A $2500 Average Is Possible Anywhere! With Yagazie Eguare (Re-Release)

Summary

The Portrait System Podcast

Episode: A $2500 Average Is Possible Anywhere! With Yagazie Eguare (Re-Release)
Host: Nikki Closser
Guest: Yagazie Eguare
Date: October 24, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Nikki Closser speaks with Yagazie Eguare, a successful portrait photographer and entrepreneur based in Lagos, Nigeria. Yagazie shares her inspiring journey from optometry student to leading a multi-photographer portrait studio, maintaining average sales of $2,500–$3,000 per client in a market many would consider challenging. She discusses her approach to pricing, team-building, marketing, and work-life balance—proving that world-class photography businesses can thrive anywhere.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Yagazie’s Path From Optometry to Photography

[02:52] – [09:42]

• Yagazie started out studying optometry. Photography was a longtime hobby but didn’t seem like a “serious” career.
• After obligatory internship and national service in Nigeria, she realized optometry didn’t fulfill her:

  “If I’m going to be an optometrist, I want to rise to the pinnacle of my career. If I want to be a photographer, I want to be very good at it. ... There is absolutely no way I can be very good at two things at the same time.” ([08:07] – Yagazie)

• Her decision to pursue photography full-time required courage, and initially, she kept her ambitions quiet to appease her parents.

2. Building a Studio—and a Team

[11:13] – [16:45]

• Began shooting weddings but pivoted to portraiture, focusing on empowering women.
• Opened her studio, Gasmadu Studios, in 2016. Transitioned from solo work to building a team.
• Her studio now employs four photographers (including herself). She prioritizes training interns and shaping team culture:

  “The business I envisioned was something that was going to involve other people as well as building other people and really getting them to align with the vision and ... what we’re really doing.” ([14:21] – Yagazie)

• Each photographer is encouraged to connect personally with the studio’s mission and to develop their own strengths.

3. Compensation and Team Dynamics

[17:04] – [20:07]

• Photographers receive monthly salaries, rather than being paid per project or by commission.
• Special projects or out-of-town assignments come with additional allowances.
• Yagazie recruits through internship-based training rather than hiring established photographers. She stresses leadership and ownership among her staff.

4. Pricing and Selling High-Value Photography in Nigeria

[20:54] – [27:28]

• Yagazie overcame her own doubts about premium pricing, inspired by Nigerian photographer Ty Bello and by principles from Sue Bryce Education:

  “I had to believe first that it was possible. ... Do they see you as valuable enough?... That was, you know, I needed to project an energy because I realized that is the energy I project... that made it just so attractive.” ([21:47], [25:11] – Yagazie)

• She describes pushing through objections and targeting the right clients, not lowering prices to chase bookings.
• Session fees start at 250,000 naira (about $400–$500), with most clients purchasing additional products. Her average sales range from $2,500 to $3,000.

5. Marketing Strategies—Layered and Consistent

[31:38] – [37:09]

• The studio uses a mix of:
  • Social media (Instagram, ads)
  • Email marketing (weekly emails to segmented lists)
  • Strategic collaborations (e.g., “Lady Boss Portrait” campaign with a clothing brand)
  • Referral programs and in-person networking
• She emphasizes that no single method works alone:

  “There isn’t just one thing. ... We’ve done a lot of work and we’re still doing more, every single time ... There are people that actually need your service and you have to go out there.” ([33:56], [34:40] – Yagazie)

6. The Philosophy of Growth & Process

[39:06] – [44:36]

• Building a business takes consistent work; Yagazie cautions against expecting overnight results. She recalls her humble beginnings, taking taxis with all her gear to client homes.
• Balance and adaptability are key, especially as a mother:

  “It’s still the same destination, but the routes could change. ... As your life changes ... what modifications need to come in in order to make this?” ([43:42] – Yagazie)

• Her process and priorities have evolved with her life circumstances.

7. Giving Back and Community Building

[49:43] – [52:09]

• Yagazie founded Gasmadu Education, a platform for empowering and training photographers and creatives across Africa. She recently hosted the Art Business and Creativity conference.

  “We’ve been able to empower up to 7,000 photographers ... to up level their skills and build successful businesses so they can impact their world.” ([49:47] – Yagazie)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Belief in Value:

  “It was almost like I felt like this photography was ... like a calling, like there’s something here for you. ... I didn’t want anyone calling me a doctor of optometry. I just told them, just call me a photographer.” ([08:19] – Yagazie)

• On Team Leadership:

  “You have to fit into who we are ... I don’t have to be here for someone to say, ‘Oh, this is a Gas Madu Studio,’ for them to get the experience.” ([30:20] – Yagazie)

• On Starting Small:

  “I didn’t even have a car when I started as a photographer. I would go to clients’ houses, I would book a taxi, I didn’t have an assistant. I would carry everything...” ([41:08] – Yagazie)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:21] – Yagazie introduces herself, background, and journey into photography
• [09:50] – Parental acceptance and evolving perceptions of creative careers
• [11:13] – Transition from weddings to portraiture; mission focus
• [14:03] – Team building: structure and culture
• [17:04] – Paying staff: salary vs. commission
• [20:54] – How premium pricing is possible anywhere
• [25:37] – Pricing structure, session fees, product sales
• [27:17] – Consistently high average sales and motivating the team
• [31:38] – Detailed breakdown of marketing strategies
• [35:40] – Email marketing: nurturing community
• [39:06] – Entrepreneurship: workload and systems
• [43:42] – Balancing business, motherhood, and personal growth
• [49:43] – Expanding education for African creatives
• [52:15] – Where to find Yagazie and her platforms

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Practical Tips & Takeaways

• Start Where You Are: Don’t expect immediate perfection or scale; success is incremental.
• Believe in Your Value: Confidently project the worth of what you do—clients respond to your energy.
• Teamwork Requires Patience: Building and training a team is challenging and leadership means letting go of some control.
• Diversify Your Marketing: Multiple channels work together to drive brand awareness—don’t rely on just one.
• Nurture Community: Build relationships with clients beyond the sale, especially through email.
• Give Back: Sharing knowledge elevates not just your business but your creative community.

