Scaling Out Loud

Catalina Bloch
  • 5.0 (2)
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  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Scaling Out Loud The Photo Booth Business Podcast for 6-Figure Founders Ready to Break the 7-Figure Ceiling If you’re a 6-figure photo booth business owner stuck in the "Chief Everything Officer" role, juggling bookings, managing tech headaches, and feeling crushed under your own success, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Catalina Bloch, founder of MDRN Activations, MDRN Photobooth Co., and creator of Photo Booth Mastery, Scaling Out Loud pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to grow from six to seven figures without burning out in the process. Catalina’s not just talking theory. She’s actively running a 7-figure booth brand while helping hundreds of founders do the same. Each episode is packed with strategy, real-world insights, and unfiltered lessons that speak directly to photo booth entrepreneurs. Inside, you’ll learn how to: • Systemize your business and step out of the weeds • Attract and close high-ticket corporate and wedding clients • Raise your prices confidently and profitably • Build a team you can actually trust • Turn hustle into strategy without losing your edge No recycled advice from other industries. No vague "just work harder" mindset. Just real talk from someone who's built what you’re building and isn’t afraid to say what needs to be said. If you're ready to trade chaos for clarity and bookings for bigger opportunities, hit subscribe and follow Catalina on Instagram @photoboothmastery. Your next level doesn’t start with more work. It starts with listening.

  1. 13 HRS AGO

    Your Creativity Needs to Eat. Stop Starving It.

    There is a clip that lives in Catalina's head. She has never been able to shake it.   It's the music video for Humble by Kendrick Lamar. That moment where the camera doesn't just move, it dances. Every cut on the lyric. Every angle shift perfectly timed. It made something shift in her brain. And it planted an idea: what if a photo booth experience could feel like that?   That's what this episode is really about. Because that idea didn't come from studying the photo booth industry. It didn't come from a vendor catalog or a trade show floor. It came from watching art.   And that's the conversation we're having today.   Where does your creativity actually come from? Not the version you perform for clients. The real raw material. The fuel. The stuff that makes you look at a blank canvas and see something instead of nothing.   I've been thinking about this a lot. And the more I think about it, the more I believe creativity is one of the most underrated and misunderstood assets in this industry. We talk systems, pricing, team building, corporate clients. All of it matters. But none of it is what makes your work unforgettable. What makes your work unforgettable is you. Your particular lens. Your specific obsessions. That weird, unrepeatable combination of things only you love.   And here's the thing: it doesn't come from inside the photo booth world. It never did.   There's a book I keep returning to called The Art of You. The premise is simple but it will stop you in your tracks. Your creative identity, the thing that makes your work distinctly yours, is built from your experiences. Everything you've ever seen, heard, felt, explored. The places you've been. The films that kept you up thinking. The art that made you feel something you couldn't name. All of it goes in. All of it comes out in your work.   And that means the question isn't just what do you do. It's who are you? What have you lived? What are you made of?   What You'll Learn in This Episode:  Why your most powerful creative asset has nothing to do with photo booths How Catalina's obsession with film, travel, and art directly shaped the experiences she builds What The Art of You teaches us about building a creative identity no one can copy Why Paris, modern art museums, and immersive pop-ups matter more than your competitor's Instagram The real reason so many founders feel creatively flat (and it's not what you think) Why consuming only industry content is a trap that makes everyone's work look the same The actual homework you need this week (no spreadsheets, no audits, we promise)   Resources Mentioned:  The Art of You (book referenced in the episode) Kendrick Lamar's Humble music video   Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    13 min
  2. Stop Calling It An Activation

    APR 2

    Stop Calling It An Activation

    You are losing clients before they ever contact you.   And most of you have no idea it's happening.   There is one word spreading through this industry like wildfire, on websites, in proposals, on Instagram captions, and it is being used completely wrong. Every single time I see it, I cringe. Because I know exactly what it's costing the person using it.   The word is activation.   And today we need to talk about it. Because the language you use in your business is not just marketing copy. It is a signal. It tells every person who lands on your page exactly who you are, who you work with, and whether or not you actually know what you are doing. And right now, a lot of us are sending the wrong signal.   Let's get real: language either attracts your ideal client or repels them, before you ever get on a call. In this episode, I am breaking down what a brand activation actually is, why using it incorrectly is quietly killing your credibility with the exact clients you are trying to attract, and what words you should be using instead depending on who you are actually selling to.   This is a loving call-out. But it is still a call-out.   What You'll Learn:  What a brand activation actually is (and what it absolutely is not) Why misusing industry language signals to corporate clients that you do not understand their world The real reason so many photo booth founders borrow vocabulary they cannot back up How the wrong language on your website is costing you inquiries you will never even know you lost What language to use if you are targeting corporate and experiential clients What language to use if your ideal client is a couple planning a luxury wedding The three questions to ask yourself when auditing your website and Instagram right now Why language alignment is not a cosmetic fix, it is a positioning strategy    Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    15 min

