Ep 10: A Bird’s-Eye View of 2025: What Worked, What Didn’t & What I’m Changing
Hey, hi, hello and welcome to Episode 10 of the Kelsi Bailey Photography Podcast.
Ready or not, the end of the year is right around the corner, and in this episode I’m zooming all the way out for a bird’s-eye view of my business in 2025—the wins, the losses, and what I’m changing as we head into 2026.
Think of this as sitting down with a cozy coffee and doing a super honest, super intentional business audit together.
Listen to Episode 10: “A Bird’s-Eye View of 2025: What Worked, What Didn’t & What I’m Changing”
Click here to PLAY
Inside This Episode
In this episode, I’m chatting about:
- Why December is my favorite time to step back and look at my business from a bird’s-eye view
- The unexpected wins that shaped 2025
- The hard, humbling lessons that came from things that didn’t work
- What I’m bringing with me into 2026
- And what I’m deciding to lovingly leave behind
This is Part One of a two-part mini series. Today is the audit: what worked and what didn’t. Next week, we’ll talk all about what I’m excited for in my business in 2026.
What Worked in 2025 (The Wins)
1. Quietly Retiring My Black Friday Half-Off Sessions
For years, I offered five family sessions at 50% off on Black Friday. They were fun, they always sold out, and the countdowns were a blast.
But here’s what was really happening behind the scenes:
- Almost all of those sessions were redeemed in October and November
- Those are my busiest months of the whole year
- I was filling prime dates with half-off sessions and then turning away full-price families
I tried tweaking it—adding extra autumn spots, considering restricting the timeframe—but it either overwhelmed my schedule or didn’t feel aligned with how I want to serve my clients.
So at the end of 2024, I quietly retired my half-off Black Friday sessions, and this year, 2025, I didn’t offer them at all.
Result?
My autumn calendar felt more spacious, more sustainable, and more profitable. I wasn’t scrambling to squeeze in extra sessions or overloading myself in an already bananas season. Huge win.
2. Launching This Podcast
The podcast has been on my heart for years. This year, I finally jumped off the high dive and hit publish.
My vision for the podcast:
- Build a resource library for current and future clients
- Offer client education in an easy, accessible way (think FAQs, what to wear, how to prep, what happens after your session)
- Give people a way to get to know me as a person and as a business owner without having to dig through pages of text
It has also opened the door for:
- Future diversified income streams beyond simply booking more sessions
- A way for me to grow my business without doubling my client load, which is really important to me as a mom and business owner
This podcast has been a huge win, and I’m so excited to keep it going into 2026.
3. Referrals from You (27 New Families!)
This one makes me emotional every time I talk about it.
In 2025:
- I served 27 new families
- 70% of those new families came from referrals
That means you:
- Sent your friends
- Sent your coworkers
- Sent your sisters, neighbors, and fellow mamas
- Told people, “We love our photos—you need to book Kelsi”
Every time I see an inquiry that says, “We were referred by _______,” or “We saw so-and-so’s photos and we knew we had to book you,” it stops me in my tracks.
My business literally would not exist without you.
Referrals were one of the biggest, brightest wins of 2025, and I’m so, so grateful.
4. My 90-Day Instagram Experiment
If you listened to Episode 9, you already know the details, but here’s the recap:
- I treated Instagram like a true marketing tool (not just a place to toss up pretty photos)
- I followed a real strategy for 90 days
- I tracked whether or not it actually brought real dollars into my business
The result?
- Instagram did bring me paying clients
- It funneled in cold leads who had never met me, never been referred, and simply stumbled upon my work
- Some of those followers became real-life clients
At the same time, I’m noticing the big “step away from Instagram” movement—people feeling like it’s salesy, inauthentic, and overwhelming. I get it. But as a photographer and entrepreneur, it’s still a powerful free tool when used thoughtfully.
For 2025, that experiment was a clear win.
5. Our Community Raising Over $1,000 for a Family in Crisis
One of the most meaningful moments of the year came out of something heartbreaking.
A dear friend’s teenage daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. I offered:
- A half-price session
- A raffle with donated funds and a free session
Together, we raised over $1,000 for their family.
I got to walk into Target, fill a cart with things they needed, and hand them tangible support—because of you.
It was a huge reminder of:
- The power of community
- The beauty of what we’ve built together on Instagram
- How this little photography business can do something that’s bigger than photos
That’s a win I’ll carry with me for a long time.
What Didn’t Work in 2025 (The Lessons)
Okay… deep breath. Time to talk about the hard stuff.
1. Vague Verbiage & Blurred Boundaries in My Guides
This year, I ended up in a few tricky, sticky situations because:
- My pricing and prep guides weren’t as specific as they needed to be
- I left too much gray area in the wording
- As a people-pleaser, I tried not to sound too rigid or “snippy”… and it backfired
Because things weren’t clearly spelled out, I found myself:
- Bending over backwards
- Doing things outside of my usual boundaries
- Feeling misaligned with my own policies
Lesson learned:
I need clearer, kinder, but more black-and-white language in my guides so everyone—my clients and myself—knows what to expect.