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Rapid-Fire Closing Questions

• Must-have on Shoots: “Music ... the atmosphere is really important for me.” ([45:24] – Yagazie)
• Spare Time: With family, friends, and exploring restaurants. ([46:10] – Yagazie)
• Inspirational Quote:

  “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he’s right beside me.” (Psalm 16:8) ([47:05] – Yagazie)

• Advice for Beginners:

  “Just start ... as you keep moving, you gain more clarity. ... Don’t underestimate the importance of investing in knowledge.” ([47:47] – Yagazie)

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Find Yagazie Online

• Business Instagram: @gazmadu
• Education Instagram: @gazmadueducation
• Studio Instagram: @gazmadustudios
• Websites:
  • www.gazmadustudios.com
  • www.gazmadueducation.com

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Summary prepared for The Portrait System Podcast Episode with Yagazie Eguare.
If you’re inspired by this story, remember: world-class creative businesses can thrive anywhere—with belief, structure, and community.

Transcript

[A]

Hey there, it's Nikki Klosser and I want to let you know about an awesome free giveaway for people on our email list. If you haven't already, click the link in our podcast description or go to theportraitsystem.com signup to get on the list. If you sign up, you'll get a free posing 101 PDF to jumpstart things. It's an epic PDF, so you'll definitely want to get this. Also, just by being in our email community, you'll get deals, sales and information about any of our upcoming events and activities. So head over to theportraitsystem.com signup and and sign up today. You're listening to the Portrait System podcast.

[B]

When we get an objection, we're not saying, oh no, let's go back to the previous what is it going to take for us to get to the people that are going to be able to do this? And then we just go out and just, you know, you know, see how we can do that.

[A]

Welcome to the Portrait System Podcast. I'm your host, Nikki Klosser and this show is here to help you succeed in the world of photography and business. To help you learn to become financially free, doing what you love and so much more. With with over 1 million downloads, countless photographers have taken what they've learned from both our episodes and from theportraitsystem.com and they have grown their businesses, quit their day jobs and are designing a life of their dreams. We keep it real and share stories about the ups and downs that come with running a photography business. You'll hear real life stories of how other photographers run their business and you'll learn actionable steps that you can take to reach your own goals. Thank you so much for being here. And let's get started. My guest today is Yagazier Aguare and she built an impressive photography business in Lagos, Nigeria. When Yagazier decided she wanted to be an entrepreneur, she knew she wanted to be more than a solo entrepreneur. At the beginning of her career, she was loading her gear into taxis to get to her clients homes. And after only a few years, she now has a team of people who also do photo shoots. They help with marketing and everything else that comes with running a photography business. Yagazia shares so much about just how she maintains an over $2,500 average in Nigeria, how she finds her clients, and what it's like working with and managing a team of people. I am very honored to have learned more about her and what she does And I'm so excited that I get to introduce her to you today. Okay, let's get started with Yagazie Aguare. Hi Ygazia, how are you?

[B]

Hi Nikki. I am awesome. I'm doing very well. So excited to be here.

[A]

I'm excited to have you. I feel very honored. Will you tell everyone where you are located?

[B]

So I am in Lagos, Nigeria.

[A]

So cool. Have you always lived there?

[B]

I've always lived in Nigeria since I was born. Yes. But I have traveled quite a bit, but I'm currently based in Lagos. Lagos. It's one of the states in Nigeria.

[A]

Okay, very cool.

[B]

Well, in major states, yeah. Okay.

[A]

Okay. And have you always been a photographer? I mean, at least in your adult life?

[B]

Not always so. Well, this, this year would be my 10th year as a photographer. Well, the 10th year I went into, I just started exploring my journey as a photographer. So when, if you see adult life from after university, then. Yes, but before during university, no. Yeah. So I, I started photography 2012. That's when I really just went into photography. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Is that what you went to school for?

[B]

No, no, no. So I, I went to school, I studied as an optometrist.

[A]

Oh, interesting.

[B]

In school. Yes. But all the while though, I've been very fascinated about. Fascinated about photography. Cameras and just. Yes. I would always steal my mom's camera when you know, when I was younger I would take all the pictures. I would get lost in front in my computer just editing, you know, I would do all of these things but I never would be a photographer. I just thought it was one of those things that people just do on the side, you know, just like a hobby. So nothing, nothing really serious. So. Yeah. So it was after university that, you know, while I was done with invest, I was, I was sure that I wasn't going to practice. But I mean they usually after university there is the two year compulsory. You'd have to do like an internship and you have to, you know, do some community service for the country for one year. So I was, I was certain that after I was done with those two years that I wasn't, I wasn't going to practice, but I wasn't certain what I was going to do. But then again, you know, photography was that thing that I just had as a hobby that I really loved and I was just like, you know what, let me just learn about this so that at least I can have something that I'm doing well. But you know, I wasn't living in Lagos state at the time, which is more like is like the cosmopolitan, you know, city of Nigeria. So I moved to Lagos State, and that's when I got a bit of training and I saw that, you know, photography was, you know, well, more advanced in Lagos than where I was coming from. And it was at that point that I realized, oh, wow, this is really what I wanted to do all the while, you know. And I think the major reason why I didn't see it as something that I could do, because I didn't really see good examples around me, you know, that portrayed photography in a successful way. So I thought, okay, you know what? This thing is not something for successful people, and I'm going to be successful. Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

I always felt the same, too, that photography was just a hobby, like, growing up. It just wasn't a career that was ever encouraged by my parents or. I didn't know anyone who actually made money doing photography. It was like, just something we did for fun. To take photos of your friends. Like, it just. For some reason, it was just never something that I ever thought would be possible. So, yeah, it's interesting.

[B]

That's interesting, you know, because you would think, you know, we would think that. Oh, no, that's just the way it is here. But, I mean, hearing you say that. So apparently that's how it is every other place.

[A]

A lot of my. The people I've interviewed on this podcast have said the same thing. And, like, I had a dad, at least as a young girl before, you know, when I still live with them, where it wasn't like, you're gonna be an artist. I mean, it was, you're gonna be an engineer or a teacher or, you know, you're gonna go to college. And, like, there just wasn't any discussion of creativity. So it's interesting how you went from optometry to photography.

[B]

Yeah, I know. Wow.

