On today’s episode, I sat down with my client Camila, Brand Photographer & CEO of Maria Camila Photo. She is a first generation Colombian photographer and videographer who captures the uniqueness of every person who gets on the other side of her camera. Camila shares her journey into photography and how she’s been able to grow so quickly inside Show Up & Lead Mastermind.
Learn more about Camila here and follow her on Instagram here.
Join me at my free webinar: Create Six-Figures from One Offer happening January 4th, at 2pm PST: How to Radically Simplify Your Business, Master the Art of Selling, and Rest More than you ever have in your life as a Woman of Color in Business.
Show Up & Lead Mastermind is opening for enrollment on January 4th. If you are a WOC coach or service provider who has already created $30k in revenue and wants to scale to six figures and multiple six figures, join the waitlist to get all the details about the upcoming round.
Show Up & Lead Mastermind is my high-level 6 month coaching and mentorship program created for WOC coaches & service pros who want to simplify their business model and operations, get fully booked with 1:1 clients, create their one-of-a-kind scalable offer, and learn how to calm launch your group program.
This program includes six-months of weekly group coaching, access to curriculum that is centered around helping you get fully booked with 1:1 clients, transition into group programs, create and launch your signature group program, and scale with calm launches. You get six months access to a community group chat with WOC leaders, and get your webinars, launch plans, and sales calls reviewed by me and my coaching team, and we kick off this program with a three day live, in-person training event February 21, 2024 in the iconic Las Vegas, Nevada, where we will bougie it up while creating your three year business plan.
Join the waitlist and DM me on instagram or email me any questions to catalina@catdelcarmen.com.
FOR MORE MASTERMIND INFO, GO TO https://catdelcarmen.com/mastermind
Get on the waitlist for Show Up Real. Show Up Real is a 12-month content marketing group program designed to help you up-level or jumpstart your content as a coach or service provider.
Transcript:
EP. 232. Authentic Selling with Camila Cardozo
What is up y’all? Welcome back to Latinas Booked Out Podcast. I hope you are having a wonderful, wonderful day. I am so excited because I’m speaking with one of my clients. Inside Show Up & Lead Mastermind on today’s episode. I’m so excited for you to hear her story. And secondly, before we get into that, I want to make sure that you signed up [00:02:00] for my upcoming webinar, How to Create Six Figures From One Offer.
I’m going to teach you how to radically simplify your business model, really master the art of selling and serving and rest more than you ever have in your life as a woman of color in business. Too many people out here, too many coaches out here are burning themselves out. Keep going back to taking action, taking action, taking action, and they’re not getting the results they want.
And they’re frustrated that they’re putting so much work in. And I want to dissect that for you in this webinar. I’m going to teach you my strategy, the strategy I teach my clients, my four step process that has helped me create. Well over half a million dollars in just a couple of years, and that helps me create multiple six figures in revenue with very simple offers, one [00:03:00] offer in one year, one at a time.
I can’t wait to teach you. It’s going to be so good. It’s happening Thursday, January 4th at 2 p. m. Pacific standard time. Make sure to save your seat. The webinar is happening the day that doors open to Show Up & Lead Mastermind.
If you are very interested or serious about joining and you want to put that expense towards 2023, I want to invite you to DM me on Instagram, @catdelcarmen and let me know that you’re interested in the mastermind and we can get on a sales call before 2024 for those of you who want to use that business expense in 2023. Okay. I hope that makes sense. But besides that doors open January 4th [00:04:00] and I can’t wait to see you inside. We already got some people inside. It’s going to be so good. All right, y’all let’s talk about today. Today, we are talking about authentic selling.
What the hell is authentic selling? You’re going to learn. about it on today’s episode. I am talking with one of my clients. Her name is Camila. She’s the CEO of Maria Camila Photo. She’s a brand photographer and videographer. She is, she has such an incredible story. You’ll hear it on today’s podcast episode, but she’s a first gen Colombiana.
And when she moved here, she really, really had to. change her own authentic self and start code switching and just like adapt into a culture that was so opposite of who she really, really was. And in the podcast, I’ll kind of tell you the story about like why authenticity [00:05:00] is so important to her and why she leads with it and why it works.
And I think her and I have very similar values when it comes to showing up as yourself in your business. And she has done such a great job of really leading with being who she is and then able to make more money because of it. She’s made way more money that when I met her, she had, she was just at the beginning of her business and now things are moving so much quicker and it’s just been so.
