E11: Business Bestie for Photographers: Why You Need One Yesterday

Let’s be real: running a photography biz can feel like you’re juggling flaming SD cards while blindfolded. The editing, the gear upgrades, the marketing rabbit holes, the “am I even doing this right?!” spirals—it’s a LOT. Enter: your business bestie. Someone who gets it, speaks fluent ISO/aperture sarcasm, and talks you out of launching yet another rebrand at midnight.

In this episode of RAW Edit, we’re spilling the tea on what it’s really like to have a ride-or-die business bestie. Sarah and Kellie go full behind-the-scenes on how they met (hello, Voxer obsession), the hilarious misunderstandings at the start (Sarah: not a beginner, just a stealthy badass), and why this friendship is now their secret weapon in biz.

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Why Every Photographer Needs a Business Bestie for Photographers

This isn’t just a cute friendship flex. Having a business bestie changes your game. You need someone to Voxer your hot takes to. Someone to say “girl, THAT’S your next freebie” or “um, you’re seriously undercharging. Fix it.”

Sarah and Kellie dish on:

• Swapping lens recs like candy (the 28-70 vs 85 prime showdown)
• How business besties help each other launch courses and freebies
• The power of real-time support when you’re spiraling

Being a solopreneur doesn’t mean doing it solo. It means building your own hype squad—and that starts with one solid, no-fluff, camera-slingin’ friend.

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From Voxer Rants to AI Obsessions: Business Bestie Secrets

These two aren’t just chatting about coffee vs Diet Coke (although, yes, there is Diet Coke slander…). They’re going deep on real stuff:

• How AI (aka “Buddy”) has transformed everything from blog writing to menu planning
• Studio life: who needs one, who doesn’t, and why it might be regional
• The one thing in their camera bags that’ll make you say “wait, WHAT?!”

Photographers, take notes: this kind of connection helps you spot opportunities you didn’t even know existed. Like foot placement mats that double your sports photo income. Or realizing blurry galleries aren’t a vibe (hot take alert!).

Want to find your biz bestie? Show up in the groups. Start the convo. Slide into those DMs. It doesn’t have to be weird. The best friendships start with a single message like: “Hey, anyone else shoot seniors and wanna talk shop?”

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Listen to the episode and get the full chaos here: [RAW Edit Podcast]
Craving more inspo like this? Head over to smonsonphotography.com and get plugged into Sarah’s world of senior sessions, volume sports, and bold biz education.