Editing through the night just to come to the harsh realization I wasn't making any profit. My bank account balance never increased, if anything it decreased after paying my business expenses (hello shiny object syndrome).
Not only was there no profit, I was giving up my time with those I loved to pursue what felt like a hobby. I was essentially paying OTHER PEOPLE to shoot their sessions ... something had to give.
where both my parents worked many hours to support us. When I became pregnant with our son Billy, I knew my number one priority was to be present in his life. When I was 4 months pregnant, I left my nursing career to pursue photography full time. Almost every person in my life told me I was making a mistake. I was leaving a very stable and well paying career to pursue a “hobby” I knew I had the talent to succeed, I just needed to follow up with the business side.
And, I did.
With my love for numbers and nerdy spreadsheets, I was able to develop a financial plan, monthly budgets, and the exact numbers I needed to hit, not only to make what I was as a nurse, but exponentially more. I developed a solid plan to create a consistent pathway to profit.
Maybe it’s my background, coming from a Mother who migrated here from Vietnam with nothing and having to solely rely on a man. Or, maybe it’s from watching my parents overwork themselves to provide for us.
Whatever the reason, it’s a big part of who I am and what I stand for. Contributing to my family financially, putting savings away for our dream farmhouse with acreage and setting us up for retirement helps me sleep at night. Being able to run a thriving, profitable business and be present in my son’s life has always been a dream of mine.