Scaling Out Loud

Catalina Bloch
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • 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. 3d ago

    From $280K to $400K: What Actually Changed

    She came in as a photographer, almost sold her business in 2020, and is now on track to hit $400K, all while packing up and moving to a brand new state with her team still running things back home. Stephanie of Juju Booth in South Florida is the kind of operator that makes you want to audit your own business. She's been in the photo and events industry since 2007, built a loyal team with insane retention, cracked the corporate market, and figured out how to make keychains worth over $30K in a single year. And she did a lot of this in her first year inside Photo Booth Mastery. This is a candid, community-style conversation we had inside Thrive, and I knew more people needed to hear it. Whether you're trying to crack corporate, build a team you can actually trust, or stop doing everything yourself, Stephanie has been through it. She doesn't sugarcoat it either. We talked about the moment she finally split her brands (after fighting it for years), how she turned content and training days into a $2,500 investment that pays off for an entire quarter, and what actually helped her go from $280K to a projected $400K in one year. Spoiler: it wasn't just the gear. We also got into the messy, real stuff. Her CRM situation she's been stuck in since 2012, why commission-only salespeople can backfire, and what she'd do differently if she were starting over. What you'll learn in this episode: Why you can't market to a bride and a corporate client from the same brand, and what Stephanie did to tackle this How she runs quarterly content and training days for under $2,500 and walks away with 400 video clips The three revenue pillars that added tens of thousands to her business: keychains, trading cards, and the look book What changed in her business when she stopped being the only one who could do things (and hired her sister as a VA) How she went from $280K to a projected $400K, and what systems made that possible Why her leads come from Google and venue relationships first, not Instagram, and how that shapes where she focuses Her honest take on Booth.Events, Breeze, CRMs, and the softwares she uses to run the show What she's thinking about for salespeople, commission structures, and team building as she grows The one piece of advice she'd give to anyone who's a year behind where she is now And why education got a "38 out of 10" from her on the importance scale Resources mentioned: Juju Booth: https://www.jujubooth.com Photo Booth Supply Co: https://www.photoboothsupply.co Snappic: https://www.snappic.io Booth.Events: https://www.booth.events Simple Booklet: https://www.simplebooklet.com ADP Payroll: https://www.adp.com ConnectTeam: https://connecteam.com Kolbe Index: https://www.kolbe.com LinkedIn for corporate outreach Chamber of Commerce / WIPA networking 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

    51 min

  2. Jun 4

    How AI Is Making Software Risky (Thanks, Vibe Coding)

    New apps are popping up in the photo booth space faster than I can keep up with. And the pitch is almost always the same: I couldn't find a solution that worked for me, so I built one. And now you can have it too. Sometimes that's exactly what it is. A founder who solved their own problem and wants to share it. That part is genuinely cool, and I'm not here to knock it. But there's a whole other side to this that nobody in our industry is actually talking about. The side that could put your business and your clients at risk before you ever see it coming. This episode isn't about how to use AI in your business. That's a different conversation for a different day. This one is about the software AI is helping people build, the stuff landing in your inbox and getting passed around in the groups, and the questions you need to be asking before you hand over your data. Because here's the thing. The moment you start loading client information into a tool, names, emails, phone numbers, photos, videos, you've taken on a level of responsibility that most people never stop to think about. And if the app running your business has no privacy policy, no terms and conditions, and no real infrastructure underneath it? That responsibility lands on you when something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong eventually. That's just software. What you'll learn in this episode: What "vibe coding" actually is and why it's showing up everywhere in our space right now What a full stack app means in plain English and what's usually missing from the tools being sold to us The four things real software has that vibe-coded apps almost never do: error reporting, security, data backups, and staged updates What "spaghetti code" is and why it matters when something breaks on a Saturday night The exact questions to ask any software vendor before you hand over your client list What a good answer sounds like versus a bad one, and how to tell the difference without being a tech person Why the software you choose becomes a sales decision, not just an operational one, when you're going after corporate clients The difference between building tools for yourself and selling them to others, and why that line changes everything Why your photo booth business insurance does not cover you the moment you start selling an app you built Which companies in our space are building it the right way and what actually makes them different Resources Mentioned: Photoboothsupply.co Snappic Booth.Events 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

  3. May 28

    Are You Building a Business or Just a Really Expensive Job?

