Today's guest, Candice Zugich, “The Blissful Maven” has overcome hurdles, haters and setbacks to become the most successful boudoir photographer. After hearing her story, there's no reason why you can't be exactly who you want to be and shoot what and how you want in your photography business.
I tell myself every single day that I'm a badass – Candice Zugich
Married and a Mother of 2, Candice lives in and works from Southern California. She is the eldest of 9 children. Candice suffers anxiety issues and says it hinders her from taking chances. Somehow she has overcome all that and recently went through a full rebrand.
I read a quote from Candice who says…
“I never went to college and never finished high school …I’m uneducated, but driven, and in no way feel bad for what I haven’t accomplished… because what I’m accomplishing now is all that matters to me.”
Her work is emotional, raw, gritty and has a totally unrestricted feel about it. I love it and I love that she’s with us for this interview.
Here’s some of what we cover:
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 episode where you can hear lots more content from where we dive deeper into some of the earlier topics plus some new ones that I pushed hard for that include:
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 Candice Zugich, get access to an amazing back catalogue of interviews and ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.
By sharing your vulnerability, it exposes our confidence and it kinda bursts through – Candice Zugich
Plus, access to a members only Facebook group where you'll connect with other members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take what you hear in each episode and put it into action. You will not find cooler, more motivated and caring photographers online.
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.
I tell myself everyday that I can do something that I'm afraid of doing – Candice Zugich
If you have any questions that I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask The Blissful Maven or if you just want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them below.
A very cool and thought inspiring quote from Jake Olson
If you don't follow previous guest on the podcast, Jake Olson, you absolutely have to, his Facebook feed is filled with personal thoughts that seem to spill from brain to timeline with absolutely no filter… I love it.
The post below while funny is real food for thought:
Have you noticed the same poses over and over? I did it with roads. The more people bitched about me using that road the more I posted it. It branded me. I'll be doing it going forward with poses.
And that's how you do it SUCKAS.
Don't run from the criticism run toward it. I will annoy the shit out of everyone yet again this time using poses instead of that God Forsaken Road. YOU WATCH and THEN YOU WATCH EVERYONE ELSE WHO BITCHES ABOUT THEM FOLLOW. It's pretty cool.
You can find Jake on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/JakeOlsonStudio
Competition Time with The Image Salon
Jean-Michel from the Image Salon has been in touch about sponsoring the PhotoBizX Podcast. The Image Salon offers professional editing services for wedding and portrait photographers to help free up your time to do more of whatever it is you want to do – more shooting, more time with the family, personal photography projects or just less time in front of the computer.
I explained that there are no ads and no sponsors for the show so we came up with an idea I think will benefit you. A competition to have one of your jobs (wedding or portrait) edited by The Image Salon for free then come onto the show as an interview guest and talk about your experience from start to finish – a brutally honest look at outsourcing.
You can find the details of what's included below and you'll be happy to know photographers like Gabe Mc Clintock, Two Mann Studios and Chrisman Studios are all clients at The Image Salon which tells me, these guys know what they're doing.
For wedding photographers, we’d offer the following:
- A test run process with one of our editors in order to lock into the winning photographer’s editing style
- A gallery of up to 500 images edited at our BASIC+ level, along with 25 images edited at our BEST level
- A three to five business day turnaround for the job
For portrait photographers, we’d offer the following:
- A gallery of any size edited at our PORTRAIT level
- Three to five business day turnaround for the job
Every one of our clients is assigned their own editor, with whom they can develop a close working relationship. Photographers can provide direct feedback to their editor, in a way that guarantees consistent growth over multiple jobs.
Jean-Michel www.theimagesalon.com
How To Enter The Competition
Simply leave a comment below about todays show – anything you like about anything you heard.
A randomly selected winner will be drawn and offered the chance to take the prize and come on the show. If you left a comment but don't want the prize (too worried about coming on the show), no problem, I'll contact the next randomly selected winner.
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 and your name.
The BEST Photography Business Education
In iTunes by Chris Szulwach of The Story Photography in the USA on January 14, 2016
I’ve been to photography workshops with 2 of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world and the content that Andrew provides here is easily the best business education content that I’ve come across.
The fee to access the full premium content is a small token to pay for the returns that it can bring to your photographic life & business.
Thank you Andrew!
Unmissable
In iTunes by Documentary wedding photographer Mike Riley from Devon in the UK on January 27, 2016
Worth every penny of the subscription for the premium content.
Interviews from photographers around the world new and established who are all generous and giving of their experience.
For someone wanting to follow in their footsteps I would say it’s unmissable.
