EP138 Interview With Toastmaster Simon Shirley | Simple Steps For A Successful Client Business

EP138 Interview With Toastmaster Simon Shirley | Simple Steps For A Successful Client Business In this interview with an old friend of ours, Simon Shirley, Toastmaster extraordinaire, we end up chatting about some of the simple things that make for a successful client-facing business for responding quickly, to getting a crowd onside (even when the odds are stacked against you!) I mention a few workshops we'll be running, so here are the links: Sunday 10th September 2023 The Guild Of ...

EP137 Habit Hackers: Supercharging Your Studio with Good Habits

EP137 Habit Hackers: Supercharging Your Studio with Good Habits Pick up any book on business in your local bookstore, and it will almost certainly talk about processes. Yawn.  But what if we thought about processes as good habits? The things you do every day that you don't need to think about. As a business, you need good processes: doing the right things, at the right time in the right way is the foundation of any successful studio. And besides, it ...

EP136 Interview With Margaret And Peter Aldington OBE | On Creativity And Relationships

EP136 Interview With Margaret And Peter Aldington OBE | On Creativity And Relationships Peter Aldington OBE, world-renowned architect and garden designer, with his wife Margaret - whose energy and partnership have been as fundamental to his success as any other creative's, though she professes to not being a designer of any kind. I have wanted to record this interview for a long time. Peter is a world-renowned architect, having achieved no less than 9 (yes, you're reading that correctly, 9) ...

EP135 Winning (Or Not) And Finding Positives – Whatever The Outcome

EP135 Winning (Or Not) And Finding Positives - Whatever The Outcome Well, this weekend has two big events: Mother's Day and the Societies Of Photographers Annual Convention In London. Sadly I wasn't able to make the Convention this year - though I was there in spirit!  That didn't stop me entering the print competition though.  I didn't come away with any gongs this year and that always stings just a little.  Somehow, I have to convert the feeling of missing ...

EP134 The Power Of Thank You

EP134 The Power Of Thank You! Photographers are supremely visual, right?  Of course.  But have you ever wondered about the power of words?  Two words, in particular, can have a bigger impact than any image ever can (and I am speaking as someone whose entire life is living and breathing pictures).  The words? "Thank You".  These two words, when given or received, can bring a huge amount of joy.  Trust me. In the podcast, I mention the dates of our ...

EP133 Dealing With The Year Ahead With Joy And Positivity!

EP133 Dealing With The Year Ahead With Joy And Positivity! So it's 2023 already!  What happened to 2022?  This episode says a big thank you for 2022 and kicks off the year ahead with some thoughts on how to deal with so much negativity in the years and the media.  We're hitting it all with positivity, energy, creativity and laughter!  Well, you wouldn't expect anything different from us would you? We also say thanks to some incredible brands who have ...

EP130 Invest In Things That Benefit Your Client

EP130 Invest In Things That Benefit Your Client I recorded this podcast at 7am while sat in the studio, waiting for a new TV to be delivered.  Luckily it actually arrived when they said it would!  The TV is for our Client Reveal Room as we want our customers to have the best possible experience when they come back to see their pictures. But exactly how do you figure out where to spend your limited budget?  On things that benefit ...

EP129 – What Is Your Inner Energy Source?

EP129 - What Is Your Inner Energy Source? At the end of a long week, the exhaustion can creep up on you.  Fatigue is not an unusual feeling for a professional photographer.  But finding your source of energy, whether it's your work, your clients, your colleagues or just some time out with family, is crucial. For me?  Well, for me it's always been about people in one form or another! The details of the Photo Hubs Oxford workshop mentioned in ...

EP128 Stay Positive: That ’No’ Might Just Be A ’Yes’ For A Later Date

EP128 Stay Positive: That ’No’ Might Just Be A ’Yes’ For A Later Date I have honestly grown to love the sales process - from pitch to payment, it is something I never thought I'd get my head around but have surprised myself. One key aspect is understanding that a 'no' may not be all it seems.  In this episode, Sarah and I have stood out in the weather at Thame Food Festival, pitching to prospective clients.  Not everyone says ...