Episodes

  • Why doing more isn't getting you booked

    Why doing more isn't getting you booked
    Jun 22 2026

    If you've ever felt like you're posting and posting and still staring at an empty calendar, this one's for you.

    In this episode I'm sharing a small change to the podcast (more solo episodes, and moving to fortnightly), and why that decision is actually the exact lesson I want to talk about: doing more isn't what gets you booked. Doing the right things, on purpose, is.

    I break down the difference between passive marketing (your social media, your blog, your SEO) and active marketing (campaigns that actually create a reason to book), and I walk you through a real campaign I'm running in my own studio right now, Dogs of the Season.

    I'm also launching a new segment called Off the Record. If there's something you're stuck on, send me an anonymous voice note and I'll coach you through it on air.

    In this episode:

    • Why posting more often isn't the same as being booked
    • Passive vs active marketing, and why you need both
    • The Dogs of the Season campaign, start to finish
    • How a 12-month marketing calendar lets you plan once and repeat
    • Why marketing now is what fills your spring and autumn seasons
    • One active campaign to plan this week

    Work with me in the mastermind

    The mastermind is currently open for enrolment. It's a group coaching container focusing on implementation support to help you build your repeatable marketing system along with comprehensive support of your business from pricing, sales, and mindset.

    Click here for more info: The Consistent Bookings Mastermind

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Drop me a voice note or DM on instagram for the "Off the Record Segment".

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
  • How One Photographer Is Getting Shelter Dogs Adopted with Better Photos (with Adam Goldberg)

    How One Photographer Is Getting Shelter Dogs Adopted with Better Photos (with Adam Goldberg)
    Jun 15 2026
    Have you ever scrolled past a shelter dog and thought "that photo doesn't do them justice"? Adam Goldberg had the same thought, and he did something about it.Adam is the founder of AGold Photos and the creator of Second Shot, a mission-driven adoption photography programme placing professional photographers inside shelters to give animals a real chance at being seen. What started as weekend volunteering has grown into a network spanning five shelters across the US, with a goal of reaching 50 in the next three years.In this episode, Adam shares the full story of how Second Shot came to life, how the model actually works, and what he's looking for in photographers who want to get involved.What We CoverHow Adam's photography career started inside a shelter and why he never really leftThe transition from shoot-and-burn events to IPS studio and what he learned the hard wayWhy he walked away from private clients to focus solely on shelter photographyWhat a Second Shot session looks like from start to finish, including how he photographs up to 50 animals a weekThe three-person system he uses to keep sessions efficient and stress-free for the animalsHow brand sponsorships fund the whole programme so shelters get the work for freeWhat he looks for in associate photographers and what the pilot programme involvesThe tools and workflow that make the volume manageable (including AI editing)Where Second Shot is headed and how you can apply to be part of itAbout Adam GoldbergAdam Goldberg is a professional pet photographer and the founder of AGold Photos, based in Tampa, Florida. He is also the creator of Second Shot, a programme that partners with animal shelters and brands to fund and produce professional photo sessions for adoptable animals. Adam has been photographing shelter animals for 10 years and has raised over $250,000 for animal charities through his work.Links and Resources MentionedApply to be a Second Shot associate photographer: secondshotpet.comAdam on Instagram: @agoldphotoAdam's email: adam@secondshotpet.comEvoto AI editing software: Use Discount Code ADAM15 for 15% off on annual subscription plans and 20% off on 200 credits pay-as-you-go. Sign up using this link https://link.evoto.ai/goldberg💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • One Year In and the 4 Bottlenecks Keeping Pet Photographers Stuck

    One Year In and the 4 Bottlenecks Keeping Pet Photographers Stuck
    Jun 9 2026
    In one week, it will be a year since I released the very first episode of The Pet Photographers' Journal. I honestly didn't know if I'd still be here doing this. I didn't know if I'd stay consistent. I didn't know if it would matter to anyone.But here we are. Over 5,000 downloads later, and I get messages from photographers telling me these episodes have genuinely helped their businesses. That means everything.This episode is a little different. I want to mark the milestone, share some of what's happened in the last twelve months, including some wins from photographers I've worked with, and then get into something practical. Because after a year of working with pet photographers through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and the Consistent Bookings Mastermind, I've seen the same underlying problem show up again and again: inconsistent bookings.But this problem doesn't always come from the same place. And if you're trying to fix the wrong bottleneck, you'll keep spinning your wheels.So today I'm walking you through the four bottlenecks I see most often, and how to figure out which one is yours.A note before we dive in: this episode was recorded during a hard personal time. My dog James was diagnosed with cancer, and stepping back from parts of the business while navigating that has been genuinely tough. I mention it briefly in the episode. Thank you to everyone who reached out with kind messages. It has meant more than I can say.Resources mentioned:Take the free Consistent Bookings Audit (takes about 5 minutes, gives you a personalised result) → https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditConsistent Bookings Mastermind (six-month small group program) → https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consistent-bookings-mastermindEp. 9 — Why Your Bookings Are Inconsistent (And It's Not What You Think) → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mUVzPbNGALeVcKvGUDKlFS2 Ep. 6 — From Overwhelmed with Marketing to Fully Booked for Spring with Sharon Canovas → https://open.spotify.com/episode/4LC6bhrtoIgx1RCKXG4IYHS2 Ep. 13 — From Zero Clients to a $9,000 Sale: Yunet's Pet Photography Story → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5C9OWzfPhdsE8x8x3IuXeY💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Third Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New CityThird Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New City