    You're exhausted. And it's not even peak season yet. Your calendar is packed, your weekdays are spent prepping for the weekends, and somewhere in the middle of all of it, you're supposed to still have a life. Missing dinners. Pushing vacations. Your body hurts. Your phone never stops. And underneath all of it? This quiet panic that something has to give, but you can't figure out what. The thing that's crushing you isn't the volume of events. It's the structure underneath the business you built. Because somewhere along the way, without meaning to, you stopped building a business and started building a really expensive, really demanding job. One you can't quit. One with no weekends. And one with no boss to complain to, because that boss? Is you. I've been there. My first year, I crossed six figures in just over twelve months while working a full-time corporate job. My husband and I were doing every event, every load-in, every 2 AM drive home. I was scheduling emails at midnight, answering inquiries on my lunch break, and running on adrenaline. The business was growing. The money was real. And I felt completely and totally trapped. That moment of sitting at my computer at 2 AM, thinking this cannot be the dream I signed up for, that was the moment everything shifted. I stopped asking "how do I book more?" and started asking "what am I actually building here?" In this episode, I'm breaking down the difference between building a job and building a business, why your exhaustion isn't a badge of honor, and what you actually need to build this busy season so that next year looks completely different. What you'll learn in this episode: The real difference between a job-shaped business and an actual business, and which one you're accidentally running Why crossing six figures doesn't automatically mean you've built something scalable How the gap between demand and structure always gets paid for by someone, and right now, that someone is you What a business with a real sales process, operational systems, and a team actually looks like (even when you're just getting started) Why freedom doesn't come from more revenue, it comes from better structure The three questions that will show you the gap between the life you're living and the life you actually want How to identify your one structural move to make before the end of busy season Why it's not about building a seven-figure business, it's about building the right structure at every level Resources Mentioned: Photo Booth Mastery: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery  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

  4. May 21

    The Seven-Eleven in Tokyo That Changed How I Think About My Photo Booth Business

    I just got back from two weeks in Japan and I am still not over it. Honestly, Asia was never really on my radar. Not because I didn't want to go, but because the flight is like 20-something hours and it just never felt urgent. But my friend Mir, who owns South Beach Photo Booth Company, got married in Kyoto and invited us. And I am not someone who turns down a wedding in Japan, so off I went. I brought a journal. No real plans. No expectations. Just an intention to let myself be inspired. And wow, did that deliver. Because somewhere between the Seven-Eleven egg sandwiches, the photo booths I dragged everyone to try, and a receipt handed to me with two hands and a bow for a four dollar purchase, something clicked. Luxury is not what's in your package. It's how you make people feel. And Japan showed me that better than anything I've experienced in over a decade of running events. This episode is me unpacking what I saw, what it made me realize about our industry, and the specific zero-cost things I'm bringing back into my own business starting at the very next event we do. In this episode you'll learn: Why the "what do I put in a luxury package" question is the wrong question entirely What high-end wedding clients with $150,000 to $200,000 budgets actually expect from their vendors The two-hands print handoff I'm testing at our next event and why I think it matters more than it sounds How to train your booth attendants to be the best part of the guest experience, not just the person running the machine Why early setup, response time, and how your team is dressed are non-negotiables at the premium level What a cashier at an H&M in Tokyo taught me about scripted, trainable service Why consistency across every single touchpoint is the thing that actually builds a premium brand Resources Mentioned: Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery 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

    14 min

  5. May 14

    The Real Competitive Advantage in the Photo Booth Industry

    The future of the photo booth industry isn't in your next gear purchase. It's you. I bought my first photo booth over 11 years ago from Photo Booth Supply Co. Charged $9,000 USD to my parents' emergency American Express card without telling them. I had a vision. Got back to Ottawa and realized everyone had the same booth in a different shell. That was the moment I understood that the gear was never going to be the differentiator. And figuring out what actually was took us to six figures in year one and kept us scaling from there. This episode is a live keynote I delivered at a major industry conference. I'm talking trends, technology, emotion, nostalgia, and the one thing nobody on the trade show floor is selling: your perspective.   Here's what we get into: Why equipment will never be your competitive advantage and what actually is How nostalgia and emotion are driving the biggest trends in experiential events right now including trading cards, lenticular prints, and vintage photo strips Why millennials have the majority of buying power and what that means for how you build your activations What "creative partner" actually means versus being a commodity and the shift that changes how clients see you How I went from "I hate photo booths" to building a 7-figure business around them Why AI, enclosed booths, glam bots, and draw-me bots are all exciting but none of them are the point Why your unique background, culture, and childhood is your greatest differentiator in this industry The one question you should be asking yourself every time you look at new technology   Resources Mentioned: LA Photo Party (lenticular prints): https://www.laphotoparty.com Photo Booth Supply Co.: https://www.photoboothsupplyco.com Cabina, Nova, Pasa enclosed booths: available at major industry expos   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

  6. May 7

    More Events isn't the Goal. Profit Is.

