Meet the "Survivors" of Photo Biz Boot Camp in Australia!

I admit I was nervous about teaching in Australia. Would the way they run business be very different from how things are in the USA? Would the things I teach still apply?

I was blown away by these two amazing groups that I got to know in the relatively short time we were in Australia. While the differences WERE present - it was mainly in the vernacular and lack of tons of labs and album binders available that makes us different. The aspirations, struggles, laughs, numbers, and businesses were strangely familiar, quite similar.

Thank you ladies for inviting me into your world for a brief moment in time. Thank you for sharing with me and each other, and being willing to change your businesses for the better. Last, but not least, thank you to our fabulous hosts, Jessie Broome and Lee Illfield!! They were ever so welcoming and "luvlee!!" ;)

Jessie contacted me over a year and half ago about making this happen and there is NO WAY we could have made this happen without her hard work, continued communications, and follow-up. Thank you Jessie - you're amazing!!


BBC Melbourne, Australia


Holly is soon to be one of the first All-Green photographers in Australia.


Tuesday - how can you not love a gal with a name like that!?


Gemma later modeled her wedding dress for us along with good friend Janet.


Janet was married in March - just two weeks before we tied the knot! They were leaving for an awesome round-the-world honeymoon right after Boot Camp.


Our hostess with the most-ess, Jessie. She's an amazing mother of FOUR little darling ladies. Seriously, I don't think I've seen better-behaving kids! She needs to write a book about how they manage it!


Stacey played the ever-helpful roll of co-hostess with the most-ess!


Kate being fabulous out front


Darling Sarah Black


And Kristin Cook who is soon to be expecting the latest edition to their family. Can't wait to see pics of the little one!



BBC - Newcastle/Sydney, Australia

The second BBC in Australia was hosted by the Luvlee Lee Illfield. Lee is to be married this fall so we had plenty of fun wedding-planning stuff to chat about too.


Cassandra has got some amazing wedding work!


Chantelle Bliss - okay, whoever was giving out last names blessed her with such a fun one! She's known for her beautiful Black and White work.


Renee Bell is such a sweetheart and I got to meet her equally sweet daughter - who just happens to have the same name and spelling as me!! L-I-A-N-A. So cool!


Interesting fact about Cathy Crawley: she was the FIRST Pantene hair model in Australia!


Janine working it for the camera. I love how her necklace matches her fun, punchy brand!


Thank you ladies for an amazing experience and for being so welcoming to me and Mike!! I really do hope our paths cross again before too long. I mean, we didn't get to see the ALL of Australia yet, right!?

18 Boot Camps in 2 Years

April was an amazing month for us, and also explains my MIA-status here on the BananasEDU blog.

If you've been following my liana's bananas blog, you'll know that I married my leading-man in Beverly Hills on April 5th, 2009 after which we spent a month away - traveling to New Zealand and Australia for our honeymoon. Oh yes, and also to teach TWO AWESOME Boot Camps in Australia!

April also marked the 2-year anniversary of the start of Photo Biz Boot Camp. I'm completely humbled and in awe of the opportunities I've been given over the past few years, including the EIGHTEEN (yes 18! Wow I said it!) Boot Camps that happened in Atlanta and all over the US and even abroad.

So what's next? I honestly never expected that people would REALLY step up to learn about their "numbers" and what I so fondly refer to as the "not fun-stuff every entrepreneur must know." I never expected that two years later people would still gleam insight an those "ah-ha" moments from a DVD we cut on a rainy winter week here in Atlanta, bad videography and all.

2007 was a year of blood, sweat, and tears producing the DVDs and massaging the class notes and curriculum into what they are now. But I'm still doing my Crazy Simple Workflow every day (or having someone do it for me!) I'm still running my numbers 5, 6, 12 times a year. KISS merchandising is something I haven't gotten quite beyond yet because I'm adding a new album company this year, and opening a lifestyle portrait studio that gets it's own set of products. I used the Brand Camp methods to create Ugly Cakes company for someone else to run, and a new brand for the portrait side of things.

So what's next? My mailbox full of requests for Future Boot Camp dates is starting to nudge "schedule for fall/winter 2009" to the top of my to-do list. I long to mix things up a bit, add something new, re-do the DVDs, teach larger groups again. I know that the small group format is what works best though. The feedback is crystal clear. I've got ideas, lots of updates to make, but for once in my life I know something is right. I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

So here's to another two years and any feedback, ideas, insights, suggestions you may have for me. Cheers!