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What if the business that worked for you a few years ago isn’t the business that fits your life anymore? In this episode, I’m sitting down with my longtime client Nicole Hodgson to talk about what it actually looks like to evolve your business intentionally. Nicole has transitioned from therapist to family photographer to brand photographer—and through every iteration, she’s paid attention to what works for her brain, her family, and the business she wants to build. We get into why Nicole moved from Dubsado to HoneyBook, why getting your systems in place before your business gets busy matters, and what changed when she transitioned from family photography to branding and commercial work. But this conversation became about so much more than systems. Nicole and I talk about the connection between your systems, visual brand, positioning, and the way clients perceive your professionalism. We also dig into visibility, pricing, mindset, and why likes and engagement aren't necessarily the metrics that tell you whether your marketing is working. Nicole also shares how her previous career as a therapist influenced Content Therapy, her program designed to help women understand what’s really getting in the way of showing up as the face of their businesses. Find It Quickly 00:23 - Meeting Clients IRL 03:46 - Switching to HoneyBook 06:24 - DIY to Done With You 09:05 - Family to Brand Pivot 15:11 - Marketing and Positioning Shift 18:49 - Repeat Clients and Systems 25:09 - Brand Photos Meet Systems 27:50 - DIY Stage vs Investing 29:15 - Systems For Future You 30:56 - Build Before You're Busy 32:09 - Marketing That Actually Converts 33:08 - Professionalism Builds Trust 35:14 - Long Game Over Likes 39:54 - Content Therapy Launch Lessons 43:44 - Origin Story Superpower 46:54 - Mindset And Price Raises Mentioned in this Episode Even Part-Time Business Owners Need Systems for Efficiency with Jess Hoffman Rebrand: maddiepeschong.com/rebrand Your Origin Story Is Your Marketing Superpower: Here’s How to Tell It with Megan Yelaney Connect with the Guest Website: nicolehodgsonphotography.com Instagram: instagram.com/nicolehodgson.photography Content Therapy: nicolehodgson.myflodesk.com/contenttherapy

What happens when you take a little time off from your business and accidentally come back with an entirely new business model? Apparently, if you're me, you build an app, create your own CRM, and completely rethink how you serve your clients. It's time for another quarterly Biz Bestie Chat with Sabrina Gebhardt, and let's just say we had two VERY different experiences in Q3. While I spent my summer experimenting with AI, vibe coding, and building custom tools for my clients, Sabrina was navigating a major life transition as she sent her daughter off to college. That's exactly why I love these conversations. We're both running successful businesses, but what success looks like in any given season can be wildly different. In this episode, we're catching up on everything that happened in Q3 and sharing what we're changing, testing, and prioritizing as we head into Q4. I'm sharing why I've decided to make The Experience Edit the starting point for working with me, how my approach to building client systems has completely shifted, and why I'm learning that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is NOT immediately jump into implementation. Mentioned in this Episode: Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session The Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit Root to Rise: sabrinagebhardt.com/mastermind-waitlist First Class Lounge: sabrinagebhardt.com/membership Summer Camp: sabrina-gebhardt.myflodesk.com/summercamp Our Quarterly Business Bestie Chats: Q3 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q3-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt Q2 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q2-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt Q1 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q1-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt Q4 2025: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q4-2025-with-sabrina-gebhardt Q3 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james Q2 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q2-2025-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james Q1 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/128-q1-2025-business-bestie-chat Q4 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q4-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james Q3 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james Q2 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/88-q2-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james Q1 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/75-quarterly-business-chat-with-colie-james Connect with Sabrina Website: sabrinagebhardt.com Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

Y’all, the biggest revenue mistake in your business probably isn’t your pricing or your marketing. It’s what happens after the project ends. You deliver something beautiful, send the final email, and then... ghost. You feel shy about asking for a review, guilty about asking for a referral, and you assume they’ll come back when they’re ready. Here’s the thing: they won’t always. Not because the work wasn’t great, but because life moves on and you stop being a priority. In this episode, I’m sharing what I found when I loaded all 551 of my past clients into one place and just how much of my cash collected in 2026 has come from repeat clients. I’m also introducing my very first SaaS microtool, Untapped Potential, along with its built-in Retention Radar. It helps you nurture past client relationships one-to-one in about 30 minutes a week. It tells you when it’s time to check in and when it’s time to invite someone to rebook. In this episode: Why ghosting past clients is costing you real revenueWhy checking in with past clients counts as marketing (yes, really)What my own sales data revealed about repeat clientsHow Untapped Potential and the Retention Radar keep you on track without relying on willpower Get early access: Check out Untapped Potential at coliejames.com/potential. The first 25 subscribers get an early adopter perk ✨

