Business-First Creatives: Client Experience & Systems for Service Providers

What if the business that worked for you a few years ago isn’t the business that fits your life anymore? In this episode, I’m sitting down with my longtime client Nicole Hodgson to talk about what it actually looks like to evolve your business intentionally. Nicole has transitioned from therapist to family photographer to brand photographer—and through every iteration, she’s paid attention to what works for her brain, her family, and the business she wants to build.

We get into why Nicole moved from Dubsado to HoneyBook, why getting your systems in place before your business gets busy matters, and what changed when she transitioned from family photography to branding and commercial work. But this conversation became about so much more than systems.

Nicole and I talk about the connection between your systems, visual brand, positioning, and the way clients perceive your professionalism. We also dig into visibility, pricing, mindset, and why likes and engagement aren't necessarily the metrics that tell you whether your marketing is working. Nicole also shares how her previous career as a therapist influenced Content Therapy, her program designed to help women understand what’s really getting in the way of showing up as the face of their businesses.

Find It Quickly

00:23 - Meeting Clients IRL

03:46 - Switching to HoneyBook

06:24 - DIY to Done With You

09:05 - Family to Brand Pivot

15:11 - Marketing and Positioning Shift

18:49 - Repeat Clients and Systems

25:09 - Brand Photos Meet Systems

27:50 - DIY Stage vs Investing

29:15 - Systems For Future You

30:56 - Build Before You're Busy

32:09 - Marketing That Actually Converts

33:08 - Professionalism Builds Trust

35:14 - Long Game Over Likes

39:54 - Content Therapy Launch Lessons

43:44 - Origin Story Superpower

46:54 - Mindset And Price Raises

Mentioned in this Episode

Even Part-Time Business Owners Need Systems for Efficiency with Jess Hoffman

Rebrand: maddiepeschong.com/rebrand

Your Origin Story Is Your Marketing Superpower: Here’s How to Tell It with Megan Yelaney

Connect with the Guest

Website: nicolehodgsonphotography.com

Instagram: instagram.com/nicolehodgson.photography

Content Therapy: nicolehodgson.myflodesk.com/contenttherapy

What happens when you take a little time off from your business and accidentally come back with an entirely new business model? Apparently, if you're me, you build an app, create your own CRM, and completely rethink how you serve your clients. It's time for another quarterly Biz Bestie Chat with Sabrina Gebhardt, and let's just say we had two VERY different experiences in Q3.

While I spent my summer experimenting with AI, vibe coding, and building custom tools for my clients, Sabrina was navigating a major life transition as she sent her daughter off to college. That's exactly why I love these conversations. We're both running successful businesses, but what success looks like in any given season can be wildly different.

In this episode, we're catching up on everything that happened in Q3 and sharing what we're changing, testing, and prioritizing as we head into Q4. I'm sharing why I've decided to make The Experience Edit the starting point for working with me, how my approach to building client systems has completely shifted, and why I'm learning that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is NOT immediately jump into implementation.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session

The Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit

Root to Rise: sabrinagebhardt.com/mastermind-waitlist

First Class Lounge: sabrinagebhardt.com/membership

Summer Camp: sabrina-gebhardt.myflodesk.com/summercamp

Our Quarterly Business Bestie Chats:

Q3 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q3-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q2 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q2-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q1 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q1-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q4 2025: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q4-2025-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q3 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q2-2025-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/128-q1-2025-business-bestie-chat

Q4 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q4-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q3 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/88-q2-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/75-quarterly-business-chat-with-colie-james

Connect with Sabrina

Website: sabrinagebhardt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography

Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

Y’all, the biggest revenue mistake in your business probably isn’t your pricing or your marketing. It’s what happens after the project ends. You deliver something beautiful, send the final email, and then... ghost. You feel shy about asking for a review, guilty about asking for a referral, and you assume they’ll come back when they’re ready.

Here’s the thing: they won’t always. Not because the work wasn’t great, but because life moves on and you stop being a priority. In this episode, I’m sharing what I found when I loaded all 551 of my past clients into one place and just how much of my cash collected in 2026 has come from repeat clients.

I’m also introducing my very first SaaS microtool, Untapped Potential, along with its built-in Retention Radar. It helps you nurture past client relationships one-to-one in about 30 minutes a week. It tells you when it’s time to check in and when it’s time to invite someone to rebook.

In this episode:

Get early access: Check out Untapped Potential at coliejames.com/potential. The first 25 subscribers get an early adopter perk ✨

If you know you need to market your business but still find yourself staring blankly when someone asks what you actually did to market it this week, this episode is for you. Tayler Cusick Hollman is back on the podcast for a conversation about something that affects so many small business owners: we keep assuming we need more time, motivation, or willpower to finally become consistent with our marketing.

But what if willpower isn’t the problem? Tayler has spent more than a decade supporting small business owners with their marketing, and together we’re breaking down why collecting more marketing ideas isn’t the same thing as having a marketing strategy—and why knowing what to do means very little if you never actually do it.

We talk about creating a marketing plan based on your real goals and available time, becoming more biased toward action, and identifying the small steps that can actually move your business forward. We also get into the numbers behind your marketing, including customer acquisition cost, lifetime client value, and why your time absolutely counts as a marketing expense.

Plus, I’m sharing why documenting your marketing matters just as much as doing it. If something works but you have no idea what generated the lead or sale, it becomes pretty difficult to repeat that success.

Find It Quickly

03:39 - Willpower And Marketing

07:30 - Advice Vs Strategy

10:15 - Goals To Action Steps

15:11 - Bias For Action

17:55 - Make The List

23:36 - Start Small Track Data

26:38 - Marketing Metrics Nerd Out

32:55 - Project Manage Marketing

41:48 - Document And Measure

42:58 - Action Plan And Enji

47:10 - Mind The Gap Freebie

Mentioned in this Episode

Crafting an Intentional Marketing Plan with Tayler Cusick-Hollman [Marketing with Intention Series]

The Best Financial Strategy for a Sustainable Business is Overflow with Emilie Nutley

Mind the Gap Freebie: coliejames.com/gap

Connect with the Guest

Website: enji.co

Instagram: instagram.com/enji_co

Facebook: facebook.com/enjimarketing

What if the thing you create doesn’t have to generate leads, sell an offer, or prove its ROI? What if you’re allowed to make something simply because you freaking love it? That’s exactly what I’m talking about with my friend Julie Fried, host of The System for Everything. And unlike most of the podcast hosts I bring onto Business-First Creatives, Julie isn’t using her show as a funnel into a service or offer.

She created it because she wanted a place to talk about everything that fascinates her—from business systems and meal planning to reality TV, adult friendships, parenting, travel, and whatever random rabbit hole catches her attention next. And it turns out? That creative freedom has become one of the most fulfilling things she’s done.

Julie and I get into how she curates guests and topics, why she loves even the admin side of podcasting, what she’s changing for season two, and how she’s thinking about monetization without sacrificing what makes the show fun in the first place.

Find It Quickly

01:03 - Meet Julie Fried

01:32 - Pre Written Emails

02:23 - Why Julie Podcasts

05:33 - The System For Everything

08:35 - Choosing Guests

13:01 - Bad PR Pitches

14:16 - Admin And Workflow

17:09 - Social Media Choices

21:43 - Season Two Plans

24:24 - Ads And Monetization

24:53 - Producer Ad Read

26:39 - Curated Podcast Ads

28:00 - Choosing Ideal Sponsors

29:39 - Protecting Creative Energy

31:41 - Monetizing Mom Systems

32:32 - One and Done Talk

35:47 - Only Child Systems Ideas

37:27 - Summer Camp Logistics

41:21 - System Shutdown

42:57 - Travel and Couch Life

44:09 - Budgeting Video

Mentioned in this Episode

Laylee Emadi

Creative Educator Conference

Gaffin Creative

Captivate

Flodesk – Get 50% Off Your First Year

Systems in Session

The Experience Edit

Connect with the Guest

Website: dallasgirlfriday.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thesystemforeverything

Podcast: dallasgirlfriday.com/podcast

Profitable? Great. Sustainable? Love that. But if you hate delivering it, no system in the world is going to make you fall back in love with your business.

Last episode I asked you to do a time audit. Today I've got one more ask, and it's one you should do right now, while you're in the middle of serving clients. Because if I ask you in January how you feel about your offer, you're not going to remember. And the answer matters before we build a single system around it.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

Want to know if the offer you've built your business around can sustain you long term? Let's look at it together: coliejames.com/experience

Jocelyn of Scale Your Resonance wants every one of her Best Seller clients making five figures from email, and yes, that includes me. Bold goal? Absolutely. In this episode, we dig into her new app, Email Studio. She built it for herself first, but you don't need to be a Bestie to use it, because it's open to the public and she's on a mission to get 100 users in the first 100 days. It's how I'm making email part of an always-selling marketing plan, and it can be part of yours too.

Because here's my confession: I sometimes email my list multiple times a day, my click rates are in the toilet, and almost none of my sales come from email. Jocelyn, who helped me launch this podcast four years ago, tells me how to fix it. We talk about the missing proof in your emails, why your best emails start out loud, and why "I'll just use Claude" isn't the same thing as a tool built on real expertise.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

For a limited time, grab Email Studio for $199 for six months (normally $299) → https://coliejames.com/jocelyn

Curious how I actually use this thing, or where I've written emails lately (volleyball bleachers included)? DM me on Threads: @coliejames

How long does it actually take you to serve one client? Not the session. The whole thing.

If you're not sure, you're not alone. When I review offers, I find the same time leak over and over. It's hiding in emails you write from scratch, proposals you rebuild for every lead, and the "quick" peeks into your CRM that you never count. This one's short, and it comes with homework. Yes, even if you're not my client.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

Do your time audit, then come tell me your number on Threads @coliejames. I really want to know.

What happens when you get tired of forcing your business into software that doesn’t quite work the way you want it to? Apparently, if you’re me, you accidentally spend your birthday sabbatical building your own app. In this episode, Kara Duncan is taking over the mic and interviewing me about how a few experiments with AI tools turned into the Systems Professor app—and eventually opened my eyes to an entirely new direction for my business.

I’m sharing how I went from custom GPTs, Airtable, Notion, and existing CRM tools to building software around the way I actually want my clients to experience Systems in Session. We’re talking about Claude Code, vibe coding, personalization, accountability, AI, client experience, and why having the ability to automate something doesn’t necessarily mean I should.

And yes, we also talk about the fact that I got so absorbed in building the app that my husband handed me coffee on his birthday and I still forgot to tell him happy birthday. 😬

Find It Quickly

01:22 - Birthday Sabbatical Chaos

05:25 - Why Build an App

07:41 - Action Taker ADHD

09:40 - Rolling It Out

14:14 - Welcome Guides Playbooks

16:11 - Better Audit Delivery

18:18 - Accountability Personalization

23:14 - Origins in Custom GPTs

25:39 - Why Build an App

27:19 - Onboarding Intake Flow

28:59 - Offer Scorecard Check

33:11 - App Enhances Coaching

37:18 - One Click Build Debate

41:43 - Tech Stack Behind It

44:57 - Custom Tools for Clients

48:49 - AI Optional Philosophy

Mentioned in this Episode:

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session

Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit

Claude Code: claude.com/product/claude-code

Claude Cowork: claude.com/product/cowork

Hello Stencil: hellostencil.com

Lovable: lovable.dev

Airbase: airbase.com

Supabase: supabase.com

Vercel: vercel.com

Cloudflare: cloudflare.com

Amazon Web Services: aws.amazon.com

Connect with the Guest

Website: thekarareport.com

Instagram: @thekarareport

For five and a half years, I've helped you map your client journey, get excited about what's possible, and then spend the rest of our time together bending that vision to fit inside Dubsado or HoneyBook. As of today, I'm done with that.

This one's short and sweet — part behind the scenes, part building in public. My business has flipped upside down in the last year and a half, and building the Systems Professor app cracked something open that I can't un-see. So here's where I'm going next, and what it means if you want to work with me.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

Ready to map the client experience you actually want, before we ever talk about tools? Solo sprints are open now, and one more group sprint is coming before the end of 2026: coliejames.com/experience

Your client just paid you hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars. And the only thing that landed in their inbox was a payment receipt and a "your contract has been signed" email. That's not onboarding. That's a transaction.

I've been seeing the same three onboarding mistakes over and over inside my Experience Edit and Systems in Session client accounts, and most of y'all aren't making them on purpose. You want this part to be good. You just don't know what "good" looks like, or you're so focused on making it personal that nothing actually gets sent. So this is a quick and dirty episode answering the three questions I get asked most about the onboarding phase.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

A booking tool is not a CRM. A project management tool is not a CRM. And the $20 to $40 a month you're trying to save by getting rid of yours might end up costing you bookings.

Every single week I see someone on Threads asking if they can replace their CRM with Notion, Airtable, Google Workspace, or Squarespace. I use Notion and Airtable daily in my own business — and neither one of them would have replaced the CRM inside my photography business. So let's talk about what your CRM is actually doing for you before you cancel it.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

Sitting on a CRM you set up but never fully figured out? That's the whole thing I do. Let's talk: coliejames.com/systems

There is no all-in-one software that does everything well. Every single one of them makes you give something up. The only real question is whether you're okay with what you're giving up.

