Mindset & Money Mastery for Photographers with Karinda K.

34. Journey to Building a 6-Figure Photography Brand with Charlotte Detienne

• Karinda K. • Episode 34

Share episode

Send us a text

This week's episode is a little bit different in that this is an interview from the archives that I did with Charlotte a few years ago. You see, Charlotte and I have been working together for quite a few years and I have seen her take her portrait business from a hobby where she earned some supplemental income, into a successful 6-figure brand.

Charlotte is a British-born Equine & Dog photographer located in Georgia. Having successfully run a profitable photography business, she uses what she has learned throughout her journey to help other business owners achieve the same.

While it is a blast from the past, this interview will give you a sense of where Charlotte began, the steps she took in her business, and ultimately provide you some background insight moving into next week when I catch up with Charlotte to dig into the making of the 5-figure client.

I hope that you enjoy this episode and look forward to your feedback!

Charlotte Detienne - Website | Facebook | Instagram

Connect with Karinda!

Thanks for listening!

Unknown:

Welcome to mindset and Money Mastery for photographers the podcast. We help overwhelmed photographers make more money while simplifying their business by mastering there, you guessed it, mindset and money. tune in each week for practical and actionable tips to take your photography business up a notch. Let's dive right in.

Karinda Kinsler:

Before we dive into to today's episode, I wanted to give you a quick heads up about what you're going to be listening to. This is an interview that I did with one of my former coaching clients, Charlotte a couple of years ago. And it was such a great interview, she shared a little bit about her experience her journey as she built her business into what it is today. And the reason that I wanted to share this with you on this week's episode is because next week, we're actually going to be sharing an new updated interview with Charlotte, where we talk all about the making of a five figure client. You see, whenever we recorded this q&a, Charlotte had not yet had a five figure client in her portrait business. And since then, she was able to put the pieces together, step up her game and have even bigger and better sales and make more money in her business. So I wanted to share this week's interview as a way to preface what you're going to listen to next week. I think it'll give you a really great idea of a real life experience of growth and Charlotte's own personal journey. So that way, you can take some encouragement and hearing other people's stories and not just my own story on this podcast. So check out this episode, listening here, Charlotte's journey. And then make sure you come back next week to hear all about Charlotte's journey to having those five figure portrait clients. Hey, Sarlat, how are you today? I'm good. How

Charlotte:

are you?

Karinda Kinsler:

I'm good. So today, I wanted to hop on here and talk to you a little bit about your experience. I know you've worked with me, you're probably I would call you on my frequent fliers. I guess now, you've been through a couple of my different group coaching community type things. And you've also done some one on one things with me. So I think you're gonna be a good person to talk to and to hear more about your experience and kind of give everybody an idea of what it's like to work with me. Okay. First thing I wanted to ask you is, how has your business changed since you started working with me?

Charlotte:

Or Wow. Well, in in one word, drastically. But to give a little bit more detail, before I started working with you, I was focusing a lot on things that weren't profitable. I kind of had this, I guess, weird stubbornness, that because I had started doing something that I had to keep doing it. And like I was just adamant that I was going to make it work. And of course, that's a good attitude to have on the whole that I wanted to make my business work. But there were certain elements of my business that were not working, such as the volume photography, I was doing rodeos, that were just not jiving not working, they will keep you awake at night, I was working insane hours for very little turn, generally focusing on the wrong things. I think that perfectionism is an ongoing topic as well, which, you know, that was getting in the way too. But in terms of, you know, growth, my business growth has been like, on this insane trajectory since I started working with you. And my confidence has grown hugely. And I'm just a lot more sure of myself about how I do things, what I choose to spend my energy on.

Karinda Kinsler:

Yeah, that's amazing. So tell me when I don't even know the answer to the question, because it's been a few years, when you first started working with me, what were your clients spending with you?

Charlotte:

Good question. I think my average was around$1,000. I had the occasional sale that was higher than that. Certainly, my rodeo clients were not spending anywhere close to that. That was, you know, well below $100. But yeah, I think you know, I mean, I think it's fair to say that I didn't start from ground zero in terms of IPs. I was part of the way there like I had the grasp on the products, but it was definitely maximizing that that was the biggest impact for me was you know, changing the way I was pricing things, mostly the way I was pricing things and structuring packages and things like that.

