Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caroline Roche. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Caroline, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I like to think that I get my work ethic from my very first job – in a barn. Around 15 years old, I started working for my riding instructor, Paul, at his farm a few minutes from my house. The day started bright & early at 6:30am with feeding the horses and turning them out into their paddocks. Then we went to work mucking out stalls and filling water buckets. The rest of the day was filled with various cleaning and organizational chores around the property, and grooming the horses before their riders showed up for a lesson. There was never an idle moment in that barn – Paul always had something for us to work on because he always wanted everything to be as clean and tidy as possible. We used to joke that you could eat off the floors of his barn because they were always freshly swept or hosed down. As a young kid, there were many times when it felt like overkill to always be fixing the smallest detail or dusting off something. It was a home to horses after all! And some days I just wanted to sit down and enjoy an extra long lunch break. But I now attribute my relentless work ethic and attention to detail to my time working for Paul. I wanted to be seen as a good employee. So I developed the habit of going above and beyond and always keeping an eye out for things out of place. Paul took pride in how his property looked – and just because other people might use the excuse that barns are meant to be dirty or rusty or a little smelly, he chose to pursue excellence wherever he could. And I’m thankful for my years with him where that work ethic rubbed off on me. As an online studio manager, attention to detail is everything. And going above and beyond for my photographer clients (as well as their wedding clients) has landed me with the successful business that I have today.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As a studio manager, I work with high-end wedding photographers (and a few planners) who are amazing at their craft but have become overwhelmed by the “business side” of things. Whether it’s because they are in such high demand thanks to their talent, or because they are starting a secondary brand such as an educational platform or community they are juggling too many tasks and don’t have an effective system in place to run their business. That’s where I step in as both a strategic partner and operations consultant.
Through my PACE Framework, I come in and start with cleaning up the backend – implementing new systems, workflows, and client communication procedures. So every project has a place to live — and a plan in place. During this first stage, I also help the business owner “re-structure” themselves a bit, whether that is with calendar blocking or outlining monthly goals or inbox management techniques. I make sure each photographer has a personal plan that works for her lifestyle and rhythm. Typically I like to say it’s a signature workflow for their signature style – her photography style but also her style as an individual! Because not every entrepreneur or even photographer works the same way or with the same tools. So we adapt the plan to effectively fit.
Then we’ll move on to organizing the “front of house” items that clients see, such as website updates, bridal guides, or blogging strategy. Usually this stage is when I see the photographer gain a huge sense of peace & confidence again – because their brand presence is finally feeling polished & aligned with their artistry, along with a system running in the backend to deliver a better customer experience. In the final stages of the PACE framework my team implements all the new workflow steps and really takes that “extra load” off the photographer. So they are back to focusing on capturing the joy of a wedding day stress-free.
What excites me most is seeing the shift: when a client goes from feeling reactive and stressed to confident, in control – and excited again about their work! It’s not just about organization, it’s about giving them back time, energy, and peace of mind so they can focus on what they love.
I started this business almost by accident. I have always loved organizing and setting up systems (checklists and itineraries are my love language), and I’ve also always had a huge passion for weddings and events. I actually started college majoring in hospitality & event management. Combine that with my background in sports photography, and you can see why I applied for a part-time studio manager role back in 2021 with a wedding photographer in North Carolina. As I developed in that role, I began brainstorming other services and ways to help photographers and my business began expanding by word of mouth. It truly is a blend of all my passions & skills in one!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
For me the three most important qualities to have are time management, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize. And by no means have I mastered these, it’s still a daily/weekly process of fine-tuning myself.
Time management is essential for knowing how long a task may take me so I can fill in the rest of my day effectively, as well as give accurate delivery dates to clients. And working from home, I have to be very disciplined in focusing on work during work blocks. So recognizing when I am most productive or focused during the day (i.e. early morning vs. mid afternoon) and developing a calendar blocking system was very important.
Attention to detail is another big one in my work, because each photographer has their own nuances to how they like to label photos or answer emails or post on instagram. So keeping detailed notes and referring back to them often is essential each time I start working with a new client. And always taking that extra minute to proofread before hitting publish/send!
Ability to prioritize goes hand in hand with time management – but being able to look at a long task list or chaotic inbox and recognizing which task needs to be handled first is an important skill. Often times, my photographers want to jump into the quick & easy tasks first (we all want that dopamine hit!) or work on the fun, more creative visual project because that feels less daunting to them. But pausing and asking what will help the business more in the long run is paramount. Prioritizing the workflow or calendar system before social media graphics is a skill that has to be developed because our brains gravitate towards the easy lift first. So I would encourage anyone starting their own business or in a strategic position to work on this skill often.
For all three of these skills, I would highly recommend reading “Uptime” by Laura Mae Martin as she gives a lot of great insight and practical tips for each area. I would also say to give yourself some grace and know it’s ok to be in a “trial and error” phase – you won’t know what works for you and your business until you try a ton of different techniques or tools out first.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
As you can imagine, being the organizer and solution finder for several other businesses can sometimes be overwhelming. When I start to feel overwhelmed personally I’ll go for a walk or do something to get outside and moving. That helps my brain clear and calm down. Then I’ll make a long list of anything and everything that’s cluttering my brain, and then categorize it into what’s most essential, vs non-urgent. Once I have my list, I just start at the top and work my way down.
For a day-to-day practice of managing stress and overwhelm, I always try to start my morning with a short meditation (literally just 5mins) and some journaling. This helps me organize my thoughts and slow down my brain first thing, so I start my day in peace and focus. Midday walks outside are also key, as well as having a “workday shutdown” routine, where I review what I accomplished today and make a list for tomorrow and review the next day’s calendar for a few minutes. I recently got a Full Focus Planner and have loved using that each morning & night as well
Contact Info:
- Website: https://caroline-roche.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caro_roche/
Image Credits
©Sommer Media, ©White Fence Equine Photography
