How to Build Your Dream Photography Business with Monica Sigmon

Pat Miller: 00:00

I'm Pat Miller, and this is The Professional Photographer Podcast. In your heart, you have a vision of what you'd like your photography brand to be. You know, when you look around PPA and you see the legends of the industry that do this style of photography, and they're known as the leaders of the free world at doing that style. In your heart, you have a style and a vertical that you'd like to be known for, but you're running around putting out photography fires. One day it's a headshot. One day, it's a family session. One day, it's a newborn. One day, it's a wedding inquiry. You're doing everything to keep the lights on, and that's cool. We gotta keep the lights on. But how do we go from that to there, that vision of what we'd like to do, you know, a dream photography brand? Well, I know someone who can help you. And coincidentally, she's on the show today. That would be weird if I said I know someone that can help you, but we don't have the–anyway, Monica Sigmon is our guest today. She has an amazing studio with Sigmon Taylor. Now they're moving to Texas and taking over the Gittings brand. They know what they're doing when it's time to build a dream photography brand. And today, Monica's all fired up to help you. We'll talk to her next. Monica, welcome to The Professional Photographer Podcast. How are you today?

Monica Sigmon: 01:27

I am awesome. Thank you for having me.

Pat Miller: 01:30

I'm excited that you're here, especially making time for us during this crazy busy time for you and your husband. If someone hasn't met you yet, tell us about you in the studio and your husband and what's going on in your life. Tell us who you are and what you do.

Monica Sigmon: 01:44

It's a little crazy. We. I've had a portrait studio in Virginia for 25 years–25 years as of last week, June 6th. My husband, Michael Taylor, had a studio in Pasadena, California for several years before that, a long time. And we just purchased a studio in Houston, Texas called Gittings. It's the second oldest portrait studio in the country. And we had no intention or desire to move out of Virginia or to start someplace else at our age, or much less buy something else. But it came about and it's a wonderful full circle for him. He has a long history with this brand, and it presents a very unique challenge of bringing what we have, I think, really developed as the Sigmon Taylor brand to a completely unknown audience. They're very familiar with the Gittings brand. They're about three generations in now, but it'll be a fun challenge to bring Gittings a little bit more into the current day, a little fresher, a little current, more current, but also educate a new audience about who Michael and I are and what we can do.

Pat Miller: 03:01

You're the one to talk on today's topic of building a dream photography brand, not only from building Sigmon Taylor, but also the Gittings brand. So set this up for us. What does a dream photography brand mean to you?

Monica Sigmon: 03:15

Well, I think it can be different for everybody. But what is the most consistent, no matter what your brand is, is that A, you have to define it, right? You have to clearly understand what your brand is and B, you need to be able to communicate it, and you need to be doing so consistently and clearly so that anybody who comes across your studio on the Internet or social media, or whatever, or even in conversation has some sense of who you are before they pick up the phone to inquire. So for us in Virginia, Sigmon Taylor is a very high-end luxury brand. We are known for being the most expensive around. I'm okay with that, but it's accompanied by our reputation, our reputation for our work. So here in Texas, which I don't even know if I got to tell you, this is my second day here. So a little bit scattered and disoriented, but the brand here has been known for 97 years. You know, we're coming up on 100, which is going to be very exciting to be able to bring this just established studio into the next century. The brand here is also known for high-end luxury, expensive. However, I don't think that the next generation of clients is as familiar with Gittings. And I think that we'll have an opportunity to bring that freshness and a little bit more edginess to our work here to a new market. So it'll be exciting to put into practice everything that we've been teaching in a whole new way.

Pat Miller: 04:58

What are people doing as an alternative to having a luxurious dream brand? How are they building their studio now as the alternative to what you're doing?