Wonderful. To see how, how she’s really created this for herself and inside Show Up & Lead Mastermind. I think when we talked originally, she was at like 15 K or something like that. And she quickly brought that up to over 50 K and just. Has so much more movement in her business and it’s because she really simplified her business [00:06:00] model.
She focused on serving and her results show her results show. So I’m so excited for you to hear her story. Listen in, make sure to follow her on Instagram as well. It’s Camila with two Ls, c, ct, and yeah. Listen, it’s such a good episode. I will see you guys on the other side. All right, y’all. I am so, so, so excited to have Camila here.
Camila, do you want to introduce yourself or can you please introduce yourself? Yes, happy to. So my name is Camila, although online my brand name is Maria Camila. I am Which I think is in my name, but I am a brand photographer for conscious entrepreneurs and a videographer as well. Just for those people that know that what they’re creating needs to be seen, needs to be heard, needs to be [00:07:00] amplified and they are passionate about their work.
That’s who I work for because that’s how I feel about my work. So I love is just co creating with entrepreneurs and. Just doing the thing and having fun and making money. Yes, I, so if you, anybody watching or anybody listening, I should say, to this podcast episode, if you have been following me on Instagram, then you might have seen some new photos of me that are insanely beautiful, honestly.
I just did a photo shoot with Camila and it was incredible. Like the, I had not only have I gotten more feedback from like, Oh my God, these are incredible. But also, dude, you have such an eye. You’re such a, such a great photographer. Um, I feel so like, I’m already like, I want to do another one, but you know, take it slow, but you’re so good at what you [00:08:00] do.
I think your work. I think our brands really align. Um, because I know authenticity in business is so important to you. And it’s also so important to me. And I feel like you photograph that way, like you just made me feel like a Susan model. Like I look at those and I’m like, Oh my God, like, should I be a model?
I really do. I’m like that one where I’m like looking and I have like a jacket over, I’m like, I mean, I think this is like quality model look. So I just want to thank you so much for capturing me. And like. Making me feel really good about myself. I’m postpartum. I’m still very insecure about my body right now.
And I told you that before we, um, shot and I just had so much fun working with you. And then the frickin product is like, ah, so good. So. That’s my spiel giving [00:09:00] you all your flowers. I love hearing that. Makes me so happy and I think you’re really good at just like owning the moment too and it felt like we were like co creating and that was really fun and but yeah it was such a treat and I I just, I think something about my photography is like, Oh, I can’t wait to photograph that person because I think it also shows different sides of sides of what you could possibly be when you’re working with an artist.
And anyway, it was just really fun and really exciting. And we also did so many creative shots. And I think you were like you said, authenticity, you were just along for the ride, which made it more fun. So. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my God. And I just got to say, so one of the things I wanted to do, because I really am in a place in my business and brand where I’m just like, you know what?
If we’re going to show up real, let’s motherfucking show up real. And one of the things I wanted to do was have like, um, how should I say this nicely? Smoke weed in the shoot. And I wanted like actual photos of me and like smoke coming out of my mouth. And the reason is it’s a part of my fucking identity. Like it just is. And in entrepreneurship, we feel like we have to like also perform in our businesses and the type of business that I’m building, the type of business that you’re building, it’s like, we are continuously challenging ourselves to be ourselves.
And. This is why I feel like photographing with you is that is that how people say it photographing with you shooting with you, um, shooting with you. I think that’s why it was just so special to me because this was also my most authentic shoot and. I mean, I didn’t end up getting a little high because we had to do so many shots.
Those last shots are like, [00:11:00] my eyes are just getting glossier and glossier. Luckily we waited till the end. But, um, let’s talk about authenticity in business. Why is it important to you? Oh, my gosh. Well, first of all, I’m Latina who grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a very, I mean, maybe other Latinos experiences or anybody that’s non white experiences this, but growing up in Utah and Salt Lake City as an immigrant, because I’m not even first gen, I was like, oh, yeah, I was literally born in Colombia and my first language was Spanish and that conditioning of like performing or having to be, and also, um, A simulation for the sake of surviving and getting along and that conditioning was so heavy.
And the reason why I bring up growing up in Utah is because Utah doesn’t have a lot of people from different walks of life. Everyone’s very was very Mormon, which is [00:12:00] like. Fine, I guess, for what it was, but I didn’t realize the impact it had on me on making myself small about what I believed in, making myself small about the music I like, making myself small just about like embracing and owning my community and how sometimes, generally speaking, we may have certain beliefs that like are really important to us, like being impact led or like accessibility, and I just felt the, um, I, I, I didn’t realize how much it impacted me to grow up in, in a predominantly white area until I moved to Arizona, which is not as diverse as other bigger cities, but it’s still a little bit more diverse where, like, people know how to say my name, fine.
