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The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast
The Preferred List is a podcast that pulls back the curtain on the wedding industry, featuring honest conversations with the pros behind the scenes. From planners to photographers to DJs and florists, we dive into the real stories, lessons, and moments that make weddings unforgettable — and what it really takes to earn a spot on the list.
The Preferred List: A Wedding Vendor Podcast
Episode 1 From Architecture to Wedding Photography: Heather Marie Photography
Heather Leicy shares her journey from architecture to wedding photography, discovering her passion after her own wedding day when she realized a photographer's unique privilege to capture all loved ones gathered in one unrepeatable moment.
• Creating a best friend experience for couples rather than just being "the vendor"
• Ensuring couples stay present throughout their wedding day through careful timeline management
• Building in deliberate pauses during the wedding day for couples to absorb the experience
• Using the "four core poses" as a foundation before adding more creative and candid shots
• Understanding that only 20% of a photography business is taking photos - the other 80% is business management
• Implementing a monthly "CEO day" focused solely on business development tasks
• Maintaining strong communication with other vendors to ensure a smooth wedding day
• Starting "Wedding Wednesdays" - tackling just one wedding planning task each week
• Balancing business ownership with motherhood through efficient systems
• Offering tax education specifically designed for creative entrepreneurs
Find Heather on Instagram @heather.marie.leicy or at heathermlphoto.com, where you can learn about her photography services and tax education resources for creative entrepreneurs. You can also find her on YouTube @heathermariephotography
Can't wait for you all to hear all of the episodes that are coming! Make sure you subscribe to stay up to date!
Welcome to the Preferred List, a podcast about the people behind the best wedding days. I'm James, a wedding filmmaker. I've spent years in the industry working alongside incredible vendors, and this show is all about real conversations with the ones that actually make it happen. Whether you're a vendor or a couple, you'll get honest insight, good stories and maybe a little bit of inspiration along the way. Let's meet today's wedding vendor hey Heather.
Speaker 2:Hey, thanks for having me. You're welcome. Yeah, thanks for having me. I don't know what are we doing here. I don't know, just chatting Usually we're at the gym.
Speaker 1:Right now, At this time this exact time on this exact day Yep, mondays, mondays but we're here. I'm so glad that you could be on the podcast and I'm excited to hear all of your insight from your years of experience as a wedding photographer.
Speaker 1:Super exciting. This is the first episode that we're filming at a venue that's close by local to us it's the barn at Silverstone. So the barn at Silverstone was featured on the world's greatest as the world's greatest wedding venue. Crazy, here, breathtaking historic stonework meets elegant modern design with an inclusive approach that lets couples enjoy a truly low stress planning experience. And I will tell you Miranda, the owner here Incredible, awesome, incredible.
Speaker 1:Awesome. We just shot here a couple weeks ago. So fun. The venue is just so nice. Um, but, heather, welcome to the show. Hey, thanks, um, let me uh computer's like you don't need any questions. What are you trying to get questions for? Um, tell me a little bit more about how you got into the wedding industry yeah, so super random.
Speaker 2:Uh, I went to college for architecture but I had a minor in photography architecture it's like totally lines up with photography, right. Yeah, but I had the minor, so it's like okay, but I only like shooting landscape photography and so people were not even a thought in my like brain at all, and so it wasn't until my wedding day that this is so cliche. Please don't laugh at me literally dancing around in the circle for the first dance.
Speaker 2:You see, we had, like, all of our guests stand up around us and so I was just dancing and like looking at all the people that were there and it was just so crazy to think like this is the one time that all of these people were going to be in one place all together, like it would never happen again. And then came in to view my photographers and I was like what a cool job to be able to do that. I literally have goosebumps, like cliche as cliche can be, but that was totally it yeah so that got me into weddings. I like went home, found a course for free. I was like let's figure out how to shoot people?
Speaker 1:Oh, that sounds horrible.
Speaker 2:Photograph people and then from there I like got into my rising tide group, uh, and then sort of shadowing someone who, like took me under their wing and taught me everything, and then that's how it came to be.
Speaker 1:It's so funny that you say the everyone in one room. I'm literally finishing a film right now where one of the guests, in a guest interview, said this is the one time you're going to have all of the people that you love friends and family in one spot celebrating the two of you.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh my gosh, that's so true, it is so crazy Like we tried to do it again the next year for like a one year anniversary. Just a party at our house yeah invited all the same people and I think we had like half maybe. Like people just don't make it a point to come when it's not the wedding day and so you'll never have it again.
Speaker 1:So it's the one day, one day. So you ran home. You're like let me figure out how to do this. No honeymoon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the timing done no, I think it was a couple months, like one to two months, because I was in architecture and thought like this is what I was going to do for my life, and then it happened to come up on facebook. That's what it was. It was like a little mini class on like how to photograph portraits. I was like sure, why not? And then from how to photograph portraits. I was like sure, why not? And then from there, I just like watch that bought a course almost immediately and then kept going.
