So first I should clarify: there is no “arrival” when it comes to manifesting your dream business. The moment you start to feel like you’ve met your goals, the bar starts to slowly inch up a bit higher and all of a sudden, you have brand new goals. Artists and creatives are especially prone to this level of “dreaming big” and constantly upping the ante, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s also just a personality thing for us small business owners, and maybe even just a human nature thing. There will always be new hurdles to clear, and if you’re anything like me, you know that that’s kind of half the fun of it.
Change your Money Mindset
Confession: You might think I’m crazy, but I used to be afraid of making money. It wasn’t until I started to really unpack some of my own emotional and mental baggage that I was really able to acknowledge: “Oh, I actually have some outdated mental scripts playing in my head that are holding me back from achieving the success that I want.” I found myself thinking ingrained thoughts like “I can’t be trusted with more money”, “Financial literacy will be too hard for me to learn”, “More money only causes more stress”, and my personal favorite, “Rich people are snobby”. When I say that I had to dig deep and really unpack these internalized messages running through my mind, I mean that I had to go allllll the way back to the messages I had learned about money and hard work growing up, thoughts about class and socioeconomic status, thoughts about my capabilities as a woman…heck, I even had to unpack my thoughts about God and the whole freaking Universe when it came down to it! This type of inner work is not for the faint of heart.
Flip the Script
Once I started to really examine these knee-jerk reactions I had to making more money, I was finally able to flip the script to something more positive. Now, instead of “Financial literacy will be too hard for me to learn”, I tell myself “I’m a really smart and capable woman who enjoys the challenge of learning new things.” You see how I forced myself to take back the steering wheel there? I not only own my business, but I am in the driver’s seat of my own LIFE. I get to call the shots around here, and I believe with a little work that you all can too. The really amazing thing is, once I started to shift my mindset, my business really started to take off! I honestly couldn’t believe it was so simple!
Imagination = Work
I like to think outside the box. It’s one of the main reasons I had to leave my traditional 9-5 desk job almost seven years ago. I often got frustrated when my boss would ask me to do XY and Z but I wanted to start dreaming up new ways to improve AB and C. When you decide to go out on your own and run a business, imagination is a big part of the work. There’s no more ceiling to what you can achieve with your work, and it’s YOUR job to imagine all of the exciting possibilities that that level of freedom can open up! Especially when you work in a creative field, why limit those possibilities to a bunch of numbers on a page? Whether you call it Imagining, Daydreaming, Strategizing, or Brainstorming, it all comes down to the same basic idea:
Your business can only expand to fit the size of your own imagination.
What Does Your Dream Business Look Like?
I recently met up with a friend to discuss a new workshop we’re launching in January, and instead of the usual meeting over Skype or even an in-person coffee date, you know what we did? We chatted and strategized together over pedicures! Granted, it wasn’t a VIP private jet to Paris or anything, but to me it felt luxurious. THIS is what my current Dream Business looks like…indulging in self-care and small rewards all in the name of greater productivity and a much-needed creativity boost. In the past, I would have struggled with a lot of guilt about such a splurge. Right now, my Dream Business looks like cute toes and one of those sweet massage chairs. When I look ahead to 2020, I want it to look like more travel, more partnerships with industry leaders, and more of an emphasis on longterm sustainability. And still cute toes. Your Dream Business probably looks very different from mine, and that’s totally cool cause we’re out here living different lives and whatnot. The important thing is: Do YOU know what your Dream Business looks like? And if not, what do you plan to do about that?
Manifestation is an Active Verb
Okay, so imagination is nice and all, but money doesn’t just magically land in your lap after a full day of daydreaming that you’re swimming through your vault of gold coins, Scrooge McDuck style. You have to follow that up with actual work. For me, manifestation is about taking Active Ownership over my business: it’s about having Vision, it’s about being Intentional and Protecting my work time and space, it’s about digging deep and doing the inner work to help me maintain Mental Clarity, and it’s about surrounding myself with the right Energy to keep propelling me and my business forward. So, HOW do you turn your Daydreams into your Reality? Friends, that’s where I come in. 😉 As a former licensed mental health therapist and a current Business Mentor, I have a whole list of tools and strategies to help you manifest all your business goals. Let me help you get past whatever mountain or even plateau you’re currently staring down.
New Decade, Who Dis?
2020 is not only a brand new year, but it’s also a brand new DECADE. Now is the perfect time to evaluate both your personal and business goals and start making plans for how you intend to achieve those goals. I’d love to be able to work with you and help you start the New Year on the right foot!
Refresh 2020
In January, I’m co-hosting Refresh 2020, a half-day workshop in the greater Philly area for photographers who want to learn how to elevate their business from Burnout to Balance. I’m going to teach you how to “Manifest Your Dream Business“, and my awesome friend Rae will teach you how to “Cultivate a Fun and Profitable Client Experience”. We’re going to share all of our best tips and tricks for how we manage to not only stay sane, but continue to GROW in the uber-saturated market of family photography, and we’d LOVE for you to join us!
You can register for Refresh 2020 on Rae’s website, here (act fast because the Early Bird price ends soon!):
Mastermind Group Mentoring
In January, I’m also launching a brand new mentoring service, where I’ll be hosting my very first Mastermind Group! I have a whole year of content mapped out to help you build a solid foundation for your photography business, no matter what state your business is currently in. Each month, I’ll be sharing customized feedback and homework for you to work on, and then at the end of the month, we’ll all check in and chat about progress, accountability, goal setting, and more. Since we’ll be meeting online, this is a perfect fit for anyone who’s not local or can’t make the in-person Refresh 2020 workshop. There’s no up-front commitment required; you’re welcome to join on a month-to-month basis. But I promise the info is going to be so invaluable you’ll want to keep coming back for more! This first group is only open to FIVE members and we’ve already sold the first three spots so there are only TWO SPOTS LEFT! If you’re interested, please reach out via my contact form below, and we’ll chat to make sure this group will be the right fit for you.
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