Systems in Session: Mastering Your Client Journey ft. Erin Belles (a Done-With-You Dubsado Setup Case Study!)

When Erin, a luxury family photographer and custom framer, hit year four in business, growth exposed the cracks. She was “using Dubsado,” but only the bare minimum: contract + invoice. Reminders slipped. Tasks spiraled. DIY tutorials weren’t cutting it, and a done-for-you build didn’t fit her “I need to understand it” personality. Enter Systems in Session, my done-with-you Dubsado setup program.

Fun fact: Erin found Systems in Session after joining my list from a two-year-old podcast episode (proof that the right content keeps working). What she wanted wasn’t just a prettier proposal; she wanted a premium, end-to-end client experience she could maintain herself without spending weeks lost in settings, triggers, and templates.

Over 60 days we built (and she learned): a brand-elevating, CSS-enhanced proposal; a 33-email client communication library crafted in one focused weekend; and streamlined family/newborn/heirloom workflows that shifted her from reactive to calm and in control. The real outcome wasn’t “more automations”. It was ease: drinking coffee before opening the laptop, taking a real vacation, and trusting her system to nudge the next step.

This is Erin’s before→after. Here’s exactly what we changed and why it worked.

What Made You Decide You Wanted to Revamp Your Dubsado?

I remember exactly what I was thinking and feeling at the time. My business was in its third or fourth year, and like many creatives, I had reached the point where things were growing faster than I could manage. I was getting more clients, getting busier, and everything started slipping through the cracks.

I knew I needed help. I’d heard of CRMs but didn’t really understand them, so I went down the rabbit hole—Dubsado, HoneyBook, all the options. I landed on Dubsado and thought, this is the one. But I had no idea how to actually use it. For months, I stuck to the bare minimum: a project, an invoice, and a contract. Beyond that, things kept falling apart. I’d forget to remind clients, they’d forget to follow up, and the cycle just repeated.

I started searching podcasts and YouTube videos, piecing together bits of knowledge. But I’m a control freak. I didn’t want someone to build it for me because I knew it wouldn’t be done the way I wanted. At the same time, I couldn’t figure it out on my own.

That’s when I found Systems in Session. The idea that someone would teach me while I built it myself instantly clicked. It was exactly my personality fit. By the time we had the sales call, I already knew—this was it. My only question was, “How do I sign up?”. I didn’t care what it cost.

You wanted to start with creating a Dubsado proposal. Why is that where you wanted to start?

For me, the proposal was the priority. I’d received proposals from other creatives before, and I remember being impressed and I knew I wanted that same kind of impact for my own clients.

I had looked at some of Dubsado’s built-in templates, but honestly, I had no idea how to make them work. That’s when I realized I needed one-on-one help. I didn’t just want something basic; I wanted something elevated and special. Something that truly reflected my brand.

Working together, that’s exactly what we created. Now that I’ve implemented the proposal with a few clients, the feedback has been incredible. People notice the extra care and attention, and they’ve told me, “Wow, not everyone does this. This feels like such a high-touch experience.”

Together, we created an extremely detailed proposal, complete with CSS coding, vertical timelines, and transitions. How did it feel as someone non-techy (in your own words) to do that?

It was way easier than I thought. Honestly, that’s the moral of the story with working with you. It’s always less overwhelming than your brain makes it out to be, especially when you have someone right there to guide you.

If I hadn’t been able to send an SOS ticket or hop on a quick call, I probably would’ve spiraled for days and given up altogether. But having that immediate feedback made all the difference.

And the coding? Not nearly as scary as it sounds. It’s just like playing Atari back in the day. It looks intimidating, but once you see how it works, it’s just a different format of the same logic.

I love offering Support Tickets and SOS tickets because I know how easy it is to get stuck setting up Dubsado (or even just having decision fatigue). I’m glad that was helpful with this done-for-you Dubsado setup.

Yes, and to add to that, what I loved about the support tickets was that it wasn’t just written instructions I had to interpret. You would send me a Loom video and actually show me. It felt almost the same as being on a live SOS call or Zoom session.

The best part is that I have those recordings saved. Just this morning, while working on one of my workflows, I pulled up an old Loom and re-walked through the steps. Having that kind of library to go back to anytime is incredibly helpful.

You also set up your client communication emails within a weekend (from my Email Like You Mean It course) using the Systems Professor AI Tool Included. What was that experience like?

