Key Takeaways

• Learning AI properly takes a lot of trial and error, and most photo booth owners don't have the hours to spare for it.
• AI costs creep up one upgrade at a time, and for a business making low six figures, hundreds of dollars a month is a real number.
• A lot of AI effort goes into projects that feel impressive and don't move bookings or profit.
• You don't have to build your own AI tools. Your job is knowing what you want off your plate.
• This week, find the one task on your calendar that eats the most hours and that you dread the most.

I basically live inside AI now. Most of my day I'm in there building apps, building schedules, and working with AI employees that handle work that used to eat hours of somebody's week. I'm getting about 10 times more done in a day than I was before, which still sounds kind of crazy when I say it out loud, because I thought I was pretty productive already.

And because I've been this deep in it for a while, I think about AI for photo booth businesses a little differently than most of the people you hear talking about it online.

If you've been feeling like everyone else figured AI out and you're falling behind, this post is for you. There are two types of business owners showing up right now, there's a cost that sneaks up on you one upgrade at a time, and there's a much easier way to get the benefit of AI than teaching yourself to build it at midnight.

The Two Types of Photo Booth Business Owners Using AI Right Now

When I look at how photo booth owners are handling AI, I see two groups.

Group one: already stretched thin

This is the majority. You already have so much on your plate that the last thing you want to do is learn a whole new skill. And learning AI properly takes trial and error. A lot of it.

Group two: the tinkerers

The second group loves it. They want to be in there tinkering at night, and that's great. I just don't think that's most photo booth owners.

You got into this business to run events and make money and have a life. Learning how to prompt, connect, and debug software probably wasn't on the list.

"You got into this business to run events and make money and have a life, and learning how to prompt and connect and debug software probably wasn't on your list."

What Learning AI Actually Looks Like (My First App Was a Mess)

The highlight reels online skip the learning curve, so here's what mine looked like.

The first time I built an app for my business, it was kind of weird. It kept breaking. I'd fix one thing and something else would fall apart, and it got messy. At some point I looked at it and realized I didn't even know what I was building anymore. I had lost the plot completely.

Now I have a full understanding of how it works. And because I went through that mess, I can see the mistakes people are making from a mile away.

The skill is learnable, and it also costs a lot of hours to get there. For most booth owners, those hours would do more for the business somewhere else.

How AI is making software risky

The Cost Creep of AI Tools for Small Businesses

The other thing you don't really notice when you start using AI in your business is the cost creep.

How a free account turns into hundreds a month

It usually goes something like this:

1. You start with a free account.
2. You need to connect it to something, so you upgrade that account.
3. You want the AI to do more, so you upgrade the AI account.
4. Another tool plugs into that one, and it has a monthly fee too.

And the next thing you know, you've somehow committed to hundreds of dollars a month just so you can be more productive.

When AI spend pays you back

Don't get me wrong. In a lot of cases that spend makes sense. I pay for plenty of it myself, and it pays me back. It has probably saved me from hiring at least one person.

But if you're a small business owner making low six figures, hundreds of dollars a month is a real number. That's money that could go toward a part-time assistant, your marketing, or your own paycheck. And I know a lot of you are already underpaying yourselves.

Before you add another subscription, ask what it's replacing. If the answer is "nothing yet," that's worth knowing.

Are you building a business or just a really expensive job?

Why a Lot of AI Effort Doesn't Move Your Bookings

This is the part that worries me most.

You think you're building things that make you more productive, and a lot of the time you're pointing AI at the wrong things. You spend a weekend building something that feels impressive, and it doesn't move your bookings or your profit at all.

It's a distraction. And it's an easy one to fall into, because building something with AI feels like progress while you're doing it.

A quick gut check: if the thing you built this month disappeared tomorrow, would your bookings or your bank account notice?

You're not unfocused, you're addicted to the wrong kind of busy

Why I'm Building AI Tools for Photo Booth Owners Instead of Teaching Everyone to Build Them

I've been thinking a lot about what my job is here as an educator in this space.

I could absolutely teach you how I use AI in my business. I've done that a couple of times already, and I could walk you through all of it. But the more I think about it, the more useful thing I can do is build the AI tools you need and hand them to you.

That way you don't have to learn how to make them, how to maintain them, or how to make sure they're not going rogue or breaking in the middle of your busy season.

I'm starting to believe that not every business owner wants to learn AI. Some people just want the AI given to them. And that's a completely reasonable thing to want.

Five ways I use AI in my business

What that looks like inside the new Thrive

So that's what we're dedicating ourselves to inside the new Thrive. Everything in Thrive, we're turning into AI tools so you can implement it 10 times faster. That's my initiative.

We've already rolled out a bunch of it, and every single month we're rolling out another piece. That means:

• You don't have to download a spreadsheet and try to figure it out alone.
• You don't have to wait until midnight, the only time you have to work on your business, and then get stuck with nobody around to answer your question.
• The knowledge is there 24/7, on your clock, whenever you actually have the time.

I think it's our responsibility to give you that, because we're the ones who know how to build it well.

See what's inside the new Thrive

If You Feel Behind on AI, Read This

If you're overwhelmed by AI right now and you've got this feeling you're missing the boat, I don't think you are.

I don't think AI is for everyone to build. I think the people who know how to build it well need to build the things other people need, and everyone else gets to use those things and get back to running their business.

Some people are never going to get past asking ChatGPT for a dinner recipe or to rewrite an email. And that's okay. You didn't fail at anything.

Your Next Step: Find the One Task AI Should Take Off Your Plate

This week, look at your calendar and find the one task in your business that eats the most hours and that you dread the most. The follow-ups, the pricing, the proposals, whatever it is for you.

That is the thing AI should be doing for you. Somebody else can build it. Your job is knowing what you want off your plate.

How to run your business in one hour a day 

Who you actually hire first

Frequently Asked Questions About AI for Photo Booth Businesses

Do I need to learn AI to run a successful photo booth business?

No. Learning AI properly takes a lot of trial and error. Most photo booth owners get more out of using AI tools someone else has built and maintains, so they can spend their time on events, sales, and their team.

How much do AI tools cost for a small business?

It varies, and it adds up fast. Many owners start on a free account, then upgrade to connect other tools, upgrade the AI itself, and add more tools with their own monthly fees. It's easy to end up spending hundreds of dollars a month.

Is paying for AI tools worth it for a photo booth business?

It can be. The spend makes sense when it replaces hours or a hire. If you make low six figures, compare each subscription against what that money could do as a part-time assistant, marketing, or your own paycheck.

What should I use AI for first in my photo booth business?

Start with the task on your calendar that eats the most hours and that you dread the most, such as follow-ups, pricing, or proposals.

Why do AI projects fail to increase bookings?

A lot of AI effort goes into building things that feel impressive but don't touch bookings or profit. If a tool doesn't save you hours on a task that matters or help you close more events, it's a distraction.

Where can I get AI tools built for photo booth businesses?

Inside the new Thrive membership, we're turning everything into AI tools so members can implement faster, with a new piece rolling out every month: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/thrive

Listen to the Full Episode

This one is short, and it lands better in my own voice.

Got a question, or want to tell me the task you'd hand over first? DM me on Instagram at @photoboothmastery: https://www.instagram.com/photoboothmastery

And if you know a photo booth owner who's been beating themselves up for not getting AI yet, send them this post.

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Your Next Steps

• Work with Me: https://bit.ly/POD-Site2
• Join Thrive: https://photoboothmastery.catalinabloch.com/Thrive
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