Issuu

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Table of

Contents

The Follow-Up System That Wins More Business................................................6 One Send, Three Decisions: 3-in-1 Document.........................................................8 Holding the Date: 17hats Online Scheduling........................................................10 Quote First, Talk Later..........................................................................................................12 What Belongs in Every Service Contract................................................................14 Your Podcast Guest Is More Than an Episode....................................................16 Crossword Puzzle: Inquiry to Invoice........................................................................19 How a Photographer Stays Top of Mind with 17hats....................................20 New! Two-Way SMS Texting.............................................................................................23 Top Tutorials: 4 New Video Tutorials............................................................................25

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

From the CEO’s Desk

Amanda Rae Every booking starts with someone taking a chance on you. They found your website, filled out a form and hit send, usually knowing little more than your name and what you offer. What happens next decides whether that person becomes a client. This issue covers that stretch of the client experience, from the first inquiry to the paid invoice. We think of it in two parts. The Lead Experience is where an inquiry gets answered and qualified. The Booking Experience is where the date, the quote, the contract and the payment come together. I care a lot about this stretch, because it's where small delays cost owners work they've already earned. When I talk with members, the leaks are rarely dramatic. A quote sits unanswered because the follow-up never went out. A date gets "held" in someone's memory and then double-booked. A contract leaves out the one detail both sides remember differently six weeks later. Most of these come back to the same thing: one busy person trying to remember everything. The pages ahead are full of people who stopped relying on memory. Jamie Rapavy explains why she sends the price first and lets the quote start the conversation. Liz August walks through the three-email follow-up that turns stalled quotes into bookings. Kristen Lettini shows how one booked interview sets off a whole guest experience, and Elizabeth Lamb shares how she keeps past clients warm all year. You'll also find a guide to what belongs in every service contract, a look at holding dates with Online Scheduling, and a walkthrough of the 3-in-1 document that lets a client accept, sign and pay in one sitting. Every so often, go through your own process the way a lead would. Fill out your inquiry form on your phone. Book a call through your scheduling link. Open a quote and try to pay the deposit. You'll find the spot where you would have hesitated, and that's usually where your leads are hesitating too. Onwards and Upwards,

Amanda Rae CEO, 17hats

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

News from 17hats HQ

Sips & Snippets Feature Updates New Feature: Quote Selection Contract Token

Keep your Quotes and Contracts in sync with the new Quote Selections Token. Add it to a Contract to automatically display the Products, Services, quantities, pricing, and options your client selects on their Quote, with the Contract preview updating as their selections change.

New Feature: Contact Countries Now Default to Account Country

New Contacts will now automatically use the country listed in your Account Settings when one isn’t provided. This applies to Contacts added manually or through Lead Capture Forms, Online Scheduling, Questionnaires, and imports, helping keep your Contact information complete and consistent.

New Feature: Texting Action Workflow Step

Take your automation even further with the new Texting Action Workflow step. You can now send text messages automatically as part of a Workflow, and if a client hasn't opted in to SMS, 17hats can create a to-do so you never miss a follow-up.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Feature Update: Event Emails & Smart Event Tokens Keep your event communication accurate with the new Event Email template type.

Event Emails can automatically pull the latest event date, time, and location into your workflow emails, so if an event is updated or rescheduled, your clients always receive the most current information.

Feature Update: Choose Your Default Brand

Managing multiple brands just got easier. You can now choose a default brand in Account Settings → My Account, so every time you log in, 17hats opens to the brand you use most—saving you a few clicks every day.

New Feature: Smarter Calendar Sync

Your Project events are now better protected when syncing with external calendars. If a Project event is moved in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or another connected calendar service, 17hats will automatically reconnect matching events whenever possible—and if your input is needed, you'll receive a notification to quickly review and resolve it without losing your Project details.

Feature Update: Project Archive Activity in Recent Client Activity

You can now see when a Project is archived or unarchived in Recent Client Activity, giving you a clearer view of changes happening across your account. New filters also make it easy to find archive and unarchive activity when you need it.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

WRITTEN BY LIZ AUGUST A quote goes out on Tuesday. On Wednesday, you refresh your email, waiting for a response. Thursday, nothing. By Friday, you're wondering if you priced too high, asked for too much, or somehow missed the mark. So you send a check-in email that lands somewhere between desperate and apologetic. The quote is still there, and they’re not ghosting you. They're just stuck. Most service providers assume a stalled quote is a pricing problem. Maybe it’s too expensive, not the right fit, or bad timing. So they lower rates, rewrite proposals, or send increasingly anxious follow-ups hoping something sticks. What they don't realize is that quote abandonment is rarely about price or positioning; it's about inertia. All decision-making is hard. Someone genuinely wants to work with you, but deciding to spend money, commit time, or take on a project requires mental energy they don't have right now. Life is busy, and other things are louder. Your quote sits in their inbox as a legitimate thing they should do, but not urgent enough to move on today. Without structure, that "later" becomes never. 6

A structured follow-up sequence removes that friction. It's not pushy sales tactics; it’s a courtesy. You're reminding them, reducing the number of decisions they have to make, and making it obvious what the next step is. Here's the system I use, built in 17hats with three emails spread across 14 days.

