How A Single Mom Made $100k In Her First Year Of Business with Sunshine White (Re-Release)

Summary

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The Portrait System Podcast

Episode: How A Single Mom Made $100k In Her First Year Of Business with Sunshine White (Re-Release)
Host: Nikki Closser
Guest: Sunshine White
Date: October 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the inspiring journey of Sunshine White, a portrait photographer from the New Hampshire/Massachusetts area. Sunshine shares how she built her portrait business as a single mom, operating a basement studio under 300 square feet—from her earliest days charging minimal fees to her mindset breakthrough enabling her to gross over $100,000 in her first truly focused year. Host Nikki Closser and Sunshine explore not only the practicalities of pricing, marketing, studio logistics, and balancing motherhood, but also the vital mindset shifts required for real business growth—especially around money and self-value. The episode also covers Sunshine’s transition toward specializing in personal branding photography and her strategies for growing this genre.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Sunshine’s Origin Story and Early Struggles

• Evolution of Her Business

  • Started in 2004, gradually moved from family and kids’ sessions with makeshift setups to a purpose-built basement studio by 2007.
  • Initial pricing was low: session fees of $75, with typical sales around $500, making true profitability difficult.
  • Managed both business and being present for her children, especially after becoming a single mom in 2011.

• The Single Mom Challenge

  • The pressure to be sole provider forced hard questions about pricing and business approach.
  • "I refused to not be there for my kids... I had horrible mom guilt. I wanted to be home with them and also needed to afford their home." (Sunshine, 09:00)

Mindset Shifts: From Scarcity to Self-Value

• Discovering Sue Bryce and the Portrait System Community

  • Learning about "money blocks" and self-value became the catalyst for change.
  • "I truly believe that growing a business... I did it very slowly because I really needed to get through all the self-value work to be able to ask." (Sunshine, 10:01)
  • Doubling prices after discovering Sue Bryce, focusing on the self-worth needed to confidently charge more.

• Transformative Tactics

  • Practiced manifesting by physically carrying $1,000 in her pocket during client meetings to normalize the idea of higher sales. (Sunshine, 11:34)
  • Both Nikki and Sunshine credit “The Money Wheel of Misfortune” series in the Portrait System for directly addressing money psychology and breaking negative cycles. (12:00)

The Leap to $100k and Studio Logistics

• Turning Point

  • The conscious decision to treat photography as a business, not a hobby, was pivotal.
  • "I remember thinking... I need to start treating this like an actual business and not a hobby." (Sunshine, 19:47)

• Navigating Small and Rented Studios

  • Built a basement studio under 300 sq. ft., used creatively as both photo space and client meeting area.
  • Transitioned to renting studios per hour while searching for a new permanent space—emphasizing the flexibility and reduced overhead it provides.

Pricing, Packages, and Practical Growth

• Current Business Model

  • Average senior sale: $1,600, with packages ranging $1,050–$2,500—using Graphy Studio for prints and legacy boxes. (14:42)
  • Consults and image viewing moved to Zoom post-pandemic; process remains client-centric and personal.

• Sustaining High Value

  • Outsourced basic retouching and bookkeeping to free up her time and focus on client experience.
  • "Bookkeeping was the first thing I delegated. The second one was retouching..." (Sunshine, 20:37)
  • Personal connection prioritized over volume—refuses mini sessions in favor of a more invested, boutique experience.

Transitioning to Personal Branding Photography

• Challenges and Aspirations

  • Despite strong word-of-mouth and confidence in seniors, still grappling with price hesitation in a new genre.
  • “As far as personal branding, even after all this time, I still battle: am I asking too much?... There’s a lot of personal branding mini sessions around me… I just don’t want to do that.” (Sunshine, 22:58)
  • Desires to build branding clientele through relationship-building, networking, and authentic, high-touch experiences, not commodity mini-sessions.

• Action Plan for Growth

  • Joined local chamber of commerce—sees more potential but admits to not fully utilizing networking opportunities yet due to feeling “unrooted” after her move.
  • Needs to ramp up networking (beyond the chamber), collect more Google reviews/testimonials, and leverage voucher/trade strategies (as covered in Nikki’s courses) to break into the new market. (34:59, 39:45)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Power of Self-Value

  • “Being able to run a business is really just a practice of self-awareness.”
    — Sunshine (10:01)
  • “I remember my first senior sale that was a thousand dollars, and I was—couldn't believe it.”
    — Sunshine (11:16)

• On Money Mindset

  • “There’s the money wheel of misfortune videos… I have shame and guilt around money, all of these things.”
    — Nikki (12:06)
  • “I mean, you have to do a lot of sessions to make it work.”
    — Nikki (07:57)

• On The Boutique Business Model

  • “I like to be more invested in my customers. I like them to feel taken care of. That just feels—it's too fast for me.”
    — Sunshine (24:41)
  • “Not every client wants that mini session experience... There are so many clients out there who don't know that there is another experience that is available.”
    — Nikki (24:04)

• A Foundational Perspective

  • “Spend your time and money on education rather than equipment at first, because you can really do a lot with a little if you learn how to do it.”
    — Sunshine (48:14)

