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John Mills of https://souldog.studio hit £200K in two years with his pet photography business in the UK. He puts it down to Facebook Ads and the follow-up discovery calls!

We were exchanging emails recently, and he told me that he'd pivoted to dog photography around two years ago, having moved to a new part of the UK.

He rented a studio so he could finally start doing IPS. He said he'd always planned to move into pets, but knew having a studio with art on the walls would be essential.

He said, I’ve waited to send this email until it was official. Turnover last year was just under £200k, with 95% coming from Facebook and WANTED ads.

He has a lovely, easy-to-navigate website with a strong emphasis on booking a Discovery Call.

And I love his NO OBLIGATION OR PRESSURE SALES POLICY – straightforward and easy to see on his investment page.

In this interview, Jon shares a ton!

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• From headshots to hounds — how Jon built a thriving pet photography brand from scratch
• Why client feedback is pure gold (and how Jon uses it to create unforgettable experiences)
• Charging what you’re worth — the pricing approach that boosted profits without scaring clients off
• Discovery calls that qualify the right clients and save time, energy and sanity
• Why a studio full of artwork sells more than words ever could
• Facebook ads that actually work — and the simple tweaks that keep enquiries coming in
• Coffee, dogs, and photos — the local partnerships creating real win–win opportunities
• Outsourcing for growth — how handing off editing freed up time and fuelled consistency
• Smart automation that books clients while you sleep
• Real stories and authentic testimonials that actually drive bookings
• Pricing with confidence — and why it means happier clients and fewer headaches
• Investing in yourself through coaching and community for long-term success

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet. Plus, special member-only interviews.

If you map out your ideal life and know what you want from your business, then you can also work out, how many sessions can I do in a week? How much do I need to earn per session to make this business hit the goals that I want to hit. – Jon Mills

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online. Seriously, that's not all.

I was very much undervaluing the product that I was offering… I increased my prices and discovered, not only do I attract better clients, but it gives me a massive boost to go, yeah, my artwork and the product and service I provide is worth the amount that will make this business profitable, rather than constantly chasing my tail. – Jon Mills

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Jon shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

It's the black and white images that really draw them in in the first place… it's always the black and white ones that get people's attention. – Jon Mills

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Jon, or a way to thank you for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons. Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome! Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

I want photos that represent people and they're connected with their dog. The last thing I want to do is, is to make people think you've got to be… ‘England's next top model' in order to even think about getting photos… they're supposed to look like regular people with their dogs, because that's who I'm trying to attract. – Jon Mills

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google. You can leave some honest feedback and a rating, which will help me and the show. I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name. Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

The reason people are apprehensive about coming in for a session, usually, is, they're worried their dog won't sit still. They're worried that they might not look great in the photos… And so for me, rather than saying, ‘oh, you know, we've only got X number of vouchers to offer, and you've won a competition', it's very much a we want to give you the opportunity to see what we can do for you, and therefore we're giving you a complimentary session. – Jon Mills

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Here's the latest review…

★★★★★ The good stuff is in the premium membership!

Via Google reviews by Tampa Headshot Photographer James Connell, in the USA on August 15th, 2025.

I cannot say enough good things about Andrew and his podcast. I've been a premium member for years and have gained so much valuable insight.

The free content is great, but the good stuff is in the premium membership – not to mention the value that comes from the private Facebook group!

Thank you so much for everything you do for the photography community. You've thanklessly helped so many!

I've listened to a decent amount of photography-related podcasts, but I always keep coming back to yours, and it's the only one I pay for.

Keep up the great content, and Cheers!

A New Book by Past Guest — Claire Thomas

If you haven't heard the interview with Claire Thomas, it's a great story from an INCREDIBLE photographer who derives an income from a varied source, including documenting war stories, commercial photography, fine art photography sales and running amazing photo tours to a country with places and people she loves… Mongolia.

You can hear that interview here: https://photobizx.com/claire-thomas-chasing-stories-and-an-income-as-a-documentary-and-fine-art-photographer

Claire has just been in touch to share the news about the release of her new book: ALTAI, Hunters and Herders of Mongolia.

You can learn more about the book, the release and ordering from this email Claire sent:

I wanted to share some exciting news with you — my first photo book, ALTAI: Hunters and Herders of Mongolia, has just launched for pre-orders. This project has been years in the making and means a great deal to me.

You can take a look here: https://hemeria.com/en-en/pages/altai-preorders-offers We’re producing two editions:

• Classic coffee table edition
• Grand Limited Edition (40 × 50 cm) – just 30 signed copies, each in a handcrafted clamshell box

There’s a special pre-order discount until the end of September, and we’re aiming to have the books delivered in time for Christmas.

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Soul Dog Studios Website

Soul Dog Studios on Instagram

Soul Dog Studios on Facebook

Episode 477: Adam Gray – Studio pet photography leads, conversions, sales and success

Episode 556: Johl Dunn – Unlock Your Photography Business Potential and Stop Failing

Episode 538: John Glaser – Facebook Ads and what you need to be aware of when running yours

Episode 136: Bernie Griffiths – A Challenge for You to Book More Portrait Photography Sessions

Episode 580: Brendan Taylor – The TogPod CRM Revolution… The Future of Photography Business

I ask for a £50 admin fee when they book in for their session. And I use that as a two way guarantee, which has worked really well. So I kind of say it guarantees you come for your session, but it also guarantees I captured beautiful artwork you're going to absolutely love. And if I don't, I just give you that back. – Jon Mills

Thank you!

Big thanks to Jon for sharing so openly in this episode. It’s not every day you hear someone lay out the real journey of pivoting into a new market, taking risks, and backing themselves — from renting a studio and moving into IPS to building a six-figure pet photography brand in just a couple of years. What stood out most is how simple, consistent actions — discovery calls, Facebook ads, outsourcing, and a no-pressure sales approach — have fuelled such rapid growth. There’s a lot here to reflect on if you’ve ever wondered what’s really possible when you price with confidence and commit to the business you want to build. I’d love to hear what resonates for you after listening.

My discovery calls are really, really important, because if I have a client that says 350 pounds is more than I can justify. I absolutely am going to tell them, ‘You know what? That's totally fine, but this isn't for you, because you're going to walk away disappointed. And I don't want that for anyone'. – Jon Mills

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon Andrew

The coffee shop display referenced by Jon in the interview

The post 630: Jon Mills – How a Pet Photography Business Hit £200K in Two Years appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.