January is the best time to refresh wedding photography systems—because the truth is, you don’t need another year of white-knuckling your way through busy season. You need systems that bend with you, support you on your worst days, and stop leaving you feeling like you’re constantly behind.
I know what it’s like to build a business in a world that wasn’t designed for people like us—chronically ill, neurodivergent, layered AF. It’s not about perfectionism or industry-standard checklists. It’s about survival, sustainability, and creating clarity in the middle of chaos. I’ve burned myself out, torn things down, and rebuilt them from the ground up. Not because I love starting over, but because I refuse to keep running a business that drains the life out of me.
If you’re craving freedom, simplicity, and a softer pace, this episode of Keeping It Candid is for you. I’m walking you through why January is the perfect time to reset, how to refresh wedding photography systems without drowning in overwhelm, and where to focus first so you’re not babysitting broken workflows come spring. This isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing less, better, so your business finally feels like it’s working for you, not against you.
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What You’ll Learn About Refreshing Your Wedding Photography Systems in This Episode
January gives you something rare in this industry: space to breathe. It’s a natural pause before inquiries start pouring in, and it’s the perfect time to decide how you want your business to actually run this year.
In this episode, I’m breaking down:
- Why January matters so much as a reset point—not just for your business, but for your energy.
- The four core areas you need to look at first: client management, communication, project management, and finances.
- How tools like HoneyBook and RescueTime can do the heavy lifting for you instead of adding more to your plate.
- Why realistic goals (planned by quarter, not a 12-month stretch) make everything feel less impossible.
- The permission slip you probably need most: outsource the things you can’t—or straight up don’t want to—do yourself.
The focus of this episode is simple: it’s time to refresh wedding photography systems so you’re not stuck repeating the same cycle of burnout year after year.
Behind-the-Scenes: What’s Changing for Me
Before we dive into the teaching, here’s a little peek behind the curtain of my own world:
- I shifted from building HoneyBook systems to working as a Virtual Assistant, and now as an Online Business Manager.
- I’m already fully booked for Q1 2025, which still feels surreal and a little pinch-me.
- My words of the year: alignment for my business, and confidence for myself.
- And—I finally got the call for my long-awaited endometriosis surgery.
All of these changes reminded me that systems are never just about efficiency. They’re about building businesses that can flex with us through illness, life transitions, and the unexpected. They’re about creating breathing room when everything else feels heavy.
Free Resource for Wedding Photographers
If your inbox already feels like it’s running your life, I’ve got you. My Busy Season Email Survival Kit for Wedding Photographers is a free resource built to take the edge off your client communication when you need it most.
It’s ready for you to grab, plug in, and use—so you can stop stressing about what to say and start feeling supported by a system that actually works.
January Is the Perfect Time to Refresh Wedding Photography Systems
January is a reset point. It’s the one time of year when the pace slows just enough to catch your breath. Engagement season is about to hit, which means more inquiries, more emails, and way more moving parts. Getting your systems in order now means you’ll actually be ready when everything speeds up in February and March.
If you put it off until later, you’ll be buried in weddings and edits before you know it—and that’s when the overwhelm sets in. A few intentional weeks in January is an investment in a smoother year, not another round of running yourself into the ground.
Where to Focus When You Refresh Wedding Photography Systems
Client Management
Your inquiry process is the first impression couples get. Simplify it in your CRM, clean up old templates, and automate the emails you send over and over again.
Communication Systems
Your emails should feel like an extension of your brand, not an afterthought. Refresh your templates so they’re clear, supportive, and on brand. Add an FAQ email that answers common questions before clients even have to ask.
Project Management
Stop trying to map out an entire year at once—it’s overwhelming. Use tools like Google Tasks or Asana to keep your daily to-dos organized, and plan in 90-day chunks instead of 12 months at a time.
Financial Systems
Money stress is one of the fastest tracks to burnout. Review your expenses, update your pricing, and set two types of goals: sales goals (future bookings) and cashflow goals (the money you’re actually taking home). Automate invoices with HoneyBook, and track where your time is really going with RescueTime.
How to Refresh Your Wedding Photography Systems Without Overwhelm
Start with an audit of last year—what worked, what didn’t, what made you want to throw your laptop out the window.
Pick one area to improve first. Don’t try to overhaul everything in one go.
Work at your own pace, whether that’s late at night, early in the morning, or somewhere in between.
And most importantly, give yourself permission to outsource the stuff you don’t have capacity for—or the stuff you just don’t want to do.
You don’t need to fix it all at once. Start small. Build momentum. Every system you clean up frees up more of your energy for the work that actually matters to you.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- HoneyBook — My go-to client management platform for contracts, invoices, and workflows. Get 30% off your first year here.
- RescueTime — A time-tracking app that runs quietly in the background and shows you exactly where your hours are going.
Ready to Streamline Your Systems?
If you’re ready to finally refresh your wedding photography systems, my HoneyBook services are designed to help photographers clean up the backend chaos and start fresh.
I go into your account, clean things up, and organize it so it finally works the way you need it to. From quick housekeeping to done-for-you workflows, everything I offer is built to protect your energy and free up your time.
? Explore my HoneyBook services for photographers and let’s get your backend working as beautifully as your client work.
Full Transcript
Note: This full transcript is provided for accessibility and for anyone who prefers to read. Only spelling and grammar have been edited; the content remains unchanged.
Holiday Reflections and a Fresh Start for 2025
Hey everybody. Happy January! Welcome back to Keeping It Candid.
I hope you had a great time over the holidays. Whether you were celebrating or just taking some time off to rest, I hope it was everything your soul needed to bring you into the new year with new energy and excitement for your business.
I was off until January 6th, and I used that time to take a lot of naps, eat so much food (absolutely guilt-free), and do some things behind the scenes of my business like goal-setting and really thinking about what I want the future of my business to look like.
From Workflows to Online Business Management
Throughout 2024, I was super busy with clients who had hired me to build out their systems and workflows inside their HoneyBook account, and I was loving it. Then I had the opportunity to actually take that one step further when one of my clients hired me to be her virtual assistant.
From that point, I started handling some of her client communication, sending out invoices and contracts, and just making sure all of the day-to-day admin work was handled so that she could focus her time behind her camera.
Let me tell you, I loved it even more than I love building systems and workflows for people. But that wasn’t where the transition stopped—because at the end of the year, I transitioned from being a virtual assistant to an online business manager (OBM), taking on even more roles and responsibilities for my clients so that again, she could keep spending all of her time and energy behind her camera, which is her zone of genius, while I handled all of the other day-to-day things.
On top of that, I landed another OBM client. So a year ago, I was passionate about all things systems and workflows—and don’t get me wrong, I still am—but working as an OBM has been such a huge surprise. I really can’t tell you how much I love it. It feels like this is where I’m meant to be.
It’s kind of a pinch-me moment because I am already fully booked for Q1 of this year.
My Words of the Year: Alignment and Confidence
IIt felt fitting when I was thinking about my “words of the year,” something I do every year (one personal, one professional).
My professional word for this year is alignment. I just want everything to feel like it’s all clicking into place, like it’s all coming together the way that it’s supposed to. And by embracing that, I’m hoping it will also help me build confidence throughout 2025.
And confidence is what my personal word of the year is. This year, I really want to remind myself of the workload that I can handle, and that even though I’m on a totally different path than I thought I was heading towards, everything is exactly the way it’s supposed to be.
I know I’m really going to need both confidence and alignment to channel all of my energy and decisions through over the next little while.
Preparing for Endometriosis Surgery
If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve heard about my story with endometriosis. I’ve If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve heard about my story with endometriosis. I’ve been waiting for a date for surgery for a few years now, and I finally got the phone call. I’m actually going to be going in for that surgery as of next week, which will be the end of January.
It still doesn’t even seem real. I’m totally a mix of excited and really nervous, and that varies depending on when you ask me, because there are just a lot of unknowns that are going to come along with this.
When I think about the amount of time I’m going to need to recover, how my body’s going to feel after having such a major surgery, and things like that, it can feel overwhelming. My Type A personality really struggles with unknowns, so I’m doing what I can to not freak out. Thankfully, I take an SSRI medication to help me with things like this, so I’m not spiraling into a whole mess of all the what-ifs. I’m just trying to focus on the positives and thinking about all the things that possibly could come next in this next chapter of my life.
What’s Changing in My Business and Podcast
Even though most of my time these days is being spent as an OBM, everything I offer under Keeping It Candid—the podcast, my workflow services, and my education—is still going to stay exactly the same.
The only change is that I’m adjusting the amount of time it’s going to take me to get projects done and the number of clients that I can take on at one time.
And I think especially for the podcast and my education, I’m actually going to have more freedom to do those things, because I won’t have to be worried so much about chasing my next client all the time. That song and dance is something I am all too familiar with from being in the photography industry for more than a decade, so it’s something I am definitely excited to take a break from.
Industry Trend: Pricing Frustrations in Wedding Photography
Now, before we get into this week’s episode, we have to get to our first “All the Rage” segment of 2025.
A conversation that I’ve been seeing happen a lot online is photographers being frustrated because they have a starting price listed on their website, they have information there for potential clients to self-qualify, and yet they still get inquiries where the reply ends up being: “Sorry, you’re out of our budget.”
I get that it can be annoying, because you do have that information on your website. But here’s where I think there’s a little misconception. Of course, there are always exceptions. Some people just don’t read. They don’t take the time to actually go through your website, and unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid that.
But that’s not the case for every person. Many clients do the legwork. They’ve gone onto your website, they’ve seen your starting price, and they’ve said, “Okay, we can at least afford that. Let’s get in touch.”
Why “Out of Budget” Doesn’t Mean Your Website Failed
The thing is, your starting price is your bare minimum. For most of us, that looks like fewer hours, no albums, no engagement session, no extras. And so just because they can afford that bare minimum price doesn’t mean that’s what they want.
They could be looking for a full-day package with all the extras, and when they see your pricing, they realize they can’t get that with you. That’s where the disconnect happens.
So your website did its job. They saw the info, pre-qualified, and reached out. But when they saw the bigger picture, they realized it didn’t fit.
I know booking season is stressful, and scarcity mindset makes it easy to point the finger at clients. But not everyone is out to waste your time. The next time you hear “You’re out of our budget,” just take a breath, pour a glass of water (or tequila, or roll a joint—whatever calms you down), and then move on to the clients who are ready to work within your pricing.
Why January Is the Best Time to Refresh Wedding Photography Systems
Today we’re talking all about getting rid of those old, dusty systems that are just adding more work to your plate, and why January is the perfect time to get that done.
January is a natural pause after the holidays. For entrepreneurs and wedding pros, it doesn’t always feel that way, but in the bigger picture, people are spending less money, slowing down, and recharging.
Meanwhile, engagement season is picking up. All of those couples who got engaged over the holidays are about to hit your inbox. And all of last year’s couples who are now getting married this year are about to start reaching out too.
That means things are about to get busy. And that’s why January is the best time to refresh your systems—it sets a strong foundation for the year and saves you so much time later on.
If you leave it until later, you’ll be too busy. And come fall, you’ll be burned out again, delivering galleries and counting down the days until you’re done. Doing this now makes sure that doesn’t happen again this year.
Free Resource for Wedding Photographers
Don’t wait until you’re drowning in emails to fix your systems. Grab my Busy Season Email Survival Kit — a free resource built to take inbox overwhelm off your plate during peak season.
Where to Focus Refreshing Your Wedding Photography Systems First
First, think about client management. You want to simplify and streamline your CRM workflows, especially for your inquiry process. This is where all of those new bookings are going to come in, so get it cleaned up now. Review your templates and automate the emails that are always going out to clients.
Next, focus on communication systems. Go through your email templates, make sure they’re on brand and effective, and consider adding an FAQ email that you can send at any point during the process. That one simple addition will save you time while helping your clients feel supported.
Then look at your project management systems. Find a way to organize your daily to-do list. Use something like Google Tasks or Asana. And instead of planning out an entire 12-month calendar, break it down by quarter. Right now, just focus on January through March. Then, when March comes, you can plan April through June. Breaking it into 90-day chunks makes it way less overwhelming.
Lastly, check in on your financial systems. Review your expenses. Update your pricing. Set some financial goals—not just what you want to make this year in cashflow, but also sales goals for future work. If you’ve booked weddings for 2026, that money still counts towards your sales, even if you only have the retainer in hand now.
And don’t forget about tools. Use something like HoneyBook to automate invoices and contracts, and a time-tracking app like RescueTime to see exactly where your hours are going.
Tools That Simplify Workflows
You know that feeling when you’re overwhelmed with emails, contracts, payments, and inquiries? That was me—until I started using HoneyBook.
HoneyBook is an all-in-one client management system that helps you stay organized and makes your workflow feel manageable, even on days when your energy is low. As a photographer balancing chronic illness, it has been a game changer for me.
Over the last six years, I’ve leaned on HoneyBook to grow my business without burning out. From automating inquiries to sending contracts and tracking payments, HoneyBook makes it easy to deliver a polished, professional experience without the chaos.
? Get 30% off your first year with HoneyBook.
Another tool I discovered recently is RescueTime. It runs in the background on your computer and tracks how you’re spending your time. It shows you what projects, websites, or tasks are taking your hours. As an OBM, it’s been incredible for tracking different clients’ work. And honestly, I wish I’d had it during peak wedding season to see exactly how much time each client required.
Tips to Avoid Overwhelm When You Refresh Wedding Photography Systems
So now that you know what systems to focus on, where do you start?
First, review 2024. Do a little audit on your business and your life. Think about what worked and what didn’t.
Next, pick one area to focus on. Don’t try to fix everything all at once. Set a realistic timeline for getting it done, and remember—you don’t have to work in any particular way. If you’re a night owl, work at night. If you’re a morning person, work then. Give yourself permission to work when you work best.
And if there’s something that needs to be fixed that’s outside your wheelhouse, or something you hate doing? Here’s your permission to outsource it. There’s no rule that says you need to do it all yourself. Hand it off to someone who’s an expert so you can focus on what actually matters in your business.
And if you just want community support instead of outsourcing, join us in the Unfiltered Facebook community, or check out the Chronically Ill, Disabled, and Neurodivergent Photographers Facebook group. You don’t have to do this alone.
The key thing to remember: don’t overhaul everything at once. Start small. Even something like fixing your inquiry workflow or setting up folders in your inbox can free up time and energy right away.
Final Thoughts on How to Refresh Wedding Photography Systems
Okay friends, that’s where I’m going to wrap things up—mostly because my cat is terrorizing my office and I’ve had to stop recording so many times.
Thank you so much for listening to Keeping It Candid. Running a photography business doesn’t have to mean endless hustle and burnout, and I hope today’s episode brought you one step closer to balance.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review. It helps other photographers like you find the show and keeps me inspired to keep bringing you more tips every week.
For tools, resources, or ways to work together, head to simplysandrayvonne.ca.
Until next time, keep it simple—and don’t forget to take care of you along the way.
The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect, recharge, and gear up for the year ahead. Whether you’re a wedding photographer or specialize in family portraits, or balancing it all while managing a chronic illness, taking a moment to think about what worked (and what didn’t) is the secret to setting yourself up for success in 2025.
Here’s how I’m looking back at 2024, setting goals, and creating workflows that actually support me—and how you can do the same.
Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify
Keep scrolling for show notes, and a full transcript!
2024 in Review: What Worked, What Didn’t
Before diving into new goals, I always like to take an honest look at the past year. Let’s start with the less-than-stellar moments (because, let’s be real, not everything is sunshine and rainbows).
What Didn’t Work in 2024:
- Newborn Photography: I tried reintroducing newborn sessions after years of not offering them, and guess what? Big nope. My heart wasn’t in it, and it reminded me why I stopped in the first place. Lesson learned: stick to what you love.
- Email Automation Mishap: I forgot about an automated email series announcing mini sessions. Emails that went out telling people that sessions were open for booking when they actually weren’t. Facepalm moment of the year.
- Sales Goals: I didn’t hit a single sales goal and eventually just gave myself permission to stop setting them for Q4. Sometimes, it’s okay to take a breather.
- Overcommitment: Fall was a blur of sensory overload and burnout. That “just push through” mindset didn’t do me any favours and is SUCH a hard cycle to get out of.
- Digital Planners: I wanted to love my digital planner, but it just wasn’t for me. Turns out, keeping things simple is the way to go. (Shocker!)
What Worked in 2024:
- HoneyBook Lead Forms: My clients loved how easy it was to book mini sessions, sign contracts, and pay invoices—all seamlessly automated through HoneyBook.
- Updating Wedding Services: Transitioning to exclusively offering city hall weddings not only brought clarity to my business, but also brought three new bookings within two weeks of updating my website.
- Editing on My iPad: Lightroom’s cloud-based version made editing on my iPad surprisingly efficient. Who knew? And I’m so thankful because I just do not want to upgrade my otherwise perfectly good computer right now.
- Carb Loading on Wedding Days: Changing my diet during wedding days drastically improved my energy and recovery time. (Check out Episode 55 of Keeping It Candid for more on this!)
- Peer Mastermind Group: Starting a mastermind with industry friends filled the gap I felt after stepping away from a formal coaching program and I’ve loved every second of it.
Setting Goals for 2025
Now that I have that insight into 2024, I’m setting realistic and intentional goals for 2025. Here’s how I’m breaking them down:
Sales Goals
For my photography business, my 2025 sales goal is $10,000. It might seem low, but with my systems business taking up more time, this feels doable. To hit this, I’ll need to book:
- 15 portrait sessions, with at least 10 clients purchasing additional files or prints.
- 4 city hall weddings.
Breaking a sales goal into tangible steps makes it feel less overwhelming and gives me a clear roadmap for the year.
Client Experience Goals
This year, I’m saying goodbye to anything that doesn’t bring me joy—starting with newborn sessions. My focus will be on family photos, city hall weddings, and engagement sessions.