A Special Email from an Inspired Listener
I want to share this email from long time listener and Premium Member, Todd Langille who although giving weddings a try, just didn't feel like it was a good fit for him. Now at age 53, Todd discovered his passion… Head Shot Photography.
Hello Andrew!
You just made a comment after mine on the FB group and when the alert came up it reminded me that I wanted to send you a note of thanks. I think you’ll be proud but I’ll try to keep this short.
As you know I’ve been a premium member for a year or so now – listened to all of them – many times more than once. There is some amazing ‘stuff’ there. I have learned a ton but most of all I am now aware of what is possible. I wasn’t before.
One thing I had never heard you do was to deviate from Weddings and Portraits so you can imagine how I thought it was a huge SIGN FROM WHOMEVER when I heard you introduce Delane Rouse a few episodes back.
I have been struggling to get something to happen in the wedding department for over a year and a half now. Frankly, although I loved the rush of doing my three or four weddings. I wasn’t getting any leads, find myself still on page twelve of Google because there is stiff competition and any leads I was getting ended up going with someone more their own age (in my mind) who a friend had used. I was getting discouraged and didn’t think I could get this going fast enough. Couple that with not having a great portfolio and it looked daunting. (also given I’m 53 and there are only so many years to build a business)
As you may remember my day job is that I work in sales for a radio station. I had always been afraid to talk to current day-job clients about photography despite the fact that I wanted to make use of all of the commercial contacts I have and my expertise in advertising in fear that it was a conflict. I decided to ask my employer. Strange enough as long as it didn’t interfere they were fine. They even hired me to do some work this month at an event we held.
Better even than commercial work… there isn’t really any one photographer here in Ottawa specialising in HEADshots? Sure everyone does them but no one is a specialist! I believe it’s a real niche and I love it. I bought all the studio gear, have been taking courses and am just about set to go.
I had been following Peter Hurley, or at least his style, for the past few months and liking what he does. Then Delane’s show. Then Peter’s show. Like I said, it was a sign.
This is where you’ll be proud.
After Delane’s episode I reached out to him on LinkedIn. He responded right away when I mentioned that Ottawa like Washington DC is the capital of our country. Lots of Government and white collar business here and lots of room to be a HEADshot photographer in a market of one million people.
He emailed me back and forth a couple of times and I guess the timing was right. He asked me if I was close to Montreal and if so would I would give him a price to do 17 HEADshots for one of his North American clients who has an office there. Well as luck, or the universe, would have it Montreal is nothing more than a 1.5 hour drive and I am there all the time. I gave him the price and two weeks later the work was complete!! It was a great experience and profitable for both of us I believe.
As mentioned the ‘uncanniness’ of it all is that just as you had Delane on air I had already started getting a website built and I had decided to create a new niche myself. I plan to ‘work’ it like I do my sales job by creating the lead magnet download to attract email addresses and by chasing down contacts by direct sales activity. That’s where my skills are; I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t these skills AND it seems to be something many of your listeners express concern doing.
Thanks!
Since I have made the decision to focus on HEADshots and Commercial work things just ‘feel’ right. They didn’t with weddings even though at the time I thought it did. Funny how that works! When you are feeling right about it and the signs are all there, suddenly so is the business. In the month of December I completed, billed and have been paid on over $5,000 in work. I know there is a lot more to come but that’s not a bad start in one month. Plus – more than the money – I love it.
I have a new website (that although it IS live still needs LOTs of work ) at www.headshotphotos.ca You’ll notice that I am going for it and copying Delane’s format with sites for every major city in Canada at the bottom. I don’t know how that will work out but surely it can’t hurt my SEO. If it does work you might also remember, and this feels right too, that for thirteen years I owned a large local landscape business here and the model was using sub-contractors as labor. I was a sub contractor expert. I think that is why Delane and I hit it off. I knew what he wanted and how he wanted me to talk to his client. If I start getting work across Canada I’ll find other keen and capable people like me in other markets to do the work or if it gets big enough I do love to travel.
Anyways… thanks again. I’m off to the races and it feels right this time. I will continue to be your biggest fan as whether it is weddings, portraits, HEADshots, commercial or whatever, it is still photography and it is business. All your interviews are very relevant to anyone starting a photography business of any sort.
Keep up the good work. (I don’t know how you do it 🙂 )
Todd Langille
Get Inspired, Moved and Emotional with Amanda Palmer
I'm not sure how or why I came across “The Art of Asking” but Amanda Palmer but it has been a fantastic listen – I use Audible and listen to most books while driving – which has given me ideas, inspiration and moved me.
