Episode 316

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Published on:

4th Jun 2026

How Dubsado Grew to 30,000 Users Without Venture Capital with CEO Becca Berg

What happens when the mistake of a missed photo shoot turns into one of the most beloved CRMs for creative entrepreneurs? In this episode, I sat down with Dubsado co-founder and CEO Becca Berg to talk through building a SaaS company from scratch with her husband Jake, scaling to 30,000+ users, and why staying self-funded has shaped every decision they’ve made over the last decade.

We talked about the real beginnings of Dubsado, the growing pains behind CRM development, why certain features take time, and what’s actually coming inside Dubsado 3.0. Becca also opened up about one of the hardest moments in Dubsado history and how trusting her gut changed the way she leads the company today.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of the CRM so many creatives rely on every day, this episode is for you.

Find It Quickly

00:38 - Meet Becca

03:50 - Dubsado's Origin Story

08:10 - Building the First CRM

10:13 - Customization as the Edge

12:02 - First Customers and Milestones

17:46 - Growing the Team

22:42 - Why Stay Self Funded

25:20 - Why Features Take Time

29:25 - Scheduling Feedback to Release

31:24 - New Form Builder Vision

34:10 - Subscriptions and Checkout

36:53 - Beyond Project Based Work

42:25 - Hard Lessons and Payments Crisis

45:24 - Stripe Migration and Sub Accounts

48:53 - Dubsado 3.0 Sunset Timeline

Connect with Becca

Website: Dubsado.com

Instagram: instagram.com/dubsado

Instagram: instagram.com/beccaliz_

Threads: threads.com/@beccaliz_

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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