The In-Focus Mastermind

A 10-month hybrid mastermind experience for ambitious photography entrepreneurs looking to maximize impact and profit in 2023 and beyond.

Applications open Fall 2022 

If you’re a successful commercial photographer, then you probably already know the career-changing impact of a beautiful portfolio and an inspiring community to keep you accountable.

After all, since you work in a creative service, you already know how much good visuals can help sell a product and build a brand.

You probably also know the value of investing in a community that can lend other perspectives to creative work and introduce you to new and better methods of working. You’ve probably even invested in several courses to get insider knowledge and peer support.

But you might be missing some crucial elements:

high-level business practices that help you to scale to greater levels of income and more fulfilling creative work, a stand-out portfolio that creative directors today are looking for, and a network of peers who can offer constructive, thoughtful feedback and have adopted a growth mindset that can push you to be your best.

 

Even though the bottom-line-driving importance of having a professional business structure, high-performing peer network, and advanced portfolio is clear, the path to making it all happen is quite the opposite.

Maybe this sounds familiar:

You’ve watched every Youtube video on lighting and composition, been active in Clubhouse talks on pricing, devoured Lightroom editing tutorials, and have a system for finding marketing director’s emails, but you feel somewhat plateaued at this point with your career growth.

It’s funny how so much information can make us feel so alone.

Maybe you even took a myriad of $249 courses in the hopes that they would help you crack the growth code, but they don’t do much in helping you understand how to actually contact creative directors and ideal clients to land regular 4 and 5-figure shoots (and fun projects like books and editorials) that push you creatively and leave you feeling fulfilled.

Or maybe you’ve even landed some of those big shoots, but you still find yourself saying yes to occasional projects like shooting for bloggers even though you can only charge 1/10th of your day rate to them, and you also want to diversify your income even further.

You worked towards a dream of full-time self-employment as a photographer, but once that dream is achieved it can suddenly become really difficult to figure out what is next for you, and finding support at this level can be challenging.

So you go back to fighting social media algorithms, refining your pitch email, creating as best as you can, hoping you can build your food photography business and land those bigger projects through an accumulation of images.

Maybe you’re doing really good, but you want to get to really great, and you’re trying to figure out what that looks like and what the steps are to get there.

Without a step-by-step strategy and support system for figuring out a next-level business plan, creating a diverse portfolio, and navigating the changing landscape of client expectations, even the most talented photographers can plateau or find themselves under-pricing their services and potential.

But as a busy photography entrepreneur in a competitive industry with an intensive creative process, images to edit, and clients to serve, you don’t have time to waste on learning systems and methods or going to networking events that aren’t actually going to move your business forward.

But lucky for you, there’s a world of great commercial and editorial work out there that is certainly within the realm of your capabilities, and you can get there without needing years of composition practice, low-paying work, algorithms, or compromising your creative vision.

Plus, it’s not something you have to figure out alone, and it’s achievable for the price of just 1-2 shoots.

Learn and grow with someone who knows the ins and outs of creative business success across multiple industries.

I’m Moriah, commercial photographer, podcaster, author, and owner of my NYC-based studio, Studio Margot. These days I work photographing for dream clients and creating little worlds in my favorite city.

My work has been featured by Anthropologie, Betty Buzz, Forbes, Material Kitchen, The Today Show, CB2, Simple Mills, Purely Elizabeth, and a myriad of my favorite restaurants. I’m represented by All Opal–an artist rep/production company that helps me shoot big jobs for dream clients. Before all that, I led website overhauls, designed logos, and sat at tables full of other creative minds talking business and branding strategy.

I’ve taken everything from my multifaceted career in creative work and photography and put it all in an intensive mastermind to help you grow your artistry and your business savvy simultaneously. Because successful photography is about three things: purposeful, engaging work, growth-minded community, and a solid business plan.

Enter: The In-Focus Mastermind

A 10-month mastermind and coaching hybrid experience for ambitious photography entrepreneurs looking to maximize impact and profit in 2023 and beyond.  

 A few of the topics we will cover:

  • Determining the driving force that will advance your career and help you attract dream jobs.
  • Uncovering your own creative magic to build your personal portfolio and stand out to a higher level of clientele.
  • How and what to shoot to stay competitive and grow as an artist. 
  • Mastering photography techniques including advanced color theory, movement, stop motion, video, and advanced lighting.
  • Getting better clients and turning them into repeat clients with a 6-star client experience
  • How to get potential clients on the phone and what to talk to them about to form a relationship. 
  • Self-talk and process in the studio to tap into a more productive flow-state
  • Marketing strategies including SEO mastery, website strategy, email, direct outreach, and social media mastery (regardless of following size).
  • Identifying your zone of genius and setting up business tools to automate and offload some of the more mundane tasks.
  • How to pitch, negotiate, and price yourself to meet your business and financial goals by landing 4 and 5 figure shoots. (We’ll cover everything you need to factor in—styling fees, etc.)

I’ve taken everything from my background in the agency world and my career in commercial photography and turned it into a 10-month curriculum of business and portfolio-building exercises to help you advance your own  photography business and get it to a place of lasting profitability and creative fulfillment.

And we’ve added the element of a mastermind group:

A curated group of industry peers who can help you problem-solve, critique work, brainstorm, navigate client relationships, and connect you with essential contacts like food stylists and digital techs.

