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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

37:14

365 - The Low-Ticket Lead-In

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/04/21

What if the most profitable thing in your business isn't your highest-priced offer? That's the question behind this episode - and the answer might surprise you. I brought in two photographers, Jenn Chen and Allison Maxwell, who have each built something I find genuinely fascinating: a lower-priced, accessible offer that sits at the front of their business and funnels clients into their higher-ticket work. Not as a loss leader or freebie, but as an actual profit center that also happens to gro...

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25:01

364 - Keeping More of What You Make

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/04/14

You know that moment when you look at your bank statement and realize you're still paying for software you stopped using three months ago? Yep. We've all been there. Profitability isn't just about what you charge - it's about what you keep. And for most photographers, there's money unnecessarily leaking out of the business every single month that a little attention could stop. In this episode, I'll walk you through my strategic approach to evaluating business expenses - not as a slash-and-bur...

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31:05

363 - There's More Than One Way to Win the Pricing Game

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/04/07

What if "Just raise your prices" is the wrong advice for right now? That's a question a lot of photographers have been sitting with lately - and honestly, it's one worth taking seriously. When budgets feel tight and bookings feel uncertain, the standard advice can start to feel a little tone-deaf. But here's the thing: there are real, strategic ways to increase your profitability without ever touching your prices. In this episode, I'm revisiting a framework I introduced way back in Episode 38...

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25:23

362 - The Wicked Witches of Business (Sales & Marketing)

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/03/31

What if the reason your marketing isn't converting has nothing to do with your content... and everything to do with the part that comes after it? In this episode, Annemie and Dayna get a little theatrical to break down one of the most important (and most avoided) distinctions in your business: the difference between marketing and selling, and why you genuinely can't have one without the other. Using Wicked as their framework, they make the case that Glinda (your marketing) gets all the love...

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38:21

361 - Eliminate your Marketing Speedbumps

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/03/24

Picture this: you're cruising down the highway, passing billboard after billboard without really registering any of them. Then hunger strikes, and suddenly that McDonald's sign is the only thing you can see. That's how marketing works: you're not introducing yourself once and hoping for the best. You're showing up again and again, so that when your client's _"I need a photographer!"_ moment finally hits, yours is the name that comes to mind. But here's the catch: even when someone is ready ...

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57:36

360 - SEO in the Age of AI with Corey Potter

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/03/17

For a long time, SEO gave us a set of rules to follow. There were a lot of rules, and following them all wasn't ever _simple_, but at least the playbook was fairly clear. These days, though, the landscape has shifted… With the proliferation of AI tools and search algorithms, the way people find information online is evolving quickly. The rules around SEO are changing as well, and many photographers are wondering what actually matters now. This week I’m joined by Corey Potter of Fuel Your Ph...

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51:03

359 - Big, Bold Marketing Moves

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/03/10

If you’re anything like most photographers, the thought of walking into a fundraiser, hosting an event, or introducing yourself at a networking mixer makes you want to put on your soft pants and climb back into bed. Which is exactly why I’m betting the rock quadrant of your marketing system is probably the one that needs the most attention. The truth is, in-person marketing can be one of the fastest ways to build real momentum in your business… but that requires finding opportunities that fe...

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36:48

358 - March Marketing Madness! Guest host: Dayna Schaaf

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/03/03

As the slow season fog lifts and spring energy kicks in, it can be tempting to try to chase the perfect marketing strategy… only to end up overwhelmed, second-guessing every move, and wondering why marketing always feels like a gamble. This month, we're doing something brand new on the podcast called March Marketing Madness, and for the first time ever, we have a guest host! This Can't Be That Hard's very own marketing director, Dayna (who many of you know from the Consistency Club) is takin...

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37:33

357 - Financial Organization: Peace of Mind is...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/02/24

If you want your photography to be more than a hobby, getting your finances organized isn’t just a “nice to have” - it’s the foundation for a profitable, sustainable business. If you’ve ever promised yourself that “next year will be different” when tax season rolls around, this episode is for you. Today, I’m joined by Tiffany Bastian, a no-nonsense accountant with over 20 years of experience who works exclusively with photographers across the US. Tiffany’s not a photographer herself, but she...

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51:25

356 - Internal Organization: Building Your Business...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/02/17

Organization is not just about what your clients see… it's also about how your business feels to you. In this episode, we dive deeper on our organization theme by looking at internal systems… the behind the scenes structure that keeps everything running smoothly. I’m joined by Stacey Rolfe of Tog Hub, who helps photographers build streamlined, sustainable systems inside their CRMs. Stacey shares why burnout isn't usually about talent or motivation; instead, it's about capacity. When your sche...

