Episodes

  • One Year In and the 4 Bottlenecks Keeping Pet Photographers Stuck

    One Year In and the 4 Bottlenecks Keeping Pet Photographers Stuck
    Jun 9 2026
    In one week, it will be a year since I released the very first episode of The Pet Photographers' Journal. I honestly didn't know if I'd still be here doing this. I didn't know if I'd stay consistent. I didn't know if it would matter to anyone.But here we are. Over 5,000 downloads later, and I get messages from photographers telling me these episodes have genuinely helped their businesses. That means everything.This episode is a little different. I want to mark the milestone, share some of what's happened in the last twelve months, including some wins from photographers I've worked with, and then get into something practical. Because after a year of working with pet photographers through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and the Consistent Bookings Mastermind, I've seen the same underlying problem show up again and again: inconsistent bookings.But this problem doesn't always come from the same place. And if you're trying to fix the wrong bottleneck, you'll keep spinning your wheels.So today I'm walking you through the four bottlenecks I see most often, and how to figure out which one is yours.A note before we dive in: this episode was recorded during a hard personal time. My dog James was diagnosed with cancer, and stepping back from parts of the business while navigating that has been genuinely tough. I mention it briefly in the episode. Thank you to everyone who reached out with kind messages. It has meant more than I can say.Resources mentioned:Take the free Consistent Bookings Audit (takes about 5 minutes, gives you a personalised result) → https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditConsistent Bookings Mastermind (six-month small group program) → https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consistent-bookings-mastermindEp. 9 — Why Your Bookings Are Inconsistent (And It's Not What You Think) → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mUVzPbNGALeVcKvGUDKlFS2 Ep. 6 — From Overwhelmed with Marketing to Fully Booked for Spring with Sharon Canovas → https://open.spotify.com/episode/4LC6bhrtoIgx1RCKXG4IYHS2 Ep. 13 — From Zero Clients to a $9,000 Sale: Yunet's Pet Photography Story → https://open.spotify.com/episode/5C9OWzfPhdsE8x8x3IuXeY💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    18 mins
  • Third Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New CityThird Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New City

    Third Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New CityThird Party Marketing for Pet Photographers: How Kirstie McConnell Built a Fully Booked Calendar After Relocating to a New City
    Jun 2 2026
    When Kirstie McConnell found out she was moving back to Australia after six years in Italy, she had six months to prepare. By the time she landed in Melbourne, a city where she knew almost no one professionally, she had 26 sessions already booked. Her first three shoots were four days after arriving home.In this episode, Ina sits down with Kirstie, one of Australia's original pet photographers and co-host of the now-closed Pet Photographers Club podcast, to unpack exactly how she did it. This is a masterclass in knowing your numbers, building a client system that does the educating for you, and making third party marketing work the way it's supposed to.Key takeaways:The client should hear about pricing at least 10 times before they ever sit down at the ordering appointment. The voucher says it, the letter says it, the video says it, the questionnaire says it, the phone call confirms it. By the time they are looking at their photos, no one is surprised.Third party marketing works when it is genuinely a win for the partner. If they are not distributing your vouchers, the problem is not the system. It is that you have not made it worth their while. Kirstie does commercial shoots, provides wall art for store fit-outs, and makes the whole process require zero effort from the partner.Sending 80 emails got Kirstie 10 partners. If each of those partners generates 20 clients at a $2,600 average, that is $500,000 in revenue from 80 emails. Do the numbers.The step most photographers skip is the automated funnel between voucher receipt and first phone call. If clients are not converting, this is usually where the leak is.Know your capacity and protect it. Kirstie caps at 12 sessions a month because she knows what happens to quality, turnaround time, and her personal life when she pushes past it.Connect with Kirstie:Instagram: @classicoportraitsaustraliaWebsites:Classico Portraits Australia: classicoportraits.com.auClassico Portraits Italy: classicoportraits.com Resources mentioned:Wistia (free for a small number of videos): wistia.comFillout Forms: fillout.comAirtable: airtable.comMailerLite: mailerlite.comFundy Wall Designer: for superimposing artwork into client home photos💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • The Facebook Ad and Giveaway System That Books Out a Studio 4 Times a Year with Jason Krygier-Baum from Fido Foto

