We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lisa Calandrino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

One of the best things I have experienced from another business trying to show that they appreciate me is receiving a card in the mail filled with stickers, a Starbucks gift card, and a note congratulating me on my upcoming wedding. It made me feel so special and is actually a practice I try to carry on in my own business. Every client that books with me receives a thank you card in the mail either after their photos have been delivered or after signing a contract with me. I also try to keep track of the big events in their lives: if I photographed their wedding or engagement photos, they will receive cards from me on their anniversaries.

There are a couple of other items I like to do as well to make my customers feel appreciated. For instance, if I photograph their wedding, I’ll often surprise them with a painting adapted from one of the photos I took. I also try to run a contest each year that is solely for those who have worked with me in the past, normally it’s for a free print, canvas, or sometimes even a small session with me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I have loved photography my entire life. As a child, I used to collect calendar pages of landscapes and animals. At the end of every year, I would rip apart my calendar, adding my favorite photos to a folder that I still have today. My aunt and uncle gifted me with my first camera when I was in second grade, but it wasn’t until after college that I began to seriously consider doing photography as a career. I was stuck in a job that I could barely stand when I hit a breaking point and decided that this was something that I was going to do. I bought my first professional camera and enrolled in a college course to force myself to learn how to use it.

Today, I am working in my business full-time. My business is made up of both portrait photography and nature/landscape photography. On the portrait photography side, I specialize in boudoir, maternity, and couples photography. A lot of couples hire me for their engagement and maternity photos.

For the nature side of my business, I try to focus on selling print products. Almost all of my work can currently be found in my print shop or on Society6. I also try to create a new collection of photos every year that I then compile into a calendar to sell at the end of the year. My followers- especially those that have been watching since the beginning- love it!

There are a couple of things that might set me apart from others in this space. For one thing, interaction with me usually doesn’t stop after I have handed over your photos. I remain along side you to root you (and yours) on through every milestone or big life change. Another thing that sets me apart though is my focus on the little things in life. My whole brand revolves around finding beauty in the simple and ordinary. It’s part of what being a pábitel is. Throughout my nature work, you’ll find that my photos often emphasize the little details found in a large scene. In my portrait work, you’ll find that I’m a big believer in the little moments. I’m not someone who thinks you need an important milestone or celebration to justify investing in a photographer. I believe “just because” sessions are just as important as sessions highlighting a big milestone, and I will always treat them like that too.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

They say that billionaires, on average, have seven different revenue streams. I’m not at billionaire status (by any means!), but this is something that I try to keep in mind as I continue to grow Pábitel Photography. I am always trying to think of new ways to increase my business’ income while keeping my brand and standards in mind. Currently, I earn money through photo sessions, print sales, sales on Society6, and through stock photography.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I cannot speak highly enough of podcasts and Facebook groups! Just about everything I have learned has come from listening to other business owners and reading about other photographers. For podcasts, I recommend listening to Bokeh – The Photography Podcast, the bossbabe podcast, Sleeping on the Job Podcast, Book More Clients Photography Podcast, The Goal Digger Podcast, and The Stay Focused Podcast. Some of these will provide helpful information with every single episode and others are just nice, encouraging listens. It’s comforting to hear about the struggles other entrepreneurs have gone through and to know you are not alone. Sometimes, you have to listen for a long time to find a piece of gold, but it’s always worth it when you do!

For Facebook groups, I love Photography: Support, Learn & Inspire with Cozy Clicks as well as UNSCRIPTED for photographers. Even if you sit back and are quiet in the groups, you’re bound to learn something about business practices or camera settings!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pabitelphotography.com
• Instagram: @pabitelwanderer (www.instagram.com/pabitelwanderer), @pabitel_photography (www.instagram.com/pabitel_photography)
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PabitelWanderer
• Other: Print Shop: https://pabitelphoto.shootshareprint.com/naturelandscape Society6: www.society6.com/pabitelphotography

Image Credits
Pábitel Photography