I’m also refining my email workflows by:
- Combining my welcome questionnaire and blanket selection questionnaire into one.
- Adding an email dedicated to outlining what happens if the weather doesn’t cooperate, hopefully reducing client confusion along the way.
Personal Growth Goals
2025 is all about leaning into community and celebrating small wins.
- Community Building: I’m continuing my peer mastermind group and ramping up in-person meetups with my local Rising Tide Society chapter.
- Celebrating Wins: I’m bringing back my monthly win tracker—a simple sticky note on my calendar to celebrate progress.
- Cycle Syncing: As someone with endometriosis, I’m focusing on scheduling work around my best energy days to show up for clients at my absolute best.
- Surgery Preparation: With a big surgery coming up, I’m focusing on maintaining a positive mindset and embracing the unknown.
Streamlining Communication and Workflows
A huge focus for 2025 is simplifying my communication and workflows.
Email Updates
I’m combining multiple emails into fewer, more impactful ones. For example, I’m merging questionnaires and streamlining info into clear, concise emails to avoid client confusion.
Leveraging HoneyBook Features
With HoneyBook’s new conditional logic tools rolling out, I’m rebuilding workflows to make them more intuitive and efficient. These updates allow workflows to adapt automatically based on client needs—taking automation to the next level.
Simplifying My Planner Situation
After another failed attempt at using a digital planner, I’m sticking with Asana for all my business organization needs. Asana’s simple, streamlined setup (thanks to a strategy session with my friend Sarahna!) keeps everything on track without the clutter of redundant tools.
Building Flexibility Into 2025
Flexibility is a non-negotiable part of my business. Here’s how I’m making it happen:
- Booking Time Off: I’m blocking out time for vacations and self-care at the start of the year, especially during busy season.
- Buffer Dates: I’m keeping extra days open around mini sessions for weather-related rescheduling, reducing stress for me and my clients.
Ready to Glow Up Your Business?
Reflecting on the past year, setting goals, and updating your systems isn’t just about staying organized—it’s about building a business that supports you. If you’re ready to get your workflows in shape for 2025, I’m here to help!
Check out my services at SimplySandraYvonne.ca for:
- HoneyBook Strategy Sessions: A one-on-one call to troubleshoot your account, refine your workflows, and make sure HoneyBook is working as hard as you are.
- Done-for-You Workflow Builds: I’ll create a complete workflow—including templates—so you can hit the ground running in 2025.
Let’s make this year the one where your business runs smoother than ever—and actually supports the life you want to live.
Show Notes
Mentioned on today’s episode of Keeping It Candid:
Episode Sponsor: HoneyBook
Get 30% off your first year!
1:1 HoneyBook Strategy Session
Done For You HoneyBook Workflows
Candice Coppola’s YouTube Video about the HoneyBook price increase
Episode of Keeping It Candid where I talk all about carbs – Click Here
The Unfiltered Community – Education & Systems Strategy For Photographers
Chronically Ill, Disabled, & Neurodivergent Photographers
Send me a DM on Instagram!
Get your wedding business more streamlined ??
Other Episodes & Blogs You’ll Love
Wedding Photography Education | Vision Casting For Q1
3 Mistakes To Avoid When Investing In Education & Coaching
Work/Life Balance And Working Abroad with Nova Markina Photography
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 065
[00:00:00] Sandra: for sales, I have a $10,000 sales goal, and I know that this is going to seem really low, obviously. I am not paying all of my bells with $10,000, but this is just for my photography business. My systems business is taking up a lot more of my time these days.
[00:00:17] So I’m actually going to be running through all of this again, where I’m going to be brainstorming the good and the bad and setting goals and all the things. Totally separately for my assistance business.
[00:00:26] Sandra: Welcome to Keeping It Candid. I’m Sandra Henderson, photographer, system strategist, and here to help you level up your photography business with real strategies that work. If you’re tired of beginner advice and quick fixes that don’t actually solve anything, this is the podcast for you. Each week, we dive into simple, sustainable systems for client workflows, automation, and communication strategies that are designed to keep your business thriving without the burnout.
[00:00:57] Because your business should support you and not the other way around. Whether you’re balancing a chronic illness or just done with the endless hustle, Keeping it Candid is here to help you reclaim your time, work smarter, and focus on what truly matters.
[00:01:11] Sandra: Hello, again, everybody for the very last time in 2024.
[00:01:17] When I come back for a new episode, it’s going to be 20, 25. And that seems so weird to think about.
[00:01:25] I feel like this year. I mean, I feel like we kind of have these feelings at the end of every year, but this year really felt like it went by really quickly. I don’t know. Do you guys feel that way? Let me know what you think.
[00:01:37] ‘ cause that’s the weird thing about time, right? Is that it feels so different for everybody. So if you agree with me and feel like this year went by in the blink of an eye. And want to hear about it, but I also want to hear if this year felt like it really dragged on for you.
[00:01:53] I find things like this to be so interesting. So make sure you come over to my DMS and let’s talk a little bit about how your year has been feeling.
[00:02:02] I’m going to be spending a lot more time in my DMS over the next few weeks, Because I am winding things down over here.
[00:02:08] My last day of work before the holidays is on Monday. They will be popping in once on the 30th to check in on some tasks for one of my VA clients. But other than that, I am off until the new year.
[00:02:21] And for once I am actually really looking forward to the holidays.
[00:02:26] Over the last couple of years, I’ve been on my own personal growth journey, trying to get over my hatred for Christmas. Everybody has always known me as a little bit of a Grinch this time of year or a lot, a bit of a Grinch. Let’s be real. There’s a. Million factors as to why I felt this way about Christmas.
[00:02:47] But thankfully with a little bit of therapy and a whole lot of self work, I have been working on trying to change that.
[00:02:55] So this year, I actually started decorating my house with a little bit of Christmas decorations right after us Thanksgiving. And I have been watching Christmas movies on Netflix and trying to do whatever I can to eliminate the stress that usually comes along with this time of year. And adjusting my plans to be able to see people and visit people but also to put myself on that priority list. So in previous years, my husband and I we’ve been together for about 17 years now. And I’d say about 16 of those years. We have been rotating our Christmases. Aside from the years of the pandemic, when we weren’t really visiting anybody.
[00:03:39] We have rotated our Christmases between spending time with my family one year on Christmas day and spending time with his family one year on Christmas day.
[00:03:47] But in my journey Of trying to learn to love Christmas, or at least just not hate it. One thing I wanted to do was make myself a priority. And so this year, one of my Christmas wishes. Is to do absolutely nothing over the bulk of the Christmas days. My only plans are to be snuggled up on my couch in the comfiest clothes. With some delicious food. Haven’t decided what I’m going to eat yet, but guaranteed, it’s going to be delicious.
[00:04:18] I’ve got some movies that I’m planning on watching, and I’m just planning on having a really low key day.
[00:04:24] We’re going to be spending time with my family, this coming weekend, actually. So doing things before the holidays. And then for my in-laws, my husband and my stepson are actually still going to be going to their festivities on Christmas day. I know, it seems a little crazy that I’m planning on actually staying home and spending some time by myself. But I wasn’t about to make my husband and my stepson stay home because I wanted to have a quiet and relaxing day.
[00:04:55] I personally don’t feel like I’m being left behind. I’m making extra time outside of those days to see family and make sure that I get to spend some time with them over the holidays, but I really just need these days for me this year.
[00:05:11] My husband is struggling with it a little bit. He does feel bad. He does feel like he’s leaving me behind. But I just reminded him and keep reminding him. That this is something that I want, he can think of it as a Christmas gift to me to just let me have this day where I can just relax.
[00:05:30] Next year we will head to my family is on Christmas day again, and the year after we’ll be back with his family.
[00:05:37] And then the year after that, maybe I’ll have another Christmas off. Maybe I’ll change my mind, but for this year, I’ve really just wanted to add a third thing into the mix.
[00:05:46] Plus last year as much fun as I had spending time with everybody. There was more than a few occasions where I got really bad sensory overload. And there are a lot of people over with my in-laws when we’re celebrating Christmas. And I actually started getting dizzy at one point because of all the noise and all the lights and all the things that were happening.
[00:06:07] And so this year I’m going to eliminate that. I’m going to see people on smaller scales and Christmas day. It’s just going to be an afternoon of me, myself and I, and I. I cannot tell you how much I’m looking forward to it.
[00:06:23] I’ve told all my friends and family members that if anybody wants to join me, they are more than welcome to come hang out at my house and do nothing. But I have a few blackout days where I am not going to be doing any plans. I’m not going to be leaving my house and it’s going to be great.
[00:06:39] And then for new year’s, to be honest. I really am feeling like this is going to be one year where I go to bed early. Don’t try to stay up for that ball drop at midnight. And just end this year on a nice, slow, quiet note.
[00:06:53] One thing that I am going to be doing during all of my time off is actually taking some time to do some goal setting for 2025. But before I do that, I really think it’s so important to think back on everything that was the last year. So everything that was 20, 24. And I’m going to bring you along with me while I do that on today’s episode.
[00:07:18] But before I do that first, we are going to get to this week’s all the rage.
[00:07:23] So last week, literally, as I was scheduling my last episode where I talked about whether or not you should announce a price change.
[00:07:30] HoneyBook announced a price change. And it seems like the entire world of creatives on social media decided to jump on that hate train last Tuesday.
[00:07:40] And this is literally the exact reason why I said I don’t believe in making these types of announcements as photographers. Now, obviously with a surface like HoneyBook, they have to, they cannot just change their pricing and not say a word and expect people to just not notice.
[00:07:58] People are paying them on a monthly and ongoing basis.
[00:08:02] So things like that do need to be disclosed to the people who are paying for that service, but as photographers people are typically only paying us once, especially if we’re working in weddings or family sessions, where they might work with us every year, every two years. So, if we were to change our prices tomorrow, most people would have absolutely no idea. So it’s a totally different situation than what I was talking about with this HoneyBook price change.
[00:08:29] But nonetheless, the outcome is still the same and there’s just this blanket of negativity around the word HoneyBook right now.
[00:08:36] Well, first, I want to say that I get it. Price increases stuck. And this is a huge one.
[00:08:43] Just before I recorded this episode, I actually found out that Adobe is doing the exact same thing. But I’m going to save that for another day.
[00:08:50] Or we could be here ranting about all the things for so long.
[00:08:55] Some of the things that HoneyBook really did wrong, in my opinion, with this price increase announcement. It’s that first, it was in such close proximity to black Friday sales, where they were just announcing all of these discounts to bring in more people and then hit them with a price increase. I think we can all agree that that is bullshit.
[00:09:16] And the timing of that really should have been thought through better.
[00:09:20] I think we need to see corporations like this, having a little bit of integrity and announcing price changes before trying to hook people in with discounts.
[00:09:30] Another thing that they really dropped the ball on is that they are now increasing the rate that people are paying, even if they had been committed to lifetime rates previously with legacy plans. That is a big no-no to me. They absolutely should be eating that cost and moving forward with their other customers. Those people paid a certain price and were given a commitment by HoneyBook and for HoneyBook to go back on that commitment. Super not cool.
[00:09:58] I’m definitely not by any means saying that the whole thing was perfect.
[00:10:03] There were so many things that they did wrong. But I also do think that most people who are jumping on the I’m leaving HoneyBook train last week, we’re just doing it because it was trending. They were acting on their emotions and their feelings. Taking the excuse to hate on HoneyBook, especially if they weren’t actually HoneyBook users.
[00:10:22] And a lot of these people, I don’t think are actually going to be leaving the platform.
[00:10:28] Now I know my opinion on this amazing bias to, because I am a HoneyBook expert. They are a sponsor of this podcast. But I’m all about keeping it real with you. No matter what. And believe me when I tell you that I do still think that the platform is worth it. Even with this big price increase.
[00:10:46] That is if you’re actually using your account and you can financially afford it. I know that’s not going to be possible for everyone, but if it is it’s 1000% worth it to stick with HoneyBook. Personally, I don’t plan on making any changes to either my photography business or my systems business In terms of actually using the platform myself or promoting the platform.
[00:11:09] And every single one of my clients has said that they aren’t even considering moving platforms because their return on investment is so much higher than what this price increases for their accounts. If you’re not really utilizing every single aspect of your account, the truth is it might not be worth it for you. But before you jump ship, I really want you to take a look at what you’re using, what you’re not using and what your needs are and what your budget is, because ultimately you might find that moving to a lower price CRM with less features is actually going to hinder your ability to generate more sales and higher profits.
[00:11:46] And you also want to think about the time that it’s going to take to export all of your files And all of your information out of HoneyBook, migrated into a new platform, build all new workflows, set up all new templates, learn how to use it all. It will take so much time.
[00:12:03] So you’ve really got it. Look at the bigger picture and decide if this is the right decision for you.
[00:12:09] The truth is yes, I love HoneyBook. Their platform is the main focus of my systems business. But ultimately what I think you have to do is what is best for you. So, if that means leaving HoneyBook and making those changes and putting that work into a new CRM, then you’ve got to do that. But if you take a look at what you’re using, what you’re not using and configure it a way to get more out of your HoneyBook account.
[00:12:33] So you’re actually getting value in what you pay for. I think you’re going to be really happy with staying and you’re going to see in the bigger picture that it was the right choice. If you want to hear another take on this whole HoneyBook issue, I want you to head over to YouTube to check out Candice Coppola’s video, where she talks all about this.
[00:12:52] She got this posted quick time, like the same day or the following day after the price increase was announced, but she shares some amazing advice on what you can do to make sure that your voice is heard about how this price increase is going to impact your business and some more takes on what you should be considering to decide If HoneyBook is the right choice for your business. So I’m going to include a link to that in the show notes, because you definitely want to go and check that out.
[00:13:18] Sandra: Sorry to interrupt this episode, friend. I promise I will make this quick. You might have heard the news that HoneyBook’s prices are going up. Now, before you start side eyeing your subscription, let me say this. If you are not fully using all of HoneyBook’s features, you are probably leaving money and a lot of time and energy on the table.
[00:13:40] But that’s where I come in. I offer one to one HoneyBook strategy sessions designed to make sure you’re getting the absolute most out of your account. Whether you’re feeling lost in templates, struggling with your workflows, or just aren’t sure if HoneyBook is working as hard for you as it should be, I’ll meet you exactly where you are.
[00:13:59] Together, we will troubleshoot any hurdles that you have so that you can refine your processes and set up simple systems that will leave you feeling confident that HoneyBook is actually saving you time, keeping you organized, and helping you deliver a seamless client experience. If you’re ready to stop leaving features untapped and start maximizing the investment you’ve made, head to simplysandreevon.
[00:14:22] ca forward slash services to book your one to one HoneyBook strategy session today. Trust me when I tell you your future self and your HoneyBook account will thank you. And now let’s get back to the episode.
[00:14:34] Sandra: One thing about me is that I live for that new year. New me vibe on January 1st. People like me, it can be annoying as fuck, but honestly, every January 1st comes with this weight off my shoulders and I’m just excited for the new year ahead.
[00:14:53] Even though logically, I know that this is the same as any other day. I just live for January 1st. I can’t help it. But like I mentioned earlier in the episode, in order to go into the new year strong, I need to take a step back to think about everything that happened over the last year. I’m talking the good, the bad, the amazing, the awful it’s all got to come out so I can make sure that I’m repeating the amazing things. Fixing the awful things.
[00:15:19] And.
[00:15:20] going through everything in between with a fine tooth comb. So today I’m going to walk you through everything I recommended you do for your business in last week’s episode. Go check that out. If you haven’t already, I practice what I preach around here. And I am not about to tell anyone to do anything that I’m not actively doing myself. So let’s get into it.
[00:15:40] First let’s get the bullshit out of the way. Let’s talk about things that were big, old. Nope. In my photography business last year. First was re-introducing newborn photos into my services list.
[00:15:53] Absolutely no shade to any newborn photographers that might be listening, but this is just not my jam. I used to do a lot of newborn work back when I first started my business. But I just wasn’t doing it enough. As the years went on to feel like I could really get into my zone. And like I was giving my best work to my clients. And then eventually it just started taking a huge toll on my body Because of how physical it can be.
[00:16:18] And so I stopped doing it. But then I had a few clients reach out to me Because they were having babies and they wanted to have photos done and I had the availability, so I decided to take it on. And as great as those sessions were, it just reminded me that my heart isn’t in it. So a big note for me this year, was choosing to start doing newborn photos again.
[00:16:41] 2025 I will be referring all of those elsewhere.
[00:16:45] Another big. Nope. Was. I, this was a big mess up. You guys. I completely forgot that I had set up automations inside my flow desk account, which is what I use for email marketing. And these automations were set to send emails on a specific date. Letting people know that my mini sessions were open for booking.
[00:17:05] And I forgot that I had that specific date trigger in there. Typically I would do something like having a certain amount of time. But this one I set for a specific date. So let’s just say, for example, I’ll make something up and say that an email was scheduled to go out on June 14th to say that mini-sessions for fall were open for booking. But I didn’t actually open those sessions for booking on June 14th.
[00:17:33] And I didn’t realize that this automation was happening. Until I believe October. So I had from may until October emails going out, telling people that mini sessions were open for booking on the wrong dates.
[00:17:50] So I was definitely kicking myself when I realized that that was happening. And some real talk. I also didn’t hit any of my sales goals this year. And to be honest, I didn’t even bother setting any for Q4. Cause I was just over it. It wasn’t in the Headspace to set another sales goal that I didn’t think I was going to meet. So I gave myself the grace. We’re just putting that off and we’ll come back to those sales goals for 2025.
[00:18:17] Because it wasn’t hitting those sales goals.
[00:18:19] I did have to cut back on expenses. And one of those things was working with my business coach, which was such a hard transition. Even though it’s been months. And I’m still utilizing so many things that I learned during my time, working with Candice.
