Building Success by Doing What Others Don't with Michael Anthony

How Michael Anthony Built a Multi-Studio Photography Business with Paid Ads, Systems & AI Host Cris Duncan interviews wedding and portrait photographer Michael Anthony, who has studios in Los Angeles and Dallas and is planning a third in Austin. Anthony explains how COVID forced his wedding-heavy studio to diversify into portraits and commercial work, and why transitioning required new portfolio work, slower session pacing, and systemizing operations with photographers and sales teams. He argues social platforms and SEO are unreliable for growth because they are pay-to-play advertising platforms, and says paid ads with strong sales processes turn growth into a controllable math equation. Anthony outlines reinvesting early revenue into marketing, scaling ad spend over time, and notes his studio now spends about $20,000/month to book roughly 50 sessions per week across two studios. He also discusses using AI to speed up marketing tasks and promotes his Elevate education and mentoring programs. Michael Anthony is a working wedding and portrait photographer with studios in Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles. He has spent more than 15 years behind the camera, photographed weddings in nine countries, built a multi-seven-figure a year photography company, and earned a PPA Master of Photography degree with more than 200 international print awards. He teaches the same lighting, posing, business, and marketing systems he uses in his studios today, with a direct, practical approach focused on stronger images and a more profitable business. https://www.michaelanthonyphotography.com https://www.instagram.com/michaelanthonyphotography 00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro 01:12 Early Career Reflections 01:58 Expanding Studios Post COVID 04:21 Switching From Weddings To Portraits 05:57 Why Social Alone Fails 08:40 Funnels Leads And Sales 12:23 Paid Ads Versus Organic Balance 14:02 Reinvesting First Profits 17:06 Scaling Volume With A Team 19:23 Mentoring And Staying Current 22:53 AI As A Business Tool 25:53 Elevate And Texas School Details https://texasschool.org/wedding-photography-better-images-better-systems-better-profit/ Texas School is the country's largest hands-on education event. ! With 30+ world-class classes, hands-on learning, and the best gear deals of the year, you’ll sharpen your craft in lighting, posing, business, and more. Stay sharp. Stay inspired. Stay ahead—join us at the 2027 Texas School of Professional Photography for a week of growth, connection, and unforgettable fun! Texas School 2027 is April 25-30, 2027 Learn more at Texasschool.org #learnphotography #txschool #dfwphotography #photographyeducation #texasschool