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

Colie James
  • 5.0 (45)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 5d ago

    The System for Finding More Creativity, Joy, and Fun in Your Work with Julie Fried

    What if the thing you create doesn’t have to generate leads, sell an offer, or prove its ROI? What if you’re allowed to make something simply because you freaking love it? That’s exactly what I’m talking about with my friend Julie Fried, host of The System for Everything. And unlike most of the podcast hosts I bring onto Business-First Creatives, Julie isn’t using her show as a funnel into a service or offer. She created it because she wanted a place to talk about everything that fascinates her—from business systems and meal planning to reality TV, adult friendships, parenting, travel, and whatever random rabbit hole catches her attention next. And it turns out? That creative freedom has become one of the most fulfilling things she’s done. Julie and I get into how she curates guests and topics, why she loves even the admin side of podcasting, what she’s changing for season two, and how she’s thinking about monetization without sacrificing what makes the show fun in the first place. Find It Quickly 01:03 - Meet Julie Fried 01:32 - Pre Written Emails 02:23 - Why Julie Podcasts 05:33 - The System For Everything 08:35 - Choosing Guests 13:01 - Bad PR Pitches 14:16 - Admin And Workflow 17:09 - Social Media Choices 21:43 - Season Two Plans 24:24 - Ads And Monetization 24:53 - Producer Ad Read 26:39 - Curated Podcast Ads 28:00 - Choosing Ideal Sponsors 29:39 - Protecting Creative Energy 31:41 - Monetizing Mom Systems 32:32 - One and Done Talk 35:47 - Only Child Systems Ideas 37:27 - Summer Camp Logistics 41:21 - System Shutdown 42:57 - Travel and Couch Life 44:09 - Budgeting Video Mentioned in this Episode Laylee Emadi Creative Educator Conference Gaffin Creative Captivate Flodesk – Get 50% Off Your First Year Systems in Session The Experience Edit Connect with the Guest Website: dallasgirlfriday.com Instagram: instagram.com/thesystemforeverything Podcast: dallasgirlfriday.com/podcast

    The System for Finding More Creativity, Joy, and Fun in Your Work with Julie Fried

  2. Sep 29

    Do You Actually Like the Offer You're Selling? [Let's See]

    Profitable? Great. Sustainable? Love that. But if you hate delivering it, no system in the world is going to make you fall back in love with your business. Last episode I asked you to do a time audit. Today I've got one more ask, and it's one you should do right now, while you're in the middle of serving clients. Because if I ask you in January how you feel about your offer, you're not going to remember. And the answer matters before we build a single system around it. In this episode: Why profitable and sustainable still aren't enoughWhy the numbers can wait for slow season, but this can'tWhy I can't help you build systems you'll love around an offer you don'tWhy some of you need an offer review right now Links mentioned: How to Build Your Systems Using My Order of Operations → https://coliejames.com/building-client-experience-systems/How Long Does One Client Actually Take You? → https://coliejames.com/time-auditThe Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experience Want to know if the offer you've built your business around can sustain you long term? Let's look at it together: coliejames.com/experience

    Do You Actually Like the Offer You're Selling? [Let's See]

  3. Sep 28

    You're Sending Emails. Why Isn't Anyone Clicking?

