The Studio Takeover Podcast

Send us Fan MailThe Shadow · "The Overturning"Seven episodes. Seven shadows. Seven lies that creative women tell themselves to stay exactly where they are.This is the last one.And it's the most sophisticated — because this shadow doesn't keep you from doing the work. She lets you talk about doing the work. She hands you the vocabulary, lets you name every pattern with tremendous clarity, and then watches while you adjust the rate before you send it anyway.Awareness is not transformation. Insight is not identity shift. Naming the cage is not the same as walking out of it.In this final episode, I'm not introducing another shadow. I'm telling you what I didn't say in any of the first seven — including what was running in me while I was building this series. And I'm telling you about a word that doesn't mean what you think it does.Catastrophe. From the Greek. Kata + strophe. Not the disaster. The overturning.The moment the structure that's been holding you in place gives way — not with a crash, but with a release — to something that was always there underneath it.The Torch is not a different woman. She is the same woman after she stops protecting herself from what she already knows.You've spent seven episodes doing the naming. Now do the choosing.Links:Book announcement → https://substack.com/@catfordcoatesInstagram: @catfordcoatesTell me which shadow ran the longest. Come find me on Instagram. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIt sounds like market research. It sounds responsible. Like you've thought it through and landed somewhere reasonable.It's a prediction the Shadow made up.This episode sits with the honest version of that fear, including the part that might actually be true. Some clients might leave when the price changes. We're not going to pretend otherwise. But the clients who leave when the price changes were never buying your work. They were buying your discount. And the clients who are there for the work? They will value it more at a higher price point. Not less.The deeper thing this episode gets into: when you don't trust yourself at the higher number, you broadcast it. The self-doubt becomes the signal. And the prediction starts coming true; not because your prices were too high, but because you told them they might be.The clients who value your photography work will only value it at a higher level. The ones who left when the price changed were never yours to keep. They were the practice run. You’ve graduated Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailShe made sure you'd never have enough. Not because your calendar isn't full. It is. But because a full calendar is the perfect place to hide.This episode is for three people: the photographer who is booked solid at rates that aren't workingthe person still at a full-time job who keeps saying "when I have more time," the parent who has given everything to everyone else's timeline but their own. The Shadow showed up differently for each of you. But she left the same thing behind: a life that looks full and a dream that keeps getting moved to…maybe next month.We also talk about something that usually gets flattened in conversations like this and thats that not everyone starts with the same access to their hours. That's real. And the Shadow knows it. She learned to speak fluently in the language of your real constraints. This episode is about learning to tell the difference between what's actually in your way and what she put there.She didn't steal your time. She filled it, and then convinced you the fullness was proof you couldn't go. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailThe Shadow found a very elegant hiding spot. She convinced you that the business side; the pricing, the numbers, the strategy. It belongs to a different kind of person. Not you. You're the artist. And artists don't need to understand revenue.What she didn't tell you: the art requires the business to fund it. The CEO is not the opposite of the artist. The CEO is what makes the presence and evolution of the artist possible. When you opt out of the business side, you don't protect your creativity. You hand the controls to someone who has never once been on your side.This episode is about the story that made avoidance feel like identity, and what it actually costs you to keep not looking.Uncomfortable Truth: You are already the CEO. You've just been letting the Shadow run the business in your place. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailShe handed you an entire geography to hide behind.The market lie is the Shadow's most sophisticated move, because it sounds like data. Like research. Like you're being responsible and grounded and pragmatic about your reality.But let's look at how that data was actually collected.There is a photographer in your market right now charging what you want to charge. You know exactly who she is. You've been watching her for two years and telling yourself she's the exception.She's not.In this episode:Why "my market won't pay that" sounds like research but isn'tWhat pricing for the market actually does to your client rosterWhat the photographers charging more in the same cities are doing differentlyWhat really determines what your market will payThe harder truth underneath the market excuseThe Shadow series names three lies. It doesn't fix them.That work happens inside The Exposure Mastermind: a four-week, identity-first experience for the photographer who is done letting The Shadow run the show.Not a course. Not a curriculum. Four weeks to get out of your own head long enough to hear what you actually want, and build the version of your business that matches the level of the person leading it.May 8th. Four weeks.THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHThe Shadow is not going away. She doesn't disappear when you get more experience, more clients, more revenue, or more confidence. She evolves. She finds the next gap, the next reason, the next version of not yet.The photographers who build the businesses they actually want don't do it because she finally went quiet. They do it because they stopped waiting for her permission.She was never going to give it. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailShe took every bad experience you've ever had with being sold to, packed it into one word, and handed it back to you as a personality trait.Now your integrity and your income are direct opposites. And she made it feel principled.In this episode, we dismantle the mechanism, and rebuild what selling actually is for someone who believes in what she offers. The shift from seeking approval to offering advocacy changes everything about a booking conversation.Every quality that makes you extraordinary as a photographer: the patience, the intuition, the ability to make someone feel seen is exactly what makes you brilliant at booking clients. The Shadow took your greatest strengths, called them “wrong”, and convinced you to opt out. To run.The Shadow series names three lies. It doesn't fix them.That work happens inside The Exposure Mastermind; a four-week, identity-first experience for the photographer who is done letting her run the show.Not a course. Not a curriculum. Four weeks to get out of your own head long enough to hear what you actually want, and build the version of your business that matches the level of the person leading it.May 8th. Four weeks. If you're ready to stop rehearsing the version of yourself you've been describing, this is where you do it. DM me EXPOSURE on Instagram @catfordcoates Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailShe told you "not yet".For months. Maybe years. In the voice that sounds exactly like wisdom — like patience, like the most responsible version of yourself.That voice has a name.In this episode, we meet the Shadow for the first time. We talk about why "not ready yet" is her cleanest move, what the waiting is actually costing you, and the question underneath the lie that she never wants you to ask.You will never feel ready. Readiness is not a feeling you arrive at. It's a decision you've been postponing.You knew what the next move was before you pressed play. The Shadow didn't stop you from knowing. She just convinced you that knowing wasn't enough.The Shadow series names three lies. It doesn't fix them.The Shadow is not going away. She doesn't disappear when you get more experience, more clients, more revenue, or more confidence. She evolves. She finds the next gap, the next reason, the next version of not yet.The photographers who build the businesses they actually want don't do it because she finally went quiet. They do it because they stopped waiting for her permission.She was never going to give it.That work happens inside The Exposure Mastermind; a four-week, identity-first experience for the photographer who is done letting her run the show.Not a course. Not a curriculum. Four weeks to get out of your own head long enough to hear what you actually want, and build the version of your business that matches the level of the person leading it.May 8th. Four weeks.  