Switching CRMs to Honeybook: How One Photographer Improved Her Automation (+ Raised Her Prices)

Today, I’m sharing another case study episode that came out of Systems in Session. This one will be a little different from the others because this client actually joined Systems in Session about eight months ago (and she’s accomplished a lot since then). She’s also someone who ended up switching CRMs to Honeybook prior to joining, and I’m going to talk more about that below too.

Because there’s more time between when she first enrolled, completed her initial container, and where she is now, the story we’re sharing today is a bit different from previous case studies, where I interviewed clients almost immediately after they finished.

Back in May, I did an official launch of the CRM Blueprint (which, in case you didn’t know, I’ve since retired). I’m fully focused on Systems in Session now. After that launch, when only four seats sold, I sent out a survey asking people why they chose not to enroll. Emily was one of the respondents. To the question, “Why didn’t you buy the course?” she answered, “I’m, to a fault, DIY or die.” Which makes it even funnier that just three days later, she ended up joining my done-with-you container. So let’s talk about how that went!

Why Emily Decided To Join Systems in Session

I’d been a longtime listener of your podcast, which I probably found through another show. After listening for a while, I could tell you really knew what you were talking about.

When you launched the CRM Blueprint, my response about being “DIY or die” was absolutely true. Having someone do it for me felt like too much outsourcing and too much out of my control. I wanted to stay hands-on and actually work inside the system myself.

But somewhere between receiving your survey and submitting my response, I heard you mention on the podcast that you were offering something new. And the moment you described it, I realized it was exactly what I needed.

The idea of just “having someone set my CRM up for me” felt too much like outsourcing. Like it was going to be out of my control and I wouldn’t be touching it. I wanted support and accountability, but I still wanted to do the work myself—to stay in the driver’s seat. Your offer gave me both and honestly? That kind of offer doesn’t really exist in the online space very much.

I also hadn’t really seen that kind of service before: someone working alongside you while you implement the system yourself. As soon as I heard it, I thought, “That’s the right model for me.”

And Colie, you have the soul of a teacher. I know you’ve said you like telling people what to do, but I also have a sneaky suspicion that you really enjoy teaching—and that it lights you up when people are learning from you.

And honestly, once we leave school and become adults, we don’t get many chances to just learn anymore unless we intentionally seek them out. And that makes experiences like this even more valuable.

What Emily’s Systems Looked Like Prior To Systems in Session (Before Switching CRMs to Honeybook)

Before this, my setup was what you’d probably call a cobbled-together system—like what a lot of small business owners end up building over time. I did have a CRM called Daylite, which is Mac-specific and not exactly cheap. It’s probably best suited for people in sales or heavily networked industries.

The reason I stuck with it for so long was one feature I absolutely loved: it connected directly with Apple Mail, so inside my email inbox I could link messages to projects. That part of my workflow felt seamless, and once you get used to something working well, it’s really hard to imagine switching.

But the problem was that everything else lived somewhere else. Daylite didn’t include contracts, scheduling, or several other tools I needed. So while it worked well for communication and project management, scheduling was still handled through endless back-and-forth emails for years. Eventually I tried tools like Calendly and Google appointment scheduling, but those lived outside the CRM too.

Contracts were handled in yet another platform, invoices somewhere else, and I was constantly trying to piece everything together while also keeping costs as low as possible. I’ve always run a relatively low-volume business, so keeping overhead down felt important.

But eventually I had to admit that keeping this CRM that I was familiar with, wasn’t the best option. So I ended up switching CRMs to Honeybook and tried to DIY the setup with one of Colie’s podcast episodes.

The First Thing We Did Inside Systems in Session Had Nothing To Do With Her Systems. It Was About Pricing.

I remember the first thing we did inside of Systems in Session. You told me to raise my prices.

Note from Colie:

This is more common than you think! One thing people tell me before signing up for Systems in Session is that they worry their offers aren’t quite where they need to be yet. And my answer is always the same—don’t worry about that.

