Business-First Creatives

Business-First Creatives

Every creative deserves to turn their craft into a business that brings them joy and profit. Here you'll find a no-BS approach to what it takes to put the business first, prioritizing the systems and strategies that will actually move the needle and ensure your creative business is profitable rather than an expensive side-hustle. Your host is Colie James, a Disney-loving family photographer, and filmmaker turned Workflow and Automations Guru who helps creative service providers automate their sh*t, reclaim their time and get back to living!

Episodes

April 18, 2024 41 mins

If you've played around with the idea of hosting a summit for your online business, this episode is for you. In today's episode, Jenny Suneson of Summit Success Squad joins us to highlight the benefits of hosting a summit, along with best practices for hosts and speakers. Listen in as she shares how she got started in summits and how beneficial they have been for her business!

Today's episode is brought to y...

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One of the more unique and unconventional approaches to marketing is leveraging other audiences. We see it in collaborations online, but today's guest has a more unheard of approach that I knew we had to share on the podcast. Amy Dangerfield took the idea of leveraging someone else's audience to a whole new level when she began to convert her public program attendees into paying clients. Listen in as Amy shares how she ap...

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When you're building a photography business, you're often focused on marketing to your local market—but what if your target audience actually consists of tourists who don't live near you? Jess Fernandez built her business on exactly that: Hawaiian vacations. 

Living in Maui, Jess realized that the best portrait market for her to dive into was within documenting vacations for tourists. Listen in as Jess shares how she ...

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As you're building your marketing strategy, are you incorporating paid advertising? Paid ads offer an opportunity to convert your audience into customers when done right. In today's episode, Google Ads consultant Olivia Lawson joins us to share how entrepreneurs can get started with paid ads, what to consider, and how to get the most value out of this advertising strategy. Listen in as she walks us through the different a...

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Have you ever read a marketing email and connected on a deeper level with the creator? They likely used a personal story or anecdote to connect with you. Listen in as Zafira Rajan joins us to share how you can use sensory storytelling in your copy and marketing, plus what it actually means to incorporate the senses.

Today's episode is brought to you by my Client Hub Template inside the DIY Systems Template Shop. Busi...

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Have you been intentional in the habits you've created in your business? Think beyond the bad habits and let's look at how valuable good habits can be. In today's episode, Jess Joswick joins us to share a few intentional habits you can incorporate into your business to set yourself up for success in both business and life. Listen in as we discuss habits around your calendar, task lists, priorities, and delegating!

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When it comes to expanding your reach and growing your audience, one of the best ways to do that is through borrowing audiences. Podcasts are one of the most powerful ways to do this while sharing your expertise and building relationships through collaborations. In today's episode, podcast pitching pro Christina Lenkowski joins us to share why you should be pitching yourself for podcasts, what makes a great pitch, and how you ...

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You've probably been told that you can't gain anything more than visibility by offering your services for free. If you do it right, you can actually gain long-term, recurring clients and revenue! In today's episode, Rebecca Hunnicutt shares how she donated her photography services to silent auctions, which helped her gain new photography clients! 

Plus, listen in as Rebecca shares how she incorporated pre-school portr...

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Being a part-time photographers doesn't reduce the need for systems and automated processes, it makes them even more important. In today's episode, Lydia Fine of Apollo & Ivy Photography and I discuss strategies for running your photography business on part-time hours.  

Lydia shares invaluable insights for those juggling a creative side hustle alongside a full-time career including how to:

  • balance your ti...
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It's not too often that I bring someone on the podcast who does exactly what I do (let's be honest, I never have), but Ashley Tindall of Solution Integrators joins me in today's episode to discuss the value of systems from the perspectives of systems strategists. There is so much value in creating a cohesive client experience in your CRM that not only converts, but allows you to stand out to and connect with your cli...

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Is creating an online course on your bucket list for 2024?

In this episode Mara Kucirek chats with Colie about her experience in the course creation space.

We talked about:
- what current trends we are seeing in digital products
- how to choose your online course platform (it's easier than you think)
- what pre-launch strategies you can implement to have better sales
- the importance of gathe...

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Have you fallen victim to believing the lies that low ticket memberships can't generate a six-figure income? In today's episode, Liz Wilcox joins me to share how she's bringing monthly recurring revenue (MRR) back through her $9 email marketing membership. Listen in as she explains how she decided on a membership, why she priced it at $9, and highlights both her successes and failures over the last three years.
<...

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What should you have in place before you begin diversifying income streams within your photography business?

In this episode, Colie chats with returning guest Maddie Peschong about creating new income streams as a multi-passionate creative photographer. Listen in as she shares her unpopular opinion regarding what you MUST do before you jump into creating new income streams in your business.

The Business-First Crea...

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When multi-passionate entrepreneurs dive into the digital product space, they're often met with the decision to focus on one audience. In today's episode, Elizabeth McCravy shares how she's been able to successfully grow her product suite to serve very separate audiences. Listen in as Elizabeth shares how she's built each of her offers, approached the beta tests and launches, and how she's cultivated an eng...

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While many business gurus will point you towards creating passive income through digital products and offers, for many entrepreneurs, that won't generate the revenue that your services do. In today's episode, Brittany McBean joins us to share why it's important to focus on your revenue generating offers while expanding your offer suite. Listen in as she shares why one-to-one services are her bread and butter, plus hi...

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Do you have a good relationship with money? Most entrepreneurs do not, which makes today's episode extremely relevant. Money mindset coach, Natalie Bullen joins us to share how entrepreneurs are already wealthy, even if our bank accounts don't reflect it. Listen in as she shares many money mindset blocks that entrepreneurs face, how they're hindering your business, and what steps you should take to align your goals a...

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Are you properly managing the numbers in your business and tracking your bookkeeping? In today's episode, Crystalynn Shelton joins us to share how and why small business owners and entrepreneurs should be using Quickbooks. Listen in as she share five tips to getting started with Quickbooks!

Today's episode is brought to you by my Client Hub Template inside the DIY Systems Template Shop. Business owners often have...

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Is it time to get your time under control? In today's episode, Brittnie Renee joins us to share how she's incorporated time blocking into her schedule to get her time on track. Listen in as she shares how to get started, when to perform seasonal time audits, and introduces you to her own techniques for business productivity.

Today's episode is brought to you by my Client Hub Template inside the DIY Systems T...

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When we turn our passions into our business, we often lose sight of fill our creative cups outside of our work. In today's episode, Sarah Wayte joins us to share how you can find creativity and make time for your creative pursuits! Listen in as she describes how she sets aside an hour per day for creativity and how you can get started with just 10 minutes per day.

Today's episode is brought to you by my Client Hu...

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You've likely looked at wedding video and thought, "How did they create such an amazing film? I want to do that!" Have you ever considered the same thought for commercial videos? Ben Davis joins us to share how he's found more creativity in commercial projects, while also creating a better balance for this season of his life.

Listen in as he shares how wedding films helped prepare him for success in th...

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