465: Not Getting Bookings? Practical Steps to Change That Today with Ben Hartley
The Heart & Hustle Podcast
The Heart University
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 December 2025
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
If your inbox has been painfully quiet and you are wondering what you are doing wrong, this episode is your wake up call in the best possible way. Evie and Lindsey sit down with industry educator and photographer Ben Hartley for a no fluff conversation about why photographers stop getting booked and what actually works to change that, complete with perfectly timed sound effects and a level of chaotic energy we did not know we needed. Ben shares how inconsistent portfolios, slow response times, and lack of visibility quietly sabotage bookings, even for incredibly talented creatives. From responding to inquiries within minutes, to building real human connection early, to showing up online more than feels comfortable, this episode breaks down the practical systems that move the needle fast. Ben also opens up about his own journey through scaling a photography business, setting boundaries, using AI and automation responsibly, and rebuilding a business that supports real life and family priorities. If you're tired of second-guessing your marketing, spinning your wheels, or wondering why your efforts aren't converting, this conversation is for you. You'll learn how to shift from hoping for bookings to intentionally creating them, especially since Ben's soundboard is right next to him, and he's not afraid to use it.
Follow Ben: https://www.instagram.com/jbenhartley/
Learn 30 Creative Strategies To Get Photography Clients FAST: https://www.sixfigurephotography.com/blitz
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to The Heart Nussle Podcast. We are your host, Evie McLeod and Lindsay Roman. |
| 0:04.4 | Welcome to the show, my friend. Today, we have the icon of the photography education industry. |
| 0:10.9 | We have the one, the only Ben Hartley on the show. Now, he was a grand old time. If you don't know Ben, |
| 0:18.0 | let me break it down for you. Ben Hartley is a photography educator, speaker, and creative entrepreneur on a mission |
| 0:22.9 | to help photographers build thriving businesses that fuel both passion and profit. |
| 0:27.4 | And as the founder of award-winning studio style and story, |
| 0:30.1 | Ben blends storytelling and strategy to elevate both his art and his students. |
| 0:33.8 | And through his courses, workshops, and podcast, |
| 0:36.6 | Ben delivers a practical, |
| 0:38.1 | high-energy approach to equip photographers with the tools to master marketing, serve generously, |
| 0:43.0 | and grow a business they love without burning out. |
| 0:46.5 | It was a great episode. Can I just say? I know I'm saying this before you've listened to it, |
| 0:51.1 | but Ben is, was a good time. The man, the myth, the legend, and we got to have the coolest conversation with him. |
| 0:59.1 | We really, I mean, we kind of scrolled a little in multiple directions, but the main heart |
| 1:04.3 | of what we talked about was for our photographers, but honestly, any service provider could get |
| 1:09.8 | so much out of this. this. If you are struggling with |
| 1:13.3 | low bookings right now, and we kind of hit it from a few different angles, if you are like, hey, |
| 1:17.5 | I need quick bookings right now. Ben answered several different strategies to really increase those |
| 1:24.9 | bookings. If you are in the place where you're like, hey, I'm not even |
| 1:28.3 | getting leads. So I, let's take a step back. I need to increase my leads. Ben then broke down |
| 1:33.9 | multiple strategies on increasing your leads. We had conversations about inquiry responses, |
| 1:40.0 | texting inquiry responses. We talked about boundaries in business. We talked about |
... |
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