The Portrait System (TPS), an online educational platform that equips photographers with the know-how to run successful portrait studio businesses, recently announced that starting on January 3, 2023 at noon PST, they will launch a brand-new 12-Month Portrait Business Coaching program that provides mentorship for all their members. 

The program, designed by photography business educator Sue Bryce and two of her protégés, Cat Ford-Coates and Saray Taylor-Roman, will provide in-depth trainings into select topics on a monthly basis. In addition to offering monthly teachings, it will also provide ongoing mentorship from Ford-Coates and Taylor-Roman, both of whom began learning from Bryce in 2015 in her original 12-Week Start Up program. At that time, Ford-Coates was working as a bartender and Taylor-Roman was working as a schoolteacher. Both launched their photography studios, following along with the lessons of the 12-Week Start Up, while still working their day jobs. Both currently run six-figure portrait studios and know firsthand what goes into switching careers to become entrepreneurs in the field of portraiture.  

Says Ford-Coates, “We are bringing our histories (mistakes and all) into every month and going deep into that content: mindset, tools, clarity, and in addition, information for those of you further along in your studio ownership, to help you get to the next level with associate photographers, volume, and profitability.” 

Coaching mentors Ford-Coates and Taylor-Roman have both built their businesses using The Portrait System business model, and they have distinctly different business styles and personalities that they feel bring strength to the coaching experience in the new program. Above all, both bring real-world experience, perspective, and knowledge of the current marketplace along with their desire to help other photographers succeed. 

Monthly Portrait Business Coaching Topics for 2023:

January – Money and Pricing  

Learn all the financial aspects required to run a successful business.

February – Portrait Genres and Products  

Learn about all the genres and products available and how to build brand cohesion.  

March – Service and Client Experience 

Learn how to build a positive client experience in each of your eight client touchpoints. 

April – Consultation 

Develop sales scripts to educate and empower your clients to make confident purchases with you. 

May – Marketing and Networking 

Learn how to build your client network and connect with people on a deep level, so they will return and send you referrals. 

June – Workflow 

Learn all aspects of building an efficient workflow, freeing up your time and giving your clients a seamless experience. 

July – Lighting 

Learn all the different types of lighting for studio and outdoors. From natural light to constant and strobe, learn how to create beautiful lighting. 

August – Posing and Styling 

Hair, makeup, styling, posing, and direction are all covered in this unit. You’ll learn different philosophies and styles, so you can choose and refine your own. 

September – Sales 

Learn how to value yourself, your product, and your service so that you can get out of your own way and start making good money. 

October – Brand and Style 

Go deeper into realizing your style and building your brand, honing in on your signature look and how you express it. 

November – Launch in Style 

Learn how to create events and campaigns that create buzz around your business, raise brand awareness, and get bookings coming in.  

December – Graduation 

Celebrating your hard work and achievements sets you up for even more success.  

Bryce developed her first photography business coaching program in 2007. Over the years, she has retooled her training methodology several times, helping thousands of photographers around the world develop successful businesses using her model. This latest program, 12-Month Coaching, builds and expands on the 90-Day Challenge, which is designed to get new photography businesses off the ground in just 90 days. The new 12-Month Coaching program gives photographers the opportunity to go deeper into acquiring and developing the practical skillset required to run a successful portrait business. 

For Bryce, passing the torch of mentorship to the next generation of photography educators is an extension of her mission to empower photographers to succeed. Ford-Coates and Taylor-Roman are two of her many pupils who are bringing this vision into action by equipping the next generations with the confidence and skills to run successful portrait photography business. The 12-Month Coaching will be full of opportunities to learn from all three along with others in The Portrait System community.  

Rangefinder readers can experience the 12-Month Startup program and everything TPS has to offer by signing up for a TPS membership at one of two special discounted holiday prices. For a limited time, you can get 30% off the annual membership price by using the code HOLIDAY30. To access a Professional monthly membership for only $7, use the code HOLIDAY7.