The Dead Pixels Society podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Parents can erase a watermark for five bucks, AI keeps getting better, and “just screenshot it” has become a reflex. So what do you do if you make your living in volume sports photography? Gary Pageau of The Dead Pixels Society sits down with Bob Kenward of Fluvanna Photography and Sheryl Bashore of Sheryl Z Photography, two of the most respected voices in youth sports and cheer, dance, and gymnastics photography, to get honest about what’s happening right now and what actually moves the needle.

Kenward shares what he learned after turning on SnapShield style screenshot deterrence and activity tracking inside his GotPhoto workflow, including the surprising volume of mobile screenshot attempts and why friction can push some families to finally place an order. Kenward brings the counterpoint from the premium side of the market: when the imagery is truly stunning and the commitment level is high, the buy rate and average order value can stay strong without obsessing over every stolen proof. Together we unpack the real issue behind the copyright anxiety: customer psychology, perceived value, and how much parents have already invested in the sport.

We also get practical on pricing strategy, prepay versus post-proofing, handling sibling gallery requests without blowing up your margins, and why volume is “systems first” work. If you’re trying to scale with better workflow, faster turnaround, and smarter account selection using revenue per athlete, this conversation is p

The Climb with Cherie Clonan
The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..

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Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Independent Photo Imagers
IPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.

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Photo Imaging CONNECT
The Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, N

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

If your business disappeared for two weeks, would it keep running, or would everything grind to a halt because the “manual” is in your head? The Dead Pixels Society sits down with David Hori, principal at Topline Operators, to get practical about small business acquisition and what actually makes a company transferable, financeable, and worth buying. Hori brings a rare mix of experience: scaling VC-backed teams through acquisition exits, then shifting into buying and advising local businesses where succession planning is often missing. 

He unpacks the starting point for any exit plan: Understanding the owner’s role and spotting where the owner has become the bottleneck. From there, we talk process documentation that works in the real world, including the camcorder method for recording repeatable workflows and capturing not just what you do, but why you do it. For listeners in the photo imaging industry, camera stores, photo labs, and studios, the message is especially relevant: systems and trained people protect your customer experience and your valuation when equipment, seasonality, and production complexity are in play. 

Hori also breaks down deal dynamics buyers and sellers wrestle with, including earnouts, seller financing, and why many sellers want cash at closing even when it keeps deals from happening. We get into valuation and the numbers behind it, from EBITDA and seller discretionary earnings to how buyer types change price, whether it’s a cash flow buyer, a strategic trade buyer, or pri

The Climb with Cherie Clonan
The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Independent Photo Imagers
IPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.

Photo Imaging CONNECT
The Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 2027, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, N

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

A milestone worth pressing pause for: The Dead Pixels Society is marking our 250th episode with the most popular episodes of the year, from AI that actually helps you create less chaos to sales that feel like service instead of pressure. 

Ever found yourself frantically scrolling through thousands of photos trying to find that one perfect shot you know exists somewhere? This frustration sparked the creation of MediaViz AI when founder Troy DeBraal's business partner slammed his phone down in a restaurant after failing to locate a crucial photo of his son. "Why can't you build something that can keep track of all my good photos and get rid of all this junk?" he demanded – and a revolutionary AI photo curation platform was born.

What if everything you've been taught about sales is actually holding you back from extraordinary success? Marc Von Musser, sales expert and founder of Soar and Roar, challenges conventional wisdom with a refreshing perspective that could transform your approach to business.
 
Growing up as the son of a renowned photographer who captured 150 national magazine covers in a single year, Von Musser learned early that success comes not from transactions but from capturing essence and creating value.

Ever wonder how a school photo lab with 600,000 students a year keeps quality high when half the photog

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

The Climb with Cherie Clonan
The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Independent Photo Imagers
IPI is a member + trade association and a cooperative buying group in the photo + print industry.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

Unlock the mysteries of marketing's impact on business success as Gee Ranasinha, CEO of Kexino, takes us on a revealing expedition into the heart of digital transformation and strategic branding. The conversation with Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society travels from the early days of digital photography to the intricacies of crafting marketing strategies that resonate with consumers and outshine the competition.

Reflecting on his 16 years of early digital photography experience, Ranasinha enlightens us on the perils and pitfalls businesses encounter when navigating marketing waters without a seasoned guide. He examines the nuances of brand perception, the vital role of strategic insight, and the powerful synergy between marketing and sales—distilling the essence of what drives a business forward.

Step behind the curtain of marketing and strategy, where Ranasinha confronts the skepticism of C-suite executives and the tension between logic and creativity. Learn how the blend of art and science in marketing can be the difference between noise and signal in an oversaturated market. As they traverse the evolving landscape of advertising technology and AI, Pageau and Ranasinha dissect the relationship dynamics between marketing and sales, emphasizing the significance of maintaining their distinct roles for the benefit of long-term strategic goals. 

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

The Climb with Cherie Clonan
The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their..

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

Discover the transformative journey of IMG.LY's Eray Basar as we traverse the landscape of tech innovation and product development. In this candid conversation with Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society, Basar shares the highs and lows of starting a tech-focused agency that launched a popular Twitter photo service and the subsequent pivot to a product development powerhouse. He shares IMG.LY's the importance of adaptable business models, the advantages of an agency's perspective in product creation, and the art of learning from your audience to spearhead product innovation.

