Shifting Focus with John Bunn

What does it actually take to build a $500K+ photography business?
Helena Wong went from working in corporate tech at companies like Oracle, Lyft, and Uber to building a multi-six-figure wedding photography business in just a few years. In this episode, we unpack what allowed her to grow so quickly and why she believes mindset, marketing, and sales are just as important as the work itself.
Helena shares how she thinks about pricing, knowing when it's time to raise your rates, tracking conversion rates, getting comfortable with hearing "no," and building the courage to take action before you feel completely confident.
We also get into why surrounding yourself with people who think bigger can completely change what's possible for your business, how Helena buys back her time through outsourcing and automation, and one of her biggest pieces of advice for photographers trying to move into a higher-end market: stop sending the pricing guide first.
In this episode, we talk about:
• How Helena went from corporate tech to a $500K+ photography business
• Building a business with $12K–$22K wedding packages
• Why knowing your numbers gives you confidence to raise your prices
• The difference between courage and confidence
• Why your environment and network can change what you believe is possible
• How to know if you may be underpriced
• Why booking every inquiry isn't necessarily a good thing
• The importance of sales calls in a premium market
• Why Helena doesn't send her pricing guide first
• Buying back your time through outsourcing and automation
• Why great work is only the baseline
• Taking action, failing fast, and getting comfortable being uncomfortable
One of my favorite ideas from this conversation is Helena's definition of courage: the ability to walk with fear. You don't have to wait until you feel completely confident to make the next move. Sometimes you have to take the action first and allow the confidence to follow.
CONNECT WITH HELENA WONG
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/helenawongphotography  
Education + Coaching:
www.helenawongphotography.com/education 
FREE RESOURCE:
Helena's Marketing Blueprint that helped grow her business to $400K+:
www.creativeceo.kit.com/marketingblueprint 
 
👋 Join My Circle Community: https://shifting-focus-with-john-bunn.circle.so/
🎧 Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://bit.ly/4owsWiM
 
📱 Instagram:
John Bunn - http://bit.ly/2AYTiE2
John Bunn Films: https://bit.ly/43S3866
Get in Touch:
✅ Brand deals, promotions, podcast info, etc., email john@johnbunnfilms.com
Sponsors and Affiliates:
⭐️ Bride and Groom Video - John's Personal Editor for Video: https://bridengroom.video/johnbunn/ - $100 off the first project of $400, promo code JOHNBUNN100
⭐️ Get 1500 Free Edits with Imagen.ai: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=johnbunn
⭐️ Vidflow - Deliver your films and photos with the best - Try it free here https://signups.vidflow.co/ref/johnbunn
⭐️ Musicbed - The Best Place to License Music: https://bit.ly/45HQjhC - 14 day free trial
⭐️ Inly - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/41Akxkf - 10% off with promo code JOHN
⭐️ Lemlii -  CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/45rhAnl Promo Code - JohnBunn25 (25% off any plan for 12 months)
⭐️ Multiply Media - https://bit.ly/46OdZCe - 15% off with promo code JOHNBUNN
⭐️ PlotLine Pro - AI Powered, Story First Filmmaking Tool - 3 Free days - https://www.plotline.pro/?via=john
⭐️ WedTrack - Timeline GENIE https://wedtrack.app/r/shiftingfocus
⭐️ Honeybook - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/4lmrKvf - 30% off
⭐️ Gamut - Color Presets and LUTs: https://gamut.io/product/luxe/?gamut=johnbunn
⭐️ Flodesk - Emails Made Easy: https://bit.ly/4md3ltE - 50% off
⭐️ Second Society - The best place to find second shooters https://my.secondsociety.io/signup?via=john-bunn
⭐️ Pic-Time 1 Free Month Annual Plan : https://johnbunnfilms.pic-time.com/referral
The Shifting Focus Podcast, all rights reserved. All links are affiliate links and result in a commission for John Bunn Films if used. I appreciate the support. Help me by supporting my sponsors.
#weddingvideography #weddingphotography #shiftingfocuspodcast

