x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Business-First Creatives

Every creative deserves to turn their craft into a business that brings them joy and profit. Here you"ll find a no-BS approach to what it takes to put the business first, prioritizing the systems and strategies that will actually move the needle and ensure your creative business is profitable rather than an expensive side-hustle. Your host is Colie James, a Disney-loving family photographer, and filmmaker turned Workflow and Automations Guru who helps creative service providers automate their sh*t,

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

15:18

Don’t Blame Your Prices, Fix Your Systems First

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/04/04

We made it to 200 episodes—and I’m bringing the fire 🔥I’m taking this opportunity to revisit one of the first truths I ever shared on the podcast: just because someone says no to your offer doesn’t mean your price is the problem. If your bookings have slowed or leads keep ghosting you, it’s time to take a hard look at your systems—not your rates.I’m breaking down what actually moves someone from “just curious” to “ready to book,” what your system might be missing, and how to figure out where things

en

17:25

I Audited My Freebies—Here’s What I Found

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/04/01

Ever wondered if your freebies are helping people buy—or just taking up digital space? In this episode, I’m sharing how a single podcast (shoutout to Jenn Green!) made me rethink everything I’ve ever created. I ran my freebies through her mini/medium/large framework, pulled in ChatGPT to help, and uncovered a few surprising gaps—and a lot of hidden potential.If you’ve got a few too many opt-ins floating around… this one’s for you.Find it Quickly[00:00] Something strange started happening with my

en

11:18

How to Create a 5-Minute Booking Process Inside Your...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/03/27

Ready to make booking you effortless for your clients? In this episode, I’m breaking down how to create a five-minute booking process using a well-structured proposal (or quote/smart file, depending on your CRM). If booking feels like a scavenger hunt, leads will ghost instead of sign—but with the right setup, you can take them from inquiry to booked in just minutes!If you’ve been following along in the Client Experience Series, this final step ties everything together! Plus, if you need an easy

en

16:19

How to Design Workflows That Enhance Your Client...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/03/19

This is the third episode of the Client Experience Series! Now that you’ve mapped out your client experience, it’s time to turn those steps into workflows inside your CRM. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to structure your workflows into phases, determine what should happen automatically versus manually, and set up the triggers that keep everything running smoothly. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode on mapping your client experience, go back and give it a listen first!Find it

en

11:58

From Touchpoints to Timelines: How to Begin Mapping...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/03/16

This is the second episode of the Client Experience Series. Today I'm sharing a breakdown of how to begin mapping your processes as the first step to create and implement your client experience inside your CRM. If you haven't listened to last week's episode on how to audit your current client experience, give it a listen and take my new CRM Self-Audit Quiz at coliejames.com/auditFind it Quickly:00:46- Recap on Client Experience Series Episode 12:01- Identify Your Touchpoints3:49- Required Action or

en

14:32

How to Improve Your Client Experience: A Breakdown of...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/03/06

If this is the year you're looking to improve your client experience, you've come to the right place! Auditing your systems and workflows is key to not only improving your experience, but optimizing and refreshing it year after year. To kick off our new client experience series on the podcast, I'm sharing a breakdown of my own audit process and what I'm looking for in your systems!Find it Quickly:00:29- Starting the Client Experience Audit1:19- Winter is Coming Series Recap5:17- Identifying Red

en

31:25

Applying for Grants & Overcoming Adversity with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/02/27

Beyond our careers, we're real humans experiencing real obstacles in our lives. Katrina joins us to share how a boudoir session helped her overcome a really dark and insecure time in her life, encouraging her to do the same for other women. Plus, listen in as she highlights how she's been awarded a few grant opportunities and why other creatives need to apply too!Today’s episode is brought to you by myClient Hub Templateinside the DIY Systems Template Shop. Business owners often have their client

en

38:23

Client Experience: The Secret to Building Loyalty...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/02/20

Are you relying on your clients to become repeat clients solely because they loved their images from their last shoot? Sometimes that's not enough—the key to client retention in a creative business is a well-crafted client experience. Natasha Sewell joins us to share how she's created an intentional workflow and client experience that bring customers back to her time and time again. Listen in as she highlights where you should share frequently asked questions, how optimizing contact forms creates a

en

47:25

How to Connect with Your Audience in their Inbox with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/02/13

When you sit down to write an email, do you find yourself staring at a blank screen lacking inspiration? Today's episode is meant to inspire you with tools and templates to help get out of your head and into the inboxes of your audience! In this episode, Hannah Davis joins me to talk about her preference for email marketing over social media, her process for writing newsletters, and how tools like templates and AI help her get started in content creation.Today’s episode is brought to you by

en

49:41

Transforming Networking into Genuine Connections for...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/02/06

Is networking a part of your business strategy this year? If it's never felt like the right move for your business, today's episode may change your mind. Master connector, Mikki Wilson, joins us to explore the importance of relationship marketing in growing a creative business, as opposed to traditional networking. Listen in as she shares practical strategies for effective networking, both in-person and online, the essence of maintaining a supportive community, and the need to build authentic

en

33:52

Building Your Content Strategy with the Marketing Jar...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/01/28