Day 3: The Friendly Check-In Subject line: "Quick question about [Project Name]" Keep this one warm and genuinely curious. You're not following up because they're late; you're reaching out because sometimes proposals get buried, or questions come up, and you want to make sure they have what they need. The email says: "Hey [Name], I wanted to check in and see if you've had a chance to review the proposal. Do you have any questions or anything you'd like me to clarify?"

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

That's it! Short, human, and open-ended. No justification for why you're emailing, no "I know you're busy." Just acknowledgment that they might need something from you.

Day 7: Gentle Urgency Subject line: "Are we a good fit for you?" By day seven, you're shifting the conversation slightly. This email reframes the proposal from "here's what I quoted" to "here's whether this makes sense for where you are." This email says: "I haven't heard back on the proposal yet, and I want to be respectful of your time. If this isn't the right fit or timing, that's completely okay. I just want to know where things stand so I'm not leaving you hanging." This gives them an out that doesn't feel like rejection. Sometimes people go quiet because they don't know how to say no, and this email makes it easy.

Day 14: The Last One Subject line: Last one! This is where the magic lives. I get more results from that subject line than any other email I ever send. I've even had people thank me for sending it because otherwise they wouldn't have taken action. The subject line works because it's honest. It's not "Final chance to work together" or "Don't miss out." It's just "Last one!" which says exactly what it means: you're not going to keep emailing after this. The email itself is short: "In an effort not to flood your inbox, just saying hello and that this is my last attempt to (insert details about your service). You'll still be on my mailing list for general newsletters. My availability can be found here (insert your scheduling link) if you'd still like to work together." Notice what's happening. You're being honest about your intention (not to spam), clear about what you're doing (final follow-up), and you're protecting the relationship (they stay on newsletters, no hard feelings either way). You're also removing friction by embedding the scheduling link right there.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

For me, the response rate on this email is consistently higher than the first two. Not because I finally using the right pitch, but because people respect the honesty, and they know this is genuinely the last email they'll get about this specific proposal.

Why This Works The system doesn't work because the emails are perfect. It works because it's consistent, it respects the lead's time, and it removes the burden of them having to decide how to respond. It's three emails over two weeks, but each one has clear messaging and a real deadline behind it. Most abandoned quotes aren't abandoned because of you. They're abandoned because the lead got stuck in inertia and no one nudged them. A structured sequence nudges them without being annoying about it.

How to Set It Up in 17hats Create a Workflow that triggers when you send a quote. Tag the lead with "Quote Sent." Set up three emails with delays: first at 3 days, second at 7 days, third at 14 days. Personalize the [Project Name] and [Name] fields using 17hats merge tags. Keep the copy conversational and short and avoid templates that sound like templates. That's the system! It's simple, it's repeatable, and it converts quotes that would have died into actual bookings because you made it easier for them to say yes.

About The Author

Liz August is a 17hats Ambassador and founder of Simplify, Simplify LLC, where she helps online service providers get their tech out of the way and back to work. From email marketing setup to CRM builds, websites, full tech stack implementation, and general admin virtual assistance, she handles the backend so her clients don't have to.

One Send, Three Decisions How the 17hats Quote, Contract, Invoice 3-in-1 document works Send a quote. Wait for the yes. Send a contract. Wait for the signature. Send an invoice, and wait some

What your client sees

more. Plenty of businesses run this way for years, and it

One link. The quote loads first, and the contract sits

works, in the sense that the money eventually shows up.

there as a tab they can open and read but can't act on yet. Once a quote is accepted, a "View Contract" button

The creators of 17hats wanted to make the booking

shows up. Then, when the contract is signed, a "View

process even easier for businesses to save time and

Invoice" button will show, and the client can pay online.

back-and-forth emails, along with any confusion that

Nothing to download, nothing to print, and no reply-all

goes into booking a service. That's why they created the

chain to keep straight.

3-in-1 document that includes your quote, contract, and invoice in one email send.