If you're ready to stop rehearsing the version of yourself you've been describing, this is where you do it. DM me EXPOSURE on Instagram @catfordcoates  Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIn this powerful and present conversation, Cat Ford-Coates sits down with Rachna Rattindev to explore the intersection of artistry, authority, and the quiet courage it takes to lead your brand from embodied truth. They unpack the creative evolution that happens when you stop performing for the algorithm and start building a category of one, from within. This episode is a deep dive into aligned marketing, energetic leadership, and the nuances of showing up with clarity, calm, and conviction in a noisy world. If you’ve been craving real talk about creativity, visibility, and building an artful, profitable business on your terms - this one’s for you.Follow Rachna on Instaram! @photographybyrachna Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailYou’re not undercharging because you don’t know your value. You’re undercharging because your message and sales process haven’t caught up with your evolution.If you're creating content every day, testing price points, running ads, and still attracting hesitant buyers who need convincing, you're not dealing with a sales issue. You're facing a positioning leak.In this episode, I reveal why so many talented, visionary photographers stay stuck in $3K to $5K months, even while producing premium work. It's not your audience. It's not the algorithm. It's the way you're showing up to sell.You're still selling like a service provider, when you're meant to be leading like an artist.You’ll learn:Why your current messaging is attracting attention but not alignmentHow your sales process may be signaling "I'm available" instead of "I'm the one"The internal shift required to stop negotiating your pricingWhat it really takes to build a business that holds your full valueAnalogy: You're pouring water into a leaky bucket and calling it marketing.If you're ready to recalibrate how you're seen, how you're priced, and how people buy from you...DM me ‘STUDIO’ on Instagram @catfordcoates. Let’s build a business that communicates your value before you speak. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailYou’re not underpaid because you’re under-skilled. You’re underpaid because your messaging still reflects a version of your work that you’ve outgrown. In this episode, I reveal the real reason premium photographers feel stuck at $3K–$6K months, despite having evolved, elevated work.If you're still trying to break through your next income level using recycled content prompts, pricing calculators, or marketing tactics designed for beginners… this is your wake-up call.You don’t need more visibility hacks. You need your messaging to mirror the depth of your work, heart, and genius. Because when you start speaking at the level you create at, that’s when your pricing, your presence, and your positioning rise to meet you.🔁 Analogy: “You’re trying to break through a glass ceiling with someone else’s ladder.”DM me ‘STUDIO’ on Instagram @catfordcoates if you’re ready to stop selling like a photographer, and start earning like an artist. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailSome transformations are born in quiet moments. Others are forged in fire.In this conversation with Stef Graston, we go far beyond the highlight reel of running a photography business. Stef shares her journey from building success in a small Colorado town, to starting over in Charlotte, NC — and facing setbacks that would make most people walk away. From losing her studio to navigating the raw grief of miscarriage, Stef’s story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and turning pain into profound purpose.You’ll hear:Why moving markets doesn’t guarantee success — and how to rebuild when your safety nets are goneThe hidden cost of “survival mode” and how it impacts creativity and growthThe power of connecting your work to your deepest values and lived experiencesHow The Nova Project is helping women process and honor miscarriage and child loss through art, storytelling, and communityWhy campaigns that are rooted in heart — not just revenue — can create both deep impact and sustainable businessThis episode is about more than photography or business strategy. It’s about reclaiming your story, creating meaning from what was meant to break you, and allowing your work to be an extension of your own healing.If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a season of loss into a legacy — or if you’ve felt the pull to create something bigger than yourself — Stef’s journey will remind you that your next chapter can start right here, right now. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailWhat if your next level wasn’t about doing more — but about creating space to be more?In this conversation with Sissela, we explore the art of building a business and life that reflect not only your skill, but your values, vision, and pace. From refining your offer to structuring your days, she shares how intentional choices can lead to more freedom, more impact, and more fulfillment.Inside, we talk about:Designing your business around your life, not the other way aroundFinding the balance between ambition and alignmentThe mindset shifts that turn “busy” into “purposeful”How clarity in your vision makes decision-making effortlessWhy your next level is less about adding and more about refiningThis episode isn’t about chasing someone else’s version of success — it’s about crafting yours.If you’ve been craving a way to expand without burning out, to grow while staying grounded, and to step into a business that truly reflects you, this conversation is your sign to move forward with intention.Press play. Your next level is already waiting. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailWhat if “success” as you’ve been chasing it isn’t the version that will actually fulfill you?In this conversation with photographer and former corporate leader Cate Scaglione, we move past the surface of business strategy and into the heart of alignment - building a life and business that supports your values instead of eroding them.Kate shares her journey from high-powered, high-stress corporate roles to crafting a photography business rooted in creativity, peace, and purpose. We talk about:Redefining success so it’s measured by more than revenueBuilding a business that supports your life instead of consuming itInfusing luxury and intentional detail into every client touchpointPricing confidently without apology — and without losing yourself in the chaseUsing your values as the ultimate filter for decisions, growth, and scaleThis episode isn’t about doing more — it’s about becoming more of who you already are, and letting that be the driver of your business, your artistry, and your impact.If you’re ready to step off the treadmill of “more, faster, bigger” and instead step into your most aligned, next-level self, this conversation is your sign.Press play. Your evolution starts here. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailCat Ford-Coates and Pratik Naik explore the evolving landscape of AI in the creative industry, particularly in photography. They discuss the duality of AI's impact, from fear and uncertainty to excitement and opportunity. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of adaptability, intentionality, and the human experience in a tech-driven world. They also touch on environmental considerations, the role of curiosity, and the potential for AI to enhance creativity while urging listeners to remain open-minded and proactive in shaping the future.TakeawaysAI is constantly evolving, and opinions about it are shifting.The creative process can be enhanced by AI tools.It's essential to question the impact of AI on society and personal value.AI can help clarify creative visions and improve communication.Environmental impacts of AI usage should be considered.Creativity can drive positive change in society.Staying curious and open-minded is crucial in a rapidly changing landscape.Intentionality in using AI tools can lead to better outcomes.The butterfly effect of our choices can have significant impacts.The future of creativity lies in collaboration between humans and AI.Find Pratik Here:Website: www.solsticeretouch.comInstagram: @solsticeretouch Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailThe intricate relationship between self-worth and business success is a path every business owner travels. Cat and Lisa explore how confidence in one's value impacts pricing strategies, the importance of building a business that can operate independently of personal emotions, and the necessity of continuous learning and feedback. The discussion also touches on the evolving role of AI in creative industries, the significance of client education, and the need for accountability in overcoming challenges. Ultimately, they emphasize the importance of authenticity and connection in business, advocating for a mindset that prioritizes growth and resilience over ego.Lisa Zahiya is a nationally known business strategist and life coach who helps:Business owners cultivate lives on their own terms;Mission-driven entrepreneurs make more and give more;Small business owners scale quickly through effective digital marketing and products.After receiving a BS and a MBA from the University of Maryland, Lisa served as a director of marketing at Sylvan Learning Centers. "I had always dreamed of being a professional dancer and left my corporate career to pursue my dreams of dance. I opened the award-winning Studio Zahiya and traveled as a professional belly dance teacher and performer.I found that I enjoyed the community of body positivity, confidence, and success that Studio Zahiya created for my clients. I then furthered my goal of empowering others by training to be a life coach and opened a very successful coaching business. II have now personally grown several seven-figure businesses reaching revenues of over 5 million dollars. I leverage this experience to help others pursue their dreams and have had six clients grow their businesses to over 1 million dollars in revenue."Lisa is based in New York, NY and El Gouna, Egypt, where she owns Lisa Zahiya Coaching. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Studio Takeover Podcast, host Cat Ford-Coates delves into the significance of sponsorships and partnerships for business growth for photography business owners. She emphasizes the importance of building in-person relationships and how they can lead to substantial economic impact for both businesses and communities. The conversation covers effective strategies for creating sponsorship packages, identifying potential partners, and marketing events to maximize visibility and engagement. Cat encourages listeners to be bold in their outreach and to focus on creating win-win situations for all parties involved. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailSummaryIn this episode of the Studio Takeover Podcast, Cat Ford-Coates discusses the importance of marketing for photographers, emphasizing the need for networking and hosting events to gain visibility and connect with potential clients. She shares insights on creating memorable events, engaging attendees, budgeting effectively, and leveraging sponsorships to enhance event experiences. The conversation highlights the significance of building relationships within the community and the impact of well-executed marketing strategies on business growth.Topics:Marketing is essential for gaining attention in photography.Networking and personal connections are crucial for business growth.Events can be simple yet memorable to attract clients.Collaboration with other businesses can enhance event success.Understanding your target audience is key to event planning.Engagement strategies should keep attendees entertained and involved.Budgeting wisely can lead to impactful events.Sponsorships can alleviate financial burdens of hosting events.Future sales opportunities should be integrated into events.Celebrating your work through events can strengthen client relationships. Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIn this conversation, Elle Yeon shares her journey of entrepreneurship over the past year, discussing the challenges and triumphs of starting her photography business. After having officially completed her first year as the business owner of a Portrait brand in the DC area she emphasizes the importance of community, the transformative power of photography for clients, and the need for confidence and courage in pursuing one's calling. Elle also reflects on her role as a mother and the impact of her business on her family life, while looking forward to future growth and opportunities, including a campaign celebrating women over 40.Find Elle here:Website: https://elleyeonphotography.com/Instagram: @elleyeonphoto Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailWelcome André Smith, a photographer transitioning from sports photography to beauty and branding photography. They discuss the importance of empowerment in photography, the emotional reactions clients have during their photo reveals, and the significance of self-portraits in building confidence. André shares his journey, the challenges of being seen as a sports photographer, and his desire to help others see their beauty through portraiture. The conversation emphasizes the value of legacy and the impact of branding on personal and professional identity. In this engaging conversation, Cat Ford-Coates and André Smith explore the profound impact of photography on self-care, legacy, and empowerment. They discuss the importance of capturing moments, particularly through senior portraits, and how these images can build confidence in youth. André shares his personal story of why legacy matters to him, emphasizing the emotional weight behind each photograph. The discussion also touches on exciting new projects like the 40 Over 40 initiative, the significance of community in photography, and the critical need for photographers to value their worth through proper pricing strategies.Find Andre Here:Website - https://www.andreelphotography.com/Instagram - @dre.smith Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Studio Takeover Podcast, Cat Ford-Coates discusses the challenges faced by photographers in the unregulated creative industry, emphasizing the importance of a strong portfolio and effective marketing strategies. She highlights the need for photographers to curate their portfolios to attract their ideal clients and create emotional connections through their work. Cat also stresses the significance of consistency in style and messaging to foster client desire and engagement, ultimately guiding photographers to think like their clients and understand their emotional needs.You can find Cat on Instagram at @catfordcoates Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailJanice shares her journey into the world of portrait photography, starting her business after turning 60, emphasizing the importance of printed art over digital images, and the importance of intention in our work. She discusses the challenges and decisions involved in establishing her photography business, including the necessity of having a dedicated studio space. Janice also highlights the impact of community and systems in her work, leading to her current project focused on tattoo portraits, which aims to celebrate self-esteem and personal stories through photography. In this engaging conversation, Janice Smith and Cat Ford-Coates explore the profound impact of photography on personal growth, community connection, and the importance of intentionality in business. They discuss the significance of celebrating resilience and strength through visual storytelling, the value of printed memories, and the challenges of navigating a photography business with care and purpose. As they look ahead to 2025, they share insights on embracing growth, the power of connection, and the excitement of upcoming projects.Find Janice here:Website: https://janicesmithphotography.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janice_smithphotography Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailTanya Boggs shares her journey as a photographer, discussing her evolution from family portraits to personal branding. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity in photography, especially in showcasing who you are as the face OF your brand and how understanding clients' stories can build trust. Tanya also highlights her new project "As You Are" focuses on women's resilience, aiming to empower and connect through shared experiences. The discussion delves into the significance of community and the power of storytelling in fostering connection and healing.Find Tanya here:Website: tanyaboggs.comInstagram: @tanyaboggsphoto Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailJenna shares how she started her photography business with her husband with weddings in the northwest US. As they worked together more and more, and she stepped farther into her role as the Creative Director with setting scenes and posing during wedding creatives and realized they could make far more of an impact if she were also shooting.Diving deeper into learning the technical side of her camera work, she fell more and more in love with the craft and shares all about how they mad mistakes which taught them exactly the lessons they needed to learn in order to not only build a portrait business she adores, discovered her love of building personal brands with C-suite executives and professionals, and moved from Washington to Arizona to build her business in a new location.Hers is an inspiring journey! Find Jenna Here:Website: https://jennakportrait.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennaKarwoskiPortraitInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennakarwoski/ Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailStarting as a "momographer" in 2009 simply because she wanted real imagery of her four children and uncovered a LOVE in the medium which she turned into a business the way many of us do; at $100 per session.After practicing and learning posing, lighting, post production she has grown her business into a source of confidence with her repeat customers year after year capturing moments and milestones for families.Colleen also contributes to a charity known as Kids In Focus where she mentors children within her community in photography. As a mentor she's discovered how she gets to share the love of photography to instill confidence in the youth of Arizona.Colleen got involved with The KNOW Women through her local photography connections in the Phoenix area and stepped into a network of ambitious and collaborative female business leaders and is excited to continue growing the relationships there for a deeper impact within her community.Find Colleen Here:Philanthropy: Kidsinfocus.orgWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/colleenkatzpicturesinpixelsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/picturesinpixelsazFind The KNOW Women here: theknowwomen.com Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailHaving lost everything on more than one occasion, Keri innovated her life and how she was showing up for her family, her business, and herself.At times it felt like she was creating something from nothing; her photography business, she wrote a book, stepping forward to teach manifestation online during the pandemic, and then in 2022 she created a 40 Over 40 campaign and she discovered her impact on a larger scale."I didnt want models. I didnt want influencers. I wanted real people! And these women who hadn't been photographed in 15 years or more were showing up and shining!"Find Keri Here:Socials @hekerijohnsonWebsite kerijohnsonphotography.comCourse for Photographers https://www.kerijohnsonphotography.com/makemoneywithphotographyFind out more about The KNOW Women here: theknowwomen.com Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailGet OBSESSED. Like so obsessed within your creative process that you grow, evolve, and become more as an Artist. Jerry shares how if you're only considerate of the outcome; the final shot, the revenue, then the joy experienced from achievement is only from the result. It lasts for a fraction of a second, and it is in his obsession with the process of creating that he stays IN the joy of being a professional Artist. That's the key.There are seasons, & one of those seasons is in building the workflows and systems required to maintain and grow a business BUT, we chose to create the business because we love creating. Photography is the vehicle in which we create for ourselves, and our clients. Without our connection to the creativity, we cannot grow. The season of creative exploration should never sideline for long. Arguably, it should be a priority in every season.There are multiple ways in which we can grow creatively; workshops, conferences, studying under a mentor, but one of the ways in which this photographer has found to be effective in that exploration is through awards submissions and accreditation. Can we play and grow in that exploration without it? Sure. Of course you can, but something shifts a bit in your mindset when you're submitting for review in these spaces: you obsess over details, you push yourself and hold yourself accountable TO every step of the process of creating. You're competing with yourself.Having entered into the photo space in the 90's, Jerry discovered how he loved being in the room with the Olympians of photography. And so many can feel intimidated in competition spaces because of those "heavyweights" however Jerry took it from a different approach, he was inspired by them.He took that inspiration and dove into unearthing his obsession with the creative process to deepen his love and connection with his work and those he was creating with and for.Jerry became immersed in the awards space that he connected to his client work with the mindset that "Today will be the album of the year!" because he was in competition with himself at every step, and has since elevated that connection to the photo industry in carrying the torch for WPPI and The Portrait Masters with the ICON Awards, led by he and his wife Melissa.Buy yourself some creative freedom. In the beginning stages of our businesses, our work doesn't always fit the vision we have in our heads and hearts. But in the business, we HAVE to serve, we have to connect, we have to get clients - but it is in that work that we are able to buy ourselves a bit of freedom to yes, sustain the business, but also to create on our terms as we grow as Artists too.Join us for this year's ICON Award submissionsEarly Bird deadline is August 31Submissons here: https://www.iconawards.com/ Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIn business now for ten years, Kimberly has found her stride as a boudoir photographer based out of Raleigh, NC. She has this enthusiasm for her work and what she does for her clients that is magnetic and her studio is finding new heights.She's spent the past ten years loving on her community and clients and finding that is paying off in more than just referrals but in authority. Just this summer Kimberly was recognized as one of The KNOW Women's "Women to KNOW in North Carolina" and celebrated at their annual gala in Charlotte.She has also come so far as to diversify her offerings outside of photo in having her own lingerie store to serve women as well.Hearing her discuss how she would advise herself ten years ago, starting her business in having faith, and trusting in herself was so very true for anyone beginning on this journey. Entrepreneurship isn't for the faint of heart but as Kimberly says around what is meant for you will find you, even when it doesn't happen on your timeline. And when it doesn't go your way, or the way you expected, there is value in the lessons you will learn.Find Kimberly Here:Website: https://nine19photography.