Think Like a CEO 365

Hammond, Indiana  ·  April 29–30, 2027

The Studio
Scale Up Intensive

A two day, in person event for studio owners doing $30K+ months. You’re already scaling, and you’ve learned the hard way that what worked at $20K months breaks at $80K. We’re going deep into your systems, your team, and your numbers so growth turns into wealth instead of more fires.

Secure My Seat
Hosted by Karina Velez 20 seats only

Back by popular demand Attorney Mark J. Kohler returns for 2027

Dates
April 29–30, 2027
Location
Hammond, Indiana
Investment
$2,000 USD
Early bird through Oct 10
(or 4 payments of $500)
Seats
20 only

Who it’s for

This is for you if

  • You’re doing $30K+ months, consistently
  • Revenue keeps climbing, but your profit margins are thin
  • You have a team, or you’re building one
  • Your booking system works, and now it’s exposing every process that needs fixing
  • Too many decisions still run through you, and you have no time to enjoy the business you built

This is not for you if:

  • You haven’t hit six figures yet
  • You’re still figuring out how to get booked
  • You want a small lifestyle business. Nothing wrong with that. The strategies in this room just won’t apply to you.

This is a room for owners who want to scale. Everyone in it is playing the same game you are.

Who you’ll learn from

Speakers

Mark KohlerBack by popular demand

Mark Kohler

Tax Attorney & Small Business Wealth Expert

Karina’s own attorney, and the person who helped her protect her assets and build real wealth. Mark will show you how to structure your studio, handle operating debt, and make tax-smart decisions so the extra revenue you work for turns into money you keep, not money that disappears into bills. Translation: how to legally pay the IRS less and use the same strategies the wealthy use to build wealth.

Why Mark is back

At our 2026 event, attendees told us they never thought they’d love learning about tax strategy, until they met Mark Kohler.

Now he’s back. Join Mark and a room of established photography studio owners who are serious about building stronger, more profitable businesses.

Be in the room.

Karina Velez

Karina Velez

Studio Growth Advisor for Boudoir & Portrait Studios

Karina runs a seven-figure marketing agency and has worked with over 100 photography studios. First, you’ll map where your studio is now, where you want it to be, and build a simple 90-day plan to close the gap. Then she’ll break down how to build a lead engine that never runs dry: the campaigns that work, and how to make paid ads profitable instead of a money pit.

Dwight Braswell

Dwight Braswell

Leadership Development Consultant

You spent years doing everything yourself: shooting, selling, editing, answering every DM. Then you hired, and suddenly you’re handling conflict, giving feedback, and trying to get people to care about your studio the way you do. Dwight teaches the difference between being a leader and being a manager. You’ll learn how to communicate so your team follows you, not just takes orders, and how to build a team that achieves more than you ever could alone.

Jenn Fontaine

Jenn Fontaine

Seven-Figure Studio Owner & Educator

Flying in from Vancouver, Canada. Jenn built a seven-figure studio and a full team behind it. She’s a mom of two, and when her youngest was born, she took maternity leave while her team ran everything. The studio didn’t skip a beat. Jenn will teach you how to live the life you set out to live without letting your studio run you over. She’s the real deal, and we’re thrilled to bring her all the way from Canada.

Read full bio

You started your photography business because you wanted more freedom, but when did it start feeling more like a trap?

After scaling her own photography studio to 7 figures, Jenn Fontaine learned firsthand that making more money means very little if the business requires more and more of your time to make it. The real goal is to build a business that can grow while buying back your time along the way. It’s now what she specializes in teaching, helping 1:1 clients reach their first million-dollar years while building their teams completely from scratch.

In this workshop, Jenn is breaking down how to do exactly that; how to structure your studio, build the right team and get yourself out of the day to day so leads, sales and money can continue coming in without everything depending on you.

Because freedom is being able to take the vacation, stay home when your kids are sick, or take a random Wednesday off with your best friend and know your business is still running.

