Our lives have this funny way of being a beautiful struggle to balance work and life. The benefits of our self employment include: attending family functions and mid-day school activities while also being at the top of our game. It’s not always “easy” but it does offer a fun ride. Yet, up until this point in our career, it has sorta been like flying the plane while we build it.

This year, however, we sat down and put pen to paper and plotted out the finer details of our business model – something we should have done long ago. If you’re in the photography business, you might already use some sort of model to plot out your year. Bravo, you’re well with it and should keep seeing amazing results! For the rest of us, we’re here to offer some support.

Be kind, rewind.

Now, they say the first step to any new adventure is always the hardest. Don’t sweat it, this one should be easy. You’ve already done the hard work last year. Now, it’s time to write it all out and see just how far you’ve come. Creating a list of “My successes” and “My shortcomings” for your brand is going to be a huge tool throughout the year keeping you on track to success. Being honest with yourself doesn’t mean berating yourself for not hitting monetary goals. Although, it makes sense that it may be on some lists out there. But we are firm believers that if you focus on putting out quality work and extraordinary service the money will come. So, be sure to include things on your list that are meaningful. Such as, ” Success: Responded to emails within 24 hours” and “Shortcomings: Spent 24 hours a day behind a screen”. Remember, be kind when you rewind.

Make molehills out of mountains.

I’m sure there is an online community that would argue the fact, and they would be right. But, for the sake of word play, I will say that reaching the top of a mountain begins by putting one foot in front of the other. So, get to walking. Now that you have a list of your success and your shortcomings it should be easier to plot a course for your business (expectations list). Allow me to use our brand as an example (talk about being vulnerable). The V&S brand saw success in so many aspects this year. But, we lacked greatly in: holding internal meetings, posting regularly to social media and creating new blog content.

So, we carved out time for meetings every Monday and created a weekly set of tasks that each member (Vic and Sasha) will be held accountable for. Even if you run your brand alone, it makes sense to manage your expectations each week. This allows you to see growth as it occurs. Slowly making it toward the top of the mountain each week.

This time, it’s personal.

Believe it or not, photographers (or any creative for that matter) tend to put themselves last when dishing out quality time – shocker, I know. We give so much of ourselves for others and prioritize the client experience above all else. So, I’m pretty confident that “Take More Personal Time” was not the first thing to pop in your head for expectations this upcoming year. However, that’s exactly what we need to discuss.

Companies such as Google, Pixar and Apple, and our personal favorite Showit, have become synonymous with success. But, can you guess the one thing these places have in common? Their employees LOVE their jobs. And, I’m not just talking about “I love taking photos so being a photographer is what I love,” or “I record love stories and I store love on a hard drive” type of love. These companies nurture creativity and encourage their employees to take time for passion projects. Especially, allowing employees time for self care. “Taking care of yourself so you can take care of others” echoes true here. So when creating your expectations lists, make time to take time. Prioritize personal selfcare by putting items such as ” Unplug for 15 Minutes a Day” on that list to prevent burnout down the road.

Enjoy the Fruits

Having a clear vision is going to help keep you focused on the big picture throughout the year. Actionable items become routine once you get the ball rolling. Just look at this blog post (eee – I knew I would get this in by midnight bosslady). But, seriously, once you begin tackling the small things they start to pile up and make a huge difference. Remember to put one foot in front of the other along the way and take time to care for yourself. We’ll be cheering you on from here. If you would like a more personalized coaching experience; or, if would simply like to tell us more about your approach, feel free to contact us here. We love hearing about the different methods people use throughout their creative journey. Cheers to another year of doing amazing work!

Kindly,

Vic