Booking 40 Shoots Within 6 Month of Starting a Business with Kelsey Comer (Re-Release)

Summary

The Portrait System Podcast

Episode: Booking 40 Shoots Within 6 Months of Starting a Business with Kelsey Comer (Re-Release)
Host: Nikki Closser
Guest: Kelsey Comer
Release Date: February 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Closser welcomes Kelsey Comer, a budding portrait photographer who has achieved remarkable success by booking 40 photo shoots within just six months of focusing on her portrait business. Kelsey's journey is not only inspiring but also a testament to determination, strategic marketing, and the transformative impact of the Sue Bryce Education business model.

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Kelsey's Personal Journey

Kelsey begins by sharing her deep-rooted connection to photography, which started in her childhood with her grandfather. "I loved it so much," she reminisces (05:17) about her early experiences capturing moments on film. After a period of distancing herself from photography due to involvement in sports and other activities, her passion was reignited at 16 when her parents gifted her a photo shoot. This pivotal moment not only boosted her self-esteem but also set the stage for her future career in photography.

Transitioning from various jobs—including a stint as a bank teller and a brief period working in human resources—Kelsey realized her true calling lay in photography. Her dissatisfaction with corporate roles led her to pursue her passion more earnestly. "I was absolutely miserable," she admits (07:52), highlighting the stark contrast between her corporate career and her fulfilling work in photography.

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Overcoming Challenges

Balancing personal challenges with professional aspirations, Kelsey faced significant hurdles, including her husband's accident and the responsibilities of motherhood. When her husband lost part of his hand, it underscored the importance of having a flexible income source. "It's just so amazing to be able to have a business that you can support yourself if needed when things happen," she reflects (03:38).

The arrival of her children introduced new complexities, especially in managing her workspace and time. Initially planning to convert her living room into a makeshift studio proved impractical with a toddler and a baby in tow. This led her to seek alternative studio spaces, emphasizing the necessity of a dedicated professional environment. "I needed a studio space outside of my home," Kelsey explains (04:03).

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Marketing Strategies

Kelsey's breakthrough came with the implementation of the "40 over 40" campaign, inspired by a personal experience when she feared losing her mother without having cherished photographs. This campaign resonated deeply with her target audience, leading to an overwhelming response. "I had over 30 photo shoots booked at one time. I was so overwhelmed and grateful," Kelsey shares (23:18).

Her marketing efforts extended to Facebook ads and local mom groups, which proved instrumental in reaching her clientele. Despite finding Facebook's business suite challenging, Kelsey kept her campaigns simple, targeting women over 40 within a 25-mile radius. "I just kept it very basic. Women over 40, 25 miles," she notes (27:18). This straightforward approach yielded significant results without the need for complex targeting.

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Business Growth and Success

Kelsey's strategic decisions, including creating a dedicated studio space and leveraging targeted marketing campaigns, led to substantial business growth. By offering unique packages and maintaining high-quality service, she successfully elevated her brand. "My average sale the last six months has been $1,200," Kelsey states (33:50), reflecting a significant increase from her initial pricing.

Her dedication paid off when she transitioned to full-time photography, leaving her stable job at the church after ensuring her business could sustain her family's needs. "In the month of July, my total amount brought in was over $8,000," she proudly mentions (29:02), solidifying her decision to commit fully to her photography career.

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Pricing Strategy

A critical component of Kelsey's success was her strategic pricing adjustment. Initially offering packages ranging from $200 to $350, she realized the unsustainability of these rates. Inspired by Sue Bryce Education, Kelsey embraced higher pricing to reflect the value and quality of her services. "I concluded that I could not only charge those prices, but I had to charge those prices if I wanted to give my clients an incredible experience, beautiful products, and make a living," she explains (12:xx).

This shift not only improved her revenue but also allowed her to offer more premium products and services, such as printed reveals and customized photo collections. Her average sale increased to $1,200, with total business revenue reaching $45,251 in six months. "If that's not so clear on why that's not sustainable, I don't know what is," Kelsey emphasizes (35:20).

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Conclusion and Advice

Kelsey's journey underscores the importance of investing in education, adapting pricing strategies, and leveraging effective marketing techniques. She advocates for photographers to invest in quality education, stating, "Whether you want to do this as a hobby or turn it into a career, definitely invest in education" (48:00). Her success story serves as a powerful example for aspiring photographers aiming to build a thriving business.

Kelsey also highlights the significance of community support and flexibility, both personally and professionally. Her story is a beacon of motivation, illustrating that with the right strategies and unwavering dedication, significant business milestones are attainable even amidst personal challenges.

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Notable Quotes

• Kelsey Comer: "I had over 30 photo shoots booked at one time. I was so overwhelmed and grateful." (23:18)
• Kelsey Comer: "I concluded that I could not only charge those prices, but I had to charge those prices if I wanted to give my clients an incredible experience, beautiful products, and make a living." (12:xx)
• Kelsey Comer: "Whether you want to do this as a hobby or turn it into a career, definitely invest in education." (48:00)
• Kelsey Comer: "If that's not so clear on why that's not sustainable, I don't know what is." (35:20)

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Final Thoughts

Kelsey Comer's journey from a passionate hobbyist to a successful portrait photographer exemplifies the transformative power of strategic business practices and dedicated personal effort. Her story offers invaluable insights into building a sustainable and rewarding photography business, making this episode a must-listen for photographers aiming to elevate their craft and business acumen.

