Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Empowered Coaching Sessions with Jaime Bugbee King
94 Plays4 days ago
Episode Summary:
In this inspiring episode, Elena welcomes her first guest to the Empowered Coaching Sessions, Jaime Bugbee King, a Portland-area family photographer and educator. Jaime shares her powerful story of transitioning from a burnt-out dental hygienist to a thriving full-time photographer and business coach. Together, they explore how investing in education, embracing a luxury client experience, and building a reliable lead-generation system helped Jaime replace her salary and step confidently into her role as a creative entrepreneur.
Whether you're just starting out or feeling stuck in your growth, this conversation is a must-listen. You’ll walk away with encouragement, tangible marketing tips, and a reminder that you're capable of building something beautiful and profitable on your own terms.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why mindset and identity work are foundational to building a successful photography business
- How Jaime replaced her dental hygiene salary through intentional marketing and SEO
- Tips for transitioning from side-hustle to full-time photographer, and later into educator
Links & Resources:
Jaime Bugbee Photography on IG: @jaimebugbeephotography
Jaime Bugbee Photo Coach on IG: @jaimebugbeephotocoach
Jaime’s Education Website: https://www.jaimebugbee.com
Apply to the Elena S Blair Mastermind
Connect With Me:
Follow me on Instagram
Join my Facebook Community
Visit my Website for More!
Subscribe & Review:
If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review! Your support helps the podcast reach more photographers like you. 💛
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction of Jamie Bugbee King
00:00:01
Elena Blair
What's up everybody? Welcome to the Empowered Photographer Podcast. And this has been a solo show until today. um I'm so super excited to bring guests on, to start bringing on guests. And I wanted to start...
00:00:18
Elena Blair
with my mastermind community because we have grown. It is a movement. There are a lot of us now. And so I'm super excited to introduce Jamie Bugbee King, who is a family photographer based out of Portland, Oregon area. She actually lives in Washington and she has stepped into the educator space as well, which makes her a little nervous to say I can tell. So I am so excited to talk to you, Jamie. Welcome.
00:00:45
Jaime
Thank you. You too.
00:00:47
Elena Blair
and I wanted to
Early Struggles and Finding Direction
00:00:49
Elena Blair
remember what cohort you were in. Were you in cohort four?
00:00:53
Jaime
think it was in three or four.
00:00:54
Elena Blair
Yeah, okay. All right, cool. That's what I thought. and So I have a mastermind. Some of you probably already know that who are listening, which is a five-month group coaching experience. And Jamie was in cohort three or four. It's so long ago that we don't remember. And um so I wanted to just talk a little bit about that because I've seen you evolve and grow over the years now that we have you know become friends and now that you're part of the community.
00:01:18
Elena Blair
and So but tell me a little bit about who you were at that point in your business when you were like, OK, I am going to invest in a mastermind. I'm going to invest in coaching. Tell me about where you were at that part of your business.
00:01:33
Jaime
Uh, well, I was in a dark place. I think it was like my third year in and I knew enough to know i should be getting leads, but I wasn't. And I was feeling really frustrated and I had really been inspired by seeing you on Facebook. I think I took your posing course on creative live and then I just followed you and I was just like, oh my gosh, I just so related to you. So when I saw that you had your mastermind, I was like, you know, that might be a great fit for me. So I asked around, I joined and I was just feeling really lost and not sure where to go. And I also couldn't say i was a photographer. It made me want to vomit for some reason. I just got really scared to say that. And I needed somebody to give me permission to do it like that. It was okay to be a mom and follow your
Career Transition from Dental Hygiene to Photography
00:02:20
Jaime
dreams as well. And that it was okay. Cause I had a lot of guilt around it and I didn't have a lot of support for my family. So that was kind of hard.
00:02:27
Elena Blair
I want to touch on that. And actually, what's funny is that you feel weird saying you're an educator now, so you're stepping into it yet another identity, which is so common.
00:02:33
Jaime
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:02:36
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:02:37
Elena Blair
But I want to touch on that exact thing that you said, because it is super, super common for us. And it happened to me too to step into the role of photographer and feel so much imposter syndrome that we don't even feel comfortable saying it out loud. And I actually always tell people um in the mastermind, I probably said this, like, you have to just say, I'm a photographer, I'm an artist, and get used to it saying it.
00:03:03
Elena Blair
Even just stepping into that identity really makes a major shift. And ah something that i don't talk about publicly a lot, that the mastermind is a lot of mindset work, a lot of nervous system work, a lot of inner work.
00:03:16
Elena Blair
Because if you don't believe in yourself, you can't ever expect anyone to believe in you. And it takes a lot.
00:03:21
Jaime
Right.
00:03:22
Elena Blair
So you also had a career. You were a dental hygienist, correct?
00:03:26
Jaime
Yeah, I was. um At that time, I think I was 15 years in and maybe 20 years into the dental field, but ah very burnout and having my first son and really struggling with postpartum depression. That's when i I picked up my camera again. I felt like myself and I was like, you know, I've I've put this away and I thought I couldn't do it. But I really he really. um I don't know. He just unveiled this new person and um that's when I was ready to like dive in and I really wanted to leave dental hygiene because I wanted to create my own schedule and be more present
Strategic Planning for Career Shift
00:03:59
Jaime
with him.
