It’s a New Year.
Business owners, now is the time to step forward with what does work. The more we know can sometimes hold us back. Not being experienced in something cannot guide the business model. Now is the time to jump into what ‘really matters’ by doing what we don’t already know.
As business owners, we are responsible for scheduling time to refuel.
The long-term game plan of a quiet mind creates the metal space to hear new ideas.
Take this job requirement “business” holiday as the tool to clear the path of where you want to go.
What became clear to you as your reset from this unstable last year of our lives?
Happy Thanksgiving 2021!
We are in business that requires a continuous flow of fresh vibes! Clients hire you for your IDEAS skillset; show them you are a non-stop source generating new ideas. Take note of how your ideas come alive, pinpoint what works, and schedule more of this into your routine.
Success as a photographer requires a long-term plan of constantly “growing with the flow”. The busy shoot days come and go and so do the trends of our market. Your business is not about this month; it’s about putting in the right attitude to stay fresh until you retire.
Don’t forget to invest in your career.
What do you do if you are in a SLUMP? In a creative slump, take the pressure off by knowing it’s really normal. You can’t be your artistically motivated self every day. Learn or experience something new to get the inspiration back. Delegate something that you don’t want to do yourself. Ask yourself why you became a photographer and do what feeds that same interest you had back then.
In the directing world, spec work is a way to break in. In photography, would you recommend photographing specific brands on spec to build your portfolio, or using no brands whatsoever?
In the photo world, clients want to see your overall style match their brand. Build your portfolio to show the look and feel your favorite clients cater to, and use this “spec” concept to incorporate the products your ideal clients will need to see. If you want to get beer campaigns, put in some cans or bottles and show off how your shiny condensation skills fit your cohesive vibe. Displaying the type of product is more important than the specific brand of the product.
How do we come back now to “normal” life after this wild lockdown experience even BETTER than before?
If anything, this paused time gives us the wake-up call of what needs a revamp, a boost, an upgrade. What can we do differently now?
I’m noticing what is working well for me, where I thrive; the other stuff is no longer adequate. Use your natural momentum and run with what DOES work for you!
Are you in a slump?
Your definition of “work” may be what is actually in a slump.
Restricting ourselves to actions only associated with direct financial compensation will deplete the exact goal we are seeking and thus, make you feel you are in a slump.
Listen to what you are experiencing, open the studio doors; work requires allowing the many parts of us to flourish and feed what makes us good at what we do.
Slumps. Are you in a slump? We have this thought about work, that we have to make money and that is the purpose of it. This work energy that we can keep ourselves in and keep fulfilling and flourishing like supporting it. So we can then become better and successful in the financial way but we don’t always have to feed ourselves just by doing what we think is work. That’s why I do AskSternRep. Caleb Kuhl built a chicken coop, and an office and he has a youtube channel discussing technical aspects of photography. That kind of stuff feeds you and it is actually creating more of that work that you want. We just don’t always see it as working. Take time for yourself when you need it instead of thinking you’re in a slump and focusing on the negative part of all this.
What’s the best way for new photographers to grab attention at larger ad agencies?
Being honest to clients that you are a new photographer offers two advantages – undiscovered talent and the goodwill of opening the door. What is new has value in our business as it is built on new ideas. The key to this working well is that you show hot, fresh, cutting-edge thinking they have not seen before. Your newness is an advantage you should be using while you can.