[A]

You know, there was an episode we have. I'll have to look up what number it was where her mom. I interviewed her. She's a photographer. Her mom found out that she had cancer from a photo of her eye. Yeah, it was episode number 84, Zakira Muhammad. She. That's her mom saw the. Her eye and was like, something's wrong with her eye. And that's. She took it to an optometrist, and that's how they found out she had cancer from a photo. Isn't that wild?

[B]

Oh, wow. Just look at that. Wow. I know.

[A]

Well, anyway, okay, so. So you come out of university, you know, studying optometry, and then at what point did you decide. I know you said that you realized, you know, once you went back to Lagos that it was like, okay, this is a possibility. But did you were just like, you said goodbye to your schooling and you were like, I'm doing this full time or how did you do that transition?

[B]

No, I definitely didn't. I mean, of course, you know, it wasn't. I, I was, I'm also coming from a background and you know, parents that don't see photography as something that anyone ought to pursue full time. So after school, you know, everyone thought I was still like I was playing, you know, they were just like, you know, of course I had to do the compulsory one year internship. I had to do the community national Youth Service for one year again. So that's two years. So within those two years I still shooting but then I was working actively as an optometrist. So my parents, they weren't worried because they were like, oh, you know what, you know, don't worry, you're gonna get tired of this hobby anyways, isn't it like this is how these things go, right? But then, you know, for me I just kept thinking like, you know, I had always imagined, you know, I wanted a life that was living it fully and just happy and I wasn't just chasing too many things at the same time. So by the time I was done with the second year, which was the time I was gonna now make the decision, I started asking myself, would you be able to handle being an optometrist and a photographer? And the answer for me then was no, because, you know, I'm very driven, you know, and I was like, if I'm going to be an optometrist, I want to rise to the pinnacle of my career. If I want to be a photographer, I want to be very good at it. So. And there is absolutely no way I can be very good at two things at the same time. So. And I decided, you know what, I'm just going to chase one thing. And it was that time when I decided, you know what, this life is my life and I'm going to take responsibility for my life. And I understand that my parents love me and you know, every other person doesn't really understand or see what I'm seeing because I just saw, I just felt like it was almost like I felt like this photography was, it was just more than. It was like a calling, like there's something here for you. And I felt so much joy and fulfillment and you know, I didn't want anyone calling me a doctor of optometry. I just told Them just call me a photographer. So it was at 2000 in 2014. That was a time that I. Right. You know, that was when I was done. I was like, you know what? I'm just going to go into photography. But then again, I'll tell my parents. You know what, I'm just going to. I'm still looking for a job. You know, I would still get a job just to get them to just be chill. But as that, I think it was 2015 and I think I had a conversation with my dad and he was still saying, you know, I used to go and get the job. Those point. I just told him, you know what? I'm not going to get a job anymore. This is what I want to do and this is what it is. This is my life right now. And I'm sure it was hard for him, but then again, you know, I knew that I had to make that decision. So it wasn't, it wasn't easy, but it was one of the most courageous things I have had to do.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, I believe it. I believe it. And here you are 10 years later. And do your parents, how do they feel now about what you do?

[B]

I mean, they feel they're happy and they're proud of me, you know, seeing all the different things I've been able to do and how I have evolved as a photographer and not just, you know, seeing now I've evolved and it's not just me anymore. You know, I have, you know, I'm building, you know, a photography company and having, you know, it's now they're seeing me not just as a photographer anymore, they're seeing me. She's an entrepreneur. They know that she's really good at what she's doing, you know, so they are seeing this evolution and it's, you know, they're happy about it and they're proud of it and they've, you know, they're just at peace now with everything.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I think our parents, they want what's best for us. Right? And they.

[B]

And absolutely.

[A]

They see those careers that are stable and have good health insurance and good. Or at least in the States, I don't know, you know, and it's like they want what's best for us. And I've joked if my dad was alive still when I switched out of my, like, really stable school, social work career, he would have been like, what are you doing? Like, he would have been so pissed. But, you know, it just takes time, I think, to prove that there is another life other than just These typical careers, you know, so.

[B]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[A]

So, okay. So speaking of success, I mean, it sounds like you have been really, really successful with what you do. So can you tell everyone just a little bit about what you shoot? You know, do you shoot in a studio on location? Like, just give us a little summary of your business.

[B]

So I am a portrait and wedding photographer. So I started out as a wedding photographer primarily. Well, yeah, more into business. So the first major job that I got was as a wedding photographer. And it's the reason it is the most common here and I'm sure in most part of the world. Anyways, so I started out as a wedding photographer, but I. I realized that I've always been very, very fascinated about humans and just people. So after I had my first child, I realized that, you know what, I needed to go back into portrait because I felt like, you know, I was doing a bit of portraits, but then I needed to really go back into it in the sense that, okay, I mean, it would. It wasn't as time consuming. And then, you know, I also get the opportunity to really connect with people on, you know, more directly and, yeah, explore that. This fascination that I have about humans.

[A]

As opposed to weddings, do you mean?

[B]

Yeah, as opposed to weddings.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, that's what I thought.

[B]

Okay. Just wanna make sure. Yes, yes. I was doing weddings first, so, yeah, so then I went into portrait. So now I am primarily a portrait photographer. I do a little bit of weddings, but, you know, right now the primary source of income is, you know, portrait photography. So. And I launched out, you know, fully into portrait from 2016. 2016. That was when I opened up, you know, my studio, Gasmato Studios. You know, I kind of rebranded from Gasmato Photography to Gasmato Studios. And, you know, I just really started this, you know, I started taking myself seriously and taking my business seriously and now asking myself, you know, why are you doing this? You know, what kind of business do you want to build? Who is doing what you're doing? And I believe, I think that was the year I really. I think I got into super education, I believe either 2015 or 2016. So right now I am a portrait and wedding photographer, primary portrait photographer. So really what I do is I'm very fascinated about the woman. Right. And I see myself as, you know, someone who celebrates and empowers the everyday woman to really see herself and, you know, become all that she has been called to do. Right. So, you know, we do the. We do lots of personal branding portraits. We do glam portraits as well. As family portraits as well. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, very cool. So you do most of these things in studio, and you focus on photographing women? For the most part, yes.

