← Book More Photography Clients Podcast | Photography Business, Photography Leads, Marketing
Book More Photography Clients Podcast | Photography Business, Photography Leads, Marketing
From a 9-5 to Full Time Wedding & Elopement Photography with Blueprint Student Wendy Newcomb-Walker
00:27:41
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- [00:01]
A
Building systems you helped me build like style guides and location guides and just things like that that helped me to be able to serve my clients better. And so those kind of things with the one on one coaching was really what like sold me on it.
- [00:13]
B
Welcome to the book More Clients Photography podcast. You can stop spending hours on Google and YouTube because you just found your number one resource for growing a profitable and sustainable photography business. Hi, I'm Brooke Jefferson. I'm a believer wife, mama to two and Oklahoma family photographer. I left the classroom in 2018 to pursue my photography career full time. Now I'm here to help you do the same. In this podcast we're covering the most asked about topics including pricing, marketing, client experience and all things systems and workflows. You won't find any fluff or BS here. Just tried and true strategy. Are you ready? Grab your kids some snacks and charge those camera batteries. It's time to jump in. Wendy, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I'm so excited for these photographers to get to hear your story and your journey and just your experience working with me in general. So can you take a couple minutes and tell everyone who you are and what you do?
- [01:24]
A
Yeah. I am so excited to be on the podcast. Just in general. I've been listening to you since I was starting off as a photographer my very first day. So yeah. My name is Wendy and I own Uplift NW Photography. I'm a mom of three kids. I have a 16 year old, a 12 year old and a 6 year old. I worked in education for 10 years and started my photography business in May of 2023. And then I believe I started working with you in October of 2023. So basically since the very beginning I primarily focus on weddings and elopements, but I also do families and senior portraits when I'm not shooting weddings. So I kind of like to do a little bit of everything. I also run a women's networking group which is really awesome. It's called She's Connected. And that's something that has really helped to grow my business in addition to my photography.
- [02:18]
B
I love it. I love it. And the one thing that I wanted to point out was I remember how skeptical you were in the very beginning when you first came to me. You were like, I, I like, I see it, I think I could do this right. I see this reality I want with my photography business. But you were just like very skeptical. Which I am the most skeptical person on earth. So I can totally relate with that. And it's so cool to See where you are today and where you're trending to. Right. Like, we're not all the way there yet. So anyway, I'm just so proud of you for, you know, putting in the work, getting yourself there. And it's so fun to watch you lead other women, be involved in networking groups. I just love that so much. It really does, you know, go to show that community over competition wins every single time. I am a really big cheerleader for that, and I try to instill that in all the areas of my life too. So. Okay, I want you to take us all the way back to how did you even pick up a camera in the first place and become a photographer?
- [03:23]
A
You know, I've always loved photography. Um, I never had a camera because on genuinely, like, I didn't. I couldn't afford one in my 20s. It just. My life was not there and cameras aren't cheap, so I just couldn't afford it. And I always made up excuses. You know, I would take pictures. I had. I think my first camera was like a little digital Nikon camera. And I would always, you know, have it on me. I went to Europe when I was in my twenties to study abroad and had my camera. That camera was actually stolen when I was there. That's a whole nother story. But so I was really sad. I actually don't have any pictures from that trip because my camera was stolen. But I got another one when I had my son and have always taken pictures of him as he's grown up. So he's 16 now. And then of course, like, we got iPhones. It's not, you know, gosh, the late 2000s, I don't even know when they came out, but I think I got my first one in probably 2010. That makes me feel old. But, yeah, I got my first iPhone in 2010 and started taking pictures with that. And then once Lightroom came out, I was playing with different editing things, even though again, I was using my camera, my, like, cheap digital camera. And then in 2023, I finally was like, I'm done. I'm ready to. I'm doing this. Like, my sister's a photographer as well, and I always admired her work. And so I was like, I'm ready to do this. I'm ready to jump in. So I bought my first Canon T6. I. It was like Easter time of 2023, and I just had like a nifty 50, 50 millimeter lens. You know, just really basic. I started taking pictures of some friends and my own kids, and I was Posting them. I had like a little, like, Facebook page that was nothing. Like, literally no followers. But then my friends started sharing the photos, and their friends started being like, hey, would you take our pictures too? And I started talking to sister a little bit and was like, what do I do? Like, do I charge for him? And she was like, I mean, you could charge like 50 to 100 bucks. Yeah. So I started doing that and it just became like, it spiraled very, very, very quickly. I think June, I made over a thousand dollars. July, I doubled that. August, I think I might have doubled again. And so then it became. I was like, oh, my gosh, like, I actually, like, have a business now. And I was listening to you at the time, like, how to, like, scale a business. Because I was like, it just happened so quickly, right? And then I was, as I was listening to your podcast, I was like, I need to follow this girl on. On Instagram. So I went to Instagram and then I think I shot you a message in like early October, maybe even September. And yeah, once we started working together, it was like, game on.
