If you’ve ever pressed pause on your photography dreams to raise kids, move across the country, or support a spouse’s business, Amanda Cole’s story is going to speak straight to your soul. After building and pausing her business multiple times, Amanda found herself in a brand new town, juggling her family's martial arts schools, and wondering if it was too late to try again.
It wasn’t.
She trusted the process, leaned into fear, and made three boutique portrait sales totaling nearly $7,000—just months after relaunching. Her secret? Letting go of control and serving from the heart.
So if you want to relaunch with clarity, confidence, and connection, hit play and enjoy the episode!
What We Cover in This Episode:
1. Amanda’s Road Back to Photography
• Why she walked away (temporarily) to help grow her family’s martial arts business
• The internal struggle between passion, profit, and parenting
• How her husband's belief in her lit the fire to start again
2. Building a Business Around Real Life
• How Amanda used her existing martial arts contacts to land her first three clients
• Why niching down and doing less created more income
• The mental shift: “Don’t sell from your own wallet”
3. Learning to Trust the Boutique Process
• The mindset battles of an experienced photographer
• What changed when Amanda stopped piecing things together
• The hard moment that became her turning point: “Trust the process”
4. Amanda’s First Three Julies (Big Sales!)
• $1,300 sale from a Zoom follow-up after a failed live presentation
• $2,400 sale thanks to a tearful grandma who saved the day
• $3,300 surprise sale from a fun, paint-throwing session
Recap & Call to Action:
Amanda’s story is proof that you don’t need a perfect path—you just need the courage to start (or start again). If you’ve been stuck in fear, feeling like your time has passed, let her comeback inspire you to take the first step. Your past experience isn’t wasted. It’s the foundation for your next chapter.
If you’re ready to relaunch with strategy and heart, trust the process and go boutique. You’ve got this.
RESOURCES
- Photography Business Tools to Get Started
- Join Our Facebook Group: We Are Portrait Photographers
- Learn About Boutique Breakthrough
- Subscribe & Review the Podcast








