It’s February 2011. A 20 year old college graduate with a major in photography has reluctantly moved back in with her parents. She sleeps on a futon in her childhood bedroom. In debt, clueless as to what the future holds, and working every odd job she can; she decides it’s time to take the next step in her photography journey. In the family room of her parents’ home, she sets up a little desk out of an old vanity set. Full of fire and passion; she opens her laptop, creates an LLC, and her photography business is born. Now she has to figure out how to actually make a business work.

That was me seven years ago. After college, I had no clue what I would do with my photography degree. I never even thought I was capable of starting a business! But after helping a few friends photograph weddings, I knew I wanted to do nothing else but build my own business. These seven years have felt like a whirlwind of learning, growing, and improving my skills not only as a photographer, but as a business owner. If you would have told that 20 year old girl that one day she would be running her business full-time, making six figures, and traveling the world because of her talent, I’m pretty sure she would have fallen out of her chair. But here I am, making my dreams come true.

The journey has been anything but easy; full of sleepless nights, small wins, thousands of hours of hard work, and more times laying on the floor sobbing than I care to admit. If you are a creative or new business owner and feeling even a little bit close to where I was, I want to share something with you! Advice I WISH I would have known when I started my business years ago. If you can learn these lessons now, at the beginning, I promise the rest of the road to full-time boss babe will be so much smoother. And hopefully with less crying fits.

No One Has It All Figured Out.
I’m serious! No one! I used to follow my favorite photographers and just think “Wow, if only I can get to their level, then it will all be okay.” But guess what? It won’t be. Every one is dealing with their own issues, their own problems, their own battles with self-doubt. We are all on a journey and we need to stay focused on our own path. You do not need to have it all figured it out, you just have to be open to learning and pushing yourself along the way.

You’ll Never Be Original, But You Can Be Authentic.
I can just hear myself back when I started, “I need my work to be original, my website to be unique, and my logo to stand out.” But when I saw someone doing the same thing as me I was appalled. “How dare they steal MY ideas,” I would think. The truth is, we will never be fully original. There are just too many ideas and inspirations out in the world. We are constantly taking, tweaking, and improving things to fit our own businesses. The biggest lesson here is to not worry about originality but to make sure everything you do is authentic. Do you have the right heart behind what you are doing? THAT is what is important.

Comparison Brings Nothing But Heartache.
Oh girl, the hours I have wasted over comparing my work to others! It’s not helpful! Wishing you could be like someone else or your work could be like this person’s or that you were as cool as that Instagrammer you follow, does nothing but tear apart your self-esteem. There is only one YOU! Embrace that. Seriously, STOP worrying about what everyone else is doing and focus on yourself and your work. No good can come from comparisons. Put on those blinders, cut out comparison, and work on being the best you there is!

You’ll Never “Make It.”
“If I make this amount every year, then I’ll have made it. If I book this many weddings, then I’ll have made it.” I’m telling you even though I’m seven years in and successful, I still don’t think I’ve “made it.” I’ve come to believe that this thought is completely a myth. Every time I ever reached one of those “I’ve made it” goals, I’m not satisfied. I’m on to the next big thing, the next goal. That’s the spirit of the entrepreneur, we are always hungry for more. So don’t worry about making it! Celebrate your accomplished goals, enjoy what you are doing, and continue kicking butt when you move onto the next dream. I prefer to say “loving it” over “making it.” My goal is to love where I’m at in my business and in my life.

It’s All Worth It.
It truly is. There is nothing like owning your own business. The worst day I ever had working for myself is still better than the best day I had working for someone else. It’s hard, believe me. All the responsibility falls on you. It’s not always fun, especially when tax time rolls around. But, my goodness, do I LOVE what I do! To know that I GET to do what I love is the most amazing feeling. Never forget that people would love to be in your shoes. Be grateful for wherever you are at in your business journey and remember why you started in the first place. Because you can’t imagine life NOT doing this. If you don’t feel that fire anymore, it’s okay. This just means it’s time to revisit your goals and find something that is a better fit.