    In 2022, we ran over 500 events, crossed seven figures in revenue, and I sat in my kitchen at the end of that year looking at the numbers, looking at the calendar, and wondering how my body got this tired. I had built something I was proud of. And the cost of running it that hard was catching up with all of us. That year changed how I think about growth. Because somewhere along the way, I had convinced myself that a packed calendar was proof the business was working. It took almost breaking my team to realize it wasn't. This episode is about the math, the mindset shift, and the actual moves I made after that. In 2025, we ran 100 fewer events than we did in 2023, and made 25% more revenue. That's not a lucky season. That's a decision. And in this episode, I walk through exactly how it works and what it takes to get there. If your calendar is full but something still feels off, this one's for you. What you'll learn in this episode: Why event count is a vanity metric and what number actually tells you how your business is doing The three questions to ask about every event on last year's calendar What cutting the bottom 20% of your business actually means and how to do it without panicking Why a price increase is a campaign, not an email — and the exact phases of how to run one What moving up the market looks like in a real photo booth business, for both weddings and corporate The emotional side of doing less — and why the fear that shows up isn't telling you the truth Three specific things to do this week to start shifting the trajectory Resources mentioned: Free profit calculator: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/2026-profit-calc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery 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

  7. Apr 30

    The One Activation at Coachella Already Sending Us Phone Calls

    Do you know what your clients are going to be asking for six months from now?   I do. And it started with me sending my friend Zach to run around Coachella with one job: grab samples from every photo and video activation he could find.   Here's why this matters. Whatever big brands are spending their experiential marketing budgets on at festivals like Coachella is exactly what's going to show up in your clients' requests next year. Every time. And this year had some genuinely impressive stuff, some head-scratchers, and one activation that is already generating phone calls to my business right now.   In this episode I'm walking through every activation Zach captured, breaking down what worked, what missed, and what you need to start paying attention to. From overhead look-down booths to lenticular prints to branded key chain stations, this is your trend report for the year ahead.   What you'll learn in this episode: Why Coca-Cola had the most underwhelming activation at Coachella and what it teaches you about output quality How two brands used the exact same look-down booth concept and got completely different results What made White Claw's enclosed overhead booth one of the best executions of the day The one activation already generating real phone calls for my business (and why your existing equipment can probably do it) Why lenticular prints are not slowing down and how Pinterest used them at their activation How Miniverse built a set that made people feel like they were stepping into a miniature world Why tangible outputs are where the photo booth industry is heading How your DSLR booth can offer far more than you think without buying anything new Why corporate is the next massive wave for photo booth businesses and why now is the time to get ready   Resources Mentioned: LA Photo Party (for lenticular printing): https://www.laphotobooth.com Photo Booth Mastery Hub: https://bit.ly/POD-Hub   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

  8. Apr 23

    How Free Events Can Grow Your Photo Booth Business Fast

    You've been thinking about free events all wrong. What if I told you that one single free event,  one where you spent maybe $500-$1500 on setup and staff, could bring you millions of dollars in revenue over the next decade? Because that's exactly what happened to me. If you're stuck on marketing, struggling to find consistent leads, trying to raise your prices, or desperately wanting to break into corporate but have no idea where to start, this episode is going to flip the script on everything you think you know about "working for free." This episode is a recording of a live keynote talk I gave at at PBX (Photo Booth Expo), where I walked attendees through my entire Photo Booth Lead Generation Blueprint framework, the same strategy my team has used for 10 years across both of my brands, MDRN Activations and MDRN Photobooth Co. Spoiler: it's not about giving your services away. It's about paying your best marketer, yourself, to get in front of exactly the right people, at exactly the right events. The first event I ever did using this method was a local networking lunch called Ladies Who Lunch. One booth. One afternoon. And from that single event, we landed two of our biggest corporate clients. Clients who have collectively brought us millions of dollars in revenue over 10 years. And we still work with them today. That's the power of this system when you do it right.   What you'll learn in this episode: Why "free events" aren't really free, and the exact mindset shift that changes everything How to define your target market so specifically that your marketing basically writes itself The key questions I ask before agreeing to sponsor ANY event Why ticket price is one of the most important filters when evaluating an event, and the number I never go below The difference between targeting wedding planners, venues, and direct couples, and why the sales conversation is completely different for each How to structure your offer so it feels mutually beneficial but clearly positions YOUR value Why showing up with your B-game to a free event is worse than not showing up at all The art of the follow-up, and why most people quit way too early The "three choices" psychology trick that increases your booking rate What I'd do differently if I were just starting out today   Mentioned Resources: Photobooth Supply Co. NACE (National Association for Catering and Events)  Meeting Professionals International   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

    29 min
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5
out of 5
6 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
    26
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 MDRN Creative Group Inc.
  • Show Website
    Scaling Out Loud

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