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PODCAST

This Can"t Be That Hard

You love photography, but running a business? That"s a different story. If you"ve ever thrown up your hands trying to figure it out yourself and said "This CAN"T be that hard!!!" you"ve come to the right place. Host Annemie Tonken"s secret superpower is cutting through the confusion to give you actionable, step-by-step strategies and systems that will help you build a business that reflects your values, serves your needs, and thrills your clients. Tune in to find out why thousands of photographers

business marketing

All Episodes

37:22

312 - Build a Business Clients Rave About with...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/04/15

We all love the idea of a business that grows effortlessly through word of mouth....but that kind of growth doesn’t come from luck—it comes from delivering a client experience that’s SO good, people can’t stop talking about it. In this episode, I’m joined by photographer and educator Natasha Sewell, who’s built a thriving, referral-based business by getting super intentional about how she connects with clients—before, during, and after the session. Natasha's strategies go way beyond wha...

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12:47

311 - Your Marketing Credit Score

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/04/08

Marketing isn’t just about getting seen—it’s about building trust. And building trust, as it turns out, is a lot like building your credit score.... Clients are constantly (and often unconsciously) evaluating whether they trust you enough to book with you. It’s not exactly a number they can look up, but the signals you’re sending through your website, social media, pricing, and consistency are all part of the equation. Think of it like a business version of a credit score. It builds slowly, g...

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37:19

310 - Building a Business That Lasts with Stacey Rolfe

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/04/01

Some interviews go exactly where you expect… and others take a beautiful turn into even better territory. That’s exactly what happened in this conversation with photographer, systems wizard, and community builder Stacey Rolfe. What started as a conversation about client experience ended up touching on everything from burnout recovery and flexible business models to the power of taking imperfect action and letting go of people-pleasing in your business. Stacey shares the evolution of her caree...

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25:06

309 - Double your Marketing Mileage

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/03/25

When things slow down or feel uncertain in your business, it’s easy to think you need to overhaul everything or spend your time hunting down new leads. But more often than not, the best opportunities are already sitting in front of you—specifically, in the form of your happiest clients. In this episode, I’m sharing four tried-and-true strategies for turning one great client into more. These are simple, relationship-focused ways to bring people back in, get them talking about you, and build mo...

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41:33

308 - 6 Steps to Stay on Top of Your Taxes (and...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/03/18

If you've ever felt a sinking feeling as you send in your taxes, wondering if you're missing something (or have just signed and avoided the numbers altogether), you're not alone. That’s why I brought in Danielle Hayden, founder of Kickstart Accounting, to break down exactly what photographers should be doing year-round to stay on top of their numbers, avoid surprises, and maximize their tax deductions. The truth is, that managing your business finances doesn’t have to be stressful. In f...

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44:31

307 - How Photographers Can Use AI to Automate &...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/03/11

AI is everywhere right now, but let’s be real—most of us don’t have time to sort through all the noise to figure out which tools actually help photographers run their businesses better. That’s why I called in Colie James. She’s a workflow automation expert, a photographer, and someone who has gone much further with AI than most of us (but in a way that makes running a business easier, not more complicated). In this episode, she’s breaking down how she’s using AI to speed up content creation, ...

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34:05

306 - CYA the Legal Way: Protecting Your Photography...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/03/04

Photography may seem like a business with low legal risk, but if you don’t cover your bases, one unexpected issue—like a contract dispute, a tax audit, or an independent contractor misclassification—can cause major headaches. Today, I’m talking with Braden Drake, a lawyer and tax expert who specializes in helping creative entrepreneurs actually understand business compliance, contracts, and financial protection. And trust me, this conversation is anything but boring. Braden makes legal and ta...

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33:36

305 - Using a Studio to Grow Your Photography...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/02/25

Most photographers assume that if they don’t shoot in a studio, they don’t need one. But what if a studio space could be so much more than just a backdrop for sessions? In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Michelle McAfee, a photographer who turned her studio into so much more than just a place to shoot. She shares how she transitioned from using her space exclusively for client sessions to creating a studio membership model—one that serves other photographers and small business owners, boos...

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16:43

304 - Woo Your Clients with Emails

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/02/18

If you’ve ever felt like your emails are going out into the void—ignored, unopened, or worse, unsubscribed from—this episode is just for you. Email marketing doesn’t have to feel awkward or forced. In fact, when done right, it’s one of the most powerful ways to turn casual followers into loyal clients. But what actually makes an email engaging? How do you keep people excited to hear from you instead of clicking delete? Today, I'm breaking it all down, with a fun analogy (of course!) How to ge...

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27:55

303 - Planning Predictable Leads with Rachel Traxler

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/02/11

Generating leads for your photography business can feel like a full-time job. You put yourself out there, cross your fingers, and hope the inquiries roll in—but what happens when they don’t? That’s where a smart, strategic approach to lead generation makes all the difference. This week, I’m talking with photographer, business coach, and Gold Biz Podcast host Rachel Traxler about how she approaches lead generation intentionally—not just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Rachel br...