Speaker 1:I like loved it. That's awesome. It's so fun. I feel like jumping into it. I mean I had this. I'm like I have no idea what I'm doing and you just take in as much information. I mean, I had this. I'm like I have no idea what I'm doing and you just take in as much information. Um, what, what was it like, going from like learning how to take photos of people to jumping in and actually like, okay, I'm going to start a business and I'm not just going to be like a photographer, I'm going to be like a business owner, I'm going to be like an entrepreneur. Like, what was that path? What did that look like for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so I started with mommy and me sessions. I did 10 of them for free. I look back on those photos. You grow people you grow somewhere. I mean, I did start somewhere they mostly landscapes uh we were at a park and I made sure to get the trees, like I was like big on the trees, uh yeah.
Speaker 2:So it started there and then from there I fell in love with it, and it was that person that took me under their wing for like second shooting that I learned everything like how to run a day, what to do beforehand, and then I went to back when Tuesdays Together was a thing. I went to those monthly meetings and that's where you learned all the business side of things, and from those two things together that's kind of how I started my business. It's like crazy to take the job.
Speaker 2:It took me a while to take the jump to go full-time, I'll say that.
Speaker 1:I like. So were you doing it like part-time?
Speaker 2:oh yeah yeah, I always said like I was an architect during the day and then a photographer during the nights and evenings yeah like my schedule was packed, but I did it for so long because I'm a super like big monies person and I did not want to take the jump until I knew I had enough money that I could like cover myself, and so it wasn't until 2022, I think, that I finally took. I went part-time in 2021 in my architecture job so that I could go like almost full-time in photography, and then 2022 I finally took the jump.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, and now I'm here. If I had to guess, I would have been like you've been in business for like 10 years.
Speaker 2:I've been in business eight years. You give off like a very experienced vibe. Yeah.
Speaker 1:But what's really funny is that we actually first met at a wedding in 2018.
Speaker 2:You- were second shooting.
Speaker 1:That was my first year, too, dang, and this was the first couple that paid me what I was asking to get paid for and I was like super pumped. I was like this is going to be a great wedding, it's at a great venue. And then we met and then we didn't see each other for like Till last year, three, four't see each other for like Until last year. Three, four, five years.
Speaker 2:Yeah, more 2024.
Speaker 1:And then you're walking through the gym and I'm like, are you Heather? And you're like, wait, yeah, how do you I?
Speaker 2:don't know why I like sat down at the table like we were best friends.
Speaker 1:Yeah, immediately. I'm like, yeah, I think I was sitting there working too, but I don't know why I was like let me just sit at this person's table. So it's just, it's so cool to hear, like the journey that you've been on, um, what is there like a moment that you felt like like I was made to do this job, especially thinking like you did all this work to get yourself to be an architect like, yeah, the it's such a big swing over to like the creative.
Speaker 2:I mean it's still kind of creative, like creative on the photo side of things.
Speaker 1:Is there a moment you're like, no, this is definitely for me.
Speaker 2:I think my biggest moment was finally getting testimonials from couples, when they weren't just saying like, oh, your photos are great, it was whoa. You made us feel comfortable, or I literally felt like you were a friend there or I didn't have to worry about anything because you had the timeline figured out, like those were the moments where I was like I can do this, like this is what I'm supposed to do, and I felt so much love and like satisfaction in a wedding day compared to when I'd go to my architecture job and it was just like, oh, I'm doing these drawings, like, yeah, it's for someone, but you don't really see the end result of it, because it's like years and months of working on something. But like on a wedding day, you literally hear from the people how much they love what you did or how the impact, just the feedback, yeah, yeah, that's so cool when you're working with your couples.
Speaker 1:Yep, yep, is there like like, obviously with photography, you're interacting like so much back and forth.
Speaker 1:You're also like running most of the day if there's not a day of coordinator or a planner, yep, running most of the day if there's not a day of coordinator or a planner. But what's that vibe that you want your couples to have as they're working with you? And maybe there's a different vibe on like an engagement session versus the wedding day. Or maybe there's a vibe even like when they're first reaching out to just get to know you or get to know more about your services.
Speaker 2:Yep, all the same, I just want to feel like a best friend on your day and like not 10 year best friend where we're going to go deep and you're going to tell me all of your life stories.
Speaker 1:But I want you to just what I want. Tell me everything I mean. I am open to telling.
Speaker 2:But I literally want to feel like another friend or another bridesmaid on your day, where you don't have to feel like, oh, that's the vendor and I need to explain things to her. Like I make sure I know everything before the wedding day so that when the wedding day comes, like you can just be with your family, you can be with your friends, you can trust me if you need to tell me something. But it's not like this awkward, like hey, I'm Heather. Like we're going to meet on the engagement session, we're going to do a welcome call where you're seeing my face. I'm going to reach out and doing your DMs when you say something funny or like go somewhere cool. Like I'm going to be a friend to you on your wedding day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, it's a cool visual. I just like you said that and I pictured like going down the line of bridesmaids and you just kind of being on the end where it's like oh, there's just another one of the girls in that whole craziness of the day.