This one is for the photographers. Every time I open Threads, someone is asking how to consolidate their tech stack down to one tool — fewer logins, fewer subscriptions, one connected experience for their clients. I get it. But I'm also going to tell you why gallery software that added CRM features and a CRM that added gallery features are two very different things, and why that difference should decide what you do next.

In this episode:

Links mentioned:

Looking at a new tool and want the Colie seal of approval before you jump? Come drop it in my DMs — or if you'd rather stop shopping and start using what you already pay for, that's Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems

If you're already booking the number of clients you want to work with, but it feels like you're spending so much unnecessary time behind the scenes, your systems and automations might need an update. In this episode, I sit down with Holly Birch to talk about what happened after she completely overhauled her HoneyBook workflows using automated systems.

What's especially interesting about this conversation is that Holly wasn't starting from scratch. She already had templates, proposals, email sequences, and workflows in place. But she knew her systems could be more efficient, more professional, and more scalable. A year after implementing new automations, we're looking back at what's actually changed in her business, from booking studio headshots automatically to creating a completely hands-off client experience for brand photography sessions.

We also talk about why switching CRMs isn't a decision to make lightly, how automation creates consistency, and why the ultimate goal isn't simply saving time—it's deciding what you want to do with the time you get back.

Find It Quickly

00:23 - Meet Holly

01:42 - Choosing a CRM

02:56 - Why Switching CRMs Is Hard

03:58 - Holly Before the Toolkit

06:24 - Commercial Workflow Gaps

08:25 - Brand Shoot Automation Flow

10:18 - HoneyBook Smart File Workaround

11:30 - Headshots Offer and Lead Forms

13:54 - Schedulers and Calendar Control

17:08 - Discovery Calls and Contact Paths

20:19 - Headshot Clients and Repeat Companies

22:39 - Prep Guides and Automation Savings

23:58 - Time Saved Per Client

24:27 - Updating Your Prep Guide

25:27 - Automation Timing Fixes

26:19 - Next Systems To Build

27:31 - HoneyBook Galleries Debate

30:23 - Pic-Time Integration Tips

32:32 - Reducing Digital Clutter

34:27 - Why Templates Help

36:01 - Systems Create Consistency

38:17 - Annual Systems Audit

41:56 - Biggest Process Logjam

43:00 - What To Do With Time

Mentioned in this Episode

The Systems Behind the Scenes: How Automation Buys Me Back Time for Marketing

HoneyBook

Flodesk

Dubsado

Pic-Time

Rebrand by Maddie Peschong

Connect with the Guest

Website: hollybirchphotography.com

Instagram: @hollybirchphoto

There's only one right order to build client experience systems in. Not one right tool, not one right CRM — one right order. And I've been doing it this way with clients for five years without ever naming it out loud.

Today I'm naming it. Order of Operations is my new four-phase framework inside Systems in Session, and I'm walking through all four phases in this episode — including the brand new one I've never talked about before, which happens before we touch a single workflow.

I'm also clearing up something people keep getting twisted, because I don't want it to be the reason you put this off until January. Whether you're already booked solid for the rest of the year or you're still steadily filling sessions, right now is the moment to work on your systems — and where we start depends entirely on which one of those is true for you. I explain exactly how I decide inside the episode.

I've got seven seats left inside Systems in Session for 2026. If one of them has your name on it, head to coliejames.com/systems and let's have a chat.

Mentioned in this episode:

→ Your Origin Story Is Your Marketing Superpower — Here's How to Tell It with Megan Yelaney (episode 334): https://coliejames.com/your-origin-story-is-your-marketing-superpower-heres-how-to-tell-it-with-megan-yelaney/

→ My guest episode on Business Not As Usual: How Systems Generate Revenue and Sustainability in Your Business: https://meganyelaney.com/2026/08/24/how-systems-generate-revenue-and-sustainability-in-your-business/

When your kid needs braces and you schedule a consultation, I think the bare minimum is to see the actual orthodontist, right?

Turns out that is a bad assumption.Here's how it went ⤵️

I took Chloe to three consultations this month and in this episode I'm walking you through all three to compare the client experience and how that affected my decision to choose one.

Then I want you to go figure out if your own client experience is similar to one I reviewed.

And if you're ready to give your systems a glow up, I've got 7 final Systems in Session spots for 2026. Come find me at coliejames.com/systems.

I gave three talks in three groups on three consecutive days this week, and in the last one I made an announcement I need to make here too: Systems in Session is no longer Dubsado-or-HoneyBook-pick-your-poison.

I'll now build your client experience inside any of the five CRMs I actually recommend — Dubsado, HoneyBook, 17hats, Sprout Studio, or VSCO Workspace (formerly Táve). Because you were never paying me to teach you how to push buttons in a tool. You're paying me for reviews, referrals, and repeat clients.

Also in this one: what's changed at all five CRMs recently, why I'll look at an all-in-one built on a real CRM but not at gallery software cosplaying as one, three weeks into my Systems Professor app build, and Knock Knock — the personal video tool I built this week because I got tired of the workarounds.

Want to see Knock Knock in action? Go to https://coliejames.com/systems and click the bubble in the bottom right. Send me one while you're there — I have 10 seats left in Systems in Session for the rest of 2026.

Best CRMs for Photographers

Latest episode with Kara

What if the marketing strategy you've been treating like an optional task is actually the one thing that could create a more sustainable business? In this episode, I sit down with Kara to talk about one of my favorite topics: outsourcing your blogging. If you've been relying heavily on social media to attract leads, this conversation might completely change how you think about your marketing strategy.

We dig into the difference between social media and search-driven marketing, why user intent matters, and how blogging can continue working for your business long after you hit publish. We also discuss why blogging is one of the easiest marketing activities to delegate and why building a library of content creates long-term business assets that continue generating results for years.

If you've ever wondered whether blogging is worth the investment, this episode will help you think differently about the role SEO can play in creating a business that doesn't depend on constantly showing up on social media.

Find It Quickly

00:23 - Meet Kara and the Series

00:46 - Why Blogging Beats Social

03:42 - Search Intent and Keywords

05:51 - Keyword Strategy vs ChatGPT

07:47 - Discoverability vs Client Content

09:14 - When to Outsource Blogging

11:30 - Long Game SEO ROI

13:27 - Rankings Reality Check

16:33 - TikTok as a Search Engine

18:17 - Using AI the Right Way

20:34 - Outsourcing for Strategy

22:54 - Hands Off Blogging Workflow

27:20 - Deciding If Blogging Fits

31:06 - Blog Posts as Editable Assets

Mentioned in this Episode

Building a Steady Stream of Potential Customers through SEO and Pinterest with Kara Duncan [Marketing with Intention Series]

Connect with the Guest

Website: thekarareport.com

Instagram: @thekarareport

Podcast: thekarareport.com/podcast

I got myself in a little pickle this week — three presentations, three days in a row. And the one I'm most fired up about is tomorrow's.

Here's why: the number one objection I get when I start talking about automating your client experience is that you don't want it to feel automated for your clients.

So in this episode I'm walking through the three kinds of systems you can build and why you get to decide at every single stage of your client experience how much automation and how much personalization belongs there. It's not all or nothing.

If you want the actual how, that's what I'm covering in Human by Design. Free training, and I'm announcing a 48-hour bonus you'll only hear about if you're registered. Systems in Session is open for 2026 with 10 spots left.

Grab your seat: coliejames.com/human

Work with me: coliejames.com/systems

If you think you don’t have enough clients to need systems in your business, this episode might completely change your mind. Whether you’re balancing a business with a full-time job or running a part-time side-hustle, you don’t have less need for systems—you have less time to operate without them.

In this episode, I’m chatting with my client Jess Hoffman, a Florida-based pet photographer who runs her photography business alongside a full-time corporate job. Jess and I have worked together on her Dubsado systems and client communication, and we’re digging into what changed when she stopped trying to piece everything together and built a client experience that could actually support the way she works.

We talk about replacing required discovery calls with a book-first process, using video to educate potential clients before they book, and automating client communication without losing personality. Jess also shares how making one simple change to her booking process led clients to prepay for her highest collection—before she even photographed their session.

Find It Quickly

02:00 - Why Pet Photography

02:55 - Charging From Day One

05:52 - Systems Mindset Begins

09:58 - Simple Sales Explained

10:53 - Dubsado Workflow Struggles

11:50 - Audit to Blueprint Jump

13:00 - Video Instead of Calls

19:49 - Handling Corporate Inquiries

21:06 - Upsells and Pay Upfront Wins

25:06 - Gallery Education and Mockups

29:05 - Selling Wall Art With Samples

35:00 - Why Systems Matter Part Time

Mentioned in this Episode

The Experience Edit

Connect with the Guest

Website: hoffhousephotography.com

Instagram: @hoffhousephotography

I recorded this one live on the last day of week two of my birthday sabbatical, and it published about ten minutes after I stopped talking. Because I spent the last seven days — on roughly four hours of sleep a night — building a custom client portal that replaced Airtable, Fillout, Notion, Google Docs, and Google Sheets in my business.

What started as "let me move my AI assistants out of ChatGPT" turned into a full app where my clients log in, map their client journey, draft their emails, submit support tickets, send me voice notes, and do their weekly check-ins. I had a fully deployed version in 12 hours after telling myself since February that I needed time to plan it.

I also knocked South Dakota off my list (47 states down, 3 to go), and I get into the irony of doing the exact thing I tell y'all not to do with your own systems.

Not only was this an upgrade to my own systems, but an upgrade to my client experience.

Demo and debrief coming to the blog soon. Get on the list so you don't miss it: coliejames.com/subscribe

Work with me: Systems in Session | The Experience Edit

Have you ever wondered why some stories feel effortless to tell while others never seem to land? In this episode, I'm sitting down with Breanna Owen to explore how Human Design can completely change the way we approach storytelling in our businesses.

Instead of trying to tell every story or following someone else's content formula, we're diving into how your Human Design can help you identify the stories you're naturally meant to tell—and why those stories create stronger connections with your audience.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode 254: Using Human Design to Transform Your Business Strategy with Breanna Owen

Episode 216: Energetic Email Strategy for Connection & Conversion with Breanna Owen

Episode 277: How Human Design Is Influencing the Way We Do Business with Sabrina Gebhardt

Episode 299: Done-for-You vs. Done-with-You: Which Model Fits Your Business? with Brittany Herzberg

Connect with Breanna

Website: owenyourmark.com

Grab the Email Type Freebie: owenyourmark.com/energy-type-email-playbook

Instagram: instagram.com/owenyourmark

Most business owners think they need a dramatic transformation story to connect with their audience. In this episode, I sit down with Megan Yelaney to unpack one of the most overlooked pieces of effective marketing: your origin story. We explore why so many entrepreneurs struggle to tell their story, how to identify the version that's most relevant to your current audience, and why authenticity will always outperform trying to sound impressive.

Along the way, I found myself reflecting on my own business evolution (from photography to systems strategy) and realizing that my story has changed just as much as my business has. If you've ever wondered whether your story is "interesting enough," this conversation will completely change how you think about marketing.

Find It Quickly

00:25 - Meet Megan

01:48 - Why Origin Stories Matter

03:23 - Megan’s Career Pivot

06:03 - Pretty Awkward Goes Viral

08:03 - Twins and Business Reset

10:30 - Colie’s Professor Edge

16:00 - Not Dramatic Enough

21:32 - Choosing Your Story

25:06 - Beyond Your Own Story

26:59 - Case Studies That Convert

28:33 - Organizing Client Proof

32:29 - Who Gets the Credit

34:34 - Reusing Testimonials Smartly

37:40 - Where to Share It

40:56 - hort Form to Long Form

43:08 - Stories Beat Teaching

Mentioned in this Episode

Brittany Herzberg: brittanyherzberg.com

Done-for-You vs. Done-with-You: Which Model Fits Your Business? with Brittany Herzberg

SEO is Everywhere: Optimizing Your Content with Brittany Herzberg

Embracing Workflows & Automations in Your CRM: HoneyBook Case Study with Brittany Herzberg

SEO through Case Studies | Simple SEO Series with Brittany Herzberg (Part 3)

Jordan Gill: instagram.com/systemssavedme

Connect with Megan

Website: meganyelaney.com

Instagram: instagram.com/meganyelaney

Business Story Blueprint: meganyelaney.com/business-story-blueprint

Business Not As Usual: meganyelaney.com/podcast

Hey y'all, it's Colie. I'm popping back in after two weeks of guest episodes to talk about something that's been shifting in my business — and honestly, in how I think about systems altogether.

I recently noticed a real shift in who's showing up to work with me, and it sent me down a rabbit hole of rethinking how I talk about automation, personalization, and what I actually deliver for clients. That rethink turned into a new framework I'm calling Human by Design — the idea that you can automate the hell out of your client experience and still have it feel personal, present, and led by you.

I'm walking through what changed, why "automate everything" shouldn't be THE goal, and how you can start applying this in your own systems — plus, I'm announcing a free training where I'll break the whole thing down.

In this episode:

Sign up for the free training: coliejames.com/human

Join the waitlist for The Experience Edit: coliejames.com/experience

What if giving away something for free was actually the smartest marketing move you could make? In this episode, I'm joined by David Enloe, who shares how a simple idea born during the uncertainty of COVID transformed into one of the most effective marketing strategies I've heard for photographers. What started as a way to meet people in a brand-new city has grown into a long-term client acquisition system that continues to generate premium bookings years later.

Instead of chasing social media algorithms or relying on paid ads, David built his business through free pop-up photography experiences at local community events. We dive into why this strategy works, how it builds trust, and why nurturing relationships over time can outperform short-term marketing tactics.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet David

01:50 - Origin Story During COVID

05:13 - Why Its Free Marketing

10:38 - Delivery Pricing And Timeline

14:33 - Reviews And Community Building

20:00 - Business Partnerships And Events

22:45 - Who This Works Best For

28:00 - Logistics Finding Venues

Mentioned in this Episode:

Pop-Up Studio Guide: the-enloe-creative.myflodesk.com/popup-studio-guide

Applying the Rule of 7 with Dayna Schaaf: coliejames.com/applying-the-rule-of-7-with-dayna-schaaf

You Can Build Authority & Visibility Without Shaking It on Social Media with Kylie Kelly: coliejames.com/you-can-build-authority-visibility-without-shaking-it-on-social-media-with-kylie-kelly

How to Grow Your Email List as a Photographer at In-Person Events with Tiffany Crenshaw: coliejames.com/growing-your-email-list-at-in-person-events-with-tiffany-crenshaw

Connect with David

Website: theenloecreative.com

Instagram: instagram.com/theenloecreative

What if the systems slowing down your business aren't your workflows, but the software you're forcing yourself to use?

In this episode, I'm joined by Notion consultant and workflow strategist Ania Ha to pull back the curtain on the custom Notion workspace she built for my business. We talk about everything from team management and automations to the growing conversation around replacing traditional CRMs with personalized systems built in Notion.

I share what it was like hiring someone to build my systems for the first time, how that experience completely changed the way I think about my own clients, and why I believe the best tech stack isn't always the one with the most features—it's the one that actually fits the way your brain works.

Find It Quickly:

00:25 - Meet Ania

05:38 - Instagram Widget

09:17 - Why Clients Hire Her

13:11 - Learning Notion as a Client

19:36 - Toggles and Dashboard Design

21:47 - Team Tracking and Databases

25:45 - CRM Alternatives Debate

28:58 - Simple CRM Starts

30:18 - Zapier and Breakpoints

31:54 - Frankenstack vs Scaling

33:44 - Notion Client Portals

35:43 - Notion Pricing Advantage

36:51 - Team Workflow Automation

41:49 - DIY Automation Tweaks

44:00 - Notion Second Brain

46:23 - Design Views and Tables

49:39 - Mobile App and Shortcuts

50:26 - Ask an Expert

Mentioned in this Episode:

Notion: notion.com

Dubsado: coliejames.com/dubsado

HoneyBook: coliejames.com/honeybook

Airtable: airtable.com

Google Workspace: workspace.google.com

Zapier: zapier.com

TidyCal: tidycal.com

Descript: descript.com/?lmref=0HiLlg

Loom: loom.com

Metricool: metricool.com

Canva: canva.com

The Subscriber Society: latitudelane.com/subscribe-society

Launch Your Own Way: cominguproses.co/products/lyow

Connect with the Guest:

Website: shecreatesmgmt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/shecreatesmgmt

Threads: threads.com/@shecreatesmgmt

Tiktok: tiktok.com/@shecreatesmgmt

What do you do when the strategies that used to work… suddenly don't? In our Q3 Business Bestie Chat, Sabrina and I are getting real about what it looks like to navigate a season of uncertainty in business—even after years of experience. We're sharing an honest conversation about shifting markets, changing client behavior, and why staying grounded is so important.

With nearly 29 years of combined entrepreneurial experience, we've both found ourselves asking hard questions this summer. Instead of pretending everything is perfect, we're pulling back the curtain on what it's like to adapt, trust the process, and keep moving forward when business feels different than it did even a year ago.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Biz Bestie Chat

02:34 - Colie Offer Pivot

04:30 - Replacing Sales Calls

05:36 - Sabrina Summer Camp

08:55 - Root to Rise Revamp

11:38 - Systems in Session Tweaks

14:23 - Ads Strategy

17:04 - New Freebie Waitlists

21:22 - Launch Ethics Drama

23:31 - Root to Rise Launch Results

29:37 - Colie Launch Timing

32:18 - Summer Launch Experience

33:35 - Price Versus Trust Objections

37:38 - Micro Wins Build Confidence

39:01 - Trial Week Idea

42:09 - Pricing and Logistics

49:13 - Audits as Downsell

51:44 - New Fall Retainer Offer

53:01 - Serving Q3 and Q4 Plans

54:03 - Sharing Client Wins

Mentioned in this Episode:

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session

The Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit

Root to Rise: sabrinagebhardt.com/mastermind-waitlist

First Class Lounge: sabrinagebhardt.com/membership

Summer Camp: sabrina-gebhardt.myflodesk.com/summercamp

Our Quarterly Business Bestie Chats:

Q2 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q2-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q1 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q1-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q4 2025: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q4-2025-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q3 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q2-2025-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/128-q1-2025-business-bestie-chat

Q4 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q4-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q3 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/88-q2-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/75-quarterly-business-chat-with-colie-james

Connect with Sabrina

Website: sabrinagebhardt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography

Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

If you've been telling yourself you're not "ready" for better systems yet, this one's for you. In this episode, Colie talks directly to the newer photographers and service providers in her audience — the ones with fewer clients, hesitant to raise their prices, and using a CRM that just isn't built for automation yet.

She breaks down exactly what The Experience Edit is, who it's actually for (spoiler: you don't need a specific CRM, or even to be a photographer), and why mapping your client journey now — before busy season hits — will save you time, stress, and a whole lot of second-guessing later.

This is your sign to build an even better client experience!

The Experience Edit starts Monday. Grab your spot at coliejames.com/experience.

What if the best systems in your business didn't make your client experience feel more automated, but actually made it feel more personal?

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Xan Heller, who has gone through both Systems in Session and The Experience Edit, to talk about what happened when she stopped trying to figure out her CRM on her own and finally built systems that supported the custom, high-touch experience she wanted every client to have.

What I think you'll find funny about Xan's experience is that she actually told me "no" more times than almost any client I've worked with. No to schedulers her clients wouldn't actually use and no to proposals as a core sales tool. Protecting her client experience mattered more than saving a few minutes—we'll get into those solutions too.

If you've ever felt like systems and high-touch, custom client experiences are at odds with each other, this episode is for you!

Find It Quickly:

00:25 - Meet Xan

01:43 - CRM Struggles & Mini Sessions

05:02 - One Hour Success

08:36 - Systems In Session

10:19 - Support Tickets And Coaching

13:41 - Knowing But Not Doing

16:46 - Offer Math And Profitability

23:35 - Automation Pushback Schedulers

31:11 - Email Design And Branding

34:30 - Proposals And Templates

38:43 - Why CRMs Matter

40:43 - Mapping Touchpoints

46:16 - Workflow Building Mindset

48:29 - Notifications and Scheduling Wins

52:03 - Done-With-You Philosophy

55:39 - New Dubsado Features

59:55 - Portal Problems and Alternatives

01:03:54 - Accountability and Focus

01:07:12 - Experience Edit

01:11:08 - Client Experience Takeaways

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Experience Edit

Systems in Session

Connect with Xan:

Website: xanheller.com

Instagram: instagram.com/xan_heller

Is your idea of a luxury client experience one where you're the one showing up for every part of it? This episode is for the concierge-level service providers out there — the ones who don't want automation replacing the calls, the in-person consultations, or the hands-on parts of the process.

I'm walking through why you still need systems (just not the kind I usually talk about), how to stay consistent without burning yourself out, and why a scheduler still matters even when you're the one booking the date live on a call.

I'm also giving you a heads up on next episode, where I'm sitting down with my client Xan Heller to talk about how this played out in her real business — including the systems she swore she'd never use.

If this is you, I'm currently booking Q3 spots for Systems in Session, and if you join by July 10th, you'll get next week's Experience Edit live sprint completely free. Details at coliejames.com/systems.

What if your next great offer isn't something you build alone? In this episode, I sit down with website copywriter Caitie Cupples to explore the power of collaboration and how partnering with complementary experts can create a better client experience—and a stronger offer.

Caitie shares the story behind Signed, Sealed, Subscribed, a collaborative VIP Week she built alongside a designer and a naming expert to help business owners finally launch newsletters they're excited to send. We unpack what it looks like to stay in your zone of genius, eliminate client roadblocks, and create offers that solve the entire problem instead of just one piece of it.

If you've ever wondered whether collaboration could help you create a stronger offer, this conversation might be the inspiration you need to get started!

Find It Quickly:

00:25 - Meet Caitie Cupples

02:57 - Signed, Sealed, Subscribed

04:35 - What’s Included

06:01 - How It Started

07:19 - Words vs Design Reality

10:51 - Onboarding and Tools

12:49 - Deliverables Breakdown

15:44 - Welcome Email Strategy

17:48 - Platform Choices

18:28 - Choosing a Newsletter Tool

19:17 - Newsletter as the Offer

20:45 - HoneyBook vs Dubsado

22:35 - VIP Week Workflow

25:03 - Launch Lessons Learned

28:19 - Waitlist Setup and Fairness

29:42 - Picking Collaborators Wisely

33:50 - Contracts and Collaboration

Mentioned in this Episode:

Collaboration Partner: stacyeaguilar.com

Connect with the Guest:

Website: caitiecupplescreative.com

Instagram: instagram.com/caitiecupplescreative

Threads: threads.com/@caitiecupplescreative

Email Like You Mean It is no more, y'all. I rebranded it — again — and this time I actually love the name I landed on: The Experience Edit.

In this episode, I'm walking you through why I made the change, what's different now that it's gone from a 5-day sprint to a full 10 days, and why I finally split it into two clear goals: mapping your client journey in week one, then writing your entire client communication library in week two. I also touch on why workflows still aren't part of this offer (on purpose), and what to expect if you join me live July 13–24.

Plus — I'm kicking off the July Sales Parade with Ceels Lockley today, and I'll be one of the guest DJs later this quarter talking Systems That Sell. Details on that below too.

Links mentioned:

So it's been a hot minute since I ranted about client communication, y'all. In this replay of episode 204, I'm breaking down the three things every single client email needs — automated or not — to actually get read: purpose, personality, and preview.

I'll walk you through how to title your email templates by purpose (hint: your clients never see the title, so make it work for you), why a Schitt's Creek GIF might be doing more for your client relationships than you think, and the one question every email should answer before your client even has to ask it: what happens next?

Plus, your homework — pick one email in your client experience and run it through the three Ps. I dare you to stop at just one. 😂

I'm also inviting you to join July's Experience Edit, my 10-day live sprint (July 13–24) where we map your client journey and write your entire client communication library — 30+ pre-written emails — in just one week.

🔗 Grab your spot: coliejames.com/experience

🔗 Grab the free resource, Mind the Gap: coliejames.com/gap

What if the biggest benefit of better systems wasn't saving time, but finally trusting your business to run without you? In this episode, I sit down with Danielle Kent, a birth photographer, doula, and educator who joined Systems in Session after already investing in a professionally built Dubsado setup.

Her systems worked, but she still felt disconnected from them. She wanted the confidence to understand, customize, and expand her workflows without relying on someone else every time her business evolved.

We talk about the difference between having systems built for you and learning how to build them yourself, how automation transformed her long client journeys, and why understanding your CRM can become one of the most valuable skills you develop as a business owner.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Why Danielle Joined Systems in Session

02:58 - "I Felt Lost in My Own System"

05:31 - The Confidence to Make Changes

06:55 - Building New Offers Inside Dubsado

09:15 - From Fear to Flexibility

10:05 - Why Pixieset Wasn't Enough

13:40 - The Manual Tasks Dubsado Eliminated

15:57 - More Time, Less Stress

24:39 - Danielle's Favorite Dubsado Feature

28:01 - Should You Learn Your CRM or Outsource It?

32:27 - What's Next for Danielle's Business

Mentioned in this Episode

How this Wedding Photographer Plans to Save 180 Hours a Year With Better Systems with Jordan Craig

Systems in Session

Dubsado

Pixieset

Connect with the Guest

Website: daniellekentphoto.com

Instagram:instagram.com/daniellekentphoto

Y'all know I love a good automated follow-up sequence — but automation only works when a lead is still warm. This episode is about what to do three to six months later, when it's time to personally re-engage the people who went quiet.

I'm walking you through the four buckets of people who belong on your re-engagement list (including some you might not have thought of), where to reach out based on where you last connected, and exactly what to say so the conversation feels human — not salesy. Your homework: set a timer for 30 minutes and build your list.

I've laid out the plan fully in this blog post ⤵️

https://coliejames.com/follow-up-for-cold-leads/

Tune in next week for Part 2, where I'll walk through how I manage all of this inside Notion and share the full action plan.

Join Systems in Session before July 10th and get July's Experience Edit for FREE. You can get details at https://coliejames.com/systems

Most photographers think they have a client experience because they have a few key milestones in place: an inquiry form, a proposal, a questionnaire, and a gallery delivery email.