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Timestamp References

• 05:17 - Kelsey's first photo shoot experience
• 07:52 - Dissatisfaction with human resources job
• 03:38 - Importance of flexible income sources
• 04:03 - Need for dedicated studio space
• 23:18 - Overwhelming response to "40 over 40" campaign
• 27:18 - Simplified Facebook marketing strategy
• 33:50 - Average sales statistics
• 29:02 - Transition to full-time photography
• 48:00 - Advice on investing in education
• 35:20 - Sustainability of pricing strategy

Note: Timestamps 12:xx refers to the segment around the discussion of pricing strategy.

Transcript

[Nikki Klosser]

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.

[Kelsey Comer]

Want to get this.

[Nikki Klosser]

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 sign up.

[Kelsey Comer]

Today you're listening to the Portrait System podcast.

[Guest Speaker]

About five or so years ago I had a scare with my mom. I thought that she might pass away from cancer and I wouldn't have had any pictures of her. So that was really like it hit me in the feelers of like, I don't want any family to experience this. I don't want anyone to have not to have pictures of their mom.

[Nikki Klosser]

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 photographic photography and business. To help you learn to become financially free, doing what you love and so much more. With over 1 million downloads, countless photographers have taken what they've learned from both our episodes and from theportraitsystem.com and they.

[Kelsey Comer]

Have grown their businesses, quit their day.

[Nikki Klosser]

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 today.

[Kelsey Comer]

My guest on the Portrait System is Kelsey Comer and she has a story that is very inspiring. Within six months of focusing on her portrait business, kelsey booked almost 40 photo shoots and has a sales average of twelve hundred dollars. And this is all while having a two year old and a six month old little one at home. Kelsey's success is due to her determination and also from a 40 over 40 campaign that she started. Kelsey got really creative with how she would be able to afford a studio and she also shifted her mindset, finally realizing that her old $300 portrait pricing definitely was not going to sustain her business whatsoever. Kelsey is a great example that it doesn't need to take Forever to grow your business and get your prices up. And I'm so glad you get to hear her story today. Okay, let's get started with Kelsey Comer. Hi, Kelsey. How are you?

[Guest Speaker]

Hey. I am doing great. How are you, Nikki?

[Kelsey Comer]

I'm great. I'm good. It was kind of a rough week last week, but we're back on track. Back on track this week and ready to rock, so. Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

Awesome. Did I see something about your husband's hand?

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, he basically chopped his finger off on the garage door.

[Guest Speaker]

Wow.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. But he had a really great surgeon, and she managed to reattach, Like, I was looking at it this morning, and it. Shockingly, it looks pretty good. So we'll see if he's gonna be able to keep it or not. We'll find out in the next couple weeks how much movement he has, but.

[Guest Speaker]

Wow. Well, I hope that all works out.

[Kelsey Comer]

Thank you. Well, it's interesting to think about because, like, you know, he's an electrician, and he is not gonna be able to work for who knows how long. And it's, you know, doing this podcast, it always makes me super grateful and just have so much gratitude to have the career that I do now. And had I been a school social worker still, I would not have been able to support us as a family. And so we were like, so it's one of those things where it's just so amazing to be able to have a business that you can support yourself if needed when things happen.

[Guest Speaker]

Absolutely. And that's a pretty big thing to happen, so. Flexibility.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. Yeah. We've been so fortunate in just trying to find the positives in it. Not that. I mean, it's kind of funny to say, how do you find the positive when you create? Cut your finger off. But there is, you know, you can. You can find out, like, okay, let's pause here and figure out what is the best route for our family. And it might end up being a better route than what you were going to take before, you know, so.

[Guest Speaker]

Absolutely.

[Kelsey Comer]

Anyway, okay. So speaking of routes, let's hear about yours, because it sounds like within the last, what, year, things have gone just amazingly well for you. Is that right?

[Guest Speaker]

Yes, it has been a crazy, amazing year.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. So, okay, let's back up a little bit, though. I know you've been a member of SBE for a while. I think you mentioned that before. So maybe maybe just start back when you became a photographer and kind of go from there.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. So it really stems back to whenever I was super little. It all started my grandpa And I would spend a lot of time together taking pictures with film. And one of my favorite parts was getting the pictures developed and seeing what we captured. And I just remember that being so thrilling, like, oh my goodness, I captured this. And I was just a little kid and the pictures might have been garbage, but I loved it. I loved it so much. But as I grew, that hobby kind of got set aside. As I grew older and experienced new things. I was super involved in sports and that took up a lot of time. But really photography entered my life again when I was 16. My parents had actually gifted me a photo shoot for my birthday and.

[Kelsey Comer]

Cool.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. So as an awkward, insecure 16 year old, I was a mixture of nervous and excited. But I went and the day was just so much fun. I got my hair and makeup done and just the day was so much fun. And in the end I received these pictures that really contradicted the negative thoughts I had about myself. And it was really a pivotal moment in my life that changed how I viewed myself. It was very empowering and just a really awesome experience.

[Kelsey Comer]

That's so great to hear because you never know how it's going to go, especially as a 16 year old. It's like, oh, you know.

[Guest Speaker]

Exactly, exactly. That was a risky purchase from my parents, but they did really well.

[Kelsey Comer]

That's awesome.

[Guest Speaker]

But soon after I got my first camera and I mostly photographed friends, typically outdoors. But let me tell you, I made a makeshift home studio in my bedroom, literally where I slept and had all my things.