  3. MAR 26

    You're Not Unfocused. You're Addicted to the Wrong Kind of Busy

    You're working. You're learning. You're in the groups, you're researching, you're asking questions, you're staying current.   So why hasn't the revenue moved in two years?   That's the question nobody wants to sit with. And it's exactly what this episode is about.   Let's get real: there's a version of shiny object syndrome that doesn't look anything like impulse buying. It doesn't look like chaos. It looks like hustle. It looks like a founder who genuinely cares, genuinely works hard, and is genuinely getting nowhere.   In this episode, I'm going deep on the most expensive version of shiny object syndrome in this industry. Not the one where you buy a booth you didn't plan to. The one where you're in constant motion but the business looks the same six months from now as it does today. That's avoidance dressed up as productivity. And it's costing you more than you know.   I also get into why your brain is literally working against you here, why Facebook groups can become a trap if you're not careful, and the one question you need to ask to figure out exactly where your focus should go for the next ninety days.   What You'll Learn:  Why the most expensive version of shiny object syndrome looks like constant productivity, not distraction How dopamine and novelty-seeking are literally making you feel busy while keeping you stuck The difference between motion and direction, and why hardworking founders confuse the two Why crowdsourcing your strategy in a Facebook group is keeping you spinning How to audit your own business to find the one thing that's actually holding you back What it really means to build a lean, scalable equipment lineup What ninety days of real focus actually looks like, and what to do with every idea that tries to derail it Why the founders I've watched go from stuck to scaling all had one thing in common: they got bored for a while   Mentioned in This Episode: Scale: Catalina's coaching program for 6 and 7-figure photo booth founders. DM the word SCALE to @photoboothmastery on Instagram to learn more.   Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    17 min

  4. MAR 19

    He hit seven figures and didn't love it.

    There's a version of success that looks great on paper and feels like a trap in real life. Aldo from I Touch XP has been in this industry for 16 years, worked the Super Bowl five times, activated for Beyonce's tour across 22 cities, landed Disney as a client after Coachella, and crossed seven figures in revenue. And then he scaled back. On purpose.   This episode is for the founder who thinks scaling always means going bigger. Because Aldo is proof that sometimes the most powerful move is getting really, really clear about what you actually want and building toward that instead.   I sat down with Aldo at PBX and we got into all of it. His journey from wedding videographer to seven-figure corporate experiential operator. The moment he realized he had to choose between weddings and corporate (and why he chose corporate, hard). The philosophy behind why he calls his setup "controlled chaos." The hiring struggles he still hasn't fully solved. And why he hit a million dollars and then... didn't love it.   This is one of those conversations where every answer gives you something to think about. Aldo doesn't run his business the way you'd expect. He doesn't have a fancy website driving his leads. He doesn't automate much because every single project he does is custom-built from scratch. He travels 80% of the time. He flies first class because a one-day project is actually a three-day project when you account for travel, and he prices accordingly. He is, by every measure, doing this his own way.   And it's working. What You'll Learn: Why Aldo chose to go all-in on corporate and completely dropped wedding videography (and why he thinks trying to do both splits your resources and your identity) How he thinks about pricing for travel, custom builds, and one-of-a-kind activations that no one else can replicate or price-match The "inspire, don't sell" philosophy he uses on sales calls and why it turns his clients into advocates who sell him to their bosses What happened when he hit seven figures and why he scaled back the year after Why he believes relationship-building is the entire foundation of a corporate business and what that actually looks like in practice His honest take on the hiring struggle, letting people go, and what he wishes he could learn right now The "lipstick on a pig" strategy he uses to elevate any activation and keep clients coming back What advice he'd give to wedding booth owners who want to move into corporate (and why he thinks if you can sell a $2,800 wedding booth, you can sell a $100K experiential) His one piece of advice for standing out in any market: offer something no one else has, and they can't price-match you   Your Next Steps: Work with Me:   BitPhoto Booth Mastery - Home   Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub:   BitPhoto Booth Mastery Hub   Connect on Social:   Instagraminstagram.com/photoboothmastery