But milestones aren't the same thing as a client experience.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the difference between milestones and touchpoints, why your workflows might feel broken even when they're technically working, and the process I use with every Systems in Session client before we build a single automation.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between milestones and touchpoints in your client journey

• Why copying someone else's workflow rarely works in your business

• The three-step process for designing a client experience before building automations

• How communication gaps create unnecessary client questions and frustration

• Why touchpoints are the key to more reviews, referrals, and repeat clients

• The first step to creating a client experience that feels intentional from inquiry to delivery

Resources Mentioned:

Mind the Gap Client Journey Planner (grab it for FREE)

https://coliejames.com/gap

Systems in Session (Q3 seats are now OPEN)

https://coliejames.com/systems

Grab your seat for Systems in Session before July 10th and get July's Experience Edit for FREE.

What if the jobs, hobbies, and experiences you think are irrelevant are actually the most valuable parts of your brand story? In this episode, I sit down with copywriter Andrea Shah to unpack the surprising ways our career pivots shape the businesses we build today. We're exploring how seemingly unrelated experiences become powerful differentiators in your brand, website copy, and client experience.

Andrea shares how she helps business owners uncover the stories hidden beneath their surface-level origin stories, and why the details you're tempted to leave out may be the exact thing that helps ideal clients connect with you.

Together, we discuss how your website evolves as your business grows, why your copy should attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones, and how consistency between your messaging, visuals, and systems creates a stronger brand experience.

Find It Quickly

00:26 - Meet Andrea Shaw

01:35 - Why Pivots Matter

08:43 - Finding the Juicy Thread

09:38 - Pivot Copy Examples

11:09 - Origin Story as Strategy

13:43 - Digging Deeper Than Mom With Camera

20:35 - Privacy and Sensitive Details

22:33 - Evolving Brand Story

25:41 - When to Refresh Website Copy

27:53 - Website Overhaul Shift

31:27 - New Avatar Insights

34:58 - Your Copy Filters Clients

43:03 - Inclusive Language Systems

46:09 - DIY Pivot Story Exercise

49:41 - Personal Details Build Trust

Connect with the Guest

Website: andreashah.com

Instagram: instagram.com/andreashahcopy

In this episode, I'm covering the three goals most sales calls are trying to accomplish, the three questions every lead needs answered before they book, and why cramming all of that into one 15-minute call is costing you clients.

Want more? Join me tomorrow ⤵️

🎯 Replace Your Sales Call — free live training, June 18th Register: coliejames.com/sales Replay available for 7 days only.

Before you announce your fall calendar to the world, there's one group of people who should hear from you first — and most photographers skip right past them on the way to the public launch.

In this episode, I'm sharing the strategy I recommend to every photographer releasing their fall schedule: give your past clients early access before anyone else gets a look. I'll walk you through how long to keep the window open, what to offer instead of a discount, how to handle the booking process whether you use a scheduler or book manually, and how to identify exactly who should be on this list using the segmentation framework from episode 238.

Plus — I'm connecting this to the bigger picture. Early access might fill 30-40% of your calendar. What happens when you're deep in fall, your queue is full, and new inquiries are still coming in for those last spots? I've got something for that too.

Read the full strategy at coliejames.com/earlyaccess.

What if the biggest thing holding your business back wasn't marketing, pricing, or lead generation, but the fact that everything lived inside your head? In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Craig, a wedding photographer who joined Systems in Session after years of managing inquiries, contracts, invoices, reminders, and client communication manually. Together, we unpack what happened when he moved from a patchwork process of Gmail, reminders, QuickBooks, and memory-based workflows into a streamlined Dubsado system designed to support both his business and his life.

Jordan shares what surprised him most about the experience, how automation improved his client experience instead of making it feel robotic, and why he believes he'll gain back more than 180 hours every year because of the systems we built together.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet Jordan

01:32 - The Chaos Before Dubsado

03:38 - Five Minute Proposals

07:15 - Email Like You Mean It

13:39 - Centralized CRM Wins

17:14 - Offboarding Reviews Blogging

18:54 - Automation Balance

21:08 - Next Services To Automate

24:33 - Timing Inquiries And 60 Days

30:17 - Favorite Parts And GPTs

Mentioned in this Episode

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems

Email Like You Mean It: coliejames.com/email-like-you-mean-it

Connect with the Guest

Website: jordancraigmedia.com

Instagram: instagram.com/jordancraigmedia

Is Session or Pixieset enough for your photography business? With CRM prices going up, more photographers are asking whether they really need a full CRM — or if they can get by with the tools they're already paying for. In this episode, I'm taking an honest look at both Session and Pixieset Studio Manager: what they actually do well, where they fall short, and the one thing neither of them can give you — control over your client's timeline.

I'll share stories from two photographers who moved out of Pixieset into Dubsado, including one who went from 90 minutes to five minutes on the proposal phase alone. And I'll tell you exactly who Session is actually right for — because the answer might surprise you.

If you've been wondering whether a full CRM is still worth it, this episode is for you.

Links mentioned:

What happens when the mistake of a missed photo shoot turns into one of the most beloved CRMs for creative entrepreneurs? In this episode, I sat down with Dubsado co-founder and CEO Becca Berg to talk through building a SaaS company from scratch with her husband Jake, scaling to 30,000+ users, and why staying self-funded has shaped every decision they’ve made over the last decade.

We talked about the real beginnings of Dubsado, the growing pains behind CRM development, why certain features take time, and what’s actually coming inside Dubsado 3.0. Becca also opened up about one of the hardest moments in Dubsado history and how trusting her gut changed the way she leads the company today.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of the CRM so many creatives rely on every day, this episode is for you.

Find It Quickly

00:38 - Meet Becca

03:50 - Dubsado's Origin Story

08:10 - Building the First CRM

10:13 - Customization as the Edge

12:02 - First Customers and Milestones

17:46 - Growing the Team

22:42 - Why Stay Self Funded

25:20 - Why Features Take Time

29:25 - Scheduling Feedback to Release

31:24 - New Form Builder Vision

34:10 - Subscriptions and Checkout

36:53 - Beyond Project Based Work

42:25 - Hard Lessons and Payments Crisis

45:24 - Stripe Migration and Sub Accounts

48:53 - Dubsado 3.0 Sunset Timeline

Connect with Becca

Website: Dubsado.com

Instagram: instagram.com/dubsado

Instagram: instagram.com/beccaliz_

Threads: threads.com/@beccaliz_

May was rough, no solos were recorded, but June is a new month!

In this episode I am giving you 5 updates, 4 business and 1 personal, to get these solo episodes back on track 👏🏽

Links Mentioned:

What if the easiest sales you’ll ever make are from people who already know, trust, and love your work? In this episode, I’m joined by Zoë Dew to wrap up my sales series with one of the most overlooked strategies in business: retention.

We’re diving deep into why so many service providers leave money on the table after delivering a service, and how building intentional relationships with past clients can completely change the way you market and sell. We talk about client communication and the power of one-to-one outreach, why follow-up is your responsibility as a business owner, and how to stop chasing cold leads when warm opportunities already exist inside your business ecosystem.

Find It Quickly

03:59 - Why Past Clients Matter

06:41 - Stop Being Passive

11:19 - Make Outreach a System

13:44 - Follow Up Like a Pro

15:52 - Broadcast vs One to One

23:08 - What Retention Really Means

25:28 - Check Ins Build Trust

36:53 - Warm Beats Cold Leads

43:13 - Beyond Paying Clients

45:31 - Where to Find Zoe

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 266: Stop Chasing Vanity Metrics: The 4 Habits That Actually Grow Your Business with Zoë Dew

Connect with Zoë

Website: zoedew.com

Instagram: instagram.com/zoerdew

Have you claimed your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business)? If not, you might be missing out on free visibility in your local area. As a photographer, that could mean fewer clients finding you.

In this episode, I’m joined by Lydia Fine, local SEO expert and photographer, to walk us through the current landscape of Google Business Profiles, what’s changed, and exactly what you need to do to make yours work harder for you. Whether you run a studio, do in‑home shoots, or travel for sessions, this episode breaks down the window into local search that many creatives ignore.

Find It Quickly

00:27 - Meet Lydia Fine

02:24 - Importance of Google Business Profiles for Local SEO

04:01 - Verification and Privacy Concerns

08:00 - Optimizing Your Google Business Profile

12:55 - Leveraging Google Business Profile Services

17:29 - SEO Strategies and Google Business Profiles

20:22 - The Importance of Google My Business

21:27 - Adding Photos and Videos to Your Profile

24:12 - Managing Reviews and Updating Content

25:26 - Exploring Bing Places and SEO Strategies

27:16 - Asking for Reviews: Best Practices

31:07 - Prominence and Local SEO Tips

Mentioned in this Episode

Google Business Profile

Connect with Lydia

Website: apolloandivy.com

Grab the Guide: apolloandivy.com/quickfix

Instagram: instagram.com/lydia_apolloandivy

If you've ever booked 50 weddings and wondered where all the money went, this episode is for you. Alora Rachelle joins me to talk wedding photography pricing strategy — specifically why the middle tier is shrinking, how to structure packages that are profitable at every level, and what it actually takes to confidently charge more.

We also cover outsourcing your editing without losing your creative identity, giving feedback that gets you the results you need, and using slow season to build the systems that make your busy season sustainable.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Connect with Alora

Website: alorarachelle.com

Instagram: instagram/alora.rachelle

Masterclass: The 10k Wedding Formula

What if the reason your offers aren’t selling has nothing to do with your pricing, your audience size, or your content quality—and everything to do with how often you’re willing to talk about them?

In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Ceels Lockley to unpack the idea of sales stamina: the ability to consistently talk about your offers without spiraling into fear, awkwardness, or “I’m annoying everyone” energy. We dive into why repetition matters, how to stop treating sales like a dirty word, and what actually happens when you give your offers the spotlight they deserve.

Ceels shares the philosophy behind her program, Sales Parade (now evolving into Parade on Tour), and explains why selling isn’t about posting “buy now” every five minutes. Instead, it’s about creating momentum, warming your audience up over time, and building trust through repeated exposure.

Find It Quickly:

00:40 - Meet Ceels

02:05 - Why Sales Matters

03:57 - The 52 Times Muscle

07:53 - Tease Tempt Turn

14:14 - Selling Multiple Offers

18:21 - Parade Your Freebies

24:51 - Parade On Tour Community

29:14 - Sales Is Not Optional

33:18 - Nurture Leads And Lurkers

38:29 - Pick Your Channels

42:09 - Start With Your Sales Page

Connect with Ceels:

Website: ceelslockley.co

Instagram: instagram.com/ceels.lockley

Threads: threads.com/@its.ceels

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ceels

Sales Parade / Parade on Tour: ceelslockley.co/parade

If you've ever thought that launching only works for digital courses with fake urgency and overly complicated sales tactics, this episode will shift your mindset. Kelsey McCormick of Coming Up Roses joins us to completely reframe what launching actually means, especially for service providers.

Kelsey breaks down why launching isn’t about pressure or hype, but instead about clarity, trust, and giving your offers the attention they deserve. We dive into what it really means to move from passive selling to proactive selling, why your audience might be full of “lurkers,” and how a strategic warmup can completely transform your results.

Find It Quickly:

00:24 - Meet Kelsey

01:53 - Why Launching Matters Now

05:30 - Trust Selling and Visibility

08:15 - Productize Your Expertise

13:51 - Warmup Bridge to Sales

16:08 - How Long to Warm Up

20:08 - Waitlists and Audience Heat

21:07 - Incentives Without Discounts

24:51 - Bonuses and Alignment

28:22 - Internal Urgency Messaging

32:04 - Launch Frequency Sweet Spot

34:45 - Messy Action and Learning

39:16 - Postmortems and Data Review

Connect with Kelsey:

Website: cominguproses.co

Instagram: instagram.com/cominguproses.co

The Warmup Waitlist Week: cominguproses.co/products/www

Launch Your Own Way: cominguproses.co/products/lyow

If you’ve ever sat down to sell your offer and thought, “What the hell am I even supposed to say?”—this episode is for you. Today I’m joined by my brilliant fractional CMO, Chelsea Quint, and we’re diving deep into the exact problem so many of us face: knowing your offer is good, but not knowing how to communicate it in a way that actually converts.

We break down why selling feels so hard (hint: you’re too close to your own genius), how to shift from explaining your work to selling the result, and why words like “confidence” might actually be hurting your conversions.

Find It Quickly:

00:26 - Meet Chelsea

02:11 - Explaining Your Work

04:19 - Selling With Words

05:12 - Too Close To It

08:19 - Craft The Offer Promise

10:16 - Stop Selling Confidence

20:02 - List Results And Test

21:51 - Value Perception Matters

24:58 - Audience Clarity Without Clients

25:47 - Imagination Character Study

26:54 - Persona Roleplay Research

28:21 - Reddit and Reviews Mining

30:39 - Notion Messaging Dashboard

32:58 - Data and Context Loops

36:53 - Say Less Campaign Sprint

42:15 - Three Messaging Frames

47:45 - Sell the Transformation

Connect with Chelsea:

Website: business-whisperer.com/blog

Instagram: instagram.com/chelsea.quint

Threads: threads.com/@chelsea.quint

Hey y'all — if you've ever felt like you need to chase down brand new leads every time you want to hit an income goal… this one is going to stop you in your tracks.

