Profitable Creatives Podcast
Are you a creative entrepreneur who's passionate about your craft but feels overwhelmed by the business side of things?
Welcome to the Profitable Creatives Podcast, a show for creative entrepreneurs looking to transform their passion into a thriving, profitable business. I’m your host, Emily Kim, a former Silicon Valley software engineer turned brand photographer, studio owner, and business coach. This podcast pulls back the curtain on the business side of creativity.
Whether you're a photographer, creative freelancer, or any 1-1 creative service provider, each episode delivers practical strategies for branding, marketing, pricing, client experience, systems, and more. Your business needs you to be both an artist and an engineer — and I’ll show you how.
Episodes
13 episodes
Don't just be a Profitable Creative - Be a WEALTHY Creative in 2026
I didn't quit my high-paying software engineering job at Apple to make LESS money in my photography business. I quit because I saw that building my own creative business meant there would be no salary ceiling. I'd be in control of how much I ma...
011 Education as a form of marketing & lead generation
In this episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite long-term marketing strategies: using education to attract and convert clients. I’m not talking about teaching others how to do what you do (like I do with brand photographers)—I mean teaching you...
010 Goal setting is dead: Why auditing your goals is the key to 2025
In this episode, we’re diving into an essential topic for the start of the year: goal setting. Or my preferred term: goal auditing! Join the Goal Audit Workshop: https://www.emilykim.c...
009 The power of specificity to speed up your sales
Today I'm not talking about niching, I'm talking about specificity and how it's one of the two main strategies to making sales in your service-based business.So those strategies are:1) being specific2) building a personal brand<...
008 How to become the no-brainer choice as a brand photographer
Sign up for The Premium Pivot waitlist: https://www.emilykim.co/pivot-waitlist In this episode of the Profitable Creatives Podcast, I'm sharing how I elevated my brand photography...
007 The #1 reason most creatives undercharge
Let's chat about the #1 reason creative business owners undercharge and learn a simple, proven pricing formula to boost your profitability. Perfect for photographers, copywriters, designers, and freelancers looking to optimize their pricing str...
006 Protect Your Creative Business: 5 legal and tax tips you can't ignore with Braden Drake from Not Avg Law
Get ready for a no-BS breakdown of the most important legal and tax tips for creative entrepreneurs with Braden Drake, a California licensed attorney and tax professional. In this episode, Braden and I (Emily Kim) discuss these top 5 legal + ta...
005 How long does it take to build a "successful" creative business?
In this episode, I'm diving into this frequently asked question: how long does it actually take to build a successful creative business? I'm breaking down the misconceptions around overnight success and sharing my personal journey to p...
004 Beyond social media: The REAL way to grow your creative business
Is attending networking events and conferences the key to growing your creative business? In this episode, I'm chatting about why I prioritize in-person connections and share my recent experience as a keynote speaker.Join me a...
003 What does "scaling" mean, really?
Is growing a team or starting an agency the only way to scale your creative business? In this episode, let's debunk common myths about "scaling" your freelance business.I'm also sharing my personal journey of inadvertently bui...
002 From $5k to $123k: my journey to 6 figures in profit
I'm pulling back the curtain on my journey from starting my brand photography business as a side hustle to becoming a full-time six-figure photographer. I'm giving you a transparent look at alll my numbers: my income, expenses, and profit over ...
001 From software engineer to booked out brand photographer. My story & the purpose of this podcast
I went from being a corporate software engineer to a full-time brand photographer. In this first ever episode (!!!) of the Profitable Creatives Podcast, I'm sharing a little bit about my journey, what you can expect from this podcast, and two l...