This isn’t about software.
Or workflows.
Or Dubsado vs. HoneyBook.
Here are the real results of what happens when your systems finally rise to meet your success.
This is about the upgrade EVERYTHING gets when you stop running your business based on your daily energy level + vibes, and finally decide your client experience should reflect how damn talented you actually are.
Done with you results
"I was at max capacity. Now my clients are moving through everything without me lifting a finger — and I have time to lift weights, read books, and just be with my kids."
BEFORE: Kelly was juggling two demanding roles: luxury family photographer and full-time CRNA, all while manually managing a high-touch, high-care client experience. Her HoneyBook setup was “bare bones”: a contact form, invoices, and email from scratch. Despite having purchased the HoneyBook Blueprint, automation felt overwhelming and impersonal, so her brain still did the heavy lifting. Every client workflow lived in her head.
NOW: After Kelly joined Systems in Session, we mapped out every detail of her luxury client journey — from the initial connection call to her signature welcome box — and worked side-by-side to build strategic automations that felt personal, not robotic. She now runs a seamless HoneyBook setup that reflects her high-touch experience while freeing up hours each week.
"You helped me do this without taking me out of it. Everything still feels like me, but the system runs it all."
"I felt like my mind was constantly spinning. I couldn’t even think about taking on one more client."
My student Kelly heard me mention the idea of done WITH you on a podcast and messaged me immediately: “Just send me an invoice.” Six months later, I opened Systems in Session and Kelly was the first one to join. Here’s what happened when we planned and implemented systems designed around her.
Before Systems in Session had a name (or even a price)...
Kelly B. - Luxury Motherhood Photographer
Roxanne - Hawa Images | Brand Photographer
"I booked almost $5,000 in three days — and sent proposals in minutes instead of hours."
BEFORE: Roxanne had been in Dubsado for years but without workflows. She was manually sending every email, piecing proposals together one by one, and spending 1–2 hours just to get a booking proposal out the door.
NOW: With Systems in Session, she can send an on-brand, customized proposal in 20 minutes — complete with client logos and add-ons. She hit her first $10k revenue month, fully booked out the next two months, and now saves 8+ hours a week with systems that can finally lessen her mental load. As a mom to four school-age kids, any hour saved from her business is an hour she gets to enjoy with her family!
“I needed one-on-one help — my neuro-spicy self could not be left alone. Having Colie walk me through it step by step was everything.”
"I already sold my updated pricing twice. I’m so excited."
Erin B. - Family Photographer + Custom Framer
"I wrote 33 client emails in a single weekend — something I thought would take me six weeks. Now I feel calm, confident, and in control of my business.”
BEFORE: Erin had been using Dubsado at the bare minimum — a contract here, an invoice there — but everything else was manual. Reminders slipped through the cracks, proposals felt clunky, and she was constantly piecing things together from scratch.
NOW: With Systems in Session, Erin built luxury, on-brand proposals and wrote 33 pre-written client emails in 24 hours using the Systems Professor Email Assistant. “It was way easier than I thought. Instead of spiraling for days, I could send a quick SOS call or ticket and get unstuck in minutes.” She now duplicates workflows in under 2 hours, has a client experience that impresses her high-end buyers, and finally enjoys mornings without rushing to her computer.
“The number one thing Systems in Session gave me was peace of mind. That calm, confident feeling? You can’t put a price tag on it.”
"I’m a control freak — I didn’t want DFY, but DIY wasn’t working either. I kept spiraling in YouTube rabbit holes and nothing ever got finished."
"When I booked 12 past clients while I was in the middle of a house move 🤣 — that’s when I knew it was working.”
BEFORE: Emily had previously relied on in-person payments, Docusign contracts, and Google Calendar invites, and was now trying to make HoneyBook work — but the systems still felt shaky, and she didn’t fully trust them.