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Important Timestamps

• Sunshine’s Start, Studio Background – 05:54–07:00
• Transition to Single Mom & Price Structure – 07:35–09:33
• Discovering Sue Bryce, Mindset Shift – 09:52–11:47
• First $1,000 Sale & Manifestation Tactic – 11:16–11:47
• On The Money Wheel and Money Blocks – 11:59–13:17
• Discussion on Pricing, Business vs. Hobby – 19:47–22:07
• Reflections on Personal Branding, Mini Sessions – 22:58–24:41
• Current Personal Branding Efforts & Networking – 31:22–35:57
• Actionable Advice for Growth (Networking, Mindset) – 36:09–41:52
• Lightning Q&A: Gear, Self-Care, and Advice – 44:16–50:01

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Final Takeaways & Resources

Key Lessons

• Mindset is everything: Internal value must match your pricing strategy.
• Sustainable model wins: Avoid burnout by charging what you need and refusing to undercut your value with mini-sessions.
• Start with what you have: Profitable businesses can be built from small, simple, or even rented spaces.
• Network intentionally: Word of mouth is gold, but proactive outreach (e.g. through networking groups, testimonials, and strategic partnerships) propels growth in new markets.

Sunshine White Online

• Website & Social: Search for "Sunshine White Photography" (49:57–50:28)

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This episode is a must-listen for photographers at any stage—particularly those looking to uplevel their business mindset, set profitable pricing, and authentically connect with their ideal clientele, even during periods of big life change. It’s a testament to perseverance, personal growth, and the power of self-belief in building a sustainable creative business.

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Transcript

[A]

Hey there, it's Nikki Klosser and I.

[B]

Want to let you know about an.

[A]

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.

[C]

I truly believe that growing a business, I did it very slowly because I really need to get through all the self value work to be able to ask and being able to run businesses is really just a practice of self awareness.

[A]

Welcome to the Portrait System Podcast. I'm your host Nikki Klosser and this.

[B]

Show is here to help you succeed.

[A]

In the world of 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.

[B]

Our episodes and from theportraitsystem.com and they.

[A]

Have grown their businesses, quit their day jobs and are designing a life of their dreams. We keep it real and share stories.

[B]

About the ups and downs that come.

[A]

With running a photography business. You you'll hear real life stories of how other photographers run their business and.

[B]

You'Ll learn actionable steps that you can.

[A]

Take to reach your own goals.

[B]

Thank you so much for being here.

[A]

And let's get started. Hi there, it's your host, Nikki Klosser and my guest on the Portrait System podcast this week is Sunshine White. Sunshine's a photographer in New Hampshire and she grew her business as a single mom with her studio in the basement of her home. Sunshine's work is so beautiful and in her first year of really focusing on her business, she brought in just over $100,000. Sunshine is a senior photographer but she loves to do personal branding and she's been adding this genre to her business. We talked about some additional steps she can take to really grow and book more personal branding clients and since I love this genre so much, it was really fun to chat through. Okay, let's get started with Sunshine White. Sunshine, welcome to the Portrait System. How are you?

[C]

Thank you, I'm great.

[A]

I'm so happy to have you on. You've been in our community for a really long time.

[C]

I have, yes. Since I think, pretty close to the beginning.

[A]

Yeah. That's awesome. It's funny, just for our listeners, we were chatting about how you kind of discovered the portrait system and Sue Brights and all of that. And many years ago, I think it was. Yeah, it was 2016 because I was pregnant with my first son. I was on the show called Startup and it's about. Just for people who don't know about the show, it is. It's like a sort of like a documentary where there's different episodes with people who have kind of left the corporate world or just like left a full time job that they didn't love and they started a business and I got featured on it when I was in Seattle, pregnant as hell. And you said you saw that and that's how.

[C]

Yeah, it's really random.

[A]

Yeah. So funny how that works out. All right, so tell everybody where you currently live and what you typically shoot.

[C]

So right now I'm on the North Shore of Massachusetts and it's right below New Hampshire, where I used to be my whole life and where all my customers are still pretty much.

[A]

So. Okay, well. And you live now about 45 minutes from, like you said, where you were your whole life and where you grew your business, right?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yep. Okay, so I want to talk a little bit about that. And we have, we have a lot to cover, but since we're already there, let's talk a little bit about that. So you had your business in New Hampshire.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

You moved south 45 minutes and you're rebuild. And that was nine months ago. Right. Okay. And you're rebuilding your clientele in that area.

[C]

I'm. Yes, I am trying to. And I'm just trying to find studio space here, but really more the studio space I'm looking to get is closer back towards New Hampshire. So it'll only be about 20 minutes for all of my clients that I've had for the last.

[A]

Yeah, that's smart.

[C]

Yeah. So I can hold on to everybody and they can still find me. I'll still come up in Google and yeah, it's just a matter of moving myself back up there with my studio space and then I can live down here. Yeah, I got remarried and so he was down here more on the North Shore and that's how I ended up down here.

[A]

Okay. Because you were saying earlier, before we started recording, that most of your clients, you're still pulling from your old location. 40 minutes, 45 minutes away. But Once you're in the middle, I feel like it'll be easier. Yeah. For each. But it's interesting, sunshine, because one of the studio, actually the very first studio that I ever rented, like a full time with a lease, and it was outside of Seattle, like a 45 minute drive with no traffic from Seattle, it was called Gig Harbor. And people drove from Seattle to Gig harbor. Once they knew I was the photographer for them, it didn't matter where I was located. Exactly.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. I'm really not that worried about it. I think this space is going to be great. You know, in that town that. It's called Newburyport and it's a great little community and people from New Hampshire where. Where I was love going there anyway, so I'm not worried about it. It's just a matter of finding the right spot.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah, for sure.