[Kelsey Comer]

This is when you were 16?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, so soon after I was 16, maybe 17 at that point. And if you're thinking, wow, that sounds really janky, it's because it absolutely was. It was so. It was like poorly put together and had these old studio lights and a backdrop style stand. And I would have my friends come over and I would do their hair and makeup, which I had no business doing at all. But I did it and I would take their picture and man, it was just so fun. It just filled me full of life. I loved it. So fast forward to several years later. I met my husband and we moved to Arkansas, where I'm living now. And I figured it was about time for me to figure out what I want to do with my life. So I had mostly been a barista and I loved coffee, but I definitely didn't want that to be my career path. So I decided to take a job at a bank as a teller. And I wanted to experience the banking world and I really, really liked it. It was a really Good fit for me, for my skill set. And I decided, all right, this is it. I'm going to move up and I'm going to work in human resources. And that's my end goal. And I met my goal. I got my human resources job and I was absolutely miserable. Like, hated my job. I was a super negative person that complained about my job all the time to my poor husband.

[Kelsey Comer]

So hard. Yes.

[Guest Speaker]

I would wake up in the middle of the night, like, panicked, like, did I do this? Oh, I need to make sure and respond to these emails tomorrow.

[Kelsey Comer]

And.

[Guest Speaker]

And it just like consumed my life. So obviously this was not how I wanted to live my life. And at this point, I was still doing photography to some degree. I had two packages. One was $200 that included 25 digital pictures, and then the other one was $350 and it included 50 digital pictures.

[Kelsey Comer]

No. Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

No. So I was like, okay, I think I want to pursue photography. I thought that was a good time at that point. Thankfully, I knew I wasn't ready to like, completely abandon ship and do that full time because I would have absolutely failed with those prices. I would have gotten burnout and it would have been very bad. But I thought, how can I do this? So I ended up taking a job at a little drive thru coffee place. Like, you know those little huts that are super tiny and you drive through. I don't know if those are where you are.

[Kelsey Comer]

I know, exactly. Yep.

[Guest Speaker]

So I did that. And I only worked four days a week and got my 40 hours in. And so I figured that fifth day I can really work on my photography. An added benefit that I wasn't aware of at the time is that coffee shop was so dang slow. So it wasn't uncommon to have an hour or two hours in between customers. So as long as everything was clean and tidy and I was done doing all of my duties, I really focused on my business. So my first step is I made it legit. I got legal and I was honest with myself and I knew I needed some work in some areas. So I was on a woman's photography group on Facebook and I saw someone asking about posing. And I was like, hey, I definitely need some work in that area. And so I was reading the comments and someone mentioned Sue Brice education. And I thought, okay, let's check this out. Let's see, let's see what this is about. And so I got on the website and I'm like, okay, this seems good. You know, I'll. I'll purchase a month and just see how that goes, I can always cancel it the next month. And I went straight to the posing videos and. And the knowledge I gained was mind blowing. Like, absolutely incredible. As you and all C. Bryce members know, like, there are so many videos to go through, and you just start going down this amazing rabbit hole of knowledge. And I learned things I didn't even know I needed to learn, and it was amazing. So in between customers, I would watch videos. I had a little notepad, I took notes, and I'd go home and type them up like, I was the best Sue Brice education student, I think, ever. I just wanted to learn it all so soon after the posing videos, I learned that I could create a home studio in the spare bedroom of our home, and I could light it 100% with natural light. And I was like, what in the world? I've never heard of this before. Yes, I'm sold. I want to do that. So that's what we did. We transformed that room. And I was amazed with the quality of work I could get just with natural light. And I eventually got to the point where I got to the pricing videos, and I heard sue say in one something about charging $150 per picture. And I kid you not, I almost closed out of that video because I thought it was so ridiculous. I was like, that's not going to happen here. No one would pay that. This isn't happening. You know how we all go through that from transport? Yeah, that was me for sure. But instead of closing out of it, I listened and I learned, and I concluded that I could not only charge those prices, but I had to charge those prices if I wanted to give my clients an incredible experience, beautiful products, and make a living. Like, I had to. There was no other option. So I remember going home that evening after watching the video, and I needed to tell my husband the plan, and I expected him to react the same way I did. And I had a full list of, like, I'm going to sell it to him, and this is what I need to say. And it didn't take me saying much. And he was just like, yep, you absolutely need to do that. And that was it. And quick side note, like, he is the most supportive, amazing, incredible person to have alongside of me. Like, he cheers me on, he brings me out of funks, he helps me problem solve, and I'm just so dang thankful for him. And he did not have the same blocks I did, obviously, because I was all like, no, I can't charge that. And he was like, yeah, you have.

[Kelsey Comer]

To so it's funny though how partners, like obviously it makes it so, so helpful mentally, like for our, for our own sanity to have a partner who, who supports us. And there are lots of people who do it without a supportive partner, but it definitely helps. But it's funny because even if our partner believes in us, it doesn't necessarily always mean they believe in themselves. Like, I remember when Dan was cheering me on and like, oh, you can totally charge that and this and that when he was starting his own business. I'm like, you know, you need to write, raise your prices, right? You know, like it's interesting. Like maybe his blocks, I don't, who knows? I don't know if that's the case with your husband. But it is funny how you can really support someone else when it comes to applying it to yourself. It could be tricky. So I don't know, I just wanted to throw that in there.

