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Your Mindset is… in need of some love :)
Friend, you may have trouble believing this, but you’ve got a lot going for you! Your clients love your work. Yet, no matter their tireless praise, you don’t 100% trust your own magic... you should trust their feedback. Boundaries are a bit of a sore spot, too. You’re scared to say ‘no’ even when it’s in your best interest. Luckily, there’s a clear path forward!“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” — Louise L. HayReady to shift your mindset? Try these 5 strategies...1. Make positivity a daily practice! A little bit of optimism goes a long way, friend. Whether it’s gratitude journaling or meditating, reading a daily joke, find an activity that lifts you up and do it on the regular.2. Shift your focus! Focusing too much on the competition getting the clients?Remember photographers can post old work too! Unfollow or hide any person that doesn't make you feel good when you look at their feed. Focusing on your area being too rural, too poor, too any excuse so you can't raise your prices? Don't spend other people's money (or not spend LOL). People of all incomes value photography. Just remember they don't go to work for free neither should you! You can always offer payment plans or just do wrapped newborn sessions. Look around at neighboring towns. Do you offer in home sessions or can they come to you? Clients that value your work will travel to you. You have to value yourself first and more about that in tip 3! 3. All about the numbers!Before you skip this section just remember there are enough clients for all of us. in 2020 there were 3,613,647 babies born in the US alone! If you figure out how many newborn shoots you need to do in a year, it seems more achievable! Knowing how much time you spend on each shoot and how much running your business costs you will really help you increase your prices. The key is to separate you from your business. Your business charges $1,500 for a newborn shoot. It has a lot of costs, overhead etc. Figure out YOUR take home pay per hour and you will immediately be confident in raising your prices. 4. Celebrate those wins, no matter how small they are! Booked your first or 100th client? Celebrate it - even if it is just a little happy dance at your desk. Got a really nice compliment on your work? Print lovely emails or comments out. Make a praise wall by your desk. Screenshot lovely messages from clients. 5. Choose a growth mindset. Instead of seeing a bad shoot as a dead-end, view it as an opportunity to learn. Your mind is forever expanding. Just because you didn’t do so well at a task doesn’t mean you can’t — with a bit of practice — win big! We all start somewhere! A marathon begins with one step! ✨