[00:18:38] It’s still such a huge shift to be a part of a community for so long. I was working with Candice and a part of her mastermind for about three years, and then I, all of a sudden didn’t have that anymore.
[00:18:51] So that was a shitty part of the year for sure. And then as we got into the fall, I definitely stretched myself way too far. And I got caught in that cycle of, I just need to get through the next couple of weeks and then I can relax. And the worst part about that cycle is that it takes a lot to get out of it.
[00:19:11] And so that was definitely not how I wanted to be heading into the fall.
[00:19:16] And then last but not least something that did not work for me was using a digital planner on my iPad.
[00:19:24] I thought it was going to be the answer to my planner problems, but it definitely wasn’t. And I’m going to talk a little bit more about that later in the episode. Now enough with all the bad things. Let’s start talking about some things that worked really, really well for me this year.
[00:19:38] First is utilizing honey books, lead forms for my mini sessions. With these lead forms, my clients were able to log in. Pick a session time. Input all of their information automatically get a contract to sign with that includes their remaining balance and get added into a fully automated workflow that would carry them through right until their gallery was delivered.
[00:20:01] I had so many compliments from clients about how seamless it was and how easy it was for them to use it. So that was a huge win.
[00:20:10] I also the summer updated my website to change the wedding service offering that I had listed. So I decided that I was no longer going to be taking on full day weddings because they just aren’t conducive to where I’m at in my life with my health and everything like that.
[00:20:27] But I really wasn’t ready to just give it all up. So I decided to transition into exclusively doing city hall weddings.
[00:20:35] And within two weeks of putting that information up on my website, I had it three new bookings.
[00:20:41] It’s so rare to see. That sort of return on your investment and time when you make a change like that, that quickly. So that was really exciting to see.
[00:20:52] I started doing some editing on my iPad.
[00:20:55] Which might seem totally insane to some people, but what happened was Lightroom updated and all of a sudden my computer was no longer meeting the requirements that Adobe and Lightroom needed to be able to run the program. And I really did not want to spend the money on upgrading these features. So I decided to start sending my photos over to, the cloud version of Lightroom and I’ve been editing on my iPad. And to be honest, I actually find it to be so much more efficient than when I was using my computer, which is totally weird. But I loved it.
[00:21:33] So I put that in things that worked really well this year.
[00:21:37] Then outside the office, I changed the way that I was eating on wedding days. And they’ve really started incorporating a lot more carbs into my diet and it actually had a huge impact on my recovery time.
[00:21:50] I should’ve looked this up before I started recording this episode. I want to say it’s episode. 59 or episode 60, but if you go back, you’ll find an episode there where I talk about how I walk through an actual wedding day and the impact that this car bloated diet had. On my energy throughout the day and my recovery time.
[00:22:11] So if you want to hear more about that, go and check out that episode. And then lastly, one more win that I wanted to put down was that I started my own appear mastermind with friends.
[00:22:21] We’ve had some change ups because of people’s schedules and what they’re able to commit to. But I have to give a huge shout out to Kara and staff because I talk to them constantly during the week. And they are such an invaluable support that really filled in that community that I had been missing since I stopped working with my business coach. And the bonus part was that they’ve both worked with Candice as well.
[00:22:46] So we’re all coming into this from the same place and are in Phases where we’re working on the next chapters of our businesses and careers. And it has been amazing 10 out of 10 recommend starting up here, mastermind with your friends.
[00:23:01] Okay. So with all of those. Bad things and good things and wins and everything all in mind. Now it’s time to start thinking about what goal is I want to be setting for 20, 25. What kinds of things I want to be chasing after and pursuing with not only my business, but in my personal life as well.
[00:23:22] So for sales, I have a $10,000 sales goal, and I know that this is going to seem really low, obviously. I am not paying all of my bells with $10,000, but this is just for my photography business. My systems business is taking up a lot more of my time these days.
[00:23:40] So I’m actually going to be running through all of this again, where I’m going to be brainstorming the good and the bad and setting goals and all the things. Totally separately for my assistance business. So for my photography business, my sales goal is $10,000 for 2025. And in order to hit that goal, I need to book roughly 15 portrait sessions with 10 of those portrait sessions, purchasing extra digital files or prints and things like that. And I need to book for city hall weddings.
[00:24:09] Those numbers seem pretty tangible when you set a number like $10,000, it’s important to really think about. What it is that you need to do in order to hit that number?
[00:24:19] So that’s what it’s going to look like for me.
[00:24:22] On the client experience side of things. I have a few goals first starting with reminding myself that it’s okay to not take photos of things that I don’t love doing. So saying goodbye to those newborn photos and sticking to family photos and city hall, weddings and engagements.
[00:24:40] I want to combine some emails that I have. And add additional emails. Uh, are going to deliver some more supportive and educational information, but also make sure that the number of emails that I’m sending isn’t increasing, because I don’t want to get spammy or anything like that.
[00:24:58] But overall, to be honest, I’m really happy with my client experience right now.
[00:25:02] So I’m not planning on making a whole lot of changes for 2025.
[00:25:07] And then lastly, some goals that I have for personal growth are to really lean into community in 2025. So I’m going to keep working with my peer mastermind. And I’m also getting more involved with the rising tide society. Again,
[00:25:21] I restarted my local chapter in the fall of 2023, early 2024. And going into 2025, we’re officially going to be starting in person meetups again. So I’m really excited to just lean on that community, both local and otherwise, because it really just makes such a difference. I’m also going to start celebrating my monthly wins again, which is something that I used to do all the time. I have a big wall calendar up in my office and every month I would put a sticky note up on the calendar. And put a win up there. But these days, I’m not actually spending a lot of time working in my office.
[00:25:58] So I stopped doing that. I’m looking at my calendar right now. And I actually only did it for January and no other months. So I’m going to change that in 2025.
[00:26:08] Now, of course, my cat, a little side note has come to say hello while I’m in the middle of recording this podcast, but I’ve got things to do so if you hear any weird little purring in the background, hopefully it’s not coming through, but if you do. That’s my cat, because she has to be attached to me all the time. Anyway enough about my cat. Let’s get back to it. Little side note. Um, so I’m going to start celebrating my monthly wins again. And I’m going to be leaning more into cycle sinking as well, which is something that is so important to me as someone with endometriosis.
[00:26:44] I’m going to be doing even more planning around that, especially with taking on less photography clients and smaller weddings is that I’m only going to be booking things for days when I’m know I’m going to be able to show up as my best. Obviously when I was taking on full day weddings and booking those a year in advance. Not only was that impossible, but if it turned out to be a day that I wasn’t feeling good, obviously I’ve still have to show up.
[00:27:08] So with smaller bookings with sessions and city hall, weddings, that book on a much shorter timeframe, it is a lot easier to be able to maintain my schedule that way.
[00:27:19] And then lastly, I want to go into the surgery that I’m having next year with a really positive mindset. I have no idea when the surgery is happening and it’s going to be a pretty big one. But I’m just trying to make peace with the unknown and know that this is the right decision for me. And if we’re treating my endometriosis and that all I can do is just sit and wait and see how it goes.
[00:27:46] So that’s it for the goals that I have put together.
[00:27:50] And now I want to talk a little bit about ways that I am going to be streamlining my communication and simplifying my workflow for 2025.
[00:27:59] I mentioned this a little bit before, but I’m planning on combining some of my emails and then adding in a few extras so that the same. Number of emails is being sent. I’m not getting spammy or anything like that, but I’m sending more information. So one thing I’m going to be doing is combining my welcome questionnaire And my blankets selection questionnaire into one. The welcome questionnaire. It gets everybody’s names, ages. Any accessibility requests they need and things like that. And then the blankets selection questionnaire, pretty obvious. I’ve taken pictures of all of the blankets that I have to offer that people can use for their session.
[00:28:36] And I send them those to be able to choose which one they want.
[00:28:40] So I’m going to put all of those into one. And then I’m going to add in an email that specifically at lines of what’s going to happen. If weather doesn’t cooperate.
[00:28:49] Even though I am still sending that information out in a different email. I am finding that I’m having to repeat that information a lot and that people are missing it. So I’ve decided that I’m going to make it its own standalone email to hopefully really drive that information home.
[00:29:06] For city hall weddings.
[00:29:07] I am going to be creating a new pre-wedding questionnaire that doesn’t include sections like wedding party photos, or reception photos, because those are things that are not typically needed when someone’s getting married at city hall. And I’m going to be rebuilding my workflows over the off season to start utilizing honey books, new conditional logic features. If you don’t have this yet know that it’s coming, it’s been a slow roll out to different groups of users. But know that when you get it, it is going to take a lot of work to get it up and running, and it is going to replace your existing workflows. So that’s important to keep in mind.
[00:29:44] There are definitely still some kinks that they need to work out, but it is totally worth it. And you’re absolutely going to love the freedom that it gives you and the different options that are available with this conditional logic.
[00:29:58] Sandra: You know that feeling when you’re overwhelmed with emails, contracts, payments, and client inquiries, wondering how you’re going to keep it all together? Girl, same. I mean, at least until I started using HoneyBook. HoneyBook is an all in one client management system that helps you stay organized and make your workflow feel manageable.
[00:30:19] Even on days when your energy is low. As a photographer balancing chronic illness, it has been an absolute game changer for me. Over the last six years, I’ve leaned on HoneyBook to grow my business without burning myself out in the process. From automating inquiries to sending contracts and tracking payments, HoneyBook makes it easy to deliver a polished professional experience without the chaos.
[00:30:43] Whether you’re balancing health challenges or just need more time to focus on the parts of your business that you love, HoneyBook helps simplify your day to day so that you can feel like you’re actually able to get ahead. If you’ve been looking for a way to get your business more organized and less overwhelming, head to share.
[00:30:59] honeybook. com Forward slash Sandra to get 30 percent off your first year. It’s one of the best investments I have ever made for my business. And I know that it can help you too. A special thank you to HoneyBook for being a sponsor of this episode. And now let’s get back to it.
[00:31:17] Sandra: Now, the workflow that I need to simplify is not actually one that lives inside HoneyBook or is CRM related at all. I don’t know if any of you can relate, but I convince myself every year that I need a new planner. And every single year that planner gets used for a few months. And then sits on my shelf, collecting dust.
[00:31:44] And every single time, a part of me feels so guilty for the wasted paper and the wasted money. So.
[00:31:51] for 2024, I bought myself a $3 digital planner off of Etsy to use on my iPad with free lifetime upgrades. So that at least I’m not killing any trees in the process. But guess what? Still didn’t finish out the year. Still only used it for a few months. So in 2025, I am keeping things simple And I am just going to keep using a sauna, which I always use anyway And realistically it does everything that I need from a digital planner. Using two separate things is just redundant and I don’t need to do it. Plus I had an Assano strategy session with my friend Serana from simply organized by Serana earlier this year. And she helped me get all my things set up in a way that just makes so much sense for my brain. I have a master list.
[00:32:39] And then I have individual lists that all lead into that. So. I have an at-a-glance view of everything that’s going on in my business. And I also can pop into those individual spaces. If there’s something specific that I need to work on.
[00:32:52] if you’re looking for a way to organize some of your projects and your social media and things like that outside of your client facing work, definitely check out a sauna. I just use the free version. I don’t pay for it. And it has everything that I need.
[00:33:06] Then lastly, before the year gets underway, I’m going to be looking at my calendar for the whole year and I’m going to be building in some flexibility. This is something that I always do and will always keep on doing, because I think it’s so important to plan things like time off at the beginning of the year. If a whole 12 months is too much for you to think about right now, try thinking about just 90 days, stick to one quarter at a time. But I want you to make it a priority to book some time off. In advance, especially during busy season. If you had any other type of job where you weren’t self-employed, you would be booking time off and taking advantage of things like vacation time. And so I want you to still have those luxuries as a small business owner and as a photographer, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be able to do that as well.
[00:33:57] And then aside from time off, I also like to keep additional dates open around my mini session.
[00:34:02] So that way, if weather doesn’t cooperate, I can easily shift everybody over with little to no stress. I know that I have that time available. And I’m not having to just find pockets of space to fit everybody into.
[00:34:16] So those are some ways that I’ve really built in flexibility to my schedule.
[00:34:21] Overall reflecting on the year that just passed, setting those goals, updating your systems, building flexibility into your schedule. All these things can really make the biggest difference for every single photographer, myself included. So I don’t want you to sleep on doing this for yourself.
[00:34:39] Trust me, it is so important. It’s not actually something that I ever did in my own business until I started working with a business coach. And it’s one of the things that if I could go back and tell the past version of myself to start doing, I would so take that for what it’s worth. And start doing this this year.
[00:34:59] After you’ve mapped everything out. If you need some help getting your workflows up and running to support all of your goals, To support all of those goals that you set, then head over to my website, simply Sandra yvonne.ca. Forward slash services and get in touch about booking either a HoneyBook strategy session which is a one-to-one call where we will just talk about any issues you’re having with your HoneyBook account, or just take a look at the workflows that you’ve built.
[00:35:25] Essentially just getting another set of eyes on your HoneyBook account to make sure you’re utilizing every feature and getting the most out of what you’ve paid for. Or you’ll find information on my website as well for a done for you workflow build VIP day where I actually do the work for you.
[00:35:43] I build out a complete workflow, including all of the templates that you’ll need so that you can just log in And know that it’s up and running without having to do any of the legwork to make that happen. My books are open for 2025. Uh, so head over to my website, get in touch before all of those dates start to fill up. And remember that even the smallest changes can have a big impact on how you approach your business in 2025.
[00:36:07] That’s it for me, friends, I am off to wrap up the last few days of work and then I’m going to be putting my feet up to enjoy the holidays. Thank you so much for being here again for.
[00:36:20] the start of the season and for all the episodes last season that happened earlier this year. You guys are literally the reason why I keep putting out new episodes. And it was so thankful for you. If you want to come and hang out over the holidays, make sure you come to find me on threads on Instagram.
[00:36:38] Both of those are at simply Sandra Yvonne, and you can also come and hang out in my Facebook communities, the unfiltered community, or chronically ill disabled in neurodivergent photographers. I have links for all. Those will be in the show notes. Have a great end to your year, have the best time over the holidays.
[00:36:57] And I’ll be back in 2025.
[00:36:59] Sandra: You’ve been listening to Keeping It Candid, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you’re here. Running a photography business doesn’t have to mean endless hustle and burnout, and I hope today’s episode brought you one step closer to that work life balance that you deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review.
[00:37:19] It helps other photographers like you find the show and keeps me inspired to keep bringing you more tips every single week. If you’re looking for tools, resources, or ways to work together, head to SimplySandraYvonne.ca to get started. Until next time, keep it simple and don’t forget to take care of you along the way.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
We’ve officially made it to the end of another year (congratulations on surviving another season!), and now’s the perfect time to give your wedding business the fresh start it deserves in 2025. Whether you’re juggling wedding clients, family sessions, or balancing it all with a chronic illness, the secret to less stress and more success is simple: better workflows.
Let’s dive into how you can audit, simplify, and glow-up your wedding business backend—without losing it in the process.
Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify
Keep scrolling for show notes, and a full transcript!
Reflect on 2024 (Yes, Even the Messy Parts)
Before we get carried away planning for next year, let’s take a hot second to think about this year. What went well in your wedding business? What didn’t? And be honest – did you hit that point where deadlines started slipping and emails piled up faster than holiday chocolates in December?
Reflection isn’t just about dragging yourself for what went wrong (I’m not here for that kind of vibe). It’s about figuring out what you can tweak, automate, or scratch entirely so you’re not stuck in the same cycle next year.
Set Your Goals and Make Them Exciting
Sure, we all want to make more money next year. But what about personal goals? Like actually taking a day off or cutting down those 2 a.m. editing marathons? And don’t forget client experience goals, because let’s face it – when your clients are happy, they’re way more likely to refer you to everyone they know (hello, dream bookings!).
For 2025, think about goals that hit three areas:
- Financial: More profit, less stress.
- Personal: More time for you.
- Client Experience: Smoother, faster, and downright impressive.
Let’s Talk Communication (Spoiler Alert: It’s Probably Too Complicated)
Raise your hand if you’ve rewritten the same email 18 times this year because people kept asking the same questions over and over? Yeah, I’ve been there too.
The fix? Templates, my friend. Create email responses for your wedding business for all those questions you keep getting asked: “How long until I get my photos?” or “Can I see your pricing guide?” Then, use a CRM like HoneyBook to automate those emails. It’ll make your life 10x easier and your clients will love how “on it” you are.
Automate the Boring Stuff
Look, no one starts a wedding business because they love sending payment reminders, follow-ups, and endless hours at their computer. So why are you still doing it manually?
With a CRM like HoneyBook, you can automate all those repetitive tasks that make you want to scream into your camera bag. Payment reminders? Done. Contracts? Sent. Follow-up emails? Automated.
You’re already running a full-time business. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be!
Build in Some Flexibility (Because Life Happens)
Life is unpredictable. Maybe you’ve got a chronic illness like me, or maybe it’s just one of those weeks where the universe decides to test the very limits of your patience. Either way, giving yourself some buffer time is a game-changer.
Here’s the trick: promise longer turnaround times in your wedding business than you actually need. Say six to eight weeks for photo delivery instead of four to six. If you’re feeling great and deliver early, you look like a star. If life throws you a curveball, you’ve got some wiggle room—and no angry emails asking where the gallery is.
Keep It Simple
When you’re building out workflows, focus on efficiency. Ask yourself: does this step actually need to be here? If the answer’s “meh,” it’s probably safe to cut.
For example, I used to have “upload photos” as a step in my workflow. But let’s be real – I’m a photographer. Uploading photos is like breathing. It’s gonna happen whether or not I check a box for it. Cutting unnecessary steps like that saves time and keeps your workflow clean and easy to follow.