And, yeah. Once I started connecting more with my culture and owning that, that, and I realized that’s where like all my gems were, like all the transformation was. And I re I just remember not being able to experience that in the corporate [00:13:00] world. And I, my favorite thing about entrepreneurship, especially as a Latina is really flexing my Latino dad and serving my community and owning that and, and seeing power and wealth.
In that, not just wealth, like monetary, but like information, wisdom, inspiration. And yeah, I, I don’t think I would have been able to do that if I wasn’t really connecting with my roots in that way. Yeah. How long did you grow up in Salt Lake City? Or does it sound like city or Utah? Okay. Got it. Got it. Got it.
Um, I, I grew up in San Francisco, so I kind of have the opposite where like, I literally go to play. Like, when I was a child, I, I remember going to, I was in high school and I went to the South. I went on this like college tour with this program. I was part of, cause I was 1st gen and I remember it was the 1st time I, everyone was [00:14:00] black or white.
And I was like. Okay. This is so weird, because I literally grew up with like Asian people, Indian people, obviously white and black people too, but like, and there wasn’t a lot of Latin folks, at least the schools I went to, but like, It was a mix of people. So like my, my experience is different, but even with that, I so relate to just like assimilation.
I think in corporate, in corporate environments, I got much more of that. Yeah, no, it’s so important. So tell me how you got into photography. Yeah, I love that question. Thank you for asking. Um, it started really young. I was about 16 years old and it was actually my cousin who was posting really beautiful, like higher end quality photos.
And I, growing up, I’ve always been an aesthetics person. Like since I was a kid, I loved to [00:15:00] draw and I’ve always, now as an adult, I realize how I feel like I was just born this way. But When I was about 16 years old, I, that’s when I started seeing like, Oh, this, she, she’s using like a nicer end camera. And my first instinct was just like, Oh, I want to have really nice photos of like my friends and family.
And all I wanted was to be known as a person who had really nice photos at the time. I believe the social media that was open. Or, like, available at the time was Myspace. Yeah. It’d be really cool to just be known as the girl who, like, takes cool pictures, because I just thought that looked cool. And, but I didn’t really see it as something that I, we, I could get paid for.
It was just, I just genuinely just loved. Taking photos and it’s not until I would say I was in college that people started being like, can you take my family photos? Can you take my weddings? And that’s when I started realizing like, oh, I could get paid for this, but [00:16:00] it still felt very unrealistic because it just, it just feels like my art.
It’s like my form of expression and. Anyway, it now has translated to, I just love working with my community or people that are, I don’t know, that we’re not really seeing very much or like there’s not the representation that we want in media. And I would say where I’ve come to now is I really love is photographing my family, my friends, my community, and just providing us like aspirational images that really make us look amazing and our stories.
Amazing as well. So yeah, I am curious. Um, when did you start charging? Like, did you wait? I’m giving it because I obviously I know your story a little bit. I know you started this business. Was it just this year? Yeah, so I, okay, I, [00:17:00] I started, uh, like shooting weddings and like testing the waters back like 2013 2014, but I was still working, I was working at a photography studio, but I never like thought that I could do this on my own.
It felt so unrealistic. Um. And then I tried it and then my mentality wasn’t where it is now. But the point is that I started getting paid for it back in 2014. And then, yeah. And then that’s when I realized that I couldn’t just tackle entrepreneurship like the Hunger Games, like with no savings or nothing.
Yeah. And, and so from that time, I actually quit my business. I would still shoot weddings here and there, but that’s where I quit my business. I got a nine to five job for like almost four years. Wow. And then I, I was, within that time, I was like, I need to figure out a way to get out of corporate. And then [00:18:00] that’s when I, in that timeframe, that’s when I met my, it’s not ex partner, but business partner.
And we, He had an Airbnb, he bought a house, we bought a house together, had an Airbnb, and that was like my exit out of the corporate world, but my dream was always to do what I was doing, because I got a taste of entrepreneurship, and I got a taste of what it was like to get paid doing what I loved, and so December of last year was when I launched my brand.
Once I was like fully committed and ready to really do this. Once my Airbnb set up, I had quit and I was like ready to fully focus on this was December, 2022. Amazing. And then when we talked on our first sales call, I remember seeing your picture, like liking my stuff or like a comment here or there. Um, but when you originally reached out.