    The Facebook Ad and Giveaway System That Books Out a Studio 4 Times a Year with Jason Krygier-Baum from Fido Foto
    May 18 2026
    What if you could run four campaigns a year, spend around $40 to acquire each client, and predict exactly how many sessions you'd fill?That is exactly what Jason Krieger-Baum has built at Fido Photo in Toronto. He has been photographing pets for over 17 years, and in this episode he pulls back the curtain on the giveaway-based lead generation model that now drives his entire business. No organic social. No cold outreach. Just a system that works.This conversation gets genuinely specific. We talk numbers, ad structure, booking rates, same-day ordering, and why Jason believes he would start with this model all over again if he were beginning today.What we cover:How Jason went from a high-touch luxury brand to a streamlined, high-volume studio model and why he thinks it is the better businessThe giveaway structure that generates 400 to 450 leads per campaign and converts roughly 35 to 40% of winners into booked clientsHis exact ad spend: $8 to $10 per lead, $4,000 to $5,000 per campaign, run four times a yearWhy he spends $500 a day on ads and does not stress about optimising every dollarHis same-day ordering appointment process and how he culls 350 images down to 30 in just 15 minutesThe automated booking workflow he uses in Go High Level so clients book themselves without a single phone call from himHow he physically mails a printed magazine to every client a month before their session to prepare them for the experienceWhy he does not post on social media at all right now and what he does insteadKey timestamps:02:40 Jason's 17+ years in pet photography and how Toronto shaped his approach05:00 Two brands, one pivot: the difference between Jason KB and Fido Photo09:00 Pricing breakdown including digitals, portraits, wall art, and coffee table books14:00 The booking workflow from lead to session without phone calls17:00 How Jason shoots six sessions a week across three days20:00 Culling 350 photos in 15 minutes and running a same-day ordering session32:00 How the giveaway model actually works, who wins and how many book37:00 The ad spend breakdown and the ROI equation he uses39:00 How he structures his Facebook campaigns: ad sets, audiences, and one ad per set1:20:00 Why he puts zero effort into social media and what he is building insteadConnect with Jason:Instagram: @fido.foto Website: fido-foto.comResources mentioned:Go High Level / Difference Maker Revolution (CRM and automation platform Jason uses for his booking workflow)ProSelect (slideshow and ordering session software)💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-auditMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • How to Keep Marketing When You're Too Busy Doing the Work

    How to Keep Marketing When You're Too Busy Doing the Work
    May 10 2026

    Right now I've got 16 sessions booked for May, ordering appointments to run, editing to get through, and prints to deliver.

    And I'm still marketing.

    I know that probably sounds like a lot. This episode is about what that actually looks like, and why having a system already in place means marketing doesn't have to stop just because life gets full.

    I also share the moment that changed how I think about this entirely. A trip to Iceland, two months of no marketing at all, and coming home to a completely empty January and February. No bookings. No enquiries. Checking my emails constantly and genuinely thinking about applying for other jobs.

    That experience is a big part of why I built the repeatable marketing system I use today, and why I created the workshop.

    Enrol in The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop

    The Pet The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop starts 14 May 2026 7:30 AM AEST (13 May 2026 5:30PM ET). More info about the workshop or to enrol visit:

    https://www.inajphotography.com.au/the-pet-photography-marketing-systems-workshop

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    12 mins
  • Your Next Busy Season Is Being Decided Right Now

    Your Next Busy Season Is Being Decided Right Now
    May 2 2026

    I'm recording this right at the start of my busiest month. Sixteen sessions in May. And almost every single one of them was booked from campaigns I ran back in January and February.

    That gap between when the marketing happens and when the bookings land is the thing most photographers miss. And it's exactly what this episode is about.

    If you're in a busy season right now and you're not thinking about what happens next, or if you're staring at a quiet calendar wondering how it got this way, this one is for you.

    In this episode:

    • Why the feast and famine cycle is not about how hard you're working (and what it's actually about)
    • The 4 to 6 week marketing lag and why your empty calendar is never about now
    • What a National Love Your Pet Day giveaway brought in, including one client who spent $6,000 and another who spent $3,980
    • Sharon Canovas's story: how a stunt performer in Hamilton, Ontario went from scrambling for bookings to a fully booked spring by planning her whole year in December
    • The one action to take this week, depending on your season and hemisphere

    Resources and links mentioned:
    • The Pet Photography Marketing Systems Workshop starting 14 May 2026 7:30 AM AEST (13 May 2026 5:30PM ET): https://www.inajphotography.com.au/the-pet-photography-marketing-systems-workshop
    • Sharon Canovas's episode: From Overwhelmed With Marketing to Fully Booked for Spring Listen on Captivate | Listen on Spotify

    Your one action from this episode

    Write down your next peak booking window. Count back four to six weeks from that date. That's when your marketing needs to start. Not when the season arrives. Not when your calendar starts looking quiet. Now.