In this episode, I'm joined by Erin Ollila — SEO strategist, copywriter, and host of Talk Copy to Me — for a conversation that originally aired on her podcast. We're talking about why the fastest path to more revenue is almost never a bigger audience. It's the people who are already in your world. Your past clients, your unconverted leads, your email list. And what you're actually supposed to do with them.

Because here's the thing: if someone didn't book you three months ago, that doesn't mean they're never going to. And if you're ignoring them while you hustle to find someone brand new, you're making your business way harder than it needs to be.

Want to see how this fits into a bigger client-getting strategy? Read the full guide: https://coliejames.com/how-to-get-photography-clients/

What You'll Learn in This Episode

Links + Resources Mentioned

Hey y’all—if you’ve ever wanted to take real time off in your business without everything falling apart… this one is for you.

In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I prepare my business to run while I’m out of office every summer (yes, multiple weeks at a time). And more importantly, how you can do the same—without sacrificing your client experience or your sanity.

Because here’s the thing: your business shouldn’t rely on your constant availability to keep making money or delivering a great experience. And if it does? We’ve got some fixes to make.

Let's take a look at your business systems!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Links + Resources Mentioned

If you think sending fewer emails creates a better client experience, today's episode is going to challenge your mindset. I sit down with Alison Bell, a Hawaii-based family photographer who has built a six-figure business serving vacationing clients—with zero room for error and practically no opportunity for reshoots.

We dive into what it really takes to create a seamless, high-touch client experience when your clients are traveling, time-constrained, and trusting you to deliver once-in-a-lifetime memories. Alison shares exactly how she uses automation, communication, and clear boundaries (hello, sunrise-only sessions) to create an experience that builds trust, eliminates confusion, and increases sales.

Find It Quickly:

00:24 - Meet Alison Bell

01:24 - CRM Talk

02:31 - Fast Response Wins

05:18 - Sunrise Sessions Policy

06:40 - Repeat Key Details

09:36 - After Payment Onboarding

12:11 - Prep Emails

15:07 - Timing Automations

17:06 - Gallery Reveal Process

19:00 - Weather Boundaries

22:04 - Inquiry Video Touchpoint

23:12 - Product Videos Idea

26:32 - Email Touchpoints

27:42 - Inbox Overload Reality

29:16 -Texting Before Sessions

32:05 - Client Ghosting Horror Stories

36:19 - Next Steps Email Framework

44:53 - Video Alternatives To Calls

46:58 - Pricing Prep Video Strategy

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 211: Marketing Mondays Will Transform Your Business Strategy with Melissa Arlena and Alison Bell

Tave/VSCO: vsco.co/workspace

Connect with Alison:

Website: alisonbellphotographer.com

Podcast: Get Booked: A Photography Marketing Podcast

Instagram: instagram.com/alisonbellphotog

Hey y’all, welcome back to the podcast! It’s been a minute since I recorded a solo episode, and instead of pretending I had some perfectly planned return… we’re just diving straight into what’s been happening behind the scenes and how it led to this conversation.

After hosting my Out of Office Ready training, one thing became very clear: most of you don’t actually need more availability to book clients—you need a better way to communicate without being available all the time.

So in this episode, I’m breaking down how to replace your sales calls with asynchronous video—whether that’s using VideoAsk or simple custom videos—so you can qualify leads, answer questions, and book clients without scheduling another call on your calendar.

Because your business and your client communication should not stop just because you’re offline.

Mentioned in this Episode

Episodes 123 + 217 - 3 Videos to Create for Your Client Experience Right Now

Episode 237 -Improve Client Trust & Increase Conversions through Asynchronous Video with Carolyn Leasure

Systems in Session

Email Like You Mean It

VideoAsk (aff link)

This quarter's business bestie chat is coming at you live and in-person from Texas! Sabrina and I finally got to record together for our quarterly chat after spending a few days together at the Creative Educator Conference! Listen in as we chat through that experience, recap what happened in Q1, and get honest about where we are in business right now.

Find It Quickly

Recapping the Creative Educator Conference (1:11)

Sabrina’s brand new retreat (8:24)

Colie choosing to offer only one thing (10:58)

A community space for Sabrina’s memberships (12:43)

Re-evaluating our programs (18:32)

Our ad strategy goals (23:03)

Sparking new ideas (27:53)

Our plans for Q2 (28:51)

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 190 From Skeptical to Obsessed with Jaiden Hamilton:

sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/190-from-skeptical-to-obsessed-with-jaiden-hamilton/

Root To Rise Summer Camp: sabrina-gebhardt.myflodesk.com/summercamp

Our Quarterly Business Bestie Chats:

Q1 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q1-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q4 2025: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q4-2025-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q3 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q2-2025-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/128-q1-2025-business-bestie-chat

Q4 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q4-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q3 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/88-q2-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/75-quarterly-business-chat-with-colie-james

Connect with Sabrina

Website: sabrinagebhardt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography

Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

Here's some advice to business owners (new and established): stop waiting until you’re overwhelmed to build your systems. In this episode, I sit down with Anthea Proudfoot to talk about how she built out her entire CRM and client experience instead of Systems in Session before she had a steady stream of clients.

It can be complicated to retrofit your processes into your business later, after you've gotten busy and overwhelmed. In this episode, we talk about what it really looks like to build a high-touch, automated client experience from scratch, how she completed her business systems in just 30 days, and why her clients are already raving—even as a newer business owner.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet Anthea

00:56 - Why Start With CRM

05:01 - Systems in Session

08:36 - Organic Marketing Wins

10:02 - Inquiry Form Strategy

14:36 - Clients Experience

18:21 - The Client Proposal & Booking

20:10 - Post Booking Experience Portal

22:32 - Custom Systems Philosophy

23:38 - Session Reminder Automation

25:46 - Six Month System Tweaks

30:11 - Favorite Feature Workflows

33:41 - Automated Yet Personal Touch

34:51 - Testimonial Form Strategy

36:56 - Questionnaire Photos Planning

38:45 - Why She Chose Systems in Session

Mentioned in this Episode

Systems in Session

Connect with Anthea

Website: malonephotography.au

Instagram: instagram.com/malone_photography_au

If your marketing feels like a constant cycle of chasing new leads but never quite getting the sales you want, this episode is going to change how you think about everything. Polly Pollockjoins us to dive deep into what actually works in marketing right now—especially if you’re tired of relying on Instagram or social media altogether.

Listen in as we talk about why so many business owners feel stuck, what’s really missing in their marketing strategy, and how to shift your focus from constant visibility to building real, one-on-one connection with your audience. Polly shares her perspective as a marketing expert working with neurodivergent entrepreneurs, and together we unpack the biggest mistake people are making: ignoring the “messy middle.”

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet Polly

04:47 - Repel And Attract

06:55 - Marketing Beyond Instagram

12:38 - Trust And Messy Middle

17:30 - Nurture Systems That Work

21:22 - Beyond PDFs And Sales Calls

25:39 - Deep Listening Habits

26:34 - Podcasts Build Trust

27:35 - Audience Data Signals

30:02 - Client Interviews Gold

31:31 - Marketing In AI Era

34:23 - Using AI To Synthesize

38:54 - Do Less Better Content

40:49 - Monthly Live Events

Mentioned in this Episode

Ep 199: I Audited My Freebies—Here’s What I Found

How to Ask for a Client Testimonial: Strategies to Request Feedback and Get Better Testimonials

Connect with Polly

Website: neuropreneurrising.com

Podcast: Neuropreneur Rising

Instagram: instagram.com/pollypollockofficial

Monthly Coworking: pollypollock.myflodesk.com/tnd1j65jkw

What if automation didn’t make your client experience feel colder, but actually made it feel more personal? In this episode, I’m sitting down with Ina Jalil, a pet photographer who specializes in high-touch, full-service photography for dog lovers. When Ina joined my Email Like You Mean It live sprint, it became clear almost immediately that her business was the perfect example of something so many photographers wrestle with: how do you automate client communication when your process is deeply personal, intentional, and customized?

Ina walks us through how she built an in-person consultation model for her pet photography business, why that shift improved both client understanding and sales, and how email still plays a critical role in keeping clients engaged between touch points. We also talk about the “messy middle” of the client journey, the silent gaps that hurt momentum, and why even seasoned photographers need to revisit their workflows from time to time.

Find It Quickly

01:49 - Meet Ina

02:50 - Why In Person Consults

08:52 - Scheduling and Studio Sales

11:43 - Email Automation Role

14:09 - Filling the Messy Middle

19:31 - Custom Templates That Feel Personal

22:03 - VA Workflows and CRM Notes

26:15 - Post Session Education and Sales

35:45 - Sprint Results and Three Ps

Mentioned in this Episode

How to Transform Your Pet Photography Client Experience with Colie James

Email Like You Mean It

Connect with Ina

Website: inajphotography.com

Education: inajphotography.com/for-photographers

Skool community: Pet Photographers Collective

Instagram: @inajphotography

Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

Podcast: The Pet Photographer's Journal

Hey y’all… so apparently this is episode 300 😅

This episode snuck up on me so fast I didn't have a chance to plan a milestone moment. My 4th Podcast Anniversary in 2 months away, so maybe I'll do better then!

🎙️ In this episode, I’m sharing:

Updates inside Systems in Session (and what that means for availability & pricing)The 3 biggest changes I made to improve client momentum and results inside Systems in Session and how it panned out 60 days laterA peek at my upcoming live training and why you should join

Grab your FREE seat for From Hello to Booked, happening on April 2nd at Noon MT/2pm ET.

Final note: if you’ve been here for a while—or even if this is your first episode—thank you. Seriously. 300 episodes is kind of wild, and I wouldn’t still be doing this without you.

If this episode gave you a little clarity (or a kick in the pants to finally fix your systems 😉), share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps more creative business owners find the show—and start building a business that actually supports their life.

What happens when the thing you’ve always sold so well no longer fits the life or business you want to build? In this episode, I’m sitting down with Brittany Herzberg to unpack the real difference between done-for-you and done-with-you services, what it looks like to sit in the messy middle of an offer evolution, and why both of us are rethinking how we help clients get results.

Brittany shares how she supports business owners with SEO, from website strategy and keyword research to helping them understand how all the pieces of their visibility strategy fit together. I also share more about my own shift away from done-for-you systems work and into a done-with-you model that gives my clients more confidence, more ownership, and better long-term results.

If you’ve been wondering whether your current service model still fits the way you want to work, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.

Listen to Brittany's Other Episodes on Business-First Creatives:

Episode 81: SEO through Case Studies | Simple SEO Series with Brittany Herzberg (Part 3)

Episode 159: Embracing Workflows & Automations in Your CRM: HoneyBook Case Study with Brittany Herzberg

Episode 202: SEO is Everywhere: Optimizing Your Content with Brittany Herzberg

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Resonance Effect - How to Attract Action Takeers with SEO Queen Brittany Herzberg

Dubsado

HoneyBook

Google Search Console

Keysearch

ChatGPT

Connect with Brittany

Website: brittanyherzberg.com

Instagram: instagram.com/brittany_herzberg

Threads: threads.com/@brittany_herzberg

Podcast: brittanyherzberg.com/the-basic-b-podcast

If you’ve ever wrapped up a project, delivered the final files, and then… just waited to see if your client comes back—you’re not alone.

But here’s the thing: your next sale shouldn’t start after the project ends.

In this episode, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at my recent Disney cruise (yes, I already booked another one 👀) and the simple, strategic move they used to get me to spend more money before I even stepped off the ship.

And more importantly? How you can use that exact same strategy in your business.

Because if you’re not intentionally inviting your clients to rebook, refresh, or continue working with you… you’re leaving money on the table.

Let's work on your client communication rebooking strategy!

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

Mentioned in this episode:

Systems in Session

Disney Cruise

Want additional resources to rebook your clients?

Read THIS blog post for an outline of how to implement this strategy.

In the last episode, I sat down with money coach Emilie Nutley to talk about understanding your numbers, paying yourself, and planning your finances like a real business owner. Because once you actually know your numbers, the possibilities for your business start to open up.

But today I want to flip the conversation to something that most people don’t immediately connect to revenue: your business systems.

Most creatives think of systems as organization tools. Something that saves time, reduces stress, or keeps things from slipping through the cracks. And while that’s true… systems can also directly impact how much money your business actually generates.

So in this episode, I’m walking you through three ways your systems can help you generate more revenue this year — without simply trying to book more clients.

In this episode, we cover:

Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 296 - The Best Financial Strategy for a Sustainable Business is Overflow with Emilie Nutley

Systems in Session - coliejames.com/systems

If you’ve been avoiding your numbers this year—this is your sign to review them. I invited financial expert Emilie Nutley to join me for a powerful, no-fluff conversation about pricing your signature offer, paying yourself consistently, and a financial concept that will completely change the way you think about business finances: overflow.

We talk about why you should never price based on competitors, why revenue is not the same as take-home pay, and how to build a business that brings you both joy and a paycheck. If you’ve ever had inconsistent income months, questioned your pricing, or treated your business like an ATM, this episode is for you.