The Secret Sauce: Systems That Work
Every super-successful wedding business owner you admire has one thing in common: they’ve built systems that work for them. Those systems don’t just save time; they create a consistent client experience that keeps people raving about their services.
If you’re not sure where to start, my Done-for-You HoneyBook Workflow Service is here to help. I’ll create custom workflows tailored to your business so you can stop drowning in admin work and focus on what you do best—capturing beautiful moments.
Time to Glow Up Your Wedding Business
So here’s the plan:
- Reflect on what worked and what didn’t in 2024.
- Set some spicy goals for 2025 (think profit, personal time, and client experience).
- Simplify your communication, automate the boring stuff, and give yourself some flexibility.
- Celebrate those wins—big or small—because you deserve it.
And if you need a little help along the way, check out my template shop or head over to SimplySandraYvonne.ca to book a workflow session.
Here’s to making 2025 your most stress-free, successful year yet!
Show Notes
Mentioned on today’s episode of Keeping It Candid:
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Done-For-You HoneyBook Workflows
Episode Sponsor: HoneyBook
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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 064
[00:00:00] Sandra: All of my chronic illness, friends listening, know this all too well, but unfortunately there is no one that is exempt from life’s unexpected surprises every now and then. I wish that we could figure out a way, but it’s just a part of living, right. And so one example of a way that you can make your business more flexible is to guarantee longer turnaround times than you actually need for things like responding to emails and delivering your photos. If you don’t need that extra time amazing. You’ve just under promise and over deliver to your clients and you’ve left them feeling great about the experience, giving them a little bit of a wow along the way.
[00:00:38] But if you do need that extra time, you don’t have to worry about disappointing your clients or missing deadlines.
[00:00:45] Sandra: Welcome to Keeping It Candid. I’m Sandra Henderson, photographer, system strategist, and here to help you level up your photography business with real strategies that work. If you’re tired of beginner advice and quick fixes that don’t actually solve anything, this is the podcast for you. Each week, we dive into simple, sustainable systems for client workflows, automation, and communication strategies that are designed to keep your business thriving without the burnout.
[00:01:15] Because your business should support you and not the other way around. Whether you’re balancing a chronic illness or just done with the endless hustle, Keeping it Candid is here to help you reclaim your time, work smarter, and focus on what truly matters.
[00:01:31] Sandra: It’s Wednesday, which means we are back for another episode of keeping it candid. I hope you guys are all having a great week.
[00:01:38] And wherever you are located, I hope that it is a little bit warmer and less snowy. Then it has been around here. I really shouldn’t be complaining because over the last couple of days it has warmed up and all the snow has melted. But there’s more on its way. And if there’s one thing about me, it’s that I am always going to complain about winter because I hate the cold. I swear.
[00:02:02] I was meant to be in a tropical climate and I don’t know how I ended up here in Canada.
[00:02:07] But it is one of my life goals to finally get somewhere that’s more south of where I don’t have to deal with all of this bullshit for months and months out of the year.
[00:02:17] But aside from all the misery that I think winter is, I do have one thing to celebrate and that’s that I had my very last session of 2024 last night. And it could not have ended my year better.
[00:02:31] One of my assistants, Emily, she has been doing weddings with me since 2017. It was her best friend’s birthday and it was a surprise. So I was there to take photos and it was a craft night with all of their friends that also included a drag show. It was too much fun.
[00:02:50] And I genuinely think that every single photographer needs to end their season with a drag show because it was just such a fun, carefree way to end a really awesome year behind the camera.
[00:03:03] And since I was so excited last week’s episode about Southern charm coming back, I feel like I do have to address. That I watched it and it was everything I wanted it to be. If you also watch Southern charm, I need you to pop over into my DMS. So that we can talk about the fact that there are some men out there who will just do literally anything other than go to therapy.
[00:03:25] And I burst out laughing, listening to Shep, talk about his Iowasca retreat, no shame or judgment to anyone who has done Iowasca. I have heard that it’s an absolutely incredible experience, but there are some people who still need therapy and Shep is totally one of those people. So if you know what. The hell I’m talking about, please come over to my DMS is so we can talk and laugh about this. And I also want to hear what your thoughts are on some of the new cast members.
[00:03:57] But enough about that.
[00:03:58] Let’s get to this. Week’s all the rage segment before we get into all the goodness that is your 2025 wedding business glow up.
[00:04:08] For this week’s all the rage. I want to talk about something that I haven’t necessarily been hearing a lot of photographers complaining about or raving about, but it’s something that I see a lot of photographers doing this time of year. And that is announcing that pricing is going to be changing in the new year and urging people to book.
[00:04:29] Personally, I think that this is not something that you should be doing.
[00:04:34] And there are a couple of reasons why I feel this way. First, I want you to think about big name, coffee shops. For those of us that are in Canada, Tim Horton’s of course is the first one that always comes to mind for all of my us listeners. We could be talking about Starbucks, which we also have here, but also Duncan. Any time any of these companies raise their prices, even if it’s only by about 10 cents, it is a ripple effect of negativity and people get so mad about it.
[00:05:08] Even earlier this year, Starbucks announced that they were changing their point structure and people were furious.
[00:05:15] No, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t change your prices because it absolutely has to happen as you grow and as your business needs change. And as the economy changes. But making that announcement just sends this like blanket F negativity around. And even if that’s not what our intentions are, it just has that effect.
[00:05:37] And then the second reason why I don’t think that you shouldn’t announce your pricing changes is because that sense of urgency is actually attracting people who are going to be booking with you for your price first. And things like the quality of work and the relationship that you’re going to build with them and the client experience that they’re going to receive. All of that comes afterwards. And personally, I have had the best experiences with my clients when those priorities have been in reverse. Where there really excited to work with me? They love my work.
[00:06:10] They know that they’re going to get a great client experience from our time together. And it’s just an extra bonus. If they happen to get a little bit of a discount.
[00:06:18] It really can change the entire foundation of the relationship that you’re building with people when it becomes about price.
[00:06:27] So, should you be raising your prices? Absolutely. If that’s what suits your business needs then yes, I absolutely encourage it, but you don’t have to actually announce it. You can just raise your prices without any sort of explanation needed.
[00:06:42] Chances are most people are, aren’t going to notice. And if someone inquired previously, it’s up to you. If you want to honor the pricing that they were originally sent, or if you want to tell them that your pricing has changed.
[00:06:55] But ultimately as the owner of your photography business, you have the ability and the permission to do what you want. When you want, as it suits your business needs, there’s no rule that says you can only up your prices at the beginning of the year. There’s no rule that says you can only up your prices once a year. There are so many different ways that you can approach pricing so that it suits you, your business needs your financial goals. And the financial demographic of the people that you’re trying to reach.
[00:07:25] I’m interrupting this episode to talk about workflows, but just kind of funny because there is a high likelihood that this episode is also in fact about workflows. But I digress. We’re close are supposed to make your life easier. And yet, somehow they always feel like too much work to figure out.
[00:07:44] And that’s where I come in. I offer a done for you. HoneyBook workflow service, where I build custom workflows tailored specifically to your photography business. Whether you’re juggling wedding clients, family sessions, or both. I create workflows that actually work for you. If you need email templates, questionnaires, or a booking process that feels seamless. I have got you covered. The best part is that you don’t have to lift a finger. I handle the setup, create all the templates you need and make sure that your workflow is designed to save you time and reduce stress so you can focus on what you love most creating magic behind your camera. If you’re ready to streamline your client experience and take the guesswork out of your workflow. Had to simply Sandra yvonne.ca forward slash services for more information and let’s get your business running smoother than ever.
[00:08:41] Sandra: Okay. With all that raging out of the way, I always get a resounding groan when I say these next words, but I want to know how is everybody feeling about 20, 25. I know you are probably thinking. Bitch. I have barely oppressed then on my last gallery, which is totally fair. And I’m not saying that you need to start getting to work on it next year, right away. But at the very least you do need to mentally start preparing for 2025 because now is not the time to ease up. Engagement season is here and there are literally thousands of people that are about to get sparkly rings on their fingers over the next couple months.
[00:09:21] You need to be prepared for when those people start landing in your inbox. So let’s start thinking about that fresh start that is coming your way on January 1st, and how maximizing your workflows is going to set the tone for an easier and more successful year ahead.
[00:09:37] No before we get too far ahead of ourselves. The first thing that is so important to do is to take some time to reflect on the last year. Think about things that worked really well and things that didn’t work. Think about whether or not there were any bottlenecks that caused problems for you and your clients or your clients.
[00:09:58] Was there a specific point in the year where you started struggling to keep up with your workload and started missing deadlines?
[00:10:05] What points of the experience did your clients have questions or get confused by the process? Were there any potholes that you experienced in your current workflows where things just weren’t working as smoothly as you needed them to.
[00:10:18] And think if there are any tasks that can be eliminated or completely delegated for next year.
[00:10:25] With all of that in mind, think about what an ideal workflow is going to look like for you in 2025, that is going to help you sustain the good and fix all of the bad that you encountered this year.
[00:10:38] What types of goals do you want to achieve? Think about sales goals and financial goals, but don’t forget to set some personal goals for yourself too, because there is a whole life for you to live outside of this amazing career that you’re building yourself. No matter how much you love it. And then I also want you to think about some goals that you want to achieve in terms of your client experience. This can be things like a faster response times, exceeding deadlines and even better client communication.
[00:11:08] Then I want you to think about what your business is going to look like once you hit those goals. How are you going to celebrate?
[00:11:15] Because celebrating your wins bigger, small is so important to making all of that hard work feel worth it.
[00:11:22] And then of course, you want to think about what you actually need to do to achieve those goals. I think about something that’s called your zone of genius. Your zone of genius is a thing that you are really good at that will help you push the needle forward and grow in your business. So, of course we’re all photographers here being behind our camera is an area that is our zone of genius. That is something that only we can do to the ability that we want it done and that our clients are expecting it to be done, but there are countless other things in our business. *Ahem*, bookkeeping I’m looking at you! That doesn’t necessarily have to be done by us. Areas that are not your zone of genius can become time sucks.
[00:12:08] They take too long, they take too much energy. You constantly put them off because you don’t want to do them. And you’re not great at them. And it’s just not worth the stress of trying to figure it out. So those are the types of things that we want to eliminate or delegate because they have to get done, but they don’t necessarily need to be done by us.
[00:12:28] So think about what kinds of things like that can happen to help you achieve these goals that you’re setting for yourself.
[00:12:35] For the things that are outside of your zone of genius, that maybe you can’t necessarily delegate, whether it be for financial reasons or because it’s just not something that can really be outsourced. You want to find ways to get those things done more efficiently. So they are at least taking less time away from those zone of genius tasks. Things like creating email templates, that’ll answer commonly asked questions as a way to do just that. So think about what are some questions that you are getting asked by clients or leads all the time? Is there a way that you can deliver the answers to those questions before they’re even asked. I have an FAQ section inside my pricing guide as well as sections on my website.
[00:13:22] So people hopefully can find the information that they’re looking for without actually having to email me for it. But if they do have to email me whether the information isn’t there or they just didn’t take the time to look for it. I have email templates set up so that I can easily just send those answers with just a few clicks instead of having to write all of that information out every single time.
[00:13:44] And don’t forget to also create templates that are going to help enforce your boundaries around things like office hours and turnaround times for when photos are going to be delivered. If you get on board with a CRM system, like HoneyBook, it is going to help you get all of this automated. So you are taking even more work off your plate.
[00:14:02] You
[00:14:03] Sandra: know that feeling when you’re overwhelmed with emails, contracts, payments, and client inquiries, wondering how you’re going to keep it all together? Girl -same. I mean, at least until I started using HoneyBook. HoneyBook is an all-in-one client management system that helps you stay organized and make your work flow feel manageable even on days when your energy is low. As a photographer balancing chronic illness, it has been an absolute game changer for me. Over the last six years, I’ve leaned on HoneyBook to grow my business without burning myself out in the process. From automating inquiries to sending contracts and tracking payments.
[00:14:41] HoneyBook makes it easy to deliver a polished professional experience without the chaos. Whether you’re balancing health challenges, or just need more time to focus on the parts of your business that you love, HoneyBook helps simplify your day to day so that you can feel like you’re actually able to get ahead.
[00:14:58] If you’ve been looking for a way to get your business more organized and less overwhelming head to share.honeybook.com/sandra to get 30% off your first year. It’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made for my business. And I know that it can help you too. A special, thank you to HoneyBook for being a sponsor of this episode. And now let’s get back to it.
[00:15:25] If there’s one thing that every single big name, super successful photographer has in common. It’s that before they were able to build up their teams and start delegating all the things that needed to be done, they had systems in place. So they were able to deliver a consistent client experience every single time. The teams came in when those systems started working so well that they were no longer able to maintain them because they were booking so many clients.
[00:15:55] You want to build your team because your business is outgrowing what one person is capable of? Not because it’s falling apart with you trying to wear all the hats and do all the things manually.
[00:16:07] So, if you were hating the side of business where you have to send follow-ups and invoices. Contracts reminders, questionnaires, and all the things hiring a virtual assistant isn’t necessarily going to help you. If you don’t have the systems in place to support them in that role. You’re going to save yourself a ton of time and money.
[00:16:27] Getting your automations set up during off season. So you can figure out if outsourcing and delegating is even something that you need right now.
[00:16:36] So think about what are some areas of your business that you could automate in 2025? Start small and make sure that you have time to actually familiar yourself with it all from both sides, yours and the client side, because it is so important to always know what your clients are experiencing,
[00:16:55] you want to know how the pricing guide you’re sending looks from there and, and how your CRM performs from their end.
[00:17:02] Because that way, you’re always going to have answers to their questions. If they run into any hurdles along the way.
[00:17:07] And even better is you’re going to be able to see where some of those hurdles might be. Before your clients have a chance to experience them themselves.
[00:17:15] And then once you have all of those roadblocks fixed and you found it ways that you can automate and streamline your processes, we’re going to take it one step further and think about some ways that you can now simplify this workflow.
[00:17:28] I want you to break things down into manageable steps and remove things that don’t really need to be there. For example, when I built out my first CRM workflows, one thing that I had in there was upload photos that I had as a step after every session.
[00:17:44] And after every wedding. And let’s be real. There is not a single photographer out there. Or maybe I shouldn’t say there’s not because let’s be real. Things happen, but for the most part coming home and uploading our photos is a habit it’s like breathing. We want to make sure that we’re getting those photos backed up so that we don’t have any sort of issues with things getting lost.
[00:18:06] A lot of times, we’re super excited to look at those wow photos that we took and get some sneak peaks edited.
[00:18:12] So realistically having upload your photos in a CRM workflow really doesn’t need to be there.
[00:18:20] It only takes a split second to check that off as done, but those split seconds add up when you have so many weddings and sessions throughout a year.
[00:18:28] If you’re building out an SOP, which is standard operating procedures, something that anybody could refer to at any point to step into your shoes to do some of these tasks, you absolutely want to have upload your photos written in there, but in your client facing workflows inside a CRM, it’s really redundant.
[00:18:48] And just taking up time.
[00:18:49] So removing things like that is a simple way to make things more simple.
[00:18:54] The main focus of your workflows should always be efficiency, getting things done in just a few clicks rather than a few minutes to do that, you want to make sure that your files are easy to find in places like your CRM system. And you also want to keep things organized. One way that I’d like to do that is to actually combine HoneyBook with Asana, which is the project management system that I use. I keep all of my non-client workflows for projects and marketing and social media over in a sauna and have task lists and automated reminders and things like that over there.
[00:19:31] And then for all of my client workflows, with things like invoices and payment reminders and support emails and things like that, all of that lives inside HoneyBook. And so I’m able to keep them all organized for their different purposes.
[00:19:45] The most important thing to remember as you’re thinking about 20, 25 and your processes and workflows that are going to support you through it is to leave room for the unexpected.
[00:19:55] All of my chronic illness, friends listening, know this all too well, but unfortunately there is no one that is exempt from life’s unexpected surprises every now and then. I wish that we could figure out a way, but it’s just a part of living, right. And so one example of a way that you can make your business more flexible is to guarantee longer turnaround times than you actually need for things like responding to emails and delivering your photos. If you don’t need that extra time amazing. You’ve just under promise and over deliver to your clients and you’ve left them feeling great about the experience, giving them a little bit of a wow along the way.
[00:20:34] But if you do need that extra time, you don’t have to worry about disappointing your clients or missing deadlines.
[00:20:41] For years in my wedding business, I had promised my wedding photos to be delivered within four to six weeks. And around that six week mark people would really be hounding me asking me when they could expect their photos. And it just added more stress to my plate in the process. So eventually I decided to switch that deadline to six to eight weeks.
[00:21:01] That way I had that little bit of wiggle room and I actually very rarely took that full eight weeks to deliver those photos.
[00:21:09] But it gave me just that little bit of breathing room that I needed so that I didn’t have to worry if my health decided to unexpectedly forced me to take a couple of days off or anything like that. And I didn’t have to worry about those constant emails of people checking in on where their photos were.
[00:21:24] Doing things like this helps you still deliver that consistent, amazing experience without all of that stress of maintaining it all. When you have more important things on your plate.
[00:21:34] That is why I always encourage photographers to do the same with their turnaround times. Even if it’s something as simple as how long it’s going to take you to reply to an email.
[00:21:44] Because that extra buffer time is what’s going to help you still deliver that consistent, amazing experience, taking some of the stress out of it. When you have more important things on your plate.
[00:21:54] Okay. I know this has been a lot, so let’s quickly recap how you are going to get a fresh start in the backend of your business for 2025.
[00:22:02] First you are going to audit your current workflow and think back on 2024, to see what worked and what didn’t work in your business. You’re going to set clear goals for improvement, streamline your communication and automate those repetitive tasks and keep things simple and build in flexibility so that no matter what life has in store for you, you can always stay on top of things.
