This year I decided to ask some of my coaching clients to share some of their favorite pieces of advice with all of you. I am a big believer that mindset and our fears surrounding money are often times one of the biggest things that gets in our way when building our business. I was thrilled to see so many of my coaching clients shared tidbits of advice that related to mindset, money, taking the leap, and just doing the things that scare you.
.jpg)
#1. Find The True Meaning Behind What You Do | Find Your “WHY”
When I first started working with Jamie she was feeling stuck in a rut, she wasn’t sure where her place was in the equine photography world was, or if she even really belonged in the equine photography world. She recently lost her heart horse, and wondered a lot if people really would hire a photographer that wasn’t even a horse owner themselves. We dug deep into Jamie’s “WHY” and what made her so special and unique so that she could build a business that spoke to people just like her. The process of discovering your “WHY” is so incredibly important, often times it is a tough and messy path to get there, but once you find it magic starts to happen in your business. When you build a business based on your “WHY” everything changes.
“Open up to your clients. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone opens the door to endless possibilities. It will draw in the clients you can relate with and be proud to have representing your brand. It will breath life into your business to work with those who best understand who you are as a human as well as those drawn towards you and your ‘why’. My biggest achievement was narrowing in on why I am an equine photographer and accepting that my past, no matter how messy, is what pushed me into becoming the woman I am today.” – Jamie Pankow
#2. Do the Scary Things
How many times in your business do you hear advice from a friend, mentor, or fellow photographer and think to yourself, “NO WAY! That lady is crazy.” Well Taylor shared with me recently that she was so excited to work with me but after our first real coaching call she hung up the phone and promptly called her business bestie, Leigh, and the conversation went a little something like this, “Karinda is crazy, there is no way we can do what she is saying! People will never pay that, this will never work. I guess we will just stick it out but we don’t have to do all of the things she is saying.”
It didn’t take long for both Taylor & Leigh to come around and realize that what I was saying although it sounded scary, actually TERRIFYING, worked. Soon enough they came around and started trying the things we were working through and implementing the new pricing, systems, and so much more…and guess what they found out. Although it was scary, and seemed absolutely crazy…their clients did indeed LOVE it.
Take my word for it, if it isn’t scary, then it probably isn’t the right thing to do. All big changes should be scary. Change is scary. Uncertainty is scary. We are made to be fearful of new things to protect ourselves but one day we all start to realize that after you do something a few times you realize it isn’t so bad. Remember the first time you rode your bike without training wheels? It was terrifying, until all of the pieces fell into place and you were finally free and then you felt the thrill of riding your bike.
“Do the scary thing. Do the thing that seems crazy. Your clients are going to love it!” – Taylor Schoonover
“My best advice would be to be yourself and don’t be afraid of being successful, no matter what that looks like. Keep going and don’t give up. you got this!” – Maria Pate
#3. Find a Mentor
I remember the first time I hired a mentor to help me with my business. I was in the first year of my business and I saw something on Facebook about a 1:1 Coaching Program with a girl named Erin. Little did I know, but that investment that seemed HUGE at the time would change my life. I can honestly say that I would have taken ages longer to get where I am now if I hadn’t started myself out on the right foot. Since working with Erin I have worked with countless mentors and coaching over the years and each and every one of them has changed my life in a big way.
You are probably thinking, “I can do this on my own.” Don’t get me wrong, you can 100% do it on your own.
Hiring a mentor will save you years of trial and error, lots of tears and frustration, and get you to where you want to be 10x faster. I am a firm believer that anyone can build a 6 figure photography business in their very first year if they are given the right tools, and they put in the work. If you are just starting out, feeling stuck in a rut, burnt out, tired, or even feeling like you should be making more money for the work you are putting in, then it is probably time to find a mentor to help you grow.
“Invest in a mentor who nows what they are doing. This is, by far, the most important thing I did for my business. I actually wish I did it before I invested in my equipment and just rented the equipment for awhile. There are so many educators out there who teach a whole lotta fluff, but the one who really helped me personally is Karinda Kinsler. Some day, I hope to jump into education, but I’m still learning a whole heck of a lot myself from her! She has helped me serve my clients better, organize my pricing and finances to create a sustainable business, and make that voice inside my head confident. She taught me things I never even realized I needed to learn about the business side of photography. There are a lot of great coaches mentors out there so it’s important to find the one that fits your needs, so I would recommend talking to the people they’ve coached or mentored to hear what they have to say before you invest.” – Leigh Mistric
#4. Pay Yourself Well
Each and every person who owns a business deserves to paid well. Running a business is more than a full time job, it is life for most business owners. Don’t be afraid to go out there and shoot for the stars. When you are planning how much you should be charging your clients, and you ask yourself “How much do I want to make in my pocket each year from my business?” Don’t be conservative, sit down and figure out what exactly it will cost you to live the life of your dreams, to do all of the things you want to do, even if it feels silly. If your dream is to go out and buy yourself a vacation home on the beach, figure out what you need to make to be able to do that! If your goal is to import yourself a fancy pony from Europe, then go figure out exactly what you need to make in order to do it. Think about things like hiring a maid, a nanny for your kiddos, someone to prepare your meals, or even being able to go out on a spontaneous shopping spree when the urge hits you, don’t be afraid to dream big and set big goals for what you want to make from your business.
“You absolutely need to understand that you DESERVE to make a living in your business. Not just getting by, but a great living. You’re offering a service as well as products, don’t forget to VALUE the services you are providing.. Get comfortable BELIEVING your value is higher than you ever gave it credit for. Get comfortable pushing your boundaries.” – Elizabeth Morrissette
“Don’t listen to those who don’t believe in you. And don’t let the big numbers scare you.”- Aubray Vande Corput
#5. Ask The Right Questions
People always say to me, “I don’t want to feel like I have to sell things to my clients, so I can’t do In Person Sales.”
I want to let you in on a little secret.
If you start asking the right questions and getting to know your clients you won’t ever have to sell them a thing. Pick up the phone, talk to them, ask them about themselves, ask them what they plan on doing with their portraits. Then show them how you are going to help them along the way, and make them feel special. Our job as a photographer is to guide our clients through a phenomenal process and that process starts from the very first phone call.
Pick up the phone and talk to your potential clients.
“Don’t be afraid of the phone! Just ask a few questions and then listen! Most people don’t feel heard or seen, make them feel truly special every step of the process.”- Sue Halliburton
If these things resonated with you, make sure you apply for our Group Coaching Program.
I have to give a huge shout out to each one of the amazing ladies who contributed to this post. I consider myself so incredibly grateful to get to be a part of your journey and I am so proud of all of your accomplishments.