The client emails in the done-with-you Dubsado set up have been huge. I’ve already had at least three clients comment on how much they appreciate them. They’re not over the top, not coded or flashy… just simply written.

I really loved your Systems Professor in ChatGPT. The way you built it with the three Ps (Purpose, Personality, and Preview) made it so easy. It honestly felt like it captured my personality. I was flying through them, and it sounded so natural it was kind of creepy! Sometimes I’d even take an email I had already written, drop it in, and ask it to make it better with the three Ps. What came back was just a thousand times more energetic, short, and poppy.

I actually went on a little “work vacation” by myself, checked into a hotel for the weekend, and wrote 33 emails in that 24-hour span. I even timed myself because I couldn’t wait to tell you how easy it was with your system. A handful of hours during the day, a little time after dinner, then the next morning—and I was done.

Honestly, I thought that would’ve taken me six weeks. Instead, it was so easy. You just have to sit down and do it. It’s not hard, but it is kind of torturous. Once it’s done, though, the weight is lifted.

I love that you said you’ve received compliments on it because it’s true – I think people don’t think client’s notice or care about their systems but they absolutely do.

Absolutely and it’s really the peace of mind for me. Before, I had so many instances where I just had too much on my plate and would forget things. Now my workflows and emails are set up. Even if I’ve added some extra approvals that Colie might not recommend, I still have reminders built in that keep me on track.

I know exactly where I’m at with each client, whether it’s one out of twelve or more. The system prompts me so I don’t go to bed, or wake up in the morning, panicked, wondering, “What did I miss?”

Now, I feel calm and confident. It’s a complete personality shift. It’s a massive improvement in both my business and my life.

Let’s talk about the workflow component of the done-with-you Dubsado setup. I know we did your first one together and then you were going to setup one yourself. How did it go?

I actually finished my newborn photography workflow this morning. I had just come back from vacation and didn’t really want to work hard, but I knew I had a deadline since I was speaking to Colie. So I sat down and did it.

Start to finish, without rushing, it took me about two hours. That covered all the main pieces of the workflow: the inquiry, onboarding, and the rest. And I feel pretty confident in it.

And the whole time I’m learning. Every workflow reinforces what I’ve already practiced, and I feel like I’m getting stronger and smarter with it. I still have one more to finish, my heirloom portraits, but now I have the peace of mind of knowing I can do it myself.

Not only did I adjust and create new emails specifically for newborn sessions, but I also copied my original proposal and reworded sections to make it newborn-specific. The only thing left is swapping in more newborn photos.

I completely changed the proposal and it was honestly a piece of cake, coding and all.

Using the AI Systems Professor Assistant to Write More Emails

I’m obsessed with it. I’ve even used it for a few emails outside of business because it just knows my personality so well. Sometimes I’ll do voice-to-text, drop in my jumbled thoughts, and ask, “Can you put this into the three Ps?” And it works every time.

I used it to revamp my newborn session emails—like the five-days-before, two-days-before, and day-before reminders and it really leveled them up.

With the GPT, I don’t know exactly what you put into it, but it really helped. I already had a general sense of my client experience and the order of my emails, but the tool prompted me with ideas I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.

It even “cheered me on” a little—saying things like, “Great email, this is really clear about X. Would you like me to write another one that also does Y for your client experience?” And I’d think, I don’t do that now, but that’s a great idea. Then it would draft the email, and I’d go with it.

Those extra suggestions were golden. You don’t know what you don’t know, and that’s usually where mentors or business friends step in. But in this case, the tool itself taught me new ways to improve my client experience.

We are reaching the end of our systems in session done-with-you Dubsado setup. Anything else you wish we covered?

No, you absolutely covered everything! Thank you!

Would you recommend this done-with-you Dubsado program: Systems in Session?

Very truthfully, I’m blown away. I can only imagine how much work you’ve put in behind the scenes, but the number one thing this gave me was peace of mind and ease.

If I had tried to tackle it any other way, I know I would’ve been overwhelmed for many more days of my life. Instead, it saved me so much time, energy, and frustration while also giving me knowledge. It wasn’t just systems being built; you were training me, too. And now I have this amazing backend in my business that shows my high-end clients the value of working with me.

I’m just blown away by all the tools, the top-notch service – everything. Colie, you’re brilliant. Everyone should know that no matter how they work with you, it’s going to be high quality and absolutely worth it.

Mentioned in this Episode

Systems in Session

Dubsado

Connect with Erin

Website: erinbellesphotography.com

Instagram: @erinbellesphotographyct