This Can't Be That Hard
296 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 112 ratingsYou love photography, but running a business? That's a different story. If you've ever thrown up your hands trying to figure it out yourself and said "This CAN'T be that hard!!!" you've come to the right place. Host Annemie Tonken's secret superpower is cutting through the confusion to give you actionable, step-by-step strategies and systems that will help you build a business that reflects your values, serves your needs, and thrills your clients. Tune in to find out why thousands of photographers around the world love Annemie's simple, you-can-do-this approach to everything from pricing to marketing to customer service... and so much more! Whether you're still just dreaming of starting a photography business or have years of experience under your belt, you'll find ideas and inspiration every week to help you run a profitable, sustainable business you love.
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Episodes
EP 038: The Donkey, the Workhorse, and the Unicorn
August 25, 2020 07:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBIn 2019, I gave a talk at The Family Narrative called “Creating a Business that Feeds Your Soul (and Your Family)”. My initial intention was to put together a talk on pricing, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like the talk needed to be about alignment. Pricing, after all, isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing… but in order to work, pricing DOES need to be in alignment with your business model and your market. Over the course of this episode and next, I’m presenting a modified ve...
EP 037: [MM] Niching Down with Ana Vallejo
August 21, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBIn this episode of Mini Mentoring, I talk with Ana Vallejo about the challenges of getting started in a big, oversaturated market. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/037 Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review!
EP 036: Landing and Planning a Solo Art Exhibit with Cornell Watson
August 18, 2020 07:30 - 40 minutes - 27.5 MBCornell Watson may be relatively new to photography, but he’s already making huge waves in the industry… not just with his stunning family photos, but also with his message. And it was a combination of those two things that recently helped Cornell land a solo museum exhibition - something very few photographers ever achieve, much less within two years of the start of their careers. Today, Cornell and I talk about how the opportunity for the show came about, the concept he came up with, an...
EP 035: [MM] Starting Over in a New Location with Andrea de Anda
August 14, 2020 07:30 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBIn this episode of Mini Mentoring, I chat with Andrea de Anda about the challenges (and opportunities!) involved in relocating your business across the country. Andrea is a wedding and family photographer (soon-to-be) based in Atlanta, GA. You can find her here and here. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/035 Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join ...
EP 034: 10 Lessons I've Learned in 10 Years in Business
August 11, 2020 06:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBThis month marks the tenth anniversary of when I officially started my photography business, and there are so many lessons I’ve learned in the ten years since. Ten years ago, the opportunities for online education were pretty meager and podcasts really weren’t a thing, so a lot of the choices I made were based on little more than instinct… and some of those instincts were wildly misguided! I’m taking this anniversary opportunity to talk about the 10 biggest lessons I've learned in my 10 y...
EP 033: [MM] Managing Problem Clients with Rachel Castro
August 07, 2020 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBIn this episode of Mini Mentoring, I chat with Rachel Castro about two problem clients she’s currently dealing with - what to do now, and how to prevent similar issues in the future. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/033 Feeling stuck? Join the Business Plan Glow Up; a self-paced, 5-part workshop designed to take your business from meh to magical. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainabl...
EP 032: All Things CRM, Part 2, A Roundtable Discussion
August 04, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 44.7 MBPart 2 of the series All Things CRM features a conversation among 7 professional photographers who use 7 different CRMs. We talk about how we each use our CRMs, we compare features, and we deep dive on how using our CRMs has affected our businesses (and made us money)! Joining me today is my co-host/strategist for this series, Colie James, along with Sheena Magnesen, Kali Kraum, Jess Koehler, Kendra Greenberg, and Maryam Salassi. Show notes: thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/032 Feeling s...
EP 031: [MM] Understanding Print Credit and Sales with Kayla Kohn
July 31, 2020 07:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBIn this episode of Mini Mentoring, I chat with Kayla Kohn about the strategies and benefits of adding print sales to your business. Kayla is a family and newborn photographer based in Lawrence, KS. You can find her here and here. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave ...