Monica Sigmon: 05:06

I think that typically for photographers, they're building; I won't even say a brand yet. I think they're building a company that is very reactive. They're trying to say yes to everything. They're trying to get their name out there. They're trying to be all things to all people. And I think that it's a rare breed that can sit down at the beginning and say, okay, if I could design this exactly how I want it, what does that look like? Am I working five days a week? Am I working two days a week? Am I still taking care of my children in the morning or the afternoon, whatever, like, what is the thing? And then build a business around that. Because I think that what happens too often is we jump in, we get excited, the phone starts ringing or whatever, and then we start responding instead of saying, I'm here, this is my name, this is what I do, and this is how the process works. And it's scarier to do that, but it will save so much time in the long run because you won't have to continuously reinvent yourself and re-educate the market and then consequently have to go after a new audience all the time. So, I think that a dream brand needs to be something that is really and truly deep in your heart, what is the work that you want to create? What does it look like? It's not just enough to say family portraits. Are they color, are they black and white, are they formal, are they casual? You know, what is the style? What do I want to be known for? And I think that once you can define that clearly, you get less distracted by the things that you don't want to do, and you can really dial that in much more effectively and be consistent in your messaging.

Pat Miller: 07:00

Now, someone's watching this right now, and they are thinking, well, that's easy for you to say because you've already made it. I'm not making enough money as it is, so I have to take anything that comes in.

Monica Sigmon: 07:09

Right.

Pat Miller: 07:10

What would you say to them?

Monica Sigmon: 07:11

I would say absolutely, don't shortchange those opportunities that you need to keep that cash flow flush. Because I think that most of us make really bad decisions when we're short on cash. I make my worst decisions when I'm short on cash. So I think that, you know, there are certainly things that we have to do, especially in the beginning, to keep our heads afloat above water. However, if you don't have that dream brand clearly defined, then you will wait too long in the other brand that you're in–not the brand that you're in, but in your current situation. And you won't push yourself. You won't start saying yes to new things and no to the things you don't want to do because this is safer and you've been doing it. But once you get to that level where you're established, you have some cash flow, you feel comfortable to start taking some risks, you know what the work is that you want to create, you know what you want to be known for. And I do think there are ways if you want to be particularly a high-end studio, but you're having to do some jobs that aren't going to eventually be in your repertoire. I think that there are ways to use wording and the ways that you deal with clients to still evoke that sense of listen, I am a high-end photographer. Just because I'm new doesn't mean that I'm worth less. Just because I have been doing this less time doesn't mean I am less valuable. I still value myself, I still value what the work is that I'm creating. It's still top quality no matter what it is. Maybe for instance, I always use newborns as an example because I cannot photograph newborns. I can't walk around, like wait for, you know, two or three hours while the studio warms up. Like, I don't have the patience. But if I was starting out, that's a great way to meet new young families. So I might have to do that for a while until I get in a position that I can just do, you know, I say bring them to me when they're one, but having that vision in your mind will enable you to get there much more quickly.

Pat Miller: 09:24

So as we go down a journey to become a dream brand, just so we're all clear, that doesn't mean stop taking business as it comes. But let's cast that vision and build that direction so we can end up where Monica is. Because she's kind of kicking butt. She won't say that, but she's kind of kicking butt. All right, so what is that clear vision? How do we build a clear vision of where we want to go so we can get there faster?