From where you sit, the difference is that you stop guessing. You're not scrolling back through an email

The 17hats 3-in-1 document does all of it in one send

thread trying to work out whether she signed the

instead of three. It allows potential leads and clients

contract before or after she asked to upgrade. You can

to easily follow along a path to booking that doesn't

simply refer back to the documents on the Project Page

require extra handholding from you as a business owner.

to see the status.

A lead opening a combined document can't sign the

What the client picked shows up everywhere

contract until they've accepted the quote, and can't

If your Quote includes add-ons, upgrades, or choose-

pay the invoice until the contract is signed. So nobody

one options, whatever the client selects carries onto the

pays a deposit toward a package they hadn't actually

invoice on its own.

picked, and nobody signs an agreement for a scope that changed somewhere between the phone call and the

That sounds small until you think about where it usually

paperwork. It keeps everything organized for you, and

goes wrong. Quote in one file, invoice in another, and

reduces the amount of confusion on your lead’s side.

somebody has to move the client's choices between

Here’s how it works.

them. That somebody is you, on a Thursday night, working from memory of a conversation you had

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Monday. Clients notice when the numbers don't

Get the rest of it in place too. Quote templates, Contract

line up. They picked the mid-tier package, got

templates, Email Templates, and Workflows should all

billed for the top one, and oops, now you're

be built before you let this run without you. Once it's on,

opening the relationship with an apology.

documents go out, reminders fire, and the next step triggers on its own, so whatever you set up is exactly

New: the Quote Selections Token. Until recently,

what your client experiences. It also pays to get the

that automatic carry-over stopped at the

details right the first time. If you edit a contract or

invoice. Now you can pull it into the contract too.

invoice after the client has accepted the quote, they'll

Add the Quote Selections Token to a contract

have to accept it again and re-sign.

template and the client's chosen items display right inside the agreement: products and

Before you send, confirm:

services, choose-one and choose-any options,

•

quantities, item pricing, descriptions, and totals. As the client changes their selections, the

you discussed: •

contract preview changes with them. For anyone who sells in packages, this closes states exactly what was bought, in the client's

The deposit amount and due dates are right on the invoice

• the last gap in the paperwork. The contract now

Package names, prices, and add-ons match what

Contract dates, names, and scope language are filled in, with no template placeholders left behind

•

The payment schedule is set, since adding one later triggers the reset

own selections, without you retyping a word of it. Add the token once while you're building the template and

When to split it back up

every contract after that carries it.

Not every sale closes in a sitting. If weeks go by between your quote and a signature, you're usually

You don't have to send all three

better off sending the documents separately through a

Quote alone, quote plus contract, quote plus invoice, or

Workflow, each one triggered when the last is finished.

all three together. Pick based on your own process and

Same order, just spread across a longer runway, and

client experience.

your reminder emails stop arriving out of sequence.

If your packages and pricing are set, send all three and

Where should I start?

let the client choose, sign, and pay in one sitting, while

Open the Quote template you use most and see whether

they're still enthusiastic about the whole thing. If you're

a Contract is attached to it. If there isn't one, attach

scoping custom work, send the quote by itself and let

it, add the Invoice, and while you're in the contract

the scope settle before a contract is sent.

template, drop in the Quote Selections token. Send the combined version to your next inquiry and see how it

Whatever combination you build, the quote has to be

comes back.

accepted before the client can do anything else. And if building all of that from scratch isn't how you Before you hit send

want to spend the week, take a look at the 17hats

The real work here happens before you ever build the

Marketplace. It's full of templates made for specific

document. Know your process and know your prices:

kinds of businesses, built by professionals we trust.

what you offer, what each piece costs, what's optional, and how a booking should move from the first yes to a paid invoice. The document can only run as cleanly as the process sitting behind it. 17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Holding the Date How Online Scheduling ends the tentative hold A client asks whether you're free on Oct. 28. You check,

disappear from what a client can choose. You aren't

you are, and you tell them you'll hold it. Two weeks later,

remembering to block time. The block happens because

a second inquiry comes in for the same date, and now

the event exists.

you have a decision to make about a booking that was never really a booking.

One detail worth knowing: Online Scheduling reads events, not to-dos. A task on your to-do list won't protect

You've most likely found yourself in this predicament.

the afternoon you set aside for it. If you need that time

The tentative hold is the most informal part of an

defended, put it on a calendar as an event.

otherwise professional process, and it usually lives in the

Decide the rules once

worst possible place: your memory, a text thread, or a

Availability schedules are where you set the boundaries

sticky note on the monitor.

you'd otherwise defend one email at a time.

17hats Online Scheduling fixes this by turning your

How soon someone can book. A minimum notice

availability into solid calendar events that won’t be

window stops the 7 a.m. request for a 9 a.m. call.

overbooked or double-booked. How far out someone can book. Cap it, or next year's

Your calendar checks itself

calendar fills before you've set next year's prices.

