In this episode, we’re diving into how to create content that not only gets noticed but also converts your audience into paying clients. With so much advice on how to stand out online—posting reels, stories, carousel posts, and engaging on multiple platforms—it can feel overwhelming. The truth is, none of it works well unless your messaging is clear.

We’re focusing on:

• The Power of Differentiation: Why should someone hire YOU over your competitors? We discuss how to identify what makes you unique and how to highlight that across your marketing, website, and social media.
• Streamlining for Simplicity: Learn efficient, easy-to-implement strategies for creating content. Whether you’re running multiple businesses, doing it all yourself, or juggling other priorities, these tips will help you stay consistent by having a cache of content to pull from anytime you post on social media or need to create copy!
• Understanding Your Ideal Client: Dive into how to uncover your ideal client’s pain points and create content that speaks directly to them. Even with email and website copy, knowing what their desires are will help you speak their language!
• Leveraging Client Reviews: Discover how reviews from past clients can become one of your most powerful tools for crafting a message that resonates with your ideal client and sets you apart from your competitors!

With 2025 around the corner, it’s time to prepare for a successful season by creating a sustainable system for your marketing—one that works even when you’re busy serving clients with a busy schedule, and avoid the feast-or-famine cycle by staying consistent!

Tune in now to create content that stands out, connects with your ideal client, and converts!

Download the full list of prompts for ChatGPT here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R8rnppdjq3Oc3qYxDFoqk14Sm973nKhu/view?usp=drive_link

Try Planoly for yourself, and see how much time you can save every week by planning out your content in advance! This app is one of my favorites - and it saves me at least 10+ hours every week!

https://www.planoly.com/referral/emeraldandivyphoto

Find me on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thefearlessbusiness

In this special kickoff episode, we’re welcoming you back to the newly revamped podcast, now called The Fearless Business Podcast!

A podcast AND youtube channel for ambitious entrepreneurs, service-based business owners, and coaches - who are ready to build a thriving business with clarity, confidence, and a fearless mindset.

After some unexpected (but much needed and productive) time away, we’ve rebranded to bring you even more valuable content, not just for photographers, but for ANY service-based business owner or entrepreneur.

Keep listening to learn what’s new and what you can expect from our refreshed & recharged podcast!

Hello Friend!

Welcome to The Fearless Business, a podcast and youtube channel for ambitious entrepreneurs, service-based business owners, and coaches - who are ready to build a thriving business with clarity, confidence, and a fearless mindset.

I’m your host, Stephanie Kozick - Entrepreneur since 2009, business strategist & educator since 2018, and a proud multi-6-figure earner with two successful businesses—all while raising a family.

I’m sharing everything I’ve learned on this journey—actionable strategies, real-world advice, and the mindset shifts to take your business to the next level - and let’s be honest, the goal is to help you book more, sell more, and make more money.

Each week, we’ll explore proven techniques to do just that. topics will include marketing, sales, productivity, branding, tackle the tough situations, and uncover the keys to balancing your business and your life — all with the goal of helping you attract and book YOUR ideal clients while making your business work for you.

Whether you’re here to book more clients, make more money, scale your business, or find more joy in the process, this podcast is your go-to resource for building a business and life you love—without fear.

So, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Let’s get ready to build a thriving business and a life you love - with clarity, confidence and fearless ambition!

Let’s dive in!

Welcome to Part 2 of this little mini-series on the podcast, where we’re talking about that nasty thing called burnout in your photography business.

I’m sharing 9 simple adjustments or shifts you can make in your business - some are mindset shifts but most are things you can tweak with how you run your business, to avoid burnout and overwhelm.

In the last episode, I gave some signs and symptoms of burnout, I talked about the dangers of comparison and the hustle culture we see everywhere… and I gave you some steps if you find yourself in a state of burnout.

I don’t think we talk about this enough, it’s almost like a taboo topic - because you can’t be TRULY vulnerable, you can’t appear to not have it all together all the time - and you have to do all these things to keep up appearances - but it can get to a point where you’re looking at everything you’re doing, everything you feel you have to do to be successful - and it’s just too much. And that’s the danger of hustle culture. So recognizing it and getting out of that cycle is the first step. I highly suggest going back and listening to episode 25 if you haven’t already.

But today i’m sharing how can you make your business more enjoyable, lessen the load, and like I always say - create a business you love.

Listen to the full episode for the 9 shifts you can make in your business that will help you work smarter, and avoid being overwhelmed in your business.

All you have to do is leave a review of the show! Every month I’ll be selecting a new winner - prizes range from free resources or templates, gift cards, website or business audits, or even a personal 1:1 call with Stephanie!

A new winner is selected every month, so feel free to leave a review each month for more chances to win!

Make sure you take a screenshot of your review & send to me over on Instagram @thefearlessceo so I know where to send your prize to claim!

