How to Build a High-End In-Home Newborn Brand with Chelsea Hickey
Photographers sometimes assume luxury is reserved for studios, but today’s guest proves that a high-end experience can thrive right inside your clients’ homes.
Chelsea Hickey, the award-winning photographer behind Chicky Little Photography, specializes in in-home newborn storytelling sessions outside of Boston. Averaging $7,000 newborn sales and $4,000 across all genres, she’s built a thriving luxury brand rooted in service, simplicity, and confident systems.
In this conversation, Chelsea shares how she made the leap from burnout-pricing to sustainable profit, why luxury is really about ease and service, and how to confidently guide clients through IPS without feeling “salesy.” She also breaks down money mindset, transparent pricing, outsourcing retouching, and why understanding your cost-of-doing-business will completely change your business.
If you’ve ever dreamed of higher sales, smoother sessions, and a brand that feels elevated without being overwhelming, this episode is a game-changer.
What’s in this episode:
- [02:00] Chelsea’s start in photography and the burnout that forced a pivot
- [04:00] Why she chose in-home newborn sessions over a traditional studio
- [05:00] What luxury actually means (and why service is the foundation)
- [06:00] How she structures her in-home newborn workflow from start to finish
- [08:00] What Chelsea shifted to average $7K newborn sales
- [10:00] Reframing IPS as service, not sales
- [11:00] Overcoming money mindset, and pricing fears
- [13:00] Working less, earning more, and taking 6–7 vacations a year
- [17:00] Paying yourself and the tax lesson that changed everything
- [20:00] Transparent pricing without overwhelming clients
- [23:00] Outsourcing retouching + why “Who Not How” changed her workflow
- [29:00] Gift certificates, portfolio building sessions & how to use them wisely
- [30:00] The first small step toward the luxury market
- [31:00] Chelsea’s courses & resources for photographers
If the luxury world has ever felt like something other photographers could access but not you, Chelsea’s guidance will help you see what’s possible and what you can start shifting right now.
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/podcast/
