, 2018

Seriously, PhotoBizX is the best podcast I've ever come across and has helped me with my photography business on many levels already.

Thank you Andrew, keep up the great work!

Great information and very relatable!

In iTunes by Atlanta wedding photographer, Lindsey Cowen from the USA on January 15, 2018

I have learned so much from this podcast. Andrew interviews so many different photographers and I've been able to glean so much information from them.

But you know what I actually like the most about it? He is super honest about exactly what is working and what isn't working in his business.

He genuinely asks questions about how business works and specific scenarios. It makes me feel comfortable and that I'm not alone.

So many of the photography podcasts are coming from a “I'm successful and unless you do it exactly my way you will never be successful” mindset. Or at least that's how they come off.

Andrew is humble, kind, and inquisitive. I've been listening for over a year and I get so much information from it!

Thanks! Keep up the good work! And keep those interviews coming!

Amazing value for money!

In iTunes by Bristol wedding photographer, Martin Dabek from the UK on January 22, 2018

I got on board after friend of mine (wedding photographer too) recommended the podcast to me.

I was hooked instantly there are so much good stuff in here and additional stuff that Andrew sent to premium members make the PhotoBizX incredible value for money!

Vincent Pugliese Photography Podcast

It's not about trying to sell them or up-sell them. Treat them how you'd wanna be treated. People will appreciate it and they will tell other people. – Vincent Pugliese

Online Photography Sales Masterclass – on special for 1 WEEK ONLY

The Online Photography Sales Masterclass is now available!

Since releasing the course to PBX members, we've steadily been adding content to the course as requests from users arose. Now, you'll also find a complete set of swipe copy to use in ALL your client correspondence, sample galleries, real price lists and a growing Q&A chapter.

The course has been put together by family and portrait photographer Nick Peel who is averaging $1000 sales – all online.

Yes, the big industry push is towards IPS but there are a bunch of reasons you might need to utilise online selling. That's why I saw such value in putting this together with Nick.

In the course you'll learn:

  • how to set up your pricing to lead client naturally to your top package every time
  • what to include in your online gallery
  • how to set up your gallery and pricing to make it easy for you and clients (video tutorial)
  • which shots you need to best sell your top package following every shoot
  • what kind of locations will give you the best chance at selling your top package
  • why you should never sell individual images
  • how to introduce urgency into your pricing which encourages sales
  • email and text swipe copy to use in your business
  • why you shouldn't use sneak peeks with online sales
  • And as they say… Lots more

The course is aimed at portrait photographers, in particular family photographers but there is sction for shooting couples and engagement sessions and selling online to these clients.

The cost is going to be $97 but is on special for 7 days ONLY at $77.

As usual, there's a money back guarantee – if you're not happy for whatever reason, let me know and I'll refund you. No questions.

Nick and I have worked hard on this and we're both proud of the result and think it fills a need for any photographer who for whatever reason can't or doesn't want to do IPS.

If that's you and you want the best chance of making great online sales following every session, this strategy will do that for you. It's proven and it works.

Click the link to get access now: https://photobizx.com/online-photography-sales-masterclass/

Vincent Pugliese Photography Podcast

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

Elizabeth and Vincent Photography Website

Vincent Pugliese Website

From $32000 a year to $32000 a day – 10 tips from Vincent

Freelance to Freedom: The Roadmap for Creating a Side Business to Achieve Financial, Time and Life Freedom by Vincent Pugliese

Online Sales Masterclass

Vincent Pugliese Photography Podcast

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and thanks to Vincent for coming on and sharing so much about his business, thoughts and tips on living debt free for todays episode.

I think when you have a goal and you know where you wanna get to, that pain isn't as painful. – Vincent Pugliese

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