NOW: With only part-time hours to run her photography business, Emily now has an inquiry and booking system in HoneyBook that runs on autopilot and keeps both her and her clients on track. She’s launched her first newsletters to past clients, raised her prices without pushback, and finally feels confident her systems can support her business.
“These five people that have just booked me with me basically doing nothing — except sending that one email — like right there, it’s worth it. I get it. I drank the Kool-Aid. I’m totally in.”
"My cobbled-together system of booking, contracts, emails, and payments just wasn’t working."
From “hoping it works” to booking clients effortlessly — even during a house move.
Emily S. - Part-time Family Photographer
"I was having to go in and approve so many things. I felt like you could make my life a lot easier — and spoiler, you did."
INSIDE SYSTEMS IN SESSION:: Over 30 days, we worked together to streamline and automate five full client journeys across her offers — eliminating hours of manual approvals and back-and-forth. Using a mix of walkthrough Loom videos, quick support tickets, and strategy calls, we tackled it all side by side — a true done-with-you process that left her systems running smoother and smarter than ever.
NOW: Megan runs a fully automated client experience that saves her over an additional hour per client — even during peak season. She’s proof that the Blueprint gives you the foundation, but Systems in Session builds the next-level system with you.
"You matched my energy — whatever I put in, you put in. It was the fastest, smartest way to make my systems actually work for me."
"You just told me exactly what to do, I did it, and then we moved on to the next thing."
Megan first joined my DIY Dubsado course CRM Blueprint four years ago and built her original Dubsado setup using my signature systems for photographers. Those workflows supported her for years — but as her business grew, her “good enough” systems started slowing her down. Her booking process relied on too many manual approvals — she still had to add session dates and send contracts herself. When she joined Systems in Session, she didn’t want to start from scratch or hand everything off — she wanted to refine what she’d built, together.
From DIY course to a strategic rebuild done with expert support
Megan N - Family & Newborn Photographer
Client Communication Results
"I noticed I never spent less than 15 minutes writing an email — sometimes longer — because I was overthinking or trying to find the links I needed to send.”
“Client experience is one of my selling points now. People aren’t just paying for the deliverable — they’re paying for the experience.”
“I talk to Ruth every single day. She helps me set boundaries and respond clearly without emotion — protecting the relationship while saving me so much time.”
From “Copy, Paste, Pray” to Confident, Consistent Communication
Geneviève Masioni - Customer experience & retention specialist
When Genevieve first joined Email Like You Mean It, she realized she was spending at least 15 minutes writing almost every client email — overthinking wording, searching for links, and rebuilding the same message from scratch. She had a long Apple Notes list with bits of past emails, but no true system, structure, or templates to rely on.
INSIDE EMAIL LIKE YOU MEAN IT:
With the AI Systems Squad, Genevieve rebuilt her communication library from the ground up. Clara (Customer Journey Guide) helped her map her entire client experience, 27 touchpoints. Then she drafted her entire client communication library using the Systems Professor Email Assistant and my 3P Framework: Purpose, Personality, Preview. Finally, Ruth — the response strategist — quickly became her daily companion.
And the results showed up fast. One of her first wins?
Using a Ruth-polished email to confidently respond to a pricing objection — and booking a $15,000 client because of it.
- 27 mapped and rewritten client emails
- 80% of all communication now automated
- A $15K client booked from one confident email
- New upsells + rebooking opportunities created from her revised templates
- Stronger boundaries, clearer communication, and calmer responses
“I heard Colie say people think they’re hiring her for workflows — but they’re actually hiring her for emails. I didn’t believe her… until I signed up for Email Like You Mean It.”
“I didn’t realize how many emails there were… or how important they were. I implemented the emails exactly how Colie teaches… and it was night and day."
“I didn’t realize how many emails there were… or how important they were. This will never happen to me again. I’m just going to do everything Colie says from now on.”