[B]

Yes. So we do most of these things in studio. We do a bit of on location, but since we have a studio, we do maybe 70% of our sessions happen in the studio, and then the other 30% probably on location. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And you said we. Is it just you on your team? Cause you said we. I'm just wondering if. If it's, you know, do you have other photographers or is it just you?

[B]

Yes, I do have other photographers. So on my team, I have a team of four photographers. I am the lead creative, and then I have three other photographers that also.

[A]

Great.

[B]

Yes. Yes.

[A]

Very cool. Can you tell us a little bit about how that works?

[B]

Huh? So it's very interesting because, you know, when I started out as a photographer, you know, in the business, I realized that I wasn't. I didn't necessarily want to build a solo business. You know, the. The business I envisioned was something that was going to involve other people as well as building other people and really getting them to align with, you know, the vision and, you know, what it is that we're really doing. So, you know, I started out, you know, having interns and, you know, really raising the interns, and then you. They become. They becoming photographers as well, and of course, ensuring that they were aligning to really what it is that we're doing. And they also connected to it personally. So I'm the. I'm the lead photographer. They are associate photographer. So there are sessions that are specific to me, and then there are also sessions that my team takes, and the clients are very much aware of that.

[A]

Okay, gotcha.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So is it something that your team members, they have things that they're really good at and that they like doing, and you stick with what you like doing. And is that kind of how you divvy it up?

[B]

Yes. So let's say for one of the photographers, she's more into documentary. So she does a lot. A lot more documentary photography. So when we have, like, weddings and all of those, she's more involved, invested in that, you know, genre of photography. But my other team members, that they also do portraits as well. Yeah. So some of the. I mean, they shoot women, mostly. Everybody shoots women the most. You know, we also shoot men. But I think it's just about really getting people that understand and we're able to connect with what we do. Like, you know, the vision, like our approach to photographing women and for them also, they connected to that. So it's not necessarily saying, oh, this is what we do. You have to do it. Right. But you also training them in such a way that, you know, are they able to connect with this? Do you, do you see yourself doing? Are you seeing, you know, you know, do you see the transformation that I'll cause? Do you connect with it? So I think that's one of the things I've been able to do with my team and getting to them to the point where it's not just. They're not just doing this out of the mere fact of, oh, I just want to do this. But, you know, they really, they personally connect with it. So those that shoot portraits. Love shooting portraits. Love. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, cool. And then I know people out there are going to be wondering because we've had people asking lately, like, how do you add an associate photographer? How do you build a team? Or whatever? So I know people are going to ask how the pay works. Like, are people paid hourly? Are they paid a percentage of sales? Like, how do you manage that part of it?

[B]

So as right now we do a salary based payment. Every photographer ends a salary at the end of the month, including myself, inclusive. Okay. Yeah. So, yeah. So not just maybe on some projects or when we have to do, like out of town, you know, activity, then there's a bit of allowances that, you know, come with it here and there. Yeah. But, you know, there is. So really where we were. One of the things we really are, you know, doing more of is really creating a structured system around, you know, the work that we do in such a way that, you know, that allows people still get the benefits of, you know, being employed in an organization. You know, what it would be like being employed in an organization and not just. Yeah. So I mean, that's a system that has worked for me and, you know, that I am currently doing. So I didn't do the. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

[A]

Like, how did you find these people, the people to work for you? Because I feel like that's one of the things that people struggle with is, you know, finding people that work well on your team and are great with clients and are planning on staying for a while. Like, did you have luck with that?

[B]

Yeah, I would say God's help. So we find them. So we find them. I think one of the things is, you know, when I hire, I. I don't necessarily. Well, I haven't really gotten to the point where I'm just. Oh, I'm just, I'm just going out and hiring photographers. So I hire interns. So I invest a lot into training. Yeah, I invest a lot into training, so training and building my team members, raising them continuously. So I think one of the. Why, you know, it's something that, you know, a lot of people find challenging because I also feel like it's not everybody, that a lot of people are not really sold into training and really leading and also being, you know, carrying the team along as though they are part of, you know, you know, because you can hire. You can hire someone. You say you have someone, but then again, you're running the business all by yourself and the person doesn't see themselves. Like, I don't see myself in here. I don't see. I don't know what is going on. I don't know, like, where are we going to? And all of those things. So really carrying my team along and constantly, you know, having a very, very open line of communication where, you know, we're able to go through everything, you know, consistently. But training has been a major, major core and, you know, really, really training them and also raising them as leaders in the sense that they take a lot of responsibility over things, so. Over their clients. They take responsibility over their clients. So you're not going to have a session and then there's a difficulty. Then I have to come in and say, oh, no, no, no, no. Unless it's like, you know, it gets to, you know, it's. It's something that's completely out of your hand. So even if there's a difficulty, I would guide you into solving it as against solving the problem. So they feel like, you know, owners as well, you know, being part of the business as against just, you know, being an employee or so when you're just working for someone. I don't know if that. That explains the.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, that's really smart. It's really smart. Because I think sometimes there can become, you know, depending on the relationship, there could become some sort of, like, resentment towards the boss or, you know, the one who's like, maybe making more of an income even though it's their business and they've built it. And so. Yeah, so that's good. I love that. I love that mentality. Okay. So, you know, a lot of times people will say, like, oh, you know, the prices that sue recommends for industry standard, like, you can't. You can only charge that in New York or LA or Chicago, you know, in the States, maybe the, you know, London or some of these. And I know Lagos is a very, very large city. Yes, but for people who say, like, you can't do that here, like, tell us a little bit about how it's been in Nigeria, you know, with, with your pricing.

[B]

You know, I used to have that mentality as well, you know, when I started in super ice education. And I think I'm like, what? I don't even understand this. Who is going to even pay this? Like, it's not even possible. But I mean, one thing that helped me is, you know, also seeing someone that has been able to crack that and that someone being Ty Bello. And then I'm thinking, I'm like, you know, Ty is able to do this. You know, there is. She's building, she has built a business around this and she's been able to attract the right people to her and to her brand. So what is it going to take? What do I need to do to be able to, you know, start to get people, you know, to understand or be able to value my work, you know, like this. And one of the things I realized is I had to believe first that it was possible.

[A]

Mm, definitely.