[00:19:00] I remember your business. I mean, at that time it was like, I just started my business, which you did. And I think you had made about 15 K it was like around 15 K. I don’t even know if it was exactly that. And. I mean, this is one of the reasons I wanted to have you on the podcast is because you’re really in just like you’re in that fully booked energy.
You’re like, let me see, like, let’s go, like, let’s, let’s keep with this game of like, let’s see what is possible. Let’s play with what is possible and let me like stay in this energy. And I’ve also just had the gift of witnessing you go From 15 K to 45 K pretty damn quickly. And it’s just, it’s like incredible.
Like I’ve gotten to see it and I’ve gotten to coach you and I’ve gotten to just understand your business and like, and really, really, really see you step into this, like, [00:20:00] it really is self trust and also self compassion. Like I think you like really exercise like that. Skill and we always are practicing it because we’re not perfect at it of using self compassion as like, okay, the more kinder I could be with myself, typically it’s going to help me bring in more money.
Like not exactly, but it’s like that energy typically translates. In some way, so I would love to hear from you, like what has been your experience from, and I’d say like from the live event, like from when the mastermind started, actually, I would love your thoughts on the live event actually. So tell me about your thoughts about the live event, but also just like, what have you, what are like the main takeaways that have helped you create that kind of momentum?
Yeah. Oh, such a great question. Um, well, the live event, first of all, was like the best thing ever. [00:21:00] Obsessed. Because I think that if we, I’ve just been on so many coaching calls where like, just the internet is a barrier, but you have proximity to honestly seeing how you handle things, first of all. And seeing you being you and human, I think proximity to someone that has accomplished amazing things and there’s someone that you can relate to just watching you, not just watching you teach or watching you exist, um, that in itself was super, there’s something that your nervous system just feels like, oh, I can do this too.
That seems like, like, like. Like all the strategy things that you learn, just like click deeper instead of you intellectualizing it, you like embody it and when you see it happen. So that was one and then I remember that because I had a lot of tech issues because people didn’t show up. Everyone was supposed to show up and people, it’s so happens guys listening that [00:22:00] the event, the event started on a Monday.
And on a Sunday, it was announced or that week it was announced that LA where the location of the event would be was going to have its biggest storm in like 30 years, you guys, the amount of nervous system, motherfucking regulation I had to practice that Sunday was sick. It was just wild. So we had some tech issues.
And I just want to say, I know you’re like, literally just started talking, but I am the same type of person where like, I get, I like, I like really love seeing people be human because it gives me such permission to be human in my business too. And so I really appreciate that. Okay. I’ll, I’ll shut up now.
Okay, but it was so good. Yeah, it was so good like that. So that’s one aspect of [00:23:00] it. And obviously also connecting with you on a more personal level. It’s just like, it’s just like better. I feel like you’re able to get coached better when your coach knows you better like that. I guess. I think and then okay and then the 2nd thing is that community aspect of it.
I realized that seeing all the other women that are a part of it and then seeing that there are different walks of life or some of them are parents or some of them are executives. I remember back when I had a 9 to 5. Thinking like, man, I could never tackle entrepreneurship with a 9 to 5. But seeing that there’s other, uh, people in the group that also had 9 to 5s, I was like, I have no excuses for not making things happen.
I was like, come on now. And yeah, yeah, but also the peer coaching. Um, I, I realized that when I joined the mastermind, I think of being in your group or like being in your container as like, I’m learning your language. I’m like, oh, I’m just learning a new language. And I’m like, Knowing the self coaching [00:24:00] model that I’m sure people will know what that is when they’re in the container, but there are things that I was like that.
I was still catching on and but it was nice doing the peer to peer coaching with everybody. They’re catching me on to speed. And once I was kind of catching on to that, I was like, Oh, I see what we’re all talking about. And also getting feedback from the other women there that Even like, you’re the coach, but everybody in the container too is pretty freaking smart and getting their feedback too is like, it’s so brilliant.
Yeah, it’s, it truly is. And the other thing too that I want to mention is that I remember you said a comment of like, hey, what are you going to do when you go home? And, like, the excitement fades, but the excitement never faded for me. I was like, I’ve been excited ever since. I’ve been, like, it really helped me cement that, like, oh, we’re all on this train ride together.
And, like, we’re gonna make it. Like, it just felt like, like [00:25:00] unity. And then the other thing that I liked about the live event is that even though we were talking about business, it didn’t feel like strategy, this, it felt like, I don’t know, just like, I don’t know, it was business, but it just felt like more human.