00:03:59
Elena Blair
Yeah. And you have left dental hygiene since, correct?
00:04:02
Jaime
I did. Yeah, finally. Yeah.
00:04:03
Elena Blair
Yeah, I know. remember that was a goal we were working on in the Mastermind.
00:04:06
Jaime
Yeah.
00:04:06
Elena Blair
yeah and Well, similar.
00:04:07
Jaime
C'est
00:04:08
Elena Blair
I actually just shared about so the similar story on Instagram yesterday because I did my son's high school senior photos and it was like, holy holy cow.
00:04:16
Jaime
ça?
00:04:18
Elena Blair
Like I started to be a photographer. I became a photographer because of him, and because I same, you know, you have this little person that you
00:04:21
Jaime
Yeah.
00:04:27
Elena Blair
you want to remember every detail, you want to capture every detail. That's such a common place. And I i think that it used to be, and I think there still is some negative connotation around the phrase mom with camera, like, oh, you're just a mom with a camera.
00:04:40
Elena Blair
But I always say like, well, yeah, I'm a mom with a camera who turned it into a multiple six-figure business. And It it gives us we're so well positioned to be family photographers when we start by photographing our own kids, because that is literally the most perfect place to practice when you are trying to make this into a business.
00:04:53
Jaime
Yeah.
00:05:00
Elena Blair
And but it's that shift of of going from this is my hobby to wait. This is my. Something that can make money. And then where you were, and I was there as a nurse too. So I started and I was a nurse and I was like, there's gotta to be more. I can't be working 12 hour night shifts for the rest of my life. Like there's gotta be more.
00:05:19
Elena Blair
And then it's like switching from that identity and you're like, can I actually replace my salary?
00:05:25
Jaime
Uh-huh.
00:05:25
Elena Blair
and um And that's something we worked on with you in the mastermind. We got really strategic about that.
00:05:29
Jaime
Uh-huh.
00:05:30
Elena Blair
So talk about that that process. because it's But if you're listening to this if you're listening to this and you're thinking, there's no way my photography business could replace my salary, I'm here to tell you that it can.
00:05:42
Elena Blair
I've seen it replace doctor's salaries before, ah pharmacists in the program, accountants, and then you know dental hygienists. You're not my first dental hygienist. nurses, teaching salaries. it's it It's so profitable when done with strategy. So talk about how how you did that, how you phased it out.
00:06:01
Jaime
Um, well, it took
Embracing Photography Full-Time
00:06:03
Jaime
a lot of strategy and a lot of time and some patience. So I was, like I was kind of like building the plane as I was learning to fly. Right. So taking courses, taking your course, working on my mindset, I invested in a lot of education. I worked on how to get leads better. And then slowly, but surely that started to pay off and compound.
00:06:24
Jaime
And ah I think it was, well, during COVID, I'd switched jobs and I was working 12 hour shifts and I really loved this new job that I had, but I quickly realized like my body was like, you are not doing this for much longer. So I took another job and it I didn't like love it at first. It was super slow, but then I realized like, okay, I think this is my stepping stone to walk away. Like it was just like, you know how you say the universe really just like works it out. Like I really felt like,
00:06:52
Jaime
You know, it was like my calling and like God was like, this is your way out. Okay. So I was like, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to embrace this. So with that job, like literally my patients just started to cancel that, that office got sold and a a new owner came in. And although I really loved it there, I was very ready to leave.
00:07:09
Jaime
And it just slowly kind of like went away in a way. It was so weird. So I learned, it was like training wheels. Like I was learning to live without that slowly. And then one day I just jumped and it was terrifying.
00:07:23
Jaime
um But it was also like one of, I'll never forget it.
00:07:23
Elena Blair
Mm-hmm.
00:07:27
Jaime
It was like one of the best days of my life. Yeah.
00:07:30
Elena Blair
I know that feeling. and and And I think people who are listening will also understand that. And a lot of people, myself included, you hold on to the quote unquote safe job because it's, and you know, there is safety to it.
00:07:36
Jaime
Yeah.
00:07:45
Elena Blair
It's a paycheck that comes every month or every two weeks. And for me, it was benefits too. I, um I was the benefit holder in my family. So when I went full-time as a photographer, I had to get personal insurance, which, know,
00:07:58
Elena Blair
seemed really scary and is expensive. But but I was a but then I was able to make so much more money that it didn't matter.
00:08:02
Jaime
it is.
00:08:07
Elena Blair
And it
Business Sustainability and Profitability
00:08:08
Jaime
Yeah.
00:08:08
Elena Blair
I had to prove that to myself, though.
00:08:10
Elena Blair
Like I i was like, OK, in this first I remember I told my ex-husband, I said, I'm going to give it six months. And if I can if I can keep this pace for that six months,
00:08:21
Elena Blair
we're good. If I can't, I promise I'll go back to being a nurse because we arere we're we're a two income family, always have been.
