Starting a business is HARD. Especially when we start a business from a passion and have no idea how to run a business at all but we are really great artists and able to make great art.
I really wish I knew these 5 things I’m about to share with you when I started my wedding photography business, so here goes nothing.
- MENTAL HEALTH, THERAPY, BUSINESS COACHES
These are all so damn important for growing a healthy and thriving business because if we do not take our mental health seriously there is no way we can thrive and become our best selves. Every single time I invested in myself via therapy my business grew for the better. Every time i invest in coaching or a mentor my business goals are propelled at least 3x what i invested if not more. So if you want to get to the next level you will need to invest in yourself over and over and over again as a entrepreneur because even if you have a business degree that degree can only take you so far. The wedding industry is not to be toyed with either…. it is not an easy industry to be in. And to keep you from imposter syndrome you have to grow your mindset of abundance and not only believe in what you do but be ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED with what you do because once you hit that burn out phase…. you will have to know how to pick yourself back up again and the only way out is getting your mindset cleansed and infused with passion and drive for what you do and that usually entails a mental health break, therapy and or some type of business coaching to remind you why you began this journey of entrepreneurship.
2. Patience/Not giving up
Thats prob the hardest one to learn is patience with yourself because honestly you will mess up and when you do you are going to have to pick yourself up and try again until you find the groove for you and your photography business. I have tried so many different things in my business that ended up not working out but at least I tried it out to see if it would work and I’m so glad I did. You will also need to have patience while building your brand and finding your voice because you may not know your photography niche just yet and are still learning where you want your photography career to take you. You will also need to have patience when you get ghosted and just know those inquiries were not your people because as you find your brand voice your people will find you once you have a clear message on what your brand is.
3. Hard Work Pays Off
Im not sure where I learned this saying but the truth is in the pudding with this message and you will have to work 10x’s harder running a photography business than working a 9 to 5 corporate job. I don’t say this to scare you but its the truth. You will have to work for less as you begin because you don’t have the experience, but if you put in the work you will have a well oiled machine of a business in no time. Success doesn’t happen over night but happens over night after YEARS of hard work – thats what a lot of people don’t realize when they see a photography business poppin off. My business is now about 12 years old…. I didn’t see any real return of investment until the 5th year but that also because I did not have nearly as many tools new photographers have today…. seriously if i was to start a photography business as a newbie right now …. I would be a six figure earning business in at least 2-3 years instead of the 6 years it took me. So keep up the hard work and keep showing up …. it will pay off.
4. Trust your gut
If something seems too easy or off…it most likely is. If you feel you are ready to make that next step, take the leap and if you fall… all you have to do is pick up where you left off.
5. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION
Stop waiting on others to tell you that you can try something out in your business…. ITS YOUR BUSINESS! YOU are the CEO so start acting like it. Its fine to ask people their opinions but most likely people who are not in entrepreneurship are not in entrepreneurship for a reason: they dont have what it takes. I gave so much of my younger years in business to others by trusting what they said I needed to do and took their advice to heart and let me tell you… every single time I look back I regret not doing what I wanted with my business and did what everyone said I should do instead. Imposter syndrome is not an easy monster to deal with but you are going to have to close that door in its face and start believing in yourself a little more and remember your “why” so that you can grow into the best version of yourself as a photography business. You do not need permission from anyone to chase your dreams. So start giving yourself permission to run your business as the CEO that you are.
If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else believe in what you offer?
So get out there and try things out, make mistakes, get back up and try again. Running a business of any kind is hard.
If you are a Wedding Photographer looking for more help to grow your business feel free to reach out. I offer mentor sessions and would love to help you see your potential or help you get out of rut you might be in right now while reading this blog.
Click here to find out more on mentorships: https://itsjessgolden.com/mentoring
If you would like to hear the audio version of this check out my podcast episode here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wedding-pot/id1463403613?i=1000590689184
Thx