    Jocelyn of Scale Your Resonance wants every one of her Best Seller clients making five figures from email, and yes, that includes me. Bold goal? Absolutely. In this episode, we dig into her new app, Email Studio. She built it for herself first, but you don't need to be a Bestie to use it, because it's open to the public and she's on a mission to get 100 users in the first 100 days. It's how I'm making email part of an always-selling marketing plan, and it can be part of yours too. Because here's my confession: I sometimes email my list multiple times a day, my click rates are in the toilet, and almost none of my sales come from email. Jocelyn, who helped me launch this podcast four years ago, tells me how to fix it. We talk about the missing proof in your emails, why your best emails start out loud, and why "I'll just use Claude" isn't the same thing as a tool built on real expertise. In this episode: Why emails without client proof don't convert, and why the small progress wins count just as much as the big resultsHow a miserable afternoon writing emails in an airport lounge turned into a voice-note-first writing processThe moment a stack of AI skills needed to become an actual appHow to keep AI-assisted emails sounding like you and not like a press releaseWhy real users and real feedback are what separate a tool that works from a tool that just existsWhat you get from a tool built on someone's frameworks that you won't get from plain Claude or ChatGPT Links mentioned: Email Studio (my affiliate link) → https://coliejames.com/jocelynMy episode with Kara on why everyone's an AI expert now → https://coliejames.com/everyones-an-ai-expert-ft-kara-duncan/My episode with Annemie Tonken on AI and IP → https://coliejames.com/beyond-diy-chatgpt-the-human-first-ai-blogging-tool-for-intentional-creatives/ For a limited time, grab Email Studio for $199 for six months (normally $299) → https://coliejames.com/jocelyn Curious how I actually use this thing, or where I've written emails lately (volleyball bleachers included)? DM me on Threads: @coliejames

    You're Sending Emails. Why Isn't Anyone Clicking?

  4. Sep 25

    Time Audit for Photographers: How Long Does One Client Actually Take You?

    How long does it actually take you to serve one client? Not the session. The whole thing. If you're not sure, you're not alone. When I review offers, I find the same time leak over and over. It's hiding in emails you write from scratch, proposals you rebuild for every lead, and the "quick" peeks into your CRM that you never count. This one's short, and it comes with homework. Yes, even if you're not my client. In this episode: The homework I want every photographer to do before slow season hitsWhy your session time is barely part of what your price has to coverThe time suck almost nobody writes downThe phase that takes the least time but has the biggest impact on your revenueThe two templates I'd build first if you're too busy to build anything Links mentioned: The Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experienceOrder of Operations Framework → https://coliejames.com/building-client-experience-systemsFind me on Threads → @coliejames Do your time audit, then come tell me your number on Threads @coliejames. I really want to know.

    Time Audit for Photographers: How Long Does One Client Actually Take You?

  5. Sep 17

    Everyone’s an AI Expert ft. Kara Duncan

    What happens when you get tired of forcing your business into software that doesn’t quite work the way you want it to? Apparently, if you’re me, you accidentally spend your birthday sabbatical building your own app. In this episode, Kara Duncan is taking over the mic and interviewing me about how a few experiments with AI tools turned into the Systems Professor app—and eventually opened my eyes to an entirely new direction for my business. I’m sharing how I went from custom GPTs, Airtable, Notion, and existing CRM tools to building software around the way I actually want my clients to experience Systems in Session. We’re talking about Claude Code, vibe coding, personalization, accountability, AI, client experience, and why having the ability to automate something doesn’t necessarily mean I should. And yes, we also talk about the fact that I got so absorbed in building the app that my husband handed me coffee on his birthday and I still forgot to tell him happy birthday. 😬 Find It Quickly 01:22 - Birthday Sabbatical Chaos 05:25 - Why Build an App 07:41 - Action Taker ADHD 09:40 - Rolling It Out 14:14 - Welcome Guides Playbooks 16:11 - Better Audit Delivery 18:18 - Accountability Personalization 23:14 - Origins in Custom GPTs 25:39 - Why Build an App 27:19 - Onboarding Intake Flow 28:59 - Offer Scorecard Check 33:11 - App Enhances Coaching 37:18 - One Click Build Debate 41:43 - Tech Stack Behind It 44:57 - Custom Tools for Clients 48:49 - AI Optional Philosophy Mentioned in this Episode: Systems in Session: coliejames.com/systems-in-session Experience Edit: coliejames.com/the-experience-edit Claude Code: claude.com/product/claude-code Claude Cowork: claude.com/product/cowork Hello Stencil: hellostencil.com Lovable: lovable.dev Airbase: airbase.com Supabase: supabase.com Vercel: vercel.com Cloudflare: cloudflare.com Amazon Web Services: aws.amazon.com Connect with the Guest Website: thekarareport.com Instagram: @thekarareport