What actually makes someone sought after?
In this episode, I sit down with wedding photographer, educator, coach, and host of the All Angles Podcast, Claire Hunt.
Claire went from working as a pediatric trauma nurse to building a six-figure photography business, eventually booking $10K–$15K weddings and coaching hundreds of photographers and videographers along the way.
But this conversation isn't really about how quickly she grew. It's about what she did to become someone people already wanted before they ever submitted an inquiry.
We talk about building a personal brand, consistently showing up in your marketing, and creating messaging that connects what you do with what your ideal clients actually want.
Then we go deep into one of my favorite parts of the conversation: the inquiry-to-booking process.
Claire walks through how she responds to inquiries, why she loves discovery calls, how she keeps those conversations relational instead of transactional, and how she uses the "yes ladder" to help couples confidently move toward a decision without making the conversation feel pushy or salesy.
We also talk about what happens when all of this starts working together: better clients, higher bookings, more confidence, stronger work, and the momentum that eventually allows you to become truly sought after in your market.
If you feel like your work is good but you're still competing on price, packages, and deliverables, this episode is for you.
In this episode, we talk about:
Claire's journey from pediatric trauma nurse to six-figure photographer
What actually makes someone "sought after"
Why your personal brand matters just as much as your portfolio
Showing up consistently even when your audience is small
Desire-based messaging and selling through emotion
Warming up potential clients before they ever inquire
Why sending every piece of pricing information immediately can work against you
Turning the inquiry process from transactional to relational
How Claire structures discovery calls
Asking better questions instead of pitching yourself
Building the "yes ladder" throughout a sales conversation
How to handle a lead who is already ready to book
Why relationship-focused sales can lead to higher bookings
Building momentum with better clients, better work, and better pricing
Claire's Website: http://education.clairehunt.co
Find Claire: https://www.instagram.com/itsclairehunt 
Freebie: https://freebie.clairehunt.co/hook-inquiries 
Discovery Call Script: https://products.clairehunt.co/discovery-call-script 
👋 Join My Circle Community: https://shifting-focus-with-john-bunn.circle.so/
🎧 Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://bit.ly/4owsWiM
📱 Instagram:
John Bunn - http://bit.ly/2AYTiE2
John Bunn Films: https://bit.ly/43S3866
 
Get in Touch:
✅ Brand deals, promotions, podcast info, etc., email john@johnbunnfilms.com
 
Sponsors and Affiliates:
⭐️ Bride and Groom Video - John's Personal Editor for Video: https://bridengroom.video/johnbunn/ - $100 off the first project of $400, promo code JOHNBUNN100
⭐️ Get 1500 Free Edits with Imagen.ai: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=johnbunn
⭐️ Vidflow - Deliver your films and photos with the best - Try it free here https://signups.vidflow.co/ref/johnbunn
⭐️ Musicbed - The Best Place to License Music: https://bit.ly/45HQjhC - 14 day free trial
⭐️ Inly - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/41Akxkf - 10% off with promo code JOHN
⭐️ Lemlii -  CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/45rhAnl Promo Code - JohnBunn25 (25% off any plan for 12 months)
⭐️ Multiply Media - https://bit.ly/46OdZCe - 15% off with promo code JOHNBUNN
⭐️ PlotLine Pro - AI Powered, Story First Filmmaking Tool - 3 Free days - https://www.plotline.pro/?via=john
⭐️ WedTrack - Timeline GENIE https://wedtrack.app/r/shiftingfocus
⭐️ Honeybook - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/4lmrKvf - 30% off
⭐️ Gamut - Color Presets and LUTs: https://gamut.io/product/luxe/?gamut=johnbunn
⭐️ Flodesk - Emails Made Easy: https://bit.ly/4md3ltE - 50% off
⭐️ Second Society - The best place to find second shooters https://my.secondsociety.io/signup?via=john-bunn
⭐️ Pic-Time 1 Free Month Annual Plan : https://johnbunnfilms.pic-time.com/referral
 
The Shifting Focus Podcast, all rights reserved. All links are affiliate links and result in a commission for John Bunn Films if used. I appreciate the support. Help me by supporting my sponsors.
Chapters
00:00 – Claire Hunt's Journey from Nurse to Photographer
01:07 – Building a Profitable Photography Business
03:01 – What Makes a Photographer Sought After?
04:36 – Going From Zero to Six Figures
07:00 – Building a Personal Brand
11:13 – Consistency, Omnipresence & the Marketing Funnel
15:44 – From Inquiry to Booking
19:45 – Desire-Based Messaging
24:57 – Making Discovery Calls Relational
27:37 – Building the "Yes Ladder"
33:59 – Guiding Clients Toward the Next Step
35:25 – What to Do With a Hot Lead
38:43 – How Better Sales Create Better Bookings
41:24 – Building Momentum in Your Business
43:16 – You Can Become Sought After
44:12 – Claire's Resources & What's Next
 
#weddingvideography #weddingphotography #shiftingfocuspodcast

Should you put your pricing on your website? This week I took mine off my site for the first time in about 2 years. But why?
In this week's episode I break down why I decided I needed to take my prices off my website for now. I also dig through some thoughts about why you should or shouldn't have prices on your site. This episode will provide some practical tools to help you decide whether or not YOU need your pricing on your site or not.
Let me know in the comments what you do and why. I would love to start a conversation!
The Shifting Focus Experience, 10/27 and 10/28 in Tulsa OK: https://john-bunn.com/the-shifting-focus-experience 
 
👋 Join My Circle Community: https://shifting-focus-with-john-bunn.circle.so/
🎧 Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://bit.ly/4owsWiM
📱 Instagram:
John Bunn - http://bit.ly/2AYTiE2 
John Bunn Films: https://bit.ly/43S3866 
Get in Touch:
✅ Brand deals, promotions, podcast info, etc., email john@johnbunnfilms.com
 
Sponsors and Affiliates:
⭐️ Bride and Groom Video - John's Personal Editor for Video: https://bridengroom.video/johnbunn/  - $100 off the first project of $400, promo code JOHNBUNN100
⭐️ Get 1500 Free Edits with Imagen.ai: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=johnbunn 
⭐️ Vidflow - Deliver your films and photos with the best - Try it free here https://signups.vidflow.co/ref/johnbunn 
⭐️ Musicbed - The Best Place to License Music: https://bit.ly/45HQjhC  - 14 day free trial
⭐️ Inly - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/41Akxkf  - 10% off with promo code JOHN
⭐️ Lemlii -  CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/45rhAnl  Promo Code - JohnBunn25 (25% off any plan for 12 months)
⭐️ Multiply Media - https://bit.ly/46OdZCe  - 15% off with promo code JOHNBUNN
⭐️ PlotLine Pro - AI Powered, Story First Filmmaking Tool - 3 Free days - https://www.plotline.pro/?via=john 
⭐️ WedTrack - Timeline GENIE https://wedtrack.app/r/shiftingfocus 
⭐️ Honeybook - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/4lmrKvf  - 30% off
⭐️ Gamut - Color Presets and LUTs: https://gamut.io/product/luxe/?gamut=johnbunn 
⭐️ Flodesk - Emails Made Easy: https://bit.ly/4md3ltE  - 50% off
⭐️ Second Society - The best place to find second shooters https://my.secondsociety.io/signup?via=john-bunn 
⭐️ Pic-Time 1 Free Month Annual Plan : https://johnbunnfilms.pic-time.com/referral 
The Shifting Focus Podcast, all rights reserved. All links are affiliate links and result in a commission for John Bunn Films if used. I appreciate the support. Help me by supporting my sponsors.
#weddingvideography #weddingphotography #shiftingfocuspodcast

