Angela Scott is a long time, Alabama based photographer, whose photography business has always been a side gig as she raised her two children. Once her kiddos left home, she felt stuck when her photography business didn't take off. Today, Angela sat down to share with me how she turned sessions she used to make $500 from, into $3,000 orders and why she couldn't figure out how to do it on her own.
Sarah Petty:
Angela, welcome. I'm so glad you are here joining me today. Tell us where you live and about your family.
Angela Scott:
Hi Sarah. I’ve been married for 30 years this coming May. We have two, grown kids. I've been doing photography for about 17 years, but it was nearly like a hobby. I did have clients throughout the years, and I loved being with them because they were so great. I never was on the digital side, I always printed, but it was more of the small prints.
Occasionally, I would offer digitals, if it was a mini session because I didn't want to deal with printing Christmas cards for them. So I did have customers, but then the last few years that just tapered off, and I was to the point where I didn't really even know if I wanted to keep doing this. I wasn't making the money with it, but I had all this equipment.
Sarah Petty:
So, you started back in film? And then as you were raising these kiddos. Were you a stay at home mom with photography kind of as a little side income, or did you do something else?
Angela Scott:
Yes, I believe digital was coming along, but I actually did buy the large format to get started in the business. I was a stay at home mom, and that was just kind of the sideline. I wanted to be there for them, so I was always at the school doing different things.
Sarah Petty:
You started thinking about photography differently since the kiddos are out of the nest. What do you love to photograph?
Angela Scott:
I love families with small children. I just love to see their interaction, the hugs, and the togetherness.
Sarah Petty:
Got it. So now, do you find your life opening up with time again? And you're thinking that maybe you could do this? Did you talk to your husband about this?
Angela Scott:
Yeah, he has always said that I can do this and I don't need anybody else's help. But I had to tell him that I actually needed help. It was tough convincing him to get on board with me taking Boutique Breakthrough.
Sarah Petty:
So, how did you find the boutique model?
Angela Scott:
I actually got your book probably three years ago, and I would read a little bit but I really didn’t know how to do it myself. I can't remember for sure, but probably an Instagram popup or something where I started seeing your stuff, and then I would listen and I knew I needed this.
Sarah Petty:
Think of 20 years, if all of those orders would've been $2,000 or $3,000 orders. What would that have done for your life all those years?
Angela Scott:
It would've changed it in a lot of ways. My daughter and I want to travel together and I would like to do more things like that with her. It would've given us the income to have done more of that.
Sarah Petty:
Yeah, which now you can fund, right? I think people justify when they're raising kids that they're too busy to be boutique, but really that’s the time you need to be boutique, because you have less time. You need to get those higher orders. You can't stay up all night working all the time. So you found us, you talked to the hubby, and decided to invest in yourself. Were you scared to just go all in with a boutique model?
Angela Scott:
Yes, I was very nervous. It was fast-paced, but so worth it.
Sarah Petty:
And you did it, you kept up. Even with vacations in the middle, you kept up. Talk about your $3,000 order!
Angela Scott:
Yes, it was actually a past client. I had photographed her newborn and then I think he was about six months old. She contacted me during the class and I told her things have changed in my business and I'd love to talk to her about it. So, I hopped on the phone with her, and she was fine with it. I told her the price, and it was okay. I had the consultation with her in her home, which is the best place for one, I think. I could see her walls where she wanted artwork, and she told me exactly what she wanted as far as portraits of the family. Going over all of that and knowing exactly what to do the day of your session, makes a difference. You're not just shooting here and there and this and that, you know what they want, and so that consultation is so important. Then when we had the presentation and the system to present was awesome! I'd done a grouping of what I thought would look really awesome on her wall, and she saw it and wanted it. So yeah, it was $3,074.
Sarah Petty:
Wow. When you left there, were you like, "What just happened?"
Angela Scott:
I was fairly calm, but I had to call somebody, so I called my mom, husband, and daughter.
Sarah Petty:
That money was enough. So had you done with that client what you used to do in the past, how big would that order have been?
Angela Scott:
In the past, I might have made $500 at the most. Boutique is just so different and a much better system.
Sarah Petty:
It really is and you serve your clients better. She would've been happy with the old thing or happy with the new thing. And yet you're serving her at such a higher level now.
Angela Scott:
Oh yes it's just amazing. You feel more confident too and learn how to speak to clients and tell them that this is artwork, heirloom quality. We create memories when we're making these photographs. They're going to look back and remember that day and what happened and how much fun it was, and the whole experience.
Sarah Petty:
I love that. What do you say to that person who's been stuck in fear mode about making the choice to just go from digitals to boutique? Boutique is so much better. Don't you think?
Angela Scott:
I think so. Even though I wasn't doing a lot of digitals before, I totally changed my business model.
Sarah Petty:
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I just love it.
