What Nobody Tells You About Your First Real Estate Client

What Nobody Tells You About Your First Real Estate Client

What if your next biggest income stream wasn't something you went looking for — but something that found you? In this episode Sarah sits down with Kellie to talk about the real story behind her real estate photography business. Not the marketing strategy. Not the perfectly planned pivot. The accidental yes that turned into five years of consistent weekday income from one agent relationship — and what that has actually meant for her business and her life. Sarah shares how a simple conversation with her friend Lori — who needed a photographer instead of a graphic designer — completely changed the trajectory of her business. Five years later Lori's agency of ten brokers calls Sarah week after week without Sarah ever having to chase a single booking. Homes are selling in twelve to twenty four hours. One recent listing received five accepted offers within twelve hours of going live. This episode is for the portrait photographer who has been curious about real estate photography but isn't sure if it's for them. The photographer who is tired of slow season anxiety. The photographer who wants a revenue stream that shows up consistently without constant marketing. What you'll hear in this episode will change how you think about what's actually possible in your business. Resources + Links Mentioned: Real Estate Photography Retreat — September 13-15, Madison Wisconsin Eight seats. Application only. Click here to apply [https://smonsonphotography.com/real-estate-photo-intensive]

The Content Tool We Didn't Know We Needed - Kellie's One Take System

In this episode of The Raw Edit Podcast, Sarah and Kellie dig into Kellie's brand new product — the One Take System — a custom ChatGPT tool built specifically for photographers who are great behind the camera but dread the content creation that comes after. The concept is simple but powerful: after your session, you open ChatGPT, leave one voice note talking about what you just shot, and the system does the rest. We're talking a full Yoast SEO-optimized blog post, social media captions, reels, shorts, alt text, meta descriptions — all from one voice note. Say it once, use it everywhere. Kellie opens up about why she built the One Take System in the first place — because she lived the frustration herself. She breaks down exactly who it's for, what the output looks like in real life, and why every photographer needs a content system that works as hard as they do. Sarah shares how she's already been using it across ten senior sessions and what the experience has actually looked like in practice. If you've been curious whether a tool like this can really sound like you and hold up in the real world, this conversation is going to answer that. This episode is a must-listen for photographers who: * Shoot great sessions but never get around to blogging them * Spend more time staring at a blank caption box than actually creating * Want to show up consistently online without burning out If content creation has been the thing that falls off your plate every single week, this one is going to feel like a solution you didn't know existed. Kellie's One Take System: kellierochelle.com/one-take-system [http://kellierochelle.com/one-take-system] Kellie Rochelle Photography: https://kellierochelle.com/ [https://kellierochelle.com/] Follow Kellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography [https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography] ______________________________________________________________ Sarah Monson Photography: https://smonsonphotography.com [https://smonsonphotography.com] Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmonsonphotography [https://www.instagram.com/sarahmonsonphotography]

This Is Why You’ve Never Felt Productive — Part 1: Human Design Explained

In this episodie of the RAW Edit Podcast, Sarah and Kellie dive into human design for photographers and unpack why so many creatives feel frustrated with traditional productivity advice. They explore the five human design types — manifesting generators, generators, manifestors, projectors, and reflectors — and how each one approaches creativity, decision-making, and work differently. Sarah shares her experience as a manifesting generator and how understanding her design helped her reframe her tendency to dive deep into projects before moving on. Instead of seeing this pattern as a weakness, Sarah now recognizes it as a powerful strength that fuels innovation and momentum in her photography business. Kellie opens up about how applying human design principles transformed her editing workflow. By honoring her need for comfort, warmth, and auditory stimulation, she discovered a more sustainable and enjoyable way to stay focused. A major theme of the episode is trusting your gut over logic — especially for photographers with sacral authority. Sarah and Kellie emphasize that your body often knows what’s right before your mind catches up, and learning to listen to those cues can lead to better creative and business decisions. This episode is a must-listen for photographers who: • Feel stuck trying to follow rigid systems • Struggle with consistency but thrive in creative bursts • Want permission to work differently without guilt If you’ve ever wondered why “just be disciplined” advice never works for you, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale. Kellie Rochelle Photography: https://kellierochelle.com/ [https://kellierochelle.com/] Follow Kellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography [https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography] Sarah Monson Photography: https://smonsonphotography.com [https://smonsonphotography.com] Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmonsonphotography [https://www.instagram.com/sarahmonsonphotography]

