This episode Todd and Craig dive into what it takes to be the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of your company/business! We all LOVE number crunching, right? (Well, some do). What does it take for someone to understand and move into the role of a CFO? Why do you need to be a CFO? Is it hard? Listen in for some great insight on the critical need to und…

In the beginning of starting a business, especially when you're younger, you'd trade all the time in the world for money. However, as you grow older, you'd trade all the money in the world for time. So what's the balance between time and money for you in scaling your business? Craig and Todd discuss some fundamental questions you need to ask yourse…

Attracting good people to your business, whether it’s team members (employees or contractors) or clients, is critically important to not just the success of your business, but how much you enjoy the work and business you have as well. In this second part of a 2 episode series, Todd & Craig talk about how to attract great clients to your Real Estate…

Attracting good people to your business, whether it’s team members (employees or contractors) or clients, is critically important to not just the success of your business, but how much you enjoy the work and business you have as well. In this first part of a 2 episode series, Todd & Craig talk about how to attract great team members to your Real Es…

It's that time of year (in many parts of the world) where your volume of shoots can slow down. What do you do with that extra time? When your day isn't structured by being full with appointments, how do you keep your business moving forward? Todd and Craig discuss the importance of building consistency into your work day, and into your slower seaso…

It's our 100th Episode of the Spiro Podcast! Thank you to all who watch and listen. It's truly our privilege and honor to be a small part of helping you build your real estate media company! In this Episode, Shannon Landers, Spiro VP of Product joins Todd & Craig to talk about the values and standards used in building a healthy, strong, leading rea…

Investing in yourself is critically important to the success of your business. It’s easy to want to invest in equipment, social media, editing and the like, but unless you also invest in yourself, you won’t have the personal tools to build a business. One way to invest in yourself is to attend industry conferences where you can learn from industry …

We've talked about them before. They're perhaps the quickest way to scale your business and shoot more real estate listings: Broker Deals. This week, Craig shares a story about a Broker Deal he just closed with a new WOW Video Tours Client in the Greater Toledo, OH area. Listen in for an effective way to serve your clients well! Interested in learn…

"Upselling" can sound like a "dirty" word. It can also sound like a word of opportunity. Craig and Todd discuss what upselling is, when to consult with your clients on other services they may benefit from, and the impact it can have on your business. Interested in some of the resources Todd & Craig mentioned during this episode? Check out: The Air …

This week Todd & Craig answer your questions about the business of real estate media. You all have some great questions, and we're excited to tackle them in this episode. Don't miss the new "Todd's Tech Talks" on the Spiro Super Users Facebook Group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1642242329598239 - The 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 4:3…

It's that time of the year again (in most parts of the world) where the seasons are starting to change. School is back in, vacations (holidays for our non-US friends) are mostly over, and at least in the Northern Hemisphere, the temperatures will slowly start to drop. Activity will slow down for many of us. So what happens with your business when y…

You can't win them all. Well, you may win them, but you WILL lose some of them at some point. So, what do you do when you lose a client? Craig shares a "loss" this week and how he's handling it. What have you do when you've lost a client? Be sure to leave a comment and share your thoughts and ways of handling losing clients. Want to learn more abou…

Todd goes solo this week as Craig is out on a busy week of shoots. He'll be discussing two topics to help reinforce your business: More information on client acquisition, and also the value of empathy in today's business environment. Is there room for empathy? Does empathy for clients (and anyone) make you weak? Listen in for more. To learn more ab…

So what does it look like to fill the role of both photorapher/videographer, AND business development specialist? How do you balance both roles, and what does each entail? Todd and Craig talk about the hybrid role that many need to fill in their businesses, and when you should hire a person that fills both roles. Do you want to learn more about how…

Craig & Todd continue their discussion on critical communication in your real estate media business. This week, they concentrate on how to communicate culture to your team. Culture is critically important to communicating vision, and keeping up morale for your team. Listen in to hear more!Av Spiro

Part of running a business is clear, critical, effective communication with your team. And unfortunately, some of those conversations can be hard and even awkward. So, how do you have those conversations? Todd and Craig discuss techniques and approaches to how to talk with your team and maintain morale and good relationships on the team.…

At the beginning of the year we did a few episodes on Goal Setting (see: https://youtu.be/aiH8F-ufVRU?si=e5kuReJGxnBQ5TQJ and also https://youtu.be/-F8LRUxkuw4?si=pjoDWyODnUMM5JNu). Believe it or not, we're already halfway through 2024! So, how are you doing with your goals that you set at the beginning of the year? This is a great time to focus ev…