Had you seen me on a recent long drive you would have witnessed laughter, tears, sadness, joy and excitement and surely would have come away thinking there's a crazy dude driving that car, an emotional wreck.
Although the book comes across as “self help type” it's written more like a biography with stories, anecdotes and life experiences from Amanda's days as the lead singer of the Dresden Dolls, finding her way as an artist and life dressed as a white-faced bride, silently using her eyes to ask people for money, the beginning of the internet, social media and crowd funding.
You won't be disappointed with this one!
The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help – By Amanda Palmer
Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:
5 Things You Don't Know About Candice Zugich
8 Questions with Photographer Candice Zugich
The Emotional Artist by Candice Zugich (ebook)
Episode 133: Jake Olsen – Niche Down in Your Portrait Photography Business for Success
VSCO Film Users Facebook Group
Looks Like Film Facebook Group
The Image Salon – professional editing services for portrait and wedding photographers
Episode 135: Delane Rouse – How To Build a Successful Headshot Photography Business
The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help – By Amanda Palmer
Equipment
Nikon D700 12.1MP FX-Format CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
Nikon D750 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body
Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED Fixed Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4D Fixed Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Sigma 340306 35mm F1.4 DG HSM Lens for Nikon (Black)
Thank you!
Thank you again for listening to the show and thanks to Candice for coming on and sharing so much.
If you want something, you have to go get it – Candice Zurich
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
Yessssss! I’ve followed The Blissful Maven for a year now and LOVE her photography. I cannot wait to listen to this episode!!!
I know you’re going to love this interview Jenna – Candice is amazing, revealing and shares so much in this interview.
Hellmich rules.
Haha, now that’s how you get two entries into the competition with one post! 😉
Cheater. Don’t fall for it Andrew!
Watkins rules too.
Ok. You win;)
Woah…it was I who ruled the whole time.
Directed by M. Knight Shyamalan
Is that a movie I should see?
Wonderful! Loved it! I signed up for the Premium Trail this morning. I haven’t received any emails. How do I access the second half of the interview?
Hi Birdie – thanks and I know you’ll love the second half once you hear it…
You should have received a couple follow up emails but I’m guessing they are sitting in your Hotmail spam/junk folder. Have a look there and let me know how you go. My email address is andrew@photobizx.com
Hi Birdie – I’m sure you’re all sorted with your membership but please let me know if there are any hassles!
Loved this interview!!
Thanks Natalie!
Thanks Natalie and congrats on winning the Image Salon competition!
Looking forward to having you on the podcast and hearing all about your experience with outsourcing.
Loved it. Not into boudoir but I love her attitude to taking images that she connects with. Awesome stuff.
Thanks Casey!
Hey Candice, loved hearing you on the show. Very pure interview where you laid it all out there, without trying to sell us your latest and greatest thing.
Curious as to which VSCO sets you start with, and then tweak from there? I’m particularly referencing the photo at the bottom of this post with the upside down child reaching through the sun. Any tips on how to get there would be appreciated 🙂
Andrew, good job as always! And yes, if I win the edit, I’ll come on the show to talk all about it. 🙂
Thanks Chris – always good to know you enjoyed an interview.
Candice knows about the comments here but is busy moving house and recently pregnant so Im not sure if and when she’ll be back.
Also, I’m not sure if you have to be a female but I do know Candice is part of the “Clickin’ Mum’s” group or offers training there – you could try to reach out to her there or via Instagram to ask the question. I think that same photo is somewhere on her IG feed.
Andrew,
Thank-you for all the great content you continue to curate and bring to us week by week. Usually when I’m listening to your show I’m frantically writing notes on my iPhone like a madman but today I found myself very absorbed in hearing about Candice’s philosophy to her art. While I don’t shoot boudoir myself, I still felt like I got a lot out of her approach and resonated with a great deal of what she was saying. Always inspiring stuff man.
P.S. Thanks for running this contest as well! My next wedding coming up is the day before I leave for a month long vacation so I’d be very curious to try this outsourcing out.
Hey Clint – thanks so much for your kind comments!
Love that you’re getting so much from these interviews.
Sorry to say you weren’t the winner of the comp but I’ll have an update about the whole outsourcing thing with the winner soon. Hopefully that’ll be almost as good as trialing it yourself.
Just had a conversation with my client who is also an entrepreneur (in a different field) today. We were talking about some of the special challenges that women have in running our own businesses. I think I mentioned this in a Facebook post before but I have been struck with the realization that men are much more comfortable with trying something new when they are only 60% ready whereas women seem to need to feel 100% ready. Men realize that they can continue to learn while doing whereas women, in general are more reluctant. I have tried to embrace this 60% idea and I have found that my growth has gone beyond my wildest dreams. I wish I had known this decades ago.