[B]

You know, and I think, you know, just you just eliminating that. Oh, no, this only happens abroad because funny enough, right, even as now, you know, as at last year, you know, I was telling my team, like the most of our problematic clients are actually clients that come from abroad, you know. You know, they come from like the U.S. so, you know, like when they're coming from the U.S. back to Nigeria and they're like, oh, you know what, you know, we're just gonna get something cheaper here and then we give, we introduce, oh, you're gonna pay for a session fee. And then these are the images you're going to pay for and all of, of those things. Yeah, we find them more problematic, to be honest, than Nigerian based clients. Right. So I knew that first of all, what I needed to work on was I needed to work on myself. I needed to work on my self value, how I saw myself, how I valued myself. Because that was, you know, I needed to project an energy because I realized that is the energy that I project. That's really what people feed off and people, what people decide, Decide, okay, this is the reason why I'm going to buy or not buy, right? And then one of the things I really did was I really soaked myself into all of the lessons that sue teaches. Like I'm just, I'm, you know, I'm sold out funnel too, you know, and really for everyone, you know, like the sales intense, everyone. I'm like thinking, okay, how can I apply this in my own market because I believe that the people. I mean, Nigeria is a. I mean, there are wealthy people here. There are. There are so many people. There are lots of people that are. That have the money and are willing to. To spend. Spend it. But the only thing is that, do they see you as valuable enough to be able to spend that amount of money? Have you built a business that. That. That is able to communicate and attract the kind of value that you desire? So, you know, that was it for me. So I wouldn't say is, you know, it's from the clients or from I. It was the work that I needed to do on myself. So the fact that before I didn't believe it was because I had undervalued myself. I had, you know, measured my value based on maybe what I was used to or where I was coming from or, you know, what I had in my pocket and all of those things. And not understanding that, you know, there is so much value in the work that I do and now understanding that this is also my responsibility to effectively communicate that to my clients. And then, you know, saying, getting a no doesn't necessarily mean it means maybe next opportunity, or it means that there's going to be another time and just being. Staying consistent and, you know, staying dogged and saying, okay, you know what? This is what I want my average to be. And this is how many sessions it's gonna take for me to do this. This is what the price is going to be. And when we get an objection, we're not saying, oh, no, let's go back to the previous price. We're saying, no, what is it going to take for us to get the people that are going to be able to do this? And then we just go out and just, you know, you know, see how we can do that.

[A]

Yeah, I love that. I love that mentality. And it really does all come back to us. And it doesn't hurt that you have really beautiful work, too. That helps.

[B]

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

[A]

Like, your work is really gorgeous.

[B]

Thank you so much.

[A]

I love all your color tones and just such, such beautiful work.

[B]

Thank you. Come here for me.

[A]

Okay. But yes, it does. It does go back so much to just what we're putting out there and being the photographer that people really want to book. And when you feel that confidence and the value it radiates from you, and people want that.

[B]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah, it radiates so great. So, so good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I had to talk to a client. I was talking to a client one Day, she was like, the way you talk about this photography thing, I just want to. I want to do it. So. And I realized that it was the confidence that I was exuding that, you know, people. That it was just. That made it just so attractive.

[A]

Yeah, right, right. It's true. It's true. Okay, so then tell us a little bit about how your pricing works and your. Just your packages and your structure. Or do you have packages, do you do a la carte and how your pricing works.

[B]

Okay, so we have the personal branding sessions, and then we have the glam and the family sessions. Right. So the pricing is a bit. A little different for. To the two of them. So with the personal branding section, test sessions, we do the packaging, you know, where we just have, you know, one. I think it's these two packages. Two different packages that. That is inclusive of images. Right, okay. Because, you know, we kind of saw that, you know, people just wanted, you know, something that they could, you know, we had gone over it. Over it, but we now settled at having a package system for that. But for glam sessions and the family sessions, we do the, you know, there's a session fee. If people pay for a session fee and our session fee, you know, the pay at a minimum of 250,000, which is about, I think, 400 to $500.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And that's just the session fee itself.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, that's the session fee itself. So the session fee covers, of course, the shooting time or the number of outfit changes. It comes with hair, it comes with makeup. It doesn't come with. So we don't necessarily. Don't do wardrobe styling yet. So most times people come with their outfit changes and all. Yeah. Then afterwards, you know, people now purchase their nim po in packages. Yeah. The package is inclusive of the images, the wall portrait, and then you know, either the matted prints, depending on the package they choose, or the albums, they can also choose to go a la Cartier to just price and image. Yes.

[A]

Awesome. And then do you know what your average sale is at this point?

[B]

It's between 2, 5 to $3,000. It's that. That range. I need to get the exact, you know, as. That's when I calculated it towards the end of last year.

[A]

That's amazing. Yeah, that's a really high average. That's incredible. Good for you. And it's so cool, too, that you have this whole team around you. So it's not like you have to be the one constantly working and just always, you know, doing everything yourself. And to have Other people who are also bringing in income and you're providing them with an amazing career. Like, so cool.

[B]

And, you know, they. I also challenge them to also have their own averages as well, you know, because, you know, they know what. What, you know, they know sessions that are specific to them and what it. What they are bringing in. So I challenge them to have their, you know, challenge them to raise their average because they see how I consistently raise mine. So it's almost like you're building your. You're growing individually, but we're all together under. And, you know, under a business, under a company. Yeah, Yeah.

[A]

I love this. I love this so much. It just, it feels like it's not that you just. And you said it. I'm trying to remember exactly how you said it. You didn't want to be a solopreneur. You wanted to have, like a company sort of situation.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[A]

And I feel like going into that with that mindset is really, really smart. You know, there's just something about being able to grow your team. And I think often people go into this as they're just going to be a photographer and it's just going to be them. That's how I went into it. It didn't even occur to me that I would have a team, whereas it sounds like pretty early on. Yeah, yeah. What are the. What do you find. Are, like. Are there any, like, difficulties or struggles with having having a team?