Does your marketing strategy and content fall flat? Maybe you struggle with knowing what to create. In today's episode, Dayna Schaaf of This Can't Be That Hard joins us to introduce The Marketing Jar, an analogy which categorizes marketing efforts into rocks, pebbles, sand, and water. Listen in as they share how prioritizing high-impact activities (rocks) and spreading them throughout the year while filling in with medium-impact (pebbles), foundational (sand), and daily tasks (water) can help

en

45:01

Building a Better Relationship with Money through...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/01/16

Do you struggle with understanding money? Maybe you're afraid to address it. In today's episode, Katherine Pomerantz joins us to highlight the complex relationship most entrepreneurs have with money. Listen in as she explains how to make financial management less daunting by viewing money as a storytelling medium and implementing rituals to ease the bookkeeping process.Today’s episode is brought to you by myClient Hub Templateinside the DIY Systems Template Shop. Business owners often have their

en

45:16

Strategic Business Planning for Productivity & Growth...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/01/09

Are you being intentional and strategic in planning for productivity and growth in your business? In today's episode, Jade Boyd joins us to discuss setting goals, maintaining your business, and the three key steps for achieving business success: clarity, systems, and maintenance.Today’s episode is brought to you by myClient Hub Templateinside the DIY Systems Template Shop. Business owners often have their client information spread across a variety of different tools, making it hard to access the

en

45:36

5 Key Metrics Every Business Owner Should Track with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2025/01/02

As we head into 2025, it is crucial to harness the power of data to streamline and enhance your business strategies. In this episode, Ally Anderson joins us again on the podcast to discuss the art of tracking vital metrics to drive your business growth and success. Whether you're a photographer, digital marketer, or any creative entrepreneur, understanding which numbers to track can significantly influence your path for the year ahead.Today’s episode is brought to you by myClient Hub Templateinside

en

17:53

How to Switch CRMs Without Sacrificing Your Sanity

Business-First Creatives ·

2024/12/31

In this solo episode of theBusiness-First Creativespodcast, host Colie James dives deep into the intricacies of switching Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. Drawing from her extensive experience as a photographer who has transitioned through multiple CRMs and as a strategist assisting other entrepreneurs, Colie offers invaluable insights into when it makes sense to switch CRMs, the challenges involved, and the steps to take for a smooth transition. Whether you're contemplating a switch

en

34:25

Alternative Streams of Income for Photographers with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2024/12/27

Diversifying your income and creating passive income is something we hear a lot about in the creative world. The best place to start is by creating alternative streams of income for your business and personal life. In today's episode, Lissa Chandler joins us to share how she is balancing service-based work with product sales, tackling SEO, and dealing with the impacts on her business post-pandemic. The conversation covers the realities behind passive income and the importance of aligning business

en

40:04

Creating Blog Posts for Your Client Experience with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2024/12/21

Are you using your blog for more than your SEO efforts? In today's episode, Jessie Andrew of Inkpot Creative joins us to highlight the value that blogging can provide to your overall client experience. Listen in as we chat through maximizing client experience through blog posts, finding content inspiration from FAQs, optimizing content for SEO, and the power of detailed location guides for photographers. Today’s episode is brought to you by my Content Organization Hub! If you are drowning in a sea

en

49:33

Crafting a Distinct Brand Voice that Matches You with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2024/12/18

Your brand has a voice, you just may not have identified it or honed in on it yet. In today's episode, Samantha Pollack joins us to share the value of crafting a distinct brand voice, how copywriters can help find and match your voice, and why you should integrate that voice through your messaging. Today’s episode is brought to you by myLove Your Leadsprivate audio training! Are you providing an experience for your leads that sets an expectation on when they’ll hear from you, provides them with

en

57:15

Leveraging Audio Podcasts for Entrepreneurs and...

Business-First Creatives ·

2024/11/28

Do you dream of launching a podcast? Maybe even starting with a private podcast? You've likely seen others do it and wondered if it's the right move for your business. In today's episode, Lindsay Padilla, cofounder of Hello Audio, joins us to share the benefits and strategies behind a podcasting, how to determine if a private or public feed is right for you, and some of the latest trends in the podcast industry. Plus, she's even sharing how she cofounded Hello Audio and the hurdles she faced along

en

45:57

SEO vs SSO: Why Your Online Presence Needs BOTH with...

Business-First Creatives ·

2024/11/21

Most entrepreneurs know about the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Optimization (SMO), but are you considering the role that Social Search Optimization (SSO) plays in your overall visibility online? In today's episode, Erin Ollila joins us to explore the benefits of optimizing for search across all platforms, along with the critical role social media plays in search queries. Listen in as she provides practical insights into optimizing social media profiles for enhanced

en

258 results

Similar Podcasts

TaxTalent.com The Golden Rule Podcast

Adam Golden

TaxTalent.com Podcast

Tony Santiago

Handelsblatt Crime - spannende Streitfälle der deutschen Wirtschaft

Ina Karabasz, Solveig Gode, Sönke Iwersen

Deffner und Zschäpitz – Der Wirtschafts-Talk von WELT

WELT

Black Box - La scatola nera della finanza

Guido Brera e Gian Luca Comandini -...