This episode might ruffle some feathers.
Recently, I posted that I was looking for a photographer and videographer to help capture The Shifting Focus Experience in exchange for a ticket to the event. Almost immediately, the criticism started: Why would an educator who teaches people to raise their prices ask someone to work for free?
So I decided to talk about it.
There's a massive difference between someone expecting you to give away your work and you strategically choosing to invest your time, talent, or services into an opportunity that can move your business forward.
In this episode, I'm talking about the difference between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset, why I still say yes to unpaid opportunities, and why I continually see some of the most successful people in the premium and luxury market sponsoring events, donating their services, and finding ways to get themselves into the right rooms.
Your network is a lot like a 401(k). The investments you make today might not pay you tomorrow, but over time, relationships compound.
We'll talk about how to decide which opportunities are actually worth saying yes to, why "exposure" isn't always a dirty word, and how thinking only about what pays you today could be keeping you stuck in the middle market.
If you know where you want your business to be in two years, start asking yourself:
What can I invest today that gets me closer to that room, that work, and those relationships?
Because sometimes the opportunity that doesn't pay enough today is the opportunity that changes everything tomorrow.
The Shifting Focus Experience: https://john-bunn.com/the-shifting-focus-experience 
 
Chapters
 
00:00 Why This Episode Might Ruffle Some Feathers
02:18 The Controversy Around Working for Free
04:11 When "Exposure" Is Actually Worth Something
05:39 Why Successful Creatives Sponsor Events
08:36 Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindset
09:18 The $2,000 Ticket Controversy
13:00 Why Getting in the Room Matters
16:24 Stop Thinking Only About Today
19:51 How Free Work Helped Build a $50K+ Brand
21:21 Get in the Room and Build Your Brand
24:19 Your Network Is Your Business's 401(k)
27:17 Why Action Takers Eventually Win
29:12 Build Your Two-Year Plan
33:10 Shift From Scarcity to Abundance
34:16 Final Thoughts + The Shifting Focus Experience
 
 
👋 Join My Circle Community: https://shifting-focus-with-john-bunn.circle.so/
 
🎧 Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://bit.ly/4owsWiM
 
📱 Instagram:
John Bunn - http://bit.ly/2AYTiE2
John Bunn Films: https://bit.ly/43S3866
 
Get in Touch:
✅ Brand deals, promotions, podcast info, etc., email john@johnbunnfilms.com
 
Sponsors and Affiliates:
⭐️ Bride and Groom Video - John's Personal Editor for Video: https://bridengroom.video/johnbunn/ - $100 off the first project of $400, promo code JOHNBUNN100
⭐️ Get 1500 Free Edits with Imagen.ai: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=johnbunn
⭐️ Vidflow - Deliver your films and photos with the best - Try it free here https://signups.vidflow.co/ref/johnbunn
⭐️ Musicbed - The Best Place to License Music: https://bit.ly/45HQjhC - 14 day free trial
⭐️ Inly - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/41Akxkf - 10% off with promo code JOHN
⭐️ Lemlii -  CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/45rhAnl Promo Code - JohnBunn25 (25% off any plan for 12 months)
⭐️ Multiply Media - https://bit.ly/46OdZCe - 15% off with promo code JOHNBUNN
⭐️ PlotLine Pro - AI Powered, Story First Filmmaking Tool - 3 Free days - https://www.plotline.pro/?via=john
⭐️ Spingle - AI culling and editing - https://bit.ly/4m80XnZ - 2 week free trial
⭐️ Honeybook - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/4lmrKvf - 30% off
⭐️ Gamut - Color Presets and LUTs: https://gamut.io/product/luxe/?gamut=johnbunn
⭐️ Flodesk - Emails Made Easy: https://bit.ly/4md3ltE - 50% off
⭐️ Second Society - The best place to find second shooters https://my.secondsociety.io/signup?via=john-bunn
The Shifting Focus Podcast, all rights reserved. All links are affiliate links and result in a commission for John Bunn Films if used. I appreciate the support. Help me by supporting my sponsors.
#weddingvideography #weddingphotography #shiftingfocuspodcast