Because the only true way to accelerate growth in any industry is with relationships. And when you’re on a path to achieve big business goals, having a room full of high-achieving minds to keep you accountable and inspired is invaluable.

This program is selective to ensure that everyone feels a benefit from the community aspect of the mastermind and spaces are very limited, so don’t wait if you know that 2023 is going to be a year of revolutionary business growth for you.

A quick and easy late summer salad of ripe peaches and tomatoes with creamy burrata and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Top it all off with golden olive oil for a gluten free summer side dish.

In-Focus is the ONLY mastermind of its kind that…

Covers top-to-bottom advanced business practices to help you build your network and client list.

Gives structured monthly photography assignments based directly on advice from photography agents and creative directors.

And provides you with the multiplying power of an equally high-achieving community from the industry along with one-on-one accountability.

So if you’re ready to make 2023 a year of revolutionary creative and business growth (we’re talking start booking higher-paying photography clients and advance to a higher level of work and business that reflects your creative vision).

 

Here’s how we’ll help you get there:

What’s Included:

  • 20 Monthly group round table calls (date and time will be determined in a survey)
  • 5 one-on-one mentor sessions to discuss your work, assignments, portfolio, and business questions
  • Group slack channel with unlimited access to Moriah and the peers in the mastermind; get work feedback or answers to questions on anything from pricing to composition.
  • Guided assistance to help you find your unique style and grow your brand
  • Full monthly curriculum broken into 5 modules, each with detailed studies on business practices and advanced photography techniques (in digestible bits–we know you’re busy!!)
  • Practical, portfolio-building assignments to put your new knowledge into practice and grow your business
  • Guidance through 10 projects to help you walk away with a show-stopping portfolio that communicates your unique value. 

The In-Focus Curriculum is broken into 5 sections, each with a technique and business module to ensure we’re growing your portfolio and technical skills while actively getting you to a place of sustainable profitability.

Bonus Modules:
Mindset + Productivity
Income Diversification

Module 1:
Business: Artistic Voice and Branding
Creative Technique: Minimalism

Module 2:
Business: Your Online Presence
Technique: Color

Module 3:
Business: Pricing
Technique: Movement + Video

Module 4:
Business: Marketing and Pitching
Technique: Advanced Lighting

Module 5:
Business: Creating a 6-Star Client Experience
Technique: Capstone Series

Prerequisites:
Knowledge of using a camera in manual as well as 2+ years experience in the photography industry.

(curious if you qualify? send me a message and I’m happy to talk it over with you!)

How do I get started?

Does this sound like the right move for you? Choose a time that works for you on the booking link below. Next, you’ll be prompted to fill out a brief questionnaire so I can learn more about your current business. On the call, we’ll talk over your goals for growth in 2023 and what your business looks like right now. If the mastermind is a good fit for you, we’ll get you signed up!

Or, if it’s not a good fit, that’s ok! Hopefully I’ll be able to point you to some other resources for growth that fit where you’re at in the meantime.

How to know if you’re ready to invest in your business growth with the In-Focus Mastermind:

  • You run a photography business that pays the bills, but you’re looking to advance to a higher level of work and income.
  •  You sometimes struggle with pricing and pitching, and want to have systems in place so you can cut out the second guessing and focus on the work.
  • You might even have your own photography courses or a studio, but you’re looking for a network of peers to help you through this next phase of growth.
  • You work on lot’s of personal projects, but you don’t really have any direction behind them and they don’t seem to be turning into paid work.
  • You crave a community of high-achievers who you can learn from and also lend support to.
  •  You’re committed to your business growth, knowing the immense value and success that is on the other side of significant investment and follow-through.
  • You know most of the pieces that you need to run your business, but you need better systems and processes the streamline your workflow and tap deeper into your creativity. 
  • You are passionate about your work and you have ambitious career goals (like books, editorials, and other fun projects.) You want to do fulfilling work that also allows you to have a work/life balance.
  • You make full-time income from your photography and would like to make more or figure out systems to make a similar amount with less time input.

If that sounds like you, you’re right on time.

Are you ready to level up your business and portfolio while building life-long connections in the industry?

This program is selective to ensure that everyone feels a benefit from the community aspect of the mastermind and spaces are limited, so don’t wait if you know that 2023 is going to be a year of revolutionary business growth for you.

Invest in Yourself and Your Future

Masterminds are an investment. I’ve structured this program so that you’re making progress and seeing quick wins with every lesson and actively increasing your income, but it’s also an investment in your financial longevity that will see returns for years to come.

I make big investments all the time, whether it’s hiring team members, opening a studio, or hiring mentors. It’s high risk, high reward, and it’s something not everyone is willing to do. But the people living their wildest dreams? They’re the ones that do stuff like this. These things are scary, but they force me to examine my relationship with money and to think about what I want to use my money for: to get my business to a level of continued success that will give me more fulfilled time. 

Success comes with its own layer of problems, and it’s important to have a peer group who can relate and support you through the inveitable difficulties. This is an investment in a support group that you can lean on even after the mastermind ends.

It’s important to me that you build the business that allows you to flexibility to enjoy your time the way you want and to work on the things that you feel most inspired by. I’ve combined personalized coaching, business exercises, photography lessons, workshops, and the power of a mastermind community to give you the most support possible in helping you get there. I hope you’ll join us!

 

Spend 2023 creating what you love with the support of an inspiring team. 

Lets do this!

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