Karinda Kinsler:

Simplifying, right. Okay, so tell me now what the last month in your business have looked like so that people can get an idea of where you're at now.

Charlotte:

This last month has been insane. So I feel like there is no one thing that I have done. There's definitely no one thing that I have done that has caused this growth is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. But I will say that I feel like I'm kind of reaching the crest of that hill now with in not everything, but a lot of things are starting to be more of a, you know, a downhill stroll as opposed to an uphill hike. Yeah, this last month, I while I don't mind disclosing my numbers I did. Just to put it into perspective. My last sale was as big as my last year's best entire month. And last month, was almost as big as my entire last year. So that, you know, just to kind of put things into perspective there, you know, numbers don't necessarily mean anything to anyone unless they're put into context. Yeah.

Karinda Kinsler:

So, in your biggest sale to date is

Charlotte:

8500.

Karinda Kinsler:

Okay, so I think something happened, this might turn into a bit of a coaching session here. You don't have to get into like personal details. But in your business, what do you think happened? That was the catalyst that finally caused you to get it together? And like, do what you need to do to get the client? I have an idea of what it was, I think that maybe some of it was mental stuff, you finally got over the mental clutter there. But what do you think it was going to cause that catalyst to happen this year?

Charlotte:

Well, you know, I'm quite an open book, I don't mind discussing these things. I think, for me, the biggest lesson which caused this dramatic change was, I kind of assumed that everything was always going to be the way I assumed and both in good or bad I was, I was settling for average, at best in many areas of my life. But my business, you know, I kind of, I guess I thought those big numbers, those 810 12 $14,000 sales were out of my reach, at least for the time being, I didn't think that it would be something that could change quickly, I always felt like life was going to be the way it was. And my business in a nutshell that I would never have to depend on my business for 100% of my income. And I think that that is a big trap that people can fall into. And something that can change very quickly, overnight, like it did for me, all of a sudden, I was faced with divorce. And now my business is not just my baby, not just my, you know, supplemental income, not just part of our household income, might be I was faced with the decision of, you got to run with this and make this work and earn a decent living from this. Or you quit it all now and go and get a real job. And that's the decision I was faced with. And you know, as stubborn as I am. And as passionate as I am about my business, I wasn't about to let four and a half years of blood sweat and tears go to waste. You know, that's basically was the turning point for me personally was, you know, mentally. For me, it was kind of a now or never thing. And just a combination of all the things that I've learned through spending time with you just have kind of realizing why not now, and why not me, there was a lot of things that I was getting in my own way over, done them just really ridiculous things like not feeling like I belonged in this horse world that I didn't really know much about. Things like that, not just not just from a personal standpoint, but just from a point of like the business that I was in, you know, not I guess a bit of impostor syndrome in not just the photography industry, but in the horse world, too.

Karinda Kinsler:

Yeah, I think that's a good point. Like, I think a lot of people have a crush outside of their business, like a spouse or significant other or a second job that kind of provides that support. And I think a lot of people use that as an excuse in their heads to not fully dive into the photography thing or to not fully chase their business. Yeah. And a lot of what happens is with people and get that other thing yanked out from underneath them, all of a sudden, they're like, oh, my gosh, I have to make it work. And all of a sudden, the pieces of the puzzle fall together and you're like, Why didn't this happen before? And it's because we're kind of like subconsciously still using this other thing as a crutch, like, well, I'll be okay. Because you know, I have this other person or I have this other job that cut out so not really successful than, Oh, well. And when you get into a situation where it has to work, all of a sudden you make it work.

Charlotte:

Yeah, I guess I guess now's an appropriate time to mention that I was using my business relationship with the family business as that crutch for my business. And so while I will be forever grateful that it gave me I mean, I would maybe never even started photographing horses probably not if it hadn't been for my finding myself in the family business which was you know, my in laws ranch business. But you know, in current, his current, his words will always echo in my mind get off of the ranch, you know, because you there was more out there for me. And while those clients and I will always be grateful for that starting point, I think that I found it hard to let go of this motion that the clients from the ranch could be profitable for me, and they have been at times, but I think that it was, I was never going to spread my wings, and my business was never going to really get the momentum that it needed by staying in that bubble. So I think a lot of that happens to other people in terms of their, you know, when they're marketing inside of maybe pony club or, you know, Horse Association, or to their friends or family, or maybe it's a physical thing, like, you know, more of a geographical thing like inside of their own town, or, you know, just kind of letting go of that stubbornness and accepting that you do have to kind of push yourself outside of that bubble. So,

Karinda Kinsler:

yeah, would you find it safe to say that pushing yourself outside of the bubble is always uncomfortable, but it's always worth it?

