I just finished a new article. I thought it was worth post here. As always, this is straight off the hard drive without the aid of a editor! Pardon the typos and rambling that will assuredly be polished at some point in time!
“More Money, More YouTube, More Sleep”
It’s a little strange writing ahead of a deadline. To the same end, know that a great deal of the Christmas music we all enjoy is recorded at the peak of Summer when the holidays are the last thing on our minds. Be that as it may, deadlines are there for a reason and I’m having a tough time thinking about the New Year even though it’s closer than any of us want to admit.
Like most studio owners, I have a pattern to my business. Photography is seasonal and it’s good to keep a schedule and plan ahead. Winter is the time of year for cleaning, reworking the storefront, updating the website, reorganizing, and making changes to the price list. When things are a little more manageable, it’s a lot easier to think of change. It’s also a lot easier to get away with it! Personally, I like stand back and see new prints on the walls, fresh paint, and indulge in “look at all the possibilities!” thinking. What we don’t really like to admit is that change can be a little scary.
What if it doesn’t work? What if this “drives people away”?
There’s no answer to that other than part of what makes great businesses great is risk and trust in intuition. It’s also the ability to adapt quickly when we make a mistake. Interestingly enough, Walt Disney (thanks to Rick Trummer for getting the ball rolling on this research), P.T. Barnum, Henry Ford, Abraham Lincoln, Milton Hershey, and of course Donald Trump all went bankrupt on their way to the top. It’s a strange time for photographers and although I don’t wish financial hardship on anyone, know that for the previous people these struggles were only a bump in the road for their greater vision. They all knew where they wanted to go, how to get their, and how not to let anything get in their way.
About 11 months ago I came up with 3 simple goals for my life that I really took to heart. They sound amusing and simple in light of the preceding paragraph, but perhaps they may help you put things into perspective while working on your business for next year. These goals are simple, yet there’s perhaps a bit more to it:
More Money, More YouTube, More Sleep
The first one is pretty obvious. More Money? Who doesn’t want that? The simple fact is, we can’t make dreams a reality for our clients if we don’t stay in business. Pretty basic right? It is interesting to see how many people try to work our prices down in a way that infringes on our ability to stick around. I am fond of saying “everyone wants greatness while bankrupting you in the process”. True enough. The fact is, if you are creating fabulous work, you should be receiving fabulous compensation. If you are not, you will soon begin to compromise your vision and make changes that work against what you set out to do in the first place. They say that money is the root of all evil, and while there may be a bit of truth to that, it’s also the root of why you went into business in the first place.
More YouTube? Seriously. Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m a YouTube Junkie. I’m fond of surfing YouTube for new music, crazy videos, and a stress reliever from paperwork and editing. I’m not alone! YouTube is more of a symbol of the second reason most of us went into business.
To enjoy life.
Ah, the days of thinking that we would have more time to enjoy life when we started our own gig. Glorious. Then the cold realization that we would be working 3 times harder and for less money. Well, something like that. It’s important to take a breath here and there and have hobbies. Making time for YouTube, travel, or any other thing we enjoy should be a goal of anybody. If we lose the joy in what we do, we are truly sunk. Like money, when there is no joy, it’s over.
More Sleep? Ah, sleep rules. There, it’s been said. I know that I always say that losing sleep is one of the greatest keys to a successful business. Fair enough. We are, however, carbon based life forms. Carbon needs to rejuvenate. Sleep is part of how we keep ourselves healthy and alive. This may sound a little strange, but I’m also a believer that the worst kind of sleep is sleep that is not earned. There is nothing better than sleeping knowing that things are in check, the studio is doing it’s thing, and we’ve done everything we needed to get done during the day. Having a strong business plan and well established goals is the best way to good nights sleep. More security means more sleep. Business planning is also one of the best ways of earning a good night of rest. It’s also important to stay healthy. If our health starts slipping, our business will follow soon after.
Ah, there is it. My wish for me and my wish for you. It’s nothing fancy, nothing extravagant, and nothing too difficult to attain. Be bold and be brave. So, while you are working on that let me wish you a happy, prosperous, and fruitful December 3rd. . .I mean. . .New Year!
All the best!