- [05:53]
B
Yeah, literally game on. I love listening to how photographers get started, how they pick up that camera and then it magically turns into a business. For some people, it's magical. For some people, it's very intentional. But I think that's so cool. Photography has always been a part of your life in some way. Really, really sucks that your camera was stolen in Europe. At first I was like, oh my gosh, Europe, studying abroad? That sounds amazing. And you were like, yeah. And I was taking pictures over there and I was like, oh, I can't wait to see these pictures. And then you ended with your camera getting stolen. So that's a bummer.
- [06:30]
A
Literally nothing from that trip.
- [06:33]
B
Oh, that is so. That's so sad. But either way, you got the experience.
- [06:38]
A
So I have the memories, you know?
- [06:40]
B
The memories, yes. Too bad we can't print those out though. That'd be cool. Okay. So, yeah. So you came to me in October of 2023 or around about, we're going to say. And I remember you reaching out specifically to do some one on one coaching. You had some big goals for your business. Go back to that time if you can. And just think, what was your mindset at that point? You saw that what you were doing was working. You caught vision for something. What was it that made you go, okay, in order to go next level? I really want to coach, you know?
- [07:18]
A
Okay. So like I said, I started and I made like $1,000 and then I was like doubling that every month. Right. And I was to a point where I had been in my career for 10 years and it just wasn't what it was before. I wasn't finding joy in it. In fact, I was leading drained every single day. And I was like, this may be it. You know, at this point I'm matching or exceeding my, my income for my career. Right. That I thought I was going to retire in. And so now, now what do I do? Right. Like I need to figure out back end things. Like I want to, if I'm going to have a business, I want to be able to serve my clients in like a way that is actually like an experience. And so I remember you had talked on a podcast one time and you were talking about like the blueprint program and one on one coaching and I didn't feel like I was quite ready for like group coaching. I really wanted to like dig in deep into my business. And so when I talked to you on the phone, you had mentioned one on one coaching too. And that just resonated with me. You had mentioned, you know, building systems you helped me build like style guides and location guides and just things like that that helped me to be able to serve my clients better. And so those kind of things with the one on one coaching was really what like sold me on it.
- [08:29]
B
I love that. Yes. Anytime that I've wanted to up level, I'm always trying to find someone that's already done it or can at least hold my hand or talk me through the mindset issues or whatever. And so I loved when you reached out and you, the other thing I love about you is you like put it all on the table. Here's what I'm worried about, here's my hesitation, here's what I want to do. Can you actually help me? And I, and I love that question, I love that question because I feel like ever since pandemic times, everybody is a coach, everybody is selling something, everybody picked up a camera, you know, and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing except for the fact that it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Now with true service, someone who actually knows what they're doing and they're not going to run with your money. We've all heard horror stories of every industry but including photography. Like these crazy wedding photographers that book all these clients and take all their money and they don't show up or they don't give pictures. I'm like, wait, what? So that being said, I know you Were hesitant. I know you were hesitant. And as you should be, honestly, as anyone should be. And as someone that has a program and does offer coaching, selling it takes a lot of work, and it takes a lot of time. And so I'm just thankful that you. You sat with it, you prayed about it, you went where the piece was. We got to work together. And can you talk about what that was like in some of your. Your wins or the things that you overcame during our time of coaching?
