Tortoise vs Hare. Which is Better for Your Photography Business?
Which are you, friend?
The tortoise or the hare?
Over the years, I've learned that we naturally identify as one or the other.
Which is better if you're building a photography business?
Stop judging yourself.
There's good news for everyone today.
I know you've heard this story about how the tortoise slowly takes off in the race and the hare sprints.
The hare gets cocky and stops to take a nap and the tortoise just keeps chugging along.
The moral of that story is that the tortoise actually beat the hare. I think that is true in life, too.
Yet, my students who are tortoises beat themselves up and think, "Oh, my gosh. I'm not doing it as fast as everyone else."
Can you say "comparison fatigue"?
Stuck Comparing Yourself With Other Photographers
Have you watched other photographers posting all of their sessions and thought, "Oh my gosh, they are always booked and must be making so much money.
I'm so far behind".
All the head trash.
Well, here's the good news for you.
First, most of your competitors are battling it out in the price-race to the bottom.
They are probably using cheap digital files or free mini sessions to lure in anyone they can.
When I’m the Hare. And When I’m the Tortoise.
You can actually be both the tortoise and the hare.
Both are viable strategies when you're focused on building a portrait photography business.
Most of the time I am the hare because I do everything fast.
I want to know the answers as soon as possible and I'm going to run and grab them.
I will stay up late.
If I need to work whenever I need to get it implemented and make my life better, I will.
I am a fixer.
I don't go along in pain.
If there's somebody who has the answer, I hire them.
I pay them happily.
I take what they've taught me, implement it, and keep running.
There are times when I need to be the tortoise, too.
If it's something I'm not familiar with and it’s overwhelming because there is a lot to learn, then I need to slow down.
I can learn a little at a time.
Implement what I learned, digest how it felt, and make sure it worked.
Once I do that, I can keep learning.
I don't stop because I have to take it slower.
The key is to stay focused on the end goal and keep going until I get where I need to be.
I know that it isn't about speed.
It's about me understanding what I am learning.
If it's something new to me, I know that I have to understand each step of the process.
When I realize that I want or need a change in my life, I would rather slow down and do it one methodical step at a time.
It’s okay to be either one, so stop beating yourself up when you think you're not fast enough.
Keep Your Focus And Do Not Quit
I want you to keep your focus on your photography business and moving forward because the only way this doesn't work is if you quit.
You Don’t Have To Do This Alone
If you watched the Olympic Marathon, you noticed that they often run in little packs because they know it helps them keep going.
They know if they're with someone else, they're more likely to finish the race and not give up.
The most important thing is that no matter the speed, I want both groups implementing and learning because that's how you keep moving forward.
Guessing is not going to work.
When you guess, you start telling yourself it isn't going to work and then you're not the turtle or the hare.
You curl up in a ball and lay at the side of the race convincing yourself that you shouldn't go.
At the end of the day, in a month, in two months, in a year, two years, three years, you can either stay stuck in the same place you are now or you can be moving toward the destination you want, even if it's at a turtle's pace.
Moving Is Better Than Staying Stuck
The destination you want to be at is where you're doing what you love and you're serving clients at a high level.
You work with the right clients who love and gush on you.
You're getting confidence.
You're learning lessons.
Eventually, you start to respect yourself and others will respect you as a professional photographer.
To me, staying stuck is way worse than going slow.
It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get there, as long as you're continuing to move.
And friend, please remember that when you see someone else going faster or slower than you that you're not in a race against someone else.
You are creating a photography business and a life you love, and you can't put a timeline on that.
