Annami Tonkin (0:00)

There's this idea that if you're serious about your photography business, you have to be all in, like, full time, fully booked, or nothing at all. But real life just is not always that neat and tidy, right? Some of us are just getting started, learning the ropes, trying to build something solid on the evenings and on the weekends. Others of us are already running a business. But, you know, maybe you're going through a season where you need more income, you are not getting as many inquiries, and. And so you're considering picking up a more stable job to bridge the gap, the financial gap, the insurance gap. I mean, there's all kinds of reasons that a paid gig, something that's regular and predictable, can be attractive, right? So if either of those sounds familiar, or if you are in any way considering another job on top of your photography business, then you're going to want to listen to today's episode. Because building a photography business while working full time elsewhere isn't just possible. It might actually give you the structure and the clarity that you need to build something more sustainable over time. In today's episode, I'm going to be sharing some of the most powerful lessons that I have picked up over the years, working with photographers who are juggling more than just their cameras. Right. Whether you are eventually planning to go full time with photography or you simply want to make the most of the time and energy that you have right now, we're going to talk through how to make this work on your terms. Welcome to this Can't Be that Hard. My name is Annami Tonkin, and I help photographers run profitable, sustainable businesses that they love. Each week on the podcast, I cover simple, actionable strategies and systems that photographers at every level of experience can use to earn more money in a more sustainable way. Running a photography business doesn't have to be that hard. You can do it, and I can show you how. Back toward the beginning of the podcast, so I think the recording date was still in 2020, I had a guest on the podcast whose first attempt at running a photography business had, in her words, failed. She had spent a whole bunch of money getting herself set up and launched. And when the income that she was hoping for didn't just instantly materialize, she looked at her bank account and realized that she really needed to go back and get a real job again. And I'm using air quotes for a real job. But even though this woman felt disappointed and maybe a little bit ashamed about the fact that things didn't go as planned, and, you know, she told everybody that she was going full time and then had to kind of take it back. She didn't let that stop her. She didn't give up. Right? So when she went back to her office job, she kept her photography business going as a side hustle. And over time, what she found was that removing the pressure, the financial pressure from her photography business actually helped her gain clarity on what it was that she wanted to do, what her sort of special offer was, all that sort of thing. And less than a year later, she was able to once again quit her regular job, go full time with photography. And she has been crushing it ever since. So today we're talking about what it looks like to build a photography business while you are working full time somewhere else. And I know that for a lot of people, especially those coming from a traditional job, that sentence alone might bring up a little bit of guilt or hesitation, like, am I really even doing this if I can only give it, you know, nights and weekends? But I really want to reframe that because the reality is your business doesn't need to look like anyone else's to be valid. And working another job, whether that's by choice, by necessity or by circumstance, doesn't make you less committed or less capable as a photographer. In fact, it might just force you to get really clear on what matters to you and to your clients. Something that I have seen again and again in my own business and in conversations with other photographers is that our time, energy, and resources aren't just limitations, they are design tools. So if you've ever taken an art class, chances are at some point they gave you a lot of restrictions. They said you have to, you know, draw this picture only using a crayon or, you know, you. You have to draw it in the negative space or whatever the case may be. And the tighter the restrictions, the more creative you have to become in order to fulfill the assignment. We all have what I think of as preferences and parameters that dictate the terms of our business. So preferences are the fun stuff, what you love shooting, who you love working with, how you want your business to feel. And your parameters are the reality stuff, right? Your work schedule, your family commitments, how many hours you can actually give to your photography business right now. And those are your design limitations, right? This is the key. When you build your business with those parameters in mind, instead of fighting against them, you. You end up with a model that actually works for you and has the power to keep working. So my brother is a furniture maker. He makes beautiful custom furniture. And these days, well into his career, he has this big dedicated shop, he has lots of fancy tools and equipment. But when he was just starting out, he like barely had more than a few hand tools and a corner of his garage to work in. But what was key was that he didn't wait until he had the perfect setup. He didn't let the constraint of not having the ideal scenario stop him from practicing his craft, right? So he got really good at working within the limitations that he had. And because of that, he probably honed his skills even better. Every project he took on had to be planned carefully, measured twice, and built with a lot of intention. He also at the time was working full time. So when he took on a project, you better be sure it was one that he really wanted to take on because he had a very limited amount of time to dedicate to it. Our businesses can work the same way, right? Maybe you're only available to shoot on Saturdays, so great. Design your client experience, design your pricing and design your policies around that limitation. You do not need every tool, you don't need every hour of the week, you don't need every opportunity to come along. You just need a plan that fits with what you do have and a willingness to work that plan with care and consistency. Because when you become great at working within those limitations, once the limitations are lifted, you are that much better. My brother now has access to all of these amazing tools, all of this space. It's his full time job. And you know, now he creates a lot more. But the lessons that he learned when all of those constraints were in place were the thing that built that foundation for him. So when you are growing a business part time, or you're shifting back into part time mode, perhaps temporarily, it's easy to fall into the comparison trap, right? You see photographers on social media who are booking back to back sessions, they're announcing sold out mini events, they're launching courses, whatever they're doing right. And all of a sudden we feel small. We feel like our progress is too slow, we're not doing enough. But here's the thing. A successful business isn't defined by how fast you grow or how loudly you talk about, is defined by how well it supports the life you want. And I say that slowly because I don't think it can be overstated. We are constantly bombarded by other people's definition of success. And we as creatives, as entrepreneurs, have to cling tightly to what we are aiming for and continue to use that as our North Star. So maybe that means that your photography income pays for summer Camp and groceries and that's enough. Maybe it means