Whether you’re making your first hire or already have a full team, you’ll learn practical strategies to build, manage and lead a business that can make more money without requiring more of your time.

Brittany Good

Brittany Good

Organic Social Media Strategist

Brittany has been in social media marketing since 2019, and her focus is organic. No ad budget, just content that sounds like a person instead of a brand. She’ll show you how to become the studio people in your area actually know by name, and how to stop seeing your followers as names next to a like button and start seeing the real people behind the screen. That connection is everything in boudoir and portrait work, where someone has to trust you long before they book.

From the 2026 event

What the room said

“I cannot even begin to describe the value and content I received while attending Think Like a CEO 365 in Indiana.”

Read the full review

Karina literally thought of everything for this event. From entertainment, on site coffee trucks, catered lunches, taco trucks, speakers to educate us on social media content, how to find your ideal clients, reading and understanding your numbers, using AI to streamline your business and taxes and wealth management. I’m sure I’m leaving out more, but my brain is literally busting with knowledge and excitement for the future.

Thank you to all of the amazing professionals that were a part of this event, and the new friends I made this week. Can’t wait until next year!

Candice S. · 2026 attendee

“There aren’t a lot of business strategy workshops put on by photographers, for other photographers. Karina saw that need and brought it to life.”

Read the full review

Full heart leaving Chicago this morning and heading back home after attending the Think Like a CEO 365 event put together by the queen of Facebook and IG ad campaigns who I’m so lucky to have on my business team, Karina Velez!

The workshop I attended over the past 2 days was just phenomenal. I’m so glad I was personally asked to be a part of it.

I learned all about paid and organic social media strategies, elevating the client experience, leveraging AI to make my entire business operate at a higher standard, tax strategies, and more from leaders in various industries, including Mark J. Kohler.

I never knew I could listen to 3 hours worth of tax strategy education and be so heavily intrigued and find it so exciting to learn about.

I love my business. I love making money. I love serving the hell out of my clients. And most importantly, I love achieving my wildest dreams and making them my reality.

Jessica P. · 2026 attendee

“In my opinion, Karina is one of the sharpest business minds in our industry.”

Read the full review

She and I go way back, OGs, with a long-standing mutual respect for one another. She’s a kind, soft voiced human, but she carries a big stick. She is a tough-love truth teller, driven by data, always telling you what you need to hear, not just what you want to. And sometimes we need exactly that person in our lives. I know I do.

Being in her presence this week reminds me to rethink my level of discipline and the rigor in some areas. I have been around some extraordinarily brilliant business people in my career, Ivy League MBAs included, and Karina is among the best minds I know. Full stop.

I would step on this speaker panel any day. This was top notch, and I walked away a smarter person.

Cate S. · 2026 speaker
The 2026 room, Hammond, Indiana
Attendees at the 2026 event
An attendee with Mark Kohler at the 2026 event
The Naked Numbers attendee workbook
The studio set up for the 2026 event
The coffee truck on site
Two attendees at the 2026 event
A session in progress
Catered lunch, served both days
The taco truck, back by popular demand
Working through the numbers at the 2026 event
A speaker session at the 2026 event
The coffee bar at the 2026 event
An attendee in swag personalized with her own studio logo
The room during a 2026 session
A full room at the 2026 event
Between sessions at the 2026 event

What you’ll walk out with

Your 365
Scaling Roadmap

You’ll walk out knowing exactly what needs to happen in your studio over the next 12 months to hit your next level.

You’re making more money than ever, but too much of it is being absorbed by operating costs: more team, more overhead, more complexity, and more problems for you to personally solve.

The studio is growing, but the life you started the business to create still feels out of reach.

In the room, you’ll map out what needs to change so growth creates more profit, control, and freedom, instead of simply building a more expensive job.

Mark Kohler presenting to the room at the 2026 event in Hammond, Indiana

The room

Two days.
Twenty seats.