[00:22:25] Taking time to do this now, or at least in the very near future is going to help you reduce your stress levels all year long next year, and create a stronger foundation for your business.
[00:22:37] As always, if you need support to get you started, you can head over to my shop, at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop to get templates and workflows and all the things that are going to help you get everything up and running.
[00:22:51] And don’t forget that even a small changes can have a huge impact on how you approach your business in the future. So take some time this off season to make that happen.
[00:23:01] All right friends. Normally I record these episodes during the day, but the sun is completely down and I can hear the strain in my voice. We’re getting a little raspy around here. So I am going to wrap up this episode at thank you so much for being here as always. We’ve got one more before the holiday is coming up at next Wednesday.
[00:23:23] So I will see you then.
[00:23:25] Sandra: You’ve been listening to Keeping It Candid, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you’re here. Running a photography business doesn’t have to mean endless hustle and burnout, and I hope today’s episode brought you one step closer to that work life balance that you deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review.
[00:23:44] It helps other photographers like you find the show and keeps me inspired to keep bringing you more tips every single week. If you’re looking for tools, resources, or ways to work together, head to SimplySandraYvonne. ca to get started. Until next time, keep it simple and don’t forget to take care of you along the way..
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
Your photography client experience is the foundation of your business. It’s not just about delivering stunning images; it’s about how you make your clients feel every step of the way. From that first inquiry to signing the contract, every interaction matters. A simple and intentional photography client experience not only ensures happy clients but also saves you time and energy, especially when you use tools like HoneyBook to streamline it all.
Here’s how to create a smooth, professional photography client experience that wows your clients – and helps you book more weddings with confidence.
Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify
Keep scrolling for show notes, and a full transcript!
First Impressions Matter
The inquiry stage sets the tone for the entire photography client experience, and quick responses are so important. Studies show that more than 80% of clients book the first business that responds to their inquiry. But as a busy photographer, staying on top of emails isn’t always realistic – especially if you’re in the middle of wedding season or dealing with low-energy days.
This is where a client relationship management (CRM) system like HoneyBook becomes invaluable. By setting up an automated email response, you can make sure potential clients receive a personalized message as soon as they hit “submit” on your contact form. And when you use features like HoneyBook’s smart fields, you can include details like their name, wedding date, and venue, making it feel like a one-on-one interaction while saving yourself hours of work in the process.
This is a simple but seriously impactful step that not only makes you look professional but also builds trust, which is so important for turning inquiries into bookings.
Speak Their Language (Not Photography Jargon)
Your couples aren’t photographers – they don’t know or care about the difference between “bokeh” and “depth of field.” It might feel natural to highlight the technical details of your work, but these kinds of terms can leave clients feeling confused and disconnected. Instead, focus on what matters to them: your ability to capture meaningful moments on their wedding day and deliver images they’ll be obsessed with for a lifetime.
Clear, concise communication is key. Avoid overly long emails that overwhelm your clients or responses so short they feel impersonal. Your goal is to find a happy medium that gives them all the necessary information in a way that’s easy to understand. Using customizable templates in HoneyBook can help you send emails that are on-brand and client-focused without having to start from scratch every time.
Guide Clients Through Every Step
When it comes to the booking process, never assume your clients know what to do next. Even the most detail-oriented couples can feel overwhelmed by the logistics of wedding planning. It’s your job to guide them with clear instructions and next steps at every stage of the process.
For example, when you send over your pricing guide, include a section at the end about what they should do next – whether it’s scheduling a consultation or filling out a questionnaire. Then, once they’ve decided to book, outline the steps for signing the contract and submitting their retainer.
This level of hand-holding not only helps clients feel supported but also builds their confidence in your ability to manage their big day with ease.
Simplify the Booking Experience For Your Photography Clients
The easier you make it for clients to book, the more likely they are to move forward without hesitation. Offering simple, straightforward payment options is a big part of this. Nobody wants to feel like they’re jumping through hoops just to give you their money!
Using HoneyBook, you can set up automated payment reminders to ensure clients never miss a due date. For an even more seamless experience, you can use their auto-pay feature, so payments are processed automatically on their scheduled dates.
After the booking process is complete, sending a personalized thank-you email is the best way to celebrate the milestone. Congratulate your new clients on taking a such a huge step in their wedding planning journey and reassure them that they’ve made the right choice by hiring you!
Why a Great Photography Client Experience Benefits You, Too
A streamlined photography client experience isn’t just about making your clients happy – it’s about protecting your own energy and boundaries. When your process is clear and professional, you avoid unnecessary stress and awkward situations (like chasing down payments or clarifying confusing emails).
Happy clients are also more likely to refer you to their friends and leave 5-star reviews, which means less time marketing yourself and more time doing what you love: capturing those unforgettable moments.
Take Time to Reflect and Improve
As the year winds down, take some time to audit your current process. Are there any steps in your workflow that feel like roadblocks?? Do you have the right tools in place to automate repetitive tasks? Even small tweaks can make a huge difference. Remember, a polished photography client experience isn’t something that just happens. It’s the result of intentional planning and thoughtful adjustments over time.
Ready to Simplify Your Workflow?
If you’re ready to elevate your photography client experience and streamline your workflow, HoneyBook is a game-changer. From automating inquiries to sending contracts and tracking payments, it’s designed to make your life easier while delivering a polished, professional experience for your clients.
Need help getting started? Check out my template shop for ready-to-use tools, including email swipe files and smart file templates. These resources are fully customizable and designed to save you time while keeping your business running like a dream.
With the right systems in place, you can create a stress-free client experience that supports your clients—and your own well-being. Let’s make 2025 your smoothest year yet!
Show Notes
Mentioned on today’s episode of Keeping It Candid:
Check out the Shop!
Episode Sponsor: HoneyBook
Get 30% off your first year!
Destination wedding payment chaos – Making it Easy for Your Wedding Photography Clients: 5 Essential Steps for a Seamless Experience
What do your taco choices reveal about your wedding photography business? Take my quiz to find out!
Other Episodes & Blogs You’ll Love
Utilizing Systems To Deliver An Amazing Client Experience with The Finer Points
Stop Making Your Photography Clients Jump Through Hoops
Up-Level Your Client Experience With This One Simple Question
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 063
[00:00:00] Sandra: I see this a lot, especially on social media, where photographers feel the need to talk about the equipment that they’re using, the lens they used, using terms like depth of field and Bokeh and things like that. All great words, but they don’t mean anything to your clients.
[00:00:19] They don’t understand what the hell Bokeh is. They don’t know what depth of field means. And if they’re asking you about your camera equipment, chances are they printed their list of questions off of The Knot.
[00:00:29] Welcome to Keeping It Candid. I’m Sandra Henderson, photographer, system strategist, and here to help you level up your photography business with real strategies that work. If you’re tired of beginner advice and quick fixes that don’t actually solve anything, this is the podcast for you. Each week, we dive into simple, sustainable systems for client workflows, automation, and communication strategies that are designed to keep your business thriving without the burnout.
[00:00:59] Because your business should support you and not the other way around. Whether you’re balancing a chronic illness or just done with the endless hustle, Keeping it Candid is here to help you reclaim your time, work smarter, and focus on what truly matters.
[00:01:15] Happy Wednesday, everybody. Welcome back to Keeping It Candid, and my condolences to all of my fellow Bravo fans, because it has been a sad week. It was announced that the cast of Vanderpump Rules is being entirely replaced for the next season, which honestly, I personally am not entirely surprised about because if you watch the show, you know, that everybody like legitimately hated each other at the end of last season.
[00:01:42] And I genuinely don’t think I had it in me to watch another 13 or however many episodes of these people fighting about the exact same thing over and over and over again. So I’m a little skeptical about a new cast, but I am at least relieved that we are going to get a little bit of a change up.
[00:02:01] And I’m a huge fan of Real Housewives of New York as well, and they got a whole new cast and it’s an unpopular opinion, but I actually love the new cast. So we’ll see how this all plays out.
[00:02:14] But thankfully we have Southern Charm coming back to give us all the dramatic fix that we need in the meantime, which is probably my favourite show or one of my favorite shows on Bravo. And you can definitely catch me putting that on as background noise on Friday while I’m getting some more work done before the weekend.
[00:02:32] I have to have some sort of background noise on, and it really varies if I’m going to be watching TV or listening to a podcast, listening to music depends on what kind of mood I’m in and what kinds of things that I’m working on. If you are a background noise person, too, I would love to hear what it is that you’ve got playing. Come over to Instagram. Send me a DM @simplysandrayvonne and let’s chat about what it is that you’ve got filling up the space while you are trying to get through that editing. And speaking of that editing that most of you I know are probably still in need deep in the midst of ,trying to get it all done before the holidays. And trying to get rest and all the things that I talked about on last week’s episode.
[00:03:16] But that doesn’t change the fact that engagement season is almost here and we’ve really got to start thinking about 2025 now, if we haven’t already.
[00:03:27] So today we are going to be talking all about creating a successful client experience from inquiry to booking. But first, before I get to that, We have this week’s All The Rage segment. I feel like I need to have some sort of like sound or little bit of music or something right here like you would hear on the radio, but this week I want to talk about whether or not you should post your editing cue to your Instagram stories.
[00:03:54] If you ask other photographers, they’re going to tell you no, don’t do it. But chances are, if you poll your audience, which is the people that are actually interested in seeing your content and people who are actually potentially going to hire you, the people that you are wanting to speak directly to. If you ask them, chances are you’re going to get an entirely different answer.
[00:04:19] Speaking from my own results and a few other of my colleagues who I know have done the same thing. Our results overwhelmingly, voted in favor of that editing queue being posted.
[00:04:31] I see a lot of other photographers that are talking about not posting this editing queue. They have this idea that it’s meant to be a “look at me; look how busy I am” type- vibe, and I genuinely hate that that’s the assumption that people are making.
[00:04:48] Personally. I just think it’s another level of transparency between us and our clients. It lets them know where they are in the process and gives them just another reminder of how long it’s going to be until they get their photos.
[00:05:02] Especially as photographers where we are giving such a personalized experience. I do still think it’s important for our clients to realize that our entire world doesn’t revolve around them. We have other clients. We have other photos that we have to get to, and that helps paint that picture as well. So, if you don’t want to post your editing cue in your stories, then don’t. Nobody is forcing you to. But if somebody else is, it’s legit not impacting you in any way, shape or form. So let’s just zip it and carry on with our day.
[00:05:33] Sandra: You know that feeling when you’re overwhelmed with emails, contracts, payments, and client inquiries, wondering how you’re going to keep it all together? Girl, same. I mean, at least until I started using HoneyBook. HoneyBook is an all in one client management system that helps you stay organized and make your workflow feel manageable.
[00:05:55] Even on days when your energy is low. As a photographer balancing chronic illness, it has been an absolute game changer for me. Over the last six years, I’ve leaned on HoneyBook to grow my business without burning myself out in the process. From automating inquiries to sending contracts and tracking payments, HoneyBook makes it easy to deliver a polished professional experience without the chaos.
[00:06:19] Whether you’re balancing health challenges or just need more time to focus on the parts of your business that you love, HoneyBook helps simplify your day to day so that you can feel like you’re actually able to get ahead. If you’ve been looking for a way to get your business more organized and less overwhelming, head to share.
[00:06:35] honeybook. com Forward slash Sandra to get 30 percent off your first year. It’s one of the best investments I have ever made for my business. And I know that it can help you too. A special thank you to HoneyBook for being a sponsor of this episode. And now let’s get back to it.
[00:06:57] In the first years of my business, I had a client who wanted to book their wedding with me. And after I sent their proposal, they completely ghosted. I sent a few follow up emails and I never got a response. So eventually I sent one last email with a final deadline saying if I didn’t hear back and didn’t receive payment by X date, then I would be canceling their booking altogether.
[00:07:20] I did eventually hear back. I can’t remember at this point, if it was before or after that deadline that I set, but they said that they were actually on vacation for the last couple of weeks and that one of their family members was supposed to pay their invoice while they were away, so they had no idea that any of this had been transpiring.
[00:07:38] In hindsight, I should have picked up on several red flags, but I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. And honestly, I even started feeling a little bit bad for pestering them about getting paid. And I say that I should’ve picked up on those red flags because to date, this actually ended up being one of the most difficult weddings of my career.
[00:08:00] It was a really, really hard lesson to learn, but it completely changed how I approached the inquiry to booking process. These days, I really focus on making sure that clients know exactly what to expect, how to move forward and when things need to happen. So we are going to talk all about how you can build an experience that feels smooth stress-free and sets the tone to leave your clients saying, wow.
[00:08:26] A great client experience doesn’t just impact the client. It impacts you too, because when your process is smooth and professional clients trust you more, which means they’re more likely to book without hesitation or confusion, or most importantly, any red flags. And that confidence starts to trickle down to their referrals too, because happy clients love to recommend someone who made their experience easy and enjoyable.
[00:08:53] And let’s not forget the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re not in for any surprises from your clients down the road, which always takes all of the fun out of this business.
[00:09:03] So let’s start at the beginning with the inquiry process. It’s important to respond quickly and professionally, but that doesn’t mean that you physically have to be the one responding personally.
[00:09:14] How do you do both? Well, if you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, it is going to be no surprise to you when I say: auto responders. At minimum, you need to set up an autoresponder that says something along the lines of, I received your email and here’s when you’ll hear back from me. You never want to leave people wondering what to expect, because confusion and unanswered questions is what takes away from that trust that you are working so hard to build.
[00:09:42] At this point heading into 2025, you can’t afford to not be using auto responders. We live in a time when instant access is everything and more than 80% of clients are hiring the business that responds to their inquiry first. So it’s so important to be that first one landing in their inbox. And when you use features like HoneyBook smart fields and smart files, you can sent a personalized, automated email response to them that includes their name, their wedding date, and any other personal information that you want to include, while also sending along things like a pricing guide so you can start giving them that information that they’re looking for.
[00:10:21] And then as the inquiry process continues, we want to talk more about streamlining communication. When you’re emailing, you want to make sure that it’s clear and concise. Skip any and all professional jargon. And I know
[00:10:36] I see this a lot, especially on social media, where photographers feel the need to talk about the equipment that they’re using, the lens they used, using terms like depth of field and Bokeh and things like that. All great words, but they don’t mean anything to your clients.
[00:10:55] They don’t understand what the hell Bokeh is. They don’t know what depth of field means. And if they’re asking you about your camera equipment, chances are they printed their list of questions off of The Knot.
[00:11:06] Because I know that that question is on there. I’ve been asked it a million times myself. And when you give the answer about what kind of camera equipment you’re going to use, your potential clients are going to look at you with blank stares.
[00:11:19] Because again, they have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. One camera to the next, it doesn’t mean anything to them, but somewhere an expert told them that they need to be asking this question.
[00:11:30] So here’s your permission to skip the jargon, stop using technical terms and start relating to the person who is actually hiring you.
[00:11:39] You also want to make sure that your email lengths are a happy medium. You don’t want anything that’s unnecessarily long winded, but you also don’t want anything that’s too short either.
[00:11:50] I had someone email me twice this summer, where all they responded with was a thumbs up emoji. And while I appreciate the heads up that they got the email, it was such a waste of my time. And I was so frustrated. Like I genuinely would have just preferred not hearing anything at all than to have to waste my time opening up my inbox, just to see an email that included a thumbs up. That’s just me. Maybe you guys feel differently, but I just felt like it was a waste of my time. So find a happy medium between a really long unnecessary email and something that’s as short as an emoji.
[00:12:29] And when you use a CRM system to do this, it gives you a place to create templates for all of these emails that you can modify it any time to make sure that they are always on point. And if you aren’t sure what to say, head over to Chat GPT and use that as a starting point. It’s so important to make sure that you modify it so that it actually sounds like you and matches your brand voice, but it is such an incredible starting place. I use chat GPT for literally everything.
[00:12:58] You can also pop over into my shop, where I have all the email templates and smart file templates that you could need already done for you. There’s an email bundle specifically that I think is going to be a super helpful and fits perfectly in with what we’re talking about. This inquiry email bundle includes auto responders, three follow-up emails, and an email about why someone decided to book elsewhere.
[00:13:23] These templates are fully customizable, but they’re also ready to use if you love the way they sound and they fit for your business. Just copy and paste, set up a few automations and you are good to go.
[00:13:36] Streamlining your communication isn’t just important for wowing our clients and standing out against the competition. It’s also the first step in setting boundaries around your office hours, and it’s one of the simplest automated systems that you can set up for your business.
[00:13:51] Photographers, let’s be honest. No one has time to be creating templates from scratch all the time, especially when you’re juggling inquiries, bookings, and everything in between. That’s why I created my template shop, your one stop spot for everything you need to streamline your business. Inside the shop, you will find HoneyBook smart files, email swipe file templates, and workflow outlines designed to make your life so much easier. And the best part is that they are all fully customizable. So you can tweak them to fit your business perfectly, whether you’re trying to automate your inquiry process, polish up your client communication, or finally get your CRM running like a dream. I have got you covered. Stop wasting your time, DIYing everything and start using templates that are ready to work as hard as you do.
[00:14:40] These tools are built to simplify your life, boost your efficiency, and make your business look so polished, all while being totally customizable to fit your style. If you’re ready to spend less time on admin and more time behind the camera, head over to simplysandreevon. ca forward slash shop and check them out.
[00:15:01] Trust me, your future self will thank you.
[00:15:04] Now onto the third thing that you want to do to create a successful client experience from inquiry to booking, is guiding your clients through the process. You never, ever, ever want to assume that people will know what to do and never assume that it’s going to be easy for them. You really want to spell it out for people like they’re five.
[00:15:27] And I mean that with the most love and in the politest way. You really want to hold their hand and guide them through the process because it builds trust. It helps these potential clients know that they’re going to be able to rely on you and you are going to keep all of your bases covered throughout the time that you’re working together.
