Lesson Info
15. Strategy & Long Term Goals
Summary (Generated from Transcript)
The topic of the lesson is how to start a photography business and develop a strategy and long-term goals.
Q&A:
How does your ideal work/life dictate your strategy and goals?
Your ideal work/life should guide your strategy and goals because it determines the type of business you want to create and the lifestyle you want to have.
Why is it important to think about what you actually want before starting a business?
It is important to consider what you want because creating a business that does not align with your desires can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction.
Should you quit your job and go full-time into photography if you love your job and want to make good money?
No, it is not necessary to quit your job if you enjoy it and are making good money. You can pursue photography on the side until you are confident that it can provide you with a similar income.
How should your strategy and plans differ if you want to start a business with your spouse?
If your goal is to start a business with your spouse, your strategy and plans should focus on creating a boutique family studio rather than large-scale operations like buying a building.
What are some early goals for a photography business?
Some early goals for a photography business may include becoming the best studio in a specific area, consistently delivering high-quality work, and having a good income with free time for other projects.
Lessons
Class Introduction
13:12 2Common Myths & Unknown Truths
11:42 3The Road Ahead
13:03 4Find Your Passion
06:06 5The Lin & Jirsa Journey
13:54 6Part-time, Full-time, Employed, Partners?
03:51 7Stop Wasting Time & Money
06:07 8Your 12 Week Roadmap
04:33Great Plans Still Fail
06:01 10Strategy Vs. Planning
04:16 11Mind Mapping
07:25 12Select a Focus
14:16 13Competitor Research
09:34 14S.W.O.T. Analysis
13:54 15Strategy & Long Term Goals
03:50 16Values, Vision & Mission
27:49 17Effectively Managing Your Time
15:05 18Artistic Development
07:30 19Create Your Plan
13:12 20What's Your Product
10:51 21Luxury vs Consumer Products & Experiences
11:44 22Quick Break for Econ 101
16:31 23Your Target Market & Brand Message
21:25 24What's in a Name
09:20 25Your Client 'Why'
05:43 26Crafting the Why Experience
24:17 27Document the Client Experience
08:29 28Business Administration Basics
27:03 29Book Keeping Management
06:51 30Create the Logo & Branding
07:04 31Portfolio Design
15:11 32Design Your Services & Packages
18:51 33Pricing Fears & Myths
08:46 34Three Pricing Methods
25:39 35Package Pricing Psychology & Design
06:15 36Psychology of Numbers
07:29 37Pricing Q&A
23:51 38Grass Roots Marketing
09:36 39The Empty Party
07:03 40Friends & Family Test Shoots
16:28 41Join Groups
04:32 42Second Shooting Etiquette
07:44 43The Listing & Classified Hustle
14:10 44Make Instagram Simple
13:55 45Your Automated Pinterest Plan
08:01 46Facebook Because You Must
07:37 47Giveaway & Styled Shoots
12:17 48Content Marketing & SEO
08:12 49The Monster: SEO
07:26 50Selecting Your Keywords
05:45 51Testing Your Keywords
07:53 52Grouping Main & Niche Goals
12:39 53Your Content Road Map
11:47 54Content Marketing Q&A
10:45 55Inspiration to Keep Working
07:45 56How to Craft Your Content
15:03 57Internal Linking Basics
05:30 58Back Link Building Basics
04:55 59Link Value Factos
14:38 60Measuring Link Value
04:24 61Link Building Strategy & Plan
06:10 62Link Building Plan: Vendors & Guest Writing
06:45 63Link Building Plan: Features, Directories, Comments
03:11 64Link Building: Shortcuts & One Simple Tool
14:44 65What is Sales? Show Me!