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nine19_photog/Find out more about The KNOW Women here:Website: https://theknowwomen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theknowwomen/Full conversation on YouTube Here:YouTube: https://youtu.be/kZM3VbY9Dw8 Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailOnce Darina started seeing the aha moments and transformations her clients were experiencing in their portrait sessions with her, she dove deeper into WHY. As photographers we sort of know on a subconscious level that we are also mindset coaches, therapists, and more in addition to being photographers. Darina has taken that role beyond the subconscious level and developed her expertise also in the neuroplasticity space. She has done this to be able to provide the most impactful experience in her portrait sessions for her clients.With a rich history in yoga and her own transformational experiences through travel and previous careers she digs deeper with her clients with homework in a journaling practice just to simply begin so they can choose to change.We all carry our lives with us in the body; the body knows the proverbial score. And as photographers we have a very keen ability to help people change their lives and the byproduct of that is changing the WORLD. As Darina says "One healed woman is POWERFUL..." and that can be true in your portrait business too.Find Darina Here:Website: https://darinaphoto.com/Instagram: @darina_neyret_portraitFacebook: Darina Neyret PhotographyGet on the list FOR HER COURSE for Photographers hereGet IN the room for Darina's Facebook group "The Reframe Method" Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailIs the value of our work as portrait artists in the medium of print? In the digital file(s)? Or in HOW your clients FEEL when they experience that work day in and day out in their homes and where they choose to display that work?Now, we compound that experience in the materials we use to source and produce that artwork however, Andrew is the head of Fundy, and if you are at all familiar with Fundy you know how powerful the program is in time savings and streamlining your customer's experience with you.A lifelong entrepreneur, he knows the value of every hour entrepreneurs spend in running their businesses and portrait businesses are no exception. So many of us run head first into business ownership and are even excited to do so. But there comes a time where we have to start prioritizing where we invest that energy so that we can maintain our growth as artists and as CEO's.And once that comes into play you start to realize what you're missing out on; picking your kids up from school, paying for college tuition, going on a walk even! How is your business supporting the life you want to be living?Fundy is powerful! Since this episode was recorded I have personally dived deeper into the Fundy programs and used their software with four different clients. Now, in full transparency, I did fumble through the first image selection appointment however once I got the hang of things, not only does having examples of my Graphi artwork on the wall in front of my clients and then three different wall art mock ups with the client's images - It is an obvious choice. Gasps and all.Find Andrew and Fundy here:fundydesigner.com 50kextra.com  Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailBetween discovering her pregnancy and the pandemic occurring almost simultaneously, Amanda could exit the wedding space and begin to build her portrait business.The wedding industry taught her alot about valuing her business, her service, and her products which she incorporated into her portraits, especially in her love of her motherhood sessions.She and Cat go through her Motherhood marketing campaign and where she's struggling with her lead generation and discuss her advertising strategy and sales psychology too.So often we want our efforts to have an immediate ROI (return on investment), but when it comes to building relationships ROI is had as those relationships build and cannot be accrued always with direct correlation to a single investment (time or money). Looking at the year, Amanda has opportunities and plans and we cannot wait to see where she takes 2024!Find Amanda Here:Website https://flaminglilystudios.com/Instagram @flaminglilystudios Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailAn introvert's introvert, Ivana has learned that she COULD make excuses about not doing what's required for a portrait business owner to become successful:Im an introvertIts scaryIt cant happen in my townand the list goes on...But she also knows that SHE is responsible for the growth and success she's after for her business & she doesn't let fear stop her. She shows up for networking, is consistent in her organic efforts on social, and employs paid advertising for her campaigns.Ivana had a "successful" business my the overall metrics of her business in 22 and 23. She was booked three months in advance, she was reaching her 6 figure goals...but there was more at play.The HOW of finding that success.Toward the end of 23 she was realizing how burnt out she was as it was deeply affecting her mental and physical health. Exhausted, sick, tired...and she knew something had to change.Ivana came to the US in 2017 from Bosnia and officially started her business in 2019. An Artist, as many of us are she thought her focus needed to be in the creative aspects of her work; refining her camera tech and Photoshop skills which garnered the success and recognition from Adobe. However, as many of us do we expect that the creative recognition will open the flood gates of paid clients. And while that to some extent can be true, if you don't have a sustainable business model to support those leads then you very quickly realize that you find overwhelm & even resentment.Her next step was in building out a business model that by 2023 where she was working 80 hr weeks and was no longer able to tap into the love her clients deserved.Another beautiful insight Ivana brings is in comparison: of others work, of others businesses and instead of looking at those successes others are experiencing as evidence that she couldn't achieve the success she desired, she chose to see those successes as evidence that she COULD. It's proof of concept that it can and will work.Now after working with Cat for 6 months in 2024 she has made more money and is working with half the clients than in 2023. She reached her highest revenue month ever in April of 2024, moved from NC to Chicago, IL and booked out through July in May AND took a month off to visit her home in Bosnia.Relocating your portrait business doesn't immediately mean a wild dip in revenue. You CAN establish yourself before you move a single box. Ivana is proof of that and as her Mentor, I am so very proud of her tenacity and love for her work and her Art.Be a part of Ivana's project FACES in Chicago! You can find Ivana and her work:Website: https://ivanadesancic.com/Instagram: Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailComing from a career as a piano teacher in Texas, and growing her portrait business to full time alongside her very supportive husband, Paula has discovered that having a sustainable foundation is the first step but her growth of that business is in discovering WHO she loves to photograph.Working from her home studio to keep her overhead low her next goal is to purchase a new space (commercial or a second house) to create an epic location with multiple concept opportunities to grow in her craft and the variety she offers for her clients.Where she's been challenged has been in work/life balance and discovering how she manages her time to ensure that she stays present for her life; time with her husband and to have the space to enjoy her meditation, and prioritize her manifestation practice. She stays in control of how her energy is directed to achieve the goals she has in place.Paula has a beautiful vision for her business and understands the pieces of her workflows that are to be outsourced so she can enjoy concept development, set design, and growth.You can find Paula Here:website: https://paulanluu.com/facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Paulanluuinstagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulanluu/ Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailADHD comes with it's own host of challenges and with the stigma historically associated with neurodivergence, can be a a point of contention for many creatives. Jen pulls back the curtain on the modes of the brain.Default: reflective, contemplation, rumination, day dreamingActive: Taking actionThoughts lead to emotion, to the emotion, to the action (or inaction). As neurodivergents tend to lean into the default, especially when self judgement comes into play. AKA the internal shit storm.It's about resetting the nervous system which is not an "easy" path, but giving yourself some grace is the first step. Address the initial thoughts and shift them from judgement to empathy because inaction breeds more fear and fear breeds more inaction, and the vicious cycle continues.Jen Swedhin is a brain coach for creative entrepreneurs, and the digital unicorn behind Team Get Shit Done. For nearly 10 years, she has flung herself headfirst into learning about ADHD, and helping others begin to understand (and embrace!) their own neurodivergent brains. Her experience as a systems strategist, successful business owner, and recovering perfectionist gives her unique insight into the challenges that creative entrepreneurs face. In addition to coaching, her and her team help photographers grow their business, master their workflows, and become more organized and efficient. She has three kids, a funny husband, and knows all the good swear words.LINKS: website: https://teamgetshitdone.comFB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/teamgetshitdoneIG: https://instagram.com/team.getshitdone Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailFinding the mirror for your clients and yourself through portraiture is where Bex Wood THRIVES. She's discovered that when she is overly critical, that behavior is mirrored back in her clients' level of confidence during their sessions. This was an aha for her so she created The Moxie Project in her studio to lean into helping her clients discover their truest and most confident self.It didn't come without growth within herself though. She uncovered that her own negative self talk affected how she was able to feel in her own life and now she shares that growth with everyone she photographs.Bex had been photographed by Cat in 2022 and at the time thought the experience was her "arrival" to her next level and then following the experience uncovered that there were some aspects of her growth she hadn't yet faced. Now she is able to look on those portraits from a space of love to realize that it was a milestone in her growth as not only a business owner, artist, and a human being.Her experience in being photographed has allowed her to realize how she shows up in the world, her own personal forgiveness, and in appreciating her own authenticity and being able to define what that looks like for her in her life and this allows her to create magical portrait experiences for her own clients so they too can accept where they are, define who they are becoming and have tangible proof that this version of themselves does exist.Find Bex here:Website: https://bexwood.com/Instagram: @bexwoodphoto Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailOn our business journey as portrait artists we will be faced with our own limiting beliefs around what we value. Canadian portrait photographer Aamel Abed shares how coming to the portrait space following a career in IT she sold her work, as many of us do for $60 a session and included everything for her clients.Then hopping on a plane from Canada to Las Vegas for the WPPI tradeshow to see "who these people were that were charging a THOUSAND dollars for their sessions and who they thought they were to charge so much" she discovered her next level of education with The Portrait System.She and Cat sat down in September of 2023 and Amel shared proudly she was averaging about $7000 in monthly sales (not too shabby) when Cat challenged her to reach for $10,000 instead of being complacent.Amel had to face that what she was earning wasn't enough for the income goals she had set and the way she was structuring her work would require far too many clients to reach those goals, so she enrolled with Cat as her Mentor and in just a few short months is now treating her business like a BUSINESS and making a difference not only in her sales process but also in how she shows up for the community of women she serves.Find Aamel here: Website https://www.diamondsportraits.ca/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/diamondsportraits/ Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan Mail"I want to give a gift..." Love Mim's approach in realizing that while she wants to be able to give a gift to the people she photographs and that means she needs to be sustainable and it needs to be worth her time. As much as we love our craft, the second we have created a business, we need to ensure that our infrastructure and sales process generates revenue so that our investment: in gear, wardrobe, education, subscriptions, insurance, and what WE are paid so the love we pour into our clients and our craft is accounted for so we can keep going.What does that require of us?Knowing what our energetic limits are and managing our time so that we can serve at our full power.Projecting where and when those inquiries and bookings will ebb and flowKnowing WHO and WHAT we want to photograph Connecting, really CONNECTING within our communities to make people aware of what we do, who we serve, and that there are opportunities to participateMim has this beautiful way of seeing people, and seeing through how we judge ourselves and being present enough to be of service to them when they are ready to shift that narrative. Cat gives Mim an exercise too in organizing her calendar so that she can be effective and sustainable in her marketing efforts so that Mim can be consistent throughout the year to reach the goals she has in place and you can too!Find Mim here:Website: https://www.mimquinephotography.com/Instagram: @mim_quine_photographyFull episode also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/v23kuSsAX_U Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailNoel is expanding his offers in his branding and commercial work and already knows that in order to get results that no one else is getting, you have to incorporate what no one else is doing to get the desired results and create work your clients are thrilled to share in their brand and it is showing up in his opportunities with clients in New Orleans and outside of his local community and his show is on the road serving clients in Las Vegas, and California.Coming into the photo space in photo journalism and in survival mode alongside two service industry jobs, he found his niche in environmental portraiture. Following that, he received his military orders and brought his camera into the field, and realized he had a very distinct and unique opportunity in photo journalism with the Marine Corp.In 2017 he was listening to a photography business podcast and found Peter Hurley's Headshot Crew and the game changed. Since then, Noel has become a mentor in The HSC space and loves being able to judge the weekly headshot contest to help other photographers evolve their work. A firm believer in "you learn the most by teaching" and is regularly reminded of refining the fundamentals to be effective in your work.Noel has been building out a new space but is also discovering that his brand is commanding attention and in this next level finding the "new level new devil" challenges of growth and even though he doesn't love looking at the "numbers" but in being a provider for his family and business owner that he HAS to pay attention to the metrics that communicate the health OF the business.During the pandemic he was faced with the decision of whether or not the photo business would survive. For three days he strongly considered closing, and realized his body was responding and was physically ill with the possibility of walking away. He had the support of his family with closing, but his girlfriend (now wife) supported his desire to keep going. Following a phone call he assumed a prank of a business call, then booking, his client commitments snowballed. In a time where everything was online, he suddenly had a market with a need and the floodgates opened."Head in the game; heart on fire..."Full Youtube conversation here: https://youtu.be/4bqUoNqS5M8Find Noel here:Website: noelmarcantel.comInstagram: instagram.com/noel.marcantelVimeo: https://vimeo.com/user160252131Virtual Studio Tour: https://my.matterport.com/models/J5ChqcxP7Yo?section=media Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailHeather is a POWERHOUSE!!From schools to corporations Heather has mastered the art and science of high volume branding photography. In this discussion Cat and Heather discovered their mutual love of systems and Heather shares with us how she got IN to photographing high volume work, and how she's evolved her processes to serve her clients at her best. Having started as an on location photographer photographing children and families, she discovered that not only the WAY she approached sessions but how prepared she would be for different settings: step stools, lighting, and lions, and tigers, and bears, oh MY!Heather shares with us her goals for 2024 and her team expansion and how she is moving through the world in her business to map out a year filled with thriving, and having impact for her clients.Find Heather Here:Website: https://www.heathercrowder.com/Instagram: @heathercrowderLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-crowder-a657157/ Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan Mail"I never thought of my work as a business. I was a freelancer..."For generations creatives were taught that you had a side gig to pay you so you can make the work you wanted to make on the side, and that simply isnt the case any longer. From educators like Cat Ford-Coates and Sue Bryce portrait photographers are learning that their work IS valuable.Jana was a street photographer for years and then in 2014 decided she wanted to learn