[A]

Okay. Speaking of getting remarried prior to being. Okay, let me back up. When did you start your business?

[C]

So I started really. So my first studio space, I built my home and I built it specifically to have a studio because I started in about 2004.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And I was picking away at it and it was just education, education, education, shooting kids and that sounds awful, but families and you know, I was, I was hanging a white sheet in my kids playroom and trying to do boudoir, believe it or not. And then I realized that people were really loving what I was doing and I couldn't expand in a 12 by 12 room. Actually, it was even smaller than that. So we built a home where the studio could be in the basement.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And that was. Yeah. And that was in 2007.

[A]

Okay, now that sounds really glamorous. However, from what I know of you is you became a single mom for a while and you grew your business in your basement and you said it was just under 300 square feet. Yeah, yeah. So take us back to that. Like, at what point was it like, okay, well what were you charging before? Like, were you charging industry standard pricing back.

[C]

Way back? Absolutely not.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Take us through that transition of when you realize, like, okay, I need to start paying, you know, like now this is your, this has to be solely your income, you know, with this business. And like take us, take us through that transition.

[C]

Yeah, I was charging from about 2007 to 2011 when I ended up getting a divorce. That was my average around that time was about $500.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So. And I think my session fee was like $75.

[A]

All right. Okay.

[C]

So yeah.

[A]

Not like, not horrible. It's not like it was $150. But 500 a session is. I mean, you have to do a lot of sessions to Absolutely. To make it work.

[C]

Oh, yeah. I mean, and the time that I spent, those were seniors, so, you know, I drive a half hour each way. And then all the editing that I was doing completely on my own and I was starting to do let me think I would have them come in. I was printing. That's right. I forgot about that. I was printing like four by sixes for them to go through. And that's how they would see their pictures.

[A]

Right off the top of the cost of doing business.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. So even $500, you're not making $500?

[C]

No, no, not even close.

[A]

Right. So at what point were you like, okay, I have got to change something?

[C]

I think at that point when I became single parent 2011, I was like, all right, I need to pay for all this on my own and I need to figure out a way of doing it. And I refused to not be there for my kids at the same time. So that was a really. I had horrible mom guilt and, you know, I wanted to be home with them. And I also needed to be able to afford their home. So, yeah, I just started, I think really, I just started working harder and longer hours and I put them to bed and go to work.

[A]

That's hard.

[C]

Yeah. And then I. I think at that point I started inching my pricing up. But believe it or not, that was still not a big push to raise my prices. It wasn't until I found sue that I realized I was way underpricing.

[A]

Okay, so then what did you do? Like what? Like, did you just all of a sudden bump your prices up or was it a slow process?

[C]

I think I probably doubled them rate. When I found Sue, I thought it was all about valuing myself and my time and realizing that I could do it. There was a lot. I truly believe that growing a business, I did it very slowly because I really need to get through all the self value work to be able to ask and, you know, she talks about this, but it's 100% true. Being able to run a business is. Is really just a practice of self awareness. Yeah.

[A]

So was there. Was there any sort of turning point or any like specific kind of something she said that really opened your eyes that you can remember, or was it just a, you know, combination of all of it?

[C]

It was talking about the fact that there's such thing as a money block. I had never. Yeah, I had never even heard of that. I mean, I really dove into all her self value work and that changed, that really changed everything for me. I remember my first senior sale, that was a thousand dollars. And I was, couldn't believe it. And I, after that I start, I was trying to manifest and I would take, this sounds crazy, I would take basically $1,000 in cash and I would put it in my pocket. When my customer would come in, my next customers would come in so that I would feel like I had the money. So I wasn't, you know, being like, she would call stinky and I would just remind myself that it's possible.

[A]

Yeah. The money block thing was really important for me as well. I can remember. I mean there's a lot of great self value in the portrait system, in the membership or whatever, but there was, there's the money wheel of misfortune videos.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Did you watch those?

[C]

Oh yes.

[A]

That was like, holy. Like, yeah.

[C]

What?

[A]

I'm an over giver, overspender. I have shame and guilt around money, all of these things.

[C]

I didn't know any of that. Yeah.

[A]

And it was crazy because even though I was bringing in a lot of money into my business, I was not taking care of the like debt and avoidance and like, I just, I, I wasn't changing my mindset. So the money was coming in, but I was still not functioning how a business should and I was still in debt until that just clicked and I was like, okay, I, I know what I need to do now. I've got some work to do here. And then all of a sudden it shifted. And it shifted just as quickly as I learned it. Like it was wild.

[C]

Yes, it was. Yeah. That same thing happened for me. I think that was about 2014. And I'm just thinking about it and like, man, I went so long, so long. Really just. Yeah. I don't even know how to explain it. I was just, I don't even know how I went without doing it before. Without making industry standards.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[C]

But I did and it wasn't 2014. Wasn't that long ago.

[A]

I was gonna say, I bet you it was after that. Because if you saw me on startup, that was 2016, so it was at the beginning of 2016. So I bet you that was when.

[C]

Must have been the exact same time.

[A]

Yeah. So like eight. What are we? 20, 24. Gosh. Yes. So eight years ago. Yeah.

[C]

Almost embarrassing.