12:58 66Your First Massive Failure
05:17 67The Sales Process
07:31 68Your Second Massive Failure
05:23 69Understand Buyer Psychology
10:00 70Step 0: Building Rapport & Trust
15:14 71Step 1: Identify Need or Want
15:39 72Cognitive Dissonance
12:01 73Steps 2 & 3: Value Proposition & The Solution
14:21 74Step 4 : Close, Make the Ask
04:32 75Step 5: Follow Up & Resolve Concerns
06:13 76Family Photography Hot Seat
12:06 77Business Example Hot Seat
15:52 78Boudoir Photography Hot Seat
16:09 79The Best Sales Person
07:45 80Your Mindset, Vibrations & Frequency
06:56 81Always Positive, Always Affirming
11:55 82The Second Money & Dual Process
07:39 83Chumming the Price Waters
03:57 84Creating Want or Scarcity
09:54 85Timeless Advice on Being Likable
11:53 86Selling Over The Phone
10:59 87Forbidden Words in Sales
11:40Lesson Info
Strategy & Long Term Goals
So now, this is time we've kind of identified, we can look through to see this goal of where we want to go. We've defined our focus, we've analyzed the competition, we know our advantages, we know our weaknesses. OK. Now, I wanna say this. Your ideal work/life should also dictate your strategy and goals. You know the competitive landscape. Now it's time to decide on what you want and where you want to be three years from now. Today. Five years from now, today. The reason that's important is this: Do you guys know Fstoppers? Everybody should know Fstoppers. Lee and Patrick are two of my good friends. Lee came and toured our building and the first thing that Lee said to me was, "This is amazing, dude. You guys have done-- "I would blow my brains out, though. "This is not what I would want." And I go, "Of course." Do you know why? Because at this point in the business that we've created, we can't walk away for six months and go take a sabbatical. We've got 55 employees that rely on everyt...
hing that we do. So we need to keep the wheels turning for everybody's sake. Now we still take our vacations and we still enjoy our time, but that lifestyle that I have and that I like doesn't fit into his lifestyle and what he wants. He wants freedom, he wants to make good money but be able to just leave the studio at 12PM to go kitesurfing. And that's fantastic. But this is where we get it wrong, when we look at something and we say we envy it, we want it, without thinking to ourselves, what is it gonna be like when I'm actually in those shoes? And you end up creating a business that runs yourself into the ground. So, the first step is to define what it is that you actually want. Going back to that part-time, full-time thing, this is where I'm gonna talk about it. If you love your job and you wanna make good money, there is absolutely no reason to quit and go at this full-time until you decide, down the road, you can make great money doing both things. Is that kinda making sense? If your vision is, I wanna do this with my husband or my wife, then your strategy and your plans should not encompass buying a building, where at one point I'm gonna be this, I'm gonna do this. It should be, our goal is to own a boutique family studio, let's do what we need to do to get there. OK? So this is where I'm gonna have you guys break out your Mind Maps again, I want you guys to actually Mind Map your ideal work life, with your center idea being my ideal work life. Draw it out. Here was a few of ours. Our early goals for Lin and Jirsa Photography, we wanted to be the best wedding studio in southern California. We wanted to deliver consistently amazing work. We wanted good income with free time for other projects, that's actually in a email from 10 years ago. This area would be great because we can make a good living and still have time for other projects. We wanted to be out of the nitty-gritty, once again, in an email from 10 years ago. To not get focused in on just post-production, just one area of the business, we want to get other people in, which means that we have to be willing to give away some of the revenue that's coming in so that we can buy back our time.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Armstrong Su
This class and materials are to the point and eye-opening on the business side of photography. Pye Jirsa is an amazing and fun teacher as well! Most photographers need more business classes offered to bring us who love to create art back to reality for a more successful business that makes a living on it's own. This course will definately get you started in the right direction and so cheap too! Great investment! armstrong outdoor tv case outdoortvcase Pye Jirsa is one of the best instructors that I have the pleasure to learn from. He and his team have given me so much more than they'll ever realize. Knowledge, wisdom, training, friendship, mentoring, inspiration, joy... I cannot thank Pye enough for changing my life for the better. I owe them more than they'll ever realize. Thank you, Pye Jirsa!!!
Angela Sanchez
This class has been an eye opener for me; a point of change in my vision as photographer. Pye is and AMAZING, INSPIRING, GENEROUS instructor, with an, authentic desire to help people and to share with them the best of his knowledge. I will not have enough words to say thanks to Pye Jirsa, as a teacher and as a human being, and thanks to Creative Live who allows us to benefit from the experience of such a knowledgeable, educated, well-versed photographer and instructor. 1000% recommended!
Yenith LianTy
Been following this guy forever. Pye Jirsa may be well known in the wedding & portrait photography world and if there is something that this guy knows it is how to create a business, a sustainable one. The workbook he provided is comprehensive, and I honestly wish I had this when I first started out as a photographer! I love that he talks about his failures, keeping it real and honest for anyone starting out. He is definitely one of the best instructors around, super humble, down to earth and with a sense of humor to boot. The course is worth it! THE WORKBOOK is AMAZING! SUPER DETAILED!