In 2009, I shot my first paid wedding. In the seven years that followed I have faced many ups and downs, I have dealt with negativity and criticism and I have endured the pain of poor decisions. I have also felt the joy of super happy clients, the satisfaction of sharing new images and the instant gratification of well-received work. I love my clients. I also love the stress of a wedding day. It is between the instant satisfaction and mass uncertainty that I THRIVE.
Taking the leap from being an Occupational Therapist (a job with with ample security and full benefits) seemed like a crazy decision to most people. I knew I was making a risky decision. But I could never spend my life wondering ‘what if.’ I could never be at peace with myself if I didn’t pursue something that I believed I could do, and there is really only one way to test this type of hypothesis. That is, just DO IT.
If you are at that stage, beginning to wonder ‘what if’ in your life, be it a leap into a photography business or any other sort of career change, these considerations are for you!
1. Starting a business is chock full of assumptions (and therefore risk).
A wedding day is in many ways a metaphor for running a photography business or being an entrepreneur in general. You assume the day will go a certain way: the weather will cooperate, guests will be happy, the flowers will be fresh, the vows will read smoothly, things will go according to schedule. But when your assumptions are disproven, GET READY TO COURSE CORRECT. As with wedding photography, agility is key in any early stage business.
2. Get comfy with criticism.
My favourite researcher, book author and TED-talker Brene Brown talks about the power of vulnerability. Something that she said loops in my head: you can either choose comfort or courage, but you cant have both, at least not at the same time. When you throw your hat into the photography ring, or more literally, when you post your work for the world to see, and hang your shingle: “Photographer for Hire,” you’re choosing courage over comfort, and you are all in. You’re in for all the praise, and you’re in for all the criticism. People are natural judges, and get ready for it. Now that all sounds very frightening, I know. But here’s what I want to say to you: not everyone will love your work, and it’s OKAY! Not everyone will love what you are posting, doing or saying online either. That is also OKAY! Not everyone is your target client, and not everyone is right about you, and sadly, not everyone will be your lover and supporter. But those who are, will become your raving fans! That being said, try not to ignore the criticisms, there are opportunities to learn and grow inside the negativity, which brings me to my next point.
3. There is value in mistakes and bad decisions.
Mistakes and bad decisions will happen. Inevitably. Don’t be foolish thinking that this will be all rainbows and butterflies, compliments, praise and a steady flow of one great decision after another. It will not be that. You will make bad decisions and you will fail from time to time. Failing in business and photography isn’t the sad pathetic thing that our society wants it to be. There is huge value in in the aftermath of mistakes and failure. What did you learn? What will you do differently? What is your course correction. Mistakes and lessons cost you, yes. But the ROI (return on investment) that you glean is totally in your court.
4. Get ready for difficult conversations.
Being assertive was never my forte. It still isnt. If given the choice to deal with a difficult situation or crawl under the nearest rock for the day, I would choose the latter. But, the reality is, that when you enter the world of photography business, you are choosing to stay out from under the rock. Difficult conversations suck, and you might need to make a few mistakes before you learn how to have these difficult conversations. But get ready for them, get ready to defend your pricing, get ready to deal with unsatisfied clients, get ready to manage expectations, get ready to deal with unsolicited criticism and get ready to say no. Saying no to one thing reserves your right to say yes to something more amazing later.
5. Mind the firehose.
As soon as I became pregnant, I was amazed at how much parenting advice the world suddenly wanted to bestow on me. Women would come out of nowhere and tell me that I should give my baby a bottle at night, or exclusively breastfeed, or to sleep when the baby sleeps, or to read this book, or to buy that product, or swaddle this way or burp that way. Everyone around me suddenly became the parenting expert trying to tell me how to also be the perfect parent. When you step into the business ring, and when you step into the photography business ring, a similar thing will happen. Everyone who has ever held a camera, hired a photographer or been in front of a camera will want to tell you what is best, what editing technique to use, how you should price yourself, how you should bill clients and deliver images, and how you should or shouldn’t post to social media. Suddenly you will find yourself spinning circles trying to decide whether you should warm your photos up or cool them down, share everything online or nothing at all.
Above all else, here’s the most important thing that you need to know how to do in child rearing and in business: turn the corners of your mouth upward, and nod your head up and down. Be polite, thank your critics and then go run your business. Sip from the hose, be selective. Listen carefully to your customers (the people that pay you) and remember that you can’t please everyone. Set your own parameters and do what is right for your business. You and your customers know what that is better than anyone else.