[A]

Yeah. It's pretty wild how it can change. I'll never Forget my first $1,000 sale either. It's one of those things that's like what I can do this.

[C]

So great. Yeah. Actually, I also started doing weddings for three years at that 2011 time. That might be another reason why it took me so long. I was. I started doing weddings to try and balance out that income, which was a horrible idea for me because I was with my kids on the weekends and trying to do weddings on the weekends, so. And I wasn't going taking away from my seniors during the week, so, yeah, that was just too much.

[A]

Right now you shoot, you focus mostly on seniors, and you're building your personal branding.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about seniors. So how do you structure things? And do you know your average sale?

[C]

Yes, so my average sale is about 1600.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And, you know, my packages are 1050 for starting, and they go to 2,500, depending on what people would like. And I do the legacy boxes.

[A]

Is that through Graphy Studio?

[C]

Yes. Yep. And I just started printing everything through them, so I have it directly shipped.

[A]

Oh, nice.

[C]

To my customers. Yeah. Their prints are gorgeous, so.

[A]

They are. Yes.

[C]

Yeah. And how I structure that? I have a consult, a Zoom consult. Ever since the pandemic. Well, when I used to have my studio, I would have everyone come in three times. It was a consult. We would sit for half hour to an hour. We plan everything out. Then I do the session that was an hour to hour and a half. And then they'd come back for about an hour and a half to view their photos with me. I would do a screen share onto a big television. And then when the pandemic came, I switched my consult and my viewing to Zoom. So I'm still doing that because I don't have anywhere to meet them right now.

[A]

Okay. I want to go back a little bit, because when you were first deciding, like, okay, it's time. I've got to pay my mortgage and everything on my own. You had the studio in the basement, and you said it was under 300 square feet. So, like, tell us how that worked.

[C]

For you as far as the process with.

[A]

Yeah, like, in your house and. Cause your work is stunning. I mean, your work is really, really beautiful. I mean, it does look like you do a lot of your senior work outside.

[C]

I do. For sure. They all want it outside. I probably get one a year. That's not.

[A]

Okay. So what were you shooting in that studio at the time? Were you doing personal branding back then, too?

[C]

I was. I was doing headshots then, and it was mostly where I would be meeting my customers.

[A]

Oh, so that's.

[C]

Yep. That's where I Would have them come in for their consult. I would have them come in to see the photos with me various different ways over the years. And, you know, I would have large pictures on the walls for them to be able to see what's possible. So it was a gallery in a way. But I did little. I did little kids in there too. I did tweens. I had these little ICU campaign things where I would have the kids design the photo shoots. That was a lot of fun, actually. Kind of love to do those again. So I would do individuals headshots and kids and tweens in there. But the high school seniors were definitely outside. Yeah.

[A]

Okay. And your, your studio work is absolutely gorgeous as well. And I've done the personal branding section of your website. Really, really beautiful.

[C]

I'm loving building that.

[A]

It's. It's so fun. You know, that's my bread and butter. Yeah, it's pretty remarkable what you can do in such a small space. Like, it is. I know I've mentioned this before, but the studio that I had for like four years was a 300 square foot space in Seattle. Converted. One garage, it had one car garage. It had. That I was renting and there was a family living in the house and I was renting the garage. It was so ugly when we got it. We painted, put in a new floor and it was super cheap and it was super small. And I made hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in that tiny little space. Yeah, definitely doable.

[C]

It is. And honestly, the space that I'm waiting for it to open up, I'm waiting for that email. Is only 400 square feet. So I'm still going to keep it small and I think it's nice. It keeps you focused too.

[A]

Now, in the meantime, what are you doing for studio space?

[C]

I'm renting per hour. I have about three different studios that are owned by different people and I just look and see whose time is open. And depending on what my client would like as far as a look, I. I just go to that space.

[A]

Okay, cool. Yeah, the renting. Renting by the hour is such a good. I think it's good for two things. One, if you're in the middle of, you know, in a transition of finding a space, and two, if you don't want to manage your own space, like that's what I do now. I rent a studio by the hour and I can keep my stuff there and it has the look that matches my brand and that sort of thing.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But like, it's nice if you don't want to manage your own space.

[C]

Yes. And if I could leave my stuff at one of the studio spaces, that would, that would definitely make a big difference. The trucking of the equipment and backdrops home and into a studio is what's really pushing me to get another one.

[A]

Yeah. Now, sunshine, when you, like that first year that you really bumped up those prices, do you remember how that went? Like, what the income was or, you know, like, were you like, oh my gosh, this is working. I got this now, like, how was that for you?

[C]

I think I really, Yeah, I really just got excited that, you know, that I was going to make it, you know, that I, I could really turn this into. I remember thinking one day I need to start treating this like an actual business and not a hobby. And that, that was a mindset shift for sure. Again, that's just self value and not juggling and. Yeah, yeah, I think that's really. That was, that was how that went.

[A]

What would you say would be the big difference between this being a hobby and really valuing what you do as a business? Like, other than raising your prices, did anything else shift for you, like, as far as how you run things and like, did you outsource or.

[C]

I did. More recently, over the last four years, I would say I found a retoucher that could just do the basic retouching. She doesn't do any color. She just, you know, cleans up hair, cleans up some blemishes. If the clothing has wrinkles in it, she'll take it out. And then everything else I do. And so that was actually when I started thinking about what can I give away to other people to do that won't change what my customers are getting. It will open up my time. You know, bookkeeping, that was the first thing I delegated. The second one was retouching, you know, the basic retouching. I get it back and do my thing to it. Yeah, I think those were the two major pieces still. Everything else I do myself.

