[00:00:00] Sandra Henderson: Welcome back to the podcast, friends. Now, before I get started with everything that I have in store today, I just wanted to share some really exciting news. I am going to be launching a template shop. I've been working so hard on this behind the scenes.
[00:00:15] Over the course of this year, I am going to be launching things like HoneyBook smart file templates, email swipe files, and workflow processes that you can copy over into your CRM with a tutorial video on how to get it all set up.
[00:00:28] Anything and everything that you can use to get your business more simplified and streamlined behind the scenes. If you head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop, you can get on the waitlist. And while I'm putting the finishing touches on everything, you are going to have the chance to win a free inquiry workflow template bundle when the shop launches.
[00:00:46] And you'll also get a special little something as a thank you for being on the waitlist and for sharing this excitement with me.
[00:00:54] So I want you to head over to simplysandrayvonne.ca/shop, get on the waitlist, and I will be sharing all the details soon, as soon as everything is ready to launch.
[00:01:05] Now we're going to get to the intro in just a second, and then I'm going to be diving into one of my absolute favourite systems in my business that you can easily build on the go throughout the year, no matter how busy you are. Welcome to keeping it candid. I'm your host, Sandra Henderson, an international wedding and family photographer and business coach.
[00:01:24] I help wedding photographers use systems to build out the back end of their businesses to gain control and continue to thrive no matter what life throws their way. And on a more personal note, I'm a strong enneagram three wing too who is obsessed with tacos and my love for travelling combined with navigating chronic illness life are just two of the many things that drive my passion for all things systems, workflows, and beating burnout as a business owner.
[00:01:47] Join me every week for a candid behind-the-scenes look at what it's really like working as a wedding photographer, where I'll give you actionable steps to take your business to the next level. Absolutely no fluff here, friends. So go grab your favorite notebook and pen and let's dive into this week's episode.
[00:02:07] Okay, honest question. How often do you get emails from your clients asking if you have any ideas of where to go for photos? If you're anything like me, you probably get asked this question by about 90 percent of the clients that you work with.
[00:02:21] The back and forth of that conversation was taking up so much of my time, which I was happy to do because I want people to have that perfect spot for their photos. But I knew that I needed to find a more efficient way to keep serving my clients without having to spend all of that time emailing back and forth.
[00:02:39] That's when I decided to create what I call my locations gallery. Inside my PicTime account, I have a gallery that includes folders within it for all of my favourite photo locations in and around my area. And then inside each of those folders, you're going to find a variety of photos from each location at different times of the year and different times of day, as well as a graphic that outlines important details of what to expect.
[00:03:02] So for example, when this location is best to use, whether that's a specific time of day or specific time of year, if the location is accessible or not, if there are any travel or entrance fees that are associated with using it, and any other important details that I want someone to know before they make this location their selection.
[00:03:20] I love doing this so much because it gives my clients the chance to explore some locations that they may have never even heard of before. I'm sure every person listening to this episode can think of one specific location that's a default go-to in your area. Whether that's like a park or a certain monument, this is the spot that every photographer in your area goes to.
[00:03:40] It's the default one that people who don't know where to go for photos, they're going to choose this spot. In my area, it's a place called Springbank Park. It is a beautiful spot. Don't get me wrong, but after going there 20 times in one year, it can get really old and I'm sure that you all feel that way.
[00:03:56] It just gets really boring, really creatively unfulfilling, and you just don't want to go there anymore. So with this locations gallery, I'm able to keep things fresh by suggesting my favourite locations and honestly, I don't even include those default locations because everybody already knows that they exist and they do not need me to remind them that it's an option.
[00:04:17] For any listeners who are my chronic illness and disabled friends, this is also a chance for you to not include any locations that you're not comfortable working in. So that way, you never have to deal with the extra anxiety of knowing what to expect in terms of accessibility. Another great thing about creating a locations gallery like this that you can share with your clients is that it's a great way to help you curate your portfolio in a certain way, with a certain look or feel, while still giving your clients the option to choose their own spot.
[00:04:47] It really helps them visualize what their own photos are going to look like if they make the choice to go there. And it's something that you can create on the go throughout busy season. Whenever you go into your gallery to upload photos to deliver to a client, select a few favourites and drop them into your location's gallery at the same time.
[00:05:05] There are no extra expenses because you are already paying for this gallery service for your clients anyway. If you're not using a gallery service in your photography business yet, I highly recommend that you do. I got married in 2016, so not that long ago. We are just coming up on eight years, and two years ago, I went to go and pull some wedding photos off of our USB for our anniversary, and I realized that the USB was dying.
[00:05:28] Thankfully, I was able to pull all of those photos off. It took over a day for me to transfer those photos onto my computer, and I kid you not, Once it was done, I was never able to get my computer to read that USB again. So I am so, so thankful that I was able to get those photos uploaded onto a cloud server.
[00:05:47] And it just reminded me of why it's so important to progress with technology sometimes when it comes to preserving people's memories. A lot of times, new computers and new laptops don't even have USB ports anymore. Some people just use iPads, which don't have USB ports. So it's more important than ever to just make sure that your business is set up with a gallery service just to save your ass if anything goes wrong and make sure that nothing ever happens with your client's photos.
[00:06:14] I highly recommend Picktime. I made the switch to using Picktime back in the fall of 2022, and I have had no regrets ever since. I have a whole episode coming up as to why it's so amazing and how I have been able to increase my print and product sales by 90 percent since I started using it. That episode is coming out in a couple of weeks, so make sure you check back for that.
[00:06:38] If you head over to my website or the show notes for today's episode, you can get my affiliate link. And that is going to get you one free month of pick time in addition to the one-month trial that pick time already gives you when you sign up. So you will get two free months to go and check it out and get it all set up and running.
[00:06:55] Anyways, friends have a great rest of your week and I will be back again soon. Thank you so much for listening. You can find full show notes from today's episode at SimplySandraYvonne.ca/keepingitcandid. In the meantime, let's connect! You can find me on Instagram and TikTok, just search SimplySandraYvonne.
[00:07:14] And if you're loving this podcast, I'd be so honoured if you'd go ahead and hit that subscribe button and leave a review until next time.