We don’t start building anything in HoneyBook, Dubsado, or whatever tool you’re using until we’re clear on your offer and confident it’s positioned in a way you can actually sell.

Systems in Session Truly Isn’t Just About Better Automation. What Really Matters Is The Confidence You Gain In Your Offers and Your Business.

Having systems that feel robust and professional makes me feel more confident and professional as a business owner. That’s honestly been one of the biggest takeaways for me.

I was doing fine before. I wasn’t dropping the ball or showing up unprofessionally, and things behind the scenes weren’t a total mess. But everything took more effort than it needed to.

Putting the time and work into building a solid structure changes how the whole business feels. Now there’s this sense of, “Yeah, I’ve got this.” A feeling of stepping fully into being a real, established business owner.

Tangible Wins From Systems in Session (Before It Was Even Over!)

One unexpected curveball in the middle of this whole process was that my partner and I suddenly had to move (and fast). My partner is a school teacher, and we needed to be settled into a new place before the school year started in September. The problem was, we found out in the middle of July, so everything had to happen quickly.

Around that time, I sent what was essentially my first email to past clients, just checking in and letting them know I was offering a new legacy client package for the fall. I included a link to book a session that we had set up in our five-minute booking process. Clients could choose their service, select a date, sign the contract, and pay the invoice without any back-and-forth scheduling or extra steps on my end.

I sent the link… and then went back to packing boxes.

While I was dealing with the chaos of moving an entire household, bookings just started coming in. By the end of it, around twelve or thirteen people had already scheduled their fall sessions.

Maybe some of them would have reached out eventually anyway, but the fact that everything happened without me needing to manage it in real time was huge. At the time, everything felt like a blur because of the move, but looking back now, I realize how significant that moment was.

The systems kept working, even when I couldn’t.

Systems Aren’t “Set It And Forget It.” Great Systems Do Need To Be Refined Over Time As Your Business (And You) Change.

Honestly, the automated process worked better than I expected. And learning to trust it has been a big part of the journey.

In fact, I’m coming back for a 30-day sprint in January because I want to keep refining things. Now that I’ve seen the system work, I realize automation isn’t just good for me… it’s good for my clients too. They receive information when they actually need it, instead of waiting for me to remember to send something manually.

There’s still room for improvement, especially in how I prepare and nurture clients between booking and their session. That’s an area I want to keep strengthening.

But learning to trust the process was a huge step.

Emily Signed Up For Systems In Session Before Her Business Was Burning Down (And Her Results Reflected That)

Yes, my business was fine on the outside, but constantly holding everything together was also keeping me from growing the business further.

I’ve often described myself as a part-time photographer, and I think I’ve hidden behind that label for a long time. For years, I was balancing the business alongside other priorities, like raising my kids, and I couldn’t quite figure out how to make the most of the limited time and energy I had available.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want the business to grow… I just couldn’t optimize the time I did have to make it more than what you might call a financially part-time business.

And “part-time” can mean different things. It can refer to income, or to how many hours you work. But one of the things I hope to gain long-term from this process is realizing that working part-time can still be a choice. It doesn’t have to be a limitation.

Note from Colie:

I’d say most people who join Systems in Session aren’t coming because their client experience is failing. In fact, their clients are usually being taken care of just fine, and from the outside, things probably look pretty good.

The real issue is that they’re exhausted from holding everything together themselves—manually managing every step and feeling personally responsible for every detail that happens behind the scenes.

Join The Next Round Of Systems In Session

Listen, you don’t have to join Systems in Session to make meaningful progress. I share tons of free resources—podcast episodes, guides, blog posts, and tools—to help you save time and build confidence in your business. Those resources are available to you anytime, and you’re absolutely encouraged to start improving your systems right now.

But if you’re ready for more structure, guidance, and support, Systems in Session is where we dive deep into building the systems that give you back your time, streamline your workflow, and help your business truly support the season of life you’re in (and whatever comes next).

If you’d like to learn more and sign up for the next round here! I’d love to support you inside.