If you know you need to market your business but still find yourself staring blankly when someone asks what you actually did to market it this week, this episode is for you. Tayler Cusick Hollman is back on the podcast for a conversation about something that affects so many small business owners: we keep assuming we need more time, motivation, or willpower to finally become consistent with our marketing. But what if willpower isn’t the problem? Tayler has spent more than a decade supporting small business owners with their marketing, and together we’re breaking down why collecting more marketing ideas isn’t the same thing as having a marketing strategy—and why knowing what to do means very little if you never actually do it. We talk about creating a marketing plan based on your real goals and available time, becoming more biased toward action, and identifying the small steps that can actually move your business forward. We also get into the numbers behind your marketing, including customer acquisition cost, lifetime client value, and why your time absolutely counts as a marketing expense. Plus, I’m sharing why documenting your marketing matters just as much as doing it. If something works but you have no idea what generated the lead or sale, it becomes pretty difficult to repeat that success. Find It Quickly 03:39 - Willpower And Marketing 07:30 - Advice Vs Strategy 10:15 - Goals To Action Steps 15:11 - Bias For Action 17:55 - Make The List 23:36 - Start Small Track Data 26:38 - Marketing Metrics Nerd Out 32:55 - Project Manage Marketing 41:48 - Document And Measure 42:58 - Action Plan And Enji 47:10 - Mind The Gap Freebie Mentioned in this Episode Crafting an Intentional Marketing Plan with Tayler Cusick-Hollman [Marketing with Intention Series] The Best Financial Strategy for a Sustainable Business is Overflow with Emilie Nutley Mind the Gap Freebie: coliejames.com/gap Connect with the Guest Website: enji.co Instagram: instagram.com/enji_co Facebook: facebook.com/enjimarketing

What if the thing you create doesn’t have to generate leads, sell an offer, or prove its ROI? What if you’re allowed to make something simply because you freaking love it? That’s exactly what I’m talking about with my friend Julie Fried, host of The System for Everything. And unlike most of the podcast hosts I bring onto Business-First Creatives, Julie isn’t using her show as a funnel into a service or offer. She created it because she wanted a place to talk about everything that fascinates her—from business systems and meal planning to reality TV, adult friendships, parenting, travel, and whatever random rabbit hole catches her attention next. And it turns out? That creative freedom has become one of the most fulfilling things she’s done. Julie and I get into how she curates guests and topics, why she loves even the admin side of podcasting, what she’s changing for season two, and how she’s thinking about monetization without sacrificing what makes the show fun in the first place. Find It Quickly 01:03 - Meet Julie Fried 01:32 - Pre Written Emails 02:23 - Why Julie Podcasts 05:33 - The System For Everything 08:35 - Choosing Guests 13:01 - Bad PR Pitches 14:16 - Admin And Workflow 17:09 - Social Media Choices 21:43 - Season Two Plans 24:24 - Ads And Monetization 24:53 - Producer Ad Read 26:39 - Curated Podcast Ads 28:00 - Choosing Ideal Sponsors 29:39 - Protecting Creative Energy 31:41 - Monetizing Mom Systems 32:32 - One and Done Talk 35:47 - Only Child Systems Ideas 37:27 - Summer Camp Logistics 41:21 - System Shutdown 42:57 - Travel and Couch Life 44:09 - Budgeting Video Mentioned in this Episode Laylee Emadi Creative Educator Conference Gaffin Creative Captivate Flodesk – Get 50% Off Your First Year Systems in Session The Experience Edit Connect with the Guest Website: dallasgirlfriday.com Instagram: instagram.com/thesystemforeverything Podcast: dallasgirlfriday.com/podcast

