Early Freelance Wisdom: Things I Wish I Knew
written by PAUL WEAVER
Today, I'm sharing insights that I wish I had when I started my freelance photography business. These lessons are meant to offer you valuable perspective on your own journey!
Learning while doing gets results
Everybody starts before they have everything figured out. This is normal. Falling in love with the process instead of the end result has helped me a lot. I take imperfect action every day, and every so often, I make a breakthrough and learn something new about how to run my business.
I encourage other freelancers to adopt a similar mindset so that they start moving forward instead of staying stuck in perfectionism.
It’s okay to a receive a “no” or a read receipt
That doesn't mean it doesn't still sting. Nobody is immune to rejection (no matter how good you are). The important thing is to identify where your approach can improve. Was it the way you reached out, the questions you asked on the discovery call, how you laid out your pricing? Respond with resiliency and your key takeaways. This is where growth happens.
Community creates confidence
In community, you realize we all go through the same things. Not only that, because everybody is on their own journey, you can always learn something from those who have been in your shoes and overcame specific obstacles.
Community building takes intentional effort and time, but it’s worth it.
Think long-term and work backwards
I always recommend thinking more about your five-year goals than your five-day goals (with respect to the fact that we have to eat, sleep, etc.).
When you're reflecting on your five-year goals, work backwards with actionable steps you can take. Want to land a retainer?
Okay, first you have to land a one-off client you love. How are you going to find that client and not just wait for them to come to you?
What small deposits can you make this week into your business, to fuel your five-year goals?
Each of these lessons accelerated my growth. They're lessons I've adopted into my unique style of business coaching for photographers and videographers.
Ready to Transform your Business?
If you want to work with us to create structure within your business, land high-value projects, turn your one-off clients into retainers, increase your pricing, and generate a consistent stream of income, now is the time.