[B]

Well, of course there are difficulties and there are struggles. You know, things are not always going to go your way in the sense that if you're a control freak, so to speak, you're going to get frustrated a lot, you know, because again, you know, everybody. Everybody is not working at the same pace as you are. You know, they have the. They can, they have the capacity to. So, you know, just. That's. It requires a lot of patience. Right. And it also, it requires compassion and it requires a lot of commitment to raising people. And that's the way that I see it. So it's. It's a great thing, but it's also a challenging aspect in the sense that, you know, things are going to go wrong and it's not going to be directly your fault. It's going to be from your team member. So you're going to need to apply a lot of emotional intelligence and leadership. And you know what happens, that's when things go that way. Right. So those, Those, for me, I would say, you know, those are the challenges. When you're just like, you know what I do, I'm not sure I want to carry this number of people. Can it just be me? You know, the days that you're tired, you're frustrated, you just remember, like, it's not just you. Like, you can't just wake up and say, this is because there are people that are really holding on and hanging on to this, you know, with you. So it's great. But I would say that, you know, those are the areas that, you know, I've really found the most challenging. Just. And also bringing in someone new. Bringing in someone new and really aligning them to what you stand for, to what your definition of excellence is, to what the brand is about, to what you guys stand for, what your values, what is your culture, what is all of those things, you know, because for me, it's not just about bringing someone in and saying, oh, you're just going to work for me. No, you have to fit into who we are. Yeah. What we represent. And you have to understand that and you have to be able to carry that, you know, along. I don't have to be here for, you know, someone to say, oh, this is a gas Mado studio, you know, for them to get the experience. Yeah. So I think that's the, that's the challenging aspect of it for me.

[A]

Yeah, that makes sense. I mean, I would. Yeah, I can definitely see all of those things. And it's funny when you said it's like if you want to be someone who's micromanaging, I feel like, oh, that's going to be really hard. You know, like, you have to kind of let go of the control for sure.

[B]

Exactly. Yeah.

[A]

And then let's talk a little bit about marketing. How do you, how do you market to get your clients and does your team help you with that?

[B]

So as far as marketing is concerned, we've explored different marketing channels, you know, for our work. Not as much as we would love to, but we've explored quite a bit. So for, I would say one, we use social media. We do a lot of social media marketing being very active and very intentional and strategic with, you know, our social media platform, you know, social media ads, you know, to. For more brand awareness. So for us with social media is really getting more people aware of the brand and just being in the mind of people. We use email marketing as well. Email marketing has become one of the quite, you know, one that we've been, we've explored quite a bit in almost two years now and has been quite, quite interesting and, you know, quite successful as well. Well, because true, whoever comes into Our system, so to speak. You know, we were kind of moving them into like a community and referral marketing is also really major and in fact one of the major drivers for us because we're very big on relationships. So we're very big on ensuring that our clients keep coming back and they refer us to, you know, friends and families. And you know, we don't just hope that they do. We actually request, you know, through our process, which other way. And collaborations. Collaboration has been big in terms of. For the past three years, consecutively we have collaborated with, you know, a Nigerian clothing brand in the beginning of the year. So we do this major collaboration. It's called the Lady Boss Portrait. So we collaborate with a clothing brand and together we come together to, you know, put together a campaign that is targeted at, you know, people, working people. You know, it's more, it's a personal branding campaign, but more extensive. But because through that collaboration we've been able to leverage because they are also a very well known premium clothing brand in Nigeria and we as well. So that has helped really establish the brand a lot and really, really helped our marketing and also doing other two, about three campaigns in a year. So those I would say are the major marketing. Networking as well. Networking. Networking as well. Those are the different channels that we've explored.

[A]

This is really great. I think sometimes people think that there is just this. We get that question actually sometimes in the Facebook group where people are like, what's the one thing you do that gets you clients? And it's like, oh, there just isn't just one thing. And you are such a great example of you've got to put in the work with your marketing and your social media is great. I mean, you have a, you have a pretty, you know, large social media following. Yeah, but social media doesn't always translate to bookings. So yes, it's brand awareness. And I love that you're, that you have the email marketing component, the collaboration component, this, you know, campaigns. It sounds like you've done a lot of, a lot of work to get where you're at with your business and it's great.

[B]

Yes, yes, we've done a lot of work and we're still doing more work every single time because I mean, the industry is growing more and more. And as much as it's great, I think it's first of all understanding that there are people that actually need your service and you have to go out there. It's a, it's a disservice to yourself and to the universe that the People that need your work, they, they haven't seen it, they don't know about you and they don't know how to find you. So that's the way I see it. So I think that's one thing that really drives me as they see there are people that we, that need our work and it's our responsibility to ensure that we go with, look for all the different avenues to ensure we reach them.

[A]

Yeah, totally, totally yagazi. That was such a good way to put it. Because people are not going to just come to our door and find us. Even if they do need our services, we have to, we have to find them, we have to show them that we're available. And sometimes it's not just sit one time like, okay, so let's talk a little bit about your email marketing because you said you kind of convert them into your community. How does that work?

[B]

So, I mean, we send, we send out, we try to keep our. So anyone that comes into the gas madness comes into our funnel. Whether you're coming in through maybe an inquiry, you came into a website or you're a client. I mean, we have different segments anyway, but then again, we have like a collective one. So we send weekly emails to our community, our email community, to just keep them abreast of maybe what's going on, you know, let them know. We celebrate our clients, you know, maybe when they've done something and we put out, maybe if there's any opportunity that, you know, someone, you know, maybe that we saw that would be relevant to maybe a group and maybe someone sees it. And then, you know, we also use that as an opportunity to now, you know, of course, remind them, you know, about having a session. Let them know if there are any offers, if there anything that we're, you know, really doing. What we're just trying to do is really get people to see us as, as a family, sort of like, you know, sort of to build a community where they constantly have us top of mind and, you know, every time, even if you haven't booked a session, when you're ready, you're still going to think about us. If someone needs a session and you're like, oh, who's the first person you should think we want you to think about us? So, and because they have had an experience with us, you know, so to speak, maybe we've had a consultation so with them, you know, so it would be easier for them to book us than someone that just comes through Instagram because the person has had no, you know, no experience with us whatsoever. So that's why we're really holding on strongly to that, you know, and yeah, absolutely.

