Photographer | Mentor | Systems Strategist

Stacey Rolfe

of Tog Hub

Hi, I’m Stacey, aka the Girl Who Can Get You a Pay Rise

By Stacey Rolfe

In a past life, I was a lawyer. And every single 6 minutes of my day was accounted for. (Yes, seriously.)

We had timers running in the corner of our screens, and if you forgot to pause it for a coffee/tea break, you had to do the delicate maths of working out exactly how much of your client’s billable time you’d “wasted” boiling the kettle. It was relentless. But it taught me something powerful: time is money.

Lawyers know it. They defend it. They bill it without flinching.

But when I swapped the corporate office for a camera bag, I noticed something — photographers are terrible at valuing their time. We’ll happily spend 10 hours on a client who only pays for one, and feel guilty for charging even half of what that one hour is worth. We tell ourselves it’s “just an hour shoot,” but if you add up the emails, consults, travel, editing, uploading, marketing, and admin… that “hour” is probably closer to ten.

Which means if you’re undercharging, you’re not just short-changing your bank account. You’re stealing from your future self — the one who wants to pay a mortgage, go to bed before midnight, and have a weekend off with the kids.

Here’s the good news: I’m the girl who can get you a pay rise.

You don’t always need to increase your prices. In fact, that’s the hard route to more cash. What you need to do is reduce the hours you spend per client. The fastest way to boost your hourly rate is by cutting back the time-sucking tasks that don’t add to your art or your client’s experience.

That’s exactly what I talk about in The DIY Trap — a free training that shows you how to save 20+ hours a week and add $75k a year to your bottom line without raising your prices or working more. You can grab it here: https://tog-hub.kit.com/bd5400782a

Stacey, tell us more about you….

When it comes to your business, what has been the most powerful piece of advice you were given?

That my time is my most valuable asset. The real leverage in every business comes from buying back your time. Whether it’s outsourcing edits, automating enquiries, or outsourcing the house cleaning, every minute you can reclaim is a minute you can reinvest — into growth, into creativity, or into life outside your business.

Do you use any morning or evening rituals/routines that you find helpful? Do you have a mantra or affirmation that keeps you inspired?

“Done is better than perfect” and “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” I live and breathe them every day. Get it done first and make it good later. Keep moving forward, even if it’s messy. That’s how you build momentum — and momentum beats perfection every single time.

What has been the biggest mistake or obstacle you have faced in your business? What advice do you have for a newer business owner who may be facing something similar?

Burnout, hands down. Every time my business hits a busy season, I lose perspective. When you are caught up in “being busy” you lose the capacity to find smarter ways to work. It happens every time. To all of us.

My advice to a newer business owner: don’t wait until you’re drowning to put systems in place. The best time to streamline is before you think you need to. Automate your enquiries, template your emails, outsource the tasks that drain you. It’s not indulgent — it’s essential. Every minute you save on the backend is a step away from burnout and a step closer to building a business that actually lasts.

Share with us three tools you use every day in your business.

Studio Ninja

Handles all my enquiries, invoices, and workflows so nothing slips through the cracks. It saves me hours of admin per client. (Affiliate link: use code TOGHUB for 50% off your first year)

Pic Time

Gorgeous client galleries which mean I don’t spend my life chasing print orders, and my clients have a seamless and fuss-free upgrade process. (Affiliate link above: get 2 months free)

Imagen AI

ulls and edits in my style so fast it feels like cheating. What used to take me 3-4 hours per gallery now takes under an hour. (Affiliate link above: 1500 free edits)

Give a shout-out to 3 people in the industry that inspire you

Stacey, before you go…

I like to end each blog post by asking all of my expert guests the same round of twelve “Get to Know You” Questions. These are just for fun, and allow us to get to know our Expert Blogger better.


1. Name one thing that you are proud of yourself for right now.  

For sticking to reformer pilates – I’ve done 65 classes this year and counting!

2. A skill you’re currently working on mastering?

Cooking! I am so bad at it, but finally learning how not to burn everything I touch

3. Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?

Travelling solo from the UK to South America when I was 21. Little did I know I would meet an Aussie boy who would later become my husband!

4. A book that everyone should read?

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

5. Song you can listen to on repeat? 

Meg Mac – Roll Up Your Sleeves

6. What 3 words would your bestie use to describe you?

Fun, Generous, Driven

7. What’s one thing people don’t know about you?

I can speak pretty decent French! (It’s better after a couple of glasses of champagne)

8. One piece of advice that changed your life. Or the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Do it scared. I was so close to not getting on that plane to South America… and it changed my life forever!

9. What’s your favorite word in the English language? (curse words allowed)

Margarita

10. What superpower you would want?

Teleportation – so I could pop home to the UK in a flash

11. Your dream place to visit?

An African safari is high on our bucket list!

12. What is one thing you would like to be remembered for?

I’d like to be remembered as someone who was generous — with my family, my friends, and the photographers I’ve worked with. Someone who shared what they knew, helped when they could, and made life a bit easier for the people around them.

Some of the links included in this blog are affiliate links. It’s important to note that I only partner with and share products + companies that I love and personally use or have tested myself. If I recommend a product or service, you can trust that it is something I truly believe in.

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