Speaker 2:And I've done photos like that, like where the bridesmaids or like some of them, which are like past brides or just friends of mine they'll pull me in to do a photo. They're like. Those are my favorite days.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so fun. We said this before we sat down and hit record. There's a lot of photographers. Yep, there are a ton. There's a lot of photographers.
Speaker 2:Yep, there are a ton, there are.
Speaker 1:There's a ton of I mean, there's a ton of wedding vendors. There's also a ton of weddings, so there's weddings for everyone, but there's a ton of photographers. What would you say about your approach? Is there something that, like you do, that you feel is different, or some maybe like it's like an intentionality or something that you love about the way that you work with your couples? That kind of like sets you apart from other photographers in the area?
Speaker 2:I think my big thing I think there's like two. I work with a lot of couples that don't have planners, Like I have some that have planners but a lot of them don't. So I think a big thing is like taking that stress off of figuring out the timeline of the day and also running the timeline of the day. There's a lot of people that are like so panicked about I need to be here and then I need to be there, like I want them to know before the wedding day even starts, like I have your timeline, you've seen the timeline, I'm going to run it and make sure, and like that's just through how like type A I am and I feel like in my emails leading up to it they can tell like she's going to take care of it.
Speaker 2:I think that's a big one. And then the other one is just along with that like friendship feeling, like I want them to know that they can come if there is a family member that is driving them nuts, or like trying to get every photo possible and we don't have time. Like I want them to know that they can come, confide in me and be like, hey, this person is a little too much for me, then I'm gonna step in and I'm gonna be your bodyguard, like I'm gonna say, hey, we can get those photos at reception, but right now we need to take the bride and groom to go do xyz like I think that's the little things that I'm sets me apart like I want you to have the day that you want, so.
Speaker 2:So what can I do? Because I'm not a mean person, I'm like a really nice bodyguard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, go to bat for them, yeah, and make sure that what they want is what they're getting for their wedding day. And I love. I'm such a huge fan of trying to do everything in our power as vendors to keep the couple in tune, and just in the moment, because, like you said, and just in the moment Because, like you said, it's one time that it's all going to come together. And the last thing they need to be worrying about is are we on time? What's next?
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah.
Speaker 1:So you're the person they're going to turn to and be like hey, what's going on next? And you're like boom, boom, boom.
Speaker 2:Yep. And another thing that I love to do is I always joke oh, what's that movie, adam Sandler Click, where he has like that remote that can stop the day? Yeah, if only we could do that. But I always tell my couples and I make sure it's in the timeline, like 30 minutes before ceremony. We don't do anything at all with them. And then during sunset photos, I give a little bit of time where they can just like walk and just let the day sink in, like it's my little way of pausing the day, where they can, like one, prepare themselves, like they're about to say I do's or see each other if they haven't yet. Like that little bit of time before, I want them to know like this is what you're supposed to do during this time, like nothing else matters. I will take care of whatever's happening around you. Just go prepare yourself, and then at sunset, I just want you guys to walk and hold hands like I can get photos, photos, a lot of photos during that time, but just go hang out.
Speaker 2:But just go see each other, because you've been bombarded, I'm sure, by how many guests saying congratulations and hey which we love, but you never get to breathe. And so I want to build that in.
Speaker 1:I do. I do wonder it's like because you want to see everyone on your wedding day, but I have to imagine that most couples are slightly overwhelmed with the number of people that are coming up and wanting a hug or wanting to say congrats but, I, mean you want it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it totally makes sense. Um, is there one thing that that you would love couples to know about you, or um, even just like, more generally, on the photo side of things, that that would be helpful for couples to know about photographers before they're hiring this vendor type for their wedding day?
Speaker 2:I think the big thing for them to be aware of is not just the pretty photos, but what's the photographer going to do for you in addition to that, like the timeline or questionnaires that prepares them for who the family is, like names, so that you're not just saying like, hey, you come over here or mom, come over there I do say a lot of mom and dad mom and dad.
Speaker 2:I do because I feel like it's like more personal. But I hate on wedding days, like if I'm second shooting and the photographer for like full bridal party. It's like, hey, you on the end, slide in. And then you're like, is it me, is it you, is it me?
Speaker 1:Like just I want to say Adam.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so like I asked those questions in the questionnaire, so for for couples, I want them to find someone that's not just the pretty photos like make sure you know the experience you're going to get with them too yeah, the experience is.
Speaker 1:I mean, I feel like most photographers I'll say most are delivering beautiful pictures yes some style differences? Yep for sure. Light and airy, dark and moody, somewhere in the middle, just plain neutral. Yep. But like this person is going to be a person that walks through the entire day by your side, yep, so you better like them.
Speaker 2:You better. Yep, it is so true. So you see your photographer more than you see your soon to be husband or wife. Like pants down, they see you from getting ready.
Speaker 1:Swear, it's not like you said pants down, but you said hands down Hands, hands down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like you said pants down, but you said hands, hands hands down?
