Episode 81: Ditching Duct-Tape Systems for Photographers in Favor of Connection and Peace with Erin Wissig

We assume established photographers have it all figured out. Erin Wissig sees something different: talented, successful photographers whose backend systems never had the chance to catch up. I’m talking with Erin about why so many building systems for photographers often starts as a DIY venture that becomes like duct-taping a broken piece of furniture. As our businesses grow, it’s hard to keep up while still maintaining the flexibility for humanity. We talk about why the point was never the systems themselves — it’s the peace of mind and relational space they free up.

We get into the fear of robotic systems in an industry that celebrates humanity, and why your system is only as good as your willingness to trust it.

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Meet the Chief Sanity Officer

Erin’s background is in nonprofit project management and event planning, where you learn to make everything happen on a tiny budget. When she returned to work after taking a few years off with her young kids, she found her way to photographers because we’re a bunch who’s full of creative ideas, ready to make things happen, but needing someone in the background to support that. The title “chief sanity officer” was coined it by a long-time client.

“It isn’t just systems,” Erin says. “It’s actually that peace of mind that comes from them — it’s sanity, because sometimes we feel insane when we’re running our businesses and trying to keep it all in our head.”

Why Established Photographers Still Feel Behind

Erin works specifically with established photographers, and what she sees isn’t a lack of skill — it’s systems that were built early on and never had room to scale. “They built incredible businesses because they are amazing at what they do, which is the photography — that does not necessarily mean they are phenomenal at the backend.” Add in the time it takes to stay current on every platform update, plus the real financial weight of hiring support, and a lot of six-figure photographers are still, as Erin puts it, throwing duct tape on the life raft while they paddle.

The Reality of Systems for Photographers

For Erin, building a system means removing the repetitive tasks so there’s room for the relational ones. We automate the organizational creation of folders, the contracts, the reminders – and that time gets diverted back to actual client conversations instead of manual admin. But a system only works if you trust it enough to use it, and a lot of photographers are running someone else’s template rather than one built around how their own brain works.

“Your system is only as good as your willingness to use it,” she says — and that willingness starts with understanding it, not just installing it.

One of the biggest misconceptions Erin runs into is that automation makes a business feel robotic, especially for photographers running high-touch, relational businesses.

“Your clients don’t care if you sent the reminder manually. What they do care about is you having time to give them feedback on the outfits they’re going to wear.” The goal is clearing space so the touchpoints you do have land better.

One Change to Make This Week to Support your Photography Systems

If you’re not ready for a full CRM overhaul, Erin’s advice is simple: open the help bubble in whatever platform you’re already using and ask it what you’re trying to do. Most tools — HoneyBook included — have built out real support for exactly this, and the fix for something that’s been bothering you might already exist inside a tool you’re paying for.

“They want your systems to work well for you so you stay on their platform,” she says. “You just don’t know about it.”

Where Erin Finds Her Own Photo Fuel

Erin keeps a folder in her inbox just for replay webinars and platform tips she doesn’t have time to watch in the moment, then sets aside what she calls “CEO time” to work through them later. But most of her inspiration comes from people.

“I think when we connect with people, we naturally find ourselves wanting to continue to grow and be open and learn more, because we surround ourselves with people like that.” It’s the same principle she brings to client work – that creativity, and the energy behind it, isn’t separate from the rest of your life, but feeds it.

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Find It Quickly:

0:00 – Meet Erin Wissig, the “chief sanity officer” for photographers
5:44 – Why established photographers still feel behind
8:31 – What building out a real system actually looks like
16:42 – Automation isn’t the opposite of connection
20:18 – One workflow change to make this week
23:49 – How Erin keeps learning and growing
30:19 – Where to find Erin and her free guide

Mentioned in this Episode:
Erin’s favorite systems stack (free guide)
HoneyBook
Flodesk
Zapier

Connect with Erin:

Instagram: @erin_wissig
Website: erinwissig.com

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