Ryan Erickson is back on the podcast after first appearing in episode 587, and a lot has changed. His mobile pet photography business in Colorado grew by 50% last year, hitting $315K in revenue — with much of that growth coming from 42 in-person market events, Instagram ads, and same-day in-person sales from inside his custom-built photography trailer. But this conversation isn’t just about growth. Ryan opens up about what it really takes to keep pushing a business forward, where burnout started to creep in, why he’s looking at outsourcing more of the event work, and how he’s thinking differently now about freedom, sustainability, savings, and what the next phase of the business should look like. For photographers chasing more leads, better clients, higher sales, or a business that doesn’t wear them down in the process, this is a really honest and practical conversation.

Most photographers are chasing leads. Posting, boosting, tweaking captions… hoping something sticks. Stacey Rolfe built a business doing the opposite. Instead of chasing new clients, she built a system that brings people back—year after year. Last year: 75–80% of bookings were returning clients 25–30% came from referrals And the rest? Mostly warm leads No ads. No pushy sales. No complicated funnels. Just systems, clarity, and an experience that makes rebooking the obvious next step. In this interview, Stacey breaks down exactly how it works—and why most photographers are making things harder than they need to.

Shawn Black built one of the most successful boudoir studios in the US — photographing over 125 clients a year and generating close to $450K in revenue at its peak. But when bookings dropped by nearly 50%, it forced a shift in how he approached marketing, sales, and client experience. In this interview, Shawn shares what’s changed, what’s no longer working, and how he’s adapting to keep his business profitable — while increasing his average sale.

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Johl Dunn of www.johldunn.com will be familiar if you’ve been listening for a while. He’s been on the show before… and so have many of his clients. He’s featured in our predictions episodes and delivered training on pricing, lead generation, and mindset. But more importantly… He’s someone who consistently challenges photographers to think differently about what’s really holding their business back. In this interview, Johl shares [...]

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area Tracy Goodwin of www.captivatetheroom.com is a voice expert, coach, author, and podcaster who’s spent nearly 30 years studying how we use our voice… and what really happens when the pressure is on. She believes your voice is the most powerful — and most underutilised — asset you have in your business. And that it’s not what you say that creates connection… it’s how you say it. [...]

At the level Art Streiber is working… photography isn’t the hard part. Managing expectations. Handling pressure. Making sure everything comes together when it matters. That’s the real job. This interview pulls back the curtain on what clients are actually paying for — and why most photographers are focused on the wrong things.

Most photographers think the challenge is their pricing… or selling. But after this conversation with Heike Delmore, it’s clear that’s not where the real shift happens. Heike is taking clients who ask for “just a headshot”… and turning those enquiries into $5,000 sales — not by pushing harder, but by helping them see what those images are actually for. Because when a client understands how their photos will be used across their business, they stop thinking in terms of “one image”… and start thinking in terms of everything they need. That shift alone changes the entire sale.

You don’t need better marketing. You need better alignment between what you shoot… and who you want to book. After curating 10,000+ weddings, Blair deLaubenfels has seen the same mistakes repeated again and again — and in this episode, she shares what’s really holding photographers back, and how to start attracting the right clients without changing your style.

He’s booking up to 50 weddings a year… and says most photographers are focusing on the wrong kind of marketing. This one might change how you think about where your next booking is coming from.

AI is already changing how couples find and choose wedding photographers — and most photographers don’t realise it yet. Instead of browsing directories and comparing dozens of options, couples are starting to rely on AI to narrow their choices down to just a few trusted recommendations. In this interview, Emma Wise explains what’s happening behind the scenes — and why your biggest challenge moving forward won’t be getting found… but getting chosen.