[00:15:46] So some ways that you can do this is to include things like next steps at the end of all, major emails, for things like your pricing guide, your booking, confirmation planning, a timeline, anything like that, any of those major touch points at the end, just let them know what those next steps are going to be and it will go such a long way.
[00:16:06] And then lastly, I want to talk about the actual booking experience. A seamless booking experience is so important because when you make it difficult, you are literally taking money out of your own pocket. I talked about this on an episode last season, I’ll have to go back and figure out which episode it was and I’ll drop it in the show notes. But I was doing a destination wedding at a resort last year, and this resort could not have made it more difficult for me to spend my money.
[00:16:36] I took $20 us to the pharmacy and was told that it was too large of a bill and they couldn’t accept it. Then I tried to use my credit card to book a private lounge for my way home, because I was just exhausted and wanted to relax. And they told me that it was just my specific type of credit card that was wrong, that they could take any other type of credit card, except for mine. Then I went to go and buy a bottle of water at one point and was told that now they could only accept Canadian funds because it was only Canadians on the resort. And it was just like, it was one thing after another. And I was so frustrated and honestly just did not feel valued as a customer.
[00:17:20] So I share that story because it really makes you see how offering multiple and a simple payment options can go such a long way.
[00:17:30] They literally lost over $150 for me because they kept denying my methods of payment.
[00:17:38] You can also automate things like payment reminders to take all of the awkwardness out of chasing people down for missed payments, which I absolutely love. And HoneyBook even has a feature that you can set it up so people have to auto pay. Meaning that on any payment due date that you set their credit card will automatically be charged so you don’t have to worry about them remembering. They don’t have to worry about remembering and everything is going to get taken care of automatically.
[00:18:06] I also love to send out custom thank you emails after payments are made, especially after that initial retainer, because it’s a great time to congratulate them on taking this huge step in wedding planning. If you’ve ever planned a wedding before, you know, that hiring a photographer is one of the big decisions that you have to make right in the very beginning. So you want to congratulate them on that, hype them up and make sure that they never have even a second of buyer’s remorse wondering if they made the right choice in hiring you.
[00:18:36] So before we wrap things up, let’s do a quick little recap.
[00:18:39] First. You want to make sure that you are giving an amazing first impression with a quick personalized response. You’re going to streamline and clarify the emails that you’re sending.
[00:18:49] You’re going to use tools that keep templates and communication simple for you and your clients and you are going to get to know those tools so well, they are going to be like your new best friend. And then you’re going to give your booking experience a little extra sparkle with things like automated payment reminders and thank you emails.
[00:19:09] A great client experience isn’t something that just happens when you really get along with someone. It happens when you intentionally plan out every step to support your clients within your own boundaries. Supported clients are happy clients, and happy clients mean reviews, referrals, return clients, and even more bookings.
[00:19:29] So I want you to take some time over the holidays, maybe during that window between Christmas and New Years where no one really knows how to exist- and I want you to do a self audit of your process that takes a lead from inquiry to booking. See if there are any hurdles or roadblocks that you need to fix and brainstorm some ways that you can make this process even better.
[00:19:51] Even the smallest tweeks can make a huge difference, so I don’t want you to overthink this and if you need any help, getting started, make sure that you head over to my website. Visit my template shop simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop.
[00:20:05] Or come over to the unfiltered community on Facebook. You’ll find a link to that in the show notes. You can come and ask for advice and ideas on how to make this inquiry process even more amazing for your potential clients and myself and some other amazing photographers are there to support you and help you out along the way.
[00:20:24] Now, if anybody needs me, you will find me on my couch working through the last of my editing for the year today, catching up on the last couple of episodes of last season of Southern charm. I am a re watcher. I can’t help it. I have no room in my brain to retain what happens in between seasons. So I have to go and rewatch to get caught up or it’s like, I have absolutely no idea what’s happening.
[00:20:48] So that’s where you’ll find me this Wednesday. As always, if you love this episode, I would love it if you would share it with some friends who would love it too. And it just said the word love a lot there, but share this episode with somebody who you think is going to get some takeaways from it too. Screenshot the episode and share it on social media, on your Instagram stories, and come and talk about your favorite takeaway on Threads.
[00:21:11] I would love to hear what you got from this episode and how you’re going to use it in your business. So until next time friends have a great rest of your week.
[00:21:21] You’ve been listening to Keeping It Candid, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you’re here. Running a photography business doesn’t have to mean endless hustle and burnout, and I hope today’s episode brought you one step closer to that work life balance that you deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review.
[00:21:40] It helps other photographers like you find the show and keeps me inspired to keep bringing you more tips every single week. If you’re looking for tools, resources, or ways to work together, head to SimplySandraYvonne.ca to get started. Until next time, keep it simple and don’t forget to take care of you along the way.
This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a small amount of money if you make a purchase from any of our affiliates. This is done at no cost to you!
Let’s talk about what so many of us are dealing with this time of year: photography burnout. If you’re a wedding photographer, chances are you’ve hit that point where your editing queue feels never-ending, and every client is sending a “when will my photos be ready” email. These fall and winter seasons, with back-to-back editing and holiday deadlines, feel like a marathon you didn’t sign up for.
Photography burnout happens, but it doesn’t have to define you or your business. Let’s talk about five practical strategies to help you push through—and maybe even add a little joy back into your business in the process.
Listen on Apple | Listen on Spotify
Keep scrolling for show notes, and a full transcript!
Break Down Your Editing Goals
Looking at an entire season’s worth of sessions and weddings can feel like staring into an endless black hole. The secret? Take it one small step at a time.
Start by focusing on what you can realistically finish today. Instead of thinking, “I have 800 photos to edit from this wedding,” break it down into sections. For example, aim to finish the getting-ready and ceremony sections by lunch, family formals, wedding party, and newlywed portraits by dinner, and candid reception shots in the evening if you’re pulling an all-day-er.
This approach makes everything feel way more manageable, and crossing smaller tasks off your list throughout the day is so much more motivating.
Reward Yourself Like the Boss You Are
Let’s be real: the promise of a reward makes everything better. It doesn’t matter who you are! So, when you’re stuck at your computer for hours on end, plan little pick-me-ups to look forward to.
Maybe you edit the first half of the day’s photos and then treat yourself to your favourite latte. Or schedule a walk, watch your favourite show, or have a guilt-free scrolling session on Threads after wrapping up the next big chunk.
The key? Your reward should take you away from your computer. Even a quick five-minute break can help reset your focus and keep you from totally losing it when Lightroom decides to crash mid-export (because of course it will).
Rethink Your Workflow
Have you ever tried editing the day backward? Some photographers swear by this trick. Starting with the less exciting reception candids and saving those dreamy portrait shots for last. The theory is that it keeps you motivated because you’re working your way toward the more “fun” edits.
Does it work for everyone? Nope. (Hi, neurodivergent brain over here!) Personally, I’ve tried it, and all it did was stress me out when I didn’t see the portraits I knew I’d taken. For whatever reason, after several attempts I just couldn’t actively remember that the day was in reverse and that I just hadn’t gotten to those photos yet. But, if your brain loves a good shake-up, it might be worth a try.
The takeaway here is to try to experiment with your editing process. Whether you work chronologically, backward, or in random bursts, find what keeps you moving without adding extra stress.
Over-Communicate with Clients
If your inbox is full of clients asking, “When will we get our photos?” it’s time to take a hard look at your client communication. Spoiler: this is usually a “you” problem, not a “them” problem.
Your clients aren’t trying to be annoying—they just don’t know what’s going on. So, let’s make sure they do! Drop turnaround times everywhere: in contracts, confirmation emails, session follow-ups, and even sneak peek galleries (if you send them). The goal is to over-communicate so they don’t feel the need to ask.
Bonus? The less time you spend replying to emails, the more time you can actually spend editing.
Photography Burnout Happens. Give Yourself Some Grace
This might be tough season, but it’s just that—a season. Photography burnout doesn’t mean you’re a bad photographer or a bad business owner. It means you’re human.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself that this busy stretch doesn’t define your whole year. You’re allowed to take breaks, even when deadlines are lurking. You’re allowed to say no to last-minute requests. And most importantly, you’re allowed to ask for help if you need it.
Preparing for Next Year
Once the chaos dies down, take some time to revisit your systems. What worked? What didn’t? Where can you make things smoother for next year? Tools like workflow templates or a solid CRM system (hello, HoneyBook!) can make a world of difference.
If you’re ready to streamline your processes and start next season strong, check out my shop for tools like email swipe files, workflow outlines, and smart file templates. These are designed specifically for photographers who want to simplify their systems and save time without sacrificing client experience.
Let’s Chat About Photography Burnout
Burnout is tough, but you don’t have to go through it alone. I’d love to hear how you’re navigating the busy season and what’s helping you push through. Come find me on Threads or Instagram (@simplysandrayvonne), and let’s swap stories (and maybe vent a little, too!).
You’ve got this, friend! And remember: this is just one season in your amazing photography journey.
Show Notes
Mentioned on today’s episode:
Check out the Shop!
Book a HoneyBook Housekeeping appointment
Episode Sponsor: HoneyBook
Get 30% off your first year!
What do your taco choices reveal about your wedding photography business? Take my quiz to find out!
Other Episodes You’ll Love
How I Approach A Wedding Day & The Healing Power of CARBS!
Why Consistency Matters In Your Photography Business
Experience The Difference of Long-Term Marketing with Kara Duncan
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 062
[00:00:00] Sandra: Welcome back to Keeping it Candid friends! It is the first episode of season three, and I am so excited to be back. If you are new around here. My name is Sandra Henderson. I am a photographer, system strategist and your host here on Keeping it Candid.
[00:00:15] I decided to take the fall off before bringing the podcast back for another season, because let’s be real. The fall is chaos. If you’re a photographer anywhere in the Northern hemisphere, especially my friends here in Canada, you know how crazy things can get once the leaves start changing colors. And you’ve got all of that editing from the summer still waiting to get finished, and it just is madness.
[00:00:37] So I decided I was going to push pause on the podcast so I could dedicate my time and energy to that. And also because I really have just been feeling like I needed a fresh new energy this season.
[00:00:51] One thing I really thought a lot about is how for a podcast that’s supposed to be unfiltered, which this podcast is- even though I just call it, keeping it candid. It is Keeping it Candid- Wedding, Photography Unfiltered, and truly, I feel like I have been filtering myself the last couple of seasons.
I really try to not ruffle feathers because I never want to make anyone feel bad and let’s be real. There is plenty of negativity in this industry without having anyone else add to that. But at the same time, I think that things can still be talked about in a more constructive way. And so I hope to be doing just that this season. My favorite episodes of real Housewives are always the uncensored reunion episodes. Hearing everybody actually swear. And not having it all beeped out gives me life and I am a pretty unfiltered person outside of business.
[00:01:46] So for this season, I’m really going to be trying to make these episodes more raw, real, and unfiltered.
[00:01:55] You’re still going to get all the tips and tricks that you have come to know and love from podcast. But I’ve got a few other things in store that I hope are just going to breathe a little bit of new life into things around here. Now since the last episode I am so, so excited to say that my shop has finally launched. This was a labor of love that I started back at the beginning of 2024, and I had to keep pushing the launch date back for so many reasons. But I finally got it finished and I am so, so happy with it.
I’ve gotten some amazing feedback from people who have already purchased some of the templates and I can’t wait to share some more with you. So if you haven’t checked it out the shop yet, you can find that at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop and inside you’re going to find everything you need to help you get your inquiry, workflow and processes up and running in a more simple and streamlined way in time for engagement season, which is already just around the corner.
[00:02:58] You’ll find HoneyBook smart files, email swipe file templates, workflow outlines -so much to help you get your CRM, especially if you’re a HoneyBook user up and running.
[00:03:09] After the shop launch, I did a quick little rebrand, which I didn’t launch officially in any capacity, but kind of mentioned it and teased it a little bit here and there on my social media accounts, but that’s all wrapped up on my website. Everything is finished and it’s so much fun.
[00:03:26] I switched from. A more soft pink branding to a really fun, bright yellow, and teal and blue branding, which I think of really suits my personality more, suits the brand that I wanted to have more. So yeah, it feels really good and I’m really happy with it.
[00:03:45] So that’s what I’ve been up to for the last couple of months.
[00:03:49] And I want to hear all about what you have been up to, whether it’s small wins or huge wins. Come over and hang out on threads or on Instagram, you can find me on both @simplysandrayvonne. And I want to hear all about what you have been up to you. This podcast is not just all about me after all.
[00:04:07] Okay. Now I promise that you are still going to get all the same tips and tricks that you have come to know and love on the podcast. But before I get to that, I want to introduce a brand new segment that I’m going to be doing on every episode called All The Rage. I chose this name for this segment because I feel like it has a couple of different meanings and I’m trying to embrace the fact that I’m 37 years old.
[00:04:33] I am an elder millennial. This for whatever reason 37 was the year that I really started to feel my age. Um, I had a lot of moments where -my stepson is almost 18. And so it’s just really making me see that, like, I’m coming into the later years of my life. I’m not as young as I used to be. And so again, I’m just trying to embrace that.
[00:04:56] So with all the rage, the word rage, we can use that in two different ways, right?
[00:05:00] There’s the obvious one where things that people are raging about, they’re angry. They’re upset about. We see a lot of that on social media and especially in the photography industry.
[00:05:12] But for all of my millennial friends and any gen X friends that may be listening. You guys might remember that all the rage back in our day, which I hate being able to say that, but back in our day something that was all the rage was actually a good thing. It was things that people love, they were really excited about and had a total opposite meaning to what we read about these days.
[00:05:36] So on this segment, I’m going to be talking about things that are sort of hot topics in the industry right now. I don’t want to call them hot topics or hot takes because I personally am just over everybody sharing their hot takes. But what I’m doing is actually paying attention to real conversations that are happening on social media outside of those hot takes, on places like Threads and Reddit. There are so many conversations happening amongst photographers about the industry. About things that they’re dealing with about things they’re super excited about and worried about. So I’ve been paying a lot of close attention to those conversations. I spend a lot of time in these spaces because text is my jam.
[00:06:16] I get a lot of sensory overload with watching videos all the time. So you can always find me in these places that are a little less overwhelming. And that’s where I’m getting the ideas for the topics to talk about.
[00:06:29] So this week on all the rage, I want to talk about clients who are constantly pestering you for photos.
[00:06:35] And I know this time of year, this is something that almost every single one of you listening can relate to where you are knee deep in editing. You’ve been at your computer for hours. You take a quick little break to check your email and grab some water. And there is an email from someone whose photos were just taken a week and a half ago. Wondering when their photos are going to be ready. It is beyond frustrating, right? But here’s the thing.
[00:07:02] With the odd exception, because let’s be real. Some people be crazy. With the odd exception this is actually a you problem and not a them problem.
[00:07:12] And what I mean by that is that you are not communicating your turnaround times clearly enough for your clients to remember them and stop asking you this question.
[00:07:23] You know, that really popular saying, or people are like, “explain it to me like I’m five”? We kind of need to approach running a business like our clients are five years old. And I say that in the most respectful way possible.
[00:07:36] But we have to approach it that way because people are not thoroughly reading their contracts. They’re not remembering an email that was sent six months ago with information in it. You need to be actively repeating this information and making sure that it’s easily accessible for your clients to find so that they can get the answers to their questions without having to come to your inbox.
[00:07:58] In my own photography business I mention the turnaround times in my contract, the confirmation email that I send out after they’ve booked. I send the turnaround times in a thank you email after their sessions over. I used to send sneak peaks; I don’t anymore, but when I did send sneak peaks, there was a reminder of the turnaround times then as well.
[00:08:19] So that’s five different points that I’ve reminded my clients when their photos are going to be ready for them.
[00:08:27] Is it repetitive? Yes. But I want to drive that message home as many times as I need to, to make sure that they are not going to be emailing me because every single time I have to reply to one of those emails is time that I’m not actually editing the photos that they’re asking about, right?
[00:08:45] So, if you are getting pestered by all kinds of emails like this, I want you to take a look at your processes and figure out where you might be dropping the ball and getting this information to them and how you can fix that going forward so that you can take a little bit of that stress off your plate leading up to the holidays.
[00:09:03] So that wraps up the All The Rage segment for this week friends. These are going to be short and sweet and I think super fun.
[00:09:12] And it actually leads in perfectly to what I know you are all here for -the actual content of the day, where we’re talking all about how to push through year-end burnout when you’re overwhelmed with editing. For most of us have right now, we are at a culmination point where we’ve had a calendar full of fall sessions. And now we are working through editing from a long wedding season on top of all of those photos from the fall. And everybody of course is wanting their photos before the holidays.
[00:09:44] If you’ve been listening to the podcast for awhile, you know that normally I am all about avoiding burnout and making sure that you are always taking time to rest. That you’re always taking time to rest and always prioritizing your boundaries, but let’s be real. Shit happens and sometimes you just have to push through.
[00:10:02] Now don’t get me wrong when you’re overwhelmed and missing deadlines, rest is still important. But so is getting shit done, right? So let’s talk about some tips that you can use to make that happen and get you back to a place where you feel like you can breathe again around all of this work you have on your plate.
[00:10:18] First, I want you to set some realistic daily editing goals. It doesn’t matter if you have 30 sessions and weddings in your queue right now. We’re not going to be able to focus on them all at one time, we need to break it down into what is most important and what you’re realistically able to get done today.
[00:10:36] It’s safe to say that nobody is getting three full day weddings edited in one day. If you can do that props to you, that is a skill that I do not have, but I don’t think many people can say the same. So even if you have three weddings that are past due and three clients that are really looking for their photos, you can’t get them all done at once.
[00:10:57] So think about what you can get done today, focus on that one wedding or that part of one wedding that you know you’re going to be able to get done by the time you close your laptop or shut down your computer tonight.