Hosted at Karina’s studio property in Hammond, Indiana. Twenty seats is the whole event. When they are gone, they are gone.

Dates
April 29–30, 2027
Hours
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Investment
$2,000 USD
Early bird through Oct 10
(or 4 payments of $500)
Seats
20 only

Everything included with your seat

  • Your 365 Scaling Roadmap. Built in the room, specific to your studio
  • Two full days with five speakers covering wealth, tax strategy, marketing (paid and organic), leadership, studio operations, and scaling a team
  • Event workbooks so every strategy is captured and ready to implement
  • Swag bag with merch featuring your own studio logo
  • Event t-shirt
  • Hot lunch on site, both days
  • Coffee truck on site, both mornings
  • Taco truck, back by popular demand
  • Welcome guide with speaker details and local spots to shop, dine, and explore Chicago
  • A room of high-level studio owners, with real time built in to connect, compare notes, and build relationships that last past the event

All included. The only thing you’ll need to bring is room in your head, because it’s going to get a lot bigger.

$2,000 early bird · $2,500 after Oct 10 · 20 seats only

(or 4 payments of $500)

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Before you book

Questions

Do you offer a payment plan?

Yes. You can split your ticket into four equal monthly payments instead of paying in full. On early bird that is $500 today and $500 a month for the next three months, taken on the same day each month. The first payment holds your seat straight away, so you are one of the twenty from that moment, not from the day it finishes paying.

Where does the event take place?

At Karina’s studio property in Hammond, Indiana, a dedicated space built for studio work and events. The full address comes with your confirmation email once you book.

What are the dates and hours?

April 29 and 30, 2027. Plan for 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central both days. Individual session times may vary.

How many seats are there?

Twenty. Once those twenty are sold, the event is sold out. No waitlist. No overflow room. This isn’t fake scarcity. The room physically doesn’t fit more people. Last year sold out, and most of those attendees plan to come back. If you want a seat, this is your window.

Can I bring my studio assistant, manager, or business partner?

Yes, and plenty of owners do. Each person attending needs their own ticket. Early bird is $2,000 through October 10, then $2,500. A payment plan is available.

Who is this event for?

Studio owners doing $30K+ months. You’re already scaling, and you’re ready to fix what’s breaking so growth turns into wealth.

Which airport should I fly into?

Chicago O’Hare (ORD) or Chicago Midway (MDW). O’Hare has more flights, but Midway usually puts you closer to Hammond and makes for an easier trip in.

Where should I stay?
  • The Cardinal Hotel Prefer to support local? Stay at The Cardinal Hotel, a new, locally owned boutique hotel in Highland. Modern, beautiful, and a short Uber ride from the studio.
    2205 Main Street, Highland, IN 46322
  • Hampton Inn & Suites Hammond Straightforward and comfortable, out on Carlson Drive.
    2842 Carlson Drive, Hammond, IN 46323
  • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Hammond Right next door to the Hampton on Carlson Drive.
    2918 Carlson Drive, Hammond, IN 46323
Is food provided?

Hot lunch is served both days, and coffee is on us both mornings. Breakfast is yours to enjoy however you like before you arrive.

Will I get more info before the event?

Yes. Every attendee receives a welcome guide with speaker details, plus our favorite local spots to shop and dine, and ideas if you want to make a trip into Chicago.

Are tickets refundable?

Tickets are non-refundable. You may transfer your seat to another qualified studio owner through April 1, 2027. Email us at [email protected] and we’ll help with the handoff.

Twenty seats, then we’re full

“Scaling isn’t the goal if all you’ve done is build a bigger business that owns you.”
Karina Velez

April 29 and 30, 2027 in Hammond, Indiana. Early bird is $2,000 USD per person through 11:59 PM Central on October 10, then $2,500. A payment plan is available. Every attendee books their own seat.

Secure My Seat · $2,000 early bird

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Think Like a CEO 365 April 29–30, 2027  ·  Hammond, Indiana Back to top