Speaker 1:uh, do you? Do you feel, like you said, most of your wedding days there's no planner, so you're kind of running things? Is there like kind of a typical flow for your wedding days is? Are they all kind of like similar in terms of the way that they run, or are there kind of some differences and like your specific wedding days with couples that you're working with?
Speaker 2:I feel like they're typically standard. I would say I'm, as I said, very type A, so for me, wedding days, if run super smooth, we're going to give you a bunch of buffer time so that if something gets behind, you don't even notice it in the timeline, like we're still gonna do it. Like, for one example, I lay out my timelines where I, as the lead photographer, am doing bridesmaids and groomsmen, where a lot of photographers do it side by side. But there's a lot of times that I have to do them side by side. But there that's because our timeline got behind.
Speaker 1:Gotcha.
Speaker 2:But I have it in the timeline that I could do them all and if we are on time then I can do them all, or we can still split them and you get an extra 20 minutes to relax, like, I just want to add in as much buffer time as I possibly can so that if we do get behind, you don't know it and you're still getting all the photos that you want.
Speaker 1:That's like my big thing and I love like when the photographer leans over and is like we're so behind, but somehow it all comes together, it all comes together, and that's those buffer days. Yeah, um, is there like a, a ritual that you have like pre-wedding day, that you're like, okay, I got this, you know, like what's your, what's your take on, like like what's happening before the wedding day?
Speaker 2:One. I want to be fully invested and present with my daughter and my husband to do whatever we're doing. Like I don't like to think it's wedding day and so my whole morning is wedding, wedding, wedding. Like no, I'm going to be fully invested with my daughter and husband because I'm about to leave them and then, like an hour before, I am a person that checks her bags three to four times before she ever leaves the driveway and then sometimes I still pull over and check my bag to make sure I have that lens in there, even though I know I've checked four times. That's me, so that's my big ritual always, even leaving, I pack my bags and I still check them in the car because I don't trust myself. Five minutes ago, when I was packing my bags, yeah it's.
Speaker 1:I don't know it's accurate. I literally forgot a tripod before I was setting up and I was like, oh, I have one less tripod, so that'll be coming in a few minutes. Luckily, we're very close to this venue, so that worked out. Do you feel like there's questions that couples aren't asking that they should be? Maybe it's in that initial reach-out phase what should couples be bringing to the table to get the most out of their wedding photographer that they end up booking?
Speaker 2:uh, I'm gonna repeat myself ask about the experience, like, ask, ask, ask. Do they send you questionnaires? Do they help you with a timeline? Those things mean so much and it's something you don't think about when you're picking your photographer because you're like, oh, I want that beautiful photo of that person, like that that person got, that's all I want. And so you just look at that face level of your photographer but, like, go deeper and ask what they're going to do and even more so, the photographer should say that early on, so that you don't even have to ask those questions like, like I, when I was searching, I wanted my photographer or any vendor to answer my questions before I even asked them, cause then I felt like they like fully understood what they were providing and the experience they were giving and they were on top of it. And so if your vendors that you're talking to can do that like, that's a really good person, even if they don't have the photo on the front page of a magazine. Like the experience is so important.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I mean that magazine is going to come and go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, and that photographer that's not on the front could probably still get that photo.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But can they give you the experience where you're going to be able to be 100% with your family and friends, so that they're still capturing it, but you're remembering all the memories on the day?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I love that when you're working alongside other vendors, for maybe it's venue owners or planners and you can even touch on things that are helpful for other people to know about photographers. If there's nuggets of wisdom, right, that's like actually it helpful.
Speaker 1:If you know a venue owner can xyz, or this really helps us get what we need to get, um, because we are all coming together as like random collective vendors from all these different categories coming together to put on a day for xyz couple, and we all want them to have the best day. What's your take on like working together with other vendors throughout the day?
Speaker 2:communication, huge, like before the wedding day. I want to know if you have like, if you're a planner or if you're the videographer, if you have a timeline that you are have talked to the couple about, send it to all of them. I do an email like two weeks before the wedding, to every single vendor, even the suits, like they probably don't need to know what my timeline is, but I'm going to send it to you so that we can all be on that same page and we can take care of any conflicts before the day. So it's not right before ceremony and I thought I was going to have 15 more minutes to do. Groomsmen and the planner's coming to take my couple and I'm like great, we didn't do a cruise at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I want to know ahead of time and then on wedding day still be communicating, like if the couple said something to you, come tell me so that I know and don't accidentally bring it up again, or that I can shift my timeline around and just do it privately, so that the couple can still enjoy their day and don't know we had to tweak something. If they don't need to be involved like communication is huge from every single vendor on the day yeah, no, I love that.