00:08:25
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:08:27
Elena Blair
And um i I mean, the rest is history.
00:08:28
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:08:31
Elena Blair
I never had to go back to being a nurse. it was it It's almost like when you when you quit the job, and I actually i never advise the for somebody in the mastermind to just quit your job. i we We make ah a plan, like a step-by-step plan to tip for income to be steady and for you to have all of that in place.
00:08:46
Elena Blair
but um But when you do, when you finally do, you get there's that time part there too. You're able to give your business the attention that it needs to really grow, to really thrive.
00:08:59
Elena Blair
And I think there's a little bit of the like, well, this has to work now. And i and and and that that but that lights a fire under your butt and makes you even more professional and yeah, more motivated.
00:09:07
Jaime
Oh, yeah.
00:09:10
Jaime
Yeah, like I had a physical response when you said that, like, it's still i feel like i I literally felt like I was jumping off a cliff, like I got chills and my stomach dropped. And I mean, it was just like, it was terrifying. But it was also like, so amazing. I felt like one of those eagles that were like let out of a cage after they've been rehabbed or something and they fly out into the wilderness. I mean, it just felt so freeing.
00:09:34
Elena Blair
Oh my God, that's awesome.
00:09:34
Jaime
that I did because it was such hard work, but it was worth it. And i wondered for so many years and every late night, like, is this even worth it? And it was. Mm-hmm.
00:09:45
Elena Blair
Wow. I love that that description.
00:09:47
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:09:47
Elena Blair
that's a That's really actually pretty powerful. You felt like an eagle. Like, wow. It's exhilarating.
00:09:51
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:09:52
Elena Blair
It's really exhilarating. You know, one, just kind of going off topic because that's how I am, but...
00:09:57
Jaime
but
00:09:57
Elena Blair
and In the last year, we've had two really close people in our life get fired, get laid off from i very safe jobs.
00:10:06
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:10:09
Elena Blair
And and i um I said to my husband, I said, it's such a reminder to me when I see that happen that like I can never get fired or laid off.
00:10:20
Elena Blair
Like I'm in control.
00:10:20
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:10:21
Elena Blair
And there's a... there's a ah ah you know, there's a lot of pressure that we put on ourselves when that's the case as well. But there's also so much freedom in that. Like there's so much freedom in that.
00:10:31
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:10:32
Elena Blair
And I think that when you're going into becoming a business owner, especially like an artist, a photographer, you don't, you you feel like it's the unsafe choice, but when you reflect, and then when you become an experienced photographer, I've been doing this 15 years, you realize it is so reliable, so safe.
00:10:50
Elena Blair
It's, It's so much, i don't know, it's very it's a very full circle thing when you realize that, but but it is scary. It is scary.
00:10:57
Jaime
Oh, it's terrifying. Yeah.
00:10:59
Elena Blair
Yeah. And it's in its pressure.
00:11:00
Jaime
Yeah.
00:11:00
Elena Blair
you know There's definitely that pressure we put on ourselves. It's like, okay, I got i got to keep this income up.
00:11:04
Jaime
Yeah.
00:11:04
Elena Blair
I've got to make sure i keep working.
00:11:06
Jaime
Yeah, I mean, it's not for everybody. And I understand that. And I do understand, like wanting to just go to a job and clock out like there is there is something nice about that. But it's not for me. Like,
00:11:18
Jaime
I mean, I'm go-getter. I'm like, I'm going to do this no matter what it takes and I'm going to figure it out. And I'm also
SEO and Website Optimization Strategies
00:11:25
Jaime
stubborn. So I think that's really helped a lot. And I was like, I'm going to figure this out.
00:11:29
Jaime
And I have, and it's paying off and it's, it's so much more rewarding. I'm just so much happier.
00:11:35
Elena Blair
Yeah.
00:11:36
Jaime
Yeah.
00:11:37
Elena Blair
Yeah, for sure. and So tell me about your business now. So we that if you were cohort four, that was a few years ago.
00:11:45
Jaime
Yep. Yep.
00:11:47
Elena Blair
um Gosh, how many years? That might have been three years ago. But ah yeah, it's crazy.
00:11:50
Jaime
Yeah, maybe even longer. I think it it was a while ago. Yeah.
00:11:54
Elena Blair
So a lot's changed since then. once then you had You were still working, obviously, ah but like we've been talking about. But what do you think... Other than believing in yourself, which if you're listening to this, that's like the first step in making this reality.
00:12:06
Jaime
Yeah.
00:12:07
Elena Blair
You have to be like, I'm going to decide that I'm going to believe in myself. But other let's move into a little bit of strategy or a little bit of tips for somebody who's listening.
00:12:10
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:12:15
Elena Blair
What do you think that you did to make it so that it was a reliable year round revenue stream to be a photographer? What worked?
00:12:25
Jaime
Well, like you said, your mindset for sure. But after that, I would say how to get leads, how to get leads consistently and how to nurture them into a client. And that took a lot of trial and error. And I got there and I'll always be learning and I'll always be perfecting it, which I think is a good sign because it shows I care and I want to do a really good job.
