The Portrait System Podcast

Do you remember your first $1,000 sale? We often hear from photographers that raising their prices can be scary. And what we have found is that once photographers get their first great portrait sale, it can be a boost of confidence and gives them the proof they needed that they can do this! We asked Sue Bryce Education members to call in and share stories of their first $1,000 sale and the response was overwhelming! So many of you wanted to share your message with our community that we’ve decided to make this a bonus series on the podcast. Listen, learn and be inspired by today’s special bonus episode! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Photography isn’t always viewed as a profession but merely a hobby and this simply isn’t true! If you’d like to hear how one photographer changed that stigma in her life, then do we have the episode for you! In this week’s episode, host Nikki Closser sits down with Alice Prenat, an award-winning international photographer operating out of New York City and Paris. Listen as Alice shares how she went from working a passionless job in the medical field to becoming a highly sought after photographer in Paris. In 2015, Alice started teaching herself photography from online resources like YouTube. It wasn’t until she attended Imaging in Atlanta, where she met Sue, that she got the courage to return home and leave her daytime job. Since then, Alice has gone on to build a business that allows her to operate a studio in one of the busiest cities in the world - New York City. Through Sue Bryce Education, Alice has realized that Sue gives you the ability to be successful in your business but it’s up to you to do the work. If you’d like to leave a job that isn’t fulfilling your passion - you won’t want to miss this episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As small business owners, being prepared for changes in the economy is challenging. When a crisis hits we are flooded with information which in return can lead to fear. By breaking down this information into small, actionable steps you can better understand how to get through these challenging times and come out stronger. Focus on safety, survival, and income and what decisions you should be making in your business.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you struggling to find the perfect balance between family and career? If so, you aren’t alone and do we have the best episode for you! This week, host Nikki Closser sits down with Mackenzie Fugett, a highly sought after senior portrait photographer from a small Midwest town. Mackenzie started her career as a teacher before becoming an accomplished senior portrait photographer. After 4 years of solely photographing seniors, Mackenzie’s business was skyrocketing and had an average portrait sale of over $2,000 but she wasn’t able to spend the time she wanted to with her family. With Sue Bryce Education, Mackenzie was able to realize there are no right answers in life and it isn’t a straight line to success, that we need to do what makes us happy. With this advice in mind, Mackenzie was able to make the changes she needed to in her business to find a better balance and has since gone back to teaching and loving it now more than ever! If you want to break the stigma that you have to have it all or nothing, then you can’t miss this life-changing episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you always dreamed of owning a photography business but didn't know how to get started? If so, today’s an episode you won’t want to miss! This week, host Nikki Closser, is joined by Leon McDonald, a hobbyist turned professional portrait photographer out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Starting out photography shooting nature on the weekends, Leon shares how he went from building his portfolio in his living room and shooting weddings for free to photographing clients 3 days a week in his downtown portrait studio. After discovering Sue Bryce Education, Leon learned how to harness his fears in building a successful portrait business and now has an average portrait sale of $1,200. If you find yourself fearful in building your business and want to push past that to transform yourself, this is a can’t miss episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today is a special episode! We often hear from people that raising their prices can be so scary and what we find is that once photographers can get that first really great portrait sale, it is such a boost of confidence and really gives you the proof you need that you can do this.  So, we did a call for entries into our “First $1000 sale hotline” asking for SBE members to call in and leave a message sharing their experience with their first $1000 sale. We set the bar for $1000 because really, that is the industry standard now for portrait pricing.  Listen, learn, and be inspired! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“I went from being one of the best wedding photographers in my area, making great money, building my business but I wanted to take my dreams to the next level.” This week, host Nikki Closser is joined by Ashleigh Taylor, an acclaimed and award-winning photographer from Santa Barbara, California. Starting out her photography career in weddings, Ashleigh seemed to have it all - a thriving business, making great money, building a respected reputation but was slowly becoming overworked and missing out on family time. It wasn’t until meeting Sue Bryce in 2012 that Ashleigh realized she wasn’t fulfilling her passion and saw a future in photographing portraits full-time. Since joining Sue Bryce Education, Ashleigh has made the switch from full-time wedding photographer to solely photographing portraits, building meaningful connections with women in her community, and opening up her studio monthly for networking events to empower women. If you’d like to morph your business to fulfill your passion, then this is the episode for you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Does having a successful boudoir business sound impossible to you? If so, you’ll want to hear how this next guest went from running a thriving boudoir business in not one city but two! In this week’s episode, host Nikki Closser sits down with Arnica Spring Rae, a successful portrait and commercial photographer based out of both Bozeman, Montana & Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Starting her journey at a small photography school in California, Arnica didn’t own, let alone pick up a camera for several years after graduating. Starting out by helping take portraits at a ranch, Arnica’s business rapidly started to grow into more. Feeling burnt out and with limited time to shoot outdoors, Arnica discovered Sue Bryce and started to want more for her business. With the Sue Bryce business model, Arnica was able to master the fundamentals of business, operate duel-city studios, and build meaningful relationships in her area to grow her business. If you’re looking for creative ways to kick-start your business, this is a life-changing episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Starting over your career can be scary at any age, especially after the age of 60. But we’re here to share with you how to take your age from a limitation to your superpower! In this week’s episode, host Nikki Closser sits down with Kitti McMeel, a successful portrait photographer from Westlake Village, California. After starting her career out as a lucrative engineering psychologist, Kitti had to take a step back from business to become a caregiver to her husband after a health emergency. Seven years later, Kitti was ready to rejoin the workforce but realized how much technology had changed. Feeling lost in her career path, she found Sue Bryce. Since finding Sue Bryce Education, Kitti has blossomed her business while still keeping a perfect work/life balance. If you’re ready for the rest of your life to be your best life, this is a must-hear episode! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you looking to provide financial freedom for your family but not sure how to achieve it? Then do we have the episode for you! This week, host Nikki Closser talks with Kristina Houser, a wedding and portrait photographer based out of the Tampa Bay area. Starting out her career as a graphic designer, Kristina was struggling to provide stability and financial freedom to her family. Soon after discovering Sue Bryce, Kristina stopped letting fear get in the way of making big moves and started using her creativity to elevate the success of her business. Through networking and community building, Kristina was able to go from charging $25 a session to becoming the family breadwinner making over $1,800 per session. Since joining Sue Bryce Education, Kristina has continued to grow her business and now manages a full-time photography studio with an attached full-service beauty salon. If you’re wanting photography to become your career, don’t miss out on this game-changing episode! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.