Speaker 1:I feel like it's the same with like just relationships too. Yeah, like if you're communicating, you know things are staying above board, everyone's on the same page, and then we can all come together and and have our heads put together to be like okay, maybe we need to make adjustments, maybe the timeline's running running behind, or like what can we do here, what can we do there? Again, I feel like what you're saying a lot is like helping them stay present, helping them stay focused on each other and not worried about like the logistical things and like what's happening next or did we miss something? You're like no, we got it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everyone's here, we're all working together yep, and if something's missed, like vendors, figure it out like privately and then get it later on like half the time you can squeeze it in somewhere else without panicking the couple right that you missed, whatever it was.
Speaker 1:Um, if you had advice for a couple planning their wedding and it doesn't have to be specifically photo, but what would your, your top advice be for couples that are in that like heat of the planning? Stages they're like maybe they're overwhelmed, Maybe they're absolutely loving it. Yep, what do you? What are you saying to them?
Speaker 2:I loved planning my wedding loving it, yep what do you?
Speaker 1:what are you saying to them? I loved planning my wedding, so I'm probably weirdo. Okay, one, two three weirdo.
Speaker 2:Okay, what was that? Punch buggy, no punch bags, or something. When you said it at the same time oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, anyway sorry, I was like a weirdo punch buggy.
Speaker 1:I don't.
Speaker 2:I think that was the thing when you were a kid.
Speaker 1:You like punch someone when you were a kid, you punched.
Speaker 2:If you said it at the same time Sorry.
Speaker 2:Now I'm a really nice person, I promise, okay, I have two Now that we're back on track One. One of my couples did this and I tell all of my couples now to do it. Do a wedding Wednesday once a week. One day that evening, you just work on one little thing. Once a week. One day that evening, you just work on one little thing, and if you have a year out from your wedding, that's 52 different things that you can get done and it'll make those last little, last minute to do's like minuscule because you'll have done little things throughout the whole year.
Speaker 2:Instead of, ok, this Saturday we have to sit down and do an entire day of wedding stuff. It's also nice for the groom because most of the time speaking, the grooms don't love the planning phase nearly as much as the brides do. So if it's just like something real small, then it feels like you didn't really do anything, but you planned an entire wedding throughout that year. Second thing is do what feels right to you, not what others say, because so many times I hear, oh, my mom made me do da-da-da-da-da, or I felt like I needed to do this because all my friends are doing it. Like, just do what you guys want to do yes, get input from other people, but you make the final call.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's tough too, Because I just feel like the vision that someone might have for their day can get clouded, so even just from like social media, like maybe you had a vision and it's like, oh, but that looks cool, but this looks cool. So just like, stick with what's true yeah, to you yeah, and I love that wedding wednesday wedding wednesday.
Speaker 2:My couple did it and I tell everyone now and they just, they just busted through all their stuff on wednesday, yeah and like it could be one task, it could have been two or three tasks or go meet a planner or whoever your vendor was. But wedding Wednesday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that, do you? Do? You find a lot of couples come to you with like, like I have a list of like, maybe a Pinterest board, or like I want this photo on that photo and this pose and that pose and this pose and that pose, and you obviously have an idea of like what you want to get that's in line with your style and what you're putting out there, because that's what you're going to attract.
Speaker 1:How do you, how do you kind of manage if a couple does kind of come up with this? Like you know, long of of different ideas?
Speaker 2:yeah, I, uh, I, I would say 80, don't do that. Or they have like one or two photos, which is great, but honestly I'm gonna tell you I love a pinterest board if you have an idea of what you want, like, yes, you can have it, but trying to explain it to someone can be super hard, and so I want to make sure you get exactly what you want. And so if you have a pinterest board of a couple photos, I mean, don't give me like a hundred.
Speaker 1:Cause, then we could do that.
Speaker 2:But it just feels very like, okay, and then sit here, okay, and then sit there to get every single one of those photos. But if you have like five favorites, I will happily squeeze those in, because it is your engagement photos or it is your wedding day. Let's get the photos that you want. And I, I have a like I call them my four core poses, like that's what I start with and then from there we build off of everything.
Speaker 1:But it's a easy way Tell me more about the four core.
Speaker 2:My couples named my things for me. Like, one of my couples was like oh, you should call it the four core or the core four, that what it was. Yeah, pre -chat gpt. Yeah, it was just like on a session pre-chat gpt, chat, gpt. There we go, uh, yeah, so it's four poses, super simple, but everything builds off of that from there, and so many of my couples are like we're not models. I hate being in front of the camera, I don't know what to do. So these are my four things that get you started, that you can feel really comfortable, like I've got your back. I'll tell you what to do with your hands. You can just like enjoy each other and get comfortable first, and then we'll add in like the candid things and walking and twirling and all of those fun ones. But they just start off as giving you like a okay, she's got my back, I can fully trust in her. So we always start with those. But then if you have other photos that you want from there, like heck, yeah, let's build on those.
Speaker 1:I want to do that. I feel like the long list is difficult because it kind of puts you out of your normal flow and you're trying to just kind of check off a list as opposed to to us, like what we love is just, like couples interacting with each other, like bride and groom are interacting, they're having a good time, they're staying present and that flow is like. I mean it could make or break.