She Thought She Needed Better Workflows — Turns Out, She Needed Better Emails
Kara Duncan - Search-driven Marketing Strategist
Kara had a “technically correct” booking process in Dubsado — a proposal, contract, invoice — but something wasn’t clicking. Clients hesitated. Bookings stalled. And she found herself relying on bland, transactional emails she’d written on busy days just to get something out the door.
INSIDE EMAIL LIKE YOU MEAN IT:
Once Kara stepped inside the course, she realized she didn’t need new workflows — she needed communication that actually converted. Using the 3P Framework, she rebuilt the emails around her inquiry + booking process so clients knew exactly what to do next.
She also started recording short 5–7 minute Loom videos to walk clients through their proposal (and even their website), replacing sales calls entirely. When she paired her improved emails with that Loom walkthrough, the results were immediate.
One inquiry slipped through when she used her old emails — but the very next inquiry?
She used what she learned in Email Like You Mean It…
And it became the fastest anyone had ever paid her.
- A true 5-minute booking process — proposal → contract → invoice
- Sales calls replaced with 5–7 minute Loom videos clients love
- Dramatically faster bookings (“the fastest anyone has ever paid me”)
- Follow-ups feel easy because she finally knows what to say
- More confidence in her communication — and more clarity for her clients
Done For you results
Service: Dubsado done for you
About the Client
Katelyn Dekle is a kick-ass web designer who creates personality-infused websites for other business owners. She had been using Dubsado for 5+ years but her system needed a refresh so that her current customer experience was streamlined for herself and her clients.
“It would send out an email at the wrong time, or to the wrong person, or an invoice reminder for someone who hasn't even signed the contract yet.
I had a client reach out to me for a discovery call for a massive project. Unfortunately, she slipped through the cracks, so I was two weeks late responding to her inquiry. In the automated email it says that I will respond in one to three days and so I felt severely like I had dropped the ball. Luckily, she didn't care. We got to work together, the project turned out fine, but I was like, ‘I cannot let that happen. This is not a high-end experience.'
That was kind of the trigger for me like, 'I've got to get my crap together.'
–Katelyn
Current Dubsado user: 5+ Years
The Challenge
Service: Dubsado VIP Day
Current Dubsado user: 5+ Years
What Colie Did...
I really flexed my systems muscles with Katelyn’s project because instead of eliminating outside softwares, we developed a set of workflow triggers and reminders to help her automate + navigate between them. (Dubsado, Quickbooks, Calendly, ClickUp)
- Updated her emails to give them a pop of personality with GIFSs and added some more touch points to help clients use their client portal and remit payment for services.
- Improved her proposal process to bridge the gap between customizing the offer, client acceptance of the offer, signing a contract, and remitting payment inside Quickbooks.
- Created new client guides with extensive how-to videos to help her clients during their design process and after.
“I didn't know how much I could actually do successfully in an automation. Now she's got it all set up where it tells me what to do so I literally don't have to think about it.
She has the support window automated, so my clients know when it starts, know when it's ending, and there's actually an email that says, ‘Okay, we're done now.’ So there's a fine line in the sand where anywhere happening after that is a whole different project. I think the overall experience for my clients is going to be a lot better."
What happened next...
- Katelyn landed a $6k project immediately after putting the system in place.
- This project moved her closer to creating systems and SOPs in preparation for bringing on a VA so she can scale her business without increasing her workload.
- She feels more confident using her client systems so that nothing will be forgotten. Plus, moving her clients between her favorite applications is more streamlined.
- Her Dubsado is now amazeballs!
“Miracle worker! Colie was able to do in eight hours what I couldn't do in five years.”
Service: Dubsado VIP Day
Current Dubsado user: 5+ Years
Service: Dubsado done for you + pictime setup
About the Client
Kati Douglas is a phenomenal wedding & family photographer based in the Bay Area, but more than that she is the best human. She came to me because her business was growing (YAY!) and she was long past the point of needing to automate tasks.
