Sustainable photography business growth is key to long-term success. One of my past coaching clients, Melissa Grissom, is a perfect example of this. I’m excited to share her case study with you on the blog today. She focused on sustainably growing her photography business, taking her from uncertainty in workflow and pricing to running a thriving six-figure business.

Meet Melissa Grissom: From Overwhelmed to Thriving Six-Figure Business Owner

I’m so excited to share Melissa’s story with you today! Melissa Grissom is one of my incredible past coaching clients, and her transformation is a testament to what’s possible when you combine intentional strategy with a commitment to growth.

When Melissa and I started working together, she had so much talent and a stunning portfolio, but she felt stuck. She was questioning parts of her workflow and pricing structure and wasn’t sure how to create the kind of sustainable, scalable business she dreamed of. Over time, our coaching together helped her refine her strategy, gain clarity, and remove the guesswork from her business.

Today, Melissa is running a thriving six-figure photography business—and I couldn’t be more proud of everything she’s accomplished. Here’s how she made it happen.

The Challenge

Like so many photographers, Melissa felt like she’d hit a plateau in her business. Here’s what she was navigating:

• Lower Average Bookings: Melissa’s bookings averaged $2,500, which limited her revenue and made it difficult to grow.
  
• Inconsistent Growth: Without a clear plan or structure, she felt unsure about how to scale her business.
  
• Emotional Overwhelm: Melissa had questions swirling in her head, like, “Are my prices too high? What do I say on sales calls? How do I follow up without being pushy?” These doubts left her feeling stuck and uncertain about her next steps.
  

The Strategy and Coaching Work

To help Melissa achieve her goals, we worked on three key areas of her business:

Sales Process Clarity:

• We refined her approach to client calls, follow-ups, and presenting pricing.
• Melissa learned how to evaluate key statistics for her own business, predict booking patterns, and create a repeatable, reliable sales process.

Pricing Psychology & Statistics:

• Together, we analyzed her pricing structure, identifying opportunities for strategic increases.
• I provided insights into psychological triggers that drive client decisions, helping Melissa remove the emotional guesswork and focus on facts to make decisions.

Business Evaluation Tools:

• I guided Melissa in identifying the “holes” in her business and provided step-by-step tools to plug them.
• This allowed her to transform her marketing and sales into a well-oiled machine.

The Transformation

I’m SO excited about everything Melissa has been able to accomplish since working together! Here are just a few wins she’s come back to me with after her coaching sessions:

1. Revenue Growth: In just one year, she grew her income from $10,000 to $68,000. Within two years, she surpassed $100,000 annually, despite working in a brand-new market 2,000 miles away!

1. Higher Bookings: Melissa went from $2,500 average bookings to regularly closing $7,000–$8,000 bookings regularly without breaking a sweat.

1. Confidence & Consistency: “Abby made everything just CLICK in my head. She made the guesswork disappear for me!” This was what she had to say after our coaching time together! By using facts and removing emotion, she gained confidence in her ability to sustain success.

1. Predictable Success: “When I didn’t book a client, I no longer stressed because it almost became predictable how many inquiries I would book. I just had to ensure I was consistently doing my part,” she said.

Melissa’s story showcases how powerful coaching and actionable strategies can be for growing your own photography business!

Through coaching, mindset shifts, and implementing new tools and processes, Melissa transformed her business into something she had only dreamed of before. Not only has she built a six-figure business, but she’s also created consistency, confidence, and freedom.

Her story is proof that with the right strategies and support, it’s possible to build a thriving, scalable business—no matter where you’re starting from.

If Melissa’s story resonates with you and you’re ready to elevate your own business, I’d love to help you create similar results. You can learn more about the same coaching offer that helped Melissa create and celebrate these wins here.