Talking Business Workflows with Charmi Patel-Peña

By Scott Wyden Kivowitz

Last updated on 11/14/2024

Charmi Patel-Peña is locally known for photographing multi-day weddings where she might end with over 10,000 captured photographs.

Of course, Charmi does not deliver that many, due to her photo culling workflow.

Her business goes beyond weddings, though, offering commercial services to clients as well.

Between her busy photography schedule, and work done through her ambassadorship with Nikon, she has a very hectic schedule.

When you hear this one thing that has completely changed Charmi’s business, you might “fall out of your chair.”

For context, Charmi is based in New Jersey where the cold weather season can sometimes go on for too long.

In the past, Charmi would photograph weddings any time of year.

But she has completely changed her thought process and strategy which has offered the ability to be picky about what weddings to photograph.

Charmi is no longer photographing weddings in July and August so she can spend more time with her family. In New Jersey, kids are off from school during that time period. So this means Charmi can spend more time with her kids, 7 days a week.

Charmi also no longer photographs weddings in the cold months of November, December, January, or February.

With all this said, it does not mean that she doesn’t take on client work. But it is usually indoors work, and less day-consuming work. She will photograph headshots or other commercial work.

Watch and listen to Talking Business Workflows with Charmi Patel-Peña talking about this in detail in a clip from episode 9 of our podcast, Workflows.

As you heard, Charmi did not just make the change without an afterthought. She had to plan ahead and adjust her entire business including pricing.

Cutting down weddings has forced me to diversify where my income comes from. I have been doing headshots and corporate events, and those pay really really well on a Tuesday when the kids are in school.”

If you are interested in hearing more from Charmi, including her entire workflow from lead to delivery, listen to the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts or the official Workflows podcast page.

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