- [10:01]
A
Yeah. And I just want to, like, backtrack a little bit, because you said something that really resonates me. Like, everybody's a photographer, which is so not wrong. And also, like, I didn't want to just be one of those. Someone just picked up a camera. Like, I picked up a camera, and what am I doing with it? That's actually bigger than picking up a camera and learning to take pictures on auto or even on manual. Right. Like, there's so much more to it than that. And I was picking up on that as I was making more money and getting things booked and being like, all right, we gotta strategize this. But once we started working together, I loved being able to just, like, reach out to you if I had a question or, you know, I knew that, like, every time we met, I'd have a goal for, like, the next time we met. So I was, like. Had something to work on for two weeks, you know, or three weeks at a time. So I didn't feel like I. Even as we got into slow season, I wasn't slow because I was, like, building my website and updating contracts and updating my guides and things like that, and always just had an assignment, I guess, or homework assignment. So that helps me to just really stay engaged. I did in January, when it was slow season. I remember I was doing boudoir sessions, and I booked all of them. I had eight boudoir sessions last year. And they're. They were, like, this special thing that I, like, partnered with one of my hair and makeup girls that was in my networking group, and we just decided to do it, and it was amazing. It was so incredible. But, yeah, it was really cool to, like, see that, like, even during slow season, I could. I was able to find different things to put together to serve clients. So I constantly had things to work on. I felt like I had homework. I felt like I was able to ask questions, not just to you, but then I ended up going into the blueprint program. Back in January, I kind of moved into the blueprint program and talking about that and how I was able to book eight sessions. Right. In two days actually because they were, it was like a, a session. So I, I was booking three one day, three another day to another day and I got them fully booked. But I wasn't because necessarily of me doing it by myself. It's because I had the support of you and the blueprint. The students in the blueprint asking questions, getting just different perspectives. Right. On marketing, on service and how to upscale it to another level.
- [12:18]
B
Yes. Okay, I'm gonna pinpoint on joining the blueprint program. So one of the unique things that you did and you're not the only person to do this. There have been many photographers that have hired me for one on one coaching and then have talked them into the blueprint program. But they always have one question. Do I really need the program if I'm already doing one on one coaching with you? And I know you said the same thing so can you talk about that for just a second?
- [12:45]
A
Yeah, like that's the thing. Like I do I need to spend an additional, you know, however much money to go from one on one coaching. Am I going to get something different from the blueprint program? You know what is going to stand out? Like am I just going to be redoing the same thing but in a group setting? And you just really encouraged me that I wasn't and it's not, it's very, very different. One on one coaching is so important. In fact I feel like it's mandatory before doing the blueprint program. It's not, but it should be because or at least incorporate it with it. That's just my personal opinion because you're not, you aren't going to get the same intensity in the blueprint as you would one on one coaching. The blueprint is very self guided. Yes. There were things I had already done. I like, I won't lie about that because you're, you know we, we've been working together already so I kind of had heard some of this stuff already. But then we also had group coaching where we were people other were able to ask questions that maybe I hadn't thought of or talk about things. They might have been newer in their photography journey than I was but like hearing their struggles that might have been different than mine, you know or like people that were way ahead of me and their business and learning from them and getting like my domain set up just there was so many things that seems so simple and so like I don't know, not, not a big deal getting your domain set up but it's huge, huge deal. Switching from one server to another server, which I recently did. Switching from Pixie set to showit was a huge thing for me because it's so terrified to switch from one platform to another. But it made a really, really big difference. But I feel like what I'm trying to say is that going from one on one coaching and working with you and then to the group coaching just gave me a really unique perspective. I also wasn't shy to like speak out in these group settings where I might have been if I had just done the blueprint program, because I didn't really know what to expect.
- [14:38]
B
Man, that is so good. And this is good perspective for me too. I agree. And again, you can take this one of two ways. I have had, you know, a handful of students come do one on one coaching. First, we typically work together for about three months and then they come into the blueprint program. I've also had students join the blueprint program and then a couple months after end up going, okay, I want more person, personalized intensity and I want the accountability and I want to be able to talk to you more one on one. So then they jump into coaching. I'm just going to tell you, the star students do both. They do. They do both. Now that's not to say that there are blueprint students that have only done my blueprint program and had amazing results. Yes, there are. In fact, a lot of the testimonials on the fully booked blueprint page. A lot of those people did not coach with me first or ever. There's been no one on one coaching. And so I think it just depends on your learning style. But this is why I wanted to bring you on the podcast because USA in both seats, you've done both things. So going into the blueprint program, what was your experience? I know you said a little bit about it, but what was your experience there? What is the community like? What are the coaching calls like? How are you finding values? And then my favorite, my favorite aspect would be all of the on demand lessons that you can go through and watch. I'd love to hear just a little bit of your opinion on each one of those things.