[00:11:08] And then when it comes to editing those photos that you’ve set aside just for today, I want you to think about breaking down the wedding day into smaller sections. So instead of thinking that you have 800 photos that you have to get done, think about setting yourself some goals throughout the day. In the next hour, I want to be done the first section of getting ready photos. Before lunch, I want to have wrapped up all of the newlywed portraits. And that way you can pace yourself throughout the day with again, not having that daunting number of 800 photos that you have to edit, but instead, only looking at it as a hundred photos that you have to edit over the next hour or whatever the case may be.
[00:11:47] Another thing that you can try is editing the day backwards. The theory behind this is that all of the candids that you take during reception are often the most boring photos of the day. Depending on how you feel about candids, of course. But we pour so much of ourselves and our creativity into the portraits and the details and things like that, that most people are not super excited when it comes to editing those reception photos. Personally, I love them. I could go on a whole side tangent about why I love candids and how much I love speeches because people are wildcards and you never know what’s going to come out of their mouth, but I’ll save that for another day.
[00:12:25] And so when you’re doing that, the idea behind it is that you are keeping yourself more interested and more excited because all the photos that you’re really looking forward to edit are going to be saved to the end, instead of having them all done at the beginning and then feeling like it’s painstaking to get through the rest.
[00:12:43] But I will say I’ve tried this method before and it does not work for me.
[00:12:49] The reason is that I’m neurodivergent and my brain, for whatever reason, just cannot keep the information that we’re looking at this backwards in a place where it’s useful.
[00:13:04] I’ll be going through the photos and I’ll be editing a certain point of the day. And I will have a full-blown anxiety attack thinking about I’ve lost photos because I’m now editing, let’s say speeches, but I haven’t seen any of the portraits yet.
[00:13:19] And then I panic and I have to stop what I’m doing. And I have to go back into Lightroom and go back into my files, see that the photos are actually there. Remind myself that I just haven’t gotten to them yet because I’m editing the day backwards and then get back to what I’m doing.
[00:13:34] So you can see how this really does not help with my productivity even a little bit.
[00:13:40] After having this happen a few times, I just decided to scrap it and realize that this method of editing was not for me. But if your brain works differently than mine, you can give it a try and see if that helps you get through your editing a little bit faster.
[00:13:55] Lastly, I mentioned breaking things down and giving yourself small rewards already, but let’s talk a little bit more about what that looks like. For me, I am very food motivated, so I like to schedule my breaks around my meals. I will set a goal for myself that I need to get through all the getting ready photos, the first look, and the ceremony in time for me to go eat lunch. And then I’ll set aside some more time in the afternoon where I set a goal that I’m going to get through the family portraits, newlywed portraits, and the wedding party photos. And then realistically by dinnertime, all that I have left is the reception.
[00:14:32] Your rewards for getting these different sections done can look a million different ways. But like I said, I’m very food motivated. So I like to use meals, but it could also be exercise.
[00:14:44] It could be going out and grabbing a coffee. It could be putting your favorite show on TV. It could be anything that you want to do that’s going to take you away from your computer. That’s the most important thing. You want it to take you away from your computer.
[00:14:58] Because everybody needs breaks.
[00:15:00] And especially if you are toe-ing the line of burnout or already there, you really want to make sure that you are still finding some sort of balance while you are pushing through and trying to get this editing done.
[00:15:14] So here’s your permission to go take a walk, give yourself a treat, watch an episode of a show. whatever that is going to look like for you. Because you still deserve to have a life outside of pulling these long hours to get these photos done.
[00:15:32] And I want you to remember that this period of burnout does not define your entire year. And it does not define who you are as a business owner. That’s something that I really struggled to grasp in the times that I was burnt out and working long, long, long hours to try and get all of the editing done. I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about it on the podcast before. I actually, one year on New Year’s Eve, had one of my brides sitting in my living room while her husband and kids were in the car, waiting for her photos to transfer onto a USB.
[00:16:06] So trust me when I tell you I’ve been there. I totally get the sacrifices that you need to make in order to get through this.
[00:16:14] And I remember all too well, the thoughts that were running through my mind and the feelings that I was having while all of this was happening. I felt like such a fraud. Like I was running my business into the ground, I was letting everybody down, and like I wasn’t cut out for this. I could go on. It was not a great time for me mentally.
[00:16:34] But I did eventually remind myself that bad times, don’t define us as people. They don’t define us as business owners. It’s how we recover from those bad times that is really going to make the biggest difference. Because the reality is that shit happens. And even the best possible systems and best big plans sometimes are going to get thrown off course by life. Life be lifeing and it doesn’t really care what else you have going on as a business owner or as a person.
[00:17:06] So I want you to give yourself some grace. Get through the work that you have on your plate. And then later we are going to talk a little bit more about what you can do so that this doesn’t happen again next year.
[00:17:18] And that wraps up the first episode of season three. Thank you so much again for being here, friends.
[00:17:24] I’m so excited for this season to kick off. And if you are just as excited as I am, I would love to hear from you come and send me a DM over at @simplysandrayvonne or @keepingitcandidpodcast on Instagram. And if you’re a Threads user, I would love if you would go and post on Threads, tell me what your favorite takeaway from this episode was, and make sure you tag me so I can come and cheer you on give you a follow and we can start to be online friends. Anyways, I have a great rest of your Wednesday and I will be back next week.
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Systems aren’t just about making things easier for you behind the scenes. When you utilize them to their fullest, they’ll help you deliver an amazing client experience in your photography business, too! Diana Wei Fang from The Finer Points joins me for an interview on Keeping It Candid today and shares some real life examples of businesses that are doing just that, and how you can implement the same strategies, too.
Keep scrolling for links to the episode, show notes, and a full transcript.
Show Notes
Diana Wei Fang – The Finer Points: https://thefinerpoints.co/
Free Systems Assessment Resource: https://thefinerpoints.hbportal.co/public/65284177ee5344002416eb2f/1-Welcome
Template Shop: https://simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop
Episode Sponsor: PicTime
Get a free month (in addition to your free month trial at sign up!): https://lifeisbeautifullondon.pic-time.com/referral
Takeaways
- Systems are essential for scaling and moving a business forward.
- Choose a platform that aligns with your business needs and prioritize the client experience.
- Don’t let the search for the perfect platform paralyze you—pick one and get started.
- Center your systems around the client’s needs and create a seamless experience.
- Embrace change and expect to evolve and grow your systems over time.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections
02:34 Overview of the Podcast and Guest Introduction
04:00 The Importance of Systems in Business
09:30 Choosing the Right Platform for Streamlining Workflows
19:19 Centering Systems Around the Client Experience
26:55 Don’t Let Perfection Paralyze You: Just Get Started
29:14 Embracing Change and Evolving Your Systems
30:55 Closing Remarks and Call for Listener Input
About Diana
Diana is the Owner and Founder of The Finer Points. She is a Systems Architect who believes that there is room for all of us in the world and that none of us are meant to pursue our dreams alone. Whatever you think of when you hear the word “systems”, Diana will change the minds and hearts with her story and expertise. Through a structured system, she helps creatives and small business owners like you, tell your story and reach your people—in less time. You are Meant To Thrive. It’s not just a platitude, it’s the truth.
What do your taco choices reveal about your wedding photography business? Take my quiz to find out!
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TRANSCRIPT
00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections
[00:00:00] Sandra: This episode is airing on August 21st, and for me, this is already the start of winter. I know that technically winter doesn’t actually start for many more months, and where I am in Canada, it’s still sunny, still positive temperatures.
[00:00:19] The leaves haven’t even started changing it for fall, but I am a summer girl through and through. I love the heat and Every year prior to this my husband’s birthday, which is August 10th After that the nights start getting colder you start having to have a sweater on at night You start having to wear pants at night.
[00:00:39] You can only wear shorts and t shirt during the day and That just is not cool for me. I need to be in shorts and a tank top 365 days a year. I know I’m in the wrong country for that to happen, but a girl can dream. And so, with it already being August 21st, that means it’s officially winter for me.
[00:01:00] I’m sorry if you disagree, but it just is what it is. And so I’m just over here trying to mentally prepare myself for the cold and the end of my favorite time of year.
[00:01:10] But to cheer me up, I am talking with Diana Wei Fang today, all about systems.
[00:01:16] Diana is the owner and founder of The Finer Points. She’s a systems architect who believes that there is room for all of us in the world and that none of us are meant to pursue our dreams alone. Whatever you think of when you hear the word systems, Diana will change your mind and your heart with her story and her expertise. Through a structured system, she helps creatives and small business owners just like you tell your story and reach your people in less time.
[00:01:42] She and I share the same passion when it comes to simplifying and streamlining the way that you run your business. And she’s actually one of the first people that I ever had the chance to connect with from the HoneyBookPro team that offered me some invaluable advice about the way that I was approaching my workflows.
[00:01:58] Before my call with Diana, my wedding workflow was, I think somewhere around 30 to 40 steps, which had come down from the 72 that I had with my very, very first wedding workflow. So we’d simplified a bit from there, but there was definitely still some room for improvement. And once Diana had a look at everything that I was doing and gave me some tips on how to simplify it.
[00:02:24] It was like a light bulb went off and I have been living with my 12 step wedding workflow ever since that I just love so, so much.
02:34 Overview of the Podcast and Guest Introduction
[00:02:34] So having a firsthand experience of working with Diana, I knew that I had to have her on the podcast and we talked all about different CRM systems, the pros and cons of having everything all in one versus on different platforms. And of course, some tips for creating successful systems in your business.
[00:02:53] Welcome to Keeping It Candid. I’m your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach. I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, eneagrine three wing two who’s obsessed.
[00:03:12] I’m obsessed with tacos and my love for traveling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner. Join me every week for a candid behind the scenes look at what it’s really like working as a wedding photographer, where I’ll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level.
[00:03:33] Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favorite notebook and pen and let’s dive into this week’s episode.
[00:03:38] Diana, thank you so much for being here. I’m so excited to get to connect with you and talk about all CRM platforms and everything like that, which I know that you are an expert in.
[00:03:49] But before we get to all that, I would love to just give you a chance to introduce yourself and let everybody know a little bit about what you’re all about.
[00:03:56] Diana: Well, thanks. Thanks so much for having me. I’m super excited to be here. I am a systems architect, which is just a really fancy way of saying I really love systems.
04:00 The Importance of Systems in Business
[00:04:07] I believe that systems are all around us. And I think that in order to have a successful business, you need a system. It’s the way to scale, the way to move your business forward. It’s the way to prevent. yourself from becoming another statistic of those scary numbers that we get whenever we start a business.
[00:04:26] Did you know that 50 percent of small businesses fail in their first year? Thank you. Negative Nancy. that I think systems are helpful in all of those things. And so I’m really, really passionate. I’m determined in my lifetime just to see that number. actual, Total 50 percent is actually only for Your first year, the total fail annual number is 90%.
[00:04:51] Sandra: Wow. That’s huge.
[00:04:53] Diana: I am determined to see that number go down in my lifetime. It’s been like that holding steady for a long time. That’s why I do what I do.
[00:05:04] Sandra: I love that. Well, that is such a good motivator and I am totally with you and wanting to see that number go down. So hopefully this podcast will just be one of many ways that we can do that.
[00:05:15] So speaking of systems and all the things, what are some of your favorite platforms to use?
[00:05:21] Diana: In terms of like a physical system for a small business owner, I love HoneyBook personally.
[00:05:27] That’s what I recommend for a lot of my clients. For someone who is like a small team or, probably corporate, I would say Salesforce is really good, but it’s a beast. So I would say HoneyBook. Not everyone needs Salesforce. Okay. And then, actually for event planners, this is not it’s traditional use, but I actually really like this app called planning center online.
[00:05:56] They make. incredible run sheets for ceremonies and things like that. It’s actually made for churches, because who runs events more than churches? But it’s a great hack. It’s a responsive time app. So like if the, if you change the like ceremony and flip it with something else, like it will do the time for you.
[00:06:16] It’ll like, you can have Like notes for the planner notes for the photographer notes for and it’s all in there. You could have DJ notes. It’s really cool
[00:06:25] Sandra: That sounds awesome. I absolutely like obsess over anything that can like Automatically update and trigger things. I just I for years. I’ve been thinking about getting Like playing around with Zapier, but I felt like it was going to be this overwhelming beast that I just didn’t have the time or capacity to deal with.
[00:06:44] And I finally did it a little, like a few weeks ago and I’m obsessed. Like I want to find the way to zap every single thing that I do into each other.
[00:06:54] Diana: The Zapier like the Zapier bug, as I call it, it’s definitely a thing and I understand the passion because it’s like a dark hole. Like you suddenly just are like, well, I can do this and I can do that.
[00:07:09] And then, you know, suddenly you’re Zapping like a hundred things and then you made it more complicated, but you know, you feel better about yourself at the end of the day. So who cares?
[00:07:18] Sandra: Right. It’s so true. I’m totally with you on that. And I also am a huge lover of honey book. Listeners of the podcast will know.
[00:07:27] I talk about it quite a bit. But it is like my right hand in business. I’ve tried a lot of other CRM platforms and none of them really work for me. For the way that my brain works and the way that I like to interact with my clients, none of them really compare even a little bit to HoneyBook. So I’m so excited to have another HoneyBook stand on here.
[00:07:47] Diana: Oh, I love HoneyBook. I love the team. I love like the way they listen and to just like who’s using it. And they’re so relational. I feel like as someone who. Doesn’t work for them. I’m just blown away by their response and their care for each one of us as business owners. And, they’re just incredible humans.
[00:08:10] Yeah. I think that above and beyond, just like edges out any other app, you know, like, cause we’re so tech oriented and I love tech obsessed with tech, but you need good people behind the people, the things that run the tech, you know? And so I think that. Yeah. Makes a huge difference for me.
[00:08:29] Sandra: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:08:30] I’m sure everybody listening can think of an experience they’ve had with a platform or some sort of tech company where they haven’t like gotten any sort of feeling like they’re recognized as a person who is actually using this app and as their client, and it doesn’t feel like there’s a person behind on the other side of the business.
[00:08:51] And so I totally agree with you that that’s so important. And really is going to be what helps. Having systems like that that we’re using is what’s going to help us set us apart as well, I think.
[00:09:02] Diana: Yes, agreed. I mean, it’s bar none because they truly make it a one stop shop for so many of us. And I think it gets overwhelming to a degree, but also it’s overwhelming because we don’t need all those bells and whistles there.
[00:09:17] It’s made for, you know, People like you, people like me, it’s made for wedding planners and florists, and we’re all using the same app, which is kind of incredible, actually, if you think about it. So, right. Yeah. Love it.
09:30 Choosing the Right Platform for Streamlining Workflows
[00:09:30] Sandra: now, while we’re still on the topic of platforms, I would love to hear what your thoughts are on all in one platforms, because we’re both all about streamlining and making things super simple and automated.
[00:09:43] And so, the idea behind every, having everything in one place. seems great, But I would love to hear what your take on it is.
[00:09:51] Diana: I love it. I think you have to be smart about it. I think that, it’s kind of like, you know, when you just, it’s the easiest way, like, Going back to the beginning, when I was introducing myself, I was talking about the fail rate.
[00:10:06] The number one thing we do know about small businesses who fail is that they can’t track their cash flow and that our cash flow is, that we don’t, they quantify a failure as under Not enough cash flow. And I think one of the trickiest things to to track our subscriptions. I think that if you take a good look, you’re not sure what apps you’ve got on a monthly subscription.
[00:10:32] You’re not sure what , TV networks you have on a monthly subscription. And I think that goes the same for our business, you know, like, Canva monthly subscriptions, HoneyBook monthly subscriptions, all these tech tools have monthly subscriptions. And I think just keeping it all in one place actually reduces the amount of tech that you need to run your business.
[00:10:53] I run my business on four pieces of tech, just four apps. I am obsessed with Lots of them, lots of other apps, but I really try to keep it down to 4 because I can keep my expenses low to run it and I can actually invest more into humans. My team gets paid well, and it contributes to their education.
[00:11:17] I’ve got 2 in college right now. The 1 is studying masters and 1 is, you know, doing other things and so I think that is important. That’s important to me to know where my money goes. And so for me, an all in one tool is, I mean, that’s the gold, right? Like that’s the golden ticket is to know and not, and it’s also in our brains, just easier to say, This is where I go to run my business.
[00:11:43] This is where I go to see if someone has paid me to see if anyone needs to be followed up on. This is where I go when you’re having a low season and saying, I don’t know, there’s no leads coming in. What do I do? And you can go to the one tool, look at your pipeline and say, I’ve got 23 people I could follow up on right now.
[00:12:05] Right. Or to even just like emotions take us sometimes, you know, and you’re just like, Oh, look at the pipeline. I actually have 34 people who I’m currently actively working with. I’m not, you know, like an imposter. I’m not doing whatever. Like, we tend to make up these stories running your business, man. It is no small feat, but to have it all in 1 place, I think keeps it so organized for us.
[00:12:30] And I would say, why not? It can get overwhelming. There’s a lot of tools. Do you need it all? I think this is too big for me. You want something to help you grow into it as you grow your business. Your business should change. Your business should grow. And so we want that. We want to see it. We want to see more of it personally.
[00:12:51] I don’t want to download my clients and my contracts and invoices every time. My business outgrows itself and then move into a larger platform, you know, like it’s almost why, why would I do that? I want something I can grow into, make it easy for myself. I want to be overwhelmed for a season, so that my business can take off where it needs to take off.
[00:13:11] And I don’t need to control it in that way. But you do need to know. What you want in your business and tell the tech what to do. It’s not going to read your mind. So I think that pros and cons pros and cons.
[00:13:24] Sandra: Yeah, absolutely. Now there’s some other platforms out there that also incorporate things like websites and galleries and things like that.