Ultimately, Kati wanted a system that would allow her to spend more time connecting with her amazing clients and less time scheduling and writing ALL the emails.
“I mean, I tried to get Dubsado to work and I think I got it to work some…. but I didn't know how all the elements worked together, and I didn't have the time to figure it out. Also, I am an artist and creatively speaking that kind of stuff really bums me out. I was finally like, ‘I might as well just outsource this.’" –Kati
Current Dubsado User: 2+ Years
The Challenge
SERVICE: DUBSADO VIP EXPERIENCE + PICTIME SETUP
Current Dubsado User: 2+ Years
What Colie Did...
Kati’s website is so amazing that I had to be sure that her clients had a cohesive experience throughout the booking process, especially when it came time to ask for the money. So I created her the most fucking awesome proposal I’ve ever made.
“She made it so it's really a breeze. Now I'm not going back and forth with clients, things are automatic.”
What Happened Next...
“I’ve made more sales with Pic-Time. Also there’s a much more emotional connection. Everybody was telling me, ‘Oh my gosh, this gallery brought me to tears.’
“I'm able to spend more time on what brings me joy, which is photography of course but also being with my children and balancing work and life.
“I don't feel burnt out by photography so much. My things that I am investing in are working for me and so I get to do the things that I love which is connecting with humans and documenting their days.”
“Colie really helped me level up my business and my back-end in a way that I didn't think was possible…."
SERVICE: DUBSADO VIP EXPERIENCE + PICTIME SETUP
Current Dubsado User: 2+ Years
what kati said
Testimonial
“I woke up and I didn't have anything to do a couple weeks ago, which has never happened to me. Because my contracts are out, everything's out, everything's automated. She automated my workflows to send me an email when I need to do the next step. Everything is so much easier now.” –Kati Douglas
Service: Dubsado done for you
About the Client
Kristyn Miller is a wedding and family photographer with a passion for helping families feel like their lives are valuable and worthy through documentary photojournalism. She’s also the founder of The Documented Heart, an education mentorship for family photographers.
She came to me because she was spending too much time sending proposals and contracts manually. And while she generally knew what she wanted Dubsado to do, she didn’t have the time and brainspace to actually sit down and do it.
“I hustled my way manually through so many pieces of client interactions. Too much time being inefficient in ways that were a detriment—both to the client service experience that I was trying to provide, and also to my own mental space, my own brain clarity, and my own ability to manage my time.”
Current Dubsado User: Less than 1 Year
The Challenge
Service: Dubsado VIP Experience
CURRENT DUBSADO USER: LESS THAN 1 YEAR
What Colie Did...
We also took a strategic look at all of Kristyn’s processes so that she could save time by eliminating or streamlining tasks while maintaining a high-touch experience for her clients.
“Now I can see the Stripe payment come through and then I can go and check the workflow and know that they've received an email with, ‘Thank you so much for booking, I'm so excited to work with you’—but it's an evergreen video! It's not just a long annoying email, and that feels good on a million sides.
“That’s one thing that I am always very sensitive to, because I would consider my services to be at the high end of pricing around here. I never want someone to feel like they've paid an invoice or gotten an invoice and there isn't some love wrapped around in it.”
What Happened Next...
- Kristyn is delivering a consistent experience for all clients, helping them feel loved and cared for from the very beginning.
- Tech is no longer a bottleneck. These automations give her more time and mental space to focus on growing the education side of her business and enjoying her family.
- Her studio manager is spending more time on marketing and customer service (her zone of genius!) instead of manually sending emails and trying to stay on top of workflows.
“I feel like I am closer than ever in my seven years of business to delivering the experience that I want to be delivering.”
Service: Dubsado VIP Day experience
Current Dubsado User: Less than 1 Year
what Kristyn said
Testimonial
“Colie has such a solid handle on what is possible from a 50,000 foot perspective—from initial inquiry all the way through to getting reviews and delivering products—and I really wanted to work with somebody who could look at the huge picture and not just be a task monkey about it. I was really looking for someone who could say, ‘Okay, I see that you're doing this and then you do this, but what if we accomplished 95% of it all in one step?’”
