HoneyBook automations helped Mirror Image Photo Booths go from side hustle to clients that include the NFL and Verizon Business
Starting a small business takes guts, resilience, and creativity (to name a few), but when it comes to scale, that’s when strategy and systems become the difference between those that make it and those that don’t.
HoneyBook Award winners Troy Barnes and Orlando Whigham of Mirror Image Photo Booths embody those qualities—they’ve got the guts it takes to get started and the strategy to scale.
Learn how HoneyBook helped them go from scrappy side hustle to six-figure business with favorite HoneyBook features like automations.
From side hustle to thriving partnership
Orlando launched Mirror Image Photo Booths in New Orleans in 2021 out of practical necessity rather than grand ambitions. As a wedding photographer new to the city, he saw photo booths as an easy entry point into the local market without competing directly on photography pricing. “I thought, I’m already there taking the pictures, so why not have a photo booth too,” Orlando reasoned.
After investing $20,000 and hours of YouTube research, Orlando’s two photo booths quickly transformed from side hustle to thriving business. The success prompted him to bring on his partner Troy as the operational backbone. Together, they focused on creating an elevated brand with tailored, custom experiences and cutting-edge technology.
Their strategic approach paid off immediately. However, the rapid growth presented a new challenge: they desperately needed a CRM system to manage their booming business.
The HoneyBook difference
When Troy came across HoneyBook, it was the look and feel that drew him to the platform. “It was incredibly user-friendly and reminded me of a small business version of Salesforce, which I’d used during my time at a call center in Atlanta.”
He liked how HoneyBook included all the key features he needed for the business. “Emails, templates, contracts, payments: it’s all managed under one roof.”
“What I love most about HoneyBook is how it feels like it’s growing alongside us,”
Since adopting HoneyBook, they’ve never looked back. “What I love most about HoneyBook is how it feels like it’s growing alongside us,” said Troy. “Over the years, [HoneyBook has] added features and programs like HoneyBook Capital that we didn’t even know we needed but turned out to be game-changing for our business.”
For Troy and Orlando, HoneyBook delivered exactly what they were looking for: an end-to-end business management platform that handles everything from email communication to payment processing. As their business scaled over the years, one feature has proven crucial to their continued growth and success: HoneyBook automations.
How HoneyBook automations powers their business growth
As Mirror Image Photo Booth continued to grow, one thing became clear: keeping up with repetitive manual tasks was unsustainable. Enter the HoneyBook automations feature. “Before automations, we were responding to every client manually,” said Troy. “Every message from the moment they became a lead, all the way to the end of a project.”
As a result, Troy and Orlando found themselves tethered to their phones and inboxes as they responded meticulously to every single message. Questions as simple as “What does your day look like?” or “Are you available?” demanded timely and consistent communication, all of which was coming from Troy and Orlando personally.
And as their business grew, so too did the inbounds. Though grateful for the influx of leads, the sheer management was too much to handle and quickly became overwhelming.
Following up after an initial consultation became one of the biggest pain points—and one that started costing them business. “Early on, we had situations where we didn’t respond, and then when we responded later, they had already moved on,” Troy continues.
Qualifying leads was also a struggle. They’d spend all this time engaged in ongoing back-and-forth with a prospect, only to discover their budget expectations weren’t aligned.
It was clear. Doing all of this manually was untenable for Troy and Orlando. So, when HoneyBook announced enhanced automation capabilities with the automations 2.0 release, they jumped on it. “Once we started building, it was super fun and easy. I loved just imagining us in the shoes of our clients and leads, and what they go through, and building an automation for it.”
The new automations allowed Troy and Orlando to set up actions that are triggered based on specific client behavior—such as when someone inquires about availability. The new automations capabilities also gave them flexibility in terms of customization, such as what time the action would be performed, and different conditions and criteria they could add.
“When it comes to the simple messages or consultation follow-ups, we set up the automations to respond in 10 minutes, so clients get the info that they need, and we don’t have to be glued to our phones all day,” said Troy. “We’ve even designed it so that all the language feels natural based on who you initially started talking to, making our communication with our clients seamless.”
“We save so much time by not having to draft individual replies, and we can rest easy knowing clients are getting the information they need.”
For vetting quality leads, they set up an automatic email that allows them to filter out folks who are truly interested and aligned in terms of cost and goals.
“We now have an inquiry form, and once that’s filled out, they get an automated email that details all additional information like pricing and other service information,” said Troy. This approach ensures they only engage with genuinely interested clients who are aligned with them on the service and investment level.
“We save so much time by not having to draft individual replies, and we can rest easy knowing clients are getting the information they need without us being constantly involved. It takes a lot of the guesswork out and allows us to free up our time,” says Orlando.
Scaling to the big leagues: creating real world impact
✔️Handled over 400 inquiries in the last year as a team of two
✔️8 hours saved per day
✔️Helps them support a rapidly growing client base, including Verizon Business, the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, and Coca-Cola
✔️Key to growing their business to 6-figures in revenue
Since adopting HoneyBook and HoneyBook Automations, Mirror Image Photo Booths has seen substantial growth—beyond the anecdotal.
By combining a seamless client experience with a top-notch, high-end photo booth experience, Troy and Orlando have been able to bring in clients like the NFL, and have their photo booths at events like Super Bowl LIX Official Tailgate.
The growth has been immensely rewarding for both of them. “I’ve had to pinch myself multiple times,” said Orlando.
Up next: Building a photography empire with HoneyBook
Orlando and Troy’s vision extends far beyond photo booths. With their sights set on becoming a multimillion-dollar company, they’re already implementing the infrastructure to support massive growth. Orlando and Troy envision expanding into a full creative services empire encompassing photography, photo booths, event production—even a signature “glam booth” experience.
They also want to take on more events and expand their client base. Within the next few years, their goal is to grow from 175 current events to 100+ luxury weddings and 200+ corporate events annually.
Alongside their ambition is a commitment to the systems that have helped them scale and succeed so far. “HoneyBook isn’t going anywhere,” said Orlando.
“We made our first six figures off of HoneyBook. The growth we’ve had with it is so tangible.”
Troy echoes this sentiment: “We made our first six figures off of HoneyBook. The growth we’ve had with it is so tangible.”
Mirror Image Photo Booths show no signs of slowing down. As Troy reflects on their four-year journey from market entry to industry recognition, “It’s been like, wow, what a ride.”
The sky is the limit for Orlando and Troy, and this is just the beginning.
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