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Published on:

15th Oct 2026

Business Bestie Chat Q4 – 2026 with Sabrina Gebhardt

What happens when you take a little time off from your business and accidentally come back with an entirely new business model? Apparently, if you're me, you build an app, create your own CRM, and completely rethink how you serve your clients. It's time for another quarterly Biz Bestie Chat with Sabrina Gebhardt, and let's just say we had two VERY different experiences in Q3.

While I spent my summer experimenting with AI, vibe coding, and building custom tools for my clients, Sabrina was navigating a major life transition as she sent her daughter off to college. That's exactly why I love these conversations. We're both running successful businesses, but what success looks like in any given season can be wildly different.

In this episode, we're catching up on everything that happened in Q3 and sharing what we're changing, testing, and prioritizing as we head into Q4. I'm sharing why I've decided to make The Experience Edit the starting point for working with me, how my approach to building client systems has completely shifted, and why I'm learning that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is NOT immediately jump into implementation.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session

The Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit

Root to Rise: sabrinagebhardt.com/mastermind-waitlist

First Class Lounge: sabrinagebhardt.com/membership

Summer Camp: sabrina-gebhardt.myflodesk.com/summercamp

Our Quarterly Business Bestie Chats:

Q3 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q3-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q2 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q2-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q1 2026: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q1-2026-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q4 2025: coliejames.com/business-bestie-chat-q4-2025-with-sabrina-gebhardt

Q3 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q2-2025-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2025: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/128-q1-2025-business-bestie-chat

Q4 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q4-business-bestie-chat-with-colie-james

Q3 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/q3-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q2 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/88-q2-business-besties-chat-with-colie-james

Q1 2024: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast/75-quarterly-business-chat-with-colie-james

Connect with Sabrina

Website: sabrinagebhardt.com

Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography

Podcast: sabrinagebhardt.com/podcast

Show artwork for Business-First Creatives: Client Experience & Systems for Service Providers

About the Podcast

Business-First Creatives: Client Experience & Systems for Service Providers
A podcast about systems, workflows, and business advice for creative service providers.
Business-First Creatives is a podcast for photographers and creative service providers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business without drowning in admin work, client experience chaos, or systems that let you down.

This show delivers clear, actionable conversations around marketing, CRM workflows, client communication, Dubsado and Honeybook automation, Airtable systems, and workflow strategies, giving photographers and creative entrepreneurs the systems that scale, operational clarity, and strategic, human-first client experiences they need to build streamlined, referral-worthy business operations that don't require working 24/7.
If you're tired of babysitting your inbox, chasing down contracts, or watching your workflows break the moment you look away, this show will help you move beyond "figuring it out as you go" and toward a creative business that brings you joy and a paycheck.

This podcast provides answers to questions like:
How do I automate my client journey without losing the personal touch?
What CRM workflows do photographers and creative businesses need?
How can I use Dubsado or Honeybook to streamline my client experience?
What systems do photographers need to save time and deliver exceptional client experiences?
How do I reduce admin time in my creative service business?
Why do my workflows keep letting me down (and how do I fix them)?
How can I build a profitable creative business that brings me joy and a paycheck?
What's the best way to communicate with clients throughout their journey?
How do I create systems that work even when I'm not babysitting them?
How can I map my client journey to convert more inquiries into bookings?

Hosted by Colie James, a Dubsado Certified Specialist, Honeybook Educator, and Workflow and Automations Guru with 10+ years helping creatives systemize their businesses—this show delivers practical, no-BS guidance for photographers and creative entrepreneurs who are ready to streamline their client journey, automate their operations, and make money from their craft.

If you're done dropping balls and ready to build a business-first creative operation with systems that scale, you're in the right place.

Find out more about Systems in Session ➡️ https://coliejames.com/systems-in-session