Find It Quickly

01:19 – Meet Emilie Nutley

03:16 – How Much Do You Want to Pay Yourself?

04:37 – Revenue Goal ÷ Capacity = Price

05:41 – Need vs. Want: What Do You Actually Have to Pay Yourself?

06:11 – The Bare Bones Budget Explained

09:05 – The Restrict/Binge Cycle with Money

16:10 – What “Overflow” Is and Why It Matters

18:41 – Profit Isn’t the End: What Happens After Profit

21:40 – Using Overflow to Make Strategic Decisions

24:20 – Overflow & Growth Decisions (Hiring, Investing, Time Off)

25:11 – Revenue-Generating Hires vs. Expense Investments

26:43 – The Simple Overflow Spreadsheet

28:36 – Stop Living Month-to-Month in Your Business

29:42 – The Habit of Paying Yourself Consistently

33:08 – How Much Should You Be Saving?

38:33 – The Freedom of Owning a Business

40:46 – Focus on Your Signature Offer First

44:17 – Thinking Long-Term: Retirement & Future Planning

Connect with Emilie

Website: emilienutley.co.uk

Instagram: instagram.com/emilienutley

Youtube: youtube.com/@fundthedamnlife

Busy season might not feel close yet—but if you rely on fall bookings, the inquiries that fill your calendar are coming sooner than you think.

Instead of waiting until leads start flooding your inbox, this is the time to make sure your client experience systems are ready to support them. Because when your backend is messy, slow, or inconsistent, it becomes a lot harder to book clients confidently… and even harder to justify raising your prices.

In this episode, Colie breaks down three essential systems every creative service provider should have in place before busy season begins. These systems help you book clients faster, create a smoother client experience, and build long-term relationships with client communication that lead to referrals, reviews, and repeat business.

And the best part? When these systems are working well, raising your prices becomes a natural outcome—not a scary decision.

If you're photographing sessions for your clients, make sure you have these three systems for service providers in place.

In This Episode

• Why waiting until slow season to raise your prices often backfires

• How a faster inquiry and booking process increases booking confidence for both you and your clients

• The role your client communication plays in building trust before, during, and after the service

• How better delivery and offboarding leads to reviews, referrals, and repeat clients

• Why preparing these systems now makes it easier to raise your prices once you're partially booked

Mentioned in This Episode

Episode 215: The Confidence Loop

Systems in Session- https://coliejames.com/systems

What if your side hustle wasn't just extra income, but the most creatively fulfilling part of your life? In this episode, I’m sitting down with Christi Dorsey, a nutrition expert, food science consultant, and full-time government professional. We talk about what it really looks like to build a thriving consulting business alongside a 9–5.

Christi isn’t new to entrepreneurship. She’s been running her consulting company, Taste Symmetry, for over a decade. But as her business evolved, her systems and client communication needed to evolve with it. That’s when she joined Email Like You Mean It to overhaul her customer journey and finally build backend systems that matched the elevated experience on her new website.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet Christi Dorsey

03:21 - From nutrition degrees to global food safety work

07:20 - The “1099 Queen”

10:18 - Why she decided to expand her business again

11:40 - Why she joined Email Like You Mean It

15:13 - Her Foundation Experience offer explained

23:00 - Rewriting her client emails from scratch

25:47 - The offboarding email and the power of repeat business

29:03 - What she’s working on next in her systems

40:05 - Why “my emails are fine” might be holding you back

Mentioned in this Episode

Email Like You Mean It

Systems in Session

Connect with Christi

Website: tastesymmetry.com

Instagram: @tastesymmetry

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/taste-symmetry

Mentioned in this Episode

Email Like You Mean It

Systems in Session

Connect with Christi

Website: tastesymmetry.com

Instagram: @tastesymmetry

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/taste-symmetry

If you’re trying to decide between Email Like You Mean It and Systems in Session, this episode will help you make that decision.

I get asked all the time where someone should start if they want better systems in their business — and my answer is never “pick a CRM” or “build workflows.”

It’s always: design your client experience first.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

Whether you’re ready to build full systems or you need to start with planning and communication, the order never changes:

Client experience design first.

Client communication second.

Systems and automation last.

And if you want an easy peasy way to get started, grab my FREE client experience planner coliejames.com/gap

Resources mentioned:

I turned Email Like You Mean It into a 5-day done-with-you live sprint… and then immediately invited some of my Systems in Session clients to test it as pre-work.

Bold? Yes.

A little chaotic? Also yes.

Worth it? 100%.

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how the first sprint went — what surprised me, what I learned, what I’m keeping, and what I’m changing for the next round.

We’re talking:

Why your CRM doesn’t actually matter when mapping your client communicationWhat happened when Systems in Session clients completed ELYMI before kickoffHow daily live feedback changed the pace of implementationWhat I’m adding (and standardizing) for the April sprintWhy I’m keeping this offer intentionally small (and intimate)

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to build in public, test a new delivery model, or evolve an offer quickly — this is the honest behind-the-scenes.

And if you want to join me for the next run of Email Like You Mean It, there are 10 spots available (and one is already gone).

Details → coliejames.com/email

What if the only thing standing between you and sustainable growth in your business is your system? In today’s episode, we're diving into a Systems in Session case study with Megan Smith—a full-time teacher, mom of three, farm wife, and professional home organizer. Listen in as she shares what happened when she finally stopped hiding from her systems and built the structure her business needed.

While she wasn't focused on getting more clients, she wanted more confidence and excitement around the experience she was delivering. Yet within 48 hours of installing one simple piece of infrastructure, she booked a client and earned back half her investment.

Find It Quickly

00:32 – Meet Megan

03:32 – How Her Systems Held Her Back

09:31 – The ROI of Systems

11:57 – Building a Unique Booking System

18:55 – Creating Confidence

19:27 – Raising Prices

24:29 – Automations

27:34 – Expanding Offers by Duplicating Systems

30:06 – Marketing Meets Infrastructure

34:20 – No Quick Fix in Business

46:59 – The 3 R’s: Rave Reviews, Referrals & Repeat Clients

Connect with Megan

Website: megansmithstressless.com

Instagram: instagram.com/megansmithstressless

Planning this episode felt like getting a dose of my own medicine.

When I help clients build their five-minute booking process for a better client experience, I always tell them: your FAQs don’t belong buried on your website. They belong right above where someone is about to pay you.

So today, we’re doing that for Systems in Session.

If you’ve been wondering:

This episode answers all of it.

You’ll hear exactly what Systems in Session includes, how the 60-day done-with-you Dubsado setup works, and why most of my clients are not beginners — they’re experienced service providers who are tired of babysitting their backend.

Because this isn’t about learning more tech.

It’s about building high-touch, low-effort systems that make your premium offers easy to book, effortless to deliver, and impossible to forget.

If you’ve ever:

This episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn (AKA The Questions I’m Answering)

If you’ve ever:

This episode will help you decide your next move.

Links Mentioned

Niching down your messaging can feel like a catch-22. I talk to photographers a lot—which means non-photographers sometimes wonder if Systems in Session is actually for them.

Short answer? Yes.

Long answer? Let’s break it down.

In this episode, I explain why Systems in Session works for any service-based business—not just photographers. I share who’s currently inside the program (including a stationery designer, a marketing specialist, and a website designer), and why the five core workflow phases—Inquiry, Booking, Onboarding, Service & Delivery, and Offboarding—apply no matter what you sell.

Because while the service may change, the client journey doesn’t.

If you’ve been wondering whether Systems in Session would work for you, even if you don’t take photos for a living, this episode is for you.

Learn more at coliejames.com/systems

“I can’t automate that — my clients are all different.”

If you’ve ever said that (or thought it), this episode is for you.

Today kicks off a 3-part Objection Day series, where I’m tackling the most common pushback I hear about building real client experience systems.

In this episode, we’re talking about:

Why your clients are different creatively — but not logisticallyThe difference between customization and infrastructure problemsWhy rebuilding proposals and contracts from scratch isn’t “high-touch” — it’s fragileHow to create systems that are 80% structured and 20% personalized (without losing the magic)

Your art might be custom.

The process around selling and delivering it does not have to be rebuilt every single time.

If your backend only works when you remember every step… that’s not premium.

It’s risky.

And if you’re ready for high-touch, low-effort systems that match your premium offers?

Learn more about Systems in Session here:

👉 https://coliejames.com/systems

Ever wonder what actually happens after someone makes a big backend decision?

In this episode, I’m giving you a real update on two announcements I made last month:

• Hiring a professional Notion strategist to build my marketing team dashboard

• Bringing Chelsea on as my fractional CMO for 2026

Spoiler: I am not abandoning Airtable. But I did need a better way to coordinate a growing team without becoming the bottleneck.

I’m sharing what’s working, what surprised me, and how it actually feels to wake up and not have marketing on my to-do list — while everything still moves forward.

If you love behind-the-scenes updates, this one’s for you.

Also Mentioned:

Systems in Session (Now Booking for Q2)

Email Like You Mean It (next live sprint: April 6-10)

Ania my Notion Expert

Chelsea my Fractional CMO

If your clients are quietly disappearing, not giving testimonials, or not buying again, there is a deeply rooted problem we need to address. In this episode, I sit down with Emily Mathis to talk about outsourcing, but not in the way you think. We didn’t talk about hiring editors, VAs, or handing off social media. We talked about the outsourcing you’re probably ignoring: your client experience.

Emily hasn’t outsourced much in her own business, and that’s exactly what makes her perspective powerful. Instead of defaulting to hiring help, she focuses on tightening the backend, improving delivery, and fixing what most business owners ignore: the messy middle.

If you’re always chasing new leads but ignoring the people already inside your container, this conversation might change how you grow your business.

Mentioned in this Episode

Breanna Owen: owenyourmark.com

Episode 256 with Breanna Owen: coliejames.com/using-human-design-to-transform-your-business-strategy-with-breanna-owen

Episode 224 with Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober: coliejames.com/how-the-enneagram-can-supercharge-your-self-awareness-with-ashton-whitmoyer-ober

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session

Connect with Emily

Website: emilymathis.co

Instagram: instagram.com/emilymathis.co

When you're empowered to build your own process and be part of it, everything in your systems can change. While there is always the option to outsource your brain or hand your systems to someone else, it's even more valuable to learn how your systems actually work, build them with intention, and have the confidence to evolve them as your business grows.

In today's episode, I'm joined by David Enloe to chat through his experience inside of Systems in Session, the program that (as he puts it) empowers you to build your own process and be a part of it. We talk through how one conversation turned a vague idea into a structured offer, how David’s HoneyBook setup evolved, and why confidence is what most creatives really need.

Find It Quickly

01:05 - The Origin Story of Systems in Session05:19 - Why Now? Timing the Workflow Overhaul06:52 - Confidence Over Automation08:17 - The Power of Strategic Prep Work10:44 - Rebuilding After HoneyBook 2.012:59 - From Beta Build to Assistant Onboarding18:20 - Should You Include Your Virtual Assistant?21:31 - What Changed in David’s Business24:48 - Evolving the Client Journey26:58 - How the Program Has Changed Since32:22 - Final Advice from David34:55 - The 3 R’s: Reviews, Referrals, Repeat Clients

Mentioned in this Episode

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-sessionEpisode 241: Systems in Session ft. Erin Belles: coliejames.com/done-with-you-dubsado-setup-case-study

Connect with David

Website: theenloecreative.com

When I sent out a “why didn’t you buy?” survey after a slow launch, I didn’t expect one of those responses to turn into one of my favorite transformation stories. That’s exactly what happened with Emily Sterne, a long-time DIYer who needed guidance, but also didn’t want someone to do it all for her either.

What she really needed was a middle ground that offered support, accountability, and someone to walk alongside her. That’s what she found inside Systems in Session with me. Done-with-you gave her the clarity and confidence she was missing without giving up control.

284

Find It Quickly

01:02 - Meet Emily

04:52 - The Myth of Outsourcing

09:20 - Emily’s Systems Before Systems in Session

11:39 - Transition to HoneyBook

13:05 - What Emily Had Already Built (and What Was Missing)

14:10 - Pricing Comes First

18:42 - The True Outcome of Systems In Session

23:32 - 12 Sessions Booked While Moving

27:24 - Trusting Automations

29:35 - Systems Aren’t Set & Forget

Mentioned in this Episode

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session

Episode 241: Systems in Session ft. Erin Belles: coliejames.com/done-with-you-dubsado-setup-case-study

If you’ve ever thought, “If my proposal just looked better, this would be easier,” you’re not wrong — but that’s only part of the story.

In this solo episode, I’m breaking down why pretty proposals can close sales faster… and why they stop working when the system around them isn’t doing its job. Your proposal isn’t just an invoice — it’s a WOW moment. And when it doesn’t convert, it’s usually the first place your booking system is breaking down.

We’re talking about the difference between design and clarity, why proposals expose gaps in your client experience, and what actually makes a proposal feel premium, intentional, and easy to say yes to.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why “I just need a prettier proposal” is such a common (and understandable) beliefHow proposals act as a gateway — not the fix — in your booking systemThe difference between speeding up decisions and creating real clarityWhat makes a proposal feel like a WOW experience instead of paperworkWhy pretty proposals only work when the system around them works

If you want your proposal to stop working so hard — and start shining inside a clear booking process — this episode is for you.