- [16:10]
A
Yeah, so, I mean, the community is amazing. I made some really good friends still in touch with. But yeah, I mean, not everybody could make it to every call, but the same people made it to the calls. Right. And I loved that. So we would like talk and say hi to each other and like chat in the chat section. We just talk to each other, you know, and then I would. I mean I got on phone calls with people, FaceTimes just to like check in on each other. But also we figured out ways to strategize different things. Like there was another elopement photographer and I joined some of her community pages and she joined some of mine. We do referrals for each other, things like that as we got to know each other, right. And I know knew her work. And so I felt comfortable doing referrals for her. So that was really cool to help each other out that way, just building that kind of community. I mean, I loved that I had this go to space where I could come in and just like ask a question if I needed help with something and somebody would respond. Or if I made an update to my website, I could post my website there, be like, hey, would you guys mind going through and just double checking this and let me know what you think. People found typos, which is like my worst. I'm so bad at that. I always get typos. But just things like that was, you know, just. It was great. And then the lessons are great. What I love about the different modules is that I didn't have to just start at 1. Before I could go to 2, before I could go to 3. I could kind of hop around. Especially because I'd already done the one on one coaching. I didn't really need modules maybe one and two. But I like that I was ready for three, four or five. Right. So I was able to go in and just read them, get my tax stuff set up because I started in January. So it was kind of nice to have all of that, you know, right there ready for me. I still kind of go back to them so, you know, and always just have like this resource available to me to just check in and be like, what do I need help with today? Because I mean, you all. I feel like you always need to go back and revisit even things from day one. It's not like it's a one not. I have my website built one and done. Don't ever have to think about that again. That is false. You have your guides done. I promise you that your editing style is going to change through the years. So like updating pictures on that, updating locations, changing the outfits that you want to have in your style guide, things like that. That's what I love about it.
- [18:18]
B
So much available, so much to love, right? So much to love. And it really is. So obviously the blueprint program has evolved through the years. This is something that I started back in 2020, the very first time I ran it, I had a group of, I want to say there was 20 photographers and I ran it live, meaning that I taught the course in real time once a week with these 20 photographers. It was so much fun. I think it lasted about eight or nine weeks. And then that was the program for like a year and a half. And then I updated it and it got better, and it got better. And then the most recent update, you know, it was completely done in January of 2025, which we're still recording in January 2025. And this time I feel like this is it. This is the one. You know, this is probably Blueprint 4.0, but either way I don't care because that's, that's what good course creators do. I've taken courses and programs from people. They never update it. And I'm like. And they're still selling it like it's like it's updated strategy. And it's not. So all of that to say based on everything you said. The reason I'm saying this is because I took all of those crucial pieces and I wanted them to be a part of the blueprint. We don't need another course that we're not going to go through. And I knew that if I didn't put a community and coaching with me inside of the blueprint program, the results were not going to be the same. Or you were just going to come in and you were going to waste your time maybe watching a couple videos the first week and then forgetting that you ever bought it. And I don't want people to do that. So now we have it set up to where you get one year to come in and dive all the way in, right? Like Wendy, like you said earlier, game on. Right? From day one, it's game on. And you're committed. You're committed to going through the modules. You're committed to hopping on the coaching calls or at least pre submitting questions if you can't make it. I know it's another favorite thing of yours is that I record this because sometimes you guys have a session booked at the time we have a call. And I want to make sure that you guys have access to it and that you get your question asked even if you can't be there. And we have the community. And what I decided to do when I created 4.0, I wasn't 100% sure if I wanted to create two student communities. This sounded like a lot of work. So what I decided to do was you get all the Blueprint alumni, forever and ever. Like, seriously, they will always be in there. Even when your year is up, you still get to stay in the community part. You just lose your course access and your coaching call access unless you pay, like, a certain fee per year. I'm just laying all this out so you know how this goes. But all of that to say, this is it. This is the community. And I have heard so many students like you say, I found friends. I found people I can strategize with. There's even. There's even a pair of friends in there that are my OGs from 2020, and they literally fly to see each other every single year. Like, that is so incredibly cool. Yeah. To know that I stepped out, had no clue what I was doing at the time. I was taking a leap of faith. Like, do photographers even want to hear from me? And created a program like this? So, okay, tell us some of your. Your highlight wins that you've had over the last, I guess, year and a half. Year and a half since you started your business.
