I’ve just released a new episode of The Pet Photographers’ Journal with Louise Sedgman, and it’s one of those conversations that stays with you. We talk a lot in this community about sustainability, boundaries, and building a business that actually supports your life. This episode puts all of that into a very real context. Louise runs two very different sides of her business. High-volume seasonal work that serves thousands of families. And slow, fine-art equine portraiture that’s deeply intentional. What really stood out for me was how honest she is about the energy required for both. Some takeaways I think you’ll get a lot from: - Why high-volume work only works when systems and client education are locked in - How Louise delivers the same energy to every client, even in fast-paced sessions - The importance of boundaries after experiencing burnout - How client education upfront changes everything, especially for seasonal sessions - Why a business can hold both volume and value without losing integrity If you’re running mini sessions, Santa sessions, or balancing different offers in your business, this episode will give you perspective you don’t hear often. 🎧 You can listen to the full episode here: 👉 Listen On Spotify 👉 Listen On Apple Podcast 👉 Listen On Captivate FM I’d love to know… Which part of your business currently takes the most energy from you?

Hi Ina, Do you have regular office hours? Or are they just when you have time?

So yesterday I was scrolling on Instagram and a video came up on following up clients.. and it reminded me to follow up a client from just over a week ago. This client booked in a consultation (she was one of the people I gave complimentary sessions to at an event) and during the consult she seemed interested. She had her dog there too and her dog adored me. But she couldn't commit to locking in a date at that time. Usually 75-80% of clients book in at the consultation. Anyway since I got sick after and got occupied with too many things to do, I forgot to follow it up until yesterday. I sent her an SMS to check in to see if she's still keen on getting a photography session and she said yes! Just shows that people get busy and you just need to follow up and nudge them to book in! I posted a reel on this on Insta :D https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQvGuMoDxZV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Because this one piece of mindset has held me back more times than I'd like to admit. I used to worry… What if other photographers think I’m doing it wrong or what if they're judging me? What if clients think my offer is silly? What if someone rolls their eyes at my content? What if other coaches judge me for coaching? A new episode just dropped on the Pet Photographers' Journal where I interviewed Heather Lahtinen and this conversation was gold. She reminded me on the podcast: Even if that happens… nothing bad actually happens. You might feel a bit uncomfortable. You breathe through it. And then, you move forward. We don’t trade time and energy for the opinions of people who will never hire us. We show up for the ones who are ready to work with us. I’d love to hear: Has fear of judgment slowed you down lately? What did you not do this week because of it? Together, let’s normalise taking action anyway. 🎧 The full episode with Heather is live now if you want to listen while editing today. Find the Pet Photographers' Journal on your preferred podcast platform or listen here

Hello! Lately, I've been feeling really uninspired, and it gets worse when people ask me for family photos. I feel like I have no ideas for poses, and I think what I create looks bad. Plus, my message is all about connection and bond, but I feel like I'm not managing to convey that message through my photos. It might also be a period of discouragement. Last year, I did 13 photo sessions, and this year I've only done 5 with nothing else on the calendar. What do you all do when you find yourselves in situations like this?