For many up and rising photographers, the process starting and growing a business can seem so intimidating! You begin with a love for taking photos, finally get the courage to charge people for your product and then it begins: the crazy. “The crazy” consists of things like getting a business license, getting a tax id number, figuring out your pricing, trying to connect with other artists in the business, and of course shoot shoot shooting!
I think for many artists the crazy can so often drown out the reason why we even began our businesses in the first place. We forget not only why we started, but how to keep that fire for creativity alive! It is so easy to forget why we started in the midst of us growing. But it doesn’t have to be!
I think the key to having successful businesses is mixing our businesses with our pleasures until they are one and the same. That’s why we started, right? We wanted to do something that we loved doing. Today, I’m sharing one my business secrets on how my business has become my pleasure!
One of the foundational principles of my business is my relationships with my clients. I want my clients to know that I’m not only serving them as a photographer, but I’m serving them as a friend. Having such intentional relationships allows for my clients to confidently be themselves. They know that I want to know them, so they share who they are. It’s as simple as that! They invite me into their world, so on their wedding day, my being there is as natural as if I was a part of the family. Beautiful images are crafted this way. Authentic emotion, genuine joy, and high doses of beautiful confidence fill my art of photography, and I adore it!
One of my biggest secrets to creating such an intentional client experience is right here. You’re reading it! Yep! The blog!
When I first started my business, I knew I wanted to blog each photo session I captured. I wanted my clients to have a place where their stories could be told, and I wanted a place where I could express myself through words. For months I wrestled with: “Should I blog that? Should I say that? I can’t possibly let people know that!” I didn’t know what was worthy of being “bloggable” (is that even a word?) and what wasn’t. Should I blog about my family vacation? Should I let people know that I have a mild obsession with red lipstick? Should I share my faith online?
The answer is: yes.
In order for me to build an authentic relationship with my clients, they’ve gotta know me. What better way to get to know someone than to have a place where they are authentically themselves? Exactly! That is what this blog allows me to do. When my clients meet with me for our first consultation many have ended our meeting with “I felt like I knew you before we even started!” What greater compliment is that?
Recently, I was able to take a trip to Disney World with three of my closest friends. We had a BLAST and I blogged about it. Over the trip, I corresponded with one of my brides and she texted me to wish me a fun trip. At our next meeting, guess what we talked about ? Disney and our shared love for Beauty and the Beast, which allowed us to connect even further!
In the world of photography, I’m not looking to impress anyone. I’m looking to connect with people. I mix business with pleasure because I want my business to BE my pleasure.
I mix business with pleasure because I want my business to BE my pleasure.
I want to thoroughly enjoy what I do for the rest of my life! When I connect to my clients all guards are tossed aside, and I’m able to know them on a deeper level which allows me to serve them on a deeper level– and who wouldn’t want that?!
The key is to be genuine. Be yourself, and invite people to be themselves in your presence. Invite them into your world, and they will invite you into theirs!
Happy Monday!
xo
AnnaFilly
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