Monica Sigmon: 09:49

So I think I like to equate it to like the Waze app, right? When you type in an address and it tells you like there's a traffic accident over here, you're going to have to go this way. Like any of those apps, you know what the end destination is. You clearly know you're trying to get to here, right? Like you have to plug it in from the very beginning. You can't just open the app and say, let me drive around. It's not going to do that. You have to say, this is where I want to go. And I think this is the very same thing. So you have to say, I want it to feel like this, look like this. This is the kind of client I want to work with. And then, as you do that, then it's much easier to stay on that route. And if you do take a detour, if you do get distracted, it's easier to kind of navigate your way back. And I think that, you know, as we are growing, it is okay for that vision to change a little bit. We might decide that, like, I changed. I got out of weddings. Right? So there is an evolution there that I think is important. But I do think that the more clearly it is defined, the better. And if people are having a hard time with that, I give photographers this exercise. I say write down five to seven words that you want people to use when your name comes up in conversation. So if there's a dinner party and somebody's talking about, you know, the piece of art on their wall that they purchased from you or whatever. And what's the word that people–oh, is that a Sigmon Taylor? Yes. Oh, my God, they're so, what? Fill in the blank. In our case, they're so expensive. That's great. It's usually followed, hopefully followed by. But they're the best. You know, that's great. So, if the five to seven words you have, say you want to be known for classical, timeless, fine art portraiture, for instance, and you ask somebody, a close friend, somebody you trust, maybe another photographer, but somebody you know who won't just try and make you feel better, somebody who will be really, really honest, and you give them the same exercise to say, what are the five to seven words you would use to describe me, my work and my brand? And if they say, oh, my God, you're so fun and your work is so colorful and lively and, you know, expressive and all that kind of thing, those are all wonderful adjectives. Right? But are they the adjectives you had written down? So if they're not, then that's the disconnect between you and the messaging you're bringing across to the marketplace. So five to seven words you want people to use to describe you, and then get somebody in that you trust to look at your work, your socials, your website. Say give me five to seven words you would use to describe me, and if there's no marriage there, that will show you clearly the gaps in your marketing and in your branding. What is it that you're not getting across, and then how can you do that? So it's I think that that is going to be the most important thing. And I give that exercise to every class I've ever taught. And I think, you know, a handful of people have done it. We all kind of move on and get to the next thing. But I will tell you, the students that have done it have changed their businesses.

Pat Miller: 13:07

Killer exercise. What about the vertical? Are we drawn to senior portraits or weddings or newborns or corporate headshots? Because that's what we love to do, or that's what we're the best at, or hopefully a mixture of the two? Because how specific should we be on our vertical when we add what people would know us for in that vertical? Does that make sense?

Monica Sigmon: 13:30

Yeah, I do. And I think, you know, if you're doing, for instance, weddings and in studio portraits, like weddings and family portraits or family portraits and events, those are two different things. So I think, it's okay to have different verticals there. When we teach how to build out that client journey, we say if the processes and final product are similar, they can be in one map. But events are completely different; weddings are completely different. And so the work that you're known for in your weddings may be very different than the work you're known for in your portraits. And that's fine. That's great. It's better to identify that now and then lean into that as you're communicating your brand across everything that you do. Say, share post. You know, all of that is a reflection of the brand.

Pat Miller: 14:20

Some people might not struggle with this, but I would struggle with this if I was doing this exercise. It's been beaten to my head so much to make the clients happy, to do what they want, to build a studio that gives them what they're looking for. And this exercise seems to me, I'm not going to say selfish, but a little bit introspective, more than I would be usually. But if I'm hearing you correctly, that's where the power is, that's where the authenticity is, and that's where the opportunity is. Is that right?

Monica Sigmon: 14:50

I think that's a great point. And I think that photographers, particularly getting started, want to be all things to all people. We want to please people. Typically, photographers are people pleasers. And while it may seem selfish, at the end of the day, if you can't build your business being happy and doing what you love, it's not going to be sustainable. You're not going to be able to continue to do it, and you're not going to be able to enjoy doing it. So clearly defining those things isn't selfish. It's actually going to give you a greater chance to succeed, but also to prepare your potential clients to understand who you are so that there's no confusion on their end. There's no sad feelings. If they thought you were one thing, and then you're not. You're too. You're more expensive than your brand looks. And so, that was unexpected. Any of those things, it's actually in service of our potential clients, of our future clients, so that we can meet their brand expectation. And so, again, it's not enough to just say, oh, I want to do weddings. Well, what kind of weddings? Is it fine art? Is it black and white? Is it candid? Is it posed? Is it, you know, like, what do they look like? What does the finished work look like? And I think if you go into a room and you just, like, turn off the lights, nobody's going to hear your answer. And it's safe to say whatever you want because nobody's going to hear it. And you just say, what does the work look like? You know, when I'm established, when people know what it is, what does the work look like? What are they going to say about me? What do I want to look like? How am I going to dress? What am I driving like? I don't think that's selfish at all, because that's just–it's almost like giving you job security because you know what you need and want, and it will give you a much better, faster way to connect with the people that want what you have. I think that we're too often trying to accommodate our clients, right? We're trying to make everybody happy. And I challenge photographers to build a business that will attract the client they want. Attract clients that will accommodate your principles, your policies, or your way of doing business instead of trying to, you know, morph your business into something that will be attractive to your existing client. You can't please everybody, right? So build the thing and then go get the people that will enjoy the thing instead of vice-versa.