[Guest Speaker]

That is so funny. And you know, I, I feel like eventually, because I've just gotten so much fulfillment out of doing this, I want him to be able to have a career someday and do exactly, exactly what he wants to do and do his own thing. So I'll keep that in mind. If he has some blocks, I'm going to be like, hey, remember, you need this.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay, so at this point you guys are living in Arkansas and you don't have kids at this point or you had your first child?

[Guest Speaker]

Not yet. Not yet. So me like working in the coffee shop, no kids, really focusing on my business. So I spent that time soaking up every bit of information. But soon I took a job at a camera store because I thought, you know, I could use some hands on experience with some equipment because I really don't know a whole lot. But that, that is when I took that job. And I almost immediately found out I was pregnant. And I was doing the math and I'm like, well, I am definitely not making enough money to justify spending anything on childcare. So at that point I was like, well, I'm going to be a stay at home mom and try to fit in photography somehow. I don't know how, I don't know what that looks like, but that's what I'm going to do now. But after I made that decision and I was going to finish out the nine months of the camera shop, I ended up getting an email from the pastor of our church and he said, hey, I have an administrative assistant job available and it comes with discounted child care at the preschool which is in the same building. So you wouldn't have to be far from your child. Are you interested? And I was like, well, yeah, absolutely. So that kind of solved that problem for me and I took the job. It was Monday through Friday, 8 to 2, so I knew I still had afternoons and evenings to work on my photography.

[Kelsey Comer]

Oh, that's nice. Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

And this was before I had my child, so that was always important to me, ever since I quit. My human resources job is like, that is my ultimate goal. And I knew I could have some time to do that. So I had a couple months before my maternity leave and I started the church job and was still working on my photography. And actually, it was right before maternity leave, I made my first $1,000 sale and I was like, yes, I got this. I can do this. I can make a living for a. Like, this is totally doable. But then I had my son and started maternity leave. And you and all of the fellow parent listeners can attest to the fact that children rock your boat in ways you didn't know your boat could be rocked. And I was drowning in new motherhood duties, and it was a lot. I actually had a bit of trouble adjusting to my new role. And so I really put all my focus into that. That had to be a priority. And photography was just kind of on the back burner a little more than I originally planned. So after maternity leave, I went back to work at the church. And it didn't help that I just loved that job. I really loved the pastors I worked with, great hours, again, discounted child care. I was good at it. I felt like I was doing something good for the world. And so I really didn't have a huge fire lit under me to pursue photography that much. And so I continued to work there for another three years. The whole time I would do occasional shoots, and I hoped for at least one shoot a month. But in all honesty, I was lucky to get six in a year. Now, when I did those six, my average sale was pretty good. I was. I was pretty happy with it, but I wasn't really marketing. Anyone that came to me just fell in my lap and I honestly don't even know how they found me, but yeah. So then three years into working in the church job, I got pregnant with my second son. And at this time, my husband and I had bought a house and also Covid was happening. So it was a lot going on at that time.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

And yeah, so I started to work at home more because the preschool shut down for several months and it gave me a lot of time to think I feel like Covid did that for a lot of people. It kind of like reset our lives and made us think about what was important. And it made us remember that life is short and precious. And to be completely honest with you, I was thinking, like, what if my husband were to pass away? Like, there is no way, no way I am earning enough to support my family with just me. It's just not doable. I would have to move somewhere cheaper. I don't even know what I would do. So those thoughts kind of went around in my brain. So the original plan when we moved was to have the spare bedroom be my studio. Kind of like how it was in our other house. But I was pregnant, so obviously that became a nursery. And my plan was to shoot out of my living room was like, I can do this. You know, I know other Super Ice Education members do it. I've seen it. I can do this. But what I hadn't anticipated was the amount of clutter and messiness and chaos that comes with having a toddler and a baby. And I started to have trouble transforming my living room from a nice, family friendly area into a luxurious studio. And it wasn't really happening. And it really made me get to a point where I didn't want to book shoots because it was so much dang work for setup and tear down and all the while, oh yeah, nursing and tired and it was just chaos. So in April, I came to the conclusion that I needed a studio space outside of my home. So a quick look online made it pretty apparent that I would be paying $1,000 plus utilities easily. And seeing as I didn't have a whole lot of shoots booked, I felt like that was pretty irresponsible of me. So I didn't think that was a good choice for our family at the time. And I want to tell you what happened, and I want to say that this was very easy for me, and I'm fully aware that that's not going to be the case for everyone. But I was like, okay, I need some sort of space outside of my home. So this is what I did. I went to a local photography group on Facebook and I asked if anyone knew of a shared space available for rent. And I got two suggestions. The first was with another photographer and she was very talented. She didn't necessarily shoot the same things I did, but. But she had her work everywhere, understandably. I mean, it's her studio, but she had her work everywhere. And it just felt awkward bringing my clients into such an established place for another photographer, especially if it doesn't match.

[Kelsey Comer]

Your style or your brand or your genre or whatever.