[A]

I love that. I think sometimes people think just because a client maybe isn't ready now or they. They're not, you know, interested in booking now, doesn't mean that they won't ever. You're just like priming them for when they are ready. Exactly what you just said. So smart. It's so good. So good. I love that I'm in the process of redoing and revamping my whole email community right now because I realize I just have not put the time and energy into it and I'm so, so, so excited to do it. It's one area in my marketing that I've fallen flat on and I'm. I'm. You've just got me really excited. I'm so pumped to do this. To just contribute more to email instead of like, social media can be so draining and I'm to the point where it's just so. I'm so. It's like my psyche needs a break, but I still want to be able to, you know, be in touch with my community and book clients and everything. So, yeah, I'm super excited about my email list. I'm glad you brought that up. And yeah. Is there anything that you have found to be really helpful with email? Like, email list, like. Okay, let's talk about the logistical part of it. Like, is there a specific, you know, company that you've used? Do you do it yourself? Did you hire someone?

[B]

We do it ourselves. Because for. So we. I started with mailchimp. I just. Mailchimp was great, but I just. The mailchimp interface, I'm not sure that I'm so. That I love it that much. Yeah. And then we moved into another ConvertKit. So ConvertKit has been great. So with writing the emails, we do it ourselves in house. I don't necessarily do it myself, so there's someone, someone in my team that is in charge of that and it's our responsibility to ensure that, you know, email goes out to our client base every week. So, I mean, we just vet what, what's on the email, ensure that it gets the approvals. Yeah.

[A]

Very cool. It sounds like you have built yourself a really amazing business. I love it.

[B]

Thank you, Nikki. It's been a lot of work. It's so much work to be a business, to be a. To be an entrepreneur. I don't know why people like I, I was talking to. To someone the other and I was just like, why do People just sit down and say, you know what? I just want to go into my own business. It's great nonetheless. But then again, they never tell you, like, it's going to be this much work, you're going to be this, you're going to be that, you're going to be the marketer, you're going to be. I mean, you're going to be everything until you start to lose your mind and you realize, oh, my God, I need help.

[A]

Yeah, it's true. Although I will say it's like, I feel like now that you have all of these pieces built. Wait, okay, so you've been a photographer for 10 years, but building this particular side of your business, your team and everything, that has only been a couple years, right?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. So I feel like, give yourself a little bit more time and I bet you it isn't going to be so much work. It's like we have to put it all in at the beginning and then eventually, like with networking meetings, for example. I used to go to networking meetings, like two times a month, sometimes three times a month. I don't even go to them anymore because the referrals just keep. Have kept coming from them. So it's like you have to put the work in ahead of time in order, you know, building the website and everything. But then you've got this amazing website and all you have to do is update it from time to time.

[B]

From time to time, absolutely. I think consistency is actually major to everything that we do. You know, not doing it for the first time and you don't get the results and then you pull away. You. You actually have to stay there sort of. And the rewards come, you know, a bit much. You know, it might not always come as fast as you desire it to, but it doesn't mean that it's not working.

[A]

Right. That is a very wise statement right there. And I don't want to scare people away by saying how much work it is, but I think it's also everything doesn't have to be done at once. You don't have to have your email list, your social media, your collaborations, you know, everything done at one time, just start somewhere.

[B]

Oh, no, no, definitely not, definitely not, definitely not. Because I didn't have all of this. Like, I didn't have. I mean, it was just like, like it was just me. It was really just me. I didn't even have a car when I started as a photographer. I would go to clients, houses, I would book a taxi, I didn't have an assistant. I would carry Everything, I would set it all myself and I will shoot them myself. So it's like, you're getting to here and it's like, no, that's not the entire story. Let's go back again and just realize that we have been growing through this. There's been a process to this. I didn't just wake up and you know, and there's, there's so much more ahead. And I think, I think that it's very important that you mentioned that because it's easy to just feel like, oh, you know, for me to get him going to do. You have to start anyways, right? It's until you start that you start to, you know, the, the way is like clarity comes while you're moving. It doesn't come while you're staying one place and trying to figure it all out. You have to just start. You have to just, just take one step and then you, you know, you start having more clarity as you keep moving.

[A]

Yeah, definitely. And I would assume that it was probably hard back then when you didn't have a car and loading all your gear into a taxi.

[B]

It was so hard.

[A]

Like that sounds really hard as well. So I think sometimes we forget that. Yes, what we're going through now with successful businesses feels hard. But when we look back to where we were when I was like charging next to nothing and yeah, constantly like editing my time away and back breaking weddings and all of these things, it's like we have to look at where we were versus where we are at now.

[B]

Some perspective, you know, Very important, Very, very important. Because it was really hard. And I would do everything, I would edit for hours. I would not sleep at night. I mean, those are part of the things that made me go into a bit of education. Because I think that a lot of people, people, you know, get the wrong perspective when they're starting. And I'm just like, see, this has been, you know, I had, my family was suffering. I had, I had my first child and I thought, then I thought I was just going to. Life was just going to be the same. I didn't realize that. Wait, when you become a mother, it is a different ball game all together. So like, it's just been so many, many curveballs. So many. Yeah.

[A]

How many kids do you have now?

[B]

I have two kids. Two girls.

[A]

Two kids. How old are they?

[B]

Six years and four years. In two months? Yeah.

[A]

Oh, yeah. So they were like babies, like little when you were building all of this?

[B]

Yes, they were. I mean, yeah, they were babies. I mean, now they are still babies, they're not like, grown or anything, you know, So I still need. I'm very, very much invested as a mother and, you know. Yeah. With their upbringing. So it's just I. I got to a point where I realized that you might. It's. It's still the same destination, but like, the routes could change. Right. And just being open to changes along the way and seeing, you know, as your life changes, as your, you know, things change around you. What are the things. What are the modifications that need to come in in order to, you know, make this. So it's not necessary to. So the way I was as a single woman is not necessarily how things are, you know, still going to be what changes need to be made in my life, you know, so that I still have a life, I'm still present for my family and I'm still able to run a business. Yeah.

[A]

And that's what it's all about. It really, truly is not letting our business take over our life to the point where we're not enjoying it and enjoying our family and our just time doing whatever it is that we want to do besides work and. And finding a way to balance it all is really just as important as having a stable income. It's.

[B]

Yes. Yeah. Yes. It's just realizing that every. All those parts are really also important aspects of my life. Very important aspects of my life.

[A]

Yes, absolutely. I love it. Well, awesome. Thank you for sharing all of that with us. I do have a couple more questions that I always ask at the end of each episode. If you'd to, like, you don't mind answering those, that's fine. And the first one is what is something you cannot live without when you're doing a photo shoot?