    45 min

  5. MAR 12

    Five Expensive Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

    Let's get real for a second. Everyone in this industry is out here posting their wins. The bookings, the revenue milestones, the glam shots from their best corporate activations. Nobody is posting about their 2 a.m. regrets. This episode is the one I almost didn't record. Because talking about your biggest mistakes out loud is uncomfortable. But when I stepped into the coaching world, I made a promise that I would share the good and the bad. And today, I'm keeping that promise. I'm pulling back the curtain on the five most expensive mistakes I've made in this business. Not the "oops, I forgot to reply to an email" kind of mistakes. I'm talking about the ones that cost me real money, real sleep, and honestly, my confidence, for a while. The reason I'm sharing this? I didn't have a mentor when I made these mistakes. I was figuring it out completely on my own. If I can save you even one of these lessons, this episode is worth every uncomfortable minute it took me to record it. What you'll learn in this episode: Why the post-COVID booking explosion led to one of my most painful and expensive hiring mistakes and what I wish someone had told me before I filled those seats The "steal of a deal" warehouse lease that wasn't and all the hidden costs that came with 10,000 square feet of beautiful bad decisions Why your bank account balance is lying to you, and the financial habit that changed everything once I finally learned it The real cost of buying too many booths, and why fewer options actually helped us scale faster Why I waited until seven figures to invest in coaching and why that was the worst possible time to finally ask for help Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub - https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    16 min

  6. MAR 5

    Solo Operator. Seven Figures. Here's How He Does It.

    What does a seven-figure photo booth business look like when it's built by one person who also works full time at NBC's Today Show? Spoiler: it looks a little chaotic, wildly impressive, and absolutely worth listening to. In this episode, I'm sitting down with my friend of ten years, Zach Shiffman, owner of Studio Z Photo Booth based in the New York metro area. Zach has built a seven-figure experiential business while simultaneously stage managing one of the most recognizable morning shows in America, and his path looks nothing like mine. Different systems, different structure, different mindset. And that's exactly the point. Let's get real for a second: there is no single blueprint for building a successful photo booth business. Zach is proof that you can get there on your own terms. He started with a Groupon in 2012, grew into high-end corporate activations for brands like Disney Channel and the NBA, and now consistently lands five and six-figure event contracts. One client paid him $150,000 for four days of work. And he did it as a solo operator. This conversation gets honest about the real trade-offs of running a lean business, the stress of being the only person, the tech systems that make it possible, and the mindset shifts that changed everything. We also talk trends, gear, pricing, white labeling, and what Zach would tell his 2012 self if he could go back. What You'll Learn: How Zach built a seven-figure business while working full time on the Today Show and why he hasn't quit his day job (it's not what you think) The mindset shift that took him from a Groupon operator to landing $150,000 corporate contracts How he manages live events remotely from his phone, including monitoring printer status and accessing his booth computers without his staff even knowing Why being a solo operator has a ceiling, and what he wishes he had in place sooner The real talk on gear: why he lives by the "buy less, rent more" rule and what it cost him to learn it How white labeling and a trusted industry network allowed him to say yes to more without burning out The honest conversation about pricing and why raising your rates is one of the best decisions you'll ever make What it actually looks like to juggle Coachella, the NBA Draft, and the Boston Marathon in the same month as a one-man show The trend advice that will change how you think about gear investments (if you're seeing it on the PBX floor, you've already missed it) Why the cheaper the client, the harder they are, and how Zach learned to stop chasing the wrong ones Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2 Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    1h 2m

  7. FEB 26

    Photo Booth Expo: Have You Outgrown This Room?