[Guest Speaker]

Right. I feel like I would have to explain to clients like, oh, by the way, I'm renting this other photographer's studio. This is all her stuff. Like, what if they looked at a picture on a wall and said, like, I want something like this? I'd be like, well, you can hire that photographer, because I don't do that. It was just not a good fit. And the second suggestion was a bonus room in a hair salon. And so I contacted the owner and asked how much it would be, and she said it would be $600 a month. Well, that was still more than I could really pay at the time, but I thought I would go check it out anyway, and I came prepared with an offer for her. So I suggested, hey, you know, this is a good fit. For $300 a month, I would trade any two photography services that she would like. So those could be personal family pictures, personal branding shoots, photographs of products, anything photography related that she wanted, she could do that twice a month and that would cut the rent in half for me. And I gave her this list of options. And I remember I asked God to either open the door or slam it shut. And I would continue to work at the church. And I feel like God just opened that door wide open and was like, come on in. Because she agreed to the terms. And since then, I'm now paying $400 a month for one photography service a month. But it's so dang cute. It's tiny, it's cozy. I'd say it's a maximum of 150 square feet in size, maybe a little bit smaller, but it's my own space. It's my own little happy place I can have my clients come to. And I have the bonus of me not having to set up and tear down and pick up baby and toddler things and have the constant battle of dog hair everywhere. And I just love the stylists that work there too. They're just so supportive of me and my business. And it's just such a good, such a good fit.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, well, and I love this Kelsey, because a lot of people would have just heard the $600 and just been like, oh, it's too much. I'm never going to be able to find a space. Everything's too expensive. It's not going to work. But you, you found a way to make it work.

[Guest Speaker]

Exactly.

[Kelsey Comer]

And I think some people might be afraid to offer a little bit less. But all she could have said was no. And then you say, okay, if you ever change your mind, let me know. I mean, like, you just went for it. And I think that's amazing.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. Then that's just it. Like, it's really funny looking at me when I was younger and me now, because I feel exactly what you said. The worst thing people can say is no. And so I've become more brave in asking for things and I probably would have never done that. And I don't know where I would be now if I didn't do that. But I figured with that space, if I booked at least one photo shoot a month, I could pay for it. And again, I'm still working at the church at this time. Just got a studio, have a four month old baby and a three and a half year old. And I thought, okay, well I need to get some clients because I technically only had one shoot booked at that time. And so I was creeping on the sea Bryce education Facebook group and I kept seeing a lot of the 40 over 40 project mentioned. And that personally really resonated with me because about five or so years ago I had a scare with my mom and I thought, I thought that she might pass away from cancer and I wouldn't have had any pictures of her. And so that was really like. It hit me in the feelers of like, I don't want any family to experience this. I don't want anyone to have not to have pictures of their mom. So I pretty much immediately launched that when I got my studio and what I was not prepared for was the massive amount of people interested. And so my inbox was absolutely flooding and I had over 30 photo shoots booked at one time. And I was so overwhelmed and grateful.

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey, just a quick break to tell you that since you're here listening, you have access to a really great offer for our listeners only. We have a special promo code you can use to get 50% off the cost of membership. Just go to theportraitsystem.com or click the link in the description and use the promo code PODCAST50 to get 50% off of a membership. We rarely discount memberships, so this is a big deal. As I hope you already know, the membership is how I and so many guests on this podcast reached our success. And it gives you access to countless amazing videos, an awesome community, and all the tools you need to build a massively successful business. So use the code podcast50Now to join the community and to start building the business of your dreams. I'll see you there.

[Kelsey Comer]

How did you get it out there about this campaign?

[Guest Speaker]

Well, one of the biggest things that have helped me is Facebook ads, but also we have a couple of mom groups just for northwest Arkansas, and I've posted in those as well. And I tend to get a lot of applications when I post. Actually, I'll say some posts, it's crickets, and some posts, they explode. It just depends on when they. When they land. So both of those help me out a lot.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay. So as far as the Facebook. Okay. The mom groups, I just want to real quick for anyone out there who's thinking, well, I'm not a mom and I don't have access to mom groups. Sometimes you can, because I joined a networking group called Business among moms when I was in Seattle before I had kids, I wasn't even pregnant. But they let me join. So you never know. So don't discount those if you're not a parent. And then also talk a little bit about how you said with Facebook marketing. What was your most success that you found with that?

[Guest Speaker]

I am no expert in Facebook marketing. Their ads still kind of confuse me, to be honest.

[Kelsey Comer]

So confusing. Kelsey. I want to bang my head against the wall when even try to do one and I'm just like, forget this. And I just stop. Like, it's so hard. Well, it changed. It changes so much. I used to be able to do it no problem, and now I can't even duplicate what I did before because everything has changed so much. And I'm like, I don't even. I just get frustrated. It's hard.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. The business suite, I think it's called, is like extra confusing to me. So I don't have much advice. I'm not an expert in that area. But I will say what I did is I targeted women over 40, and I think the radius was 25 miles within my studio. And I know you can get real detailed with demographics on. Like, I want this person that likes these things. And I just kept it very basic. Women over 40, 25 miles. I know you can choose different incomes, but honestly, I have found that some of my clients that may not have the most money spend the most money with me. So that does. That's not important to me. Like, just I could target to, like, the more wealthy families, but that doesn't mean that they're going to spend more.

[Kelsey Comer]

Oh, totally. That doesn't make a difference at all. Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

So I just kept it real basic. It's not like the most helpful information, but it worked for me.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, sometimes it does. Just keeping it simple and basic. Is. Is enough. So that's good. I'm glad you. I'm glad you said that because you don't really have to be an expert. An expert in order to make it so. Okay, that's good. All right, so. So you have these 30 shoots booked. You have a six month old who you're nursing. You also have a two and a half year old and you have this extra studio. So what was your kind of like schedule like? How were you managing it?