EP 030: All Things CRM, Part 1 with Colie James
July 28, 2020 07:00 - 39 minutes - 27 MBToday’s topic is so awesome, I couldn’t fit it into a single episode… or handle it all by myself! Colie James has helped me put together a two-part series on All Things CRM (that’s Customer Relationship Manager, if you don’t know). CRMs are a GAME-CHANGER in your business, and in Part 1, Colie and I talk about what they are and the power they hold. Even if you already use a CRM, this series is worth your time: I’ve been using one for six years and I learned about a whole bunch of featur...
EP 029: [MM] Connecting with New Clients after a Price Jump with Kendra Greenberg
July 24, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBIn the very first episode of Mini Mentoring, I talk to Kendra Greenberg about how to find a new client base after she significantly increased her prices. Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/mm-029 Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCBTH Facebook Group - a supportive, business-focused group for photographers. Leave a review!
029 - [MM] Connecting with New Clients after a Price Jump with Kendra Greenberg
July 24, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBIn the very first episode of Mini Mentoring, I talk to Kendra Greenberg about how to find a new client base after she significantly increased her prices. Show notes: https://www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/mm-029
EP 028: Good Customer Service vs. Bad - a How To
July 21, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBWe’ve all had bad customer service experiences (I had a doozy last week which was actually the inspiration for today’s podcast), and I believe most of us strive to give really GOOD customer service… but when it comes down to it, what does that mean? Giving your work away? Freaking out if you haven’t heard back from a client that they’re thrilled? Letting pushy clients walk all over you? No, no, and heeeelllll no. Today I’m teaching how the best defense against a problem is a good offense,...
EP 027: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset with Caro Cuinet Wellings
July 14, 2020 07:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBAs photographers, we generally don’t have very complex business models. Once we learn some basic systems and strategies, it seems like everything should just fall into place. The big stumbling blocks for a lot of us - things like pricing, marketing, selling, workflow - those things are all pretty technically straightforward. So why is it that we get stuck? Caro Cuinet-Wellings is a French photographer with a background in education, and today she’s sharing some invaluable - and very prac...
EP 026: Five Rules for a Profitable Product Portfolio
July 07, 2020 10:58 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBProduct sales are SO important when it comes to running a professional and profitable photography business - not to mention one of the cornerstones of the Simple Sales System - but they’re also a pretty big hurdle for a lot of photographers, either because they’re not currently offering products and don’t know where to start, or because they’ve been trying to offer products but haven’t seen much success. Today I’m diving into five strategies for choosing, pricing, and delivering products tha...
EP 026 - Five Rules for a Profitable Product Portfolio
July 07, 2020 10:58 - 27 minutes - 37.5 MBProduct sales are SO important when it comes to running a professional and profitable photography business - not to mention one of the cornerstones of the Simple Sales System - but they’re also a pretty big hurdle for a lot of photographers, either because they’re not currently offering products and don’t know where to start, or because they’ve been trying to offer products but haven’t seen much success. Today I’m diving into five strategies for choosing, pricing, and delivering products tha...
EP 025: How an hour a month can bring you a steady stream of leads with Carolina Guzik
June 30, 2020 07:00 - 42 minutes - 29 MBDespite the fact that Pinterest marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool for photographers, it’s largely overlooked or misunderstood. Today on the podcast, Pinterest marketing expert Carolina Guzik shares the reasons why we should all consider Pinterest to grow the number of photography leads we get, covers the anatomy of a great marketing pin, and offers listeners a free download covering how you can turn Pinterest into a traffic-generating machine in three steps. With just a little ef...
EP 25: How an hour a month can bring you a steady stream of leads with Carolina Guzik
June 30, 2020 07:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBDespite the fact that Pinterest marketing can be an incredibly powerful tool for photographers, it’s largely overlooked or misunderstood. Today on the podcast, Pinterest marketing expert Carolina Guzik shares the reasons why we should all consider Pinterest to grow the number of photography leads we get, covers the anatomy of a great marketing pin, and offers listeners a free download covering how you can turn Pinterest into a traffic-generating machine in three steps. With just a little ef...
EP 024: A Cheap, Easy, and Effective Marketing Must
June 23, 2020 06:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBEven during a regular year, summer can be a hard time for me to stay motivated about pushing my business forward, and god knows this year has been anything BUT regular! For many photographers, this is one of the most important times of year for your business, because it’s the time that you connect (or reconnect) with potential clients to ensure that they remember to book you when the time is right! Today’s podcast is all about email marketing for photographers, which - done right - is one ...
