If I could go back in time, there are SO many things I would tell myself when I started my business in 2013. But this? This would be my biggest piece of advice for new business owners. A letter to myself in my first year of business. //
Hot dang, you are sixteen years old and just registered for an LLC. You have no idea what you’re doing – and that’s totally okay. Running your own business is overwhelming and you have so much to learn, so be teachable and learn well.
The biggest truth you should strive to remember? Be yourself. I know – it’s cliche & cheesy, and there’s no one that hates that more than you. But don’t forsake WHO you are for the sake of professionalism. Don’t be afraid of your age, use it to your advantage. Some people will take you seriously and others won’t – that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. Stripping your business of the exact characteristics that make it your own won’t get you anywhere.
Be professional, work hard, carry yourself with grace and dignity – but YOU are the only person that can make your business stand out among the rest.
You see, there are hundreds upon thousands of other photographers out there. And thank God for that – because there’s no way on earth to photograph every wedding out there – that’s not even the goal. The goal is to connect with couples on a genuine and unique level that GET you. That rejoice over two people becoming one and love love the same way you do (and tacos, let’s be real. ;))
You are the only part of your business that is truly unique to you. Someday you will have all the equipment and software that everyone else has. You’ll photograph the same venues, with the same vendors, and that very same equipment. The only thing that differentiates your business is yourself. Embrace those qualities that will make your business unique. In a world where comparison is as easy as a like on Instagram, hold onto your joy and fix your eyes on what matters.
And if you want to grow? Cultivate the growth of your own character rather than trying to be like someone else. It will push you farther than you ever thought was possible!
xoxo,
Jessica (from the end of a full, blessed, and humbling 2016)