    What happens when three industry veterans sit down in Vegas and realize the conference they keep coming back to no longer feeds them? They build something new. This episode is different. I'm sitting down with two people who have been shaping this industry for over 16 years, Meir and Lisa, the original founders of PBI (Photo Booth Professionals International), a conference that people in our industry are STILL talking about to this day. We're recording live from Photo Booth Expo, and we're finally sharing what the three of us have been quietly building for the past two years. Let's get real. If you've been coming to the same conferences, hearing the same speakers, walking the same trade show floor, and leaving with a bag full of swag but no actual game plan, you already know something needs to change. You're not here for another tutorial on lighting setups or trading card templates. You're here because you've built something real and you're ready for what's next. That's exactly why we created Illuminate, a curated, application-only retreat designed specifically for six-figure and seven-figure photo booth founders who are ready to scale, not just learn about it. We're talking about a room of 100 hand-picked operators, curated vendors, speakers from inside AND outside the industry, and a format designed to leave you with an actual roadmap, not just inspiration overload. In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on everything: why we built it, who it's for, who it's NOT for, and what you can expect from a room that's never existed in our industry before. What You'll Learn: Why the current conference model no longer serves scaling founders and what we're doing about it The real difference between attending a trade show and investing in your next level How PBI changed the game for photo booth education and why we're bringing that energy back, elevated Who belongs in this room (and the honest truth about who doesn't) Why we're curating attendees, vendors, and speakers instead of opening it up to everyone The format we've designed to help you leave with a personalized action plan, not just notes you'll never look at What we want people to say about this room five years from now How to apply for one of the 100 spots available Mentioned in This Episode: Illuminate Creative: https://illuminatecreative.live Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2  Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub - https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    49 min

  8. FEB 20

    You're Not Behind Schedule, You're Right on Time

    Ever scrolled through Instagram and watched yourself go from "I'm doing great" to "I'm a complete failure" in under 30 seconds? Yeah. Same. In this episode, I'm getting real about something I still struggle with, even as a seven-figure photo booth business owner. Comparison. That sneaky, soul-sucking habit of looking at someone else's highlight reel and deciding that your behind-the-scenes isn't good enough. I'm talking about the time I saw a 25-year-old entrepreneur who'd sold her company for eight figures and immediately forgot that my own business was thriving, corporate clients were rolling in, and luxury weddings were booking solid through MDRN Activations and MDRN Photobooth Co. Here's the truth: your timeline is not their timeline. And the moment you start running someone else's race, you lose sight of your own finish line. I share the stories of people who could have easily believed they were "too late" but trusted their path instead, like the Duffer Brothers who spent 20 years before creating Stranger Things, Vera Wang who designed her first wedding dress at 40, Lady Gaga who got dropped by Def Jam after just three months, and Colonel Sanders who got rejected over a thousand times before building KFC at 65 years old. But this isn't just a pep talk. I'm giving you the exact tools I use to pull myself out of the comparison spiral and get back to building. What You'll Learn: Why comparison is stealing your joy, your focus, and your confidence as a founder The five practical strategies I use when I catch myself in the comparison trap How negativity bias is wired into your brain and what to do about it Why celebrating other people's wins actually fuels your own growth The real-life stories of icons who were "behind schedule" and still changed the world How shifting your energy from scarcity to abundance directly impacts your sales, pricing, and leadership Your homework assignment to start retraining your brain this week This episode is your reminder that you're not behind. You're building. And everything you're going through right now is part of the story you'll tell when someone asks how you built it. Mentioned in This Episode: We Regret to Inform You: The Rejection Podcast Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/ Join Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Scaling Out Loud The Photo Booth Business Podcast for 6-Figure Founders Ready to Break the 7-Figure Ceiling If you’re a 6-figure photo booth business owner stuck in the "Chief Everything Officer" role, juggling bookings, managing tech headaches, and feeling crushed under your own success, this podcast is for you. Hosted by Catalina Bloch, founder of MDRN Activations, MDRN Photobooth Co., and creator of Photo Booth Mastery, Scaling Out Loud pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to grow from six to seven figures without burning out in the process. Catalina’s not just talking theory. She’s actively running a 7-figure booth brand while helping hundreds of founders do the same. Each episode is packed with strategy, real-world insights, and unfiltered lessons that speak directly to photo booth entrepreneurs. Inside, you’ll learn how to: • Systemize your business and step out of the weeds • Attract and close high-ticket corporate and wedding clients • Raise your prices confidently and profitably • Build a team you can actually trust • Turn hustle into strategy without losing your edge No recycled advice from other industries. No vague "just work harder" mindset. Just real talk from someone who's built what you’re building and isn’t afraid to say what needs to be said. If you're ready to trade chaos for clarity and bookings for bigger opportunities, hit subscribe and follow Catalina on Instagram @photoboothmastery. Your next level doesn’t start with more work. It starts with listening.

Information

  • Creator
    Catalina Bloch
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 MDRN Creative Group Inc.
  • Show Website
    Scaling Out Loud

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