[B]

Music. Let's just say my camera music. Yeah.

[A]

Nice. Is it just provide like the vibe of the shoot, you know, does it get you excited?

[B]

Yeah. So, like, the atmosphere. So atmosphere is really very important for me. So it creates an atmosphere that, you know, sort of allows every other thing. So. Because, I mean, photography is not just. It's not just take your camera and shoot. It's. Yeah. The mood has to be. The atmosphere has to be right. So also so that the clients, they're comfortable and they're able to. They're just. They just feel. Yeah. So music really does help. Yeah, A lot for me and I love it.

[A]

Okay. Okay. The second one is how do you spend your time when you're not working?

[B]

When I'm not working, I spend my time with my family, my husband and my kids. They They, I mean, my kids are a handful. I love. I love spending time with my husband and my kids are handful. I mean, they're enough to take all my time when I'm not shooting. But aside that, I also, I also love to spend time with friends. I. I love to eat. So I go out to nice restaurants and I eat food. I love exploring restaurants, so I do that.

[A]

Yeah, me too. I'm the same. My kids are 3 and 5, so they could also take up all my time. But I swear I spend so much time eating out. I love it. I love it. If I ever come to Lagos, I would love for you to take me to your favorite restaurants.

[B]

Oh, yes, we have a lot of them in Lagos. You would love them.

[A]

I can imagine. Yeah. Very cool. Okay, number three, do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

[B]

So, I mean, I'm very. A lot of the work that I do is very anchored on my belief in God. So my inspiration quotes would come from the Bible. And I would say like Psalm 16, verse 8. And it just says, I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he's right beside me. So it's one of the scriptures that. I love it a lot because it just reminds me that no matter what happens, you know, you're good, you're always going to be good. Yeah.

[A]

It's beautiful.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. And number four is, what would you tell people who are just getting started with this whole photography journey?

[B]

I would say photography is such a beautiful. It's such a beautiful career. It's such a beautiful journey. Like, it has been one of the, you know, I found it so fulfilling. I found it so beautiful. I found it, you know, and if this is what you really desire to do, just go for it, you know, and understand that your journey is unique and it's specific to you. And there are people out there. No matter. Regardless of how many photographers that are out there, there are still people out there that are for you. So I would say let nothing stop you, but just start. You just have to start. And as you keep moving clarity, you know, you gain more clarity. And of course, very, very major is, you know, just don't underestimate the importance of investing in knowledge. Like, I think that's usually, like, it's not enough to just get your gear. Yes, get your gear, but you would fast track your growth ridiculously, if you invest consistently in the right knowledge. Yeah. And I think super education is just amazing at, you know, it has been. It's, oh, gosh, I can't even thank sue enough because it has been one of the. I could, you know, my story would never be complete without, you know, talking about sue and Sue Bright education, how much it had helped. It has helped me as a photographer and I think I speak for, you know, so many photographers out there, you know, and it's such an amazing platform. Such a gift. Such a gift. Yeah. So that's what I would say.

[A]

Definitely a lot of people feel that way. So it's, you know, it's always, it's always nice for her to hear that for sure from different, you know, different people. So awesome. And you also kind of give back like if people. Well, first of all, I always ask where can people find you online? But I also want to make sure you mention that you give back with your own education, that you have your own education platform. Right?

[B]

Yes, yes, I do have, you know, very inspired by sue as well. I have my educational platform here for photographers and especially creatives. And what we are doing with Gazmata education is really, you know, elevating the perspective people have of photography, you know, in Nigeria and within Africa and really helping photographers, creatives to up level their skills and build successful businesses so they can impact their world with their distinct gifts and talents. So through the platform we've been able to please empower, you know, up to 7,000 photographers. We have quite a robust email community and I also run programs where I help, you know, other photographers that are just starting out, people that are just going into photography, you know, a beginner's photography program, it's an online based beginner photography program that helps people that are just going into photography on exactly the step by step way on what and what they ought to do and you know, how they need to go about it. Because I find that, you know, it's something that it's not common out there. And as, and as, as much as YouTube is great, YouTube just just doesn't give you a, you know, a structured knowledge system where you can just say, you know what, let me just get this. And you know, it's just a bit all over, over the place. And I realized that was something that people needed and with the business as well, also helping, you know, just budding starting photographers to just say how do you just put your business together in such a way that, you know, and how do you start to change the way that you see yourself in such a way that you can build something that's, you know, that would be consistent and that lasts for a bit. And for anyone that is trying to say, okay, I want to, I love the business model that you're doing and you know, this is what I desire, you know, and just, you know, guiding them through it. So that's essentially what we do with Gatmadu Education. In addition to that, we also, we just did for the first time is hosting a conference, the Art Business and Creativity conference. We hosted the first one last year in November, November 30th, 30th and December 1st. And it's essentially just a conference for creatives generally, you know, anyone of creative descent, just empowering creatives with, you know. Yeah, really? So that, that's, those are the aspects of the work that we do with Gazban education.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, very cool. And then if people are looking for you online on social media on your website, where should they go?

[B]

So if you're looking for me online at Gazmadu G A Z M A D U. That's my personal business, you know, handle at Gazmadu Education for the education and Gazmadu Studios, that's for the portrait for our work. Yeah. For website www.gazmatostudios.com www.gasmatoeducation.com those are the two websites. Yes.

[A]

Fantastic. Thank you so much. Thanks again. I really, really appreciate you coming on and unique. Yeah, yeah, this has been really great and I'm hoping that you know people in Nigeria and just will hear your story and be like, okay, if she can do it, I can do it. And you know, it's always so great to just inspire other people. And yeah, I appreciate you sharing everything with us.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Thank you so much for listening to the Portrait System podcast. Your 5 star reviews really help us to continue what we do. So if you like listening, would you mind giving us a review wherever you listen? I also encourage you to head over to sue briceducation.com where you can find all of the education you need to be a successful photographer. There are over 1000 on demand educational videos on things like posing, lighting, styling, retouching, shooting, marketing, sales, business and self value. There's also the 90 day startup challenge plus so many downloads showing hundreds of different poses. We have to do checklists for your business, lighting, PDFs, I mean truly everything to help make you a better photographer and to make you more, more money. Once Again, that's Sue briceducation.com.