[A]

Yeah, I just feel like there is. It's a different mentality of going from, okay, other people in my area are only charging this much, so that's what I'm gonna do. And, you know, just following the crowd of whatever you think you should be doing to really nailing down what is it that you need for you in order to succeed. Because there are a lot of photographers out there who are not charging what I personally would need to pay my bills unless I was doing like 20, 30 shoots a month, which I'm not willing to do.

[C]

Right.

[A]

I think one thing that the portrait system is trying to do is to really change that, to change that industry standard is not burning yourself out, you know, with low prices that you're hardly scraping by.

[C]

Yeah. And I mean, I'm still battling that even now. I still see other woman. As I start to look into doing personal branding, I'm pretty comfortable with my seniors. I, you know, I inch it up every year. I would say I'm still probably doing more than I should be and that if I raised my prices, that would. That would help, that I would just automatically probably be doing less. But as far as personal branding, even after all this time, I still battle. Am I asking too much?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

But everyone else isn't doing this.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And there's a lot of. I. I don't do mini sessions, so there's a lot of personal branding mini sessions around me. Like, all the photographers in my area, that's what they do. Just one after another. And I'm like, man, I just don't want to do that. It doesn't even make me happy.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Like, I don't want people in and out that fast. My fastest session is like, for a LinkedIn headshot, and it's usually people that have worked with me before and they pop in for 20 minutes, but I'm not, you know, I'm just creating a headshot, a LinkedIn headshot for them and they're working with me again, doing other things. I just like connecting with my customers. That's what makes me happy. And, yeah, that just feels. It's too fast for me. It's not.

[A]

You know what, though? Not every client wants that mini session experience. And maybe they think they do at first.

[C]

Right.

[A]

You know, if they're first starting out or, you know, it's. They just are in a corporate job and they just want one headshot or whatever. But there are so many clients out there who don't know that there is another experience that is available. And really, it's not like you are spending any less time, any less energy doing a personal branding shoot than you are doing a senior shoot. So it's like, really, what is the difference? And maybe you could even stand out amongst the crowd of people who are doing the mini sessions and you're like, you know what?

[C]

And that's what I'm doing. Yeah. Hair. Yeah. That's what I want to do. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm going the opposite direction. And not because just to go in the opposite direction, but I just feel more comfortable doing something that's More invested. I like to be more invested in my customers. I like them to feel taken care of. And, yeah, it's just. It's the opposite. And I'm just happy doing that. And. But yeah, in the back of my head, you know, you just have that. That little devil sitting on your shoulder like, oh, you know, you're too much money and no one's gonna come.

[A]

It's normal, though. 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 podcast50toget. Get 50% off of a membership. We rarely discount membership, 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. But I remember when I was first starting in all these networking groups and stuff, and I was competing with the same thing where it was. I hate to use the word competing, but, you know, there's enough clients for all of us. But it was. It was mini sessions, it was headshot marathons. And I come in and I'm like, look at these before and afters. And we do hair and makeup, and you get to do lots of different outfits so you can have so many different looks. And I just. I've always really loved being able to put clients in different outfits with different backdrops, you know, in different lighting situations and different expressions. And I don't look at someone and think, yep, they could just have two shoes. Like, that's not how my brain works. Like, I can flow, pose someone in 12 different poses in, like, yeah, four minutes flat. Less than that, you know, and it's like, I want to be able to give them that variety and just. And I'll tell you what, sunshine, people started telling their friends, like, dude, you have got to go to this girl Nikki. She will pose you and tell you what to do. And it's such a great experience. And the hair and makeup, and she helps you figure out what to wear. And that became. Now, other photographers started doing what I was doing because they saw the success of it. So, yeah, I think it's important to focus on that when you're. When you're starting to get that little devil on the shoulder saying, no, you can't do this. Like, you can, and your work is definitely good enough to charge what you should charge.

[C]

Thank you. Yeah, I mean, I believe that, and I do. I think that it's just a matter of getting comfortable. I'd love to be as comfortable with my personal branding as I am with my seniors, because my seniors. I wouldn't think twice about it, and it's just because I've been doing it for so long.

[A]

Okay, so that's what I was gonna say. What is it that makes you not as comfortable because you haven't been doing it for so long? Because I know there are a ton of senior photographers in your area who are charging way less than you do, you know?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. And I think part of it is that is because of that. Like, I've been doing it for so long, and I feel like I have value because of that, because I do know how to pose them. And I, you know, not to be. I don't want to put anyone down in any way, but, like, it's just I do. I know how to pose them, and I know lighting, and I know. You know, you're good.

[A]

Yeah, you're good. You do.

[C]

So I'm very comfortable charging what I charge for my seniors. And I'm probably still underpriced, even though it's. It's quite a bit more than I.

[A]

Would say you're probably underpriced. Yeah. 1600. An average shoot. Yeah, I would say you're underpriced.

[C]

Yeah, I think so. And again, it's that. It's that fear. But I think I can start to let a bit of that go as well. Because some of that fear comes from looking at a bank account, knowing I'm on my own, knowing that that mortgage needs to get paid, and I basically have three months out of the year to make a year income.

