Have you been scrolling through Facebook wedding groups, posting “I’ll shoot your wedding” comments and hoping someone picks you out of hundreds of other photographers? Are you tired of accepting any client just for the income, even when they’re not your ideal fit? You’re not alone, friend. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the incredible transformation story of my Book It student, Toria, who went from posting in Facebook groups to booking five lead weddings and making back her entire program investment in just one month. If you’ve been piecing together free education but still aren’t seeing the consistent growth you want, this episode will show you exactly what’s possible when you finally invest in your business foundations. Listen to the episode below, or keep reading for a summary of what’s covered.
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Meet Toria
I have Toria with me today, one of my Book It students who just completed the program, and I had to bring her on to share about her incredible experience. We connected so much on a personal level—we’re both new mamas around the same age, we both love coffee, and if you follow Toria on Instagram, you’ll see her trying latte art because she just got an espresso machine!
Toria introduces herself as the owner of Toria Queal Photography, and she’s been in business officially for about two and a half years now. She bought her first camera about three years ago but was actually afraid of it for about four months. Her photography story isn’t the typical one where someone started young—instead, her inspiration came from attending a wedding in 2020 where she saw a pregnant photographer working alongside her husband as her second shooter. That moment sparked something in Toria, and she thought, “I want that to be me someday.”
What fills Toria most about photography is meeting new people and building connections. As she describes herself, she’s “probably the most extroverted extrovert you’ll ever meet” and can “talk to a brick wall and hold a conversation with it for hours.” This love for people and relationships is what drew her to wedding photography—she fell in love with capturing moments and building relationships with her clients.
The Struggle Before Book It: Piecing Together Free Education
Before joining Book It, Toria had been trying to grow her business using only free education for two and a half years. She and her husband are financially frugal and prefer to spend money wisely, so she had been determined to utilize every free educational resource she could find. While there are many great free resources available, she finally reached a point where she wasn’t seeing the growth she wanted in her business.
Toria was booking clients, but not the lead weddings she really wanted. She found herself constantly posting in Facebook wedding groups, saying “I’ll shoot your wedding,” and while she was grateful for the support system she had (including her mother-in-law, husband, and even her dad who somehow joined the local Facebook groups to hype her up in the comments), she realized this approach wasn’t sustainable.
She was in a place where she felt somewhat desperate for leads and bookings, and she didn’t want to come across that way. Most importantly, she realized that while she had the artistic side of photography down and could connect well with clients during sessions, she was missing the crucial business foundations—the back-end systems to bring clients to HER (not the other way around), a client experience that serves, and discovery calls that convert.
The Investment Decision: Taking Her Business Seriously
The turning point came when Toria had a realization: “How is anyone else going to take my business seriously if I don’t take it seriously?” Around this same time, my Instagram ads appeared on her photography page, and after doing some research, she decided to book a coffee chat with me.
During our conversation, we talked about how investing in your business is one of the best things you can do, and that showing up for yourself first helps others show up and trust you. Toria didn’t want to dive into just any mentorship—she appreciated that Book It offered that initial zoom call with no pressure, where she could ask all the questions her husband had helped her prepare.
What she loved about my approach was that I wasn’t pushy and didn’t just accept people into the program for the money. She could see that I truly saw the potential in each person and their investment in their business. This no-pressure approach helped her make the decision from within herself, rather than feeling convinced or pressured.
The Book It Experience: Building Foundational Business Systems
One of the things Toria struggled with before joining was understanding her niche. She was doing both weddings and lifestyle photography but didn’t have a clear brand message or ideal client in mind. Book It helped her realize that she didn’t necessarily have to niche down completely—it was more about how she branded herself and positioned her services.
The program structure was exactly what she needed. As she describes it, “Your program is structured so great to be able to go through that and just like, oh, I don’t have this. Okay, how do I implement this?” She was able to identify gaps in her business and get specific implementation steps for each area.
One of the most impactful parts of the program for Toria was the mindset guest lesson. This lesson was pivotal not just for her business, but for her overall life. Being a new mom and a follower of Jesus, she felt like the timing of everything was orchestrated purposefully. The program helped ignite a fire in her that she could feel but didn’t know how to channel before.
The Incredible Results: 5 Weddings and ROI in 30 Days
The results Toria saw were nothing short of amazing. Within just one month of being in the program, she had made back her entire investment through new bookings. She booked five weddings as a lead photographer for this year and next year, which was exactly what she had dreamed of. She’s also had over 10 wedding inquiries come in, giving her an incredible booking rate of 50%.
But the wins weren’t just about numbers. Toria gained confidence in her brand, her personality, and her ability to have conversations with potential clients. She learned how to attract and repel the right clients—she even shared a win about turning down a two-hour wedding coverage inquiry because it wasn’t aligned with her approach, something she would have said yes to in the past just to fill the date.
She also raised her pricing and booked her highest package for a 2026 wedding. The financial success allowed her to make some quality of life upgrades, including finally purchasing the espresso maker that had been on her wishlist for so long, which speaks to how the business growth translated into personal fulfillment as well.
The Transformation Beyond Business
What struck me most about Toria’s story is how the transformation went beyond just business metrics. She described feeling more confident as a mom, as a wife, and as a business owner. The program helped her recognize that investing in herself and taking strategic steps are pivotal for her time, business, and life overall.
She emphasized that it wasn’t an overnight transformation—it takes work, and there are still days when she struggles to put in the effort. But recognizing the importance of that investment and seeing the results has given her a new fire and confidence to “go after it” in all areas of her life.
Advice for Photographers Considering the Investment
When I asked Toria what she would say to photographers who are considering investing in their business, her advice was simple but powerful: “If they even feel a little bit just like pushed, like a little bit of a nudge to do something about where they’re at and wanting to pursue and grow, just book the no-pressure coffee chat. The nudge isn’t there for no reason.”
She encouraged anyone feeling that nudge to take the first step, even though she admits she wasn’t willing to take that step for the longest time. She partially attributes this to not realizing the potential that would come from the investment. Her final words were encouraging: “You’ll end up falling in love with Claire and enrolling in Book It, and then you’ll be on the other side of it and you’ll have no regrets.”
Key Takeaways from Toria’s Success Story
- Moving from free education to invested education can be the catalyst for breakthrough results
- Having proper business foundations is just as important as artistic skills
- Attracting the right clients means being willing to repel the wrong ones
- Confidence in your business can translate to confidence in other areas of life
- The impact of the mindset component in business growth
- Taking your business seriously helps others take you seriously too
What’s Covered in This Episode
- Toria’s background and how she got into photography
- Why she decided to invest in Book It after years of using only free education
- The specific business foundations she was missing before the program
- Her incredible results: 5 wedding bookings and ROI in 30 days
- How the transformation impacted her personal life and confidence
- The mindset shifts that made the biggest difference
- Her advice for photographers considering investing in their business
Resources Mentioned
- You can connect with Toria on Instagram @toriaqueal.photos
- If you’re interested in learning more about Book It, join the waitlist for the next enrollment opening up on August 19th. Once doors open and you apply, you’re welcome to book a no-pressure coffee chat with me to discuss whether the program would be a good fit for your business.
- Register for my Live Workshop – Booked + Valued – for FREE on August 12
Thank you for tuning into Toria’s incredible transformation story. Her journey from posting in Facebook groups to confidently booking dream weddings is exactly why I do what I do. If you found yourself relating to where Toria was before joining Book It, I encourage you to take that first step and join the waitlist. Sometimes all it takes is one step to change the trajectory of your entire business.
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