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, my word, it was so much. So I worked 30 hours a week at the church. Luckily, I had talked to our pastor and I was like, listen, I think this is the direction I want to go. Is it at all possible you can be flexible with my schedule as long as I'm getting everything done and allow me to book some shoots throughout the week because I had to do it while my kids were in preschool. And that also happened to be the time that I was working at the church. And he's amazing. And he's like, yes, we can totally do that. And I remember him saying, like, at some point you are going to have to take a leap of faith. And I was like, okay, cool. Yeah, I can totally do that. Let me make sure my average sales are going to be decent enough for me to do that. And it really did get to the point that I think my first. Yeah, the month of July. So I started shooting in June. In the month of July, my total amount brought in was over 8,000. And so I was pretty comfortable at that point of like, okay, if I can do this while working at the church and taking care of these small humans, like, I can do this full time. So my final excuse for not leaving the church was I remember sitting down at my kitchen table with my husband and I was like, you know, I'm really nervous that Covid's going to come back and I'm not going to be able to, you know, they're going to close down the hair salon and that means I can't work. And he said, are you using that as an excuse? And I totally was. And so in August, I decided to put my one month notice at the church. And I'm now in my fourth month of being a full time photographer.

[Kelsey Comer]

Wow. And okay, so have most of your clients at this point been from this 40 over 40 campaign?

[Guest Speaker]

I'd say the majority, yes. I do some boudoir and maternity as well. And those are. Those were kind of sprinkled in. But I will say campaigns have. Have changed how I attract clients for sure. So I Actually, I'm all booked for my 40 over 40 now. And I've started another campaign called the Worthy Woman Project, and that is for all ages of women over 18. And it's just a project with the goal of helping diminish negative self talk and giving a platform to inspire others. And also, what I love about this new project is I plan on donating $5,000 to our local woman shelter. So with each package purchase, I will donate $100 towards that, and that'll equal $5,000 by the end of the project, because I'm accepting 50 women for this project.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, that's amazing. I love that. And it's taking something that's important to you or a passion, you know, something that you feel passionate about and helping a community. And I feel like sometimes that almost helps, too, to. I don't know, not that you need a reason or a charity to charge what you charge or whatever, but I think just mentally, sometimes it can help us a little bit too. Like. Yeah, that's awesome. Very cool.

[Guest Speaker]

Right? It makes me excited that I can donate $5,000. Like, I charge an appropriate price where I can do it. And that's exciting because as a business, I love being able to give back to our community. And if I was charging my 200 to $350 shoots in the past, there's no way I could have done that, let alone feed my family, so.

[Kelsey Comer]

Exactly, exactly. Talk to us a little bit about your pricing and how this works and. And just that your campaign overall, do they come in having to pay something and, you know, just take us through that.

[Guest Speaker]

Sure. So the 40 over 40 I did, each client got one picture with a session fee, which was $275, and then $100 off any additional thing they wanted to purchase. And so my average sale the last six months has been $1,200, which has been a little lower than I've originally wanted. But there's a reason for that, and I have actually raised my prices to where it won't be that low for long. So my pricing for the 40 over 40 in all projects is the same. The only difference is there's some. There's some extra Perks. Like the 40 over 40 I gave $100 off packages, and then they get the one complimentary picture. But no matter what the type of shoe, it's all the same price.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay, gotcha. And do you mind sharing what your average sale is at this point?

[Guest Speaker]

No, not at all. My average sale right now is $1,200, and that's a little lower than I would typically like, but I actually just raised my prices for the first time since beginning this journey with sea rice. I. I started off really low, and I have now bumped that up to where my absolute lowest package is. $1,400. Yeah.

[Kelsey Comer]

I mean, especially if you think about where you were. You were giving 50 photos away for $350. Now you're at $1,200. That's a really, really solid sales average. And you've only really been at it for, what, not even a year at this point?

[Guest Speaker]

Really? Six months.

[Kelsey Comer]

Six months.

[Guest Speaker]

Which is. Yeah, kind of mind blowing because I see that sales average, I'm like, oh, man, that's lower than I want. But at the same time, I added up what I've made in the last six months or how much has been brought into my business, and it's $45,251.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. That's incredible.

[Guest Speaker]

One of my favorite things to do to, like, keep me on this, like, you have to charge this, Kelsey, you have to. Is I divided that by my past $200 shoots, and I would have had to book 226 shoots at my $200 price in six months to bring that in. Like, if that's not so clear on why that's not sustainable, I don't know what is.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, I mean, okay, so. So what did it end up being, like, 30 something shoots?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. Something around there.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. I mean, that's like a huge difference. There's no way you can. I'm so glad you broke it down like that because there's no way you can be sustainable charging such a little amount. There's no way.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Kelsey Comer]

When you take out taxes and the cost of doing business and pricing, you know, for products and, you know, the cost of your website fees and your studio overhead and just everything there, it's just. It's not sustainable to do it any other way. And that's what sue has been saying, saying for so long. Like, listen, work on your craft. Make sure you have a strong portfolio and that you can give your. Be your clients beautiful photos, then raise your prices because you have to or you're not going to survive.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. I have a certain expectation on what I want to give my clients, and I simply can't do it for cheaper than what my current prices are. It's not possible. And I am a luxury product. And I understand that some. Some women have to save for that more. And some women, you know, ask for a birthday or Christmas gifts, and that's totally Fine. But this is what I have to charge.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. I notice on your website that you. There's a spot where people can book a consultation. Tell us about that, man.

