Be honest, did I click bait you with "My BIG Mistakes?" It's funny how people (my included) are so intrigued by other peoples mistakes. I think that might be frowned upon but in my history, we all learn more from mistakes more so that successes.
I was writing a list recently for a potential employee I'd like to hire and it included the things I do well but don't do enough of in my business and one of them is writing. Many times in my 15 year photography career I have made big bold statements like,"I'll produce one blog post a week" and then life happens and blogs don't; so, here we are with what could be the only blog of the year, or one of 300, we really don't know... and that leads me to mistake #1.
MISTAKE ONE: Never QUIT anything
So, I was born in 1982 and grew up the daughter of a coach. In my home, quitting equaled failure. You say you're going to do something, you do it, no matter what. Last year I hit 40 and I realized this is actually outdated, old school advice, and thought it truly make me a person of integrity, it also created an achiever with anxiety. In order for me to scale up this business, and my others, I had to begin slowly quitting. Quitting sessions that don't fulfill me. Quitting, side distractions that do not push me closer to my purpose. Quitting, the YES lifestyle. Quitting.
MISTAKE TWO: Never changing my style
Ok so don't go thinking after this post I'm going to rush over and edit things dark and moody, that's a no-go for me captain. I am who I am, a light photographer who vows to produce timeless images every single time. HOWEVER, the move toward more intimate photos for couples is one I should have hit up sooner. Now not every couple wants an in home session where they are molding clay like Patrick Swazey, but for the ones who deep down inside do, I should have been wide open and willing to do the different. What's funny about customers is they only think you do what you show them. Meaning, I would never say no to a session like that but because they've never seen me shoot one, no one asks. For new photographers who want to photograph sessions like you've never done, you need to offer one for free and post the heck out of it. And that is what I should have done.
MISTAKE THREE: Not raising my prices
Customers out there might disagree with this one for sure but the truth is after 2020 everything changed. In my town, gas is still nearly $4.00 a gallon 3 years later. Our groceries are nuts and life is just expensive. I've been a professional for almost half of my life and the truth is there is so much value in our experience. I hesitated raising prices because I LOVE my customers and doubted my own value even though I am a PREACHER of "know your worth" in business. It wasn't until a friend was booking her wedding and I couldn't shoot it that I realized I was under all of my local competitors by nearly $1000 per package. What's funny is that these less experienced photographers who mostly were delivering beautiful previews but less that beautiful galleries were getting booked faster because when it comes to luxury weddings, people believe the more you charge the better you are. Now, that's not true. Not true at all but I was undercutting myself and that was a big mistake.
MISTAKE FOUR: Too Many Students
If you're one of my students, don't worry, everything is fine! (She nervously giggles). No, it really is. This huge mistake likely cost me thousands and thousands of dollars. I took on too many 1:1 clients instead of building a group coaching program for people in the same part of their learning journey. (That's what I'm working on now starting with a membership program called LWK Community).
This was a newbie coach mistake. My 1:1 mentoring ended up being worth about double what I charged and because I took too many students to make sure I serve them well, I can't take more until next year. What does this mean? Well, it means if you want a 1:1 mentorship in 2024, there will only be 5 slots open because momma learned her lesson.
MISTAKE FIVE: Assuming people know me
This one sounds silly but I've been in the business SO LONG and my life is an open book on instagram and facebook (follow @_kelli_carrico_ for my personal page), I assume people, all people, know I am a Christian mom who works super hard and is really kind, but takes no bull and means business when it's business. Recently I've had to rework every contract and system I have because the business is bigger than word documents now and me thinking people know who I am, what I expect, what they can expect, and what I'm going to provide was just plain silly.
I don't know why I felt compelled to throw this article together, maybe someone can benefit from it, I sure hope so! If you enjoyed, please leave me a comment. I read every single one and share it! We creatives don't get paid for our thoughts 99.9% of the time so to us a little share is like tipping the hair dresser.
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