What does success mean to you?  It sounds like an interview question with some hidden correct answer.  But to me there is no right or wrong answer to this question.

The word success is defined by Google as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.  In the senior photography world the definition of success may be based on how many shoots you do per month or how much money you make or how many followers you have or if you are teaching workshops or speaking at events or even how many other photographers praise you.  But if you go back to the actual definition of the word success none of the other things define you as successful unless those things are your specific aim or purpose.

What is Your Aim or Purpose?

The one thing I like to remind other photographers is that YOUR Business is YOURS!  Which means you, and only you, can build your business how you want and you can also define your own SUCCESS!  By creating a business that works for you, you can be your own kind of success.

Answering the above question can be hard, but by digging deep and deciding what your specific aim or purpose is will help you to be successful.

Do you want to to be a great hobbyist?  If so, that is great!  Be the best hobbyist you can be and that will make you a success.  You can work when you want to and enjoy the art of photography.

Do you want to shoot a specific number of high school seniors per year?  If so, write down that number and build your business to accomplish that goal.  It could be 30 per year, it could be 50 per year or it cold be 100 or more per year…any of these numbers is successful for you.

Do you want to teach workshops?  This is another thing that some view as successful and it is if that is your specific aim or purpose.  However, there are tons of brilliant photographers in our industry who are incredibly successful that don’t teach workshops.  And that’s ok too!

Success if not defined by others…It can only be defined by YOU!  Don’t let the industry tell you what makes you successful.

Your Outlook on Success

When you look at success in a healthy manner, your understanding of it becomes clearer.  We can all get caught up in seeing others on social media boasting about their success.  But by keeping success in perspective to you and your business, it will keep you from getting caught in the comparison trap.  Remember other people’s success does not define your success.  Only You can do that!

For me, I have a family, friends and other interests.  So while I may see someone else shooting x number of seniors per year or selling out workshops in 10 seconds, I know that I am successful by my own definition.  Having a successful business that allows me to be able to spend time with my family and friends is successful.

I don’t personally want to shoot several seniors per day or even one senior every single day.  I know that my creativity suffers if I get bogged down in too many shoots.  I need time between each shoot in order to give every single client my best and not just be a machine that produces the exact same thing every time.  I want to give each of my clients a personal experience and I want to take the time to get to know each and every one of my clients to give them an awesome experience.  I can’t do that if I am shooting several seniors in one day.

By figuring out who you are as a photographer and business owner, will help you create a business that is successful.  If you are someone who needs a day off in between shoots, create a business that allows you to do that and you will be successful.  If you are someone who wants to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, then that is great too and that is then your definition of success.

By changing the way you look at success, you can then create an outlook about your success that is healthy and allows you to thrive.

Be Realistic about Your Success

Sometimes we want it all and we want it now but that can be a recipe for failure if you try too much too quick.  Be patient and be realistic.

I have many ideas every single day.  But realistically, I know I can’t possibly accomplish every single one of them.  So by being realistic and prioritizing what I want to do and what I have time to do ensures that I will be successful at the idea I choose to move forward with.

You may not be able to shoot 30 seniors your first year in business and that is OK!  It doesn’t mean you have failed.  It means that you are working toward your realistic goal.  Things do not happen overnight even for those that appear to be overnight successes.

Set realistic goals for your business and set realistic time frames to accomplish those goals.  This is the best way to reach those goals successfully.

So What Does Success Mean To You?  Answer this question, write down that answer and you will be able to obtain your own success.  By doing this, you will have a fresh outlook on your business and learn to love your business even more!  We can all be successful in this industry!!

xoxo,

Leslie