Lessons Learned over the Past Year

I sometimes tale a step from the daily routine to look at a variety of things, the most important being am I learning and growing – in business, relationships, and as a person. This includes questioning some of the things I do/have done, assumptions I’ve made, strategies, or ways that I may have gotten either stale or stuck in a particular pattern that may not be optimal.

When I started my business, I studied headshot photography under someone who’s work I admire, adopted many of the techniques this person taught and the results were/are great. But I also came to realize that I didn’t feel comfortable with some of the methods and philosophies this person employed to get those results, along with the some of the strategies/philosophies about how to grow the business – it wasn’t me, didn’t represent my values and beliefs, nor reflect what I learned over my years of business experience. So I worked on evolving my own approach to both my photography itself and my business.  Not only has my work improved, I’m happier and enjoying it much more – and I’m very happy with the growth of the business.

But over the past year I came to realize that there are other styles that I like and expanded my offerings in terms of looks and style. This has allowed me to expand the types of clients who come to me looking for photography (see some examples below), particularly those who are looking for something “a bit different”.

This expansion has also influenced how I look at and run my business, becoming clearer about the type of work and clients I’m most interested in working with. This year I’ve turned down more opportunities than in previous years; mostly where I felt the project just wasn’t a good fit for my style, which is creating headshots that amplify my client’s brand and look authentic and the results my clients hire me for. Could I have successfully completed the project – most likely, would it have been lucrative – again, most likely, but is it something that I want to do repeatedly, or where it leverages the value I bring? No. There are tons of other photographers out there who could satisfy those clients’ needs.

Which brings me to several important business lessons – being clear about who your clients are is as important as knowing who are not your clients. And always be looking to grow and expand what you offer that will bring even more value for your clients (assuming of course you’re already delighting them!).