Charlotte:

Yes, every time, it feels easy, it's probably not doing very much for your business. I think, you know, maybe that can be true once you get all your systems and processes and stuff nailed down. But I think, you know, once things become so easy to you that you don't have to think about the more you don't get a little bit nervous. I think at that point, you've probably mostly stopped growing. Yeah, I think that goes, lots of even just the horse riding even lots of industries, whether it's photography, or anything else, I think that once you when she stopped feeling that little bit of doubt, or that little bit of anxiety, probably most of the growth is over.

Karinda Kinsler:

Yeah. So my next question for you is what made you decide to work with me? What was the thing that you were like, I need to run it in my life.

Charlotte:

So I cannot honestly tell you, I had never heard of you before. I had never seen any of your Facebook posts before. I had never seen any of your work before. I actually did not have any clue who you are. And I don't know if that's a good thing to admit or not, you know, but I saw a Facebook post that you were offering coaching. And so I'd say I think it's fair to say that some of it was just meant to be, I suppose, is like woowoo, that sounds you know, but something told me Hey, like, you need to check this girl out. And so I did. And of course, that can happen with any number of people, or any number of coaches. But for me what confirmed it was the value that I got in talking to you for that first call, you know, 3045 minutes, whatever it was, told me that we could have hung up the phone, and I would have that call would have been worth it to me. You know, even just that call, even if I never spoke to you again, if I never did any of your classes again, I knew that that call, you had built value into that and made that worthwhile for me. And that was one reason for that, really, in that you genuinely wanted to help me, you know, your hearts in the right place with helping people push forward in their business. And to hear like the excitement in your voice and know that it wasn't just this cookie cutter, like, Oh, I've got an idea you should do this. And no and have that feeling that you've given that idea to like 100 other different people, but it was genuinely like, oh my god, oh my god, you need to do this. They talking to me? Like, you know, you'd known me forever in that first phone call. That was what did it for me.

Karinda Kinsler:

Yes. And learning that when my voice gets really high pitched, that means I'm about a really cool idea that my brain just came up with and it's brand new, and you're gonna be the first one here. Right? Exactly. Sound I always tell people, like if you are on the fence, and you don't know if I'm the right person, like, let's just talk like there's no harm in talking and you either talk to me and you're like, Yes, I need her in my life. Or you talk to me and you're like, Man, I need her and I like maybe not right now or you're like, oh my gosh, she's insane. She just talking too much in our teenage years, and she just overwhelmed me. So, yes, I love that. Okay, yeah. If you could go back in time and give newbie starlet one piece of advice. What would it be?

Charlotte:

I guess the obvious thing would be to stop sweating the small stuff and just do it. Just get on with it and do it. I think maybe just to show myself or vision of what life could be like now, and make myself realize that it is possible and it doesn't have to take forever. I think that my growth took a lot longer than it needed to. And it was accelerated hugely after I started coaching with you, I but I think up until that point it was it was slow. Because I was focusing on the wrong things like I've already said, Yeah, I think definitely just you know, in terms of telling, you know, Charlotte, then what Charlotte now could be like, being cognizant of you never know, when life could change. And you never know, when this cute side hustle hobby, whatever it is to you may be your lifeline. Yeah, very true. Dan, I don't need to know everything there is to know about Hunter jumpers to take pretty pictures of that horses and, and sell 1000s of dollars worth of artwork to them. So

Karinda Kinsler:

you don't have to, I think the moral of the story, you don't have to feel like you fit in your potential clients. Yeah. And you don't have to understand them. Either. You can make them your clients without being them or truly understanding them. Just make them your clients and stop being afraid of the fear of not fitting in or not feeling like you're the same type of person. Yeah. People don't know, they don't care. They just know you're an amazing photographer, and they want your photos, right? They don't care if you fit in or you get the lingo know the difference between a hunter and a jumper ring. Like, I don't know the difference. So yeah,

Charlotte:

I actually bonded with a with one of my clients mom's the other day over that, because I asked her a few questions. And, you know, I sounded like the expert in terms of photography, of course. But in terms of horses, I asked her a couple of very basic questions, and she didn't know the answer to them. And then she was getting like, she was getting the imposter syndrome. It was very weird. She was like, oh, no, like, I'm not a horse girl, like, you know, it's my daughter this and, and I actually just level with her. I'm like, You know what, I asked you these questions, because, you know, I know a little bit, but honestly, and I really leveled with her. And I think that was, that was a big thing for me to level with her and really make her ease. I think, I think maybe maybe if I was in that world, I wouldn't have been able to do that.

