294: How This Mom of 4 and Daycare Owner Made $5,559 from 3 Portrait Sessions After Revamping Her Boutique System

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Photography Business Institute
Photography Business Institute

What if the system you think is working is actually holding you back? In this episode, I sit down with Kim Phelan, a mom of four, daycare owner, and photographer near St. Louis, Missouri, who thought she was already running a boutique business—until she joined Boutique Breakthrough. After tweaking her approach, Kim made over $5,500 from just three portrait sessions… and that’s just the beginning.

So if you want to stop guessing, start growing, and attract clients who deeply value what you offer, hit play and enjoy the episode!

What You’ll Learn From Kim’s Story

1. You Might Be Boutique… But Not Fully

  • Kim had done other photography programs before and thought she had everything she needed.
  • She had the products, a price list, even mockups—but lacked strategy and confidence.
  • Boutique Breakthrough showed her how to shoot with intention and sell with heart.

“I never presented in the way I was taught in this program—and that changed everything.”

2. Why Support Beats Self-Guided Effort

  • Kim realized that printed guides and binders can’t replace human coaching and peer accountability.
  • The Boutique Breakthrough community gave her the clarity and momentum she was missing.
  • Weekly check-ins, encouragement, and shared wins made all the difference.

“Looking at a piece of paper doesn’t answer your questions. But community does.”

3. From Daycare Kids to $2,500 Album Orders

  • Kim leveraged her daycare relationships—photographing clients she already loved.
  • She turned one child’s first birthday into a $2,500 order with a beautifully designed album.
  • Another family purchased a $1,300 wall collage for their son’s bedroom. These weren’t just sales; they were stories.

“They spent as much on that album as they did on a month of daycare. And didn’t bat an eye.”

4. Confidence in Every Sale

  • Kim shifted from hoping for sales to expecting them.
  • She now shoots every session with artwork in mind—wall art, albums, meaningful pieces.
  • Her average sale? $1,700 and rising.

“I don’t think I’ll ever do anything less than an album again.”

Recap & Takeaway

Kim’s transformation is proof: even if you think you’re already boutique, there’s always room to go deeper. With the right strategy and support, your photography can become more profitable, more fulfilling, and more aligned with the life you want.

So ask yourself: What’s one piece of your current system that feels good but isn’t actually getting results? Are you willing to revamp it?

You don’t have to do it alone—and you’re not supposed to.

RESOURCES

Episode 298 – How to Price Your Portrait Photography

If pricing your printed portraits feels like a guessing game—or worse, a panic spiral—you are not alone. Most photographers start by selling digital files cheap and telling themselves they’ll “figure it out later.” But what happens is burnout, lost sales, and clients...