[A]

Right. That's the hard part about seniors. If you live in an area where it's very seasonal, is that. Yes. Budgeting.

[C]

My. It was a seasonal business, and I had two kids relying on me. So for sure, there was a lot of. That takes the experimental aspect out of it.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. Let's. Because I know you want to move forward towards more personal branding. You had shared with me that you don't want to work the summers away anymore. Working at 8pm on A, you know, weeknight or whatever when you could be.

[C]

With you Five nights a week because.

[A]

Your clients want golden hour or whatever. And it's like, I will drop this in though, that you don't have to always shoot during golden hour. I just released a natural light masterclass and I talk about that. And I. Because even when I did do seniors, I still very rarely will I shoot in golden hour because I don't want to work in the evening. So I've mastered shooting in harsh sunlight, you know, in clouds, whatever. Because I don't want to work. I don't. Sure. Sometimes I want to do golden hour and sometimes I will schedule those just because I want to.

[C]

Right.

[A]

But if you can really master shooting in the full sun, you know, when it's not golden hour, man, it makes a big difference when it comes to your work schedule.

[C]

Yes, yes. And that's a side note. Yeah, absolutely. And I would do two a day sometimes in the August, September time. And I would do like a 4 o' clock and a 6 o'. Clock. And yeah, I was. So I was able to get. But some of the kids really want that sunset cotton candy sky. So unless I'm photoshopping it, which I sometimes do.

[A]

Yeah, that's another way to do it. It's true. I mean, people do it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't see anything wrong with it. I mean, as long as you do it well, you know, put in the sky, like, do it really well. Okay, so we know that you want to move towards full time personal branding. So what are some of the steps that you're taking now to really get your name out there?

[C]

Well, I mean, I joined the chamber in the area which I'm trying to get into as far as my studio where the studios that I've been renting. And then honestly, like the last nine months has been such a whirlwind adjusting to my new location that I haven't done enough. I haven't done really much of anything as far as getting my name out there. I'm doing things, I'm doing the sessions, but I'm not doing the extra work that I know I should be doing.

[A]

Well, so. But you are getting some personal branding clients, right?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

And that's coming from where you used to live.

[C]

Okay. Yeah. Yep. It definitely is it. Most of it is word of mouth.

[A]

So, yeah, I don't feel like I.

[C]

Can even take credit for it.

[A]

Well, I mean, word of mouth is. That means you have done something right with your. With your past clients. So yeah, you should absolutely take credit for that. Because if you can only solely run on word of Mouth, you are doing great. Like, that is the goal, right? To not have to do a ton of marketing.

[C]

I mean, that's. It's truly how I built my business. I. This entire thing has been word of mouth. I. The only advertising that I have done since the beginning has been charity work, and I would do auctions and, you know, once a year I would find a charity or something that I would donate a session and some work to, and that's really been it.

[A]

Yeah, that's awesome. Well, and this is somewhere that you were kind of born and raised and you had a big network. Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Actually not really a big network. I was quite an introvert. So my. Yeah, I sort of built the network through working. That. That was really it. It was word of mouth. I met people through working, so.

[A]

Yeah, that's awesome. Now, as far as personal branding, like, how many shoots do you think you do a month on average right now for personal branding?

[C]

Personal branding is probably only two to three a month, which isn't terrible.

[A]

And what would you need to get it up to if you were to kind of drop the senior shoots or.

[C]

Well, I would so quite a bit. My. Yeah, my goal is to continue to do seniors, but have it be a little bit higher price point. And the people that really want to hire me because I do these very interesting senior pictures and not the. Not so much the ones where they really could look more like other photographers. Like, I have lighting that I bring in for seniors in. I bring the lighting to the beach sometimes and like, do these more elaborate shoots and those I love. So I would love to have less seniors, the ones that are really more invested in getting those really different pictures. And then I think I would need to do probably one to two personal branding addition additionally a week.

[A]

Okay, so we need to get you up to that. Is. That's the goal?

[C]

That is the goal.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Have you looked at any networking groups in your area other than the chamber?

[C]

Nope, not yet. I feel like a lot of my answers for that, you know, is so bad. Actually. I take that back. I have looked, but I have not joined.

[A]

What keeps you from doing that? Oh, sorry.

[C]

Yeah, no, no, it's. It's weird not having a. Moving my. My home and also moving my business has made me feel not grounded and so.

[A]

Yeah, that's understandable.

[C]

It's just a. Yeah, it's a weird feeling. And I just keep thinking that I need these roots to go from and knowing that I'm going back towards where my customers are from. I just. I haven't wanted to, like, dig in where I am, and I think that's been a lot of my problem as far as jumping into the networking groups. And I have my eye on some, that's what's holding me back.

[A]

When you're ready, you know, when you feel like, okay, it's time, I really need to do this, which I'm assuming after this summer season coming up, that might push you a little bit towards that.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Another super busy summer season. You know, I have a feeling it might push you towards that when you're ready. I really want to encourage you because I feel like you are equipped with everything that you need. And I always say that it is a marathon, not a sprint. That sometimes it takes a while in these groups. But I feel like you already have such a strong portfolio, a strong base of clients that aren't too far from where you are. If you can really ramp up the Google reviews and the testimonials and start going to these networking groups consistently and almost think of it not as selling yourself, but just relationship building. And I know it's hard if you're an introvert, but more, you know, of relationship building. And I like, in my personal branding course, I cover all of this networking stuff, but it truly can, like, just change your. Yeah, yeah, it's. It truly can change the trajectory of your business if you have certain things in place. And I feel like you do have those things. It's just a matter of doing it.