Pat Miller: 17:24

We've talked about the thing, and we've talked about what we're going to shoot, but you're now bringing up clients, and that's the next natural step. So I'm doing the style of photography, I'm doing this vertical, and I need these people to buy it from me. How do we go find those people to now have a successful third leg of our photography studio stool?

Monica Sigmon: 17:43

I am so glad you asked that, and I'm glad you used the word find, because we all say, how do we find people? How do we find new business? How do we find new clients? And I'll get into that in just a second. But before that, I want to mention try and use the word "attract", because that's a much more powerful word than find. Find feels a little bit complicated or difficult or a challenge. Whereas attract is over here being selfish, building the thing. Right? And finding that thing attracts a certain kind of client. So I think it's still really, really important. And then there are marketing strategies that we can use to get more business in the door, but we want to attract clients like Apple, Mercedes. They're not trying to find clients. They are so dialed in. You know what the brand is, you know what their culture stands for, and you know that you either want it or you don't, and you can afford it or you can't. Right? And it takes a long time to get there. But again, the more clear you are in that messaging, the better it will be. And your clients that are coming to you will have an idea of who you are and what you do. Now, in the meanwhile, how do we get in front of those people? Well, first you have to know who the people are. So what are they driving, where their children go to school, what nonprofits are they supporting, where do they work? That kind of thing, and really be as embedded in that community as much as you can. It doesn't mean to say that I have to now go marry a heart surgeon or, you know, do all of the things and do that, but it does mean that I want to understand what causes are important to our clients and go support those things. Right? Pour back into the community in which you are doing business so that they start to see you like them, not just a vendor. So I think any of those charitable endeavors and nonprofits that you can support are super, super important because people want to do business with people they like and with people like them. So if they see you supporting something at an event that they are also in attendance, they'll say, oh, wow, this is something we have in common, something we can talk about. I feel like I can approach them. Right? They know a little bit of something about you and what's important to you before they pick up the phone. So I think that's a really important thing. And if those things are just too scary or they're not popping up as often in your marketplace as you would like, there are always ways to get embedded with a nonprofit. And I have picked a couple of things in Virginia, and we'll do the same here that are important to us. And we've called and we've said, you know, we have found that nonprofits with professional photography get more donations. It just is. And we would like to help you. And we would like to donate a day or a day and a half or whatever you feel comfortable with, but we would like to donate a day of commercial photography for you and provide a library of images, a small library that we will give you new images that you can use in fresh campaigns on socials and your next brochure so that potential donors see that you are legit. Right? They need to see that you know what you're doing and you're not just like, they want to know their money is safe with you, basically. And on that we always recommend, you know, go ahead. So they don't think you spent all this money on Sigmon Taylor, you know, doing the photography for you instead of, you know, the mission of your organization. Go ahead and just say you can put donated by or provided by, you know, Sigmon Taylor so that people understand you didn't pay for it. And that's also another way for people to see you pouring in. So when that happens and you make connections like that on the nonprofit side, they are also going to be excited to share you with their audience. Right? They will be proud. And so that's a way to start getting into that network and for their audiences to see that you're supporting them, that's really important. I think co-marketing with other businesses that have the clientele you want is super important. I think of a mistake that photographers make when they do that, however, is they go in and they put their hand out first and they say, I'm new in town or I'm just starting a business or I'm trying to get to the kind of clients you have, you know, will you help me? Whatever. We wouldn't like that if somebody came to us, right? We would say, what a user? What? Right? Like, how rude. So we have to always be thinking. And we're lucky because we're creatives, so our brain is wired that way better than most business people. But we can go in and say, you know, I love your store. I love the kind of clients you have, or the kind of clients we're striving for, too. But I think there's some cool marketing things that we can do, and we would love to provide for you gift certificates free of charge for your top spenders, you know, 10 a year or whatever, however many you want. But then you do things like you don't charge them for the gift certificates, but on the gift certificates it reads from that person or that store or whatever so that their clients feel that they did purchase it. So they look good; they're trusting you. So that's a passive testimony right onto your brand. If the client trust that brand and they test you, then, therefore, right? A plus B. So, I think that's a really great way to do it. But you have to go in always, always, always with a heart for service. Whether it's a nonprofit or a co-marketing or a client. You just have to go in and say, how can I pour into this person in front of me? How can I help their business succeed? How can I help this person, this family, this mother in front of me feel great? How can I make her feel like she's a good mom? Right? Like all of those things are things that we are so busy worrying about ourselves that we sometimes forget to do for the people in front of us. And whenever we come at things like that, it usually works out. It's not going to be overnight, right? Everything takes time. Every great, great thing takes time to build. But you'll be on the right track.