Todd and Craig wrap up A Photographer's Streamlined Workflow with this episode. What happens after your last shoot of the day? What is your data transfer process? How do you organize your media and rename it? How do you get it to your editors? And finally, how do you get your final, edited media to your clients? To learn more about Spiro and the wo…

We love spotlighting and learning form other owners of Real Estate Visual Marketing companies. This week, we want you to meet Colleen Kydd, who co-owns Three Palms Media from the Ft. Myers, FL area. Colleen has an amazing story of how she and her husband started and continue to grow their business. Join us as we learn from others in our industry! B…

Todd and Craig continue their discussion on a streamlined workflow to help make your shoot day efficient and profitable. To learn more about Spiro or to sign up for your free Spiro account, be sure to visit us at: http://spiro.mediaAv Spiro

So how exactly does a photographer having a streamlined workflow have an impact on your business. WHAT could/should a streamlined workflow for a real estate photographer or videographer look like? Todd and Craig discuss a photographer's process, gear, and more that makes for an efficient, and profitable shoot day. Want to learn more about the Spiro…

Financials. Accounting. Bookkeeping. Balancing. Budgets. It's not the most exciting aspect of running a business, and yet, maybe it is. The key to a successful real estate media business isn't necessarily how great of a photographer or videographer you are, but, understanding your numbers, profit margins, and how to maintain your financials is crit…

Craig and special guest Steve Musser, Director of Sales & Marketing at WOW Video Tours discuss ways to grow your client acquisition effort. Taking the first step is all you need to start building momentum. Interested in the books mentioned in this episode? Check out: "The Five Levels of Leadership" by John Maxwell The Five Love Languages" by Dr. Ga…

You've lost a client. Or multiple clients. It can feel like the end of the world. But IS it? Is there a chance you could win them back? Of COURSE there's a chance you could win them back. Todd and Craig discuss strategies and approaches in winning back the relationships you had with previous clients. You won't ever win them ALL back, but you can wi…

Every company has them, including ours: Unhappy Clients. Craig relates a story about an unhappy client he spoke with recently. Will you lose an unhappy client forever? Temporarily? Can you salvage the relationship and address the issue to the customers (and your) satisfaction? Is it the end of the world if (when) you have an unhappy client? Todd an…

Todd and Craig answer some real estate photographer and videographer business questions found on Facebook groups. It's a grab bag, a mystery box of topics this week. Listen in to find out more! Want to learn more about Spiro Software? Check it out at: http://spiro.media To learn more about how to use Spiro's automated video editing "Merge Fleet", c…

The Spring Market is slowly creeping back for many of us in real estate photography and videography. That means we're busier working in our business, and have less time to work ON our business. So how do we best maximize our time to keep momentum going when you're shifting from business/sales development to shooting/editing/customer service? Todd a…

The Spiro Podcast is all about the business of Real Estate Media and Visual Marketing. We love having guests on that share their experiences with you, the listener! This week on this Owner Spotlight Series Episode of the Spiro Podcast, we welcome Ryan Stevens, owner of Real Home Pix in the Dallas/Ft. Worth market. As a former Realtor, Ryan shares h…

WOW Video Tours Director of Training and Production, Ryan Lieurance, joins Craig on the podcast this week to talk about the mechanics of Spiro's "Merge Fleet", or automated video editing system. From training on how to use it, to how it can increase the efficiency of your real estate media business, we cover a cutting edge technology that has helpe…

Special Guest Michael Burke of the Inside Real Estate Photography YouTube Channel, and owner of Burke MultiMedia, joins Todd & Craig for an Owner Spotlight Series episode. Michael shares his business story, lessons he's learned starting and growing both a Real Estate Media Business and a successful YouTube channel as well. YouTube Channel: https://…

Todd and Craig continue their discussion on goal setting. Tackling a big goal can seem overwhelming, even potentially causing paralysis in moving forward. But breaking down the big goal into much smaller goals can help you take that first step. They discuss Parkinson's Law, and how that can impact going after your goals. What is Parkinson's Law? Wa…

Listing Showcase is a service provided by Showingtime Plus - owned by Zillow. What do you need to know about this as an owner of a Real Estate Media & Visual Marketing company? Should you provide services to help your Realtor Clients utilize Listing Showcase? Our guest, Steve Musser, Director of Sales & Marketing for WOW Video Tours shares what he'…