✨ Ready to build a booking system you trust?

Learn more about Systems in Session at coliejames.com/systems-in-session

Ever had a dream client inquire, seem excited… and then disappear?

No reply.

No booking.

Just silence.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why ghosting usually isn’t about your price or competition — it’s about what happens after someone raises their hand to work with you. Yes, we're talking about client experience!

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing “all the right things” but still losing leads, this episode will help you zoom out and see where the breakdown is actually happening.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Related Episodes Mentioned:

If you’re tired of guessing which part of your booking process is broken, this is exactly what we design inside Systems in Session.

➡️ Learn more at coliejames.com/sis

This quarter’s business bestie chat is juicier than ever. We’re tackling real business wins, real pivots, and real lessons. Listen in as Sabrina and I share what we actually did in Q4 2025 and what we’re strategizing for Q1 2026.

Find It Quickly

Catching up with Sabrina and Colie (00:24)

How the Biz Bestie chats work (02:01)

Sabrina’s major rebrand (03:34)

The end of Colie’s CRM Blueprint (09:04)

The shift in Colie’s offers (13:15)

Sabrina’s Root To Rise launch (18:02)

Playing the long game (24:15)

Sabrina and Colie’s ad experiments (30:56)

Plans for the rest of Q1 (38:12)

Mentioned in this Episode

Showit: showit.com

Tonic: tonicsiteshop.com

Email Like You Mean It: /coliejames.com/email-like-you-mean-it

Episode 268: Personalizing the Client Communication Experience with Geneviève Masioni: coliejames.com/personalizing-the-client-communication-experience-with-genevieve-masioni

The First Class Lounge: sabrinagebhardt.com/membership

Episode 264: How Human Design Is Influencing The Way We Do Business with Sabrina Gebhardt: coliejames.com/how-human-design-is-influencing-the-way-we-do-business-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Episode 005: Avoiding Burnout with Sabrina Gebhardt: coliejames.com/005

Business Bestie Chat Q4 – 2025 with Sabrina Gebhardt: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q4-2025-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Connect with Sabrina

Website: sabrinagebhardt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography

Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

You already know you’re allowed to email your clients. But what happens after you send the proposal… and hear nothing?

In this episode, Colie breaks down when to follow up, why follow-up builds trust (not annoyance), and what to say so it doesn’t feel awkward or salesy. It's all about client communication. She shares how her approach to follow-up has evolved over the years, why “just checking in” emails fall flat, and how using client stories inside follow-ups helps leads actually finish the decision they started.

This episode is a continuation of Stop Being Afraid to Email Your Own Clients and connects directly to the Confidence Loop — closing client communication gaps so trust doesn’t leak.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Links & Resources Mentioned

Ready to Stop Overthinking Follow-Up?

Follow-up isn’t about chasing people down.

It’s about closing communication gaps and supporting a decision your client already opened.

If you’re tired of second-guessing what to send, when to send it, and whether you’re being “too much,” join Email Like You Mean It. In five days, you’ll map your full client journey and write every email you need — from inquiry to delivery — with clarity and confidence.

Learn more at coliejames.com/email

Next sprint begins Feb 2nd

What if the secret to managing ADHD wasn’t massive systems or productivity hacks, but tiny, repeatable actions? In this episode, I’m joined by systems strategist Angela Tan, who shares how she uses “microsystems” to run her business and life with more ease, all while navigating ADHD.

From missed emails to abandoned leftovers to paralyzing decision fatigue, Angela opens up about her journey to self-awareness and how she built personalized systems that actually work. She walks us through how ADHD shows up in unexpected ways (especially in business) and the small steps she’s taken to stay focused, reduce overwhelm, and create structure without rigidity.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet Angela Tan

02:12 - ADHD and Microsystems

05:53 - What are Microsystems?

08:09 - The YAP Method for ADHD

18:08 - Sales Before Hyperfocus

22:44 - Automated Reminders

Mentioned in this Episode

Scaling Your 1-to-1 Service into a Digital Product with Angela Tan

Hero App

Connect with Angela

Website: thesystemsrx.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thesystemsrx

Worried about annoying your clients if you follow up?

This episode is your permission slip. Your clients deserve a great client experience!

In this pep talk + rant, I’m breaking down why emailing your own clients isn’t pushy, why silence doesn’t mean “no,” and how overthinking follow-ups is quietly costing you money — and your sanity.

I’m also sharing a real example from my own life where I was the one who needed multiple follow-ups before booking… and why that didn’t make the service provider annoying — it made them professional.

If you’ve ever stared at a draft email wondering if you should send it, this episode is for you.

And if this episode hits because client emails feel way harder than they should, I share how Email Like You Mean It helps you map your client journey, enhance your client communication, and write emails you can send with confidence — without second-guessing every follow-up.

coliejames.com/email

What if the key to breaking through in your business isn’t another tactic, but understanding how you’re wired to show up?

In this episode, I sit down with my business bestie, Sabrina Gebhardt, and we dive into how our respective Human Design types and profiles are actively informing how we run our businesses. From offer structure and messaging to launches and audience connection, listen in as we go deep into what our charts say and how that's showing up in real life and our businesses.

Find It Quickly

00:23 - Introduction to Human Design with Sabrina

01:48 - Discovering Our Human Designs

03:45 - The Impact of Human Design on Business

04:27 - Human Design Profiles: Generator and Manifester

07:20 - Practical Applications of Human Design

13:48 - Sales Strategies and Human Design

19:52 - Long-Term vs. Short-Term Offers

22:13 - Ideal Client Types and Human Design

23:21 - Discovering the Perfect Client Match

23:49 - The Role Model and Investigator

25:04 - Client Success Stories

26:09 - Human Design Insights

27:00 - Empowering Women Leaders

29:29 - Tailored Systems for Success

35:18 - Brutal Honesty in Business Coaching

38:58 - Future Projects and Human Design

Mentioned in this Episode

Shoot It Straight Episode 162: Human Design Energetics and Business with Breanna Owen

Business-First Creatives: Using Human Design to Transform Your Business Strategy with Breanna Owen

Business-First Creatives: What’s the Best Way To Set Up Your CRM? CRM Blueprint vs. Systems in Session with Megan Norman

Connect with Sabrina

Website: sabrinagebhardt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography

Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

What if the reason your marketing doesn’t feel "on" isn’t that you need more strategy, but that your brand personality hasn’t been uncovered or defined yet?

In this conversation with Alethea Tyler of Copy with Spice, we get real about what brand personality actually is, how it differs (and overlaps) with your personal personality, and why letting your authentic self show up in your business is one of the biggest competitive advantages you have.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Diving into Brand Personality

02:24 - The Importance of Authenticity

03:57 - Embracing Uniqueness in Your Brand

06:42 - Balancing Personal and Brand Personality

10:33 - Steps to Define Your Brand Personality

15:03 - Understanding Competitors and Differentiation

21:20 - Integrating Brand Personality Across All Messaging

21:52 - Brand Personality's Impact Beyond Messaging

24:06 - Tailoring Messaging for Different Platforms

26:06 - Website Copy as the Foundation

27:47 - Unexpected Places for Brand Personality

31:02 - Evolving and Maintaining Brand Personality

Connect with Alethea

Website: copywithspice.com

Instagram: instagram.com/copywithspice

Take the Quiz: copywithspice.com/personality-quiz

What if success in business didn’t look like 6 figures, a big team, or endless growth? In this episode, I sit down with Maggie Patterson to explore why staying small and strategic can be a powerful, joyful, and profitable choice. We unpack the cultural myth of the “six‑figure business,” how to set realistic salary and revenue goals, when (and whether) to hire help, and how your season of life should shape your business.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Redefining Success in Business02:19 - The Myth of Six-Figure Success08:19 - Setting Realistic Revenue Goals17:39 - Strategic Hiring Decisions27:28 - Leading and Communicating in Business28:12 - The Importance of Detailed SOPs30:03 - Mindset and Comparison in Business32:44 - Realistic Business Growth and Personal Capacity34:35 - Aligning Business with Life Seasons38:56 - Making Informed Business Decisions44:55 - Recognizing When to Pivot

Connect with Maggie:

Website: bsfreebusiness.comThreads: threads.com/@bsfreebusinessIG: instagram.com/bsfreebusinessStaying Solo Podcast: bsfreebusiness.com/podcastStaying Solo Book: bsfreebusiness.com/bookReal Life Rule Quiz: bsfreebusiness.com/quiz

I just booked my first Disneyland trip of the year, and the second I hit confirm, my brain went straight into planning mode — not because I love spreadsheets (okay, maybe a little), but because Disneyland is not a place you wing it.

And neither is your client experience.

In this episode, I walk you through why planning a Disney day is the exact same skill you need to design a calm, trustworthy client journey — and why most people make email writing way harder than it needs to be by skipping this step.

You’ll hear:

If you’re tired of making decisions in the moment, rewriting the same emails, or feeling like your client experience only works because you’re babysitting it — this episode will show you where to start.

Inside Email Like You Mean It, we map your full customer journey first, then write every email that supports it together in five focused days — so you can finally trust the process you’re walking your clients through.

➡️ The next sprint starts February 2nd

Learn more at coliejames.com/email

And if a Disney trip has been on your to-do list? Take this as your sign to book it — and actually enjoy it.

Welcome back to another year of the Business-First Creatives podcast.

If you listened to last week’s episode with Kylie Kelly, we talked a lot about permission — permission to simplify your visibility and stop forcing strategies that don’t fit your life or business.

This episode is my personal follow-through.

If you’re craving clarity, support, and a more sustainable way to grow in 2026, this episode is for you.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

The three things you actually need to generate revenue (and what usually gets overcomplicated)Why Systems in Session became my signature offerHow done-with-you support changes implementation and confidenceWhy Email Like You Mean It is now a 5-day done-with-you sprintWhat it looks like to stop borrowing someone else’s visibility planHow I’m approaching visibility, systems, and revenue going into 2026

Ways to Work With Me

Email Like You Mean It — a 5-day, done-with-you client communication sprintSystems in Session — my signature 60-day container to design and implement your full client experience

If you’re not sure what you need yet, come find me on Threads — I’m always happy to point you to the right resource or next step.

Other Resources

Building Authority and Visibility with Kylie Kelly - Last Week's Episode

Does growing your business without showing up on Instagram sound like a dream? In today’s episode, visibility strategist Kylie Kelly joins us to explain how entrepreneurs can build authority, leads, and actual paying clients without having to live on social media. If you’re tired of the “you must be on Instagram to succeed” narrative, this is your permission slip to do business your way.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - Meet Kylie

01:47 - Kylie's Journey from Photography to Systems

03:24 - The Power of Email Marketing

06:06 - Experimenting with Marketing Strategies

08:26 - The Importance of Data-Driven Decisions

12:13 - Adapting and Pivoting in Business

16:18 - Taking Action and Building Confidence

18:58 - Personal Stories and Reflections

21:38 - Permission to Take Action

26:41 - Discussing AI Bots and Lead Magnets

28:00 -Breakthrough Audits and Their Impact

32:56 - Human Connection in Business

34:29 - Networking Events and Their Benefits

36:13 - Empire Expansion Events

Mentioned in this Episode:

Empire Expansion Event: kyliekelly.com/event

Colie's Networking Events: coliejames.com/connection

Connect with Kylie

Website: kyliekelly.com

Podcast: kyliekelly.com/category/podcast

Empire Expansion Event: kyliekelly.com/event

This episode is referenced in my complete guide to getting photography clients: https://coliejames.com/how-to-get-photography-clients/

In this end-of-year episode, I’m breaking down how I spent money inside my business in 2025 — and more importantly, how I made those decisions.

This isn’t a profit report or an expense spreadsheet walkthrough. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at what I chose to invest in, what I outsourced, why the podcast is my biggest marketing expense, and how warm-up offers completely changed the way I decide who to work with and where to put my money.

I’m also sharing how this buying behavior pushed me to rethink my own warm-up offers, what I’m carrying into 2026, and why my word for the year is simplify.

If you’re thinking more intentionally about your spending, your offers, or how you want to work next year — this one’s for you.

In this episode, we cover:

How I evaluate purchases and investments in my businessWhat I outsource and why retainers matter to meWhy the podcast is my biggest and best marketing investmentHow I use warm-up offers to test fit before committing long-termWhy “no” can still be a powerful return on investmentWhat’s changing (and staying) in 2026

Links Mentioned

Systems in Session

Email Like You Mean It

Client Experience Audit

1:1 60-Min Strategy & Implementation Calls

Ping Pong Offers Episode on Business-First Creatives

My Tech Stack

My Resources

Offers I Invested In(aff links)

Sold Out Services with Emylee Williams

Dama on Demand with Dama Jue

Missed the Memo with Hollie of Latitude Lane

Sales Parade with Ceels Lockley

Cashflow Confident (now Six Figure Safety) with Emilie Nutley

Launch Your Own Way with Kelsey McCormick of Coming Up Roses

Say Less Sales Messaging Sprint with Chelsea Quint

Email Growth Club with Kylie Kelly

Today’s episode is a replay from a conversation that originally aired on the Capture the Chaos podcast with Brittnie Renee—and it perfectly captures this client communication shift I’ve been talking about more and more lately.

