Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Hi, and welcome to Sustainable Photography. Pretty sure this is episode 152, and I know that my name is Ingwulkullness, and this podcast is all about helping ambitious photographers build profitable and lasting businesses without you having to sacrifice your life or your sanity. Hope that sounds good. And today's episode is as for photographers who are maybe feeling a bit stuck, like maybe even booked out and working hard, but have just stopped growing, maybe you're not making enough money, maybe you feel burnt out from working too much, from not really having the life that you thought you would have when you started this business. So if that's you, definitely keep listening, because we're going to talk about how you can improve your business in a sustainable way. And you don't have to worry. Of course, it's not about working harder. It's about finding a way to work where you're thriving and working in a way that really works for you. So if you're fully booked but you're not making enough money, then you probably know that something has to change. If you're feeling like you're kind of stuck in, like, hustle mode, where you're editing late into the night, barely keeping up with any admin stuff, or maybe you feel like you're just doing everything you think you can do, everything that you have been told that you should do, and still nothing's really working.
[00:01:39] And I see that so often in ambitious and talented photographers just working so hard. And then the strategies and the things that you did to kind of start out and to maybe get through the first few years, that's not really working anymore.
[00:01:56] And part of growing as a business owner is to adapt your mindset. You need to grow your mindset and you need to get some new systems. And when you're in a place where you're almost having to force yourself to think differently, it's often about doing less of some things. Sometimes when people are interested in working with me or joining my mentor program, they're worried that it's going to take too much time, and I completely understand that. I think doing something new, you'll often have that feeling.
[00:02:34] But it's not about doing more. It's about doing different things and also letting go of some things.
[00:02:44] Part of it is delegating stuff, things that you really don't need to do, like some admin stuff, like editing, like those things that you're so used to doing. But if you're gonna be really honest with yourself, you know that someone else could do just as good, or even a better job than you do.
[00:03:06] Another thing is just realizing how much time you're spending perfecting your Instagram posts and just letting go of that as well. Just realizing that post it is good enough. And realizing that the goal of Instagram isn't to create the perfect grid. And it's not to have perfect posts with perfect captions, it's to get new clients.
[00:03:34] Another thing you might need to let go of is the fear that clients might not want to pay you higher prices, because if you're booked out and you're not making enough money, you need to raise your prices. So it's really okay if fewer people will book you because you don't really want more clients anyway.
[00:03:57] Another mindset shift that you really need to work on is the fact that you're so busy. You're so busy doing all the things that you have to do or feel like you have to do or want to do or should do, that you've lost sight of the strategy.
[00:04:16] You aren't doing the things that are helping your business because you're just so caught up in client work and all the to dos. And that can feel really scary to let go of control, to invest in systems and to focus on strategy and just not doing all the more or less mundane things that you're just used to doing from day to day.
[00:04:40] But I just want you to keep sight of what really means something to you, and that is having a creative, sustainable business that supports the life that you want. And if you're working constantly, then you're not really having that life. So if you think about it, it's going to be worth it to step outside of that comfort zone and to let go of some stuff and to try something new. But let's talk about how you can do that first. I want you to take a look at everything you do in a week and highlight the things that you need to do, like truly the ones that no one else can do for you. And once you know which tasks are left, those are tasks you can consider to outsource, to maybe hire a VA to do or to use a CRM, like a software to automate.
[00:05:42] If you do that, that's going to free up your time and you can focus more on the things that you love and the stuff that actually brings you more money, like being outside, taking photos, going to your studio, meeting clients, and just sitting down in your office and figuring out what to do next. If you are now fully booked, you really need to take another look at your prices. I think especially on instagram we often look up to those who say they're fully booked and maybe they're bragging a little bit, saying like, oh, I'm fully booked.
[00:06:21] And we think like, oh, wow, they're doing everything right. But I just don't agree. I think if you're fully booked, you're doing something wrong because that often means that you don't have time for anything else. It means that you probably could have doubled your prices a long time ago and work less and make more money, because the clients who value your work, they'll pay for it. And if you raise your prices, you can probably get better clients, clients that will appreciate you more and who you will like working with more. So raising your prices is definitely something to do at and maybe also see if you can create some really great packages that's going to show your expertise and to give your clients that amazing experience that is going to make them really happy that they chose you and recommend you to all their friends. Growing your business isn't necessarily like just clicking a button and then everything fits.
[00:07:23] You might need to just try some things and make some shifts and changes, and you might need some guidance and support and sometimes even a push. And I know that because I've helped a lot of photographers just like you to go from feeling stuck to running businesses that they're really proud of, that they're thriving in. And I. I'm sure that I can do the same for you as well, if you are open to it. I've worked with several photographers who've doubled their revenue, who are working a lot less and making the same amount of money, who are turning down work because they just don't want to do that anymore. They can be more picky and choose what they want to do.
[00:08:08] So having a mentor isn't just about business strategy. It's about having someone in your corner who can help you see the bigger picture and maybe also see a different angle sometimes and to help you and see options and possibilities that you probably don't see yourself. So I want you to take a look at where you are right now in your business.
[00:08:30] If you're feeling stuck or if you're ready to move forward and maybe you don't know how. I've actually got two offers for you right now. One is my Black Friday offer that's open for a couple more days. I bundled three courses and a one on one call. And you can get it probably today and tomorrow and then it's going to be gone.
[00:08:52] And then of course, there's my bigger offer. We start next week the Sustainable Photography Program, where we'll figure out together where your business needs to improve and create a plan so that you can grow your business in a sustainable way. And don't miss out this is the Chance to Join previously, we've had multiple openings during the year, but this is it. There's not going to be another opening for another year, so if you've been considering it, don't wait any longer. Because I actually forgot to mention this, but I've heard from several photographers who've been wanting to join for pretty much year after year and they haven't taken the chance to do so. And this year I've probably gotten five or six messages from photographers who are telling me that they're now quitting. And I really don't want that to be you. And having a photography business isn't always easy, but I can pretty much promise you that it's going to be easier when we do it together. And I don't want you to have another year where you're feeling stuck and you're missing out. And I also don't want you to be outrun by all the photographers who are investing in themselves and in their business.
[00:10:09] Anyway, I'm happy that you listened in and I can't wait to see you next week and hopefully even before then. I'm hoping to see you in my inbox on Instagram. You'll find me Ingville Cornell Ing V I L D K O L N E S and also check out the show notes for links and I'll just talk to you soon.