more about studio lighting and dove into a personal project with the transgender community that, by all standards became wildly successful and her work toured for six years.It was in this space that she discovered the transformational power of portrait and never looked back. A lifelong student discovering again and again that part of the creative process is yes, about what you want to create but also what you want to share with the world. Uncovering the things in the world she didn't understand and finding answers through her camera was the way she chose to connect more deeply with the world around her.Her father greatly influenced her perspective through his writing. As a famous writer his philosophy was to create work that you want to create and shaping that work to have meaning for others, and it is this philosophy that has shaped how Jana has shown up in her multiple iterations as a professor, as a street photographer, a documentary photographer, and a portrait photographer.Jana moved on from her ten year chapter in representing the transgender community through her portrait project and was inspired to photograph women and at an exhibition, one of her clients in attendance saw her image hanging, 30x40", and began to cry. Confused, Jana asked why and if she was ok and the client's response through her tears was "You captured the woman I've always wanted to be seen as, but didn't think the world saw..." and Jana rediscovered how her work had value and impact for others, again.Photography is powerful both personally and professionally and is no longer relegated to photojournalism but for everyday people's lives.To find Jana: website: https://www.janamarcus.com/instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmarcusphoto/Full conversation on YT here: https://youtu.be/JDHae99v4DM Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailWorking with your partner, up-leveling your skills, and nurturing yourself by knowing your own limitations so that you can be at your best to serve your clients and grow your business with Joni Hough.When we come into this space of owning and running a portrait business we often have expectations of ourselves in the name of "savings": we'll do hair and makeup and photograph our clients instead of hiring a professional. Seems innocent enough until the energetic bandwidth of DOING all of the things makes itself known to you and then you discover that it puts a very low ceiling on your capacity to serve at full power.Then as we incorporate in person networking opportunities "people-ing" Joni and Cat discuss how they approach networking, and how they create opportunities within that networking, and even how to negotiate marathons and the requests received by others networking too.Joni also shares her content topics in her marketing and how she is tying that to her own personal goals for the year!You can find Joni here:Website https://minthillphotography.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minthillphotography/Full Convo on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/HPbVUDue9ZM Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailBeing a creative entrepreneur has its challenges and we could say those challenges are limited to the growth of our style, or improving technically, or in effective marketing even, but that isn't the all and the everything. Sometimes we have to make tough decisions too. Decisions like "do I get a job while I build this foundation?" or "do I take on THIS demographic so I can create what my heart loves too?"Josh Beaton is my guest on this week's podcast and I think you will find his approach refreshing. For one, hes a funny dude but also, hes very connected to the work he loves to create and isn't interested in taking on work simply for the sake of it. If it isn't in alignment, it isn't something he's interested in creating.Hailing from Chicago, IL hes run up against many struggles AND wins too! He has a very unique style which is a blessing and a curse for a burgeoning business but he isn't done yet. Naturally competitive hes discovered some joy and impact along the way through building his non-profit The Tween Esteem project, multiple awards across platforms like PPA, The Portrait Masters, and Icon Awards, and the list goes on.If you haven't followed or connected with Josh just yet, you can find him here:Website: https://www.joshbeaton.com/https://www.thetweenesteemproject.org/Instagram:@joshbeatonphoto@tweenesteem Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailBassam and Cat rekindle their Artist Forge connection and dig into his discovery of photography and spending a year mastering his skillsets in lighting, and posing,  and upon his completion of that first year (2016) he exited his career as a VP in Aerospace. Bassam maintained a consultancy arm to stay connected in that industry for small and medium businesses but dove in headfirst in building his portrait business after assisting a friend on their photo shoot and discovering the joy that comes in photography. He was hooked on day one and hasnt looked back since!As things happen and unfold once a decision is made, Bassam rented a shared studio space, spent a year portfolio building, and made connections within the industry with Pratik Naik, Bella Kotak, Sue Bryce and more. Bassam and Cat recap the milestones of his career as a portrait photographer and then they go even deeper into challenges as a male boudoir photographer (challenges in marketing) and address the sales process to encourage larger sales. Bassam has consistently been selling his largest package (what a problem to have right?) but within this conversation he and Cat uncovered an area where he may have been leaving money on the proverbial table. This conversation is not to be missed!Bassam is such a brilliant business mind and paired with his artistry is a force! Make sure you follow and connect with Bassam below.Website: www.kuriousphoto.comIG: @bassam.sabbagh.photography and @kuriousboudoir Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailFull disclosure, Mitzi and Cat cuss like sailors. Buckle Up.In the name of "streamlining" you realize you've created a house of cards versus a stable business and how your desire to be challenged in what you create and how you create that thing you create and what it teaches us as people, and as business owners, and artists. So Mitzi and Cat go down the rabbit hole of appreciating and understanding where your natural strengths lie (through Clifton Strengths and Wealth Dynamics) so that you CAN focus on what you ARE great at and employ support in areas where you NEED it and be kinder to yourself in the process.It is understanding where your HEART is in alignment with your business that you can find the growth you are looking for and Mitzi discovered that when she was in avoidance; of her life, of what she WANTED FOR her life and her art was exactly when life (in doing what life does) forced her to really dig deep about what she truly is here to do and create her life into being.Following a tear of her achilles and then weeks later being diagnosed with breast cancer life had propelled her into a reevaluation none of us ever hopes to be confronted with, especially as a new parent. And as Mitzi points out, you have to work through the traumatizing thing before you can reflect ON the lessons the trauma teaches us, she admitted to herself that the status quo of her success in business wasn't fulfilling in the way she had created it to be. It was time to shift and there was no going back.Stripping away all of the fluff or as we coined "fucking shit up" is required to innovate, grow, and connect more deeply with ourselves and those we serve.Find Mitzi Here:Website: www.mitzistarkweather.comInstagram: @mitzistarkweather / @rawportraitscourseEnroll in Tei Hofford's Clifton Strengths coaching here:https://terihofford.com/clifton-strengths-coachingFull conversation on YouTube here:https://youtu.be/jLMN-qQUonI Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailAs a husband, father, and employee to an Artist! Simon is a humble man taking his folio building and learning through CreativeLive (courses by John Cornicello) quite seriously, but after encouragement from his friend Angie Whitten and guidance from Saray Taylor-Roman and myself with The Consultation Collection stepped into TFP (trade) sessions into charging sustainable pricing and giving an amazing experience alongside incredible imagery!Sue Bryce even said to him "You're an amazing artist, you have beautiful work...but it needs to be consistent. You show me you can be consistent." and Simon realized that also meant it wasn't only the quality of his work, but his business too: his marketing, systems, service, shooting, and revenue.Simon and Cat chat about where his revenue is today and Cat challenges him to set bigger goals for the revenue he's generating in his business and they talk through on this episode what is happening IN his business how he might get to those bigger revenue goals because once you can MASTER the fundamentals of the sales process, everything can be gamified. And then in understanding how to approach your business as an introvert or an extrovert will allow you to shift the excuses to your ability to execute your position in a way that serves you.One of the things I personally love about how Simon approaches life and business is through his community and the relationships he has. "It isn't what you know but who you know" is just the beginning.Find Simon Here:Website: www.SimonDiez.