[C]

No, totally. I agree with you. And maybe I will just do it this week.

[A]

Well, there you go.

[C]

Maybe I should just stop worrying about being in a physical space and just create that. It's just a mental block, as with, you know, literally everything else.

[A]

Yeah. And what's wrong with the studio rented by the hour? They don't need to know that.

[C]

I mean, they don't.

[A]

And again, I was in, like a shitty one car, converted one. Like, from the outside, it looked not great, my little studio, but it did not matter. It does not matter.

[C]

Right, right. Because I used to feel that way about the studio that was in my basement. Like, I used to feel like, oh, you know, I can't do this and I can't do that. I can't do the champagne parties. I can't invite people in. You know, it's technically in my home. But now looking back, I totally could have done that. And so I think I'm. I'm doing the same thing now. You know, I can't do this networking group because I don't have a studio right. Let's make more excuses. Yeah.

[A]

And. And I know it's. It's hard. Like, it's like the worst part of running a business sometimes, you know, having to get your name out there and all of that. But I promise it doesn't last forever. Like, if you can just remember that it's temporary because, I mean, you've been able to run on word of mouth in the past because of your amazing experiences that you give your clients because of your gorgeous work. Like that will happen again. You just have to do the upfront stuff.

[C]

Right.

[A]

You know, just get it, get the wheel in motion and then you just have to grease it a little bit from time to time. But the hard work will be done. But, you know, they're not going to come. Yes. You're getting two to three a month, which is great, but if you want higher numbers than that, like, it's. They're not just going to come knocking on your door, unfortunately.

[C]

Right, absolutely.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Right. And actually I'm looking forward to doing it, so it's weird that I haven't done it. So. Yeah, I'm just, I'm looking forward to being part of a community, I think. And I've always just thought about that as my physical space that I will be getting. But it doesn't have to be. It can be a community. It doesn't matter where I'm living.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

So I just need to stop letting that hold me back.

[A]

Yeah. And I know I talk about this too in the personal branding system is the vouchers you can use and, you know, just certain things that you can post on social media and. Yeah, I mean, there, there really are a lot of strategies. It doesn't just have to be the networking groups, but the reason why networking groups are so successful is because most people who attend them are entrepreneurs or some sort of, you know, in the business world, which is why they're there. And they all need photos. It's not a want, it is a need. And if you can help them understand why they need you, you know, it, it just.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. And you might be a breath of fresh air and it might take a minute. I mean, I remember some, like, I felt like I was like walking. I mean, I was. I was walking into a clique and, and not every group was like this. I'm just thinking of one in particular where I had to kind of get in there, you know, and kill them with kindness and show them that I do have this really great service and product for them and they might be used to the mini sessions and marathons or whatever. But eventually, you might just be this breath of fresh air. Like, sunshine is different. She makes me feel like I was pampered and look at all these amazing photos, and I can't even choose. So I have to buy the biggest package.

[C]

And, you know, and why wouldn't that happen?

[A]

Right.

[C]

I just.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

And that worked for you then you were able to get through?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I did use vouchers. I used vouchers quite a bit at the beginning, and I did a lot of trades. That's another segment in the personal branding system is how I utilize trades.

[C]

Yep.

[A]

Because it's, there's a strategy to it. It's not just like, hi, I'm a photographer. Do you want to do trade? You know, it's, it's, There's a strategy around all of it. But that was, that was big for me too, just to get people in front of my camera to. So they could experience it and tell their friends.

[C]

Absolutely.

[A]

I wouldn't do a trade with just anyone. Like, I was strategic with who I chose.

[C]

Right.

[A]

Because I didn't want to waste my time or, you know, so.

[C]

Absolutely. I, I used to do vouchers, and I would give them to certain boutiques in the town so they could run a sale. And then that would be part of the sale would be that they would get this. The person would get a coupon, basically.

[A]

And that was for personal branding or seniors.

[C]

That was actually for anybody. They could use it for any. That was when I was doing. Well, I'm, I guess I'm still doing everything, but, yeah, I ended up with a boudoir from that. Um, yeah, it was however they wanted to use it.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

But, yeah, I need to use it more in networking. I like that. More focused and personal branding. Yeah. Awesome.

[A]

Well, I'm excited for you. I, I, I feel like you have all of the tools. You have everything you need. Like, this isn't your first rodeo. You've got, you know, the gorgeous work, you know how to pose, you know how to, you know, make your clients feel like a million bucks look like a million bucks. You have your retouching in check. Like, everything's, everything's there, so you're in a good spot.

[C]

I'm excited for you to put my. Thank you. I am, too. I just need to start doing it. It's that one extra step. Right. The action. Yep.

[A]

That's the hardest one to take. Right. Well, anyways, I am very excited for you, and you'll have to keep us Posted on how this goes.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

But, I mean, it's. And it's not like everything you've done is incredible. Like, you had shared with me before that your first year of, you know, using, like, the portrait system, business model or whatever, that you fully implemented it, you brought in gross 100k, and that's pretty amazing. You know, single mom in the basement, like.

[C]

Right, right.

[A]

Pretty awesome. Yeah.