    Everyone’s an AI Expert ft. Kara Duncan

  6. Sep 16

    I'm Done Squeezing Your Business Into Software That Wasn't Built for You

    For five and a half years, I've helped you map your client journey, get excited about what's possible, and then spend the rest of our time together bending that vision to fit inside Dubsado or HoneyBook. As of today, I'm done with that. This one's short and sweet — part behind the scenes, part building in public. My business has flipped upside down in the last year and a half, and building the Systems Professor app cracked something open that I can't un-see. So here's where I'm going next, and what it means if you want to work with me. In this episode: The pivot I've been circling for five years and am finally saying out loudWhy building my own custom tool changed how I think about your toolsWhat I got wrong with workflows, and then again with Email Like You Mean ItWhy the Experience Edit is now the front door to everything I offerThe one step I'll never skip with a client again, no matter what software they useWhen a custom-built tool is actually the right move (and when it isn't) Links mentioned: The Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experienceOrder of Operations episode → https://coliejames.com/building-client-experience-systems/Tomorrow's episode with Kara: how I built the Systems Professor app → https://coliejames.com/everyones-an-ai-expert-ft-kara-duncan/ Ready to map the client experience you actually want, before we ever talk about tools? Solo sprints are open now, and one more group sprint is coming before the end of 2026: coliejames.com/experience

    I'm Done Squeezing Your Business Into Software That Wasn't Built for You

  7. Sep 9

    Stop Sleeping on Your Onboarding: 3 Questions My Clients Keep Asking Me

    Your client just paid you hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars. And the only thing that landed in their inbox was a payment receipt and a "your contract has been signed" email. That's not onboarding. That's a transaction. I've been seeing the same three onboarding mistakes over and over inside my Experience Edit and Systems in Session client accounts, and most of y'all aren't making them on purpose. You want this part to be good. You just don't know what "good" looks like, or you're so focused on making it personal that nothing actually gets sent. So this is a quick and dirty episode answering the three questions I get asked most about the onboarding phase. In this episode: Why a booking confirmation email is non-negotiable even when the receipt and contract emails already went out — and why it should land last in their inboxThe "kitchen sink email" problem and what to drip out over time insteadWhy I want you to ditch the heavily designed PDF prep guide for a live Canva linkWhat actually belongs in a welcome or prep guide (hint: everything you were cramming into that one email)How to decide when to send your client questionnaire based on how far out your clients book and when you need the information Links mentioned: The Experience Edit → https://coliejames.com/experienceCome tell me what you fixed on Threads → https://threads.net/@coliejames

    Stop Sleeping on Your Onboarding: 3 Questions My Clients Keep Asking Me

  8. Sep 3

    Stop Trying to Replace Your CRM With Notion, Airtable, or Anything Else

    A booking tool is not a CRM. A project management tool is not a CRM. And the $20 to $40 a month you're trying to save by getting rid of yours might end up costing you bookings. Every single week I see someone on Threads asking if they can replace their CRM with Notion, Airtable, Google Workspace, or Squarespace. I use Notion and Airtable daily in my own business — and neither one of them would have replaced the CRM inside my photography business. So let's talk about what your CRM is actually doing for you before you cancel it. In this episode: The four things a tool has to do before it counts as a real CRMWhy conditional logic is the line between a CRM and a very organized file cabinetWhat actually happens (and doesn't) when a lead fills out your Squarespace formWhy "I have Dubsado and I'm not using it" is a setup problem, not a CRM problemWhere Notion, Airtable, ClickUp, and Asana genuinely earn their place in your stack Links mentioned: The Best CRM for Photographers → https://coliejames.com/best-crm-for-photographers/Building a Custom Notion Dashboard with Ania Ha → https://coliejames.com/building-a-custom-notion-dashboard-how-i-streamlined-my-entire-business-with-ania-ha/Systems in Session → https://coliejames.com/systems Sitting on a CRM you set up but never fully figured out? That's the whole thing I do. Let's talk: coliejames.com/systems

    Stop Trying to Replace Your CRM With Notion, Airtable, or Anything Else
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About

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

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