Have you ever been a sponsor at a Realtor event or trade show? Have you ever set up a booth for your business where potential Realtor clients may stop by? What should your booth look like? What should you have in it? Where should you stand? Craig & Todd will cover these questions and more to help you plan for the most effective and engaging booth y…

There exists in the business world, the question of pricing. Actually, it's a myriad of questions about pricing. But one of them specifically is whether one should ever discount their pricing. There are a lot of opinions on it. Here's ours, and why. Welcome to the Spiro Podcast! We're glad you joined us in talking about the business of Real Estate …

We know, it's winter in the U.S., not Fall. It's not Pumpkin Season. Or, is it? How do you grow the largest pumpkin? Or, how do you grow the most important part of your business? Listen in for a parable on how to grow your business effectively!Av Spiro

Craig & Todd dive in deeper from last week's episode on Goal Setting, and talk about some practical ways to filter and prioritize the goals that you've written down for your every day life, family and business. Prioritizing your goals will help you check those things off your list, move forward, and really gain momentum!…

Welcome to 2024! It's a new year, with lots of new opportunities. But, how are you planning on taking advantage of those opportunities? Have you set your goals for the year? Have you prioritized those goals? Is all this goal setting even going to result in anything? Todd and Craig talk about how to approach goal setting so that you can make forward…

In this Episode Craig and Todd wrap up their year in Real Estate Photography for 2023. They look back over the year for what is working for a REP company in 2023.Av Spiro

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at the Spiro Podcast! This week, Todd and Craig welcome special guest, Eli Jones to the Spiro Podcast. Eli is both the owner of Norman & Young, a successful Real Estate Media Business, as well as the owner of the REPP Team. Eli chats with Todd and Craig about the various phases of growing your real …

Todd and Craig tackle the most commonly asked questions by you, our listeners! What activities does your sales team do to generate activity? Is it NORMAL to have a slow part of the year? Should you be concerned? When you hire someone, what position should be the first position you hire? A hot button issue: Should you be editing your own photos and …

There are four main ways business owners and leaders make decisions. Knowing what kind of decision making you typically engage in can help you surround yourself with others that can strengthen how you make and execute decisions for your real estate media business. Listen in as Todd and Craig discuss these four decision making approaches for busines…

2024 will be here before we know it. Have you started planning and setting your goals for the new year? How do you go about actually achieving those goals? Todd and Craig talk planning and goal setting for the new year. If you don't aim for something, you're sure to hit it!Av Spiro

Todd is out this week for the REPP and PMRE conferences, but Craig is joined by WOW Video Tours VP of Production, Ryan Lieurance. They discuss the impact that a home's readiness has on your day to day business, and what you can do to maximize the chances of a home being photo ready for your scheduled appointment.…

It's coming up on that time of year: Showing your clients some vendor love and appreciation. That's right, Christmas gifts! How do you handle showing your clients your appreciation for their business around Christmas time? Should you get each client a gift? A card? How much should you spend? And let's not forget about client sponsorships. We get re…

Craig & Todd discuss how Realtors approaching buying their visual marketing. What can you do to maximize the opportunity to earn more clients, by selling how Realtors buy? Todd will also share the latest developments with the Spiro Software platform.Av Spiro

Let's face it, growing your business through a sales effort is necessary. Cold phone calls, coffee meetings, the Instagram method; there's multiple ways to do it. But what about: Office Drop-ins? Todd & Craig discuss what they are, how to do them, and why you should do them. *Listener warning: There may be some really bad Dad Jokes too.…

When seasonal slowdown happens in real estate, what do you do to pivot and continue to grow your business? Todd and Craig discuss strategies and actions you can take when your number of appointments may dip, to continue to move forward in your business.Av Spiro

What processes(es) do you have in place for your real estate photography and videography appointments? How do you manage the editing tasks? How about delivery? Invoicing? In this episode, Todd and Craig walk through all the items needed to complete a photography shoot for real estate after the actual appointment.…

Have you considered scaling your business up? Do you even have INTEREST in scaling your real estate media business and gaining more clients? Are you in a market where there are other competitors? Other small businesses doing what you do? Are they larger companies doing real estate photo and video that are regional? How do you even grow in those mar…

When is the right time to hire an employee or bring on a 1099 Contractor? What position should you hire first? How do you train your new business teammates? These are questions you are probably wrestling with as your Real Estate Media business grow. Todd and Craig discuss what you need to consider and how to scale your team so that you can serve mo…