549: Richard Grenfell – The successful and profitable move from family to boudoir photography

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Richard Grenfell of www.thriveboudoir.com.au has been featured on the podcast several times in the coaching diary series.

He started working with photography business coach Steve Saporito after shutting down a long-running and successful pawnbroking/money lending business in Queensland, Australia.

He moved into a shop front studio and focused on serving local families with his new photography business and high expectations. Twelve months later, there were issues with the leased shopfront, and he was facing a move, something he wasn't crazy about.

Instead of relocating, he constructed a purpose-built studio outside of town, on his property. He changed his photography focus from families to headshots and boudoir and is averaging just over $3000 per client.

His next big plan is to work six months and take six months off to travel and live overseas.

In this interview, Richard shared exactly how he has made the successful and profitable move from family to boudoir photography.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• Studio Optimization and Growth: Relocate your studio to avoid local challenges and establish an exclusive studio on your property to grow your business.
• Building Your Dream Studio: Tackle pandemic-related construction issues to create a spacious studio near the highway.
• Transitioning to Popular Photography Genres: Shift from family to boudoir and headshot photography, enjoying the creative satisfaction of boudoir work.
• Success in Your Photography Niche: Master luxury photography by focusing on work that brings personal joy and success.
• Attracting Boudoir Clients: Attract clients through referrals, Facebook groups, and personal charisma, increasing bookings through online community engagement.
• Community and Business Strategy: Grow within a supportive photographer community while strategically planning for business growth amidst challenges.
• Advertising and Growth Tactics: Implement credit card strategies for advertising payments and create targeted ads to reach your niche market effectively.
• Innovative Lead Generation: Generate real estate photography leads using Facebook ads and a strong website presence, complemented by effective follow-ups.
• Sales Techniques Mastery: Plan advertising campaigns well in advance and master client interaction by setting clear expectations.
• Pricing and Client Engagement: Manage client calls with a standard booking fee and offer varied pricing plans to meet diverse client needs.
• Boudoir Pricing and Client Relationships: Seamlessly navigate sales with a standard booking fee and prioritize uninterrupted sessions for enhanced client experiences.
• Photography Sales and Preparation: Strategically prepare for photo shoots and professionally showcase your work in a dedicated reception area.
• Wall Art Sales Techniques: Create personalized wall art for clients, using emotional storytelling to enhance sales without getting too technical.
• Trust in Payment Plans: Build trust for phone payments and share insights on offering payment plans, focusing on the positive aspects.
• Strategic Business Practices: Empower clients by letting them choose their payment amounts and maintain an abundance mindset for business success.
• Enjoying Boudoir Photography: Explore boudoir photography's profitable and enjoyable world, including behind-the-scenes studio footage.

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You need to specialize in what you like doing. Otherwise, the language doesn't work. – Richard Grenfell

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What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Richard 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, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode.

If you're not a luxury brand, if you're wallowing in the middle and worst and the bottom, it's just a recipe for disaster. – Richard Grenfell

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

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

I post in my Group every day. If I can't think of anything to post, I just posted a dumb meme or something funny. – Richard Grenfell

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean 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 or https://photobizx.com/google, 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.

“Imagen AI has taken hours off my editing workflow. I could just send them off now to AI, and they're back within 15 minutes, ready to upload.” – Trina Julius

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. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here is the latest review…

★★★★★ The Best Podcast to Grow my Business!

Via Google by family portrait photographer Rob Thomas in the USA, on January 20th, 2024.

I have recently joined Photobizx (paid content) after listening to the (free) unpaid content for about a month now. And, I must say it is by far the best photography podcast I have ever listened to!!

Not only does Andrew/PhotoBizX have the best content for photographers (i.e.) sales, luxury branding, CRM, email capture, marketing and just every other facet of the business side of photography but, he knows how to ask the pertinent questions that I would want to ask of his guest to help grow my photography business!!

And, I love how I can listen at 1.5x the normal listen rate and catch up on all of the older episodes (at warp speed) before I joined!

Plus, Andrew has a great sense of humor and an excellent Aussie accent which makes it doubly good to listen to and enjoy!