“This is where you connect with people that you never thought it’d be possible. So you might actually have so many more ideal clients that you don’t realize are ideal clients until you start digging down to that ‘values level’…”
Erin and Jeff are based out of Southern California, but they have shot across the US and around the world.
They also manage two other photography brands that photograph weddings, portraits, and commercial work. If you’re counting, that’s three different photography brands each with a different clientele. This makes Erin particularly knowledgeable about our topic today, which is learning more about your ideal client, or as she refers to them, your ‘dreamies.’
This episode is jammed pack with practical information, and honestly Erin’s approach to discovering your ideal client is among the best I’ve heard. She moves beyond the typical client avatar and provides practical tips for better understanding your clients “why”—and then she goes one step further and explains how this can you better connect with your ideal client.
Find it quickly…
- 4:05 – Erin’s photography start and managing three brands
- 10:42 – What are the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to figuring out their ideal client
- 12:01 – Steps to take after completing the ‘PCR method’
- 13:48 – Where to start when figuring out people’s ‘why’
- 15:08 – Making room for growth — in regards to ideal clients — early on in one’s career
- 23:38 – Sharing the ‘about you’ that builds your brand/resonates with your ideal client vs. a list of your interests
- 28:37 – How to identify your ideal client for businesses that aren’t as relational as wedding photography
- 32:52 – The challenges of figuring out an ideal client for a brand that doesn’t reflect ‘us’
- 37:22 – Why do people gravitate toward an ideal client who is like themselves
- 43:04 – Erin’s podcast: Creative Rising
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- The Youngrens
- Instagram: @theyoungrens
- Creative Rising (Erin’s podcast)
- Our Free Dreamie Training + Course (any creative can take it)
- The Youngrens Facebook Group (for Photographers Only)
- Clove & Kin
- Bauman Photographers
- We’re all Weird by Seth Godin
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
More about Erin and Jeff:
Jeff and Erin Youngren are the husband and wife wedding photography team known as The Youngrens. For over a decade, their deeply emotional style has led them across the U.S. and around the world to photograph extraordinary weddings with couples they love. Along with The Youngrens, Jeff and Erin also own and manage two other photography brands that photograph weddings, portraits, and commercial work, and host the Creative Rising podcast, a behind the scenes show about what it’s really like to run a photography business. As the owners of three businesses with a regular team of ten photographers plus a full-time staff of editors, designers, and studio managers, Jeff and Erin have developed highly effective business models and marketing systems to accommodate the needs of each brand.
When they’re not shooting, traveling, or speaking, you’ll find them hanging out with their seriously adorable son, James, in their hometown of San Diego, CA.
