After 12 years of hustling in her photography business, Nikki finally learned how to work smarter, not harder — and it changed everything.
On paper, everything looked great. She was established. She had clients. She was making money.
But behind the scenes? She was drowning.
“I feel like I am constantly working,” Nikki shared when she applied for Scale It.
As a mom and wife, she craved work-life balance. She loved her job — truly loved it — but the hours she was working weren’t sustainable. She was booking everything that came her way, saying yes to every inquiry, and working around the clock to keep up.
The problem wasn’t that she wasn’t good at what she did.
The problem was that she believed she had to do it all herself — because only she could do it best.
And after more than a decade of pouring everything into her business without investing in education or systems, she was exhausted.
She knew deep down that she was established enough to scale more efficiently. She just needed help organizing her systems and truly understanding what would work for her business and her life.
That’s when she found Scale It.
What Nikki Wanted: Less Hustle, More Intention, More Life
When Nikki joined Scale It, she had three clear goals:
- Feel confident in her pricing and raise her rates enough to work less while making more
- Create and nurture multiple streams of income within her photography business (associate team, wedding albums, her Heirloom Frame shop)
- Achieve a better work-life balance so she could be more present for her family
Her main driver? Being a mom.
She wanted to be more intentional about how much she booked and the time she put into her business. She wanted to learn how to say no, increase her pricing to attract her dream clients, and book more for her established team.
Before Scale It, she had been booking everything without a clear strategy.
Now, she was ready to transform her business into something that worked for her.
The Transformation: From Overwhelmed to Empowered
Over the five months inside Scale It, Nikki implemented strategies that touched every part of her business that needed attention.
The Mindset Shift: “I Don’t Have to Do It All”
For over a decade, Nikki believed that because she loved her business so much, she had to handle everything herself. After all, who could do it better than her?
But Scale It helped her see a different truth:
Outsourcing wasn’t about lowering her standards — it was about getting her life back. The very first thing I encouraged her to outsource was specific to her needs and that’s the very first thing we cover in Scale It.
“Scale It transformed my mindset that I don’t have to ‘do it all,'” Nikki shared. “It gave me strategies on how to get my life back without work taking over every facet of my life.”
She learned how to let go, bring others into her business, and give herself more time with her family.
And that? That was priceless.
The Strategy That Changed Her Marketing: Google Ads with a 63x ROI
Before Scale It, Nikki had no knowledge of ads and was intimidated to even try.
But after just one month of running her ads, Nikki booked over $9,000 after spending only $144.
That’s a 63x return on her ad spend.
Let that sink in for a second.
She invested $144 and brought in over $9,000 in bookings — all because she learned how to strategically run ads that attracted her dream clients.
“Marketing and ads was definitely one of my favorite parts,” Nikki said. “This is something I had no knowledge of and was very intimidated to start. Claire was able to walk me through everything and helped me understand the strategy behind it.”
Now, ads continue to bring new couples her way without her having to rely solely on Instagram or constant content creation.
Fresh Eyes on Her Business: CTAs That Convert
After 12 years in business, Nikki had been doing things the same way for a long time.
Having Claire’s eyes on her business was refreshing.
She got a new perspective, learned how to create compelling calls-to-action, and discovered ways to improve her client experience and marketing that she hadn’t thought of before.
“Having Claire’s eyes on my business was so refreshing since I have been doing this for so long,” Nikki shared. “It was great to have a new perspective and she had so many great CTAs that I could apply!”
A Mentor Who Understood: The Power of Working with a Mom
One of the things Nikki valued most about working with Claire was that Claire truly understood what it was like to balance being a mom and a business owner.
“It was so great to work with a mentor who is also a mom because she truly understood the beautiful and hard things about being a mom and business owner,” Nikki said.
Claire wasn’t just responsive to her questions — she was ready to dive into anything Nikki needed help with, providing encouragement and advice throughout the entire process.
“Claire truly cares about you and your business,” Nikki reflected.
The Results: Getting Her Time and Life Back
After completing Scale It, Nikki walked away with more than just increased revenue.
- She got her life back through strategic outsourcing and funnels
- Booked $9,000 after spending just $144 on ads (a 63x return on ad spend)
- Transformed her mindset from “I have to do it all” to confidently outsourcing and delegating
- Learned how to run strategic ads that continue to bring in dream clients without relying on social media
- Booked more for her established team with new processes that lead to clients being excited to work with her team, not bummed
- Gained fresh perspective on her business infusing buyer psychology and new omnipresent marketing strategies
- Created space for her family by working smarter, not harder
“My time in Scale It with Claire was exactly what my business and I needed,” Nikki shared. “The biggest thing it helped me with was my mindset. I have been pouring myself into my business for over a decade and Scale It helped me get my time and life back which is priceless.”
She continued: “I learned about ads, outsourcing, marketing, restructuring my business to work for me, and so much more! I am so thankful to Claire and all the love she’s poured into my business and I.”
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for You
If you’re a photographer who’s been in business for years and you’re tired of the constant hustle…
If you love your work but feel like it’s taking over your life…
If you’re ready to work less while making more…
Nikki’s story shows you it’s possible.
You don’t have to keep doing what you’ve always done just because it’s worked so far.
When you join Scale It, you’ll learn how to:
- Run ads strategically so you’re attracting dream clients on autopilot (without being glued to Instagram)
- Shift your mindset from “I have to do it all” to confidently outsourcing and delegating
- Create multiple streams of income through albums, associate teams, and other offerings
- Work smarter, not harder so you can be more present for the people you love
- Restructure your business to work for YOU—not the other way around
The sooner you start implementing these strategies, the sooner you’ll get your life back.
Just like Nikki did.
Ready to Scale Your Photography Business the Right Way
If Nikki’s story resonates with you and you’re ready to finally get your time and life back while increasing your revenue, I’d love to support you inside Scale It.