One of the best parts about using 17hats online scheduling is that it will cross-check your calendars

How many bookings per day and per week. This is the

before allowing a booking. When someone opens your

limit most may skip and regret. Three consultations in

booking link, 17hats looks across your calendars and

a day looks reasonable on a calendar and feels very

removes any time you're already committed. That

different by that third phone call.

covers your 17hats calendars (Booked, Leads, Pending, and Personal) and your connected Google Calendar. If

Which days and hours you're actually available. Set it by

you have team members, their calendars can be cross-

day of the week with start and end times, so the answer

checked too.

doesn't change based on how the morning went.

So your daughter's recital, your dentist appointment,

You can also stack schedules. The override setting lets

and the consultation you booked yesterday all

one availability schedule take precedence over another, so a standing commitment stays protected even when your general availability says the time is open.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

The part that ends holds for good It's tempting to automatically give a verbal commitment on the spot to hold somebody's consultation event or service date, but it is problematic because it sits on your calendar until somebody remembers to release it, and nobody ever does. A booked time slot with Online Scheduling closes itself the moment it's taken. When a client picks a time through your link, that time comes off your availability immediately. Nothing to remember, nothing to release, and no second inquiry arriving against a date you're no longer sure you have. This works the best for consultations and discovery calls. For the date of the service itself, pair scheduling with the rest of your booking process. Remind your lead that the date isn't theirs until the contract is signed and the deposit has cleared. Scheduling handles the calendar. The document handles the commitment.

What rides along with the booking A booking is also a chance to collect what you'd otherwise have to chase from the lead or client. 17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Add custom questions to the booking form so you arrive at the call already knowing the budget, the date, the venue, or the scope. Turn on automatic confirmations and reminders, which cut no-shows more reliably. Trigger a Workflow when the booking is created so the follow-up email, the Questionnaire, and the next step go out without you touching them. Depending on your 17hats plan, you can also collect payment at the time of booking.

Get started in Online Scheduling Connect your Google Calendar and turn on the calendar check setting for every 17hats calendar except To Do. That one step stops the double booking. Then set two limits: minimum notice and maximum bookings per day. Pick numbers that describe a good week rather than a desperate one. You can always loosen them later. Send your next inquiry a link instead of a list of times, and let the date hold itself.

WRITTEN BY JAMIE M. RAPAVY

Quote First, Talk Later. How I Turn Inquiries into Quotes in Minutes with 17hats Alco-Haul Mobile Bar Co. owner shares the template-driven system that gets her quotes out first and keeps leads warm. In the event world, the early bird really does catch the

Here's the secret: I never start from a blank quote. My

worm. When someone fills out an inquiry form, they're

quote template in 17hats already holds every possibility,

rarely filling out just one. They're sending the same

so building a quote is mostly deleting.

request to three, four, maybe five vendors in a single sitting. Whoever responds first with something real gets

Staffing. Based on guest count, most of our events

the first shot at the booking.

need one or two bartenders, so both options live in the template. I delete the one that doesn't fit, or add

I use 17hats across four businesses, but speed matters

staff for a bigger crowd. Hours default to five, our most

most at Alco-Haul Mobile Bar Co., my premium mobile

common booking, so most of the time I don't touch

bartending company. Our website form brings in a

them.

steady stream of inquiries, and I learned a long time ago what those clients want to know first.

Service type. We offer three types of bar service, and all three are already in the quote. I remove the ones that

How much. Not our backstory. Not a discovery call. The

don't apply and keep the one that does.

number. So I stopped making them wait for it.

What's included? The service charge and everything included in the package are built in. No retyping, no

Lead with the quote

math, no forgetting a line.

A lot of vendors are taught to hold back pricing until they get someone on the phone. I understand the logic,

Enhancements (Additional Options). At the bottom,

but for a service like ours it just slows everything down.

I've loaded the extras clients choose most often. I

My approach is the opposite: answer the question they

delete anything that doesn't make sense for that event

asked, make the answer look great, and let the quote

and keep whatever might interest them. A backyard

start the conversation.

graduation party and a 200-guest wedding see different options, but I never have to go hunting for them.

That only works during peak season if building a custom

Complete with pictures!

quote for each unique event takes minutes, not an hour. That's where 17hats does the heavy lifting.

Make it look like the experience

Build the "everything" template once

Fast doesn't have to mean bare-bones. Every item in my quote has a photo and a carefully written description.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

A premium service should look premium the second it lands in someone's inbox. When a client opens our

Build around your most common "yes" If you want to set this up in your own business, don't

quote, they're not reading a price list. They're picturing

overthink it. Look at your recent bookings and ask three

the bar at their event.

questions. What do most clients book? That becomes your default. What options come up again and again?

All of that work happened once, when I built the

Those go in your template. What do clients always ask

template. Now every quote carries it automatically.

first? Answer it in your quote or your email before they

That's the trade I'd encourage every event pro to make:

have to ask.

put in the time up front so you never have to put it in again.

Then build your template around your most common "yes." Write your descriptions once. Add your photos

Send the quote with a story

once. Attach your look book. Set your follow-up

The quote answers "how much." The email that goes

workflow once. After that, your job is simple: delete what

with it answers "why you."

doesn't fit, adjust what's different, and hit send.

I attach the quote to a saved email template that's

Speed wins the first conversation. Systems keep it going.

detailed on purpose. It explains what makes our service

With 17hats, I don't have to choose between being fast

different and, more importantly, how clients will feel

and being thorough, and in a business where the first

when the Alco-Haul bar shows up at their event. I also

great response often wins, that makes all the difference.

attach our look book, which shows everything we offer. In one send, they get the price, the visuals, and the feeling.

Let the workflow do the follow-up Most bookings aren't lost to a competitor. They're lost to silence. Life gets busy, the quote sits in an inbox, and the date gets filled by whoever followed up. So the moment a quote goes out, I start a 12-email workflow in 17hats with a fast action incentive for booking. From there, the workflow keeps us top of mind without me writing a single follow-up by hand.

About The Author

Jamie M. Rapavy is a Relationship & Revenue Mentor for Wedding Pros with more than 25 years in the wedding and events industry. She owns Alco-Haul Mobile Bar Co., Devoted Pros, and the Wedding Resale Market, and helps established wedding professionals book more

I also set a To Do timed to the end of the workflow, so I

and earn more. Learn more at jamiemrapavy.com.

always know where each lead stands. Once the workflow wraps up and that To Do has done its job, I clear it. Nothing slips through the cracks, and nothing clutters my list. 17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

What Belongs in Every

Service Contract Most people think of a contract as

uneasy. When someone reads a

protection for the day something

clear agreement, they're seeing that

goes wrong. It is that. But it also

you've done this before and that

does a job you'll need far more

you've thought about their side of

often: holding the details in writing.

it too. Don't be afraid of a longer,

Six weeks from now, when you and

detailed contract.

your client remember the same conversation two different ways, the Contract is the only record either of

Here's what belongs in yours, whatever you sell.

you has. 1. What you're delivering, in A detailed contract makes your client

specifics. "Photography services"

experience stronger and solidifies

isn't a scope. "Six hours of coverage,

the relationship. Plenty of people

one photographer, 400 edited

keep their contracts short and vague

images delivered within 30 days"

because they think detail will scare

is a scope. Write the deliverable

someone off, but it works the other

so someone outside your business

way around. Vague terms leave a

could verify it was met. Then write

client guessing about what they're

down the things people commonly

getting and what it'll cost them,

assume are included and aren't. That

and guessing is what makes people

second list is shorter to write and prevents more problems.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

2. What it costs, and when each

with the finished work, and whether

Send the contract alongside the

piece is due. Total price, deposit

you may show it in your portfolio.

quote and invoice instead of in a

amount, balance, and the date or

Portfolio permission is the clause

separate email chain. When they

trigger for each. "Balance due 14

most often forgotten and most often

arrive together, the client moves

days before the event" is specific.

needed.

through one decision, and you stop

"Balance due before the event"

chasing signatures separately from

invites a payment at 11 p.m. the

6. What you need from the client.

payments. Read more about the

night before.

Almost nobody includes this, and

17hats 3-in-1 Document on page 8.

it's the one that saves projects. 3. What happens if the date

Your work depends on things only

Never revise a signed contract by

moves? Rescheduling is the most

the client can provide: content,

sending a new copy and asking the

common thing that happens to a

access, approvals, decisions,

client to ignore the old one. Issue the

booked project, and the thing most

a signed release, a key to the

change in writing, have both parties

contracts never mention. Say how

building. List them, put deadlines

acknowledge it, and keep it with the

much notice you need, whether the

on the important ones, and say

original.

deposit transfers, how many times a

what happens to the timeline when

date can move, and how long you'll

they arrive late. Without it, every

Have a lawyer in your state read

hold the money before it's forfeited.

client delay quietly becomes your

your template once. You're paying

emergency.

for an hour of review, not a custom

4. Cancellation, in both directions.

draft, and you'll find out which

Theirs and yours. What's refundable,

7. How changes get handled.

clauses don't hold up where you do

what isn't, how much notice is

Spell out the process: requests in

business.

required. Write the clause covering

writing, priced before the work

your own cancellation too, which

starts, timeline adjusted if needed.

Start with Deadlines

owners skip because they don't plan

One paragraph here does more

If your agreement is missing

to cancel. Saying you'll refund in full

to prevent scope creep than any

something on this list, add number

and help find a replacement costs

conversation you'll have after it

6 first. Write down the three things

you nothing and shows the client

starts.

clients most often give you late, put

you've considered their risk.

them in the contract with deadlines, and state what happens to the

5. Who owns the work and how it

A few rules about the signing itself

can be used. This applies to anyone

Get it signed before the work starts

the fastest fix available, and it

producing something: images,

and before you hold the date. A held

protects the one thing you can't get

copy, designs, recordings, code,

date with no signature is an unpaid

back.

strategy documents. Say who holds

option on your calendar.

schedule when they're missed. It's

the rights, what the client may do

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

WRITTEN BY KRISTEN LETTINI 16

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

If you’re thinking about your

That's why I use 17hats to create a

My 17hats process continues after

podcast guests solely as an episode

consistent guest experience from

we finish recording.

in your pipeline, think again.

the moment an interview is booked. I send a thank-you shortly after our conversation. Before the episode

episode on my podcast isn’t just to

Let the booking start the process

publish another conversation. It’s to

Once a guest agrees to come on

confirm their publish date and, once

start a relationship.

the show, I send them a link to book

everything is ready, share the final

their interview using 17hats Online

episode link and promotional assets

Scheduling.

before it goes live.

more than 150 episodes and earning

They choose a time that works for

I also use pipelines to see at a

a top 5% ranking from Listen

them, and the booking automatically

glance where each guest is in the

Notes. Over that time, I've learned

kicks off the process I've already

process—who is still in prep, who is

that every guest who says yes is

built.

waiting for their episode to air, and

For me, the goal of each guest

I've hosted Build Your Own Fairytale

airs, I reconnect with the guest to

for more than four years, publishing

an opportunity to connect with

who I'm ready to reconnect with

someone I may collaborate with,

They receive a confirmation with

learn from, refer business to, hear

the information they need and

from again, or simply be glad to

a reminder the day before our

None of those individual touchpoints

have in my network.

interview. Meanwhile, the booking

is revolutionary on its own. The value

triggers a workflow that tells me

comes from knowing they happen

what needs to happen next.

consistently.

That's an important distinction.

I don't have to finish an interview

The goal isn't to automate every

and hope I'll remember to circle

It starts the second my pitch hits

interaction I have with a guest. It's

back three weeks later. I've already

their inbox.

to automate the parts that shouldn't

decided what a well-cared-for guest

require me to remember them in the

experience looks like, and I've built

first place.

those touchpoints into the process.

me as the host—Did I send the

Once the repeatable pieces are

confirmation? Did I send the

handled, I have more capacity for

Automate the reminder, not the relationship

questions? Did I tell them when the

the parts that should actually feel

Some communications can be

episode is live?—it's very easy for

personal.

sent automatically because the

But that relationship doesn't build

after publishing.

itself during the brief time we're recording.

And if every new guest creates another mental checklist for

some of those relationship-building

information is predictable. Other

moments to disappear when

Think beyond the interview

steps simply need to appear on my

business gets busy.

It's tempting to think of a podcast

to-do list at the right time so I can

guest workflow as:

add context, a link, or a personal

Book → Record → Publish → Done

note.

or when their episode will air, the

But I've found some of the most

17hats lets me use both. That

relationship isn't exactly off to a

valuable touchpoints happen

means the system isn't replacing

great start.

between—and after—those

the relationship. It's protecting my

milestones.

ability to tend to it.

Worse, if every new guest is left wondering what happens next

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

And while this particular process

And where could one action—like

Not every guest becomes a close

happens to be for podcast guests,

scheduling a meeting—trigger the

friend, client, referral partner, or future

the same idea applies well beyond

process you've already decided you

collaborator. But I know my process

podcasting.

want every person to experience?

gives each relationship the best chance to grow.

relationships in your own business:

Consistency builds connection

A thoughtful system helps me do that

a referral partner, collaborator,

After more than four years of

without adding another collection of

consultation lead, event participant,

podcasting, I've learned that

dates, follow-ups, and reminders to

or anyone else who regularly enters

consistency isn't only about

my head.

your orbit.

publishing episodes on schedule.

Think about the repeatable

And when the administrative pieces What happens after they say yes?

It's also about how consistently I

happen reliably in the background, I

Where are you currently relying

show up for the people behind those

get to spend more of my attention on

on yourself to remember the next

episodes.

the reason I invited the guest in the

touchpoint?

first place: The conversation—and the person on the other side of it.

Guest Interview Episode:

Email, Workflow & Pipelines Bundle Want to create a more consistent experience for your own podcast or YouTube guests without building the process from scratch? My Guest Interview Episode – Email, Workflow & Pipelines Bundle in the 17hats Marketplace includes the online scheduling service, email templates, workflows, and pipelines I use to guide guests from booking through post-episode follow-up.

GRAB THE TEMPLATES

About The Author

Kristen Lettini is a Systems Strategist who helps service-based business owners build businesses that run professionally without relying on their constant attention. She creates thoughtful, repeatable systems that reduce mental load, support a consistent client experience, and preserve the human touch. Kristen is a 17hats Ambassador and the host of the Build Your Own Fairytale podcast.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Crossword Puzzle:

Inquiry to Invoice

ACROSS

DOWN

3. The document you send to request payment. 7. A form that collects important project details before work begins. 8. A visual way to track where every lead is in your sales process. 10. The payment that officially reserves a client's spot.

1. The agreement that outlines expectations for both you and your client. 2. A recommendation from a happy client or friend. 4. The document a client reviews before deciding to hire you. 5. The moment a lead officially becomes a client. 6. An automated series of steps that keeps clients moving forward. 9. The first message a potential client sends.

SEE PAGE 27 FOR THE ANSWERS 17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

How a Photographer Stays Top of Mind with 17hats How do you solve a problem like a cold client list? WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH LAMB

So, you’ve run your ad campaign. You have a list of

automated campaigns, to a savvy or marketing-

potential buyers in your target market. You’ve added

exhausted client, those slick emails that you spent hours

them into 17hats, sent out your special offer or lead

designing smell of sales pitches and go straight into the

magnet, and maybe even converted a few into paying

bin. And when your open rates plummet, email providers

clients. Your contact list is full of cold prospects, warm

start flagging those emails as spam, leaving your client

leads, and clients with completed workflows.

out in the cold.

Now what?

Email marketing is still a great way to market your business, but only when your client or lead is excited to

Generally, the advice is to keep your leads warm with a

read what you are saying. To keep a client warm, heat

mailing list and a nurture sequence, but this can become

up an old lead, or re-engage a past client so that your

a time sink with limited return on investment. In addition

marketing lands, you need to have a solid relationship

to selecting and

with them first. The good news is, you can set up 17hats

setting up email

to automatically engage the client throughout the year

marketing

in a way that feels warm and genuine, priming them to

software

be open to your other marketing.

to run

The Process: 1 project + 3 Workflows = Success The Project: Client Engagement Every lead that enters my 17hats account is first assigned a project to handle all client engagement workflows in 17hats called “Client Engagement.” When creating the project, I make sure to toggle off “Client Portal” so that this project remains internal and not client-facing.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

The Workflows

End of Year: Base date: Christmas Day.

One Annual Client Engagement Workflow

This workflow serves to warm up my clients for holiday

This workflow is a client onboarding checklist that will

marketing and to automate the next year’s Client

make sure subsequent client engagement workflows

Engagement workflows. It sends out emails on the first

are created based on the information I have and the

of each month, starting in September, that provide

relevant touchpoints for each lead. For each To Do

relevant and valuable information with a small nudge to

marked complete, a workflow is automatically created;

book a session, to keep me top of mind when they are

for any that are not relevant, such as an unmarried

ready to book those holiday portraits.

client, I delete the To Do that is not applicable. Two

•

When and How to Plan for Holiday Portraits

workflows are automatically created for every lead or client to guarantee at least two touchpoints throughout

•

Action: Send an Email: (October) Holiday Deadlines You Should Know

the year. •

Action: Send an Email: (November) The Ultimate Holiday Gifting Checklist

For each lead, the Annual Client Engagement Workflow looks like this:

Action: Send an Email: (September)

•

To Do: Review for Client Gift List (Create Workflow: VIP End of Year Gifting)

• •

To Do: Client Married?

•

Action: Send an Email: (December) Happy Holidays

(Create Anniversary Workflow)

•

To Do: Create Next year’s Client Engagement Project

To Do: Client Engaged?

•

To Do: Add workflow to new project: Annual Client Engagement

(Create Congratulations Wedding Workflow) •

To Do: Client Pregnant?

•

Action: Archive This Project (8 Days After Base Date)

(Create Congratulations Baby Workflow) To Do: Client has children?

These three workflows (Annual Engagement, Happy

(Create Child Birthday Workflow)

Birthday, and End of Year) are the cornerstone to my

•

Action: Create Happy Birthday Workflow

17hats client engagement project. However, I also have

•

Action: Create Workflow End of Year

workflows for other client milestones, triggered in the

•

Annual Engagement workflow, to act as touchpoints Two Key Touchpoint Workflows

throughout the year. Each workflow automatically sends

Happy Birthday: Base date: Client's birthday.

them a note to say I am thinking of them on a special

This workflow serves to let my client or lead know I am

day. The emails are not sales pitches; that is what my

thinking about them, provide them something of value

email marketing is for. These emails exist to continue

like a “Favorite London Celebration Locations” PDF, and

to provide value to the lead or client after their initial

notify them to be on the lookout for a little gift from

inquiry, remind them that you exist, and encourage

me. The To Do reminds me to review their client status

relationship building.

to determine whether they receive a physical birthday present or a gift voucher for a birthday mini session.

Getting Started:

•

To Do: (31 days before base date) Review client for

Select Your Touchpoints

deluxe birthday gift (Create workflow: VIP Birthday

Your first step is to plan your touchpoints for your

Gifting)

industry. For example, if you work as an expert witness,

Action: Send an Email (30 days before base date)

a birthday greeting to the attorneys who’ve contracted

“Your Birthday is Coming Up”

you probably doesn’t make sense, but sending out a

Action: Send an Email (Base date) “Happy Birthday!”

quarterly email with dates you are unavailable to testify

• •

for the next three months would.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Set Up Custom Fields In 17hats Account Settings, you’ll find the “Custom Fields” tab in the Account Templates section, where you can create any custom fields the information for your workflows, such as wedding anniversaries or baby’s due date. I also create a “Recent Memory” contact field, where I make a quick note that

"Before I add any workflows to a client project, I always test my workflows. I have myself as a contact in 17hats with a Project called “Workflow Tests”, and every workflow runs at least once in the Workflow Test project to catch any mistakes like a year of emails all sending at the same time."

would add a personal touch

Plan and Test Your Workflows Create a plan for your workflows how will each step be triggered, working backward from the base date until every step of the workflow is mapped out. Before I add any workflows to a client project, I always test my workflows. I have myself as a contact in 17hats with a Project called “Workflow Tests”, and every workflow runs at least once in the

to an end-of-year email after

Workflow Test project to catch any mistakes like a year

each contact with my client. Example: “It was a joy

of emails all sending at the same time.

to shoot your boudoir portraits in August, and I hope Emily enjoyed the folio box of images we created for her birthday!”

The Takeaway Consistent, professional contact is key to keeping leads warm and staying top of mind, but you don’t need an

Write Your Emails

entirely separate marketing solution just to maintain

In my “Happy Holidays” email, I use a token to pull in

client relationships. 17hats automation and workflows

the “Recent Memory” project field as a line near the end

allow you to make renewed client engagement an

of the email, so that the emails read as personal notes,

annual task instead of a year-round to-do list item that

not spammy sales pitches.

may get forgotten or backburnered when things get hectic.

About The Author

Elizabeth Lamb is an award-winning photographer and owner of Elizabeth Williamsberg Photography in London, England. She works with women for whom the idea of stepping in front of a camera causes existential dread. Drawing on 25 years of experience, a psychology degree, and her own journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance, she helps women feel confident on camera and creates portraits they are proud to display and share.

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026

Share Your Secret to

Business Success Turn your business savvy into cash rewards by simply sharing 17hats. Referring 17hats is a win-win. You’ll earn $50 for every new member who joins using your link — and there’s no limit to how many rewards you can collect. Even better? Your friends get a huge head start with 50% off their first year or first two years of 17hats. That’s up to $400 in savings for them, just for being connected to you. It’s an easy way to support fellow business owners while putting extra cash in your pocket.

Easy Ways To Refer 17hats: Share on Social Media

Post about how 17hats helps you — and include your link. Include before/after stories or screenshots! Business owners love seeing behind-the-scenes.

Send a Personal Message Reach out to a business friend with a quick text or DM: “Hey! If you’re still juggling client stuff manually, you should check out 17hats. Here’s my referral link for 50% savings — it’s a no-brainer!”

Add it Where People Already Look Place your referral link somewhere simple, like your email signature, website resources page, or link-in-bio. That way, business owners can discover it naturally without feeling like you’re directly pitching them. Example: Find Your Referral Code & Link!

Head to your 17hats account settings and click the “Referrals” tab to copy your unique “Tools I use to keep my business organized: 17hats — here’s my referral link for 50% off.” referral link. Your referred friend can use your code when signing up for a trial or upon checkout. You can also send them your link that allows your referral to directly buy now. 24

17HATS | THE JOURNEY OCTOBER 2026