00:12:46
Jaime
But that completely changed my business and really stepping into the role of like, I'm a luxury photographer and not like feeling bad about that. And I realize everybody has a different, you know, description of that. But to me, I'm like, I'm a luxury family photographer and I serve clients in that way. And I want them to feel and Z when they're done. so really stepping into that role and not apologizing for it and not feeling bad about charging what I need to charge to make a profit, not my worth,
00:13:14
Jaime
what i need to do to make a profit and leave that job and be able to actually run a profitable business and not feeling bad about it. Yeah.
00:13:25
Elena Blair
Yeah, so much to touch on there. that the The word and of the hour that you just said is so important is profit. a lot of And I actually hate the phrase charge your worth because...
00:13:37
Jaime
Yeah.
00:13:38
Elena Blair
That's putting our worth on a number, which is not, you know, that anyway, i won I won't get too mindset-y about it. But that it's not about, our businesses are very emotional, of course, because they're us. But when we're talking about pricing and profitability, it's just a number.
00:13:56
Jaime
Yeah.
00:13:56
Elena Blair
it's ah It's a neutral thing. And and you there is that when you go from all of us, by the way, start charging too little.
00:13:58
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:14:05
Elena Blair
And we're you know, I always tell my mastermind students, I'm like, you need to know what you're making hourly. And if you're making minimum wage like this is not a real business like you you have to be profitable.
00:14:15
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:14:16
Elena Blair
And that number is literally different for everybody. But. You said something so perfect there that you you figure that number out and then you have to be willing to ask for it and feel ah confident in that.
00:14:29
Jaime
Uh-huh. Uh-huh. huh
00:14:32
Elena Blair
So why do you think that shifted for you? Why do you think you were like, you were like okay, I'm luxury. i can do this.
00:14:40
Jaime
oh Well, for one, I realized what I would need to charge, I would probably have to really speak to that kind of client, somebody that actually had that budget. um But also, like just knowing what what it costs for me to do it, I didn't feel so bad anymore. I was like, oh, my gosh, like I'm literally not making any money when I'm charging this.
00:15:01
Jaime
And now that I'm offering this type of experience, this is what I'll need to charge. And I think also it helps too, when you're getting leads, you're not so like stuck on the one that you get randomly. You're not like, oh, I really need them to book. You're like, if they book, great. And I want to nurture them to do that, but I want it to be the right fit as well.
00:15:20
Jaime
And knowing you're going have more people through your pipeline, I think it relieves a lot of pressure. Mm-hmm.
00:15:25
Elena Blair
Yes, it 100% does. um I was on a coaching call earlier today and we were talking about email strategy. And um when you have when you have a way to market your business that's reliable, you don't panic market anymore and you and you and you're not attached.
00:15:47
Elena Blair
A lot of photographers believe that the reason they're not getting bookings is because of their pricing. And if you're listening, It's never your pricing.
00:15:54
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:15:57
Elena Blair
that In fact, most people that inquire haven't even looked at your pricing.
00:16:02
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:16:02
Elena Blair
It's actually a marketing issue, which is, yet Jamie's using the word leads, and that's what that means. It means that people are coming to you to want to work with you.
00:16:13
Elena Blair
um So I know because I know what you're teaching, but talk a little bit about how your your favorite and most reliable way to get those leads. Yeah.
00:16:22
Jaime
My website, for sure. I get 99.9% of my inquiries and conversions through my website. I do get some on social media. i will say ah more of them are kind of price shopping or they're not within that budget, but that's not everybody. But most of them come through my website.
00:16:41
Elena Blair
who And again, something that you've probably heard me say if you've been a podcast listener is that what I teach in the Mastermind and what Jamie is saying right now is that the most effective marketing efforts that there are are the ones that you have control over.
00:16:57
Elena Blair
And you have no control over the social media algorithms, literally none.
00:16:57
Jaime
Right.
00:17:01
Jaime
Okay.
00:17:02
Elena Blair
And you're you're there to make meta money.
00:17:06
Jaime
Okay.
00:17:07
Elena Blair
That's all there is to it. But your website and your email list, you own those things. And if you are able, so what what you have said that I wanna touch on here is you use the word luxury, which I love. and um And I think when people think of luxury, they're thinking of like,
00:17:25
Elena Blair
Martha Stewart, you know, like they're thinking of like a ah how it how the work looks, which is partial, partially it. But it's a lot of it. A lot of it is the experience that you provide, the high end experience that you provide that creates that luxury business that you get, you know, the higher prices and you get people who when you get into a higher price point to people that are willing to pay more value your business more.
00:17:53
Jaime
Oh, absolutely.
00:17:54
Elena Blair
They value your work more.
00:17:54
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:17:56
Elena Blair
And so it's a higher quality pool. And there's no shame in the early days when you're charging too little. We all do it.
00:18:02
Jaime
Right.
00:18:03
Elena Blair
But you you do get to the point where you're like, okay, I i don't want to i don't want to be making pennies anymore.
