Like most businesses, my business had extremely humble beginnings. Starting out I did many photos for friends at a really good price and sometimes I offered my services for free. I did this to practice poses, directions, locations and post-process editing. It really helped me doing this and it really paid off.
The definition of photographer is very direct and to the point but modern day photographers end up doing much more starting out. And this is what I wasn’t prepared for and what no one told me. For myself, I was my own marketing expert creating my own fliers, updating my own Facebook business page and even pulling a professional looking website together. I watched many YouTube videos in order to learn about different things. Everything except putting the website together, was obtainable by only having my phone to work with. I ran my entire business from my phone (editing, fliers and content creation, videos and video editing, image review and ordering, etc.) with the exception of the website which I did on my lunch breaks at my job on the computer or at home when I had a chance in the evenings from my old home desktop. Like I said, very very humble beginnings.
After a year of me editing solely on my phone, I was finally in a position to purchase Light room and Photoshop. First, it wasn’t very expensive monthly but at the time I just couldn’t afford it. As business increased I found myself changing my priorities and investing into my goals as my business rose on my priorities list.
When you have a dream don’t allow anything to stop you from pursuing it. The absence of the proper finances cannot set the limits. Allow your dreams to rise to reality. Share with me a business you’ve been dreaming of and I can help you turn it into a reality with the first steps you should take to getting to where you want to ultimately be.
In my life, I’ve faced many hard times financially and otherwise. Naysayers and haters will always be there. Don’t allow anyone to discourage you from what you should be focused on. People don’t understand why I choose to stay silent when they come against me. And the reason is simple. I love them but I have more important things to worry about like food for my children and a roof over our head.
“You’re not going to stop me from what’s truly important. My children, my mental health, my peace, my relationship with God, my ministry and my goals. Your insignificant drama and hearsay claims against me lack evidence, substance, and significance. If anyone takes away from the things that are important to me I immediately pull away from them on a personal level. I pray for them and I forgive them but I will no longer trust them to be someone in my life because they showed me that they are not in my best interest.”
