523: Teowai Ratahi – How to run a profitable, high-volume photography business

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area. Teowai Ratahi of wwwpoihakenaportraits.com is someone I've been looking forward to recording with… for a few reasons. One, she's been listening to the podcast and has been a member since 2013! And nothing makes me happier than recording a success story with a Premium member. Two, she has a business model that I haven't really explored, and I'm sure the things she's learnt along the way will be helpful for your photography business. She specialises in high volume, lower cost family photography. And three, this all started as a side hustle to her full-time job as a train driver! Today, turnover exceeds $220,000, paying her and her husband a wage. I'm talking about Te-o-wai Ratahi of Poihakena Portraits, and I'm truly rapt to have what feels like an old friend with us today, even though we've never actually met or even spoken until now. Te shares how to run a profitable, high-volume photography business in this interview. Here's some more of what we covered in the interview: What’s on Offer for Premium Members If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews. The portraits are about celebrating heritage and connecting with culture so we encourage families to bring things that represent that for them. – Te-o-wai Ratahi You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all. In addition to everything above, you'll get access and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business. What is your big takeaway? Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Te-o-wai shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode. I chose photography because I love photography. I've made it a business because if I was going to spend so much money on a hobby, I wanted it to pay for itself. – Teowai Ratahi If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Te-o-wai or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below. iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engine for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately,