Shelly Waldman
Business coach for photographers and creative entrepreneurs
| Hourly rate range | $80 to $160 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | |
| Works with | Creatives and Founders and business owners |
| Credentials | Economics degree, UC Santa Barbara; Apprenticed under Tara Gentile |
Shelly Waldman is a business coach for photographers and other creative business owners, including food photographers and food stylists. She spent a decade as a financial analyst at Citibank, then started her own photography business in 2009. She still works as a commercial photographer. She turns complex business topics into simple task lists. Her coaching covers pitching, pricing, systems and growing into bigger clients.
What Shelly helps with
Shelly helps creatives turn their craft into steady income. She works on visibility, pitching, pricing and the money side of running a studio.
- Getting found and being seen online
- Pitching clients with confidence
- Pricing work with conviction
- Understanding business finances
- Setting up a CRM
- Planning and executing on-location shoots
- Building consistent systems
- Scaling into bigger clients
Who Shelly works with
Shelly works with commercial photographers, food photographers, food stylists and other creative business owners. Some are new and building a business. Others are established and want to reach the next level. Some need a strategic partner while they do the work themselves. Others want more hands-on support with strategy and implementation.
How Shelly works
Shelly offers two ways to work together. One is a strategic partner model for creatives who can carry out the work alone but want clarity, structure and momentum. The other is a fractional business manager model that mixes executive support, strategy and implementation. She also runs a sequenced free course that builds week by week from being found to pitching and pricing.
Background and qualifications
Shelly spent ten years as a financial analyst at Citibank, where she analyzed budgets. She studied economics at UC Santa Barbara and apprenticed under Tara Gentile. In 2009 she started her own photography business, and she still works as a professional commercial photographer. Coaching began when she started sharing what she had learned with other creative business owners. She also does portfolio reviews, podcast setup, teaching, speaking and mentoring.
Shelly Waldman pricing
Programs and services
- Strategic partner coaching
- Fractional business manager support
- Free sequenced online course on visibility
- Group mentorship for photographers
- Portfolio reviews
Shelly Waldman reviews
The CoachVouch take
She is a former Citibank financial analyst who is also a working commercial photographer.
Best for photographers and creatives who want simple systems, confident pricing and bigger clients.
Common questions
How much does Shelly Waldman charge?
Coaching with Shelly runs $80 to $160 an hour. Message Shelly from this page for an exact quote.
What does Shelly Waldman help with?
Shelly Waldman helps with getting found and being seen online, pitching clients with confidence, pricing work with conviction and understanding business finances.
Is Shelly Waldman certified?
Shelly Waldman lists: Economics degree, UC Santa Barbara; Apprenticed under Tara Gentile.
Does Shelly work with food photographers and stylists?
Yes. She lists food photographers and food stylists among her clients. Clients have worked with her on shoot planning and pitching.
How do I contact Shelly Waldman?
Send Shelly a message from this page. It's free and takes a minute.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.