Speaker 2:Like a little bit of a session that might happen throughout the wedding day, which is really good tip for photographers that are listening please give movement in the like poses that you have your couples do for your photographer or for your videographers. Like they will love you for that.
Speaker 2:I got you yeah I have learned that in like one of my first couple years and I never thought about it because for me it's all the still things. But for you guys like walking is huge, yeah, for you guys so like put them in you know what I noticed recently?
Speaker 1:um, and I don't know if you've noticed this, We've had a couple couples that get a prompt or something from the photographer and the moment that the thing is done let's say it's a kiss or a twirl or whatever they're gone to a different place.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And for me, oh my goodness, I I know that they love each other and that they're having a good time, but like I, I'm like I need them to just stay in the moment and just stay connected and stay in it. They don't need to like fake a smile or something, but like, have you noticed that? Like, are you trying to to flow stuff in that way so that that it just keeps going, it keeps staying connected and everything?
Speaker 2:yeah, I also, for gosh. What am I? Photographer for photographers, we're the same way, because we can take a ton of photos as you're like moving out of a kiss. So be smiling to each other while you're doing it instead of just like kiss and done. I have so many couples where I'll say the thing and then I'm like, ok, great, or that looks amazing, and right away they just drop it and I'm like, oh, I could have gotten some.
Speaker 1:It was like so many more things.
Speaker 2:Or then I have to be like okay, get back in that pose and now this time do, and it's like, no, just stay like, love each other.
Speaker 1:I mean, I know you love each other, but like stay close that's what I'm saying is just like continue in that, like just staying connected, staying present in those different poses and the honestly, sometimes the worst is they go, huh oh yeah just don't hear it and do something different. It doesn't even matter if it's not what we asked for.
Speaker 2:I love when they smile to me, when I'm like smile at each other. And they look at me and I'm like no, not me, I'm not the cute one.
Speaker 1:Your husband is like, if you could go back to like the 2018 you, or even like the 2020 you that like went full time. Is there something that you're like I wish I would have known that sooner, or I wish I would have jumped on that bandwagon sooner, or something that maybe you missed. That you're like oh man, if you're just starting out, you need to know this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, big one, photography and probably videography, and, like all the vendors, 20% is the actual thing you're doing. Like taking pictures is only 20% of your job. 80% of your job is all the other stuff behind the scenes. It like it was shocking to me. I thought I'm going to be a photographer, I'm going to take these pictures and then I'll be like done. No, not at all, because there's marketing, there's emails, there's all the business stuff you have to do. And now, like as a tax educator for photographers, I can see how many people do not even know about taxes or what they have to do for their taxes. And that is one of the things like you can't just skip over it, like when you do your business. Yes, you get to take pretty photos, but there is a lot more to it that I didn't realize when I started, you might be the best pretty photo taker but it could hurt you if you don't have a foundation or even like the best experience.
Speaker 1:Like you've been saying, it's all about the experience. It could be the best experience and the best photos, but if no one knows that you're doing both of those things, you're not gonna get business. Yep, um, is there like a mindset shift that you had at all, going from like I'm a pretty photo taker to like I'm running a business, I'm a marketer, I'm a xyz, like like what? Is there a shift at all in that? Or did you just jump right in? You know, like I'm doing all of this like at max um, I'm a weirdo again.
Speaker 2:I love numbers, so I implemented that like right away. But the marketing side I did not do right away. I heavily favored word of mouth, which is great, but at some point your reach doesn't go as far as you need it to as fast as you need it to, and so it took me a little bit to get onto like social media, bandwagon, instagram, but it's so important and now we have tools where we can use, like chat, gpt I'm going to say it right this time Um or or, uh, other vendors that you can work with to create content. There's so many different ways to make it simpler for you that I wish I had known back then too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you jumping in? I'm not a numbers person. I love numbers. I'm not a numbers person and I'm guessing that most creatives are not numbers people.
Speaker 2:Yes, very true.
Speaker 1:And so you jumped into the tax side of things and saw that there was something missing. What did you see that was missing? That you're like I know this stuff, I like this stuff and I could be helpful in these different areas.
Speaker 2:Yeah, pretty much everything's missing in a lot of wedding industry vendors, vendors, businesses when it comes to taxes, because they just don't know, like it's not something you learned right off the bat, people don't want to talk about taxes.
Speaker 1:That's accurate.
Speaker 2:They hate that, like April, is the worst month of the year, or March leading up to it whatever it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I love numbers and spreadsheets and all the goodness. So it was just that simply like finding a system for people that it could only take you five minutes a week to do your numbers throughout the year and then, when tax season comes, you don't have that right when April hits or March hits and you haven't done anything. So it's just teaching people. Like you have systems for how to people. Like you have systems for how to market. You have systems for how to do emails and your experience and everything for your couples. Let's just make a really small system for taxes so that you don't have to have that when april, march comes around.
Speaker 1:So you jumped into your business and you just had like did you have these ideas?