2. Mental Boundaries I Didn’t Follow
There were also boundaries that only existed in my head, like:
- “I won’t work this specific weekend.”
- “I won’t edit on this family day.”
- “I won’t shoot on this important date.”
And then:
- A last-minute inquiry would come in
- A reschedule would pop up
- And I would… cave.
I’d end up working on days I had mentally promised to protect. That’s not on anyone but me.
In 2026, I want to:
- Protect my time more intentionally
- Back up my mental boundaries with real, written ones in my schedule and systems
3. Motherhood Minis… That Flopped
Oof. This one stung.
Motherhood minis are something I love, especially when I’ve collaborated with Becca of Enlightened Pelvic Health in past years.
But this year:
- We didn’t do our usual full event
- I tried offering more laid-back, organic motherhood minis in my backyard
- I didn’t create sample images or do a model call
- I didn’t run a strong marketing push—just a couple emails and stories
I booked two.
Not my best launch.
It was confusing for my audience, under-marketed, and not visually clear enough.
Lesson learned:
If I’m going to offer something special, I need:
- Clear visuals
- Clear messaging
- A solid marketing plan—not a half-hearted “let’s just toss this out there”
4. Inconsistent Marketing (Email, Instagram, Pinterest, Blog)
Another hard truth: I was inconsistent in almost every area of my marketing this year.
- Email list? I love email marketing and talk about it all the time… and I barely emailed my subscribers.
- Instagram (outside of the 90-day experiment)? Inconsistent.
- Pinterest? Inconsistent.
- Blogging sessions? Definitely not as consistent as I’d like.
I don’t want to be the business that only shows up in your inbox or feed when I’m selling something.
I want my marketing to feel:
- Nurturing
- Helpful
- Like a cozy check-in, not just a sales pitch
2025 showed me how much opportunity I left on the table by not building in sustainable marketing habits.
5. My Lens Died Mid-Session… and I Didn’t Have Backup Gear With Me
This was, hands down, one of the hardest moments of the year.
During a beautiful autumn family session:
- My lens died mid-session—just… stopped working
- I had to troubleshoot in front of a brand new family
- They (so kindly!) asked if I had a backup camera
- I did… but it was sitting at home on my bedroom floor
My husband ended up bringing my backup gear for the next session, but we had to cut the first family’s session short. I went home, cried a lot, edited what we did get, and offered them multiple options to make it right.
They were gracious and kind—but it was a huge, humbling wake-up call.
Lesson learned:
- My backup gear now lives in my car
- No more relying on “I’ll probably be fine”
- Preparedness is part of serving my clients well
What I’m Bringing Into 2026
From this bird’s-eye view, here’s what I’m absolutely carrying with me into the new year:
- Referrals
You are the heart of my business. I’m seriously considering a more official referral “thank you” system in 2026. - The Podcast
This show has been such a joy. The resource library idea still lights me up, and I have a mile-long list of episode ideas to record for you. - Our Instagram Community
From marketing wins to rallying around a family in crisis, our little corner of the internet is powerful. I’m honored to keep building it with you.
What I’m Leaving Behind
And here’s what I’m lovingly releasing:
- Half-off Black Friday sessions
Fun while it lasted, but no longer serving my schedule or business model. - Vague, gray-area verbiage
Clearer, kinder, more specific guides are on the way. - Lackadaisical marketing
We are putting on our big girl pants and building sustainable marketing rhythms in 2026. - Showing up without backup gear
Backup gear lives in the car now. Period.
Sponsor: Polished Prints
This episode is brought to you by one of my favorite brands, Polished Prints.
If you’re a busy mama like me, you know the power of an outfit that feels good on your skin and your soul. Polished Prints is a feel-good apparel company created by a busy mom, for busy moms.
Yes, I’m still obsessed with their Mom Crop—I have it in just about every color, and I keep reaching for it again and again. Even my mom is hooked.
You can shop all their goodies at polishedprints.com and use code KELSIBAILEY (K-E-L-S-I-B-A-I-L-E-Y) for 10% off your purchase.
Listen, Reflect, and Get Ready for Part Two
If you’ve been craving your own year-end business check-in, I hope this episode:
- Gives you permission to celebrate your wins
- Encourages you to be honest about what didn’t work
- Inspires you to make intentional changes for the new year
Listen to Episode 10 here.
Then come back next week for Part Two, where I’m sharing what I’m dreaming up and excited about for 2026.
If this episode resonated with you:
- Share it with a friend
- Screenshot and tag me on Instagram
- Or send me a DM and tell me one thing that worked in your year and one thing you’re leaving behind
I’m raising my Nutcracker coffee mug to you—cheers to growth, honesty, and a beautiful year ahead.