That’s an interesting study and sux for women because things are rarely 100% ready for release – especially in business.
If you’re aware of it and can work around it, which I know you already do Anita – more power to you! 🙂
Fantastic episode and shared so much. Now following
Cheers mate – glad to hear you liked it!
Great episode, thanks Candice (now we know your name 🙂 ) and Andrew!
Candice, love the model that you have settled on, that you deliver to clients, i.e. session time, number of images and dropbox for the specified number of images. Can I ask how you sharpen the images as your don’t know the print size and do you give a screen version and a print version?
Thanks again!
Thanks Sean – haha, it took some digging to find her name.
I let Candice know about your question but she’s flat out moving house and recently pregnant so not sure if she’ll be back here anytime soon.
If it were me supplying the images, I’d supply what I do to wedding clients – large size and ready to print with sharpening at full size already applied. Printed smaller, these already sharpened files will look fine.
It becomes an issue if we supply small and already sharpened file to clients and they try to enlarge them – that’s when they look over sharpened and possibly ugly.
Remember too, most of Candice’s clients are photographers and would know how to handle whatever size fits she delivers them.
Hope this at least helps.
Loved hearing about her struggles with self esteem, and how she is overcoming them. It’s refreshing to hear sucsessful people talk about their struggles and be so open and honest about life!
Cheers mate and totally agree – it’s good to hear some of the darker sides people have been through before they reach the light. It’s not always and all roses.
As someone who deals with anxiety, I cane appreciate what it must have taken for Candice to really reach inside of herself and find that self confidence that was there all along but was just hidden under the fear. Plus, I can’t get over the beautiful shots 🙂
I’ve never suffered from anxiety but I totally agree – Candice must have faced some tough times to get to where she is now. And her work… wow! Hope you’re doing ok with your anxiety Brenna.
Candice you’re so inspiring. I love your work and your attitude about your business. Great interview Andrew!
Thanks Marcy! 🙂
This was a great episode and my first time commenting 🙂
I am a lot like Candice in the sense that although I did graduate high school I took nothing away from it. I had my first child at 19 and that became my life. I am no educated… suffered my entire life with low confidence and self esteem. One day I hope to really overcome that.. After listening to the episode I said F*$@ it and got prettied up and tried to take a nice picture of myself berating the results the entire time 🙁
I suffered from panic and anxiety for 11 yrs and photography helped to take that away so I can totally relate..
Candice you do amazing amazing work.. Great inspiration.
Hi Sheila – thanks so much for adding your comments and sharing what you have. And my apologies for this late reply!
Have you given the self portrait another try? I hope you have!
I’ve never suffered from anxiety and rarely panic but I can imagine it must be debilitating at times.
If there’s ever anything I can do, ask any – if I can help I will.
Who did the photo of you on your about page? It’s great! Have them shoot some more photos if you’re struggling to do your own. Or share the ones you’ve done with someone you know and trust – I’ll wager anything they are so much better than you believe.
BTW, you’re newborn photography is gorgeous!
It was really refreshing to hear Candice talk about how she’s doing things her way and following her own passion and making things work! Keep it up Candice!
Totally agree – how good (and refreshing) is Candice and her approach.
I really enjoyed this talk by Candice. I’m not into Boudoir myself but I really loved hearing her attitude to her photography and life in general. A great interview too Andrew.
Cheers Brett – I really enjoyed this interview too!
Thanks Candice for your openness and sharing so much about not just your business but you as a person.
Thanks Craig for adding your comments!
Great Interview! Thanks Candice!!
Thanks Sarah, glad you enjoyed it.
Great interview with Candice and very inspiring to her about how she has remained true to herself and her style.
And for me the big takeaway from this episode is related to this, and also to the outro where Andrew talks about Jake Olsen and his super niche style of portraits. It’s always a tricky balance between giving clients what you think they want, and on the other hand wanting to push yourself creatively and not to “rest” on a certain location or style of photo. Of course you don’t want to shoot the same things over and over and become stale in your style, but it’s also important to understand that if clients love you for a certain type of image, then hey, it’s ok to deliver this for them.
Thanks Luke!
Apologies for my late reply… it’s funny thought to see your comments about Jake after all the things that have blown up about him last week!
I agree though – it is a struggle to have a balance between client expectations and our creativity.
That’s where Candice really has found the holy grail – shooting what and how she wants and still meeting client expectations. And for the times she doesn’t meet them (if they even tell her), she doesn’t seem to worry… it’s her work and she does it how she wants to. It’s an enviable position to be in as an artist.