Marketing Guide for Photographers: Double Your Inquiries!

PLANOLY - The app that saves me 20+ hours a month!

Guide to Shoot In Manual to give you full control over the look of every image, every time.

Photography 101 Course - If you’re working on building your portfolio and struggling to get that consistency you want with how you’re shooting.

Why I LOVE Honeybook + a discount for you! - The CRM I couldn't run my business without! I no longer miss deadlines or steps in the client journey, I use it to automate and streamline the booking, onboarding, delivery and follow-up processes, just to name a few.

The exact Wedding Questionnaire I use, as well as other resources & goodies for photographers available in the shop.

AFTERSHOOT - How I reduced my wedding editing time from 5-6 FULL work days, down to just ONE day! For all other sessions, less than one hour to cull and edit!

In this episode, I want to give you some encouragement, and maybe a bit of a warning about something I feel a lot of business owners can fall into without realizing…

And that’s a hustle culture. Glorifying long hours, and wearing “busy” like a badge of honor.

It might feel motivating to you at first, but I can tell you from experience, it can lead to burnout.

This doesn’t just affect your business. Burnout spills over to every part of your life and your relationships.

And my goal for you - is to build a thriving business, while also embracing balance in your life, and enjoying the journey.

That’s not always easy, but it can be very simple - when you learn what to look for and how to fix it! So let’s talk about how to recognize and avoid burnout.

Links mentioned in this episode:

PODCAST GIVEAWAY - All you have to do is leave a review of the show! Every month I’ll be selecting a new winner - prizes range from free resources or guides, gift card, website or business audits, or even a personal 1:1 call with Stephanie!

A new winner is selected every month, so feel free to leave a review each month for more chances to win!

Make sure you take a screenshot of your review & send to me over on Instagram @thefearlessceo so I know where to send your prize!

Marketing Guide for Photographers: Double Your Inquiries!

PLANOLY - The app that saves me 20+ hours a month!

Guide to Shoot In Manual to give you full control over the look of every image, every time.

Photography 101 Course - If you’re working on building your portfolio and struggling to get that consistency you want with how you’re shooting.

Why I LOVE Honeybook + a discount for you! - The CRM I couldn't run my business without! I no longer miss deadlines or steps in the client journey, I use it to automate and streamline the booking, onboarding, delivery and follow-up processes, just to name a few.

The exact Wedding Questionnaire I use, as well as other resources & goodies for photographers available in the shop.

AFTERSHOOT - How I reduced my wedding editing time from 5-6 FULL work days, down to just ONE day! For all other sessions, less than one hour to cull and edit!

Leave a message for me with Speakpipe, ask your business questions and I'll answer with a podcast

Or if you have an urgent question, need help with an issue or tough situation and it can’t wait a few weeks for the next bonus podcast… book an absolutely FREE strategy call with Stephanie to talk about anything you need in your business.

Until next time, an awesome week, Friends!

Today I want to share one of the many factors that play a part in your business to get more inquiries… and i always say: not just MORE for the sake of being booked up and busy, but more of the right clients, that light you up, that see your value and are YOUR dream clients.

So I recently put a poll in my instagram stories… and so many photographers responded that they wanted to hear more about How to reach more of their ideal clients… but actually 83% of the number of people that responded said they also want to learn about WHO their ideal client actually is?

So that’s what we’re going to cover today - WHO is my ideal client, and HOW can I attract more of them?

Because if you don’t know who your ideal client is - it makes it impossible to reach them. You can’t be everything to everyone. And By trying to market to everyone, you’re actually reaching no one. And that is hurting your inquiries, it’s hurting your bookings… and if you do book sessions or weddings, maybe you’re finding that you’re frustrated by some of your clients, maybe they’re needy, they ask for discounts, they aren’t loyal to you by coming back for more sessions…

if you don’t know who your target client is… you’re wasting a lot of your time spinning your wheels trying to market a business with unclear goals and unclear target audience. So let’s get some clarity there - let’s figure out first WHO your ideal clients or your target audience is… and talk about the ways that you can reach THEM.

To enter the GIVEAWAY:

All you have to do is leave a review of the show! Every month I’ll be selecting a new winner - prizes range from free resources or guides, gift card, website or business audits, or even a personal 1:1 call with Stephanie!

A new winner is selected every month, so feel free to leave a review each month for more chances to win!

Make sure you take a screenshot of your review & send to me over on Instagram @thefearlessceo so I know where to send your prize!

Links mentioned in today's show:

FREE Guide for Photographers: Double Your Inquiries

Click HERE for more information on the Book More Clients course mentioned in this episode.

If you love the show, take a screenshot & share to your story, and tag @thefearlessceo So I can see which episodes you're loving!

Leave a message for me with Speakpipe, ask your business questions and I'll answer with a podcast

Why I LOVE Honeybook + a discount for you!