00:18:03
Jaime
Yep.
00:18:07
Jaime
Right. Yeah.
00:18:11
Elena Blair
um
00:18:11
Jaime
right
00:18:12
Elena Blair
So your website, for any of you who are listening, when she's saying that she's getting conversions that way, it's because she has something called SEO, good search engine optimization.
Client Engagement and Marketing Funnel
00:18:23
Elena Blair
So um which is something that we go over heavily in the mastermind because I think it's so important.
00:18:29
Jaime
yeah
00:18:29
Elena Blair
Good search engine optimization, if just if you're listening and you're wondering what what why this would be worth your time. So when you post something on Instagram, 1% to 3% of your followers see it. And if that's all that sees it, you're doing great. You're you're killing it. If you show up on page one or two of Google, sixty it's i think it's who see your listing your website will click the link.
00:18:59
Jaime
Nice.
00:19:00
Elena Blair
it's it's like why are we It's funny that we're all so obsessed with social media because those numbers those numbers just like do the talking. like Why would you spend? And once you get good SEO, it's like an engine.
00:19:12
Elena Blair
It just works.
00:19:13
Jaime
Well, not only that, like, you know, think about it. Like if you have a mom on Instagram, she's scrolling versus like, she's typing in, I want this service. She's in a buyer mindset versus a scrolling mindset.
00:19:26
Jaime
So that's why I tell people all the time.
00:19:26
Elena Blair
Mm-hmm.
00:19:27
Jaime
That's what I've learned is that you want to, you want to be right in front of them when they're ready to buy.
00:19:33
Elena Blair
Yeah, exactly. theyre They are literally looking for the service that you have, the service that you have to offer.
00:19:41
Jaime
Yeah.
00:19:41
Elena Blair
And when you have good SEO, you're being found for the exact service that you offer.
00:19:46
Jaime
Yeah.
00:19:47
Elena Blair
Mm-hmm.
00:19:48
Jaime
Yeah. It almost feels illegal. It's like amazing.
00:19:51
Elena Blair
Yeah, it's free. And it and i ah i never recommend I've never spent money on ads for my photography business. And i you don't need it. You don't have to spend money on ads if you have good SEO.
00:20:01
Jaime
Thank
00:20:03
Elena Blair
Do you also have an email strategy or are you all about SEO?
00:20:06
Jaime
you. I, well, I call it kind of like an ecosystem. I don't know if that's the right word, but I feel like it's a full circle. So it's one thing to like get them to inquire and get to your website and click there, but it's another like now they're off your site. What does that look like after that? How are you nurturing them when they first inquire? What's that workflow look look like? As well as getting people on my email list after that or before they inquire, giving them opt-ins and freebies, things like that.
00:20:34
Jaime
And then offering them value. not I'm not saying give away free advice all the time, but connecting with them as a human, knowing that you're real, sharing the same struggles that they do and talking to them via email and just keeping top of mind.
00:20:49
Jaime
So I always tell people like, if you're going to email a market, at least try to do it once a month, but I do it more often. And i do i do see a huge benefit in that. So it's a whole system that I have in a funnel, but You know, when I first started, I didn't have that all on it I was still getting booked.
00:21:05
Elena Blair
Yeah. Yep. Love, love all that. It is a, it is an ecosystem. It's an, I call it a, um, an engine, a marketing engine.
00:21:13
Jaime
Yeah.
00:21:14
Elena Blair
And, um, And so for us, it's very similar. And by the way, if you're listening and you're in like the first year, and one thing that Jamie said that I want you to remember is that you have to have a little patience.
00:21:26
Elena Blair
There is no such thing as an overnight success.
00:21:27
Jaime
Cool.
00:21:29
Elena Blair
She doesn't exist. The people that you see are successful have put the work in.
00:21:31
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:21:33
Elena Blair
But if you've been in business for a couple of years, you already have these people that you have worked with already.
00:21:43
Elena Blair
And those people can be the foundation of your revenue. So my business and I have 15 years of business now, so I've photographed thousands of families. But but It's since my my 11 year old was a baby, I started using an email, a strategic email strategy. So 11 years.
00:22:05
Elena Blair
And that was when I started booking my calendar out a year in advance with repeat clients. And so now where I am in my business. my SEO books, my associate, but i don't take I don't have to take new clients anymore because I have all these people that I've worked with year after year. and I think what client longevity, like you're talking you're using really great marketing words that some people maybe don't understand, but like nurturing and ah creating a great client experience and having a reliable business is an underutilized marketing tool because what people...
00:22:39
Elena Blair
are obsessed with we all are but especially photographers is new leads new clients new clients new clients new clients and they're like screaming at the internet like i will you know i want every person in my in the world to see my stuff and to reach out to me when you're a local service provider as a photographer you don't need thousands of leads you just need a full-time photographer needs 50 to 150 people a year that's
00:23:01
Jaime
right.
00:23:07
Elena Blair
a very small amount of people. And so when you already but have them in your world and you email market to them, it's like, I don't have to market my family photography business at all anymore. um I don't use social media for marketing my family photography business at all. It's all from website. And then when, once they become clients, then i remarket to them with my email list. It's really that simple.