[00:13:32] Do you think that there’s any sort of risk that photographers or business owners are taking when they’re going that far? Like they’re all in one. Is that all encompassing?
[00:13:43] Diana: I don’t think so. But again, I would prioritize the client experience, right? So ask yourself, I think it’s different to say, this is where my gallery lives.
[00:13:54] And if you sell albums, or if you have an upsell afterwards, that is where that is going to live, right? There’s another way to send say, actually, all the financials for my client, they’re already used to this platform. And maybe we’re just going to use HoneyBook as an example in this scenario. Your client has been interacting with you on HoneyBook, whether or not they realize it, right?
[00:14:17] HoneyBook’s really good at keeping the client experience within email, but whether or not your clients know that they’re used to that, right? So throughout your journey, they’ve gotten used to what your emails look like, what the formatting looks like, what your tone is, and you’ve developed this relational aspect.
[00:14:34] If it’s important to you for continuity’s sake, then. Bring it back to HoneyBook to sell albums, but HoneyBook album delivery is not a thing, right? And we don’t want it to be a thing. They’ve integrated really well with pick time. And if that’s important to you, that’s fine. Maybe at some point, it’s easier for your brain to say at this point, we switch over and go to pick time.
[00:14:58] And from there, they can select the photos they want to like print. And then we can just take it to print right away. Right. Maybe that is easier for your client experience. I think you need to ultimately decide what’s most important to you in terms of client experience. Do you want them all in one platform familiarity?
[00:15:16] Or do you want them to be able to click on the photo? Order it, create the album right then and there, push go. Both have great uses. There’s no right or wrong answer.
[00:15:25] Sandra: Hey friends. I’m interrupting this episode because I wanted to remind you that the wait list for my brand new template shop is now open.
[00:15:33] This template shop is going to be filled with everything you need to simplify and streamline your business behind the scenes, including things like HoneyBook smart file templates. Email swipe files, workflow processes, and tutorials to help you get them built inside your CRM. So many good things are coming.
[00:15:49] So head over to simplysandreevon. ca forward slash shop to get on the wait list. And you’ll also have a chance to enter to win a free bundle, as well as getting a little special something to say thank you for being here. That’s simplysandreevon. ca forward slash shop.
[00:16:07] Diana: I think that’s what we typically look for.
[00:16:09] We look for one right answer and it doesn’t exist. I’m sorry to burst that bubble for anyone who thought there would be.
[00:16:17] Sandra: That’s so true. That’s one thing that I think a lesson I’ve learned both the hard way and the easy way a few times in the last year. Decade as a business owner is like, you have to try different things and some things that are going to work for you don’t work for others.
[00:16:31] And it’s just all about finding that thing that is going to work for you and resonate with your clients. So those are all amazing points. Thank you so much for that.
[00:16:41] Diana: Yeah. Thank you for asking the question.
[00:16:44] Sandra: Yeah, of course. So what are some secrets that you think that are hidden out there for creating?
[00:16:50] I don’t want to say a perfect system. Maybe let’s say a successful system, a systems that’s going to really like help you thrive behind the scenes.
[00:16:58] Diana: One of the biggest things that I see is that we tend to center our systems around our needs and our business needs. I really want to encourage every small business owners to center your business around your client’s needs because they’re the ones experiencing your system.
[00:17:20] So my favorite example to use with this is actually Amazon because they’re so automated. Right, and Amazon may or may not trigger certain things for certain people, but I will say that we have a lot to learn from Amazon. And if we were truly being honest with ourselves, we kind of are a little jealous of Amazon.
[00:17:38] Right? And so that’s like, when it comes down to the wire, this is what we want. So. If I think about it, what Amazon has created is that I, Diana, as a user and a consumer of Amazon can get on the website. I know exactly what I’m buying. I know the dimensions, and I know if it’s in my room, right? It wasn’t always like that.
[00:18:01] They listened to their clients and they said, okay, you want something you want to know what it’s going to look like to fit in your rooms. And that reduces returns. Was it better for them to reduce returns? Yes, but actually they, they developed it to serve us because we were always asking, does anyone know if this is going to fit in my apartment?
[00:18:19] Does anyone know? Like they’re listening to the comment section. So they developed it for us. We know exactly down to how many stops I live in Washington, D. C. We are city. So there are stops. We know down to how many stops there are after I’ve purchased something before that truck arrives at my apartment.
[00:18:39] And that is what I don’t need to ever, if you think about it, reach out to Amazon, wait for a person and ask them when my package is going to arrive. I don’t ever need to ask them if I had to pay them. If there’s a payment plan, I don’t ever need to ask them when my warranty, like runs out for this specific product.
[00:19:00] I don’t need to even like communicate with Amazon pretty much ever. And yet I feel as a consumer, so taking care of, I know exactly what I got when it arrives in the mail. It is exactly what it said it would be. It does fit in my apartment. I have read all the reviews of it. They are wonderful. Right. They have created something centered around my experience. And I think that when we create that for our small businesses, we need to do the same. It’s not about the fact that I need to welcome you because, you know, every single website on the Internet says that I should welcome you. To, you know, my thanks for reaching out.
19:19 Centering Systems Around the Client Experience
[00:19:42] I am welcoming you because I genuinely am excited to get to know you. There’s a reason you created your business. There’s a reason you want to work with clients, and there’s a reason why you do what you do. There is a reason you’re not in corporate America. Right. And so like there, I mean, we’re all, we’re all created and there was a reason why we’re not in corporate America.
[00:20:03] Some of us just don’t quite fit in that little nine to five box. And so I think. Helping our clients feel the way that Amazon makes us feel. Without doing anything is our goal, but they centered that around us. So how do we center our system around your potential client? How do we make it so that they feel really cared for, really like knowing exactly what’s next, right?
[00:20:31] And because that’s when it frustrates us. Oh, my gosh, this client is so needy. They have so many questions, da, da, da, da, da. Well, actually, if we answered them for ahead of time, they wouldn’t. Come to our inbox. They wouldn’t need. To email us 35 times in an hour, right? If we actually gave them clear next steps, we wouldn’t forget that we had an inquiry and we would actually secure more leads.
[00:21:00] We would have a clear cut system. And it doesn’t have to lose its relational. ability of it. Like, I don’t feel like I have lost any relational equity with Amazon. I don’t feel that way with Disney. Disney emailed me the other day and was like, hey, thanks so much for visiting Magic Kingdom.
[00:21:17] Guys, I haven’t been to Magic Kingdom in a solid year.
[00:21:20] Sandra: And I haven’t been since 2019, but I’m like, keep emailing me because it makes me happy.
[00:21:25] Diana: Yes. And then an hour later they sent an email that said, so sorry, you did not visit us yesterday. And I was like, but what am I going to do?
[00:21:32] Cancel Disney? Like I’m still in. It didn’t make me feel any less. And then they immediately followed up with like, we hope you do come back. We missed it. This is your experience from last time. It was fully automated. No one wrote me. Right. But they centered that experience around me. And that is also why we love Disney so much.
[00:21:51] They center the whole experience around us. That is what I want for every small business owner because we do have the power to do that.
[00:21:58] Sandra: Those are such great comparisons. I’m also a huge Disney fan. I actually am following you along on Instagram. I think it was last year that you took like a 24 hour trip to Disney to use up some points.
[00:22:09] And I was like, this is my dream, right?
[00:22:12] Diana: It was, I found a 30 flight to Orlando for those listening, and that’s unheard of.
[00:22:20] And I had to, I had to do two more flights to qualify for status. And so for 30 bucks, I flew down to Orlando, went to Disney for a day and came back with stories and got my status.
[00:22:33] Sandra: I love that so much. I am in Canada. And so like 30 flights are completely unheard of, but thankfully I am not a far drive from Detroit. So I will literally just like drive. And it’s cheaper for me to drive over the border and park at the airport and fly from Detroit than it is to fly in Canada. It’s crazy.
[00:22:51] Diana: Exactly. Exactly. 30 flights are not very a thing in the U S as well, which is why you had to hop on the flight.
[00:22:58] Sandra: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I was looking cause I’m actually going to Florida and there was some like 75, 80 flights from Detroit, but it was like, you know, you’re going to get there at one in the morning.
[00:23:10] And I was, I’m like, I’ll pay more to sleep. It’s fine.
[00:23:14] Diana: Yeah, those are a little miserable. Always the morning flights too. And I have to remember I’m an hour from the international airport. And so then I’m always like, an hour before the flight means I have to leave my house at 4 a. m. You know, so I’m always like, is it worth that?
[00:23:29] Yeah,
[00:23:29] Sandra: I always think that. Get stuck on the morning flights too. And for me, because I am usually flying international out of Canada, I’m supposed to be there three hours early and it’s an hour and a half drive, sometimes two hours in traffic to the airport. And so like a five or a 6 AM flight, I have to leave around 1 30 in the morning and it’s awful.
[00:23:45] I’m like, I’ll just, I’ll pay extra to fly during the day so I can sleep because it just, it makes such a nightmare of a travel day.
[00:23:52] Diana: My gosh, that’s a sound crazy, but yes, I would be on your boat. Mm hmm. Same, same. For sure. Yeah, exactly. It better be like a first class ticket, I think, for me to consider otherwise.
[00:24:04] Sandra: So true. I dream of the day that I’m going to fly first class, but I also am worried, like I need to know the first time I fly first class that I’m going to be able to continue to fly first class forever because I’m never going to want to go back to economy after that.
[00:24:18] Diana: I did, I did see chasing status sometimes does pay off because I was upgraded 1 time cross country from San Francisco to D. C. in 1st class and I will I can confirm it does ruin you for life. Especially long flights. You’re just like, oh, what is this leg room?
[00:24:38] Sandra: Right? Oh, my gosh.
[00:24:39] Diana: What is this meal? A meal? Remember those on planes? What a dream. What a dream. That’s so true. But yes, I do. I am a status junkie, like, I don’t know if you do that, but I can talk miles all day.
[00:24:52] Sandra: I have another dream that I have, but all the airlines that I want status with, I would love to. Delta status. And Delta does come to Canada, but a lot of the other airlines that have like really great status options, they’re all US based. So it’s not nearly as fun up here, but one day I dream of it.
[00:25:11] It’s going to get me on there. I’m going to have Delta status one day, for sure.
[00:25:15] Diana: Okay. This is a complete and total tangent, but have you heard of the built card? B I L T. No. They do, they help you, their primary goal, like if you pay rent or mortgage, is for you to get points for rent or mortgage with a credit card, because you can’t get points with that.
[00:25:33] You have to pay, you know, like it charges you transaction fees. So this guy came up with a card for you to pay your rent without fees and get points for it. And so, but then in addition to that. You get one to one transfer for most airlines.
[00:25:54] Sandra: Oh my gosh, that’s amazing.
[00:25:56] Diana: That is how you obtain your Delta status.
[00:25:58] Sandra: Yeah, I should do that. I should look into it and see if we can get it in Canada. Cause that sounds so awesome.
[00:26:04] Diana: Yeah. I know a ton of people who do it and then you can use your points to like literally fly all over the world.
[00:26:09] Sandra: Oh, amazing. I’m going to be looking it up as soon as we are done this interview for sure.
[00:26:13] Diana: Just, I’m not a junkie in the sense of like, I’m going to convert dollars to see if it’s worth it. Like to me. If I get to do it with community, it’s worth it, but I do like to chase a good deal.
[00:26:26] Sandra: Oh, for sure. You got to take advantage of those perks where you can find them, right? Well, on that note, as much as I like, I can go on talking about travel and travel hacks and things like that forever, but do you have any final takeaways about how to tackle systems or finding the perfect platform or anything like that you want to leave listeners with?
[00:26:44] Diana: Yes, I would say 1, most platforms are almost the same. So try not to agonize too much about it. And don’t let that be the reason why you don’t have a system. Pick the system that you naturally feel like it.
26:55 Don’t Let Perfection Paralyze You: Just Get Started
[00:26:59] You can understand the most. I think pick one and go with it. I mean, obviously, Sandra and I, we prefer HoneyBook. So talk to either one of us if you want to talk about that, and we can weigh pros and cons versus other apps with you. But don’t let that Paralyze you like, don’t let that be the reason for analysis paralysis to when you get an app and when you decide on which system you need to be the business owner.
[00:27:27] Okay. So I think this, I know it sounds like a simple statement, but a lot of times we look at tech tools and we’re like, okay. Cool. Tell me how to run my business and I will do what you say. I’m going to like send an invoice here. Okay. I’m going to send an invoice, right? But you have to, you are the business owner.
[00:27:42] So you approach that app tech tool and say, I want to send an invoice this way with this amount of information. And this is the payment schedule I want to give my clients. This is the late fee. This is if I want to give them to leave me a tip or not, right? You decide that don’t look at the This is where the overwhelm hits in because every app serves more than just you.
[00:28:05] And a lot of them are customizable, but you have to know what you want to customize it to, right? This is the same scenario. We’re going to use Disney and Amazon again. It’s literally like looking at Disney and go, which park for me, Disney, you know, and it’s going to be based on you. What do you want?
[00:28:22] How do you want your clients to feel when they interact with you? So I think a lot of times we’re like, give me give me an email. I don’t know what to write. Tell me what to do it. I can’t run the system until I have it, and I have to find the perfect email template. I will say it’s okay. Not to have the perfect email template. Just go back and listen about the whole Disney thing that they sent Sandra and I right. It’s okay not to have the perfect email. You are going to change it because over time, that’s just who we are as individuals and small business owners. We will change and e will grow and we will scale. And that is expected.
[00:28:56] Expect it. Expect change. Embrace change. Do all of that. But also don’t let it stop you from moving forward and serving your clients the best that you can. So I would say like you define it. You take the reins and control of your business and then apply that onto whatever tech you end up choosing.
29:14 Embracing Change and Evolving Your Systems
[00:29:14] Sandra: That was all so perfect.
[00:29:16] I am not going to add anything because I love everything that you said so, so much. So for everybody that’s listening, if you need to just rewind a little bit, grab a pen and paper, write some notes down. Cause that was serious gold for helping you get started. And on that note, thank you so much for being here, Diana.
[00:29:32] This was such a great conversation and I always love getting a chance to sneak Disney in there. And even Amazon, like you said, like some people have feelings about Amazon, but I think whether It’s good or bad. There are lessons to learn from these big companies, right? So, yeah, I really, really enjoyed this.
[00:29:47] I hope you have a great rest of your day and I hope our paths cross again one day soon.
[00:29:52] Diana: Yes. Thank you again for listening and for inviting me. I’m so excited.
[00:29:57] Sandra: With that amazing interview with Diana under her wraps, that means we are officially at the last few episodes of this season of Keeping It Candid and I cannot believe that I am saying those words. It was so surreal saying them the first time around after season one and the fact that season two is now wrapping up.
[00:30:16] It doesn’t feel any more real and I’m so thankful for each of you who tune in every week that there’s a new episode and for everybody who has reached out to me over social media and in my Facebook communities and all the places. You are the best. exact reason why we are in season two, getting ready to head into season three.
[00:30:38] So I am so, so thankful for you. And speaking of season three, I have a million and a half ideas in store of what I want to do, but I think as business owners, you can all relate to me when I say what we want and what other people want are often two totally different things. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the situation where you’ve taken a photo at a wedding or at a session, and it’s your absolute favorite one. You want to plaster it around everywhere, and then your client starts sharing photos on social media, and that one photo is nowhere to be found, and all the ones that they are sharing are some of your least favorite photos that you took.
30:55 Closing Remarks and Call for Listener Input
[00:31:19] It’s always so mind blowing, but it really goes to show how our brains work totally different from everybody else’s. We’re all unique. We have different interests. And we see things differently. So I want to take that approach into season three of the podcast. And I would absolutely love to hear from each and every one of you about what you would like to hear, what you would like to see coming your way, what kind of topics you want to hear about, or who I should have on as a guest.
[00:31:49] Your input is seriously invaluable to me. So whether you send me a DM, send me an email, pop into the Facebook communities at The Unfiltered Community, or chronically ill, disabled, and neurodivergent photographers, come and send me a message in any way, shape, or form, and let me know what you want to see for season three, because I will absolutely be taking every single suggestion to heart as I go into planning mode for the next season and for new episodes that will be coming your way later this fall.
[00:32:21] So on that note, friends have a great rest of Wednesday and I will be back with another episode next week.
[00:32:30] Today’s episode of the podcast was sponsored by PicTime. This is the gallery service that I use in my photography business that literally doesn’t compare to anything else I’ve tried. First and foremost, it’s fully accessible to Canadians. All the other platforms I’ve tried have been open to Canadians, but they limit the features that we can access because of having to work with American printers or tax limitations and things like that.
[00:32:54] But with PicTime, it is you. Fully accessible. All features can be used up here in Canada. You can set it to Canadian pricing. You can set it to Canadian printers. If you are a U. S. listener, of course, you have lots of options. But as a Canadian photographer, those Canadian features made me very, very happy.
[00:33:13] Picktime also has pre made and custom automations to help you boost your sales year round.
[00:33:19] There’s also optional AI facial recognition, AI watermark protection, custom storefronts with international pricing options, it even integrates with HoneyBook so you can keep all of your client files organized and linked together and even view the photos from the gallery inside your HoneyBook account.
[00:33:37] I could truly go on for hours about how much I love this platform.
[00:33:42] If you’re looking for something new for your photography business this busy season, I want you to head over to my website or the show notes for today’s episode to get my affiliate link that will get you one free month in addition to the free months that pick time already gives you for a trial.
[00:33:55] So that means two free months for you to get a feel for the platform and get everything set up and running to make your clients happier and hopefully boost your sales in the process.
[00:34:05] Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today’s episode at simplysandrayvonne.ca/shownotes. In the meantime, let’s connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search Simply Sandra Yvonne. And if you love this podcast, I’d be so honoured if you go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time!
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