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    15 mins
  • Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa

    Hiding Behind the Camera: The Subconscious Reason Photographers Avoid Visibility with Marissa
    Apr 27 2026
    Why You Can't Make Yourself Show Up Online (It's Not a Confidence Problem) with Miss MarissaYou know what you should be doing. Post more. Show up consistently. Put yourself out there. And yet something keeps stopping you.In this episode, I sit down with Marissa, a personal brand therapist, coach, and former national TV hypnotist who works at the intersection of neuroscience, subconscious rewiring, and personal brand identity. Marissa has 20+ years in personal branding and marketing, degrees in PR, journalism, and applied neuroscience, and over 3,000 client sessions under her belt.What I expected was a conversation about branding strategy. What actually happened was something I didn't see coming. Midway through our conversation, Marissa turned the tables and started coaching me live, on air. She uncovered a belief I've been carrying since childhood and walked me through a guided subconscious practice that I'm still thinking about.If you've ever pushed yourself to show up online only to freeze, go blank, or find yourself doing literally anything else instead, this episode will give you a completely different lens for that.In this episode, we cover:Why visibility resistance is a nervous system and belief problem, not a confidence problemHow your core beliefs form between the ages of 0 and 7, and why they're still running your business todayThe "thick book" concept: how neural pathways shape your behaviour as a photographerWhat it actually means to have a personal brand as a solo photographer (and why you already have one whether you like it or not)Why the most talented photographers are often the least visibleA live guided inner practice you can use whenever you feel stuck showing upSmall, practical steps to start building visibility even if video feels terrifyingMarissa's final message for anyone who keeps getting in their own wayTimestamps:00:00 — Introduction01:30 — Marissa's journey: from shooting her first wedding at 17 to national TV hypnotist11:52 — The difference between confidence in your skills and confidence in yourself13:25 — Stripping back belief layers: how our core stories form20:00 — The "thick book" concept and how neural pathways shape your behaviour23:21 — Ina shares her own visibility block with coaching28:36 — Marissa challenges the belief that you need to be "better" than your clients32:00 — The live inner practice begins48:07 — Coming out of the exercise: how Ina felt53:49 — People buy who you are, not just your photos01:04:23 — What is a personal brand, really?01:15:09 — Practical steps when you're not ready for video01:22:13 — Marissa's final message: there is nothing wrong with youConnect with Marissa:Website: heymissmarissa.comInstagram: @heymissmarissaUseful resources:The Pet Photography Marketing System Workshop Waitlist (enrolment opens April 30th) - get a personalised video audit on your website, pricing or offer if you enrol to the workshop and you're on this waitlist.Add your name here: https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consistent-bookings-workshop-waitlist-pageFree Consistent Bookings Audit - find your gap in getting consistent bookings: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective, it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comJoin the Consistent Bookings ProgramMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • How I Know What a Client Will Spend Before They See Their Photos

    How I Know What a Client Will Spend Before They See Their Photos
    Apr 20 2026

    How I Know What a Client Will Spend Before They See Their Photos

    If you've ever had a client ghost you after the session, or show up to their ordering appointment completely shocked by the pricing, this episode is going to hit close to home.

    Because here's the thing: the problem usually isn't the ordering appointment itself. It's everything that came before it.

    In this solo episode, Ina walks through her full client process from first enquiry through to ordering appointment, and explains exactly how she's consistently getting clients spending $2,000 to $4,000 even during a cost of living crunch, with more than half of those clients coming in as giveaway clients.

    The process is not complicated, but the sequencing matters. And most photographers are missing a step somewhere along the way.

    What's covered in this episode:

    00:00 Why clients get shocked at pricing (and what's actually causing it)

    02:30 How Ina's website is set up to educate clients before the consultation even starts

    06:00 What happens at the consultation, and why Ina spends most of it talking about the dog, not the pricing

    10:00 The one question she asks that tells her almost everything about what a client will spend

    13:00 How she introduces pricing without handing over a price list

    15:30 The questionnaire and pre-session planning call, and why both matter more than most photographers realise

    19:00 How she books the ordering appointment on the way back to the car after the session

    21:00 Two real examples from recent ordering appointments, including a $3,200 prepaid session and a client who doubled his own planned spend

    25:00 The key takeaway: the ordering appointment is not where the sale happens, it's where it lands

    Resources mentioned:

    Consultation That Sells Workshop Waitlist: https://www.inajphotography.com.au/consultation-that-sells-waitlist

    Free Consistent Bookings Audit: https://www.inajphotography.com/consistent-booking-audit

    💬 Join the Pet Photographers' Collective

    If you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective — it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.

