Profitable Creatives Podcast

Don't just be a Profitable Creative - Be a WEALTHY Creative in 2026

I didn't quit my high-paying software engineering job at Apple to make LESS money in my photography business. I quit because I saw that building my own creative business meant there would be no salary ceiling. I'd be in control of how much I make—not some VP deciding my worth based on years of experience. You deserve to be a WEALTHY creative. In this episode, I'm breaking down: * Why I REALLY quit my corporate job (hint: it wasn't to "follow my passion" and accept less money) * The difference between being profitable and being wealthy—and why it matters * Why there's no salary ceiling when you run your own business * The biggest mistake I see creatives making on the road to becoming a profitable & wealthy creative * What it actually takes to go from employee to full-time creative earning more than your 9-5 If you've ever felt like you should "just be happy" with your creative business, or if people keep asking about your "little business" like it's cute hobby... this episode is for you. Ready to take the first step? I'm teaching a free live class: 7 Steps to Make a Full-Time Income from Your Creative Business. Register at https://go.emilykim.co/7 [https://go.emilykim.co/7] Thanks for listening! Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co [https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co] Join the free, private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives [https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives] Website: https://emilykim.co [https://emilykim.co] Photo & video services: https://emilykimphotography.com/ [https://emilykimphotography.com/]

011 Education as a form of marketing & lead generation

In this episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite long-term marketing strategies: using education to attract and convert clients. I’m not talking about teaching others how to do what you do (like I do with brand photographers)—I mean teaching your ideal clients something valuable that naturally leads them to book your services. I’ll walk you through real examples from my own business, like how my course Brand Your Gram and a local workshop unintentionally turned into client bookings. I’ll also share tips on how you can apply this strategy to your own business, whether you’re a photographer, web designer, or creative entrepreneur. Plus, I’ll give you my best advice for creating engaging presentations, including how to use visuals effectively, keep your audience engaged, and why practice is key to building confidence. If you’re ready to explore how education can be part of your marketing, tune in now! And don’t forget to join the conversation in the Profitable Creatives Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives [https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives] I’ll be hosting live recordings and Q&A sessions there, so I’d love to see you inside! Chapters: 00:40 Using education for lead generation 01:32 My own example: Brand Your 'Gram course 03:50 Teaching workshops for client acquisition 06:33 3 tips for engaging presentations Thanks for listening! Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co [https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co] Join the free, private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives [https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives] Website: https://emilykim.co [https://emilykim.co] Photo & video services: https://emilykimphotography.com/ [https://emilykimphotography.com/]

010 Goal setting is dead: Why auditing your goals is the key to 2025

In this episode, we’re diving into an essential topic for the start of the year: goal setting. Or my preferred term: goal auditing! Join the Goal Audit Workshop: https://www.emilykim.co/goalauditworkshop [https://www.emilykim.co/goalauditworkshop] New Year’s resolutions are often ambitious, but are they truly your goals, or are they borrowed from the people and media around you? Join me as I share my personal journey of learning to audit goals and a three-step process to ensure your ambitions align with your vision and values. Here’s what we cover in this episode: * The Trap of Borrowed Goals: How I mistakenly pursued goals like becoming a traveling brand photographer and starting an agency, and why auditing your goals matters. * Step 1: Review and Audit: A detailed breakdown of my "Five Pillars of Profit" framework for reviewing your business actions and outcomes across your craft, offers, community, marketing, and systems. * Step 2: Set Intentions: Why focusing on actions over outcomes is the key to success—and how to shift your mindset to control what you can. * Step 3: Make a Plan: How to prioritize non-negotiables, schedule rest, and map out your business actions for the year using a yearly view calendar. Plus: * A personal reflection on lessons from 2024 and how intentional goal setting is helping me in 2025. * Why everything is data and how to use this process to iterate and grow. If you’re ready to take your goal setting to the next level and build a plan that aligns with your vision, this episode is for you. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 intro 00:35 The trap of borrowed goals 04:25 Step 1 - review & audit 11:10 Step 2 - set intentions 13:00 Step 3 - make a plan 14:45 Get accountability with my Goal Audit Workshop ✨ Join the Goal Audit Workshop Want hands-on support to implement this process? In my Goal Audit Workshop, we’ll work through the full goal auditing process together with a detailed workbook that includes every metric, analytic, and time investment I’ve been tracking since 2018. 🗓 Live Workshop Date: January 8, 2025 If you’re catching this after the live workshop, the replay and workbook will still be available! Join the Goal Audit Workshop: https://www.emilykim.co/goalauditworkshop [https://www.emilykim.co/goalauditworkshop] Let’s start the year off right and make 2025 your most aligned and intentional year yet. Thanks for listening! Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co [https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co] Join the free, private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives [https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives] Website: https://emilykim.co [https://emilykim.co] Photo & video services: https://emilykimphotography.com/ [https://emilykimphotography.com/]

009 The power of specificity to speed up your sales

Today I'm not talking about niching, I'm talking about specificity and how it's one of the two main strategies to making sales in your service-based business. So those strategies are: 1) being specific 2) building a personal brand Both play important parts in your marketing, but I'm sharing a recent experience from my own business of how specificity led to faster AND easier sales. 00:00 Two main ways to make sales 02:11 The power of specificity: example from my own business 03:03 Personal branding vs. specificity 03:34 How lack of specificity makes my membership sales slower 06:59 Lessons learned Thanks for listening! Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co [https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co] Join the free, private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives [https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives] Website: https://emilykim.co [https://emilykim.co] Photo & video services: https://emilykimphotography.com/ [https://emilykimphotography.com/]

008 How to become the no-brainer choice as a brand photographer

Sign up for The Premium Pivot waitlist: https://www.emilykim.co/pivot-waitlist [https://www.emilykim.co/pivot-waitlist]  In this episode of the Profitable Creatives Podcast, I'm sharing how I elevated my brand photography services from a $600 photography-only session to a $4,000 comprehensive brand experience.  We're talking about how to make this an easy YES for your clients so that you become the no-brainer choice of brand photographer.  00:40 How my pricing went from $600 to $4,000 for LESS work 01:51 Creating an elevated client experience 02:21 Success on my recent sales call 04:50 Why you should consider having a team of referrals 07:49 Building your own dream team 10:00 The Premium Pivot Thanks for listening! Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co [https://www.instagram.com/emilykim.co] Join the free, private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives [https://www.facebook.com/groups/theprofitablecreatives] Website: https://emilykim.co [https://emilykim.co] Photo & video services: https://emilykimphotography.com/ [https://emilykimphotography.com/]