Day 2244 – The Book That Changed My Business Forever

The process of deciding to stop photographing was a long one. The thought was in the back of my mind for a little while that maybe this photography thing wouldn’t work…no, the whole time I photographed…any small business owner can tell you that there is a LOT of time of doubting. Anyways, I started reading a book last summer that started my journey towards closing the photography side of my business, The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (affiliate link on Amazon. This means if you purchase the book or anything else on Amazon, I get a small percentage. I only share links to things I’ve used personally and recommend).

I’m rereading this right now and I realized that reading this book was the mind set shift that led to closing my photography business. The biggest thing I realized was that I was putting in 40-60+ hours of work to make the same amount of money I made while only photographing part time. It was crazy how consistent it was year to year. Friends, don’t make your business decisions based on feelings, please please please know your numbers. When I realized this, I stopped putting money into advertising – why spend when I was getting the same amount? By tracking my leads, I also knew that my paid advertising efforts were not bringing new clients. It was one of those “DUHHHH” moments for me. Stop wasting your money and time and spend it focusing on other things.

This realization led me down a road of really digging into “what do I love to do and what am I good at?” I realized I LOVED, adored, danced with joy about the business side of my business. Give me a spreadsheet to fill in and analyze or paperwork to be filed and dealt with and I am one happy camper. That realization led to what I do now – helping photographers with the business side of their business.

Friends, you will go through changes in your business. You will one day wake up and think “what have I done, have I wasted my life?” But you haven’t! You have gained experience and that will help you in your next venture. I never would have gotten the gigs I have right now if I wasn’t a photographer for ten years. I am able to do the things that I love because of walking through what I did the last ten years.

What book changed your life forever? (Doesn’t have to be a business book – any book!)