Profitable? Great. Sustainable? Love that. But if you hate delivering it, no system in the world is going to make you fall back in love with your business. Last episode I asked you to do a time audit. Today I've got one more ask, and it's one you should do right now, while you're in the middle of serving clients. Because if I ask you in January how you feel about your offer, you're not going to remember. And the answer matters before we build a single system around it. In this episode: Why profitable and sustainable still aren't enoughWhy the numbers can wait for slow season, but this can'tWhy I can't help you build systems you'll love around an offer you don'tWhy some of you need an offer review right now Links mentioned: How to Build Your Systems Using My Order of Operations → https://coliejames.com/building-client-experience-systems/How Long Does One Client Actually Take You? → https://coliejames.com/time-auditThe Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experience Want to know if the offer you've built your business around can sustain you long term? Let's look at it together: coliejames.com/experience

Jocelyn of Scale Your Resonance wants every one of her Best Seller clients making five figures from email, and yes, that includes me. Bold goal? Absolutely. In this episode, we dig into her new app, Email Studio. She built it for herself first, but you don't need to be a Bestie to use it, because it's open to the public and she's on a mission to get 100 users in the first 100 days. It's how I'm making email part of an always-selling marketing plan, and it can be part of yours too. Because here's my confession: I sometimes email my list multiple times a day, my click rates are in the toilet, and almost none of my sales come from email. Jocelyn, who helped me launch this podcast four years ago, tells me how to fix it. We talk about the missing proof in your emails, why your best emails start out loud, and why "I'll just use Claude" isn't the same thing as a tool built on real expertise. In this episode: Why emails without client proof don't convert, and why the small progress wins count just as much as the big resultsHow a miserable afternoon writing emails in an airport lounge turned into a voice-note-first writing processThe moment a stack of AI skills needed to become an actual appHow to keep AI-assisted emails sounding like you and not like a press releaseWhy real users and real feedback are what separate a tool that works from a tool that just existsWhat you get from a tool built on someone's frameworks that you won't get from plain Claude or ChatGPT Links mentioned: Email Studio (my affiliate link) → https://coliejames.com/jocelynMy episode with Kara on why everyone's an AI expert now → https://coliejames.com/everyones-an-ai-expert-ft-kara-duncan/My episode with Annemie Tonken on AI and IP → https://coliejames.com/beyond-diy-chatgpt-the-human-first-ai-blogging-tool-for-intentional-creatives/ For a limited time, grab Email Studio for $199 for six months (normally $299) → https://coliejames.com/jocelyn Curious how I actually use this thing, or where I've written emails lately (volleyball bleachers included)? DM me on Threads: @coliejames

How long does it actually take you to serve one client? Not the session. The whole thing. If you're not sure, you're not alone. When I review offers, I find the same time leak over and over. It's hiding in emails you write from scratch, proposals you rebuild for every lead, and the "quick" peeks into your CRM that you never count. This one's short, and it comes with homework. Yes, even if you're not my client. In this episode: The homework I want every photographer to do before slow season hitsWhy your session time is barely part of what your price has to coverThe time suck almost nobody writes downThe phase that takes the least time but has the biggest impact on your revenueThe two templates I'd build first if you're too busy to build anything Links mentioned: The Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experienceOrder of Operations Framework → https://coliejames.com/building-client-experience-systemsFind me on Threads → @coliejames Do your time audit, then come tell me your number on Threads @coliejames. I really want to know.

What happens when you get tired of forcing your business into software that doesn’t quite work the way you want it to? Apparently, if you’re me, you accidentally spend your birthday sabbatical building your own app. In this episode, Kara Duncan is taking over the mic and interviewing me about how a few experiments with AI tools turned into the Systems Professor app—and eventually opened my eyes to an entirely new direction for my business. I’m sharing how I went from custom GPTs, Airtable, Notion, and existing CRM tools to building software around the way I actually want my clients to experience Systems in Session. We’re talking about Claude Code, vibe coding, personalization, accountability, AI, client experience, and why having the ability to automate something doesn’t necessarily mean I should. And yes, we also talk about the fact that I got so absorbed in building the app that my husband handed me coffee on his birthday and I still forgot to tell him happy birthday. 😬 Find It Quickly 01:22 - Birthday Sabbatical Chaos 05:25 - Why Build an App 07:41 - Action Taker ADHD 09:40 - Rolling It Out 14:14 - Welcome Guides Playbooks 16:11 - Better Audit Delivery 18:18 - Accountability Personalization 23:14 - Origins in Custom GPTs 25:39 - Why Build an App 27:19 - Onboarding Intake Flow 28:59 - Offer Scorecard Check 33:11 - App Enhances Coaching 37:18 - One Click Build Debate 41:43 - Tech Stack Behind It 44:57 - Custom Tools for Clients 48:49 - AI Optional Philosophy Mentioned in this Episode: Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit Claude Code: claude.com/product/claude-code Claude Cowork: claude.com/product/cowork Hello Stencil: hellostencil.com Lovable: lovable.dev Airbase: airbase.com Supabase: supabase.com Vercel: vercel.com Cloudflare: cloudflare.com Amazon Web Services: aws.amazon.com Connect with the Guest Website: thekarareport.com Instagram: @thekarareport