00:23:31
Elena Blair
And I think that that's, it's just not sexy. People want to show up on social media.
00:23:35
Jaime
Oh, I'm into that. I say that all the time. It's the unsexy stuff that's going to grow your business. That'll move the needle.
00:23:40
Elena Blair
Yeah, exactly.
00:23:41
Jaime
Yeah. Right.
00:23:43
Elena Blair
Exactly. Those are the ones that are still in business all the all the years later that have that are not trying to go viral, not trying to be famous on Instagram. And I do know you know some people really rely on it and it works for them, but I personally just don't like to rely on something that I'm not in control over.
00:23:57
Jaime
great
00:24:01
Elena Blair
Yeah.
00:24:02
Jaime
Yeah, same. It's never really worked that well for me. I mean, I use it now for different strategies, but not to generate new leads for family photography.
00:24:11
Elena Blair
Exactly.
Becoming an SEO Educator
00:24:12
Elena Blair
Exactly. Okay. So tell me what's going on in your world now. You've stepped into your full-time photographer. you like Congratulations on leaving your hygiene job.
00:24:23
Elena Blair
I know that that it sounds like that was just like such a turning point for you.
00:24:25
Jaime
Yeah.
00:24:27
Elena Blair
And now you're now you're educating.
00:24:27
Jaime
It was.
00:24:29
Elena Blair
So talk about what you're educating about.
00:24:32
Jaime
So I'm educating photographers, mostly family photographers, but some branding photographers on SEO and how to rank better on Google for their website. But not only that, it's about stepping into the role of like the CEO of your business, charging more, creating that luxury client experience. And then after they are into your workflow, what does that look like in your email nurture sequence?
00:24:56
Elena Blair
Amazing. So all the business practices is what you're helping with.
00:24:58
Jaime
Yeah.
00:24:59
Elena Blair
Amazing.
00:24:59
Jaime
mahu
00:25:00
Elena Blair
Good. Well, you're obviously you're obviously really good at it
00:25:01
Jaime
Yeah.
00:25:04
Jaime
Yeah, it's funny. I hated SEO and it felt like this mathematical equation that I could never figure out. And I kind of joke, like I came into this space kicking and screaming, like I absolutely hated it and it didn't make any sense to me. But one day I just decided, I'm like, obviously this is a thing that I'm going to have to learn so I can either learn it and dive in or I can nod and feel frustrated.
00:25:28
Jaime
So I spent about two years really diving into it and just becoming totally obsessed with it And then I couldn't shut up about it. And my husband's like, i have heard enough.
00:25:39
Jaime
I think that you need to help people do this and you should teach it.
00:25:44
Elena Blair
Oh my God, that's awesome.
00:25:44
Jaime
Yeah.
00:25:44
Elena Blair
That's amazing.
00:25:44
Jaime
yeah Yeah.
00:25:47
Elena Blair
It's another calling. Becoming an educator is ah is a second calling. um And some of you are listening to this are probably curious about that. i And I think it then it it kind of brings up a whole new level of imposter syndrome.
00:25:59
Elena Blair
So it's like now, okay, I've accepted that I'm a photographer, but am I one that can actually help people? And then that's that's a whole other a whole other can of worms that you have to work through.
00:26:10
Jaime
Yeah.
00:26:11
Elena Blair
Yeah, but it's very rewarding when you step into the educator space. And I mean, you know, because you've been one of my students, but it's very rewarding to see somebody figure something out because of you, to see somebody have a breakthrough, to see somebody.
00:26:28
Elena Blair
And for me, I'm obsessed with the business side of photography.
00:26:28
Jaime
yeah
00:26:31
Elena Blair
I i love helping people, mostly women. I have men in my group, too, but I love helping women. step into that role of business owner, CEO, taking it seriously and really thriving in that space.
00:26:43
Jaime
Oh, Yeah.
00:26:48
Elena Blair
Because I think that a lot of a lot of the women that take my mastermind, and i like I said, I do have men, but a lot of the women They come in in the mindset that you were in. They don't really they don't really believe in themselves. they They also feel some of them will be like, well, my my husband makes the money and I'm just doing this on the side. And I'm like, you still should take it seriously, though. You still should own that that power that you now have to create income for yourself and to contribute in a real way to your family.
00:27:18
Elena Blair
And it's such an it's such a cool shift to see.
00:27:18
Jaime
Yeah.
00:27:20
Elena Blair
It's so rewarding for me when I see people like you who went from struggling, had another job to like thriving, now stepping into the educator space. like i It's such a sense of pride for me.
00:27:30
Elena Blair
And I'm sure you're seeing that as well.
00:27:31
Jaime
yeah
00:27:32
Elena Blair
When you help somebody have that that shift, it's like,
00:27:35
Jaime
Oh, yeah. And I don't think people realize how close they are. It's like they're behind this like very light veil. And if once you raise it and they're like, oh, my gosh, it was right there.
