What if you could get a little time back to spend with your family or on a hobby or just not looking at your computer screen? Recently, I had a Q&A session with professional retoucher Derek Ahlberg. Based in the midwest, his marquee client is Target. Yes, that one. From pet costumes to facial cleansers to table linens and beach toys—if you’ve recently been in the store or to their website, you’ve likely seen Derek’s handy work. Derek is also a verybusy.io power user, with the platform since it’s early beta days. We wanted to know what is behind his decision to use verybusy.io and why he continues to introduce it to new photographers and art directors.

Q: Tell us about a campaign or project you worked on prior to using verybusy.io and some of the challenges you faced.

A: Across the board, the biggest problem I would run into before verybusy.io was the certainty that the client and I were both looking at and reviewing the same version of a file. Also, there was a lack of clarity about what needed to change from a retouching perspective. It was always a challenge to take two visually creative people and have them put their needs into words, and then translate words to action. Being able to see a markup and show how much of a move has been made via the before/after function has been a game changer. It provides the necessary clarity, which has sped up my process.

Q: How long before you felt like you were really up and running on the platform…understood essential features and what you were supposed to do within the platform?

A: Honestly, it felt pretty instant. These were all features I was looking for in a review software, and the platform itself felt intuitive and easy to get started with.

Q: What impact does verybusy.io have on your ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously?

A: With notifications for edits, it has allowed me not only to manage multiple projects but it has helped me step away from my computer and be present in life's other tasks.  I’m no longer sitting around refreshing my email to see feedback.  The top-of-the-hour feedback notifications have helped me balance my work/life priorities. I can get in some good family time with a quick check-in at the top of the hour to see if anything new has come across the wire.

Q: What criteria did verybusy.io have to meet before you introduced it to your clients?

A: I was really hoping for a simple interface.  Self-explainable tools and features. I had that right out of the gate with verybusy.io.

Q: How did you go about introducing verybusy.io to your clients? What was their reaction?

A: Often I would be able to walk them through the features in person while we were still on set capturing the project. I would show them how cool the before/after feature was since I was already so jazzed about it. Clients love how clean it is and how easy it is to mark up an image to communicate their next steps.

Q: Thinking about projects completed on the platform, can you share any specific instances where verybusy.io was instrumental in successfully completing a project?

A: One valuable feature is the ability to have multiple clients/users view and work on the same project simultaneously. For some projects, I have other retouchers contributing to the process. We now have this shared software, so we can all contribute our steps without having to worry about overlap or creating confusion.

Q: How has the use of verybusy.io affected client satisfaction and communication?

A: It has built and instilled confidence in the projects and the work we put into them.  The capture process on set often looks intimidating and confusing, especially when you can’t immediately see the final outcome.  I frequently start with a round-0 of an unretouched image directly from set.  Being able to show the before and after of that file and the work that the team and I have put into it shows off the quality of what we can achieve and emphasizes the value and the “wow factor” of the work retouchers can contribute to a project.

Q: Has the implementation of verybusy.io led to any cost savings or increased profitability?

A: For me, the cost savings and increased profitability I’ve found aren’t necessarily measured in dollars but in time. verybusy.io has helped me save time that I otherwise would have spent processing out updates, translating requests, and updating other contractors.  Instead, I get to walk away from my desk and be present with my home life, which has been a huge personal profit.

Q: Has verybusy.io replaced any other tools you were using?

A: I wouldn’t even call them tools—more like cumbersome file/folder management. But yes, it has thinned out many of the scrappy tools I used in my workflow.

Q: Has verybusy.io had an impact on the quality of your work? Your life?

A: Back to the idea of time as a profit - yes, it has. It’s simple, but it has helped me streamline my review process and get hours back that I can spend with my kiddo.  My retouching desk is at home, so it has always been easy (maybe too easy) to step in and see if I have any updates on a project, often checking multiple times in an hour.  Now I set my reviews to the top of the hour or even once a day for some projects, and that discipline has helped me step away from my work and be present in other parts of my life.

Q: What would happen if verybusy.io went away?

A: I would complain a lot and send daily emails to Peter and Emily to figure out how to get it back!

Q: Do you have any hopes for the future direction of verybusy.io (e.g., features, integrations)?

A: Each update has improved the software, often even in areas I didn’t realize were “lacking.” I can only imagine it will keep improving in ways we users might not expect, and I’m excited about that.

Q: How can people get in touch with you?

People can reach me via email at derek@derekahlbergdigital.com. I like connecting with other folks, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

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If you haven’t already tried verybusy.io, sign up for a free 30-day trial (no cc req’d). Put the platform through its paces, and you’ll soon see why having a retouching management tool built by retouchers as the single source of truth for you and your collaborators is the way to go. Any questions? Email us at support@verybusy.io.