The December You Get Is Decided in September

It is December 22nd. You have three last-minute sessions on the calendar because a family messaged you begging for updated photos before the grandparents arrive, and you said yes. It is 11:30pm, you are culling one gallery with five more stacked behind it, and your own family keeps asking when you will be done with work.

Sound familiar?

Here is what took me way too many years to figure out: the December you get is not decided in December. It is decided in September.

The choices you make over the next four to six weeks around your numbers and your marketing determine whether your holiday season has margin in it or whether you get burned to a crisp by New Year's Eve. So today I am spilling the tea on the exact three things I am working on in my own photography business right now, at the end of August, and how each one connects to what December and January will actually look like.

I am also sharing something personal: I am taking January, February, and March off for maternity leave with baby number three. None of this is hypothetical for me. It is my literal September to-do list.

What you'll hear in this episode

• Why saying yes to every December session is not a discipline problem (it is a missing system)
• How to calculate your December number, and the three pieces most photographers skip
• The tax percentage I set aside every single month, no exceptions
• Why fall is peak season for shiny object syndrome and how to spot it before you check out
• The farming analogy that explains why your January is dead silent
• And so much more!!!!

Resources & Links Mentioned In This Episode

▸ Read the full blog post that goes with this episode (that way, you get all the links mentioned): https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/slow-season-planning-family-photographers/

▸ Get your free ticket to the Black Friday Virtual Summit: https://blackfridaysummit.com/

Connect with Me (Dolly DeLong Education)

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