00:27:46
Jaime
And you're like, it was right there. You just needed somebody to show you in a different way or a different perspective or even give you permission to look, you know, so to speak. So it's so rewarding.
00:27:54
Elena Blair
Mm-hmm.
00:27:55
Jaime
And yes, I am totally a result of you. yeah. I just, I tell people all the time, I would not be where I am today if I had not found you for sure.
00:28:07
Jaime
Cause I needed, I needed somebody to say, you have permission to do this. It was like, that was the door that opened. And then I walked through and like, of course there were other things that I've learned, but I needed that door open first.
00:28:19
Elena Blair
Yeah, totally. it Sometimes it just takes like another thing I always say is like you can self teach yourself like you there are now more than ever endless amounts of education out there.
00:28:33
Jaime
Right.
00:28:34
Elena Blair
But when you're when you're consuming only the free stuff that's out there. there there there comes a place almost where it's like you can only go so far without like a system, without strategy.
00:28:45
Jaime
Right.
00:28:47
Elena Blair
And I have a coach now. I always have a coach. But when when you have somebody that's not in your brain, looking at your business, looking at your work, looking at your processes, they can see it differently than you can.
00:28:57
Jaime
Right.
00:29:02
Elena Blair
And it's just like a therapist, right? Or, you know, whatever, like they they they see it differently than you.
00:29:06
Jaime
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:29:07
Elena Blair
And you're like, oh, how did I not realize that on my own? But you just needed that support. And that's the that's the thing about coaching. That's like that or education in general, that support is so, so valuable.
00:29:20
Jaime
Yeah. And you've been where they're at. Like, you're like, I've been exactly where you're at. I understand.
00:29:23
Elena Blair
Yeah.
00:29:24
Jaime
And having somebody get that is so important because they can relate. And you talk about expanders, how, you know, being around people that are doing what you you, they're doing what you want to do and watching them, you know, like that was always huge for me too.
00:29:39
Jaime
It's like just watching other people that were like me doing it. I'm like, well, if they can do it, you know, maybe I could do it.
00:29:47
Elena Blair
Right. Yeah. That's the community aspect. When you're and also in a group program, like in my mastermind, the when you're in a a room, it's a Zoom room, but when you're in a room with 20 other people who are committing to their goals, you're like, well, I guess I better commit to mine.
00:30:00
Jaime
um
00:30:04
Elena Blair
There's like that. There's that accountability part that comes in for sure.
00:30:05
Jaime
Yeah.
00:30:07
Jaime
Yeah.
00:30:08
Elena Blair
It's like.
00:30:08
Jaime
Yeah. I still talk to the photographers that I was in your cohort with. I mean, we still chat here and there and feel like we're kind of bonded for life after that.
00:30:14
Elena Blair
hmm.
00:30:17
Elena Blair
Yeah, you get really you get really, really close.
00:30:17
Jaime
Yeah.
00:30:19
Elena Blair
You get very close.
00:30:19
Jaime
Yeah.
00:30:21
Elena Blair
Oh, I love all this. i love I love hearing how successful it's been for you, though. That's really amazing. Because I remember that you were that you were working still and trying to leave that behind. And that is such a huge, such a huge shift in life.
00:30:31
Jaime
Yeah.
00:30:33
Jaime
have
00:30:33
Elena Blair
um So talking about that one, before we round this out, just to give people inspiration, how...
00:30:35
Jaime
to
00:30:43
Elena Blair
were you able to match your salary, double your salary? What does it look like?
00:30:49
Jaime
Well, I matched my salary last year, so that was the first year i was full time. And then this year I'll probably surpass it, not by a lot, but a little bit, but I've matched my salary. So I've, I've, I'm happy.
00:30:59
Elena Blair
Amazing.
00:31:01
Jaime
That's what I've asked for. Of course, now I have way different goals. um But yeah, I mean, I'm, I'm doing it. I will, I will say to be totally transparent, I did go back to hygiene last winter because I knew I would slow down and I, I just wasn't there yet.
00:31:17
Jaime
I didn't know what is that going to look like. So I covered somebody's maternity leave two days a week, And the good thing about that is it was like the final nail in the coffin for me. i was like, I'm ready.
00:31:30
Jaime
I can do this.
00:31:30
Elena Blair
Yeah.
00:31:31
Jaime
I'm ready to go. it was like that training wheels thing again, where I was like, oh, it's the winner. And I don't know if I can do it. And, and this year I'm doing it. So, you know, I did, I did have to go back a little bit, but it was like just one more lesson I needed to have before I was like, totally just done.
00:31:49
Elena Blair
Yeah. Wow. Congratulations.
00:31:51
Jaime
Thank you.
00:31:52
Elena Blair
That's amazing.
Community and Growth Opportunities
00:31:53
Elena Blair
That is it's, it's ah it's going to be very inspiring for people who are listening, because I think, you know, when you hear someone like me, I feel like I'm becoming an old person in the industry.
00:32:02
Elena Blair
And when I talk about it it's like, well, you have 15 years in, like, how can this work for me?
00:32:04
Jaime
Mm-hmm.