Speaker 2:oh, on taxes, yeah, oh no, I wish okay, no, education was like way, not in my, for like the front of my. Whatever the saying is the forefront, forefront.
Speaker 1:Thank you there you go, great, I know words.
Speaker 2:So bad at words, see, I can do numbers. Words are not my thing at all.
Speaker 1:Like um that was a good sound effect too. Do it again.
Speaker 2:I forget what the question was. Oh no, I did not start but I so I co-host a like community for photographers called the Conquer Community, and it wasn't until people started asking questions there, like we just do like open Q&As for people, and tons of people started asking numbers and tax questions and I always knew like, oh, this is what I do, or here's exactly how you can do it, and that was what stemmed into hey you might have something that a lot of people don't like doing or don't know how to do.
Speaker 1:Maybe helping them. Oh, that's how you do that. That's super helpful.
Speaker 2:And some things are so simple but people just don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Conqueror Community is wedding vendors, or?
Speaker 2:know yeah, so conquer community is wedding vendors, or so. We specialize with photographers. We still get some vendors that come and join us, but a majority is photographers that we help from everything on the backend of your business. We want to like streamline it so that you don't have to try and figure it out from ground one. Yeah, ground zero, dang it I'm so bad, my husband I hope this makes the podcast. My husband makes fun of me so much because I can't. I push two sayings together.
Speaker 1:I don't know what the one came from, but ground zero. You just picked a different number you're like ground 10.
Speaker 2:Well, what is the first number? Yeah, oh no I said 10.
Speaker 1:Okay, we're really we are running off the rails here. People, I can't do words, so thinking more so about the entrepreneurship of running your business. Are there specific tools or habits or strategies that other vendors out there could benefit from that you do. Maybe it's like day to day. You have stuff you do week to week, month to month, it sounds like you have some tax things that you're doing, yep. Um, but what other things are you doing to like help your business actually grow and not just sit stagnant?
Speaker 2:Yeah, uh, one is get a good CRM for, like the client side of things, honey, honey book both have an ambassador here.
Speaker 1:So you know, drop your little code, I would be happy to. What is it?
Speaker 2:uh no, it's like it's url it's not like just sorry, yeah, we could drop it in the show yeah, we'll drop in the show notes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, look at us being fancy you want to check out honey book, or just dm me. Yeah, yeah, or you or me yeah, I guess he. Dm anyone, he's fine, he's a podcast.
Speaker 2:He's running this. He gets it.
Speaker 1:Kind of running it. I guess you are.
Speaker 2:We're doing great. Yeah, honeybook is amazing for all things. Client Like, get on that and also make sure you like use it all and learn it. There's ai in it now too.
Speaker 1:Yeah which for me, I don't know if you're like this I get an email back or a response or something, and it could even be like from a current client who's already booked with me and I'm like what do I say? That is this weird? Like how do I word this? It literally has a response that just auto populates and I read through and I'm like that's what I was thinking yeah, just maybe a little bit yeah, maybe I took a word or two or maybe, like I don't need that sentence is it's too peppy.
Speaker 1:I do all the exclamation points.
Speaker 2:I'm the peppy one. Yeah, you are the peppy one.
Speaker 1:I do all like four exclamation points yeah, I do like one, but it's after every sentence.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, like you're yelling at them. My husband says that all the time Like well, I'm really excited.
Speaker 1:But the AI in it is super helpful because it just like it takes that like a little bit of pressure when I open the email or the response to be like oh well, I was going to say something similar, I'll just kind of tweak it was going to say something similar.
Speaker 2:I'll just kind of tweak it, boom done, and then save that as a template.
Speaker 1:So then the next time it comes, around you don't even have to think about it.
Speaker 2:Boom, so crm yeah, that was one tracking everything yep using it even more than what you're thinking.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you can even do taxes on there, whoa uh. And then the other one is to create a ceo day for once a month that you do everything in the back end of your business, so like whether it's making a content strategy for what your posts are going to be doing, your taxes, setting up emails to send out to your email list, like whatever that is. Do it once a month that you don't do any client work. It is literally just on your business, on those back end things.
Speaker 1:I love that. Oh, that's a game changer Just like gets you in the zone, focused in on one things. I love that.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a game changer, just like gets you in the zone focused in on one day.
Speaker 1:I might I gotta try that, yeah, you gotta gosh come on my yeah, I feel like I sit down and I'm like, what do I?
Speaker 2:work on CEO day. You'll know exactly what to work on Um.
Speaker 1:I love that when you're not doing photography, when you're not running your business, which might feel like you're doing it all the time, Because I know it feels like that for me.
Speaker 2:Don't ask me what my hobby is.
Speaker 1:There's always something. Wait, I could ask you what your hobby is. You don't have any hobbies oh my gosh, that's so lame. Well, I wasn't going to ask what your hobby was Okay good. I don't have one I don't have one, I might have, I don't know um, but what do you? Like what's going on in life, like what are you excited about? Like what's what's the season that you're in, to give context, like you're running a business, but you're also like a mom, a wife, like what's that?