Venture into the complex world of tech licensing,  Basar decodes the intricacies of monetization and the delicate art of pricing pioneering technologies. The discussion navigates the challenges of the printing industry, adapting marketing strategies to the unique visual languages of different social platforms, and considering the future impacts of artificial intelligence on the field.

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

Have you ever found yourself at a career crossroads, yearning for creative liberation and the thrill of entrepreneurship? Drew Donaldson, founder of GroHaus, joins Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society to share his transformation from a film and television graduate to a marketing maven. Donaldson transports us through inspirations drawn from his parents' business savvy, and how a mix of resilience, strategic thinking, and a dash of serendipity allowed him to cultivate a flourishing marketing agency amidst the chaos of a global pandemic.

Donaldson provides an insider's look at the delicate dance between maintaining creative gusto and the practicalities of delivering standout marketing services. He dissects the nuances of small business marketing, from the allocation of budgets to embracing technological advancements, all while keeping the human touch at the forefront—think Ace Hardware's neighborly charm versus the big-box detachment.

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

There are moments when life throws a curveball that ignites a spark within us, reshaping our future in ways we never expected. Rachel Arbuckle is no stranger to such pivotal moments. On the podcast today, she recounts a harrowing experience that nearly cost her family's photographic legacy to fire, prompting her to start 2000 Paces Photo Organizing. She transitions from the structured corporate world to the entrepreneurial realm of photo preservation.

Arbuckle walks us through the expansive growth from a cozy home office to a dynamic 1,400-square-foot workspace. and how the Photo Managers community became instrumental to her business. Looking ahead, Arbuckle delves into the intricacies of non-proprietary storage solutions, the ethical use of AI, and the increasing demand for services that help manage the digital deluge of customer photo collections.

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

Venture with us into the future of work as visionary CEO Kyle Mau of Hire-UA.com sits down with Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society to recount his transition from a Californian computer systems engineer to an entrepreneur in Eastern Europe. Tap into Mau's story as he navigates from the corporate world to found a remote work company based in Ukraine. His story is a testament to the versatility of remote work, the wisdom of building a stable, dedicated workforce, and its pivotal role in enhancing operations and refining customer service.

As Mau makes the case for remote employment, Ukraine emerges as a focal point, teeming with a young, self-reliant generation. Discover the unique advantages and challenges of managing a business amid political disruption, and the strategic measures taken to ensure remote employee welfare. Mau also discusses the implications of AI and automation—will they supplant human creativity and service, or can a harmonious balance be struck? Mau's involvement in recruitment and the growing reliance on Eastern Europe remote teams underscores a dynamic in the employment sector. 

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

Unlock the secrets of SEO mastery with the guidance of Jesse Ringer, the founder of Method and Metric, based in British Columbia. This episode navigates the world of search engine optimization (SEO), with Ringer sharing his strategies that transform everyday websites into powerful customer magnets. He confront the outdated practices that plague the internet, like the keyword stuffing, and charts a course towards content that's not just rich in relevance, but that resonates with the core of your target audience.

In this conversation, Ringer tackles the tough questions: How does bounce rate influence your website's story? What does the shift in Google's algorithmic gaze mean for your online presence? With Ringer's insights, you'll emerge equipped to interpret analytics like a seasoned seer and craft an online narrative that not only captivates but converts. This is the blueprint for building a highway of organic traffic.

For a free competitor audit, click here.

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

ShareMe.Chat
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning

Have an idea or tip? Send us a text!

In this episode of the Dead Pixels Society podcast, Mike Vanelli, creative director of  Envy Creative illuminates the rapid evolution of the video marketing industry. Vanelli shares the trends and techniques for anyone looking to reach their audience on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram with videos that pack a punch in way less time than your morning coffee run. Vanelli brings his Los Angeles expertise straight to our conversation, revealing the magic behind Envy Creative's full-spectrum production capabilities: scriptwriting, ready-to-shoot standing sets, and a troupe of actors who can bring any message to life. 

Host Gary Pageau and Vanelli discuss the common hurdles small businesses face and spin them into opportunities, showing how to slice and dice longer videos into engaging morsels that keep your brand at the forefront. Step away from the noise of raw, user-generated content and into the realm of polished yet punchy advertising pieces that blend professionalism with entertainment. Join us for a deep dive into the creative and technological forces shaping video marketing today, offering practical advice and thought-provoking strategies to ensure your content not only turns heads but turns profits too. 

Energize your sales with Shareme.chat, the proven texting platform. 

ShareMe.Chat 
ShareMe.Chat platform uses chat-to-text on your website to keep your customers connected and buying!

Mediaclip
Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

Sign up for the Dead Pixels Society newsletter at http://bit.ly/DeadPixelsSignUp.

Contact us at gary@thedeadpixelssociety.com

Visit our LinkedIn group, Photo/Digital Imaging Network, and Facebook group,  The Dead Pixels Society.

Leave a review on Apple and Podchaser.

Are you interested in being a guest? Click here for details.

Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning