This Can't Be That Hard

Hosted by Annemie Tonken

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393

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Nov 2026

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About the show

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 actionable, step-by-step strategies and systems that will help you build a business that reflects your values, serves your needs, and thrills your clients. Tune in to find out why thousands of photographers around the world love Annemie's simple, you-can-do-this approach to everything from pricing to marketing to customer service... and so much more! Whether you're still just dreaming of starting a photography business or have years of experience under your belt, you'll find ideas and inspiration every week to help you run a profitable, sustainable business you love.

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November 10, 2026Episode 39413 min

394 - Breaking Through the Communication Barrier with Renee Bowen

Client communication is a perennial challenge: no matter how clear your recommendations and reminders are, there are always going to be those clients who just don't pay attention. But that doesn't mean we get to stop trying! That's why I loved this Stories and Shorties strategy from Renee Bowen. Renee is a photographer, a coach, and the host of the Tried & True with a Dash of Woo podcast, and she's seen and heard it all: clients acting surprised by pricing they were given ahead of time, asking questions that were answered three times in the email, etc. Her take? A more detailed email or prep guide doesn't fix it. In this episode, Renee is sharing: Why a prettier PDF won't solve an attention problem The client welcome portal she's building with Claude What to put in a short welcome video How to get this all done quickly and easily Renee is upfront that her portal idea is still a work in progress, which is part of why I wanted to share it. You don't need the whole build to get started with a version that works for your business - take her idea and run with it! LINKS: Check the Tried & True with a Dash of Woo podcast More on Renee's website Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

November 3, 2026Episode 39314 min

393 - One SEO Tool to Rule them All with Melissa Arlena

I'll admit it... SEO tools sometimes make my eyes glaze over. I was okay with Google Analytics for a while, but then it changed and I lost track of where anything lived. I suspect I'm not the only one. So when I heard Melissa Arlena of Picture Perfect Rankings talking about how if she had to pick just ONE SEO tool to use, it would be Google Search Console, I knew I wanted to have her explain it in plain language... not just for me, but for all of us who would rather be shooting or relaxing or getting a root canal instead of figuring out SEO on our own. In this Stories and Shorties episode, Melissa is breaking down: How to see the exact words people typed into Google before landing on your site, and how to turn that into your next blog post The Search Console tab most people never click, and how you can use it to spot posts sitting just off page one Which indexing errors matter, which ones you can ignore, and Google's new report on AI search One thing I want to flag before you hit play: Search Console only collects data from the day you set it up - it can't go backwards. So if you don't have it connected yet, be sure to grab Melissa's free Search Console Decoded guide and get the setup done now. It takes about 30 minutes, and by the time you're ready to work on your SEO in the new year, you'll have real data waiting for you. LINKS: Follow Melissa on Instagram Check out search console decoded Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

October 27, 2026Episode 39211 min

392 - Exercising Your Interest Muscle with Bobbi Barbarich

The busy season can be a lot. Sessions start to blur together, the inbox never quite empties, and - for a lot of photographers - this is the time when photography starts to feel more like work than fun. As normal as that feeling is, it's also something to watch out for: if you notice your creative spark flickering, it's important to pay attention so that it doesn't sputter out completely. The trick is that when you're busy, it often feels like you don't have time to pay attention, much less do anything about it. Bobbi Barbarich is on the show today sharing an exercise she uses with her mentoring students, and it's perfect for this time of year precisely because it's so simple. In this episode, you'll hear about The "interest muscle," and why getting paid for your art tends to make that muscle atrophy over time How your body alerts you to your interests, and why it's important to pay attention to those alerts An exercise that can help to build that muscle (and takes literal seconds) Give this a listen, then go dig that old point-and-shoot out of the closet. LINKS: Bobbi’s website start here if you want to learn from her directly Bobbi’s IG for proof of what she can do with the gear you already own Episode 275 with Bobbi her first visit to the show Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

October 20, 2026Episode 39111 min

391 - Lasting Impact Beyond the Photos with Shaun Austin Gordon

I've met Shaun Austin Gordon at several industry events over the years. He's a former wedding photographer and the founder/owner of KISS Books, which makes gorgeous professional albums. This past spring, we got to talking about the impact we have as photographers, and he shared an idea he's working on that really got my wheels turning. In this Stories and Shorties episode, Shaun is sharing: The concept behind the "relationship care card" he's developing for wedding albums The two questions he suggests couples ask each other every year How to think about the impact your business has beyond the photos... and incorporate that into your clients' experience. Shaun's idea is built for wedding albums, so it may not map directly onto your business. The question behind it applies to all of us, though. What could your work do for clients after the session is over? LINKS: Follow Shaun on Instagram Check out the KISS Books as well. Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

October 13, 2026Episode 39017 min

390 - Intent-Based Marketing On Google with Lindsay Herkert

The first episode I recorded with Lindsay Herkert back in February of 2025 has been one of my most popular episodes to date. Lindsay has a way of taking something as intimidating (and boring) as Google Ads and making it feel doable and even fun... which is no small feat! Today she's back with a Stories & Shorties episode about what's changed - and what hasn't - in the search world since AI hit the scene, and this one is a must-listen. Lindsay's take is refreshingly calm. She's not panicking about AI overviews or longer, more conversational searches, because no matter while the tech may be changing, Google's mission is still the same: give people answers they can trust. In this episode, she walks through what that means for your SEO and for your Google Ads. She also gets specific about a real change she made to her own website, and the ranking jump she's seen since making it. If you've been feeling nervous about what AI means for your marketing, I think this one will actually calm you down. LINKS: Check Lindsay's website Follow her on Instagram Check out Episode 302, Lindsay's first Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

