I love tech.
I love education.
I love outsourcing.
I'm Colie James
I'm
Colie James
Here are my favorite tools & Service providers I use in my own business or highly recommend!
Access my freebies to build your systems
Pic-Time allows me to automate the delivery portion of my photography services. Their marketing apps and slideshow creation app leads to higher product sales
Pic-Time
three
Showit gives you the most flexibility in design of any other website designer. Easy navigation and the ability to show off images, makes creating a highly converting website easy.
Showit
two
I use a client relationship manager throughout my inquiry, booking, and onboarding stages of the client experience. With beautiful forms + automated workflows, my business practically runs on autopilot.
Dubsado
one
Client Management
Website Creation + Hosting
Photo Online Gallery Software
Use COLIEJAMES for 30% off your first payment, month or year!
Use COLIE for 15% off your subscription!
Honeybook
Click below for 50% off your first payment, month or year!
or
Photographers
Business Tools
I use a lot of tools in my business and I wouldn't give you a recommendation I wouldn't use myself. These are my top three, can't live without tools.
Looking for a systems shortcut? Take a look at the templates and trainings available in the DIY Systems Shop!
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What else is in my Toolkit!
I use ClickUp to manage and organize my Dubsado VIP Day setups as well as the CEO tasks in my business.
clickup
This software is now the backbone for managing both of my brands and getting the 30,000 foot view of all of the metrics in my business. This software helps me make data-driven decisions.
airtable
I LOVE the design capabilities for emails within this platform. This is a great email marketing tool for those that do not need advanced segmentation or analytics.
flodesk
Email Marketing
Database Application
It was initially rough to give up InDesign, but Canva is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. I can design all my social media graphic quickly and even present and record presentations.
canva
This makes ALL my software talk to each other. This helps me save time so that I do not have to re-enter client data into every single piece of software I use.
zapier
For my photography clients I record welcome videos + tips for using their online gallery software. For Dubsado clients and students, I record offboarding videos and how-to tutorials.
Loom
Screencapture Software
Task Management
Automations
Design Tools
Because I needed some advanced analytics and segmentation, I added Convertkit to my tools. This allows me to get detailed data about my subscribers and segment them based on how they opt-in.
convertkit
Allow your audience to get connected and find exactly what they need directly in your Instagram DMs
MANYCHAT
This software allows me to batch schedule all of my social media posts with AMAZING metrics. I currently schedule Instagram. LinkedIn, YouTube shorts, Pinterest, and TikTok all at once.
Metricool
Social Media Scheduling
Automation Messaging
Email Marketing
Listen Now
You deserve to turn your craft into a business that brings them joy and profit. On the podcast, you'll hear a no-BS approach to what it takes to prioritize systems and strategies that will ensure your creative business is profitable rather than an expensive side-hustle.
Business-First Creatives Podcast
Podcasting
Tools + Resources
Podcasting Tools + Resources
Starting a podcast this year was a beast, but so worth it! The tools listed below are the ones I settled on after a ton of research. Best part? You can automatically move your podcast from one application to the next using their tools!
Is starting a podcast on your goal-list?
This podcast host makes it easy to upload your podcast episodes to Apple, submit your show to the main directories, and magic mastering makes EVERYONE on the audio sound great!
buzzsprout
This is like the Canva of the video/audio editing world. Transcribe audio or video in minutes with easy editing tools to eliminate word gaps, overdub, and so much more!
Descript
This application allows you to create a separate studio for each type of recordings, download separate audio and video for each participant, plus trim, edit + export different clips from each episode!
Riverside
Podcast Recording
Podcast Editing
Podcast Hosting
If you are interviewing guests for your fabulous podcast, you need systems to manage it all. To simplify things, you might want to manage this alongside your business inside your CRM. Click below to grab a toolkit to manage your podcast guests with ease.
podcast planner toolkit
Templates & Strategy to Manage & Book Your Podcast Guests
What I listen to in the car 🚙
Resources specifically for photographers
pricing
This is the best course I have ever taken, period. If you need a complete system to create a sustainable and profitable photography business, you need this course! *I have a bonus inside on automations!
Simple Sales Blueprint
copywriting
Words are important, even for visual artists like us. Photographers, if you want help writing a website that sounds like you and gets you booked, Rachel + Crew are your people! Done for you or templates available!
Green chair stories
AI CUlling
Save hours per session while their magical unicorns cull your sessions. I use Aftershoot to make my first pass, eliminating any images that were out-of-focus, blinking eyes, or motion blur.
Aftershoot
Photo Editing
The best part of working with The Image Salon is their onboarding process designed to learn & replicate your process. I outsource my images and they look just like my editing!
The Image Salon
marketing
The photographer's blueprint to confidently attract clients and make money. This course teaches marketing from the point of connection. You will feel confident in marketing your business to bring in leads using email marketing, social media, blogging, and referrals, and collaborations.
marketing that attracts
Dubsado or Honeybook
This is my very own client experience implementation course for creatives. Let's get your backend streamline and automated so you have more time to work ON your business instead of in it!
CRM Blueprint
*Note - a few of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you use them I might receive a small compensation.