being able to say no to clients who don't align with you because you are not relying on every single booking to survive. Maybe it just means keeping your creative spark alive while your day job covers the bills. All of those are valid reasons to run your business. There is no rule that says success equals quitting your job and going full time in, you know, 12 months flat. There's no gold star for burning out faster, right? And here's something that we don't talk about enough. Pursuing self employment, especially as an artist and a creative really shouldn't just be about making it work financially. It also has to feel good most of the time. You don't have to love every single task you do. I don't. No one I know does. But if the overall experience of running your business is draining your joy, if it is causing you stress, that is not success, right? It's just a different brand of failure. I don't care how much money you're making. So if your business goals are built around freedom, flexibility or creativity, which is what they should be built around, not just profit, make sure you give yourself credit for every step that moves you toward those goals as well. When you define success on your own terms, your business becomes something that works for you, not something that you have to constantly chase or prove. Now, when time is limited, and for most part time photographers, it really is, and it's probably true for even those of us who are full time. Your biggest asset is clarity and that means knowing exactly where you need to be putting your effort and being honest about what's actually helping your business grow versus what's just kind of draining your time. Now, it can be really tempting to do all the things right, to redesign your website, to fiddle with your logo, to try every marketing trick that you come across. But when you only have, let's say five hours a week or 10 hours a week to work on your business, you really can't afford to waste time on stuff that doesn't matter. And again, I think that this can be viewed through the lens of a benefit, a creative exercise. If you only have five hours to work within, then you are going to get so much better at doing what's important, right? So we have to focus on the essentials. Delivering an amazing experience to our clients, refining pricing so that it's sustainable, and making it easy for the right people to find and book you. I think that this particular exercise is important for anyone, and that is to ask yourself, if I only had one hour this week to work on my business. What would make the biggest difference? That question alone can help you cut through the noise and focus on what really moves the needle. Now, it would not be me if I didn't point out that having systems in place really helps with this piece as well. Automations, templates, workflows, sometimes involving pieces of software, but sometimes not. Those things are not just for people who have been in business for a long time, who have teams working for them, who have tons of clients. If anything, I feel like they're even more important for people who are either brand new or have very limited time. If I were a part time photographer, the last thing that I would be giving up would be my automations, my CRM, all that sort of stuff. Because when you only have a few hours a week to work on your business, every minute counts, right? You don't have the luxury of following up manually with every client or retyping the same email 10 times. Systems buy you back time, they reduce your mental load and they create this consistent experience for your clients without requiring constant effort on your part, which is so, so important when time is limited. And while we're on the topic of efficiency, I also want to address something that can get weirdly tangled for part time photographers, and that is pricing. Just because you are working fewer hours per week does not mean that your expenses are any lower. In fact, proportionally, oftentimes, your expenses are higher. You're still paying for gear, you're paying for your editing software, your insurance, your website hosting, your subscriptions, education, the list goes on, right? Those prices don't go down based on the number of hours you are or are not working per week. But beyond the practical numbers, there's also a mindset piece here. I have heard from so many photographers who hesitate to raise their rates or charge what they're worth because they feel like they're not real photographers. They say, well, you know, this isn't my full time job. I'm, I'm really a periodontist. As though that somehow means that their photography work is worth less. So let me say this very clearly. The value that you bring to your clients is not tied to the number of hours you work. It is tied to the quality of your work, the experience you provide, and the results that your clients walk away with. And if your time is limited, then in some ways your pricing should be even higher because that is a limited commodity. So if you find yourself undercharging out of guilt or imposter syndrome, I want you to take a breath Take a step and remind yourself. Part time doesn't mean amateur, it doesn't mean less skilled. It means your time is especially valuable. So be sure you are pricing accordingly. You don't have to be busy to be effective. You just have to be intentional. One of the most overlooked advantages of running your business part time is that you do have space to be intentional. When you're not relying on your photography income to pay every single bill, you get to make decisions with a little bit more breathing room. And that means that you have the opportunity to build those systems, fine tune that client experience, and really think through how you want your business to run. It might feel slower, it might look less impressive from the outside, but this slower pace gives you time to build a business that is designed, not just made by default. So instead of rushing to book as many clients as possible, you get to ask, who do I actually want to work with? What kind of experience do I actually want to deliver? And in order to deliver that, what processes do I need in place so that I can do that? When and if you decide to go full time in the future, having these systems already in place will make you way ahead of the game, right? It will make the transition smoother. It will make the the whole thing less stressful. You will be stepping up into something stable, not scrambling to try and keep afloat. So look at this again. If you are hoping to go full time in the future, use this season well. Invest in the behind the scenes work. Enjoy the freedom that part time gives you. Document your workflows, create those email templates, set up your scheduling tools. Think of it like laying the foundation of a house. It's not the most exciting part to look at, but it is truly what everything else is built on. So the big takeaway this week is that your business really doesn't have to be full time for it to be real or for it to be successful. It just has to work for you. So start where you are. Use what you have. Build your business intentionally, not reactively. And remember that the slow, steady, thoughtful path isn't just good enough. It is often the most sustainable one there is. So whether you stay part time forever or grow into something bigger down the road, what matters most is that your business supports your life, not the other way around. You guys have a great week. That's it for this week's episode of this Can't Be that Hard. I'll be back, same time, same place next week. If you like the show, be sure to check out. Thiscan'tbethathard.com to explore all the resources we have for photographers. And of course, it would mean the world to me if you would leave a review of the show on itunes or Spotify. As always, thanks so much for joining me. I hope you have a fantastic week.