99. Invest in education to avoid mistakes

[00:00:00] This is episode number 99. It feels a bit ridiculous that we've gotten so far. I feel like I just started this podcast but here we are, just one away from number 100, which is going to be a great one. It's already scheduled and ready for you. And I'm also going to add a new cover which is going to be fun. It's very different, it's very ping think, so it's less anonymous than the one I have now, which I think it's about time I've gone through a bit of a brand upgrade, not a change. I'm still me, just ready to be a little bit more visible. So let's see how that goes. [00:00:46] You. [00:00:48] I recently spoke to a friend of mine who said that she felt like she did things very differently from what she saw everyone else do because she started to invest straight away. As soon as she was ready to take her business seriously, as soon as she was ready to really become a photographer, she wanted to invest in courses and education. [00:01:14] And the difference that that makes has just been really incredible because she hasn't had those low prices for the longest time, she has higher prices and she doesn't have as many mistakes to look back on that for example, I do, because my growth was really, really slow. And as I've talked about before, it wasn't because I was unwilling to invest, it was because there wasn't really much to invest in. I bought all the books I could find, I did some online courses, but it really wasn't enough. And again, as I've talked about before, what I wanted was what I have become now. Someone to be there when I needed it and someone who could tell me this is how you should do this, this is one possible way, this is a different way, you can do it and just help me when I was stuck. But I didn't have that. So I made all the mistakes. I started with too low prices, I was really invisible. I tried to look as much as I could like everyone else and once I found education to invest in, once I was really ready to grow, it really made a huge difference. [00:02:35] I have learned so much from the investments I've made. Not all of them have been perfect and some of them have taken some time before. I've really seen a change. Sometimes it's been a financial improvement and sometimes it's been all about other things, more internal things. And I'm not saying this because I desperately need you to invest with me, but I'm saying it because I want you to find your person to work with. I want you to find the right kind of education that you need to help you on your way because I don't think anyone's meant to do this alone. [00:03:14] There is so much education out there and a lot of it is for free. And while that can help you a lot. When you invest, you have something to lose, which means that you're more committed. You'll just do more to make it worth it. And to most people, that's going to make all the difference. [00:03:38] If you do want to invest in something, I do. I have a live workshop series coming up. It starts on October 30. It is for five days. And it's a small investment, but it might be the push you need to get your plans in order. So it's $47 or 470 Norwegian crowns. And of course, it's in both languages. You choose the one you want. This workshop series is all about getting clear on your values, your goals, and creating a plan for the next year. [00:04:12] So I hope you'll join. But there's limited tickets, so get your ticket now before it's too late. So many of us just do something. It doesn't really matter what it is, but as long as we're busy, it makes us feel like we're productive, and that's enough. But having a clear plan can help you to do the right things. And if you have structure, you can accomplish bigger things and fill the lower months and work towards the things that truly matter. And we talk a lot about revenue and income, and that's what we're going to do in this live workshop series. So sign up so you don't miss out. [00:04:52] We talk a lot about revenue and income, but the truth is, it's not that motivating to everyone. It is to me, because I like how concrete numbers are. I like the security and the freedom that money provides. But I'm not a big spender myself. [00:05:10] But having financial goals, that gives me a boost. It gives me something to work towards. But if that's not you, if you're not fueled by numbers and revenue, I hope you find something else that can be a goal for you. Maybe it's more free time. Maybe it's having the opportunity to do creative work. Maybe you want to work with a specific kind of client. Maybe you want recognition in form of awards or publications, whatever might mean something to you. And I hope you find out what that is. Because if you don't really know why you do the thing that you do, it's going to be easy to lose motivation and to lose momentum. And when we're busy, when we're in the midst of client work and inquiries are flying in, it's kind of easy to do what we do. But in the seasons where it's more quiet, we might lose track of it. We might lose the sense of purpose and why am I doing this? I should just get a normal job like everyone else. I've definitely been there. But I hope you don't give up. I hope you stick to it. I hope you can dig down and find out why you do the thing you do. I also hope to see your name on the list of participants in the Mini Workshop create Your Best Year if you joined last year's round as well, we'll set up an extra call to go over the goals you set last year and see how that went. Tickets are only $47 and it's really worth it. You'll get clarity on your values, goals and create a plan, so check the show notes for a link or go to Englisholness.com minicourse to sign up. See you next week for Episode 100. [00:07:08] You just listened to an episode of Sustainable Photography. Please share this episode with a photographer you care about.