Episode 258

full
Published on:

16th Nov 2025

Shifting Your Systems as You Pivot in Your Business with Erin Vestal

She was homeschooling her kids, charging less than $300 a session, and running her photography business on pure hustle—until she realized that passion alone wasn’t enough to build the life she wanted. Erin Vestal is one of my former students from the CRM Blueprint, and her journey is one that so many creatives will relate to.

Erin shares her story—from pricing family sessions under $300, to more than doubling her rates, to surpassing her teaching salary (yes, really!). We dig into how she balances homeschooling, launching weddings, outsourcing, refining her offers, and creating work rhythms that actually support her family life—not pull her apart.

Find It Quickly

00:27 - Meet Erin

01:36 - Erin's Journey: From Chaos to Structured Success

04:47 - The Importance of Pricing and Value in Business

08:42 - Balancing Homeschooling and Business

15:05 - Seasonal Photography and Expanding Horizons

21:12 - Venturing into Wedding Photography

22:02 - Discovering the World of Wedding Photography

22:36 - First Wedding Experiences and Realizations

23:22 - Building Systems for Success

23:37 - Marketing and Overcoming Doubts

25:09 - Balancing Family and Business

26:08 - Integrating Different Photography Niches

27:30 - Rebranding and Streamlining

28:10 - Setting Goals and Finding Balance

39:45 - The Importance of Systems

Mentioned in this Episode

CRM Blueprint

Episode 015: Dubsado Case Study with Alison Brett

Marketing Mondays Will Transform Your Business Strategy with Melissa Arlena and Alison Bell

Connect with Erin

Website: erinvestalphotography.com

Instagram: instagram.com/erinvestalphotography

Show artwork for Business-First Creatives

About the Podcast

Business-First Creatives
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