And I think it’s important for the business space to feel human and for especially if you don’t see yourself represented in the business space, because then it just seems like business is so distant or like. It won’t click and just women of color a lot last thing there were so many things and another thing that I really liked about the live event was how probably the culture that you had created with everybody being so loving, because I have been in so many entrepreneur spaces and no one has approached me or like made me feel hurt or anything, but I remember I was like, uh.
One of the first people that had gone to the house or something. And when I [00:26:00] saw the red I was like, why did you come early? I like didn’t get the memo or something. And that’s why I like felt so bad after I remember. I, I don’t know. But the point is that I got there and then once everybody else arrived, they were so welcoming to me.
And they were like, tell me about your life. Tell me about you. There, it was like so warm right away that I’m like, oh, this is a reflection of like, Like business doesn’t need to be this cutthroat thing. It can also be like, obviously we want to be passionate and focused, but it can also be the gentle, loving, compassionate place that allows us to grow.
And I feel like I’m going to have like lifelong friends from the live event. Like it really, it was just so awesome. Yeah, I think, I think that’s one thing that I have learned to just really value in my business is. You create a space like you can create your business any way you [00:27:00] want it. And for me, I feel like community is so important and it really does.
Like it reflects when you meet the people in the container. Like everybody really is about like supporting each other. Like we’re all, we all have this goal. We’re all going for it. We’re going to have hard times. We’re going to have wins. Like that’s just a part of it. Um, I feel like you’re going to have an aspect at some point, not like any time soon.
Um, I mean, maybe, I don’t know, but I feel like you’re going to have some community something like, I don’t know if it’s going to be like a part of your marketing or like a part of, I think at some point, because I feel like we have pretty same, what do you call it? You call it ethos. Um, like, yeah, I feel like we, we click on that way and I really could see something in your business in the future, future, future, who knows when, but like there is going to be something with community because it is also so important to [00:28:00] you.
It’s yeah. It’s been so, yeah. Okay. So tell me like what like kind of clicked for you, for you to be able to increase your Revenue so like quickly, like quickly from like 15 K to 45 K and like sales calls, but like I’m catching, I’m catching you early on and into the, um, into the, into the momentum. I feel like you’re just, you’re just getting started very much.
Um, in terms of the energy, tell me what, what are the. Things have clicked for you, like inside either the coaching or the, or the container itself. Yeah. Buckle up. This is a long list of things. Okay. Where to begin? Okay. I’ll start first with my mentality. So I did, like when I joined [00:29:00] coaching, I was just Okay, this is, not everyone needs to be on board with this, but this is where I was.
I realized that I have one life. I don’t get another life. And I was tired of seeing people live their dreams and have amazing lives. And I’m just like on the outside being like scared, scared to move, scared to show up, scared, scared, scared. And then I just had this conversation with myself where it was like, you know what, you only have one life.
And I was also very scared of spending money or investing money for a while because of that, like wanting to play it safe all the time. And then, but, but once I. I met my ex partner who I bought an Airbnb with, and seeing just how more, more flexible he was with money, that kind of encouraged me to be more flexible and to just go after what I wanted passionately.
And so And so that was my mentality. I was like, I only have one life, and even if I have a [00:30:00] little bit of debt or whatever’s going on, like, I just have one life, and I think that I just thought to myself, if I can just work on my mentality, if I can just tackle this again, even if it takes me three years, three years compared to the rest of my life of feeling in alignment with myself or satisfied, it’s only a blip in like, you know, The grand scheme of things.
So that was my mentality was like, I’m really going to dedicate myself to learn entrepreneurship, to figure this thing out. I’ve had results before. I know I can do this. I just need to make it happen again. Like I know that I can do this. I had an, I, and I always felt like a calling that was itching at me of like, you need to be made this business happen.
Like it just needs to happen. And so. Anyway, that was my mentality. What clicked for you for things to like, get moving from that mentality? So first you were like, okay, you’re like done, we’re sick of this energy. What have you [00:31:00] practiced and put into place that has helped you like play with your messaging and like?
Yeah. Mark it and attract the calls. And then also, like, even when things in your business that like trigger you happen, what do you, how do you think about it now with, you know, in the container, because I’ve seen you go through certain experiences that like triggered you at one point. And I feel like those probably wouldn’t wouldn’t trigger you anymore.
So like, what has been the growth there inside show up and leave coaching or the curriculum? Gotcha. Okay, I would say, um, definitely picking. Yeah, I’ll just go with, backtrack with how I got to here now, but definitely going with the coach. I remember I was really early on in my business and I had never spent a significant amount of money for mentoring.
I have gotten mentoring before, but it was But it was like very short. I hadn’t been on something that was more high level. Yeah. [00:32:00] But I will say with the mentality of I only have one life, it was just like, I want to go with the coach that I really want. I don’t want to go with whoever is the cheapest or whoever is like, fits my budget.
I, with my mentality, I only have one. Life is I want to go with the person that I really feel like, like that I get excited about. I want to my excitement. I don’t want to be like for this. I just my mentality was like, I really want to do this. And and what’s interesting is I ended up having the money somewhere else that it didn’t even like make a dent in my life.
But anyway, that’s another story. But the point is, So that’s one going with a coach that I really was excited about and really believed in. Second thing was I really studied a lot of your content. So as soon as I got access to the portal, I was like, I’m going to consume and learn as much as I can. And even with that, I got results and I got, um, I started just like, Where did you, [00:33:00] where did you see the most value?
I’m just curious. Where did you see the most value in, inside the portals? The one, you did one where talking about simplifying and simplifying when it came to one offer and how, I think you did an example once of, of he’s like, this is how, when people have a link tree, this is how their link tree looks like this offer.
And then this offer, and then this offer. And, and she’s like, and then I remember you just said something like, just simplify as much as possible. And, uh, or other ones were like, elevate your self belief. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I mean, simplifying. So how have you simplified? I’m curious, like, how do you think about simplifying your business now?
Oh my gosh, not being on all the 10, 000 platforms available. That was one. I remember when I got my website done, they, they like left me spaces on the website for like, if you want an extra video, if you want an extra this, like [00:34:00] extras, I trimmed all that out. I’m like, no, let’s just simplify packaging. So good.
Like, like when people just want one video, I’m like, I don’t do one video. So like, like that, um, probably simplify also my marketing. When you talk about you, you said, you said once you’re like, you don’t market you get people on the phone, you market to give people a result. And I was like, yeah, I love that.
And, and I feel like I, the moment that I shifted my focus to. Like, it’s just my marketing is just going to be my conversation between me and my clients. And I’m just going to it’s like this intimate conversation that we have, even though social media is like this public platform, it’s going to be this very close relationship between me and my clients.
And the moment that I switched that. So that helped me a lot. That’s so good. How I love that because I feel like I’ve been [00:35:00] really thinking about like using that term conversation because it really is like that’s how you want to talk to your people. You want to be like in conversation with them, telling them like the value of the transformation, telling them what to consider, telling them what to remember, like all of these things.
And it really is so important to have. So think about it like a conversation and not think about it as like, I need this to book a call or like the, this process needs to bring in X amount. Yeah. So good. Now I would say too, I remember you gave me a coaching once cause I asked you about my marketing. I was like, my marketing is not working.
And she’s like, well, I keep saying she, as if you’re some, I talk to other people about this is what Cat told me, but I’m talking to Cat. But it was, I remember one coaching you gave me, it was like, just think that like, it’s already working, instead of thinking this isn’t working, just trust that it’s working, and [00:36:00] I remember recently, you gave me a coaching that was about just not posting infographics and posting photography and video, and that is also another way to simplify because I used to create, like, carousels, but as a photographer and videographer, it was about the work, and I will say, in that coaching, I was so insecure about not posting my infographics, and just posting the photography, and I had to go from, do I want, Likes and comments and traction and kind of so so clients, or do I want to have clients and just like, I feel like I had to borrow confidence from you at the time I feel like my confidence is like back up now because I have been getting traction and I have been getting clients, but I definitely had to allow myself to like, trust you and what you said and let myself be led.
I remember that. Cause it was, it was pretty tough [00:37:00] coaching because you look, you have great content. It’s very aesthetic. It’s pretty, your, your photographs are obviously like amazing, but. I was straight up like, you need more still graphics, like, on your page, like, we, people need to see your work, like, this is your fucking beautiful work, and at that time, your feed was very, I mean, it was pretty, like, don’t get me wrong, it was pretty, it just was like, let it be stand alone, and, and, It would go back to a simple business model that sells, like, let’s just simplify every piece component of your business.
Not just you. I mean, this is what we talk about in the mastermind all the time is like, how can we eliminate the room of like debating whether this is good or taking extra time to do this and that. And like the reason I’ve been thinking about this a lot of like, I’m very. As a person who, you know, one of my values is like really simplifying [00:38:00] in my business and I’m doing more things in my business and I’m complicating my business a little, a little bit, which is pretty, you know, for me, it’s like, I have to do it in the baby steps because.
