The Portrait System Podcast

What happens when a portrait photographer stops thinking like a freelancer and starts thinking like a CEO? Jaren Collins did exactly that — and built JCi Creatives, a nationwide creative agency specializing in conference and event storytelling, with clients including AT&T and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
In this episode, Jaren breaks down:
How he quit his corporate job (with almost nothing saved) and matched his salary within a month
Why he walked away from 52 weddings a year to pursue corporate clients
How one $1,000 gig turned into nearly $100,000 in annual spend from a single client
His approach to project-based pricing and asking "what's your budget" upfront
High-volume headshot strategy — including doing 75 headshots in 23 minutes
The systems, AI tools, and team structure that keep his business running efficiently
Why referrals in the corporate world are massively underutilized

Jaren also co-owns Greenwood Co., a creative coworking and content space in DeSoto, Texas built to empower creators and entrepreneurs — and his mission is to help others turn creativity into sustainable, legacy-building businesses.
Whether you want to break into corporate photography or scale what you've already built, this episode is full of real-world strategy you can use today.
If you're building a photography business, want to grow your portrait photography income, or are curious about how to make money from photography online, this conversation is packed with actionable advice. 👉 For more videos like this, visit: https://theportraitsystem.com/
ABOUT THE PORTRAIT SYSTEM: The step-by-step system to turn your portrait photography into a profitable business. Build a solid foundation for the portrait business you want Attract the right clients over and over again Confidently create the work you're proud of Streamline, scale, and grow with purpose
Join an international community of thousands of photographers learning to build and succeed in their portrait businesses.
With hundreds of specially designed courses to help you create and grow a profitable contemporary portrait business.
Whether you're starting out or scaling up, The Portrait System gives you the tools to build a portrait business that supports your life.
FOLLOW US: JOIN The Portrait System: https://theportraitsystem.com/ FB: /theportraitsystem IG: /theportraitsystem

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Portrait System Podcast, Nikki sits down with photographer and educator Meg Loeks to talk about how she built a photography business rooted in storytelling, color, and creativity. Meg shares how she went from a corporate marketing job to running a thriving portrait business, and how life circumstances eventually led her to focus fully on photography education.
They talk about building momentum through social media, finding clients through your network, evolving your style, using color intentionally, and how education can become a powerful second income stream for photographers. Meg also shares her approach to photographing families, styling sessions, working with created light, and growing a loyal audience online.
If you’re a photographer interested in building a business, refining your artistic voice, or eventually stepping into education, this conversation is full of insight and encouragement.
Meg’s work is known for its rich storytelling, cinematic lighting, and thoughtful use of color, and this episode gives a great behind-the-scenes look at how she thinks about both art and business.
If you’re building a photography business, want to grow your portrait photography income, or are curious about how to make money from photography online, this conversation is packed with actionable advice.

👉 For more podcasts like this, visit: https://theportraitsystem.com/
ABOUT THE PORTRAIT SYSTEM:
The step-by-step system to turn your portrait photography into a profitable business.
Build a solid foundation for the portrait business you want
Attract the right clients over and over again
Confidently create the work you’re proud of
Streamline, scale, and grow with purpose
Join an international community of thousands of photographers learning to build and succeed in their portrait businesses.
With hundreds of specially designed courses to help you create and grow a profitable contemporary portrait business.
Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, The Portrait System gives you the tools to build a portrait business that supports your life.
FOLLOW US:
JOIN The Portrait System: https://theportraitsystem.com/
FB: /theportraitsystem
IG: /theportraitsystem

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Portrait System Podcast, Nikki sits down with South Africa–based photographer Simone Dorfman to talk about real-life marketing strategies that actually work. Simone shares how she built a photography business with a $2,000 average sale in a small town by offering personal branding photography, product photography, and content creation services for small businesses.

They discuss:

• Photography marketing strategies for small markets
• How to increase photography pricing through value-adds
• Running simple Instagram and Facebook ads
• Partnering with stylists and content creators
• Packaging B-roll social video with photography sessions
• Booking branding clients through networking
• Creating photography packages for small business owners

If you’re a photographer looking to increase your photography pricing, attract better branding clients, and simplify your marketing strategy, this episode is packed with actionable advice you can use right away.