For five and a half years, I've helped you map your client journey, get excited about what's possible, and then spend the rest of our time together bending that vision to fit inside Dubsado or HoneyBook. As of today, I'm done with that. This one's short and sweet — part behind the scenes, part building in public. My business has flipped upside down in the last year and a half, and building the Systems Professor app cracked something open that I can't un-see. So here's where I'm going next, and what it means if you want to work with me. In this episode: The pivot I've been circling for five years and am finally saying out loudWhy building my own custom tool changed how I think about your toolsWhat I got wrong with workflows, and then again with Email Like You Mean ItWhy the Experience Edit is now the front door to everything I offerThe one step I'll never skip with a client again, no matter what software they useWhen a custom-built tool is actually the right move (and when it isn't) Links mentioned: The Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experienceOrder of Operations episode → https://coliejames.com/building-client-experience-systems/Tomorrow's episode with Kara: how I built the Systems Professor app → https://coliejames.com/everyones-an-ai-expert-ft-kara-duncan/ Ready to map the client experience you actually want, before we ever talk about tools? Solo sprints are open now, and one more group sprint is coming before the end of 2026: coliejames.com/experience

Your client just paid you hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars. And the only thing that landed in their inbox was a payment receipt and a "your contract has been signed" email. That's not onboarding. That's a transaction. I've been seeing the same three onboarding mistakes over and over inside my Experience Edit and Systems in Session client accounts, and most of y'all aren't making them on purpose. You want this part to be good. You just don't know what "good" looks like, or you're so focused on making it personal that nothing actually gets sent. So this is a quick and dirty episode answering the three questions I get asked most about the onboarding phase. In this episode: Why a booking confirmation email is non-negotiable even when the receipt and contract emails already went out — and why it should land last in their inboxThe "kitchen sink email" problem and what to drip out over time insteadWhy I want you to ditch the heavily designed PDF prep guide for a live Canva linkWhat actually belongs in a welcome or prep guide (hint: everything you were cramming into that one email)How to decide when to send your client questionnaire based on how far out your clients book and when you need the information Links mentioned: The Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experienceCome tell me what you fixed on Threads → https://threads.net/@coliejames

A booking tool is not a CRM. A project management tool is not a CRM. And the $20 to $40 a month you're trying to save by getting rid of yours might end up costing you bookings. Every single week I see someone on Threads asking if they can replace their CRM with Notion, Airtable, Google Workspace, or Squarespace. I use Notion and Airtable daily in my own business — and neither one of them would have replaced the CRM inside my photography business. So let's talk about what your CRM is actually doing for you before you cancel it. In this episode: The four things a tool has to do before it counts as a real CRMWhy conditional logic is the line between a CRM and a very organized file cabinetWhat actually happens (and doesn't) when a lead fills out your Squarespace formWhy "I have Dubsado and I'm not using it" is a setup problem, not a CRM problemWhere Notion, Airtable, ClickUp, and Asana genuinely earn their place in your stack Links mentioned: The Best CRM for Photographers → https://coliejames.com/best-crm-for-photographers/Building a Custom Notion Dashboard with Ania Ha → https://coliejames.com/building-a-custom-notion-dashboard-how-i-streamlined-my-entire-business-with-ania-ha/Systems in Session → https://coliejames.com/systems Sitting on a CRM you set up but never fully figured out? That's the whole thing I do. Let's talk: coliejames.com/systems