I’m just not used to it, but what I’ve learned over and over and over again is like you want to build like you, you can complicate things, but you want to do it sustainably because what’s so important to our business is also like creating the life that we want and making time, time for like taking care of ourselves and seeing our family and like filling our cups so that we can be the best we can for our business.
So anyways, I know that was tough. That was self coaching because you had a great content. Like that’s the thing. It’s like her just for the audience, like her content was really, really good, but I’m like, how can we make this simpler and also maybe even better? Or like in your case, since you’re a photographer, like what if your work was just enough, you know, which, oh my God, it [00:39:00] is so, that one was big for me.
I mean, with all the going back to what you talk about, self compassion and mindset and all of that. I, oh my god, I had a good cry with everything, and it wasn’t, I mean, yeah, I guess the coaching, but it was like what the coaching was mirroring back to me about me, which was like, oh, it showed me like, oh, you think you’re not good enough, you think that you need to overcompensate and you need to over deliver and do A, B, and C, because there’s this belief that came from just my coaching.
My past, when I tried photography in the past, and I had all those wounds right there. It just showed me that there was a lot of healing that needed to be done. But I did have to incorporate, like, the self compassion and the intentional thinking about my work. And realizing, like, I need to love this if I want other people to love it too.
And Which [00:40:00] sounds very straightforward, but that’s something you need to do. I have a question for you. We also, one of the things we also coached on and that I’ve seen your kind of evolution on has been your price. Let’s talk about, like, talk about exactly your price, but like, let, I would love just to hear your thoughts on increasing your price.
And simplifying your pricing model, right? Like, you came to me and you’re, you know, you had a lot of couple different offers and prices and all of that. And, you know, we went back and forth on, like, adjusting the price and whatever, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on 1. Increasing your price. What was that experience like in the mastermind?
And also your thoughts about your price not being high enough, right? Because we always have those little, you know, those what I found with just within [00:41:00] the group is like, you’re either like, it’s like 1 of 2 pricing doubles. It’s like 1 is like. Wow, like nobody’s going to buy this. This is way too expensive.
Like you need to offer something cheaper. And then the other little voice is like, this is such a steal. You should, your, the quality of your work should be charged a lot more than this. Like maybe you should double the price. So and so sells, you know, this type of package for this. What is your thought process about your price now, especially since you’ve been killing it?
Oh my gosh, it’s just silly that it took me so long to like come to terms with that, but I give myself grace with all the lessons learned. I, okay, so for perspective, when I came to CAT, I was charging 700 a two hour brand shoot. I forgot, it was that low. Yeah, it was like 700 or like 600 around there. [00:42:00] And I, I had a bunch of extras on, like, I remember I had a whole menu of, like, three different options.
So I’m a brand photographer and videographer, and it was like, brand shoot, brand shoot and video, and then just longer brand shoot and video. And then if you want an extra video, it’s this much. If you want extra set of photos, it’s this much. Or if you want further retouching, just stuff that, quite frankly, just confused people, I’m sure.
And so simplifying felt nice because I think it’s easier for me to pitch myself and also for me for people to digest what I learned with this whole simplifying process is it as you’re telling people what you do, or telling them the services, if you want it to be easy to land or easy to understand. And so Yeah, that was one thing.
And then in regards to my pricing, I remember you and I had a, we were like sorting out pricing because I just, I felt like what I had at the time was just too low. [00:43:00] And I was also just, I remember I was doing payment plans in the beginning because I was like, Oh, people can’t pay 700. So I had a payment plan where they would pay 300 one month and 300 the other month.
But I’m like, I can’t live like this. Does that make sense? And I, I did that all the way to 15 K. Before I met you. Okay. Okay. Okay. I don’t know how I survived. I don’t know. Yeah, I was probably part of my stress and anxiety. And then from that point, I. Anyway, fast forward to you and I having a talk. Where I feel like my pride, yeah, technically could be higher, but I’m at a level where I just want to like.
Just be fully booked and I, I want to practice the whole feeling like a steel, which I still feel that about my work, but it’s at 3, 000 right now with a brand shoe and a photo shoot. Wait, video shoot and the photos. It’s a steal. I mean, it’s an [00:44:00] absolute steal, but it’s, I mean, this is a part of the strategy.
I mean, I got to be honest. This is the strategy that helped me get fully booked when I was, um, when I had one on one coaching, like I, and my price was 3000 for a very, very long time and it literally helped me. Like get to six figures in six months because I was like, let’s go. Like, like if we’re, if, if we finally found this sweet spot with our price, could it be higher?