[Guest Speaker]

That has been a recent development. When I first started my 40 over 40 project. Dang. I did not have that set up. So people would email me and I would email them back and be like, hey, I have these days and times available. And, you know, some people didn't respond back right after that. And so I had all these pending. Like, I gave this date to this person at this time and I needed to block that off my calendar just in case they said yes. And it was pure chaos.

[Kelsey Comer]

Oh, yeah, that sounds like chaos.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, my gosh. So I got a CRM and I now have it to where clients can directly book through that button. And I have. So I do my photo shoots Monday, Wednesday, Fridays from 9 to 12. And then they can book a consultation. I have every Monday and Wednesday and Friday available from 12:30 to 2:30, and they can book anytime in between there. And then they get on an automatic email and it's automatically put on my calendar and it's game changing.

[Kelsey Comer]

Which CRM do you use?

[Guest Speaker]

I use dubsado.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay. I've been hearing a lot about that lately.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, I think I did a trial for a couple others and that just seemed like the best fit for me.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. Okay, so they book you in for the consultation and is this something you're doing on the phone? Are they coming to you in person? How does that work?

[Guest Speaker]

Automatically on my website, it's set up for a zoom consultation unless they contact me directly and say that they want it in person. It's just really easy for both parties that way. That way, if they have like a lunch break that they want to fit their consultation into or whatever, it gives them a little more flexibility where they don't have to drive to my studio.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, I love that. I love that. I would much rather do it on the phone or Zoom than, you know, take the time out to. Yeah, okay. And then, you know, obviously they do the consultation. They either book or they don't. How often would you say people are booking in versus not booking after the consultation?

[Guest Speaker]

If they book their consultation, I'd say probably 80% of them book a shoot.

[Kelsey Comer]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with that.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. I mean, that's huge. That's great. I mean, it sounds like you must be doing a good job of explaining to people what they're going to get from you and just making it really apparent what services you offer and that sort of things. I feel like when you, when you do that ahead of time, whether it's through your website or social media or just, you know, really making it very obvious and clear what you do once you get to the consultation, they, they pretty much already know what you do and they likely already want to book you. It's just getting the extra details together, so it seems anyway.

[Guest Speaker]

Exactly, exactly. There's, I mean, there's some clients that are already sold before I tell them anything. And then there's some, of course there's some clients that they really, really, really want to, but they need some time to save and that's totally fine too.

[Kelsey Comer]

Sure. Yeah. Okay. And then what about, you know, you do the photo shoot and then what happens after the photo shoot? Do you do a digital photo viewing or like an in person reveal with prints? How does that work?

[Guest Speaker]

Since the beginning, I have done printed reveals and I'm a huge fan of those. I love them. With my new prices, I do have some more products in. Some of them are like, I have a metal collage, wall art and I do the, the nine up, but I kind of rebranded it. I call it the Celebration collection. So that's the, the nine five by seven prints in. It's custom framed and matted and has museum quality glass and it's just a really beautiful piece that they can display on their wall. So if a client is like, hey, I for sure want a metal collection or a celebration collection, I don't do a printed reveal just because I know they're not going to want those products. But they have to for sure know that they want one of those. Otherwise I'm doing a printed reveal.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay, awesome. And then so obviously they're coming back to your studio so you have to schedule that time as well.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, yep.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. I definitely want to encourage you to raise your prices a little bit because that's quite a bit of time if you're thinking of, you know, you have to do the consultation, you're doing the photo shoot, you're probably doing some emailing back and forth beforehand, giving directions and payment and all that good stuff. And then obviously the photo shoot time plus the editing and retouching time, plus now they're coming back to the studio again. So I do, I do hope you'll consider raising your prices, especially because you've been consistently booking at like, you know what you're thinking is 80% of the time it sounds like it's time to raise them.

[Guest Speaker]

Right. So I actually did just raise Them, my new packages, at a minimum, start at $1,400 at a minimum. And my previous packaging, the minimum, was 950, and I had a decent amount that did the 950. So I realized that wasn't sustainable for what I was providing. So I'm more. I'm happier with the 1400, but I would love for my average to be more around the $2,000 range.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay. So I'm asking this for people out there who are like, oh, my gosh, what are they saying to these new prices? Like, what are people saying? So how's it been going so far?

[Guest Speaker]

It has been great. As with all new transitions, I have this moment of like, are people gonna do this? Is this gonna work out? And I've really had no problem booking with my new pricing. And I love. I love that I changed it because I feel like it's a more even exchange for me. But also I feel like they're getting more out of their experience. And even if that means they need to take a little more time and save more money, if they're not quite there, I would rather them wait a little bit and get the full shebang rather than just come and get a couple of pictures.

[Kelsey Comer]

Right. Yeah. It all comes back to providing that service, and it's the type of service that they're going to want to tell their friends and family about, you know, or their coworkers, so that maybe they'll want to do it too. So. Yeah, that's great. And you do hair. Offer hair, makeup, and that's included, right?

[Guest Speaker]

Yep. Absolutely.