EP 24: A Cheap, Easy, and Effective Marketing Must
June 23, 2020 06:00 - 23 minutes - 19.6 MBEven during a regular year, summer can be a hard time for me to stay motivated about pushing my business forward, and god knows this year has been anything BUT regular! For many photographers, this is one of the most important times of year for your business, because it’s the time that you connect (or reconnect) with potential clients to ensure that they remember to book you when the time is right! Today’s podcast is all about email marketing for photographers, which - done right - is one ...
EP 023: The Four Quadrants
June 16, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.79 MBThis is a short episode designed to help you get a big-picture view of your business. Whether you’re brand new or have been in business for years, one of the harder things to do - especially as someone in a one-person business - is to keep an eye on the big picture as you necessarily navigate the day to day minutia. The big picture is important, though, and the way I look at it is by breaking it into four main quadrants. Today, I’m talking about what those four quadrants are, how they fit ...
EP 022: What Do I Say Now? Authentic Messaging with Nick North
June 09, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBThis episode was pre-recorded a couple of weeks ago - before George Floyd was murdered. I considered postponing the drop date and focusing on more pressing issues this week, but although current events and the conversation around them has changed, my chat with Nick North focused on a topic that happens to be highly relevant to business owners right now, and that topic is messaging. Feeling stuck? Join the Business Plan Glow Up; a self-paced, 5-part workshop designed to take your business f...
EP 021: Fundraising With Your Photography
June 02, 2020 06:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBFeeling outraged by what is going on right now? Good. Now is the time for action, and today’s podcast is about fundraising, which is one way you can turn your outrage into something meaningful. As a photographer, you have a useful set of skills - this is a short guide to help you think through how to put them to work to raise money. If you are unsure what to fundraise FOR, you will find a brief list of just a few of the well-vetted organizations that merit your consideration in the show not...
EP 020: Enantiodromia and the Both, And with Yan Palmer
May 26, 2020 06:00 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBToday’s episode is filled with big words and big ideas, which will come as no surprise if you’re familiar with Yan Palmer. Yan is a film photographer based in Utah, and although our conversation was focused on the push and pull of business and art, we ended up talking about quite a bit more than that as well. I love this episode and I know you will, too. Feeling stuck? Join the Business Plan Glow Up; a self-paced, 5-part workshop designed to take your business from meh to magical. Resour...
EP 019: The One Pricing Rule You Can't Break
May 19, 2020 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBThere are very few one-size-fits-all rules when it comes to pricing your photography, but there is at least one: It is ALWAYS better to calculate and charge the correct amount per session - even if you’re not booking enough sessions to meet your overall income goals - than it is to charge less than the correct amount - even if it means you book more sessions. In today’s podcast, I explain why that rule is universal, then talk you through the steps you need to take if you’re not charging...
EP 018: Setting Boundaries with Leslie Kershaw
May 12, 2020 06:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBLeslie Kershaw is a documentary family photographer in Washington, D.C. I first met Leslie Kershaw through The Family Narrative - she was one of the teachers at our very first conference in 2017, and over the course of the three years that I’ve known her, I’ve always been so impressed… not just by her work (which is incredible), but by what has always struck me as her incredibly strong internal compass. As creatives and entrepreneurs, I think most of us struggle to stay focused, to prio...
EP 18: Setting Boundaries with Leslie Kershaw
May 12, 2020 06:00 - 49 minutes - 67.6 MBLeslie Kershaw is a documentary family photographer in Washington, D.C. I first met Leslie Kershaw through The Family Narrative - she was one of the teachers at our very first conference in 2017, and over the course of the three years that I’ve known her, I’ve always been so impressed… not just by her work (which is incredible), but by what has always struck me as her incredibly strong internal compass. As creatives and entrepreneurs, I think most of us struggle to stay focused, to prio...
EP 017: How I Unintentionally Pandemic-Proofed My Photography Business
May 05, 2020 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBLast summer, I created a program designed to protect me and my business from an unforeseen event that might prevent me from working for a period of time… I was thinking of a broken leg or some other kind of short-term disability situation. But in an incredibly fortunate, timely way, that program has protected me and my family financially during the Covid-19 outbreak when, like the rest of you, I haven’t been able to work. Today, I’m detailing that program and inviting you to join me for a...
