Meredith Gradle, Founder

Turning A Problem
Into A Solution.

I created Iris because there wasn’t a good solution to a very common problem. Like a lot of photographers, I didn’t have a good process. And the process I did have was scattered and inconsistent.

I rarely invoiced clients prior to their session, and was only sometimes sending contracts. That led to a lot of awkward conversations about money, and while I snuck by without any issues, not having contracts did put me at risk. A big part of my process consisted of PostIt notes with names and due dates.

The turning point was when one of my repeat clients came to me for a newborn session. I didn’t send them any prep information. You know, the prep packet that outlines exactly how long it will take to deliver their final product to them? Yeah, that one. I had it, but seldom sent it. Instead of sending them the information they needed, I casually told them at the end of our session that I’d have their images to them in one week.

 What I meant to say was that the gallery would available in one week, and they could then select the images for their newborn announcements and album. What they heard was that they’d have everything within one week. It was a completely avoidable situation and a fail on my part.

They were unhappy to say the least, and never called me again. I needed a system, so I started researching and did every free trial I could find. And what I found were a lot of really powerful systems, that were super complex and overwhelming. None of these programs were built with the creative brain at the core of thedesign.

This is when I started to ask around – and everyone agreed: there was not a simple and straightforward system that could truly help creatives get their businesses more organized AND automated. So I set out to create one. I created Iris out of necessity – to organize my business, to make my business easier. And better. And more efficient.

I’m excited to be able to share that system with you. My team and I have built a simple, straightforward system that works for you. I’d love for you to try it out and you’ll quickly see how having a more organized and automated system is just what your business needs.