[Kelsey Comer]

Cool. Cool. Well, that's awesome. This is really great. And again, it's like, I think sometimes people get the idea that they have to have been doing this for so long or. And I know you've been a photographer for a while, but it sounds like you really didn't put your heart and soul into it until six months ago.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. Yeah.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. So things can definitely change rather quickly.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, man. Yes. I was. I was not prepared. I remember I'm like, I just need one shoe a month. And then I got all those bookings. I'm like, oh, I guess I need to quit my job.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, very cool.

[Guest Speaker]

And.

[Kelsey Comer]

And, you know, obviously having two very young children, it's nice to be able to make your own schedule and to decide when you're going to work and not work. And. Yeah, it's very exciting. I'm. Yeah. Very excited for you. And how big is your town? I was going to ask you that, too. In Arkansas, are you in a pretty large City or in a smaller town.

[Guest Speaker]

My studio is in a city of about 28,000 people.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay, so rather small.

[Guest Speaker]

It is, but we're part of northwest Arkansas, which within an hour and a half, any direction, there's probably about 550,000. And it's quickly growing. So it's kind of small. But northwest Arkansas is kind of a big unit of smaller cities that equal a lot of people.

[Kelsey Comer]

All right, so you have, you have a lot of people to tap into.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Kelsey Comer]

And even I think an hour and a half out might scare some people. But I know I've done that. I did that for a long time. And I still, you know, now the bigger cities are pretty far out, at least an hour. So. Well, not so much right now where I live now, but where I did for a while, it was, it was a good hour to get to a larger city. So even in Seattle, it's like everyone's like, oh, Seattle is such a big city. And yeah, it's a huge city. But just to get to my studio from someone who might live 15 miles could be taken hours. It's like you just kind of have to have it in your head mentally that it's okay if I have to tap into people who are an hour, hour and a half away because people will do the drive.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, yeah. And really being in this area, because there's so much within this hour and a half radius, people are kind of used to driving anyway. It's not uncommon to drive 30, 45 minutes to go to a restaurant that you like. So it's not asking much of them around here.

[Kelsey Comer]

That's cool. Very cool. Awesome. Well, thank you for sharing everything. I do have a couple more questions for you that I always ask at the end of each episode. And number one is, what is something you cannot live without when you're doing a photo shoot?

[Guest Speaker]

Well, obviously my camera. But I want to specify the type of camera because it's been life changing. I'm in love with my Fuji X T3. Before this, I didn't have a mirrorless camera. But the mirrorless life has been incredible. The auto eye focus has been a really big game changer. I look back. Oh my gosh. Nikki, do you shoot mirrorless?

[Kelsey Comer]

Not yet. I'm still on the Canon Mark four. I'm like, I'm just not techie. I don't, I don't know. I just don't. I probably should at some point here.

[Guest Speaker]

It's amazing. I literally don't even have to think about my focus anymore. It's just almost all of them are tech sharp. So it's. You should look into that. It's amazing.

[Kelsey Comer]

I know. It's on my first of the year list of things to do, so thank you for the encouragement.

[Guest Speaker]

You bet.

[Kelsey Comer]

Okay, number two is how do you spend your time when you're not working?

[Guest Speaker]

Well, my day to day life, obviously spending lots and lots of family time since I have a four year old and almost one year old. So I'm soaking up those cuddles and leavens while they're still willing to give them. And if I have any extended time, my favorite thing to do is traveling the world and exploring nature. So Iceland is my favorite place ever and I would like to go another five times before I die.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah. Yep. Awesome. Very cool. Okay. And then number three is what is your favorite inspirational quote?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, so I actually have two. The first one is your work is going to fill a large part of your life. And the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. That's Steve Jobs.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

The other one is actually a song lyric by the Abit Brothers and it's decide what to be and go be it.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, I love that.

[Guest Speaker]

And both of those quotes have really helped carry me through my photography journey. They kind of pop in my head every now and then. I'm like, yes, those. I needed to hear that.

[Kelsey Comer]

It makes such a difference, doesn't it? Doing what you love? Such a difference.

[Guest Speaker]

Absolutely.

[Kelsey Comer]

Very cool. Okay. And then number four, what would you tell people who are just starting out?

[Guest Speaker]

I would say whether you want to do this as a hobby or turn it into a career, definitely invest in education. I spent so many years trying to figure things out myself just from random YouTube videos or just playing with my settings. But the moment I signed up for Sea Bryce education, the quality of my work just increased significantly. Again, like I learned things I didn't even know I needed to know.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, this is really great advice. Education. Whoever that educator is for you, whoever speaks to you, whatever genre it is or whatever, you know, whatever it is, education is so, so crucial. And I'm not saying go get a degree. I know you're not saying that either. There are so many online opportunities and so many incredible educators out there and many different topics, and it's just. It's so helpful. So helpful. I agree with you for sure. All right, awesome. Where can people find you online, Kelsey?

[Guest Speaker]

My website is Kelsey Comerphotography.com and then both my Facebook and Instagram are at Kelsey Comer Photography.

[Kelsey Comer]

Awesome. Well, thank you again. I really appreciate you sharing everything and I mean it's. You're just at the beginning of your journey. You still have a long way to go and with all of this success. So I'm very, very excited for you.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. Well, thank you so much for having me. I enjoyed our chat.

[Kelsey Comer]

Yeah, awesome. Cool. I will see you online soon.

[Guest Speaker]

All right, sounds good. Bye. Bye.

[Nikki Klosser]

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 soubreiseducation.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 money. Once Again, that's Sue briceducation.com.