I hope this helps answer questions and for those of you who are on the fence, can help make it super clear to you one way or another whether it's a good time for you to invest in yourself via an Empowerment Studio session.
Doing a photoshoot is a big deal investment (of your time, your energy, and your finances), and while we can't magically give you more time or energy (if only!), we want to do everything we can to make this accessible for you and your budget!
I hear from clients that they absolutely LOVE that we offer Pre-Payment Plans here in the Empowerment Studio. I also know that when I make a bigger purchase, I really enjoy knowing that I can fold the investment into my budget. Payment plans are such a great tool to help us all plan for this experience -- and what a fun thing that you also get to look forward to your session as it gets closer and closer!
Here's how we get started:
First, you get booked in for your session with a $500 retainer fee to lock in your session date.
Then, we hop on a call (either phone or video, your choice!) to begin chatting about your session. It's a great chance for us to start getting to know each other, and you can also get set up on a payment plan at this point. Most clients do, though you can also pay in full at that point.
When we are on a call, we look through the Empowerment Studio Magazine together (http://empowermentphotographer.com/magazine), and decide which collection is right for you -- based on if you want to do a full or one-look session, what products you're most interested in, and also your budget. There's no pressure to get any one package over the other, but I am happy to offer my advice based on your situation as I understand it.
Here's how the actual logistics of Pre-Payment Plans work in the Empowerment Studio!
Once we're on a call, we chat about which package you are most interested in. (Full pricing listed here: http://empowermentphotographer.com/magazine)
Then, it's time to explore your payment plan options! We'll create your invoice and look at the overall total. We'll enter the amount into my payment plan system.
Once it's in there, we'll play around with numbers - enter how much you'd like to pay for a down payment, and then split the remaining cost of the collection you choose into monthly, biweekly, or weekly recurring payments. Each collection can be extended into 2-12 months of pre-payments, and my payment plan processor is a very simple and visual payment plan builder so I find it easy to work with. I think you'll like it too.
When we find the sweet spot, we'll review the contract, add your primary payment method, and activate the payment plan. It'll charge your down payment, and schedule the rest of your payments so that they will come out automatically. At any point, you can log into the payment plan system and modify your primary payment method, check in on when your next payment will be, or even pay an additional amount any time so that you can finish your payment plan early.
Once your payment plan is paid off, we'll schedule your session! I'll send you a link to my scheduler, and you can pick any of the dates available. And then, WE'RE OFF!! Your Empowerment Studio session will be just around the corner!!!!
What to do if the numbers just aren't working the way you want them to?
Even with a payment plan, doing a session in the Empowerment Studio is still a significant investment. And it may not fit into your right-now budget; our financial situations are fluid, so perhaps the answer is just "not yet," and that can be perfectly okay! That said, I'm a firm believer that anyone who truly wants to do a photoshoot should be able to do one. If you're determined to do a session in the Empowerment Studio, then we should be able to figure it out. Shall we brainstorm together?
Let's make a plan!
If the payments would still be too much to fit comfortably into your budget, figure out how much you *can* pay per month, and then let's work together to figure out how much you'd need to save up first to make the payments be that much. Always happy to hop on a call to help you with this. You can save up on your own and once you have a down payment ready in the amount that will make the payment plan work, let's get your payment plan started!
PayPal Credit
Another option is to use PayPal Credit, especially if you'd like to have your session sooner rather than later. PayPal pre-approves you for a certain spending limit, and you can use that credit to pay for your Empowerment session in full, OR you can use this in conjunction with an in-house Empowerment Studio pre-payment plan (for example, you could use PayPal Credit to pay off your remaining balance early). Then you have 6 additional months to pay off your balance (with 0% interest) to PayPal.
As you can see here, I'm REALLY rooting for you to be able to make this work, if you want to. It might be that this just isn't the right time, but also....... might it be? If so, I'm definitely ready for you!
A Quick Lil' Anti-Capitalism Rant
Real quick, gotta pop in here to say something. I want to acknowledge that capitalism is a super problematic construct, and we are all stuck living in it, but the fact that we're all in it together doesn't make it okay or fun. It doesn't hold space for any of our humanness, and no matter how much growth-work we're doing, no matter how complicated our life situations are, no matter how much abundance practice we do -- we all still have bills to pay that don't care about that stuff.
The more I think about it, the more mad I get, and the more determined I am to begin dismantling the system in the small ways that I can. That means doing what I can to build a business that is sustainable and can support me and my family, and it also means finding ways to make my services accessible to others who are also trapped in CapitalistFunLand™ with me.
I'm determined, with my business, to do as much as I possibly can to deconstruct from capitalism's hold. I do this in my business practices, how I orient with my team, and with payment plans and other policies I have established in the Empowerment Studio.
On THAT note, I want to mention that I am open to doing extended payment plans beyond the standard 2-12 months -- if this would be helpful for you, reach out so we can chat about what that might look like