Speaker 2:yeah, what's that all look like yeah, one, you can do it, because I have a two-year-old right now and she's super cute, and she's super cute.
Speaker 2:I love her and I used to work like eight hours a day every day on my business and now I get to work two hours, maybe three, during her nap and then a little bit in the evenings and I can still run a business. So it's really important to get your system set up early on, before you have the kid, so that when the kid comes and your hours get cut in half and you're like, oh, yeah, it's still get.
Speaker 2:Your business is still going change yeah, yeah it could be that you're moving and you have, to like, start from ground zero.
Speaker 1:I said it right I want to start from ground one.
Speaker 2:Actually, that's like one step up.
Speaker 1:I like it, it could be one step up, yeah so your systems, your process is really going to take it to a manageable state, even if you have a young kid things in life are changing. Yep, you don't necessarily need eight hours a day, every day to make things go and, as far as I can tell, you're running a successful business, right we're going strong. Many weddings are you doing in like a given year, like what's your season look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I typically do 10 to 15 a year, and then I have a team of associate photographers under me and they kind of like do the rest. So they could do up to 10 a year as well. So like 25 for hmp total okay, yeah, so 25 weddings.
Speaker 1:Two or three hours for nap time? Yep, no big deal.
Speaker 2:Two or three hours before you go to bed maybe not that many I hope not, but like an hour two maybe okay, so 25 weddings yep we're making it work yep system systems yeah systems
Speaker 2:I love it and playing with our kids. Like I love this job. Some days I want to pull my hair out, but I get to be home with my daughter and like every morning is mommy and me time, like we just play and I don't have to think about work. And then when she goes down, then I think about work and I love that, instead of like taking her to daycare, which some people they love that, but I just love that I can be with her because I never thought that I would get to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's awesome If you could swap roles with another vendor. What would you be swapping for?
Speaker 2:Oh, I would totally swap with a planner, because I almost did that instead of photography. I can see it I love everything spreadsheets and so I would swap in a heartbeat with, like, helping them get all the details ready and then organize it and then set it up, and then they come in and you're like ha, look what I did.
Speaker 2:I got everything and then it's also. I feel like they have a ton of stress don't get me wrong on this but I feel like it's in a little bit less because, like photography, if you miss the first kiss, yeah, it's gone, you miss the first kiss. Yeah, but a planner like gone you miss the first kiss, yeah, but a planner like if you one candle went out. It's still a lot of stress because they're setting up everything in the day, but I don't know.
Speaker 2:I would love to like see their side of what stresses them out, compared to like what a photographer gets stressed out by.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're having a planner on next week, so well, well, sorry, I shouldn't say next week, because I don't know what's going to come out.
Speaker 2:Just ask him, I can swap with him for a day I have this person. I feel like they need to learn photography. Yeah, it's a little bit of a learning curve. Yeah, the creative.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I'm sure, um, so where can people find your work? Follow along, tell me about the tax thing, like where can people find all that stuff?
Speaker 2:yeah, so you can follow me on instagram at heathermarielycey l-e-i-c-y, because nobody knows how to spell it, or my website is heathermlphotocom. That could be easier. Then go find my instagram at the bottom, but that's where you can find everything client side, so weddings I also do high school seniors, or you can click on the photographer's part and that's where all of my tax stuff is. So I have a course out for like people just learning about taxes and how to do it as a business owner, and then I also have like mentorships and stuff that people can use as well if they need a little bit more help personally.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. Are there other like upcoming projects or things that you're like excited for?
Speaker 2:Big things that we're working on. Well, I'm gearing up to start changing my tax stuff to not only be for photographers but for other vendors, so stay tuned, if you're listening. Actually, I've been helping some on the back end or like behind the scenes, and so now I'm going to start like putting it out there. And then the other big thing I'm working on is for Conquer, the Conquer community. We do a annual in-person retreat once a year in January, and so all the big plans are happening for that right now too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Gearing up for that and the Conquer community. Where can people find? Is that on your website as well?
Speaker 2:for that. And the conquer community where can people find? Is that on your website as well? Uh, it's not mine, but you can go to at the conquer community on instagram, uh, and get to it from there, perfect yeah, well, I appreciate everything that you've enlightened us on.
Speaker 1:I feel like there's so much experience that you've had and, um, I love getting to hear your story. It's just so funny that we met in 2018. You didn't even have a business then. We were just getting started, and now we're friends, we're friends Seven years later.
Speaker 2:Sometimes, distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Speaker 1:Like friendship, grow fonder Friendship heart. Well, that's all for this episode. I appreciate you guys tuning in. Make sure you are subscribing to the channel so you can stay up to date on the new episodes that are coming out, and we'll catch you guys next time. On the preferred list I got to find a song. I don't know what the song is. Maybe that'll be the song. We gotta create a song right now for the rest of time.
Speaker 2:Preferred list.
Speaker 1:I almost said it get preferred out Preferred list.