00:32:07
Elena Blair
But it it does. And um it works for people over and over again. And the last the last aspect of this that I that i want to bring in, that's sort of tying into the education piece, is that I, you know, and i believe so wholeheartedly and in community over competition because i i think that there's this, there's this, uh,
00:32:31
Elena Blair
I don't know what the word would be. I want to say myth, but there's this it's almost like a belief in the industry that it's too saturated. By the way, when I opened the doors to my business in 2010, everyone was saying it was too saturated.
00:32:38
Jaime
Yeah.
00:32:43
Elena Blair
So it's a tale as old as time.
00:32:44
Jaime
Yep.
00:32:45
Elena Blair
Right. And what I have found over and over again is that there is plenty of business for every person who wants to be a photographer.
00:32:56
Jaime
Yeah.
00:32:56
Elena Blair
Plenty. And you just have to know who you want to work with and be micro-focused on that. And once you figure that out, it becomes so easy. Like my best friends, I have best friends in Seattle.
00:33:06
Jaime
you know
00:33:09
Elena Blair
We're we're we're essentially competing for the same people. And we all have thriving businesses. i've had I have multiple mastermind members who live in Seattle who are now making six figures as photographers.
00:33:23
Elena Blair
I trained them. They're they're basically going for my business. you know not Not exactly, but you know what i mean?
00:33:28
Jaime
Yeah.
00:33:28
Elena Blair
It doesn't matter.
00:33:28
Jaime
Yeah.
00:33:29
Elena Blair
it doesn't matter. There's so much room for all of us.
00:33:32
Jaime
Yeah, I think people think you have to have this huge like influx and really you just need a tiny slice of this pie, this huge pie. And the more the better you get it speaking to that ideal client who you really want to work with, then you realize even more like this is my person and that's their person. And even if you're serving the same person, there's more than enough.
00:33:53
Elena Blair
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Well, very inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story. Is there anything else that you would like to share with the listeners?
00:34:04
Jaime
um Well, I just, I always sing your praises and i always highly recommend your mastermind. And I just am so grateful that I ran into you when I did. And it's, you know, I say it's the algorithm when I saw your course and all of that. And I, I would not be where I am today if I didn't have that permission to do that. and just give yourself permission to like do it.
00:34:26
Jaime
And even when people are saying like, that's not going to work or, You're not going to make any money doing that or you can't do that. You can. And don't don't argue with them. Just go do it.
00:34:37
Elena Blair
Yeah, prove them wrong.
00:34:38
Jaime
but
00:34:39
Elena Blair
Prove them wrong.
00:34:39
Jaime
Yep.
00:34:40
Elena Blair
i think um I think one of the, ah you know you're an educator now too, i think people are afraid to invest in themselves.
00:34:46
Jaime
Oh, absolutely.
00:34:48
Elena Blair
I think that
00:34:49
Jaime
um oh absolutely
00:34:50
Elena Blair
And especially when you're especially when you're in those first few years where you're like, God, but am I going to ever actually make money doing this? Like I'm in this feast or famine mode. I feel like I have one month where I make $5,000, one month where I make zero.
00:35:06
Elena Blair
Last year I made $10,000 total. How can I actually invest? And the truth is, and ah this is i I practice what I preach, I have invested in very expensive coaching.
00:35:16
Elena Blair
And every time it feels very scary.
00:35:16
Jaime
Same.
00:35:20
Jaime
Yep.
00:35:21
Elena Blair
And it feels like a risk. And every single time, who I am like a year later, even if I couldn't see it happening at the time, who I am a year later and what I'm doing and what I'm making, far surpassed that investment, like so much.
00:35:36
Jaime
Oh yeah.
00:35:37
Elena Blair
But it is a scary thing to do. get it. is and
00:35:39
Jaime
It is.
00:35:40
Elena Blair
and i get it
00:35:40
Jaime
It's like jumping off a cliff and you're paying the person to catch you. and I know it's scary, but I've invested over $30,000 since I've taken your course and ah it's over different things, but I've been so happy to do that. And I would have never done that again. Like if if I didn't have someone, on you telling me like, you know, you can do that.
00:36:04
Jaime
Okay. And it's scary every time, but it's, it's been amazing.
00:36:05
Elena Blair
Yeah.
00:36:07
Elena Blair
Yeah.
00:36:11
Elena Blair
Yeah. Well, where can people find you?
00:36:14
Jaime
So that they can find me on two different places, Jamie Bugbee photography on Instagram, as well as I think I'm Jamie Bugbee photo coach. I just changed it. So I'm not sure, but they can find me in both of those places there and feel free to reach out.
00:36:28
Jaime
Okay.
00:36:28
Elena Blair
All right, cool. And we'll dep definitely link your website and Instagram in the show notes as well. So, all right, Jamie, thank you so much for being here.
00:36:34
Jaime
Okay, thank you so much.
00:36:36
Elena Blair
It was so much fun and congratulations. I can't wait to see where you are in a year.
00:36:40
Jaime
Thank you, me too
00:36:42
Elena Blair
All right, have a great day.
00:36:44
Jaime
You too, bye bye.