To sum up the roller coaster of emotions when owning a small business in one, or even 10 blog posts would be an impossible task. I admit, I severely underestimated the stress, the highs and lows, how I would react in both busy and very slow seasons. You're chasing your dreams, nothing seems like it could really be THAT hard when you have level 400 passion, motivation and want something so bad you can taste it. But, cliche or not, anything worth having is worth fighting for, and by fight, I mean sweat and tears. It happens.
Ive always pride myself in being organized, motivated and having a really tough work ethic. Something requiring hard work has never turned me off to the idea, and if anything, probably motivated me more. For me, setting goals that are challenging keep me passionate and help me constantly perfect my craft.
It's easy to take good pictures under the best of circumstances. For me, it's easy enough to blog my sessions in well-worded blog posts with pictures that tell a compelling story. I find it relatively easy to form relationships and make people laugh. And I find all of it that much easier when the inquiries are rolling in and my dates are filling fast. But then there's a slow season, and I've learned that things slowing down is where I find my growth happens... Getting my feet back under me, if you will. And I know these slow times are good and necessary , but they're scary.
I went almost all of February without booking a single session. Not one. I met with brides that I had already been in contact with, and I was steadily crossing things off my to-do list (that actually never shrinks, by the way), but fresh inquiries weren't happening. I sent myself countless web forms to make sure it was working, I stared at my website a lot trying to put myself in the shoes of my ideal market wondering if I would book myself based on what I saw. In the back of my mind I knew this was good for me, we all need to recharge, but I couldn't help but worry, and feel like something was wrong with me. It's funny how fast self-doubt creeps in, and scary how it can take over so powerfully.
When I launched my website, I was so excited. There are so many reasons why, but a big one was the aspect of a blog. I always have a slew of pictures I want to share from each session, but I never want to annoy my social media followers by over posting, so the fine line game becomes an unnecessary stressor. But I never considered or even thought that my biggest fear would come out of this new and exciting extension of my business: the fear of having nothing to say. I know it sounds like an incredibly ridiculous fear, but nonetheless, it strikes a cord.
For me, slow season is so many things, both good and bad. While for me it's a time to recharge, learn new skill and network, it's also a time of little work compared to the rest of the year. Little work means fewer blog posts, and fewer blog posts can sometimes mean more time on my hands. More time on my hands, means comparison slips through the cracks and I unintentionally fill my extra time looking at what other people are doing and the success they're having, and comparison is the ultimate thief of contentment.
Usually, I'm much more eloquent with my words, and my posts flow a little better, but today I wanted to hop on here and use this God-given platform to remind someone (and maybe even myself) that you're killin' it. In the quiet, stillness of your own slow season, your success is still there. You are still capable of all that you set out to accomplish, and you're far more than you give yourself credit for. In this crazy life, we're all chasing our own dreams, so regardless of what you're setting out to do, we all share that little slice of similarity, and you are not alone. Keep on keepin' on... The greatest successes don't happen overnight.
Thanks for following along on this little dream of mine.
XOXO, Taylor