What I’ve learned from Photographing 100 Creatives + Entrepreneurs in Austin This Year
One of my favorite parts of being an Austin brand photographer is meeting so many local creatives and entrepreneurs. I get a front-row seat to the goings-on of various Austin industries. I get to listen to your business struggles and celebrate your successes.
Over the last year, I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph nearly 100 of you. I have learned that you have more in common than many of you may realize — no matter the service or product you provide, the target audience you serve, or the number of years you’ve been doing this. Our struggles seem to be largely the same.
Here are the 5 things I’ve learned from working closely with brands in and around Austin.
1. We all feel like a bunch of imposters. (Some are just better at hiding it.)
I frequently photograph creatives and entrepreneurs who are in the process of elevating their brands. Often, my clients come to me because they want to raise prices, but they don’t yet feel “good enough.” It’s a familiar fear.
Many of us felt when we made our first sale or sent our first invoice. It was a quiet thought bringing gloom to a moment of celebration: “I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not good enough; sooner or later, someone will figure it out.”
Yep. Good old-fashioned imposter syndrome. If I’ve learned anything from photographing some of the best of the best in the Austin area, it’s this: We all feel like imposters.
But what if you realized that the business owner you follow on Instagram, who seems to have it all together, felt the same way? What if you stopped letting that mindset hold you back? What if you unapologetically admit you have an extraordinary ability to tackle hard, overwhelming things? Because you do.
Think how much you could accomplish then!
Me with one of our recent Signature Brand Experience clients that traveled in to Austin for her first ever brand photo shoot!
2. Most of us are conflicted between helping people and running a business.
A common thing I hear from my clients is how they feel bad when charging someone they know personally – as if they owe people their services, products, and expertise for free or at a discount!
If there’s a reminder that we all need to hear, it’s this: Your business…is a BUSINESS. You help other people, sure, but you also need to make a living. The two things can exist at the same time.
Think about a big corporation like Target. Does Target feel bad about charging you because you are a repeat client or because your cat is sick today? No.
In the same way, the bank doesn't care if I’ve had a slow month. They will still auto-draft the entire mortgage for my studio without batting an eye. Likewise, you don't need to give the cow away for free. It's okay (and necessary) to run your business like a business – especially if you want to stick around.
3. You CAN do it all… but only for a while.
The clients I serve are all in various stages of business, but every one of them almost always begins in the same phase. It’s what I call The DIY Stage. And, in my experience, the ones who experience financial success the quickest are the ones who move out of the DIY stage the fastest.
Sure, in the beginning, it feels like you have to do it ALL, and then you realize you CAN do it all. You’re exceptionally capable (you’re running a business, after all!), so you start learning the various aspects of business. Before long, you know a little bit about everything. But, eventually, that same thing always happens:
It becomes GLARINGLY apparent that you are one person and cannot do it ALL anymore.
When that happens, NO becomes a familiar friend. You start to feel like a cutthroat version of your former self, wielding that word NO like a pirate waving a sword, protecting the treasure inside your chest: your time and energy.
But have no fear. When that happens, the best is truly beginning. Now, you’ll become intimately aware of your true priorities and learn the beauty of outsourcing all the rest.
My hubs and I the day we got the keys and unlocked the doors to our new Austin studios in Dec 2022!
4. Things usually feel like a big freakin' mess – just before they come together.
Oprah has a mantra that I’ve stolen for myself: "Things are always working out for me."
Feel free to steal it, too, because the same can be true for you. If you believe things are always working out for you, I've found that they will – even if things aren’t looking great.
Business ownership is a feast or famine experience, and that’s scary for many of us – especially during this year when the economy and market are shifting so much. But, if there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s this: you’re usually the most down just before the upswing.
I've watched that trend happen over and over this year – for others and in my business. It's made me realize I can lean in and trust the process.
I can trust the rhythms. I can trust that good things are still coming. I don't have to live in perpetual fear. Seal this truth in your heart: Things are always a big freakin' mess before they come together.
Showing friends my plans and ideas for the studio in the summer of 2022 while it was still being built.
5. So much beauty lies in the unknowns.
My clients are frequently surprised by the paths their business journeys take. We never map it out perfectly; thinking you can is a surefire path to frustration.
You simply cannot predict where you will end up as a business owner – and what a beautiful thing that can be!
Things often work themselves out naturally if you let them – if you listen to the pulls. You don't have to know where the path will lead. You just have to be willing to start and put in the work.
Over this last year, I have been hired by clients who told me that they KNEW that I was undoubtedly the RIGHT and ONLY photographer for them. Many of them traveled to reach me, and the whole experience felt more aligned for both of us.
From the discovery call to the end product, the whole experience felt like magic. The same will happen for you. Follow the path that presents itself without knowing where it will lead, and the right people will always find you.
Alicia cutting the ribbon at our Grand Opening Event surrounded by close family and friends on April 29, 2023. This day meant so much to us, it cannot be put it into words. Thank you all for coming out to say hi and support us — and to those who stuck around for this moment at the end! We love you all so much.
Last but not least – Authentic, unapologetic brands are the best brands. (Hands down.)
When you run a business, people often bring you their unsolicited opinions. They may even question your choices. More often than not, these well-meaning people don’t have bad intentions. (They think they’re helping!) But their “advice” can seriously cause you to doubt yourself.
Remind yourself: They can’t see my vision like I see it.
And then stay true to it. Your vision is your north star. Stay true to your values, goals, priorities, – and everything else will work out.
Inside, you know what's best for you and your business. You’re the one with the context and the experience. And your goal should be to make yourself proud—regardless of how anyone else feels about it.
Unapologetically pursue that goal, and you’ll reach it. I promise. I’ve seen it happen—hundreds of times.
And if you’re looking for an Austin, Texas-based brand photographer to help you show up as your most authentic, unapologetic self, I’d love to help!
Check out my story-driven, results-getting experience. I’ve guided hundreds of creatives + entrepreneurs just like you through every step of the way. If you vibe with this post, I’d love to help you elevate your brand, attract the right audience, and craft visuals that convert.