“She's no-BS and I appreciate that about her a lot, because in the rest of my life, there's a lot of BS. I just appreciate when someone is like, "Your options are A or B, what do you want?"
Service: Dubsado done for you
About the Client
Mary is a motherhood and brand photographer based out of Richmond, Virginia and a romantic at heart. She loves beautiful things and capturing beautiful things. But the business side of photography? Not her favorite.
Mary came to me because she was using Honeybook to send contracts but almost everything else was manual, basically creating invoices from scratch every time. She initially had a lot of hesitation towards templates & automation because her offers were custom and different for each client.
“I thought maybe if people got automated emails, they would think I was inauthentic. It didn’t feel natural to me, but then once I started hearing Colie talk about it on a podcast I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is not inauthentic. This is care for your client. This is showing up consistently, full information, no questions left to be had.’” - Mary
switched from Honeybook to Dubsado
The Challenge
Service: Dubsado VIP Day
Switched from Honeybook to Dubsado
What Colie Did...
- 17 canned emails
- 3 custom proposals
- 2 contracts
- 8 packages
- Dubsado settings and integration
I also created 5 workflows taking her clients from inquiry to delivery with a fully-automated booking system and the collection of client information for planning and feedback after delivery.
“I was so impressed with how quickly we set that up. That was crazy!”
Now, instead of endless customization, Mary is running her inquiry + onboarding with maximum automation, making more money with way less effort!
Her transformation...
- Honeybook user
- Only used a CRM for contract + invoice (created manually for each client)
- No automated workflows, just a checklist for limited task management
- Spending too much time running the business with less time for client interactions
- Struggling to manage a work-life balance
“I was so pumped because having this system set up, my time has been given back to me.”
Service: Dubsado VIP Day
Switched from Honeybook to dubsasdo
- Moved into Dubsado in a VIP Day
- Consolidated consultation scheduling and lead management in one system
- Fully embraced an automated booking system (proposal + contract + invoice)
- Utilized workflows that created a consistent experience for all clients
- Reclaimed time allowing her to book more clients
- Created boundaries to limit work and spend more time with her daughter
- Meeting her monthly financial goals with no burn out
what mary said
Testimonial
“I feel so confident in the business side that it's actually giving me the opportunity to just focus on what I naturally enjoy, which is the artist / creative side.”
Systems Shop REsults
REVIEWS
loved and trusted
by creatives like you
"This made me fall in love with Airtable! I've only used it in very basic ways - I LOVEEEE how everything is linked and you designed this so well and have truly thought of EVERYTHING. Best 9$ I've spent in a long time."
Kara Duncan
Blog Writer & SEO Strategist
"Your workflows plus form templates allowed me to spin the whole thing up in under 2 hours. The icing on the cake was when a recent inquiry said the whole process from inquiry to booking felt polished and reassuring, as a fellow small biz owner she really appreciated that. So your templates quite literally paid for themselves 💕"
Olivia L
Google Ads Strategist
"The Workflow Templates were very easy to customize! It included things that I didn't even know Dubsado could do! "
Fran Dickenson
Portrait Photographer
"I save SO much time sending out all of the details in the proposal: what to expect the day of the session, styling tips, the invoice and contract... everything is in one spot. Makes it so easy and fast for clients to book and pay the session retainer."
sarah drewry
Portrait Photographer
Sally Rudy, photographer
Before purchasing Dubsado I was having pretty extensive discussions via messenger with clients. Now that I have an established workflow in Dubsado I feel like my client communication is SO much more consistent and efficient. It also gets my sessions booked, complete with a signed contract and retainer fee paid in record time."