Karinda Kinsler:

Yeah. So one last question. And I will let you go. So you don't talk forever, because I know we will talk for ever. If you could give one piece of advice right now about, you know, trying to figure out how to grow or how to make decisions about investing in your business and all of these things. What would your advice be to them on like, how to make decisions about how to invest in your business or yourself? Because I know you are the kind of person that you have invested a lot in your business and your education over the time? And I'm assuming in the beginning, it wasn't an easy decision, either for you?

Charlotte:

No, I think that, okay, well, I guess I'm speaking to two people, then the person that is reluctant to invest in education and invest in themselves, I would say to them, you really cannot imagine how badly you need education and someone holding your hand via, you know, an online course or coaching or whatever, you cannot even begin to imagine the amount of growth that you would experience just by having that support network. And the, you know, this huge Facebook groups, you know, with a few 1000 people in them that aren't, they're not investing in their education, either. They can only take you so far, books will only take you so far. Cheat Sheets and courses and stuff will only take you so far. But having solid mentorship is what is going to shave months if not years off of your growth of your business. And then yes, that speaks to the person that's already you know, that has already realized that, you know, that they are past the YouTube videos and the free webinars and this, that and the other and they've already realized that they need some form of mentorship or you know, coaching or something like that. Then I would say I did all the classes, I did all the self paced stuff, I did all the things that you go and do on your own but nothing nothing can replace having a group of people that have got your back and working alongside you, which is what a Facebook community like the one you have attached to your online class has, you know, and having those zoom calls those Q and A's those that actual contact with people. What I will say that in comparison to doing you know, it's the next best thing to being able to do workshops and things every week, like none of us can go and do styled shoots and workshops, and you know, conventions like imaging and stuff. Every week, we don't have the time and we don't have the resources for that. So this is the really as close as you're gonna get to that, with so much less investment, time and financially. But you know, I think just you really you cannot put a price on what that sort of mentoring will do for your business.

Karinda Kinsler:

I agree. I feel the same way, like anytime that I have invested like, in coaching, one on one coaching or group coaching situation, it has paid for itself tenfold. Like I can't even imagine how long it would have taken me to get here. I probably would have given up by now if I wouldn't have done it. Totally echo what you're saying there. Oh, my goodness. Well, it was so good talking to you. And I don't want to take up all of your Sunday. I will let you go. But I'm sorry. If anybody has questions for Charlotte. She's a pretty open book. I'm sure she'd be very, so feel free to reach out to her. I know I just put on the spot and offered her time. She's busy, but I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any of your questions that you have. Have some hope you have any other leaders Charlotte Bye. All right. Bye. I hope that you've enjoyed hearing Charlotte's journey to really building a six figure photography brand. Like I said, this interview happened a couple of years ago. Next week on the podcast, we're going to be sharing an updated interview with Charlotte, where we dive into the making of those five figure clients. Charlotte has taken the time since that interview, she has really honed in on her business even more. And she has really gotten her business to a place where she can have those clients that are spending 1015 $20,000 in their portraits. And I am so excited for you to hear this next interview that we'll be featuring next week, where we dive into the making of those five figure clients. And also stay tuned because we're going to be having more interviews like this in the podcast where we share people's personal journeys and their stories to getting those five figure clients or even to just getting to that six figure point in their business where they have their first six figure year. So make sure you check back and listen for Charlotte updated interview next week. And let me know what your thoughts are on Charlotte's growth and all the things that she has done in her journey to building her photography business.

Unknown:

Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoy this episode and you'd like to support the podcast, please make sure you share it on social media or leave a rating and review. As always, you can check out the links and resources in the show notes over at master your mind money.com To catch all the latest for me you can follow me on Instagram at master your mind money. And don't forget to join our free Facebook group photography business tuneup with Kirinda Kay, thanks again and I'll see you next time.