[C]

I was surprised. Yeah. I was surprised that it was. That it was possible.

[A]

Yeah. So I hope you give yourself a lot of credit around that, because it's.

[C]

Thank you. Pretty awesome. Thank you.

[A]

Sweet. All right, well, I do have a couple questions that I always ask at the end of each episode, and I'm wondering if you'll answer those for me.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

And number one is, what is something you can't live without when you're doing a photo shoot?

[C]

Definitely my reflector. So much natural light. Yeah.

[A]

Very cool. Hey, real quick. When you said you take lights to senior shoots, what lights do you take with you?

[C]

The Westcott. The. They have FJ4 hundreds, and it comes in this backpack. And yeah, when I saw that it came with a backpack, I was like, oh, yeah, that's for me. They're really consistent. They're not expensive. I think it was, like, $1,000. They were on sale for two lights. Just. I love them. I can send it up and do some, you know, when the seniors have their cars or whatever, it's just easy to take on location, so. And I only use them for specific shoots. Right. It's just like they're doing a guitar or a car or sometimes dance or something like that. Yeah. Cool.

[A]

All right. People like to hear about the lights and stuff, so I just want to make sure to ask that. All right, number two is how do you spend your time when you're not working? Really?

[C]

Just family time or exercising. I love going to, like, a bar class or, you know, some kind of combination class like that.

[A]

Fun. Yeah. I wish I could get myself to go to more classes.

[C]

I have to. It's for. It's mental health as well as physical for me.

[A]

Yeah, I just got this. This machine because I'm just not great at classes. I don't like to be like, okay, I have to be a certain place at a certain time, and da, da, da. Because my life is just fucking chaos all the time, you know? And so I got this thing, and the reason I thought of it is I was at the park with my kids, and I was on the teeter totter, and as we were going up and down. I was like, whoa, this is a really great workout. So I started googling, like, is there any sort of, like, teeter totter machine at home? And I found this thing called the DB Method. And it's this thing and it's like you hold onto the handles and you go up and down like you're on a teeter totter.

[C]

Really?

[A]

And. Yeah, and I got like a. It didn't feel like it was doing a whole lot at first. Like, there wasn't enough resistance. So I ended up getting these, like, bands. You know, those, like, stretchy workout bands.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I attached it to it and now it's like, what? Like, it is an amazing. Did it come with the bands or. It came with a strap? Okay, it came with a strap, but the strap isn't like, it's not stretchy, you know, so. And it wasn't super comfortable. So then I thought, how else could I get more resistance? So then I just bought some random bands that I found on Amazon that were really strong.

[C]

Awesome.

[A]

And it's awesome. I just hop on it for, like, 10, 15 minutes and. Yeah, yeah, totally. So anyway, side note there about exercise machine. All right, number three is what is a specific photography, like, equipment or something that you would recommend? I know you just talked about the Westcott lights, but is there anything else, let's see.

[C]

Other equipment besides. I mean, honestly, I get so much use out of a simple umbrella. I just think, like, there's so many different sizes as far as soft boxes go, that you can really. Those can really pile up. And I just feel like the umbrellas are so. Again, everything for me is it has to be compact, it has to be ready to travel. Um, and umbrellas, I just love them for that reason. You could take something very small and end up with a five foot, seven foot light.

[A]

Yeah, they're easy to put up and down, too. Ish.

[C]

Easy.

[A]

Ish.

[C]

But. Yep, yep. I love them. A foldable. The other thing I love is the foldable B flats.

[A]

Totally.

[C]

Travel B flats. Yeah.

[A]

Awesome. All right, and number four is, what would you tell people who are just starting out?

[C]

Spend your time and money on education rather than equipment at first, because you can really do a lot with a little if you learn how to do it. For me, that's just been. It's been everything as far as I just exhausted everywhere I could find when I first started out.

[A]

Yeah, education is great, but I also. I want to make sure people don't, like, feel like sometimes people think they need every single course an instructor and Everything. And you know what I mean? And then it gets like, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like once you resonate with an instructor and I mean, you can learn a lot from different people, don't get me wrong. But I don't want people to because I think sometimes people feel like, like it's analysis paralysis where they don't ever get started.

[C]

Yeah, I've done that.

[A]

One more class, one more course.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, I've definitely done that and I've, I've realized I was doing it. And yeah, picking a genre that you like or an instructor that you like is definitely helpful. I guess that, what I guess what I meant was like, yeah, if you, if you go off on a tangent, then you'll get distracted.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

So that doesn't help either. But, you know, sometimes people think that they need, you know, all the best lighting. You know, they, for instance, like a profoto light, you know, it's $2,000 for a light. And I feel like sometimes people get themselves in a situation where they stop because they feel like they don't have the money to invest in the $5,000 camera, the $2,000 light, you know, and all these things. And it's like you don't really necessarily need all of that.

[A]

That's a really great point.

[C]

Yeah. Yep.

[A]

All right, cool. Well, thank you. Where can people find you online?

[C]

Sunshine white Photography? It's my website and Instagram. All actually everything is just sunshine white photography. So, yeah, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. I need to work on Pinterest. Actually need to build that up.

[A]

Yeah, Pinterest is definitely something I need to build up as well.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

All right, well, thank you again. It was super nice to talk to you and I will in our Facebook group.

[C]

Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much.

[B]

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 subric dasheducation.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.