Before purchasing Dubsado I was having pretty extensive discussions via messenger with clients and answering A LOT of questions in order to get the necessary information to send the contract. This was a time consuming process and it felt like it was a pain, not just for me but for my clients too. Now that I have an established workflow in Dubsado I feel like my client communication is SO much more consistent and efficient. It also gets my sessions booked, complete with a signed contract and retainer fee paid in record time."
"I’d had Dubsado for two years and was still using it at its most basic level because I didn’t know what to do — until The CRM Blueprint changed that.
Kate Wark, Family + branding photographer
I didn’t have a CRM before I found the Blueprint. I was spending so much time manually emailing, creating contracts, collecting payments… all of it. Now, my systems are fully automated. The payment chasers? I set those up two years ago — they still go out automatically before every session, and I get paid.
The biggest surprise? My clients noticed. “So many people have said, ‘That’s so professional. What do you use?’” It didn’t just save me time — it made my business feel more legit. And it’s still running, two years later."
"One of the biggest game changers I’ve done in 5+ years of business.
Erin Vestal, Family photographer
I feel like I'm running my business my way. I don't feel like I bought someone else's plan and had it slapped on my business. I feel like Colie not only taught me how to set it up and make it mine, but anytime I need help, she makes sure that she's understanding what I'm wanting for my business and helps me make that happen."
I feel like I'm running my business my way. I don't feel like I bought someone else's plan and had it slapped on my business. I feel like Colie not only taught me how to set it up and make it mine, but anytime I need help, she makes sure that she's understanding what I'm wanting for my business and helps me make that happen.
"I can't imagine where I'd be if I was still trying to teach myself Dubsado.
Julie francom, birth photographer + doula
When I first got into the course and I started setting up the canned emails, she had the magic email in there. I had a few leads that had ghosted me. So I just sent them the magic email, and two of those ended up booking me for services. One of them was a two month old inquiry. (I apparently was the only one to check back in and follow up with her.) We set up an interview and then she booked me the next day. And that was for my highest package, which is $2,200 right now. And then I had another one that booked me for a $1,500 package.
When I first got into the course and I started setting up the canned emails, she had the magic email in there. I had a few leads that had ghosted me. So I just sent them the magic email, and two of those ended up booking me for services. One of them was a two month old inquiry. (I apparently was the only one to check back in and follow up with her.) We set up an interview and then she booked me the next day. And that was for my highest package, which is $2,200 right now. And then I had another one that booked me for a $1,500 package.
"Just sending the magic email out got me two bookings, almost right away.
Allison Patel, photographer
The thoroughness of the information, the flow and process to set it all up, and the way you are always (I mean ALWAYS) available to answer questions make this head and shoulders above any other online course I've ever bought. If you want to get your CRM up and running quickly, without having to recreate the wheel and figure it all out on your own, this is perfect.
The thoroughness of the information, the flow and process to set it all up, and the way you are always (I mean ALWAYS) available to answer questions make this head and shoulders above any other online course I've ever bought. It was practical, useful, and sooooooo helpful. If you want to get your CRM up and running quickly, without having to recreate the wheel and figure it all out on your own, this is perfect. If you need accountability to finish in a timely manner, this is perfect. If you want help and support from classmates and a guide, Colie's Blueprint is perfect! "
"I never could have set up Dubsado without you, Colie!
Let's Plan Your Glow-up
done with you systems
A guided 60-day transformation where we design and implement the rave-worthy client experience your business deserves.
client communication course
Finally write emails that sound like you, connect with your clients, and guide them through your experience with confidence.
60-Min Implementation call
A dedicated hour for Q&A, workflow strategy, client experience mapping, or hands-on tech support — complete with a replay.
Client experience Audit
Get expert eyes on your entire client experience and a personalized plan to fix gaps, strengthen touchpoints, and streamline your process.
Close
Start dates available for Q1 2026
Enter your contact information to join the waitlist for Systems in Session. You will get early access as spots become available with a booking bonus!