If you’re building a photography business, want to grow your portrait photography income, or are curious about how to make money from photography online, this conversation is packed with actionable advice.
👉 For more videos like this, visit: https://theportraitsystem.com/

ABOUT THE PORTRAIT SYSTEM:

The step-by-step system to turn your portrait photography into a profitable business.
Build a solid foundation for the portrait business you want
Attract the right clients over and over again
Confidently create the work you’re proud of
Streamline, scale, and grow with purpose
Join an international community of thousands of photographers learning to build and succeed in their portrait businesses.

With hundreds of specially designed courses to help you create and grow a profitable contemporary portrait business.

Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, The Portrait System gives you the tools to build a portrait business that supports your life.

FOLLOW US:
JOIN The Portrait System: https://theportraitsystem.com/

FB: /theportraitsystem
IG: /theportraitsystem

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Most photographers don’t fail because of their photography, they fail because of pricing and marketing. In this episode of The Portrait System Podcast, Nikki sits down with Vanessa Joy (working photographer + educator, in business since 2008) to talk about what it really takes to keep a photography business profitable and sustainable.

In this conversation, Vanessa breaks down:
Why “I need more leads” is usually the wrong problem
How to market with a wide net (and why there’s no magic bullet)
The biggest fix when you’re “posting everywhere” but still not getting inquiries
How to audit your first impression (website + social + messaging)
Sales + branding: why “branding” is really voice + communication
Pricing without emotion: how to use math + data to set prices that actually support your life
Outcome-based selling: stop selling “hours + number of images” and sell the transformation
Raising prices without panic: keeping some clients, losing others, and finding the next pond
Systems that prevent burnout: CRM workflows, email templates, SOPs, automations
Hiring associate photographers: how to sell “the studio/team” (not just you)

If you’re serious about building a photography business that lasts, this episode will save you years of trial and error.

Find Vanessa:
VanessaJoy.com (photo work + corporate work + education)
If this helped, subscribe, share it with a photographer friend, and drop a comment: What’s harder for you right now — pricing or marketing?
If you’re building a photography business, want to grow your portrait photography income, or are curious about how to make money from photography online, this conversation is packed with actionable advice.

👉 For more videos like this, visit: https://theportraitsystem.com/
ABOUT THE PORTRAIT SYSTEM:
The step-by-step system to turn your portrait photography into a profitable business.
Build a solid foundation for the portrait business you want
Attract the right clients over and over again
Confidently create the work you’re proud of
Streamline, scale, and grow with purpose
Join an international community of thousands of photographers learning to build and succeed in their portrait businesses.
With hundreds of specially designed courses to help you create and grow a profitable contemporary portrait business.
Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, The Portrait System gives you the tools to build a portrait business that supports your life.

FOLLOW US:
JOIN The Portrait System: https://theportraitsystem.com/

FB: /theportraitsystem
IG: /theportraitsystem

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Taxes don’t have to be the thing you avoid until April. In this episode of The Portrait System, Nikki sits down with Heather Leicy (tax prep educator + bookkeeper + working photographer) to break down photographer tax deductions, year-round tax prep, and the biggest “can I write this off?” mistakes.
You’ll learn:
What to do monthly so you’re not scrambling at tax time
A simple system for setting aside 20–30% for taxes
Common photographer deductions: education, software, gear, website costs, client gifts
The truth about meals/coffee write-offs (when it counts, when it doesn’t)
Home office deduction basics and “dedicated space” rules
Why mileage tracking is one of the most missed deductions (and the app Heather recommends)
A simple breakdown of LLC vs S-corp taxation and why it’s a math decision
Why sales tax rules vary so much by state (digital vs physical vs services)

Important: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or accounting advice. Tax laws vary by location and change over time. Always consult a qualified CPA/tax professional about your specific situation.
Find Heather
Instagram: @heather.marie.Leicy
Community: Conquer Community – theconquercommunity.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a photographer friend who needs a tax reset.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.