Pat Miller: 24:12

You've been living this for so long. I need to circle back to something because you said when we're picking our dream brand, go to a quiet place and think about what you do, what you dress in, what you drive, how you carry yourself. And then you pointed out it's attraction, not searching for clients, the concept of who am I, and living the brand so that I attract my ideal clients. To you, you've been doing that forever, but that is a different way of going through and living the brand. Meaning, when we make this choice, this isn't picking a new paint color and adding a new logo and wishing for the best. This is becoming the brand that you've always wanted to be and showing up that way consistently. When you see people make this decision, how long does it take for them to step into the light as that new brand?

Monica Sigmon: 25:09

Well, I think it depends on, you know, are you independently wealthy, and if so, then it's going to happen much more quickly. You can go ahead and buy the fancy car and then the wardrobe and all the things. Most of us aren't. So most of us, it's going to take a minute. But what you can be clear on is why you do what you do and let that really come through and everything. What you can do is make sure that even if you're not driving a luxury vehicle, your vehicle is clean. It's presentable. Your wardrobe is ironed. Your shoes are new and polished. Like all those little silly things people do pay attention to. And I think again, just because you've been doing it less time doesn't mean you're less valuable. And it may be plenty of people on this podcast are not interested in a high-end luxury brand. They have a very different niche that they want to go after. They want to do more volume and more families, which is amazing because they will impact so many more people than even I get to do. So that's awesome. It's understanding that that's your market and making sure that it is familiar to the people that you're attracting, because that's ultimately what's happening with attraction. So, people might say, "Well, I really want a high-end luxury business." But they're not playing the role. They're not dressed well. I think some photographers just forget that it is important what we wear and what we look like. And people still unfortunately judge books by their cover. So I think that to just really zone in on what you can do now, and it won't be everything but what you can be clear on. What I was clear on from the very beginning, after I was freshly divorced, living in an apartment, meeting clients in the clubhouse because I had no space to meet clients. I didn't have a studio. I was consistent on one thing, and it was that I will do everything I can for you. I will give you the very best that I can. And I wanted my portraiture to be emotional. I wanted it to be unique for every family. And I look back on that work and I go, oh, my God, I can't believe I sold that for how much, you know, what I sold it for. And my work has changed so much. But then I look at it, and while that early work is much different physically and, you know, aesthetically, the thing that remains the same as the emotions are portrayed and the relationships are portrayed now that the way I'm doing it may be different. And that should evolve over time. We're all going to get bored and not want to hang out and do this. So it should evolve. That is natural. But the core why, the core reason that is compelling you to do this in the first place should be consistent. And I think that gives you the freedom to explore new ways and new opportunities to do it. And your audience will understand that.

Pat Miller: 28:12

As we start to make these changes, our current clients will notice. Is that a big deal?