Yes. I remember having other coach friends or other coaches that like I was, you know, had some or four with a relationship with online who have, who had sold less than me and we’re charging more. Right. And as a business coach, it’s like, that’s kind of the, You know, at least at that time, that’s the way I looked at it.
It’s like, Oh, this person’s just as experienced as me, or they’re more experienced or they’re less experienced than me. And they’re charging this. But I was like, you know what, what if this works? [00:45:00] Like, what if I just like, not to make the most amount of money, but just to become fucking good. You know, yeah, so anyways, I was going to say, I feel like this experience has taught me is just to not like I’m worthy individual because I decided it and I was born to be worthy and my worth is not based on like how much money I’m making.
I will say this whole experience because part of the mastermind is to know our numbers and like report revenue every month or whatever. And I look at my numbers. I still have so much anxiety looking at numbers, but I. I will say it desensitized me to be like, Oh, these, these are just numbers on a computer.
Yeah. It’s just data. Yeah. I just look at it in that way. And I feel like I now have the mentality that I have my blinders on that I like I’m so public about my pricing. I like do not care because I know I, I, the skill that I learned. Like, like you said, it’s just data. It’s just numbers on a [00:46:00] computer and I’m just building this business and I look at my business, like a work of art and it’s like, it just needs it or like a plant, like it just needs more water.
It needs more, but it’s not like my self worth is in it. And then the other thing too, I was going to say in regards to my pricing, it was so wild to me how I closed. My first, I thought that learning curve from going from like, uh, my 600 pricing up to, um, the 3000, I thought it was going to be like, man, this is going to take forever.
It was like, so quickly, it was like within like a few weeks, I closed two clients and one of them didn’t even need a sales call. She just really liked my perspective, which I remember you even told me, we had a coaching too, talking about just how your point of view is what’s gonna, like, differentiate you and whatever.
And a girl literally wrote me, wow, [00:47:00] you have the exact same values as I do. I really like you. And then she’s flying from Colorado, I live in Arizona, to do a shoot with me. Didn’t even do a sales call, she just emailed me and messaged me, and it just showed me that I’m like, wow, if I just, I’m really good at being myself.
Without an expectation and I just like just do my job in that way. Let’s see what this can look like. So, yeah. So good. So, so, so good. Thank you for having this conversation with me. I so appreciate you. It’s such a gift working with you. You’re a dream, dream, dream client. And you’re a dream photographer because I had the privilege of being with you.
Stop by you. And I love literally, I told Paul, I might’ve told you this too, but I’m like, I think I’m going to be one of those like women who are moms who have [00:48:00] photos of themselves on the wall because of your photo. Yeah. Oh, I love that. Cause I really, you know what it is. It’s like the photos you took just really are like, I feel like they’re a work of art.
Like it could be anyone’s space. And. It’s it just is like, so me, like, it’s just this other level of me and. God, God, I wasn’t thinking it’s so good. You’re so good at what you do. Okay. So we’re going to wrap up anything else I want to ask you. I think, yeah, no, I, I number one lesson, like the last four months or five months, like the minute you sent payment until all the way now, high, high, high level, like number one.
Lesson in really thinking, simplifying your business and like going at it 100 like what any lesson you want to share with everybody. [00:49:00] You have to go all in like you can’t just dip your toes in the water. You have to like allow yourself to transform. I feel like I have transformed. I haven’t just like. You go to school and you learn things, but this experience, you transform.
Mm-Hmm. . And you have to allow yourself to happen. Even when you cry, even when you’re like, I don’t know, whatever emotion comes up. I literally, Mm-Hmm. have felt through so many emotions and it didn’t kill me. I’m still alive. Doing well. Yeah. and, yeah. Yeah. You just allow yourself to, I think that’s go all in.
Allow yourself to transform. I love what you said. You can’t, like, dip your toes in the water. Like, you’ve got to go all in. So good. Okay, where can people find you? Where can they look at your beautiful works of art? Uh, where can they find you? Thank you. So I’m on Instagram as Camila, like C [00:50:00] A M I L L A underscore C C T.
All my links are in there. And then my website is mariacamilafoto with a ph. me. That’s it. Easy peasy. You have a podcast too, no? Yes, I have a podcast. It’s called Speak Your Truth and Look Good Doing It. I hope to do video content in the future, but for now, I just share just all the transformations I’m having about being more authentic online and Yeah.
Yeah, I like to do it when I’m experiencing the change because I feel like there’s so much juicy information when I’m in the moment. So I’m very vulnerable on the podcast. So you could also check it out there. Amazing. Thank you so, so much, Camila.
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