EP 016: The Band-Aid and the Cure
April 28, 2020 06:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBDespite what you may think, your job as a photographer is not making amazing photos. Your job is to help your clients transform in some way, or experience a feeling that they want or need to feel, and the tool that you use to create that transformation or experience that feeling is your amazing photos. But making amazing photos is just one part of that job. This week on the podcast, I'm going to talk about the job we think we have versus the job that we actually have, and then once we'v...
EP 15: What Do I Do Next?
April 21, 2020 19:58 - 15 minutes - 20.7 MBOne of the most common things that I hear from my listeners is that they feel bombarded. Whether they have their own goals or are being told by others that they need to buy this or offer that... there's no shortage of ideas, but they get stuck in analysis paralysis about what their next step should be. Unfortunately, there's no one size fits all answer to that question, but there is a one size fits all approach that you can use to help you figure out what your personal next steps should ...
EP 015: What Do I Do Next?
April 21, 2020 19:58 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBOne of the most common things that I hear from my listeners is that they feel bombarded. Whether they have their own goals or are being told by others that they need to buy this or offer that... there's no shortage of ideas, but they get stuck in analysis paralysis about what their next step should be. Unfortunately, there's no one size fits all answer to that question, but there is a one size fits all approach that you can use to help you figure out what your personal next steps should ...
Ep 014 - You Know What Assuming Does, Right?
April 14, 2020 06:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBWhat assumptions are you making that are hurting you and your photography business? Assumptions may be a necessary part of the way we navigate the world, but if this past few weeks has taught us anything, it's that assumptions can also be dangerous. Today I want to talk about some of the more harmful assumptions that you may be making so that we can flip the script and open up some possibilities in your life and your business. Show notes at www.thiscantbethathard.com/podcast/014 Reso...
EP 013: Stop Waiting For Life to Get Back to Normal
April 07, 2020 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBOver the past few weeks, I have caught myself many times thinking "Ah, I cannot wait for things to get back to normal". And then sometime last week, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Things are not going back to normal. We are not going to go back to pre-COVID 19 life anytime soon. So, I have been doing some thinking about what that means and that is what I want to talk to you about in today's podcast. Feeling stuck? Join the Business Plan Glow Up; a self-paced, 5-part workshop designed to ...
EP 012: A Conversation with Kate Thompson & Posy Quarterman
March 30, 2020 06:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBToday I have two of my super-besties on the podcast - Kate Thompson and Posy Quarterman, who are my co founders of The Family Narrative and also happen to be two of my very best friends - and I'm really excited to share our conversation today. I have been planning all along to have them on the podcast periodically because I find our conversations about the state of the industry to be really good even under normal circumstances. But as it turns out, the timing of today's conversation made it ...
EP 011 - What if Your Business Came Out Even Stronger?
March 24, 2020 06:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBI will be completely honest: this last week has been a little less productive than I had initially hoped. I think I had my sights set on taking advantage of some extra space in my schedule to get some really big things done, but I have been in something of a fog. And if you're like me or most of the people who I'm chatting with on social media, you feel that way too. And here's the thing: we all need to give ourselves some grace for all of that. But I wanted to record today's podcast in re...
EP 010: Interview with Elena S. Blair
March 19, 2020 06:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBI could not be more excited to share today's interview with you. As you know, it is my very first time interviewing someone for the podcast and who better to interview than the fabulous Elena S. Blair! I first got to know Elena because she taught for us at the Family Narrative in 2019. Elena is a woman who is a self taught photographer with no background in business, much like a lot of us, who went against a lot of industry norms and never let the naysayers stop her from following her drea...
EP 009: Managing Photo Clients During the Coronavirus [bonus]
March 17, 2020 06:00 - 13 minutes - 9.5 MBI am recording this on Monday for release first thing Tuesday morning. And so you're not going to get a whole lot of fancy editing (not that you normally do anyway). I am doing this on the fly because I know that a lot of you are understandably feeling very lost and concerned about what you can do in the coming weeks and months to potentially make up for some of the lost income happening in the form of canceled sessions or weddings. I wanted to share what I’m doing, because I think that it'...