Monica Sigmon: 28:16

Yes, your current clients are going to notice, but I would, A, venture to bet that they're not going to notice as quickly as you think they might, and they're not going to react as quickly as you think they might. The average client is not coming to you 12 times a year. So you have some leeway in there to make some changes and adjust prices without feeling that initial kickback. But there will be some clients that you will lose as you raise your prices or if you change kind of the way you're doing business. Say you're selling digitals now and you don't want to sell digitals in the future. You're going to move to just prints, which, hello, highly recommend. You may lose some people, and they're going to be like, you've always given me digitals. That's what I want. I make my own Christmas cards every year. It's okay. We're not supposed to marry everybody we meet, right? It's okay. And so we can say, you know what? I totally get it. For me, I have found that it is so fulfilling to hang permanent pieces of art on people's homes, on people's walls that I just don't want to sacrifice that anymore. But I totally get it if that's a deal breaker for you. And I can recommend somebody else. You know what I mean? Saying, like, just be honest and be transparent. For us, we do not sell digital files. We do not think that that is full service for our clients. So, therefore, it doesn't fit in that roadmap. It doesn't fit in our blueprint of what our culture is about. Our culture at our studio is about meeting you, finding out about your family, what you want to hang in your home, where it's going to be enjoyed, and we install it like it's full, full service. And so we also know that children who see themselves on the wall of their homes know that their parents are proud of them. They know that they're valuable. And so that, to us, is way more important than giving somebody the flexibility to design their own Christmas card. That's just not our model. So it's okay to let clients go as you evolve. Like, you're not going to be attracting the same clients necessarily 25 years later than I was, you know, when I started, so that's okay. But you will also attract new clients that will see greater value in you as you elevate your brand and your pricing. And they will now start to differentiate you from that middle of the road package. And when that happens, price becomes much less important. And what becomes more important is the work they can get from you. So back to my analogy of Mercedes. You can't walk into another car dealership, just say Ford. I mean, we've had both, right? Like, I'm not—don't send me hate mail, Ford lovers. And I'm not saying that. I'm saying you can't go into Ford and buy a Mercedes at a Ford price. It's if you want that, you have to go there. So the sooner you can really make your work stand out from the general marketplace, the better off you'll be. And just take safety in knowing, just take comfort in knowing, that as you start to lose some old clients that you may still love—and that's okay, you'll still be friends—you're going to start to make new friends and you're going to start to open up to a different kind of client and they will be replacing the others. And then there may be some that are just downright sentimental to you. They help you can get off the ground and you just don't want to leave them. And that's fine. Grandfather them in, tell them how special they are, but make sure they know where your brand is now and the new kind of clients that you want, because it will help them to make sure that they're communicating and sharing you properly. And it will also help them to feel so, so special.

Pat Miller: 32:13

We can't end the interview without asking about how do we get to these premium rates? Because I want to charge $100 an hour. An entire session's eight hours, so my price is $800. You say that's not a way to arrive at the price you want to charge. So how should we get there?

Monica Sigmon: 32:31

This is such a great—I love this because we have been taught for so long on these mathematical formulas. And so we take for instance, an 8 x 10 and how much it costs at the lab and we say, okay, well, it costs, you know, $7.10to print it with, you know, coding and mounting and everything else. So therefore, by a factor of 3 or even by a factor of 5, then that's my price. And you will never, ever, ever achieve financial independence in photography by pricing yourself that way. And if that's not important to you, then carry on. But for the rest of us who need to make a living doing this, we need to start from the top and work down. So, for instance, I mean, what do I want to pay myself? What do Michael and I want to make? If we were to work for somebody else, God forbid, then what would that pay us, right? What does it cover? What is that amount of money we need every year to make? So when you start with that, then you can start saying, okay, now I have a number.