There is no all-in-one software that does everything well. Every single one of them makes you give something up. The only real question is whether you're okay with what you're giving up. This one is for the photographers. Every time I open Threads, someone is asking how to consolidate their tech stack down to one tool — fewer logins, fewer subscriptions, one connected experience for their clients. I get it. But I'm also going to tell you why gallery software that added CRM features and a CRM that added gallery features are two very different things, and why that difference should decide what you do next. In this episode: The three reasons photographers try to consolidate their tech stackWhy I'm fine with Sprout Studio when I'm not an all-in-one personThe one thing Pixieset would have to fix before I'd stop steering people away from itWhat HoneyBook and VSCO (formerly Táve) just quietly added to their platformsThe type of photographer who should not touch either one of them yet Links mentioned: The all-in-one software blog post (kept updated as features release) → https://coliejames.com/photography-all-in-one-software/Episode 297: Three Ways Business Systems Can Generate More Revenue → https://coliejames.com/generate-more-revenue-with-systems/What Pixieset will and won't give you → https://coliejames.com/dubsado-vs-pixieset/Systems in Session → https://coliejames.com/systems Looking at a new tool and want the Colie seal of approval before you jump? Come drop it in my DMs — or if you'd rather stop shopping and start using what you already pay for, that's Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems

If you're already booking the number of clients you want to work with, but it feels like you're spending so much unnecessary time behind the scenes, your systems and automations might need an update. In this episode, I sit down with Holly Birch to talk about what happened after she completely overhauled her HoneyBook workflows using automated systems. What's especially interesting about this conversation is that Holly wasn't starting from scratch. She already had templates, proposals, email sequences, and workflows in place. But she knew her systems could be more efficient, more professional, and more scalable. A year after implementing new automations, we're looking back at what's actually changed in her business, from booking studio headshots automatically to creating a completely hands-off client experience for brand photography sessions. We also talk about why switching CRMs isn't a decision to make lightly, how automation creates consistency, and why the ultimate goal isn't simply saving time—it's deciding what you want to do with the time you get back. Find It Quickly 00:23 - Meet Holly 01:42 - Choosing a CRM 02:56 - Why Switching CRMs Is Hard 03:58 - Holly Before the Toolkit 06:24 - Commercial Workflow Gaps 08:25 - Brand Shoot Automation Flow 10:18 - HoneyBook Smart File Workaround 11:30 - Headshots Offer and Lead Forms 13:54 - Schedulers and Calendar Control 17:08 - Discovery Calls and Contact Paths 20:19 - Headshot Clients and Repeat Companies 22:39 - Prep Guides and Automation Savings 23:58 - Time Saved Per Client 24:27 - Updating Your Prep Guide 25:27 - Automation Timing Fixes 26:19 - Next Systems To Build 27:31 - HoneyBook Galleries Debate 30:23 - Pic-Time Integration Tips 32:32 - Reducing Digital Clutter 34:27 - Why Templates Help 36:01 - Systems Create Consistency 38:17 - Annual Systems Audit 41:56 - Biggest Process Logjam 43:00 - What To Do With Time Mentioned in this Episode The Systems Behind the Scenes: How Automation Buys Me Back Time for Marketing HoneyBook Flodesk Dubsado Pic-Time Rebrand by Maddie Peschong Connect with the Guest Website: hollybirchphotography.com Instagram: @hollybirchphoto

There's only one right order to build client experience systems in. Not one right tool, not one right CRM — one right order. And I've been doing it this way with clients for five years without ever naming it out loud. Today I'm naming it. Order of Operations is my new four-phase framework inside Systems in Session, and I'm walking through all four phases in this episode — including the brand new one I've never talked about before, which happens before we touch a single workflow. I'm also clearing up something people keep getting twisted, because I don't want it to be the reason you put this off until January. Whether you're already booked solid for the rest of the year or you're still steadily filling sessions, right now is the moment to work on your systems — and where we start depends entirely on which one of those is true for you. I explain exactly how I decide inside the episode. I've got seven seats left inside Systems in Session for 2026. If one of them has your name on it, head to coliejames.com/systems and let's have a chat. Mentioned in this episode: → Your Origin Story Is Your Marketing Superpower — Here's How to Tell It with Megan Yelaney (episode 334): https://coliejames.com/your-origin-story-is-your-marketing-superpower-heres-how-to-tell-it-with-megan-yelaney/ → My guest episode on Business Not As Usual: How Systems Generate Revenue and Sustainability in Your Business: https://meganyelaney.com/2026/08/24/how-systems-generate-revenue-and-sustainability-in-your-business/