This Can't Be That Hard
Channel Details
This Can't Be That Hard
You love photography, but running a business? That's a different story. If you've ever thrown up your hands trying to figure it out yourself and said "This CAN'T be that hard!!!" you've come to the right place. Host Annemie Tonken's secret superpower is cutting through the confusion to give you acti...
Recent Episodes
378 episodes
377 - Get It Out of Your Head with Colie James
My dad had a "system" for organizing his office. You could ask him for anything - any book or file or piece of paper - and he'd be able to locate it i...
376 - Getting Out of Your Own Way
There's an old story about a fisherman who keeps going out every day with holes in his net. Even though he knows the net leaks, he doesn't think he ca...
375 - Your Clients Don't Know What They Want
This last episode in our Summer Essentials series dates back to 2021, but don't let its vintage fool you: it's message is as true - and important - no...
374 - The Four Types of Buyers with Courtney Fanning
This conversation with copywriter and brand strategist Courtney Fanning changed how I think about copywriting. The premise is simple (if a little unco...
373 - Double Your Marketing Mileage
There's this cookbook my mom had when I was growing up called More With Less. The whole premise was: here are big, satisfying meals made with humble i...
372 - Marketing in Hard Times
This month, we're taking a little break from new episodes and digging into our (big) archive to reshare some of our past faves. Today's replay origina...
371 - Three Signs You're Doing Better Than You Think
I was talking to a photographer friend who - by every outside measure - is killing it. On the inside, though? She admitted she was struggling with fee...
370 - Navigating the AI Scaries: Your Concerns are Your Compass
Having concerns about AI isn't a bad thing: it means you're thinking critically about an issue that warrants critical thought. But nor do concerns mea...
369 - Manual Mode: Using AI Without Losing Yourself
I remember the exact moment I first heard about ChatGPT. I was walking my dog, talking to my dad on the phone, and he mentioned this thing he'd heard...
368 - Airtable for Artists: Tech that Works With Your Brain with Ashley Rose
Okay, I'll just say it: I am an Airtable evangelist. I have been for years. It runs my episode archive, my client data, my business dashboard, my prod...
367 - The System Behind Your Tech Stack
Tech tools and software are an easy thing to accumulate. Most of us add tools when we find them, promising ourselves we'll dive in "as soon as we have...
366 - Lower Prices, Higher Profits with Naomi Boyer
Ever wonder what it actually looks like to build a profitable photography business on lower prices and higher volume? That's what this conversation wi...
365 - The Low-Ticket Lead-In
What if the most profitable thing in your business isn't your highest-priced offer?
That's the question behind this episode - and the answer mig...
364 - Keeping More of What You Make
You know that moment when you look at your bank statement and realize you're still paying for software you stopped using three months ago? Yep. We've...
363 - There's More Than One Way to Win the Pricing Game
What if "Just raise your prices" is the wrong advice for right now?
That's a question a lot of photographers have been sitting with lately - and...
362 - The Wicked Witches of Business (Sales & Marketing)
What if the reason your marketing isn't converting has nothing to do with your content... and everything to do with the part that comes after it?
361 - Eliminate your Marketing Speedbumps
Picture this: you're cruising down the highway, passing billboard after billboard without really registering any of them. Then hunger strikes, and sud...
360 - SEO in the Age of AI with Corey Potter
For a long time, SEO gave us a set of rules to follow. There were a lot of rules, and following them all wasn't ever _simple_, but at least the playbo...
359 - Big, Bold Marketing Moves
If you’re anything like most photographers, the thought of walking into a fundraiser, hosting an event, or introducing yourself at a networking mixer...
358 - March Marketing Madness! Guest host: Dayna Schaaf
As the slow season fog lifts and spring energy kicks in, it can be tempting to try to chase the perfect marketing strategy… only to end up overwhelmed...
357 - Financial Organization: Peace of Mind is Priceless with Tiffany Bastian
If you want your photography to be more than a hobby, getting your finances organized isn’t just a “nice to have” - it’s the foundation for a profitab...
356 - How to Organize Your Photography Behind the Scenes with Stacey Rolfe
Organization is not just about what your clients see… it's also about how your business feels to you.
In this episode, we dive deeper on our org...
355 - External Organization: The Secret to Client Confidence with Erin Wissig
Organization isn’t just about tidy desks and color coded planners… it’s about how your business feels to your clients. This episode is part two of our...
354 - The Importance of Organizing your Business with Ashley Pendergraft
What if the secret to a calmer, more creative business isn’t another color-coded planner or a prettier desk, but a system that actually works for you...
353 - Building a Repeat and Referral System That Creates Consistent Income
If you’ve been following along with our systems theme, you’ve already worked through marketing, sales, and fulfillment, the three core systems that ca...
Inquiries --> Bookings --> Happy Clients: Your Sales & Fulfillment System
Last week, we talked about building a marketing system that helps you consistently attract new leads without burning out, but great marketing alone is...
351 - Showing Up Without Burning Out: Build a Marketing System
If there is one thing that burns photographers out faster than almost anything else, it’s marketing. What is supposed to feel like connection often fe...
350 - Reflections, Milestones, and the Path Forward
We're kicking 2026 off with some big milestones around here! At the time this goes live, we're crossing the six year anniversary of the launch of Simp...
349 - Finding Freedom with Better Sales and Pricing
If you’ve ever felt stuck between pricing models or frustrated by sales systems that don’t quite fit, this episode will hit home.
For our final...
348 - Smarter, Simpler Marketing for Photographers with Kim Box
Marketing can feel like a mystery sometimes… especially when you’re trying to figure out what actually works versus what just burns time.
This w...
347 - When Technology Meets Creativity with Colie James
AI is everywhere right now… and whether it excites you or makes you want to pull the covers over your head, it’s here to stay.
This week, I’m re...
346 - A Steadier Way to Grow Your Photography Business with Kimberly Espinel
Most photographers know the feast-or-famine feeling all too well… one month you’re booked solid, and the next you’re wondering where the next client w...
345 - The Art of Building a Business That Lasts with Leah O'Connell
When you’ve been in business for a while, it’s easy to fall into the habit of focusing on tactics… what to post, what to charge, what to offer next. B...
344 - Advice to Your Past Self (Reset)
Earlier this year, at the Reset Conference, Dayna asked a handful of photographers one simple question: What advice would you give to your past self?<...
343 - Systems over Motivation
We’ve all had those weeks where the inbox is overflowing, deadlines are creeping up, and everything feels one small hiccup away from chaos. When that...
342b- Better Than Black Friday: 5 Days of Deals from This Can't Be That Hard
Big news… next week our ONLY sale of the year is dropping! Each day a different deal will go live... for 24 hours ONLY so if you want it, you have to...
342 - Outside-the-Box AI Ideas for Photographers with Jessica Martin
We’ve talked a lot about AI on the show this year, but this week’s conversation might be my favorite take yet... because instead of talking about how...
341 - Celebrating Your Wins
Gratitude is everywhere this time of year… but let’s be real: when you’re overwhelmed or frustrated or stuck in your business, gratitude can feel like...
340 - Photographer's Horror Stories
Well, friends, it's time for one of my favorite episodes of the year - Photographer’s Horror Stories! And I have to say: this year’s lineup does not d...
339 - From Finance to Full-Time Pet Photographer with Ina Jalil
Leaving a stable government job to photograph dogs might sound like a leap… but for Australian photographer Ina Jalil, it was a well thought-out, stra...