The Shifting Focus Experience: https://john-bunn.com/the-shifting-focus-experience 
Chris J. Evans went from photographing more than 100 weddings a year on Maui to building an international destination photography brand where multi-day wedding collections now start between $35,000 and $50,000.
But that transformation didn't happen simply because he became a better photographer.
In this episode of Shifting Focus, Chris and I break down the decisions that changed the trajectory of his career: getting clear on what made his work different, intentionally building a fashion-forward brand, raising his prices, investing in the right rooms, and developing genuine relationships with planners and other people who could open new doors.
Chris shares how attending his first Engage introduced him to an entirely different level of the wedding industry, how he rebuilt his network after moving from Maui to California at the beginning of COVID, and how one relationship eventually led to photographing Robin Roberts' wedding and opportunities around the world.
We also talk about what happens after you've already built a successful career. Chris shares why refinement matters more than constantly reinventing yourself, how he's adapting his imagery for a new generation of clients, and why today's couples don't just want to see what a wedding looked like. They want to feel what it felt like.
If you're trying to move into a new market, raise your prices, strengthen your brand, or get into rooms that feel one level above where you are today, this conversation is packed with perspective on what that progression actually looks like.
Learn more about Chris J. Evans:
Website: https://chrisjevans.com/ 
Speaking & Education: https://chrisjevans.com/speaking 
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/chrisjevansphoto 
 
👋 Join My Circle Community: https://shifting-focus-with-john-bunn.circle.so/ 
🎧 Listen to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://bit.ly/4owsWiM 
📱 Instagram:
John Bunn - http://bit.ly/2AYTiE2 
John Bunn Films: https://bit.ly/43S3866 
Get in Touch:
✅ Brand deals, promotions, podcast info, etc., email john@johnbunnfilms.com 
 
Sponsors and Affiliates:
⭐️ Bride and Groom Video - John's Personal Editor for Video: https://bridengroom.video/johnbunn/  - $100 off the first project of $400, promo code JOHNBUNN100
⭐️ Get 1500 Free Edits with Imagen.ai: https://imagen-ai.com/?ref=johnbunn
⭐️ Vidflow - Deliver your films and photos with the best - Try it free here https://signups.vidflow.co/ref/johnbunn
⭐️ Musicbed - The Best Place to License Music: https://bit.ly/45HQjhC - 14 day free trial
⭐️ Inly - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/41Akxkf - 10% off with promo code JOHN
⭐️ Lemlii -  CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/45rhAnl Promo Code - JohnBunn25 (25% off any plan for 12 months)
⭐️ Multiply Media - https://bit.ly/46OdZCe - 15% off with promo code JOHNBUNN
⭐️ PlotLine Pro - AI Powered, Story First Filmmaking Tool - 3 Free days - https://www.plotline.pro/?via=john
⭐️ Spingle - AI culling and editing - https://bit.ly/4m80XnZ - 2 week free trial
⭐️ Honeybook - CRM for creatives: https://bit.ly/4lmrKvf - 30% off
⭐️ Gamut - Color Presets and LUTs: https://gamut.io/product/luxe/?gamut=johnbunn
⭐️ Flodesk - Emails Made Easy: https://bit.ly/4md3ltE - 50% off
⭐️ Second Society - The best place to find second shooters https://my.secondsociety.io/signup?via=john-bunn
The Shifting Focus Podcast, all rights reserved. All links are affiliate links and result in a commission for John Bunn Films if used. I appreciate the support. Help me by supporting my sponsors.
#weddingvideography #weddingphotography #shiftingfocuspodcast