- [21:41]
A
I mean, there's so many. I kind of stepped into it, not really knowing what I wanted. Tanish in. Right. Like, I love love stories. That's just the truth of it. I also love the outdoors. I love to hike. I live in Oregon in the Pacific Northwest, so it's just such a beautiful area where we live. I've gotten to do. Gosh, I should have counted this before we got on this call, but I think I've done 15 plus elopements in addition to, like, traditional weddings. I love elopements, so that's been a huge highlight. I got to do an elopement in the Olympic national park in the hall of Mosses right before the road flooded out. So I don't know how long it's going to be closed. Right. But because there was a flood this winter anyways, that's a whole other story. But people can't go up there anymore. And I was able to do an elopement there, which was really amazing. I started like a senior portrait. I know this is a different niche, but I started like a senior rep team, which is pretty new. So I'm really excited about the senior rep team for this coming year. My son's actually going to be senior next year, so I really decided. I wanted to make sure that I was serving them, but I also want to have marketing material. So I decided to do a senior rep team this year because of that. And I'm really excited to see how that grows and where that Goes, I had a month where I made over $12,000. That was a huge win for me. It seems like it's not a bit like, yes, that's a lot of money, but for some photographers, they make way more than that. Right. But for me, because I'd only been doing this for a year, that tripled my monthly income from my, my full time job. I was able to leave my full time job in June of 2024 and I've been a full time photographer since then. So it's just been, it's such a God thing, you know, like that. I don't believe that every photographer is this successful right out of the bat. That doesn't mean that I'm the best photographer in the world. I genuinely think it's a God thing and that the community that I live in has just been so supportive of my work and having you in my back pocket and helping me build SEO into my website. People from Connecticut and Wisconsin and on the other side, like far away from Oregon are coming here on vacation and booking with me or having their weddings or elopements out here and finding me on the Internet. Wendy, with photography, not anybody special, huge wins. I mean, little wins that feel really, really big. And it's just gonna get bigger.
- [24:03]
B
Yes, it is. And I am, I'm just so proud of you. It is truly the people that set their mind to something that show up every day, even on the hard days. You've had hard days? I've had it. It's been hard. Some, some days it is like an uphill battle. And then we have days where, or even months where we're like, this is why I do what I do. I am here for life. I'm committed to this. And it's so fun seeing you light up on those days as well. So I am so proud of you. One thing I want to highlight that you mentioned and it's so easy for us to do this is to almost diminish what we've accomplished because we think it's not big enough. And so, and this is why I'm getting more transparent and, and here's the truth. I'm not trying to teach photographers how to make six figures a year. For some people, we don't need that. Do you know what I mean? Like, that's great if you do it. We've had students do it. I've had clients do it. It's incredible. But don't diminish your, your goals or your success. There are some photographers that literally want to make 20 to 30k a year. That's huge, guys. That's huge. And so I don't want any of you to diminish any of that. We all have different goals, we all have different lifestyles. We all, you know what I mean? So I just don't want anyone to diminish their efforts. If you made $500 so far in photography for one month, you should be so proud of yourself. Right? We all start from $0. And so just that being said, sometimes that even holds people back. Like, okay, but Brooke, I don't really want to go full time. I don't want to leave my job. But I do want to have a highly profitable business. I still think you should jump into the blueprint because it's not about how much money you're trying to make at all.
- [25:44]
A
Any dollar that you is extra money in your family's pockets or in your pockets if you don't have a family. Right. Like you might have a goal to save up for your vacation. This is the space for you because you're going to make extra money whether it's $500 or several thousand dollars. You're the effort you put in. You're going to get back and teach you how to like work less and make more. Right? Like it's all hard work but the goal is to work less and make more. We're not, we're not quitting our full time jobs or whatever or staying, even staying with our full time jobs and taking on another job to work harder. You know, we're laying the groundwork for whatever is to come. Whatever the Lord wants for our business and for our lives.
- [26:29]
B
That is so good. I was going to end on another question, but that, that's good. That's a mic drop moment. Wendy, can you tell people where they can come see your work, connect with you, maybe even ask you a question about the blueprint if they're considering joining?
- [26:47]
A
Yeah. So my website is uplift nw photography.com you can also email uplift nw photography gmail.com I'm happy to answer questions. It's easiest to get a hold of me via email. Of course you can submit a contact form if you want to. And if you're in Oregon and want to book a photo shoot, whether it's a couple shoots in your portrait families or if you're going to have a wedding or elopement, I would love to serve you.
- [27:10]
B
Thank you so much. I will link up all of that in the show notes so people can find it. And thank you so much for coming on here. Opening up about your journey with both your photography business and your experience working with me in both one on one coaching and in the fully booked blueprint. So thank you so much.