We’re diving into why clear client communication should be non-negotiable if you want to deliver a truly high-touch experience. Not luxury for the sake of luxury—but an experience that feels intentional, professional, and confidence-building at every step.

If your systems technically work but still require too much babysitting, this episode will help you understand why communication—not more automation—is usually the missing piece.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

Why fixing broken workflows alone doesn’t fix a poor client experienceHow email communication builds trust and connection throughout the processWhy clients need guidance even when your automation is workingThe difference between moving tasks forward and guiding people forwardHow clear communication supports a high-touch experience without adding more manual work

Mentioned Links & Resources

Email Like You Mean It(Live 5-Day Client Communication Sprint - starts Feb 2nd): coliejames.com/emailListen to Capture the Chaos podcast: brittnierenee.com/capture-the-chaos-podcast

In 2026, I want you to stop fixing your emails last—because it’s costing you money.

The last two case study episodes of this podcast prove it.

In this episode, I break down why “broken workflows” are usually a communication problem, not a tech problem, why client communication has to come before workflows, and what finally clicked for me after recording those two case studies.

There’s a shift coming to Email Like You Mean It in 2026—and this episode explains why.

👉 If this hits, you’ll want to mark February 2–6 on your calendar 🎉

Wouldn't it be nice to automate 80% of your client communication, while still sending personalized emails and booking high-ticket clients? That’s exactly what Geneviève Masioni did after going through my program, The Experience Edit!

Today, Geneviève is joining me to break down how she revamped her entire client experience and client communication system using the exact tools, templates, and strategies I teach inside the course.

She went from rewriting the same messages and manually sending reminders to a streamlined, personality-driven system that books, upsells, and collects testimonials without her lifting a finger.

Mentioned in this Episode

The Experience Edit

Connect with Geneviève

Website: genevievemasioni.com/en

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/genevieve-masioni/

Free 15-min audit: genevievemasioni.com/colie

If you still think that a system for booking and onboarding new clients has to be complicated, this is the episode for you. What if you could take a potential client from inquiry to payment in under five minutes? In this episode, I sit down my copywriter Kara Duncan to show exactly how a fast, thoughtful, and human booking process changed her business.

You’ll hear how a simple CRM, a quick Loom video, and thoughtful follow-up emails turned missed opportunities into the fastest payment she’s ever received. The best part? No sales calls required.

Find It Quickly:

00:25 - Welcome Kara Duncan

00:52 - The Five-Minute Booking Process

02:01 - Client Communication: The Key to Success

05:21 - Enhancing Proposals with Loom Videos

14:17 - The Importance of Follow-Up Emails

22:11 - The Importance of Detailed Proposals

23:22 - The Power of Loom Videos

23:58 - Overcoming Sales Call Challenges

24:57 - Effective Client Communication

26:07 - The Value of Personalized Videos

27:41 - Sales Calls vs. Video Proposals

28:54 - Client Communication Strategies

32:32 - The Five-Minute Booking Process

39:53 - Reassuring Clients Post-Payment

Mentioned in this Episode:

Email Like You Mean It

Episode 39 of The Kara Report: How to Create One (+ More Tips to SIMPLIFY Your Life With Your CRM) with Colie James

Episode 14 of The System for Everything: The System for Keeping It Personal (Even When It’s Prewritten) with Colie James

Episode 123 of Business-First Creatives: 3 Videos to Create for Your Client Experience Right Now (Video Visibility Series)

Connect with Kara:

Website: thekarareport.com

Podcast: thekarareport.com/podcast

Instagram: instagram.com/thekarareport

If you think the key to business growth is chasing website stats, are you considering the fact that those numbers may not tell the full story? In this episode, metrics and data specialist Zoë Dew shares how tracking behaviors, not just clicks, can transform your revenue and clarity.

Zoë explains how she helps creative entrepreneurs grow by using data already sitting in their business, and not by chasing fleeting “industry-standard” metrics. We dig into the four core behaviors that predict sales and how to start tracking them, even if you hate spreadsheets.

Find It Quickly

00:42 - Meet Zoe

01:18 - The Importance of Data and Metrics

02:25 - Behavior-Driven Business Strategies

02:57 - Tracking and Analyzing Business Activities

04:53 - The Four Key Business Behaviors

06:15 - Email Marketing Insights

07:44 - Compounding Visibility and Customer Journey

09:36 - Effective Email Strategies

19:28 - Growing and Managing Your Email List

20:57 - Collaborations and Ads for List Growth

22:26 - The Creator Network Experience

24:34 - Challenges of List Growth and Audience Size

25:18 - Importance of Data-Driven Decisions

26:20 - Tracking and Analyzing Audience Behavior

31:23 - Tools for Tracking Website and Sales Data

33:49 - Understanding Customer Behavior and Sales Patterns

37:49 - Re-engaging Potential Customers

44:16 - The Power of Consistent Messaging

Mentioned in this Episode

Zero Google Moment of Truth

Ceels Lockley - Email Parade

Google Analytics

Microsoft Clarity

Hotjar

Hannah Isted - 10 Minute Marketing

Connect with Zoë

Website: zoedew.com

Instagram: instagram.com/zoerdew

Threads: threads.com/@zoerdew

Habit Tracker: zoedew.com/business-first-creatives

Do you dread the word launch, because you think that "doors open/doors close” structure feels icky? We're flipping the script in today's episode with Samantha Hoillett! She's showing us how to build urgency into our launches that doesn’t feel pushy, but it does feel aligned.

Listen in as we explore what urgency normally means in marketing, why so many of us do it the usual way (limited spots, price‑going‑up soon, and hurry), and then how you can shift into urgency rooted in your client’s real internal motivations, not just your business timetable.

Find It Quickly

00:24 - The Ickiness of Traditional Launches

00:59 - Introducing Samantha and the Concept of Urgency

01:08 - Redefining Urgency in Marketing

02:03 - The Evolution of Online Courses

05:12 - Internal vs. External Urgency

09:40 - The Importance of Clear Messaging

14:36 - Balancing Pain Points and Results

19:35 - Diagnosing Business Problems

24:42 - High Converting Proposals: The First Win

26:01 - The Importance of Micro Wins

27:37 - Documenting Client Journeys

29:44 - Value Stacking and Communicating Results

33:21 - Email Marketing Strategies

40:16 - Personalizing Email Campaigns

Mentioned in this Episode

Urgency on Evergreen: samanthahoilett.com/urgency-on-evergreen

Urgency Upgrade: samanthahoilett.com/urgency-upgrade-2026

Connect with Samantha

Website: samanthahoilett.com

Instagram: instagram.com/samanthahoilett.writes

Youtube: youtube.com/@samanthahoilett

Theads: threads.com/@samanthahoilett.writes

What if you could create just one piece of content and let it do the work of fifty? That’s exactly what we’re unpacking in today’s episode. Latesha Lynch joins us in today's episode to introduce us to her concept of inception marketing—the idea that you don’t need a million pieces of content to drive engagement, conversions, and trust. Through smart structure and intentional seeding, one high-value piece can become the engine of your entire ecosystem.

Find It Quickly

00:50 - The Social Media Exodus

01:27 - Inception Marketing Explained

02:12 - Balancing Motherhood and Business

05:07 - Inception Marketing Strategies

09:12 - Content Organization and AI Tools

11:59 - Adapting Marketing to Different Channels

15:39 - Understanding Different Buyer Types

18:10 - Content Consumption Habits

18:37 - The Importance of Guiding Your Audience

18:45 - The Shift from Blogging to Social Media

19:19 - Seeding Content Across Platforms

20:32 - Planning Your Marketing Strategy

21:27 - Setting Up Core Content

22:44 - Connecting Content for Better Engagement

23:42 - Creating and Tracking Content

26:50 - Balancing Marketing and Sales

30:12 - Engaging with Your Audience

32:28 - Tools and Tips for Effective Marketing

Mentioned in this Episode

Content Organization Hub

Segmentation Episode

Connect with Latesha

hermarketingcoach.com

instagram.com/hermarketingcoach

linkedin.com/in/lateshalynch

So many photographers swear their workflow is “the exception” — too many what-ifs, too many touchpoints, too many edge cases to fit inside any kind of universal framework. But here’s the truth: every single client journey still moves through the same five phases… and that’s exactly why the CRM Blueprint works for every photographer.

In this episode, I’m breaking down how weddings, births, branding, newborns, seniors — all of them — share a common structure, and how the Blueprint uses genre-specific templates and a universal framework to make your workflows both personalized and predictable.

I’ll also walk you through what makes this launch different: the live Map Your Process workshop, the 3-week support sprint, and why this is the closest the DIY course ever gets to done-with-you support. If you’ve been telling yourself your systems are too complicated to fix… this episode is the proof they aren’t.

Grab the Birthday Bash Bonuses before they're gone!

https://coliejames.com/blueprint

Have you been wondering what's the best way to set up your CRM? Today’s session is going to be a mix of a case study and answers to some specific questions I’ve been getting lately about Systems in Session. I thought Megan Norman would be the perfect person to bring on because she’s been part of my world for a while—first as a Blueprint student, then as a one-on-one client when she hired me for an audit. After that, she joined Systems in Session and gave her entire business a serious glow-up from that perspective. Now, she’s part of my retainer program.

Find It Quickly

00:25 - Client Relationships and Long-Term Engagements

01:24 - Megan's Journey with Systems in Session

04:42 - The Blueprint Course Evolution

06:37 - Audit and Systems Overhaul

09:42 - Customizing Workflows for Maximum Efficiency

22:07 - Reintroducing the Baby Plan

26:36 - Client Experience Enhancement

27:09 - Adapting to Business Changes

28:08 - The Value of Revisiting Systems

29:20 - Hands-On System Implementation

32:29 - Maximizing Efficiency During Peak Times

33:41 - Elevating Client Experience Post-Booking

36:35 - The Importance of Detailed Workflows

44:02 - The Benefits of System Audits

Mentioned in this Episode

Systems in Session

CRM Blueprint

Systems in Session: Mastering Your Client Journey ft. Erin Belles (a Done-With-You Dubsado Setup Case Study!)

Connect with Megan

Website: megannorman.com

Instagram: instagram.com/megannormanphotography

Facebook: facebook.com/MeganNormanPhotography

Dubsado 3.0 is officially here… and y’all, the internet is having feelings.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s new, what’s missing, and what photographers actually need to pay attention to. No fluff. No hype. Just the real talk you need before jumping into the new version.

Read the full breakdown here → https://coliejames.com/dubsado-3-0-whats-new/

Work with me inside Systems in Session → https://coliejames.com/systems

Join CRM Blueprint → https://coliejames.com/blueprint

00:00 — Why everyone is freaking out about Dubsado 3.0

A quick reality check on the rollout, expectations, and why mixed opinions are completely valid.

01:17 — The 3.0 switch + how to go back to 2.0 if you need to

If it’s your busy season, do NOT force the transition.

02:44 — My biggest disappointments (aka: my Dubsado wishlist that still isn’t here)

Contracts on schedulers, conditional logic, project dates + appointments, multi-client emails, and team accounts.

07:28 — What is coming soon

A few features currently in progress that will make life better in the next updates.

09:36 — The rebuild: why 3.0 matters even if features didn’t change

New backend → faster future updates (finally!).

10:28 — Dashboard changes

What’s actually better, what’s hidden, and why Threads users are spiraling over revenue numbers.

14:06 — New Messages area

A real inbox inside Dubsado — finally.

18:06 — The new Flows Builder

Same triggers, new layout, and why this matters for future conditional logic.

19:52 — Time tracking improvements

Helpful update for those who bill hourly.

20:08 — Scheduler availability upgrades

A legitimately great improvement — no more clicking nine to five a million times.

22:54 — Project view struggles

What feels off, what’s improved, and what I hope changes next.

23:44 — Final thoughts + what to do next

Why this update sets the stage for an actually powerful Dubsado… once the features catch up.

You’re never going to find time to fix your workflows — you have to make the time. And today, I’m giving you the exact place to start.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the three microsystems every creative needs before building a full workflow: your instant inquiry response, your five-minute booking proposal, and your booking confirmation email.

These simple assets become the anchor activities for your inquiry, booking, and onboarding workflows — and they’re the fastest way to build momentum (and confidence) inside your client experience.

If mapping workflows has ever felt overwhelming, unclear, or like something you’ll “get to eventually,” this episode shows you how to begin without building everything at once.

And if you want to build these microsystems with me, join me inside Systems in Session at coliejames.com/systems

Mentioned in this episode:

3 Must Have Elements in Each Client Communication

5 Workflows Every Photographer Needs

How to Create a 5-Minute Booking Process

If your workflows act like needy toddlers—constantly breaking, needing approvals, or demanding supervision—you’re not alone. Over the last few weeks I’ve heard the same frustrations on repeat: “I don’t trust my workflows unless I’m watching them,” and “I’ve tweaked things so much I think I broke something.”

In this episode, I’m breaking down why so many creatives end up with workflows stuck in the toddler stage… and how to finally build systems that run like grownups.

And if you’re ready for those grown-up systems that don't require constant babysitting, let's explore Systems in Session.

Learn more about Systems in Session here:

https://coliejames.com/systems