Until next time, an awesome week, Friends!

Hi friends! In episode 19, I talked about how how you respond to initial inquiries, some do’s and don’ts - to INCREASE your booking rate, and REDUCE the amount of times you get ghosted - specifically in how you respond to initial inquiries… But let's go even further...

And I feel like I have a pretty strong response to inquiries. i’m happy with my booking rate… Especially if I get them on the phone or meet with them in-person…9 times out of 10, they book with me. but I still get ghosted!

But today i’m talking about how to reduce the number of times you get ghosted by potential clients, AFTER that initial inquiry… somewhere along the booking process… Maybe it’s after inquiring, after emailing back and forth, after establishing a relationship? even after meeting with them, or maybe they even stand you up for the meeting…

What the HECK? Why do people do this? And how can you stop it?

Here’s the truth: We can’t control what other people choose to do - so we’ll never be able to stop ghosting completely. BUT the good news, is that we can reduce how often it happens SO much, by just doing a few things… So I’ve got a few tips and some encouragement for you in this episode!

So take the opportunity now, to look back on the times you’ve been ghosted, at what point do you get ghosted? And take a look at, let’s say the last 5 times you’ve been ghosted, and make some notes.

If you like looking at the numbers like I do - maybe you look at how many inquiries you’ve gotten so far this month, or this quarter… How many initial inquiries, how many emailed you back, how many did you get on a phone call or in a meeting, how many booked, how many told you why they weren’t booking… and then at what point did those numbers go down? Where along the way did you get ghosted?

Now - Let’s talk about that… Let’s Do a sort of “audit” and figure out where the holes are, and how to fix them.

1 out of every 8 to 10 inquiries ghosting you is typical, even expected - but if you’re getting ghosted more than that, send me an email or a DM over on instagram and let’s take a look at your business together and figure out why!

Or take a look at the Book More Clients Course to look even deeper into ALL these things we talked about today and elevate these areas of your business, and even more! And that will help you reach your ideal client, get clarity in your marketing & create a strategy that actually works for you, get more inquiries, CONVERT more inquiries, and keep that revolving door of clients coming into your business month after month! That’s the entire purpose of the Book More Clients Course!

Click the links above to listen the the entire episode, or wherever you prefer to get your podcasts.

Subscribe now so you never miss an episode!

Links mentioned in today's show:

FREE Guide for Photographers: Double Your Inquiries

Click HERE for more information on the Book More Clients course mentioned in this episode.

If you love the show, take a screenshot & share to your story, and tag @thefearlessceo So I can see which episodes you're loving!

Leave a message for me with Speakpipe, ask your business questions and I'll answer with a podcast

Why I LOVE Honeybook + a discount for you!

If you want to see the program I use for my email marketing, as

Let's dive into this topic of having a photography Niche: Should you Niche down, or not? And can having a photography niche potentially make you more money or not?

When you hear the word Niche, simply put it’s what you specialize in. It can be in what you shoot, and also how you shoot or edit, your ideal client, the value you provide - is all part of how you set yourself apart… Most of the time though, when we’re talking about a photography Niche - we’re referring to the type of work you do as a photographer. So while you could have a special way that you edit or how you pose clients that’s your Niche, for simplicity we’re just talking today on deciding WHAT you will shoot, and if narrowing down what subjects you photograph is the right decision for you in your business.

Just a disclaimer here, this is a topic right out of the Book More Clients signature coaching course, and I wanted to talk about it here - because it’s been a common topic recently with a coaching client, and with a couple of the students in the course… so I thought it would be helpful to create a podcast specifically about making the decision to niche down or not in your business.

Because there’s really not a simple answer - it’s very personal to you, your goals, even your personality… but I want to share a little more about what having a Niche or not having a Niche looks like, and give you a few Pros and Cons.

And I’m also going to share a little insight into what I decided for my own business, and how I was able to scale my business to 6 figures - which has a lot to do with the decisions I made around having a specific Niche OR not having a specific niche in my business.

Links mentioned in the show:

Free Guide for Photographers: Double Your Inquiries!

PLANOLY - The app that saves me 20+ hours a month!

Why I LOVE Honeybook + a discount for you! - The CRM I couldn't run my business without! I no longer miss deadlines or steps in the client journey, I use it to automate and streamline the booking, onboarding, delivery and follow-up processes, just to name a few.

AFTERSHOOT - How I reduced my wedding editing time from 5-6 FULL work days, down to just ONE day! For all other sessions, less than one hour to cull and edit!

Need something else?

Leave a message for me with Speakpipe, ask your business questions and I'll answer with a podcast

Or if you have an urgent question, need help with an issue or tough situation and it can’t wait a few weeks for the next bonus podcast… book an absolutely FREE strategy call with Stephanie to talk about anything you need in your business.

Until next time, an awesome week, Friends!