E24: How Sarah turned Real Estate Photography into Weekday Revenue

Slow season hits every photographer eventually — and it’s not just a “less money” problem. It’s a mindset problem. In this episode of The RAW Edit, Sarah gets real about what slow season photography does to your brain: the inquiry slowdown, the white space on your calendar, and the way it can make you question everything about your business. Instead of telling you to hustle harder or discount your sessions into the ground, Sarah shares what has created real stability for her over the last five years: real estate photography as a weekday income stream. This isn’t about quitting senior photography. It’s about building smarter. Sarah breaks down how real estate photography fills the gaps during slow season—especially for Midwest photographers who can experience months of winter slowdown. She shares her typical workload (3–4 houses a week), the benefits of weekday-only scheduling (9am–3pm, no evenings or weekends), and why real estate agents value consistency just as much as photography clients do. You’ll also hear the behind-the-scenes truth about why boundaries matter. Sarah shares what she’s learned the hard way: showing up to homes that aren’t photo-ready, dealing with homeowners following you around (wide angle lens problems), and even getting bit by a dog—leading to non-negotiables like staged homes, no loose pets, and agents meeting you onsite. This episode also gives practical direction for photographers who want to try real estate photography: how to practice using your own home or friends’ homes, build a small portfolio, pitch local realtors, and prepare for the fast turnaround expectations (12–24 hours). Sarah also mentions her free 7-minute training, “3 Reasons Real Estate Agents Hire Photographers,” which is linked in the show notes and includes a waitlist for her full real estate photography course launching in May. 7-Minute Free Training Video [https://smonsonphotography.com/real-estate-photography] If slow season photography has you spiraling, this episode will give you perspective, strategy, and an actual plan. —--------------------------- Kellie Rochelle Photography: https://kellierochelle.com/ [https://kellierochelle.com/] Follow Kellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography [https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography] FREE! One Voice Note Trial: https://kellierochelle.com/blog-in-a-box [https://kellierochelle.com/blog-in-a-box] Senior Sunday Course: https://kellierochelle.com/senior-sunday-system-1 [https://kellierochelle.com/senior-sunday-system-1] Sarah Monson Photography: https://smonsonphotography.com [https://smonsonphotography.com] Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmonsonphotography [https://www.instagram.com/sarahmonsonphotography] Free Video 3-Reasons Why Real Estate Agents Hire Photographers: https://smonsonphotography.com/real-estate-photography [https://smonsonphotography.com/real-estate-photography]

E23: The System That Turns One Senior Session Into a Week of Content

If you’re a senior photographer constantly wondering what to post next, this episode will change the way you think about content forever. In Episode 24 of The RAW Edit, we break down the Senior Sunday system — the exact workflow that turns one high school senior session into a full week of strategic, SEO-friendly content. This isn’t about “posting more.” It’s about posting smarter. The Senior Sunday system starts with one simple habit: leaving a messy voice note immediately after your session. Instead of waiting until slow season to blog (and forgetting half the details), you document everything in real time — the weather, the outfits, what made your senior laugh, what mom forgot, all of it. From there, that one voice note becomes: * A fully optimized blog post * SEO title, slug, and meta description * Instagram carousel caption * Reel caption * Facebook post * Pinterest pins * Google Business update * YouTube Shorts description We also talk about how this system improves your client experience. Using a fun senior questionnaire creates natural touch points and personalization opportunities that most photographers skip. When seniors feel seen, they share. When moms feel proud, they promote you. And that’s where the real marketing magic happens — organic sharing, trust building, and authority in your local market. If you specialize in high school senior sessions, volume sports photography, or mentoring photographers, this episode will show you how to build consistency without burnout. Because visibility doesn’t come from random posting. It comes from systems. _________________________________________ Kellie Rochelle Photography: https://kellierochelle.com/ [https://kellierochelle.com/] Follow Kellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography [https://www.instagram.com/kellierochellephotography] FREE! One Voice Note Trial: https://kellierochelle.com/blog-in-a-box [https://kellierochelle.com/blog-in-a-box] Senior Sunday Course: https://kellierochelle.com/senior-sunday-system-1 [https://kellierochelle.com/senior-sunday-system-1]