October 6, 2026Episode 38917 min

389 - 4 Small But Mighty Tips You Can Use Today with Rebecca Hunnicutt

When I asked my friend Rebecca Hunnicutt to contribute to our Stories and Shorties series, I didn't give her any specific direction - she's an educator and long-time family, maternity, newborn, and school photographer in Portland, Oregon, so I knew she'd share something good. What I didn't anticipate was that she'd send me FOUR somethings - four separate ideas, each of which could have been its own full episode - and fit them all into under five minutes. So I'm doing this episode a little differently! You'll hear Rebecca's four tips first, and then I'm chiming in at the end to unpack each one so none of them get lost! Here's what she's sharing: Modifying your questionnaire to improve your clients' experience Auditing your workflow with an eye on automation Auditing your marketing to ensure you're speaking to the right audience Adding customer support that delivers faster answers (and saves you time) None of these are complicated, but they can be powerful. Try (at least) one this week! LINKS: See more of Rebecca's work in her website . Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

September 29, 2026Episode 38811 min

388 - Marketing to Referral Partners with Emily Kim Huynh

Every photographer I know would love more referrals, but they're all looking for them in the same place: their past clients. Of course, past clients can be a wonderful source of referrals, but the timing isn't always right, and we don't want to ask too often (or too forcefully) and risk making our clients uncomfortable. That's why I wanted to bring Emily Kim Huynh back on the show. Emily's background is in tech and business, and her outside-the-photography-box thinking has led her to a strategy that brings in bookings from a different kind of referral entirely: other business owners who serve a similar market. In this episode, Emily breaks down how to identify good referral partners and how to reach out without feeling like you're pitching. It's a completely different way to think about growing your business, and it takes so much of the marketing pressure off. LINKS: Download Emily's Local Networking guide Visit Emily's website Follow her on Instagram Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

September 22, 2026Episode 38711 min

387 - The Two Questions with Ina Jalil

90% of client confusion and problems - including low sales averages - can be traced back to things that happened (or perhaps didn't happen) much earlier in the process. That's exactly what my guest this week unpacks. Ina Jalil is a pet photographer based in Canberra, Australia, and she coaches pet photographers globally on booking more premium clients consistently. Even though Ina's strategy comes from in-person sales for pet photography, this works no matter your niche or business model, because it's really about working backward from an outcome you want to change. In this episode, Ina shares: Why ordering appointment surprises almost always trace back to the very start of the client relationship The exact two questions she asks every client at the consultation, before she ever picks up her camera A real example of how one client's answer completely changed how she planned and shot a session Why these questions help her identify the right-fit clients before she's invested a single hour of shooting If you keep getting caught off guard by client issues, this episode will help you see how to reverse-engineer those issues to help prevent them in the first place. Links: Find out which gap is costing you bookings in Ina's free Consistent Booking Audit quiz (https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit) Connect with Ina on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/inajphotography/) Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

September 15, 2026Episode 38610 min

386 - Privacy Options for Clients with Lydia Fine

When Lydia Fine suggested client privacy as a topic for her Stories & Shorties episode, I almost said no... it honestly felt too big and important for such a short episode. Privacy is one of those issues that's expanding fast, in the world generally and in our industry specifically, and it deserves way more than a quick conversation. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized Lydia had something genuinely useful to hand you right now, even if the bigger conversation is still ahead of us. In this episode, Lydia walks through: Why a "share unless you say otherwise" policy is probably costing you bookings Why privacy needs to be a spectrum of options instead of a binary yes or no The exact language and timing she uses to ask clients about sharing preferences at booking A simple habit at the end of every session that builds trust, and sometimes even gets clients to loosen their own restrictions If you've ever had a lead go quiet on you for no clear reason, this one might explain more than you think. Connect with Lydia on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lydiafine_forphotographers Check out Lydia's website: https://www.apolloandivy.com/for-photographers Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!

September 8, 2026Episode 38511 min

385 - Marketing Monday with Maddie Peschong

Being your own boss comes with a lot of big benefits, but there are challenges, too... and one of the surprising ones is how hard it is to get things done when you're the only one managing your time. On this week's Stories & Shorties episode, Maddie Peschong is sharing her secret weapon: Marketing Mondays: a block of time every single week that's just for marketing, no matter what else is going on. In this episode, she's sharing: Why Marketing Monday works even though it looks a little different every week How she protects that time, even when life gets in the way How she uses that time, including her strategies for client research Why visibility and marketing are skills you build, not talents you're born with If you've ever felt the challenges of time management as a business owner - especially when it comes to marketing - this is a must-listen. Links: Connect with Maddie on Instagram Check out Maddie's Rebrand coaching program Resources: New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources. Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access. Long-time listener? Leave a review!