Do I want to photograph one session a week? Do I want to photograph 10 sessions a week? Like what do I want to do? I have one student that does 4 a year. Great. You know, but she knows what she needs to make in each of those 4. So what is it that you want in terms of that kind of volume? And then figure out, okay, so for instance, we'll make the math simple. Say you want to make $100,000, you want to pay yourself $100,000, let's just say. Okay, well then how many sessions do I need? And then you go, okay, well then, what does my average sale need to be? And then you have to say, okay, now look at my price list. Do I have any products that will actually add up to that average sale I need? And you would be shocked how many times we don't. We say, well, I need to make $1,000 on my average sale. But you have your 8 x 10s at $45. They can't physically buy enough 8 x 10s to get to that, right? And you're not selling wall art. So you have to then decide what products can give you that average sale consistently. And in that way, you're working from the top down. When you work from the bottom up, you'll never get to this number. When you work from the top down, you're much more likely to get there. And then you know your cost of goods is covered because you know that you're meeting those minimum, you know, profit requirements. So that's what I would suggest right now.

Pat Miller: 35:00

You've blown someone's mind. They're salivating at the idea of finally doing what they've always dreamed of doing. But this interview isn't going to cut it. They want to learn more. Tell us about the 12-week boot camp. If they want to really get all of the good stuff to take the studio where they want to.

Monica Sigmon: 35:15

I love our 12-week boot camp. It is just the sweetest class every time I do it. And it's a very small group because we want to be really hands-on. It's live classes. I don't record anything for consumption. I record it for the group to re-watch, but I don't—that's not the product that they're purchasing really. So it's 12 weeks, about an hour and a half each week. And we go through every step to build your blueprint, from the initial inquiry from your client, all the way to delivery and what each step means and how it works with your brand. Because we'll start the first couple of weeks with that. Like, what is the brand? What does that mean? How are we communicating it? The ideal situation is that before anybody picks up the phone or an email or whatever to inquire, they have a sense of what we do. They have a sense that, you know, our portraits are timeless, or they're fun or we're expensive or we're not, like they have that sense because we put all of that messaging out there, through social, through blogs, through Google My Business, all of those things. And so this 12 weeks really brings you through every step and building out, going so far as to have you write emails and build templates for every automated response, every individual response, whether it's by phone or email or text, so that they are delivering on their brand promise through the entire journey and that at the end of that journey, they're so thrilled they're never going to go anyplace else and they are going to refer you because they can confidently know that you're going to take care of their friends. Likewise, as you're building your company, if your blueprint is really well built, then treating people is easy and that onboarding takes a lot less time. For instance, I know by the time I get into a design session in person with a client that A, B and C have already been covered. Because in our template, in our rubric, we have defined what needs to be covered in each and every conversation before the design session comes. So when the design session gets there, I'm not like, I hate it when I have to go someplace and fill out my address like a million times. When you go to the doctor and the nurse comes in and asks you, and you tell them everything, and then the doctor comes in and starts from fresh, and I'm like, did you even see each other passing in? Like, why did I tell the nurse all the things, right? Like, it makes me crazy. So if I can walk into the design session and be like, oh, my God, I heard you have the cutest five-year-old in the whole wide world, tell me, like, then they know that it's personalized and you're paying attention. So, by the end of that class, people have raised their prices, they have changed the way they're doing their business, their protocols. They are so much more confident, and even the most skeptical of students at the beginning has, by the end of it, seen a change and the value in going through the exercise sounds.

Pat Miller: 38:13

Like a great opportunity. Best of luck to you and your husband in Texas on the new venture, and thanks for taking a minute to join us on the podcast. I appreciate it.

Monica Sigmon: 38:21

Thank you for having me.

Pat Miller: 38:22

Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode of The Professional Photographer Podcast. Please let us know how we did. Give us a like hit, subscribe, and leave us a comment. What did Monica say that's going to change the course of your photography future? Because if you got this far in the video, I know you're paying attention, and you probably have a page full of notes, so let us know in the comments. That way we know what we're doing right, and we could do more of it in the future. The other thing is something you should do. You should join Professional Photographers of America if you haven't already done so. Because PPA has incredible resources like equipment, insurance, top-notch education, and a supportive community of photographers ready to help you succeed. It's perfect for photographers who are serious about growing their business in a sustainable and profitable way at PPA. You belong here. Discover more about membership at ppa.com. That's ppa.com. I'm Pat Miller, founder of the Small Business Owners Community and the publisher of the Small Business Summary newsletter. I appreciate you tuning in, and we'll see you right here next time. Take care.