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/simon_diezFacebook: www.facebook.com/share/VThgGUHw3sh7UDwb/ Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan Mail"Enthusiasm" is from the Latin root "Enthios" which means: to be filled with a Godlike energy.Emily Pearl IS a very enthusiastic person. When she lights up, she ⭐️LIGHTS⭐️ UP. And it is THAT energy that not only draws her portrait clients to her, but powers the work she creates. It is how she taps into love to CREATE.Emily and Cat talk and dance through faith, manifestation, love, and the business of fine art portrait through the heart of community, exploration, and decision.Many of us are "starting": sometimes from scratch, sometimes starting "again", and sometimes starting "over" and navigating the "how" can be challenging, even painful. We can see and feel what we want the success of it to be, but putting the pieces in place can BE painful and uncover ALL of our own limitations, all of where WE believe we and our work aren't "worthy".But as we bet ON THOSE dreams and take the steps in doing the work, new questions and opportunities unfold for us all to create more:more confidencemore impactmore transformationmore structuremore of the art we desire to makemore of the businesses we desire to ownmore VALUE in ourselves tooCreating the businesses we are dreaming of isn't for the faint of heart but for those with ALL of the heart and Emily has that in spades. I adore watching her work and business evolve as she builds and the results  of her dedication to her craft are resulting: multiple top tier awards from worldwide organizations like: Icon Awards, SWPP, WPE, TPM, and more, a new studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, a growing client base, and connections around the globe. Emily Pearl is more than "just" a Photographer. She is a business owner, a mother, and an artist and I'm excited to see her thrive in her business as it will propel her into creating more than "just" a studio, but a life filled with creativity.You can find Emily Pearl here:Website: https://emilypearlphotography.com/Insta: https://www.instagram.com/emilypearlphotographyTo see the full interview video: https://youtu.be/GxbOc8RWSyw Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailAs a man in the boudoir photography world Ben has been very intentional with how he shows up for his clients in creating safe environments, a clinical approach, and assuredly in his marketing to educate his audience about his work.He's uncovered and developed his style, at first through emulation of photographers before him like Peter Hurley and Sue Bryce and learned that he needed to learn to create work HE loved creating and experiencing as ART. His number one rule in his marketing is to give good information and not focus only on "Selling" your sessions. Share about your perspective, your process, and appreciate that YOUR authenticity, WHO YOU ARE is your super power.Find Ben Here:Website https://benmarcum.com/instagram https://www.instagram.com/benmarcumphoto/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@benmarcumYouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/BenMarcumPhotography/Full episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/SX9o-XoMU-A Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailWhat you allow for yourself is up to you. Coming from a career as a nurse practitioner into full time as a portrait photographer, Hadonica has grown her business to support how she wants to live her life. She's been able to leave nursing and expand into two locations, and she now leverages her portrait business and revenue into real estate to build her personal wealth."We can make as much or as little as we want to..."Look to be more in your life and use THAT to receive and build more FOR your life.Find Hadonica here:website https://www.hadonicasphotography.com/instagram https://www.instagram.com/hadonicasphotography/Full conversation on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/JlmUhwVYMAc Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailBeing an entrepreneur can be isolating. You're trying to figurer out all the "things", and you can feel like you are alone. Judith was courageous enough to bring her startup portrait business and share her story, and even receive mentoring from Cat Ford-Coates to be shared on the Takeover podcast so that she has some direction moving forward.You don't HAVE to know all the things at first, but putting a sustainable infrastructure in place is paramount to your foundation and your capacity to survive the trials and tribulations of beginning. In this conve Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailMy mentor has always said "You will learn more about who you are as a person when you start and learn to run a business (successful and unsuccessful)." And today we are talking with Angie Whitten who leans INTO that motto to grow and scale her portrait business and who she is as a person.She shares her journey from the auto industry and how her husband encouraged her to move into the photo space and she has taken that as an opportunity to serve her community in Washington state, travel the world, and live her life on her terms.Angie Whitten is this beautiful person who is always looking to improve in her craft as a Photographer by exploring who she is and she infuses every day with laughter and joy. I am regularly inspired by Angie and I know you will be too.Connect with Angie here:Website: https://myharmonyphotography.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myharmonyphotography/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myharmonyphotography Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.

Send us Fan MailAshanta Staten from But a Moment Photography in the Raleigh area of North Carolina is building her business while working in a full time position outside of photo to maintain her security as she grows her business sustainably.She began as many of us do in weddings and quickly discovered that weddings were not where she wanted to focus. During the Covid pandemic she pivoted into newborns and through her own search for business sustainability through platforms like CreativeLive, YouTube, The Portrait System which is where she then found permission to direct her energies into portrait.Ashanta has since expanded into continuing education with The Studio Takeover and is creating 5 figure months regularly working part time in her business.As her mentor I find myself with a giant grin at her results week after week, month after month because even with skepticism, she trusts the process and those results speak for themselves.You can find Ashanta and connect here:Website: https://butamomentphotography.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/butamoment/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butamomentphotography  Support the showABOUT CAT FORD-COATESCat Ford-Coates has been told to soften her whole career.She didn't.She built a multi-six-figure business teaching photographers that the thing keeping them stuck was never the market, the portfolio, or the pricing. It was the voice. The one that sounds like wisdom. The one that keeps moving the goalpost and calling it patience.She's spent over a decade in rooms with photographers who are extraordinarily talented and somehow still convinced they should be grateful for what they have.She disagrees. Loudly.Cat serves photographers who already know what they want. Who know what they're capable of. Who have known for a while, actually, and have spent years finding sophisticated reasons not to claim it.The question was never whether you're ready.You already know you are. Stop pretending that you don't.