28 Sept 2026
From Inconsistent Bookings to Booked Out: How This Pet Photographer Booked 14 Sessions and Raised $87K
In April, Aubri Poon wrote down her dream result: another successful calendar contest, and $10,000 donated to dog rescues. By August, the beer can label contest she ran with a Calgary brewery had raised $87,341 for the Calgary Humane Society. A separate campaign, a birthday giveaway she launched during the Marketing System Workshop, had booked 14 sessions and filled her calendar into October. In this episode, Ina sits down with Aubri, a Calgary dog photographer who went full time in August 2025 after twenty two years as a flight attendant. Before this year, her bookings were few and far between. They walk through both campaigns step by step, and the pet photography marketing structure behind each one, from the entry form to the press release to the email drip campaign. Key takeaways: Start with the ordering appointments you haven't booked. Aubri had clients she had photographed and never brought in to see their photos. Her first win in coaching wasn't a new campaign. It was booking one of those clients in, and they ordered over $2,000 of wall art. A giveaway only works if it is set up for clients who will spend. Aubri says she doesn't believe in giving sessions away, so she put qualifying questions and disclaimers in the entry form to set expectations before anyone entered. Over 25 people entered, she made offers to 17, and 14 booked and confirmed. The sales so far are $2,500, $2,500, $1,500 and $700, with more ordering appointments still to run. You don't need an ad budget to get press. Aubri had never thought of sending a press release. She used Ina's template, sent it to Calgary news stations, and the campaign was covered on Global News. She then worked out which Calgary radio DJs were dog people and messaged them directly, which got her an interview on air. A cause campaign should also bring in bookings. Ina coached her on how to keep her own business visible while the contest ran. Two months after telling Ina she didn't have enough enquiries to need one, Aubri built an email drip campaign with a special offer session, and three people beyond the winners had already contacted her about it, with a week still to go. Your own call recordings show you where you lose sales. Aubri now runs her consultation and ordering appointment recordings through AI to check what she missed, the questions she skipped, and the objections she didn't answer.
Connect with Aubri:
Website: https://www.aubripoon.com (https://www.aubripoon.com)
Instagram: @aubri_poon_photography (https://www.instagram.com/aubri_poon_photography/)
Resources mentioned:
The Furever Golden Tale beer label contest: https://www.gogophotocontest.com/fourdogsbrewing (https://www.gogophotocontest.com/fourdogsbrewing)
Four Dogs Brewing Co.: https://www.fourdogs.ca (https://www.fourdogs.ca)
The story behind the four dogs: https://www.fourdogs.ca/about-us.html (https://www.fourdogs.ca/about-us.html)
Aubri on A Woman a Day with Tyler and Danaye: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-tyler-danaye-fuzzy-sound-b-122690064/episode/aubri-poon-on-a-woman-a-342224550/ (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-tyler-danaye-fuzzy-sound-b-122690064/episode/aubri-poon-on-a-woman-a-342224550/)
Calgary Humane Society: https://www.calgaryhumane.ca (https://www.calgaryhumane.ca)
GoGo Photo Contest
Work with me in The Consistent Bookings Mastermind
The mastermind is currently open for enrolment. It's a group coaching container focusing on implementation support to help you build your repeatable marketing system along with comprehensive support of your business from pricing, sales, and mindset. My marketing templates library is included, press release templates and all, which is exactly where Aubri got hers.
Apply here: The Consistent Bookings Mastermind (https://www.inajphotography.com.au/mastermind)
Consistent Bookings Audit
If you're getting inconsistent bookings and you don't know what's causing it, do the free consistent booking audit quiz to find out which gaps is costing you.
Complete the audit here. (https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit)
Connect with Ina
Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo (https://instagram.com/inaj.thepetphotoceo)
Email: ina@inajphotography.com
Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographers (https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographers)