EP 009: Managing Photo Clients During the Coronavirus [bonus]
March 17, 2020 06:00 - 13 minutes - 9.51 MBI am recording this on Monday for release first thing Tuesday morning. And so you're not going to get a whole lot of fancy editing (not that you normally do anyway). I am doing this on the fly because I know that a lot of you are understandably feeling very lost and concerned about what you can do in the coming weeks and months to potentially make up for some of the lost income happening in the form of canceled sessions or weddings. I wanted to share what I’m doing, because I think that it'...
EP 008: This Has to Change
March 10, 2020 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MBToday’s podcast is going to be a little different. I’m going to be sharing a series of messages that I was exchanging over the last few days with one of my Simple Sales Blueprint students. I wanted to share this exchange because it has taken me on a highly emotional journey that started with empathy, which then morphed into white hot anger, and which I am now resolved to channeling into action. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps t...
EP 007: 3 Tools Every Photographer’s Business Can Benefit From
March 03, 2020 07:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBToday, we’re talking about 3 tools that I believe have the power to benefit every single photographer’s business, full-stop. I realize that is a pretty lofty promise, but I feel pretty strongly about it, and I'm excited to tell you why on today’s episode. Feeling stuck? Join the Business Plan Glow Up; a self-paced, 5-part workshop designed to take your business from meh to magical. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a...
EP 006: Check Your Map
February 25, 2020 07:00 - 13 minutes - 9.32 MBOne of the biggest perks of being an entrepreneur is that you get to carve your own path. You get to make all the decisions without having to have any meetings or pitch anybody about anything. It can be exhilarating to be free to have an idea and execute it without anyone stopping you. The only downside is that there's nobody there to guarantee that your path is going to lead anywhere, much less where you want it to… You and you alone are in the driver's seat. Today, we’re going to talk abou...
EP 005: Marketing Done Right
February 18, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBOne of the biggest frustrations that I hear from a lot of photographers is that they are struggling to market their businesses effectively. So, today I'm going to talk about the biggest mistake that I see most photographers making in their marketing strategy, and how a simple mindset shift can help make your marketing become much more effective. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography b...
EP 003: The Importance of Trust
February 11, 2020 08:00 - 19 minutes - 3.31 MBThe core of our success as small business owners and photographers is the concept of trust. Trust - or lack of trust - affects pretty much every piece of our business. By being aware of that and actively cultivating it, we can take a much more active role in our success instead of waiting around wondering when it's going to happen. Developing trust with our clients and our wider audience is the first step in paving the way to a successful business. And today, I'm going to talk about how you...
EP 002: Success without Scale
February 11, 2020 07:00 - 16 minutes - 2.94 MBAs artists who create custom work, we don't have the same ability as some other entrepreneurs to scale our businesses. It's like we're on a hamster wheel… if we want to make more money, we have to do more work. Right? Well, sort of. Although custom photography may not be scalable in the same way that manufacturing widgets is, I have two suggestions that I believe will help you create a more sustainable business model. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where An...
EP 004: "Charge your worth" is terrible advice
February 11, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBI hardly know a single photographer who hasn't stressed and struggled over pricing at some point or another. And the truth is that most photographers continue to stress and struggle about it a lot longer than necessary. In today's episode, we're taking the phrase "charge your worth" and throwing it out the window. Resources: Listen to the Simple Sales Limited Series Podcast where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. Join the TCB...
EP 001: Welcome to the Podcast
February 11, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.68 MBHave you ever looked at another photographer’s website or Instagram feed and said to yourself, "How in the world is that photographer booking more work than I am?" Or "How is that photographer making more money than I am?" If you have, then this is the podcast for you. It's my goal to deliver real world, actionable business strategies each week to help your photography business thrive. You started your business with the dream of earning a living while doing something that you love, right?...
EP 004: "Charge your Worth" is Terrible Advice
February 10, 2020 04:20 - 17 minutes - 3.03 MBIn today's episode, we're taking the phrase "charge your worth" and throwing it out the window. I hardly know a single photographer who hasn't stressed and struggled over pricing at some point or another. And the truth is that most photographers continue to stress and struggle about it a lot longer than necessary.