    Third Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New CityThird Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New City
    Jun 2 2026
    When Kirstie McConnell found out she was moving back to Australia after six years in Italy, she had six months to prepare. By the time she landed in Melbourne, a city where she knew almost no one professionally, she had 26 sessions already booked. Her first three shoots were four days after arriving home.In this episode, Ina sits down with Kirstie, one of Australia's original pet photographers and co-host of the now-closed Pet Photographers Club podcast, to unpack exactly how she did it. This is a masterclass in knowing your numbers, building a client system that does the educating for you, and making third party marketing work the way it's supposed to.Key takeaways:The client should hear about pricing at least 10 times before they ever sit down at the ordering appointment. The voucher says it, the letter says it, the video says it, the questionnaire says it, the phone call confirms it. By the time they are looking at their photos, no one is surprised.Third party marketing works when it is genuinely a win for the partner. If they are not distributing your vouchers, the problem is not the system. It is that you have not made it worth their while. Kirstie does commercial shoots, provides wall art for store fit-outs, and makes the whole process require zero effort from the partner.Sending 80 emails got Kirstie 10 partners. If each of those partners generates 20 clients at a $2,600 average, that is $500,000 in revenue from 80 emails. Do the numbers.The step most photographers skip is the automated funnel between voucher receipt and first phone call. If clients are not converting, this is usually where the leak is.Know your capacity and protect it. Kirstie caps at 12 sessions a month because she knows what happens to quality, turnaround time, and her personal life when she pushes past it.Connect with Kirstie:Instagram: @classicoportraitsaustraliaWebsites:Classico Portraits Australia: classicoportraits.com.auClassico Portraits Italy: classicoportraits.com Resources mentioned:Wistia (free for a small number of videos): wistia.comFillout Forms: fillout.comAirtable: airtable.comMailerLite: mailerlite.comFundy Wall Designer: for superimposing artwork into client home photos💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 29 mins
  • The Facebook Ad and Giveaway System That Books Out a Studio 4 Times a Year with Jason Krygier-Baum from Fido Foto

    The Facebook Ad and Giveaway System That Books Out a Studio 4 Times a Year with Jason Krygier-Baum from Fido Foto
    May 18 2026
    What if you could run four campaigns a year, spend around $40 to acquire each client, and predict exactly how many sessions you'd fill?That is exactly what Jason Krieger-Baum has built at Fido Photo in Toronto. He has been photographing pets for over 17 years, and in this episode he pulls back the curtain on the giveaway-based lead generation model that now drives his entire business. No organic social. No cold outreach. Just a system that works.This conversation gets genuinely specific. We talk numbers, ad structure, booking rates, same-day ordering, and why Jason believes he would start with this model all over again if he were beginning today.What we cover:How Jason went from a high-touch luxury brand to a streamlined, high-volume studio model and why he thinks it is the better businessThe giveaway structure that generates 400 to 450 leads per campaign and converts roughly 35 to 40% of winners into booked clientsHis exact ad spend: $8 to $10 per lead, $4,000 to $5,000 per campaign, run four times a yearWhy he spends $500 a day on ads and does not stress about optimising every dollarHis same-day ordering appointment process and how he culls 350 images down to 30 in just 15 minutesThe automated booking workflow he uses in Go High Level so clients book themselves without a single phone call from himHow he physically mails a printed magazine to every client a month before their session to prepare them for the experienceWhy he does not post on social media at all right now and what he does insteadKey timestamps:02:40 Jason's 17+ years in pet photography and how Toronto shaped his approach05:00 Two brands, one pivot: the difference between Jason KB and Fido Photo09:00 Pricing breakdown including digitals, portraits, wall art, and coffee table books14:00 The booking workflow from lead to session without phone calls17:00 How Jason shoots six sessions a week across three days20:00 Culling 350 photos in 15 minutes and running a same-day ordering session32:00 How the giveaway model actually works, who wins and how many book37:00 The ad spend breakdown and the ROI equation he uses39:00 How he structures his Facebook campaigns: ad sets, audiences, and one ad per set1:20:00 Why he puts zero effort into social media and what he is building insteadConnect with Jason:Instagram: @fido.foto Website: fido-foto.comResources mentioned:Go High Level / Difference Maker Revolution (CRM and automation platform Jason uses for his booking workflow)ProSelect (slideshow and ordering session software)💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • How to Keep Marketing When You're Too Busy Doing the Work

    How to Keep Marketing When You're Too Busy Doing the Work
    May 10 2026

    Right now I've got 16 sessions booked for May, ordering appointments to run, editing to get through, and prints to deliver.