    Inside, Ina shares:

    ✨ Practical marketing tips

    ✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts

    ✨ Free resources to help you grow

    Connect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.

    Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1

    ✨ Want to Be Coached Live?

    Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29

    📲 Connect with Ina

    Instagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo

    Email: ina@inajphotography.com

    Join the Consistent Bookings Program

    Mentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    18 mins
  • Holding Space for Goodbye: End-of-Life Sessions, Grief and Showing Up With More Than a Camera with Angela Schneider

    Holding Space for Goodbye: End-of-Life Sessions, Grief and Showing Up With More Than a Camera with Angela Schneider
    Apr 13 2026
    If you've ever thought about offering end-of-life sessions, or you already do and you want to do them better, this episode is for you.In this conversation, I sit down with Angela Schneider from Big White Dog Photography for an honest, emotional and deeply practical discussion about what it really takes to photograph families during one of the hardest chapters of their lives.Angela is an adventure dog photographer based in Spokane Valley, Washington. She's also a Pet Loss Grief Companion, a Grief Educator through David Kessler, and a Master Grief Coach through Cathy Cheshire. After losing her own heart dog Shep in 2014 and now navigating anticipatory grief with her current dog Bella, Angela has spent years learning how to show up for grieving clients with real emotional intelligence. She's recently released her book Through the Lens of Goodbye: A Pet Photographer's Guide to End-of-Life Sessions, which covers everything from grief education to pricing, marketing and the operational side of offering these sessions ethically.We both get emotional in this one. It's raw, it's real, and I think that's exactly why it matters.Key takeaways:If you're going to do end-of-life sessions, learn about grief first. Becoming grief-informed is not optional for this work.Charging for end-of-life sessions is an act of respect. It reinforces the value of what you do, ensures your business is sustainable and prevents burnout.Stop using guilt-based messaging on your website. Celebrate the life and connection instead of reminding people their dog is going to die. They already know.Your client's grief is not about you. Share your story briefly if asked, then circle back to their experience.Always get consent before sharing end-of-life images on social media. Warn your client before posting and respect their wishes if they say no.About Angela SchneiderAngela Schneider is the founder of Big White Dog Photography, an adventure dog photography business rooted in the wild landscapes of the Inland Northwest. She photographs women and their dogs on ridgelines, in forests and along quiet lakeshores. Angela is a Pet Loss Grief Companion with Two Hearts Pet Loss Center, a Grief Educator with David Kessler and Grief.com, and a Master Grief Coach through Cathy Cheshire. Her book Through the Lens of Goodbye: A Pet Photographer's Guide to End-of-Life Sessions is available on Amazon in print and Kindle.Connect with Angela:Website: bigwhitedogphotography.comEmail: angela@bigwhitedogphotography.comInstagram: @bigwhitedogphotography Substack: dogphotography.substack.comMentioned in this episode:Through the Lens of Goodbye: A Pet Photographer's Guide to End-of-Life Sessions by Angela Schneider (Amazon US / Amazon AU)Angela's Substack: dogphotography.substack.com (weekly posts on anticipatory grief with action items)💬 Join the Pet Photographers' CollectiveIf you want to sign up for the workshop, join the Pet Photographers' Collective — it's a free community for pet photographers who want to build a profitable, sustainable business with less overwhelm.Inside, Ina shares:✨ Practical marketing tips✨ Business lessons and mindset shifts✨ Free resources to help you growConnect with other photographers who get it and start creating a business that truly supports your life, not consumes it.Join here → https://www.skool.com/pet-photographers-collective-3125/about?ref=9c7b56d2963f48a791297a43a29109e1✨ Want to Be Coached Live?Interested in being featured on a future coaching episode? Apply here: https://forms.gle/oocMwawVB3de6aM29📲 Connect with InaInstagram: @inaj.thepetphotoceo Email: ina@inajphotography.comJoin the Consistent Bookings ProgramMentoring & Coaching for Pet Photographers — Learn More: https://www.inajphotography.com/for-photographer
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    1 hr and 4 mins