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32:14

302 - Google Ads for Photographers with Lindsay Herkert

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/02/04

Most photographers spend their time marketing in all the usual (free) ways—posting on social media, tweaking their SEO, and waiting for word-of-mouth referrals to kick in. And while all of those can work, they also take time... often a lot of it! But what if you could get your business in front of people right when they’re searching for a photographer? That’s exactly what Google Ads do. Unlike social media ads that interrupt people mid-scroll, Google Ads only show up when someone is actively ...

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31:35

301 - The Power of Personal Work with Trish Chong

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/01/28

It’s easy to lose the creative spark that brought you to photography in the first place. Between running a business, keeping up with clients, and tackling your endless to-do list, the joy of making art can start to feel like a distant memory.In today’s episode, I’m joined by Trish Chong, an incredible family photographer, educator, and all-around thoughtful human being, to talk about the power of personal work in a creative business. For over a decade, Trish has kicked off each year with her ...

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39:49

300 - The Simple Sales System: Real Photographers,...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/01/21

Considering switching to Simples Sales? What's better than a case study? How about three? I'm excited to share this in-depth conversation with Robyn, AnneMarie, and Christina: three recent students who've launched Simple Sales in their three very different businesses.We discuss:How and why each of them decided to give Simple Sales a try - what was (and wasn't) working in their businesses that gave them the push to seek a better solutionTheir fears and hesitations about the SystemTheir ex...

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22:52

299 - 7 Things to Leave Behind in the New Year

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/01/14

New Year, new mindset. 🥂 As we turn the page to 2025, it’s time to take stock of what’s been working in our businesses—and more importantly, what hasn't. In this episode, I’m sharing seven things you can leave behind to build a stronger, more sustainable businesses moving forward.If you’ve been caught in the cycle of saying “yes” to too much, pricing yourself too low, or running yourself ragged, you’re not alone. We’ll explore how these common patterns take a toll—and, more importantly, how

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39:31

298 - Quit or Commit? Real Talk for Photographers

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/01/07

Burnout. Overwhelm. Frustration. If you’re feeling the weight of running your photography business, you’re not alone. Lately, I’ve been hearing from so many photographers who are unsure if it’s even possible to keep going.In today’s episode, I sit down with Dayna—my partner in The Consistency Club and all-around champion of real talk—to tackle those big questions head-on. Where does the photography industry stand right now? Why are so many of us feeling stuck? And the biggest question of all:...

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10:35

297 - The Sustainability Series: The Recipe for...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2024/12/31

It’s New Year’s Eve, and what better time to talk about setting yourself up for a successful (and sustainable!) new year? 🎉 In this final episode of the Sustainability Series (and the year!), I’m giving you a little taste of something I cooked up for you: a private podcast series called Recipe for Success.Think of your business like a favorite recipe—some ingredients are non-negotiable, but others? You can totally swap, simplify, or even skip altogether. From outsourcing to batching to

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11:18

296 - The Sustainability Series: Marketing Smarter...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2024/12/24

In this third episode of the Sustainability Series, I’m diving into one of the biggest time and energy drains for photographers: marketing. Let’s face it—hunting for clients can feel like an endless Easter egg hunt. But what if, instead of searching for golden eggs, you focused on finding a golden goose?In this episode, I share how I created a portrait membership that became my golden goose—a predictable, recurring revenue stream that reduced my marketing workload and made my business more su...

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14:41

295 - The Sustainability Series: Systems and...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2024/12/17

In the second episode of my Sustainability Series, I’m sharing how a major “lifequake” forced me to rethink everything about my business. Back in 2017, I hit a breaking point—I was working 50-60 hours a week, juggling too many types of jobs, and still not making enough to feel secure. I knew something had to change.That’s when I created what’s now known as the Simple Sales System. By streamlining my workflow and cutting out anything unnecessary, I was able to make more money in less time, all...

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13:10

294 - The Sustainability Series: The Importance of...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2024/12/10

When life throws you curveballs—a health crisis, a financial downturn, or a global pandemic—how does your business hold up? In this week’s episode of This Can’t Be That Hard, I’m kicking off the Sustainability Series, a four-part exploration of why planning for longevity in your business is so important.I start this series with a story about challenges I've faced in my own life and business that could have been the end of my photography career, but instead were the catalysts that forced me to...

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31:15

293 - The 15-Hour Work Week with Brittnie Sturm

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2024/12/03

Ah, the sweet smell of a brand-new planner—there’s just something about it, right? That fresh-start feeling gets me every time, and as it turns out, my guest Brittnie Sturm feels the same way. Brittnie is a family photographer, mom of three, and a fellow systems enthusiast 🤓 who’s learned firsthand how powerful organization can be in running a better business and a smoother life. In this episode, she shares her journey from feeling completely overwhelmed to finding clarity through time b...

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352 results

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