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47:29

355 - External Organization: The Secret to Client...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/02/10

Organization isn’t just about tidy desks and color coded planners… it’s about how your business feels to your clients. This episode is part two of our organization series, and we’re digging into external organization… the systems, workflows, and processes your clients experience from inquiry to delivery. I’m joined by systems strategist and photography specific VA Erin Wissig, whose work helps photographers take their workflows out of their heads and turn them into clear, repeatable systems. ...

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30:07

354 - The Importance of Organizing your Business with...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/02/03

What if the secret to a calmer, more creative business isn’t another color-coded planner or a prettier desk, but a system that actually works for you - quirks, chaos, and all? If you’ve ever felt like organization is just another thing on your to-do list (or that you’re “bad” at it), today's guest has a message you're going to want to hear. Ashley Rose of Systems Over Stress joins us to share her refreshingly real approach to organization - one that supports your creativity instead of adding ...

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18:30

353 - Building a Repeat and Referral System That...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/01/27

If you’ve been following along with our systems theme, you’ve already worked through marketing, sales, and fulfillment, the three core systems that can absolutely run your business. But even with those dialed in, many photographers still feel stuck on the income rollercoaster… great months followed by scary quiet ones. In this episode, we focus on the final piece of the puzzle: building a repeat and referral system that turns great client experiences into steady, predictable income. Instead o...

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33:17

Inquiries → Bookings → Happy Clients: Your Sales &...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/01/20

Last week, we talked about building a marketing system that helps you consistently attract new leads without burning out, but great marketing alone isn't enough. If inquiries aren’t converting into bookings, or bookings aren’t turning into great client experiences, your whole business starts to wobble. That’s why this week I’m zooming in on sales and fulfillment. Instead of chasing yeses or worrying about being pushy, I walk you through how to design a sales process that helps the right clien...

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27:15

351 - Showing Up Without Burning Out: Build a...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/01/13

If there is one thing that burns photographers out faster than almost anything else, it’s marketing. What is supposed to feel like connection often feels more like an endless cycle of posting, scrolling, and second guessing… all while the rules keep changing. In this episode, I’m kicking off our Systems Theme by talking about how to build a marketing system that actually feels like connection (and supports your business instead of draining it). We look at why chasing trends and algorithms isn...

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20:47

350 - Reflections, Milestones, and the Path Forward

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2026/01/06

We're kicking 2026 off with some big milestones around here! At the time this goes live, we're crossing the six year anniversary of the launch of Simple Sales and the almost six-year anniversary of the podcast. On top of that, we recently crossed half a million downloads AND this is episode 350! With all these stars aligning, it felt like the right time to pause, reflect, and make some intentional decisions about what comes next. In this special episode, I'm share why the mission behind This ...

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51:40

349 - Finding Freedom with Better Sales and Pricing

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/12/30

If you’ve ever felt stuck between pricing models or frustrated by sales systems that don’t quite fit, this episode will hit home. For our final episode of the year, I’m resharing a conversation I had with Jill Smith on The Business Focused Photographer Podcast about the story behind Simple Sales, how it came to be, and why it’s still the system that completely changed the way I run my photography business. We talked about bridging the gap between all inclusive and in person sales, how to rais...

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51:47

348 - Smarter, Simpler Marketing for Photographers...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/12/23

Marketing can feel like a mystery sometimes… especially when you’re trying to figure out what actually works versus what just burns time. This week, I’m resharing a conversation I had with Kim Box on The Motherhood Anthology Podcast where we talked about one of my favorite topics… marketing that actually moves the needle. We got into the difference between marketing tactics and marketing systems, how to balance consistency with creativity, and how to make your marketing feel more like flow an...

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44:17

347 - When Technology Meets Creativity with Colie James

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/12/16

AI is everywhere right now… and whether it excites you or makes you want to pull the covers over your head, it’s here to stay. This week, I’m resharing a conversation I had with my friend Colie James on her podcast Business First Creatives. Colie is one of those people who always gets my wheels turning, and this episode is a perfect example of that. We talked about how AI is showing up in our businesses, what it’s actually good for, and how photographers can use it to create content faster wi...

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32:04

346 - A Steadier Way to Grow Your Photography...

This Can"t Be That Hard ·

2025/12/09

Most photographers know the feast-or-famine feeling all too well… one month you’re booked solid, and the next you’re wondering where the next client will come from. In this week’s episode, I’m resharing a conversation I had with Kimberly Espinel on her podcast Eat, Capture, Share, where we dig into one of my favorite topics: building recurring revenue through a portrait membership. We talk about how the idea was born out of an ankle injury (yep, really), why recurring revenue has been the sin...

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366 results

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