    And I'm still marketing.

    I know that probably sounds like a lot. This episode is about what that actually looks like, and why having a system already in place means marketing doesn't have to stop just because life gets full.

    I also share the moment that changed how I think about this entirely. A trip to Iceland, two months of no marketing at all, and coming home to a completely empty January and February. No bookings. No enquiries. Checking my emails constantly and genuinely thinking about applying for other jobs.

    That experience is a big part of why I built the repeatable marketing system I use today, and why I created the workshop.

    Enrol in The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop

    The Pet The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop starts 14 May 2026 7:30 AM AEST (13 May 2026 5:30PM ET). More info about the workshop or to enrol visit:

    https://www.inajphotography.com.au/the-pet-photography-marketing-systems-workshop

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    12 mins
  • Your Next Busy Season Is Being Decided Right Now

    Your Next Busy Season Is Being Decided Right Now
    May 2 2026

    I'm recording this right at the start of my busiest month. Sixteen sessions in May. And almost every single one of them was booked from campaigns I ran back in January and February.

    That gap between when the marketing happens and when the bookings land is the thing most photographers miss. And it's exactly what this episode is about.

    If you're in a busy season right now and you're not thinking about what happens next, or if you're staring at a quiet calendar wondering how it got this way, this one is for you.

    In this episode:

    • Why the feast and famine cycle is not about how hard you're working (and what it's actually about)
    • The 4 to 6 week marketing lag and why your empty calendar is never about now
    • What a National Love Your Pet Day giveaway brought in, including one client who spent $6,000 and another who spent $3,980
    • Sharon Canovas's story: how a stunt performer in Hamilton, Ontario went from scrambling for bookings to a fully booked spring by planning her whole year in December
    • The one action to take this week, depending on your season and hemisphere

    Resources and links mentioned:
    • The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop starting 14 May 2026 7:30 AM AEST (13 May 2026 5:30PM ET): https://www.inajphotography.com.au/the-pet-photography-marketing-systems-workshop
    • Sharon Canovas's episode: From Overwhelmed With Marketing to Fully Booked for Spring Listen on Captivate | Listen on Spotify

    Your one action from this episode

    Write down your next peak booking window. Count back four to six weeks from that date. That's when your marketing needs to start. Not when the season arrives. Not when your calendar starts looking quiet. Now.

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa

    Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa
    Apr 27 2026
    Why You Can't Make Yourself Show Up Online (It's Not a Confidence Problem) with Miss MarissaYou know what you should be doing. Post more. Show up consistently. Put yourself out there. And yet something keeps stopping you.In this episode, I sit down with Marissa, a personal brand therapist, coach, and former national TV hypnotist who works at the intersection of neuroscience, subconscious rewiring, and personal brand identity. Marissa has 20+ years in personal branding and marketing, degrees in PR, journalism, and applied neuroscience, and over 3,000 client sessions under her belt.What I expected was a conversation about branding strategy. What actually happened was something I didn't see coming. Midway through our conversation, Marissa turned the tables and started coaching me live, on air. She uncovered a belief I've been carrying since childhood and walked me through a guided subconscious practice that I'm still thinking about.If you've ever pushed yourself to show up online only to freeze, go blank, or find yourself doing literally anything else instead, this episode will give you a completely different lens for that.In this episode, we cover:Why visibility resistance is a nervous system and belief problem, not a confidence problemHow your core beliefs form between the ages of 0 and 7, and why they're still running your business todayThe "thick book" concept: how neural pathways shape your behaviour as a photographerWhat it actually means to have a personal brand as a solo photographer (and why you already have one whether you like it or not)Why the most talented photographers are often the least visibleA live guided inner practice you can use whenever you feel stuck showing upSmall, practical steps to start building visibility even if video feels terrifyingMarissa's final message for anyone who keeps getting in their own wayTimestamps:00:00 — Introduction01:30 — Marissa's journey: from shooting her first wedding at 17 to national TV hypnotist11:52 — The difference between confidence in your skills and confidence in yourself13:25 — Stripping back belief layers: how our core stories form20:00 — The "thick book" concept and how neural pathways shape your behaviour23:21 — Ina shares her own visibility block with coaching28:36 — Marissa challenges the belief that you need to be "better" than your clients32:00 — The live inner practice begins48:07 — Coming out of the exercise: how Ina felt53:49 — People buy who you are, not just your photos01:04:23 — What is a personal brand, really?01:15:09 — Practical steps when you're not ready for video01:22:13 — Marissa's final message: there is nothing wrong with youConnect with Marissa:Website: heymissmarissa.comInstagram: @heymissmarissaUseful resources:The Pet Photography Marketing System Workshop Waitlist (enrolment opens April 30th) - get a personalised video audit on your website, pricing or offer if you enrol to the workshop and you're on this waitlist.Add your name here: https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consistent-bookings-workshop-waitlist-pageFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comJoin the Consistent Bookings ProgramMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 18 mins