323 - Three Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think - This Can't Be That Hard

Summary

Podcast Summary: This Can't Be That Hard Episode: 323 - Three Signs You’re Doing Better Than You Think
Host: Annemie Tonken
Release Date: July 1, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 323 of "This Can't Be That Hard", host Annemie Tonken delves into the often overlooked signs of success in a photography business. Drawing from personal experiences and relatable anecdotes, Annemie aims to uplift photographers who might feel stuck or overwhelmed, reassuring them that their progress may be more significant than they perceive.

Perception of Success and Burnout

Annemie opens the episode by sharing a conversation with a fellow photographer who, despite being successful on paper, feels exhausted and questioning her achievements after seven years in business. This sentiment resonates with many entrepreneurs who expect a certain level of fulfillment after reaching specific milestones but instead encounter persistent challenges and fatigue.

Annemie Tonken [00:00]: "If you've been around for a while, chances are you've heard me talk about how running a business can feel like climbing a mountain."

She likens the entrepreneurial journey to climbing a mountain, where the initial years are filled with the anticipation of reaching a peak of effortless success. However, as time progresses, the path reveals that the summit is more of a moving target, leading to feelings of being perpetually behind.

Annemie Tonken [00:00]: "Every time that I have rounded a corner in my own business, thinking that I'm just about to step up to the peak, there is inevitably another bend in the path."

This analogy highlights the myth of a final pinnacle in business success, emphasizing that continuous growth and adaptation are essential for long-term sustainability.

Sign 1: Focusing on the Right Kind of Growth

Annemie discusses the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity in business growth. In the early stages, photographers often accept any opportunity to build their portfolio and gain experience. However, as the business matures, it becomes crucial to shift focus towards attracting high-quality clients and meaningful engagements.

Annemie Tonken [Timestamp MM:SS]: (Assuming timestamp from transcript, e.g., [10:45]) "You are learning how to climb smarter, not just harder. And you're building a business that you actually want to run for the long term."

Key aspects of this growth-focused approach include:

Quality Interactions: Moving beyond mere likes on social media to fostering genuine conversations and inquiries from potential clients.
Client Alignment: Ensuring that inquiries are well-matched to the services offered and that clients are willing to pay appropriate rates.
Client Satisfaction: Focusing on delivering exceptional experiences that lead to repeat business and referrals.

By concentrating on these areas, photographers can create a sustainable and fulfilling business model.

Sign 2: Making Peace with Cycles of Rest and Activity

The entrepreneurial journey is not a constant upward trajectory but rather a series of ebbs and flows. Annemie uses the metaphor of Mount Everest to illustrate the necessity of planned rest and adaptability in the face of unexpected challenges.

Annemie Tonken [Timestamp MM:SS]: (Assuming timestamp from transcript, e.g., [20:30]) "Forward momentum does not require constant motion. Sometimes rest really is the strategy."

Key points include:

Planned Rest: Just as Everest climbers use base camps to acclimate and recover, business owners should schedule intentional breaks and downtime to recharge.
Adaptability: Being prepared for unforeseen pauses or setbacks, much like weather changes on a mountain, ensures resilience.
Boundary Setting: Implementing work-hour boundaries and scheduling vacations prevents burnout and maintains long-term productivity.

Embracing these cycles fosters a healthier work-life balance and enhances the ability to handle prolonged business ventures.

Sign 3: Efficiency

As businesses grow, improving efficiency becomes a critical indicator of progress. Initially, tasks may seem arduous and time-consuming, but with experience and better systems, operations become smoother and more productive.

Annemie Tonken [Timestamp MM:SS]: (Assuming timestamp from transcript, e.g., [30:15]) "Becoming more efficient means that you can go farther, faster, you can make more money in less time."

Key strategies for enhancing efficiency include:

Systematization: Developing organized processes for repetitive tasks such as client communication, editing, and booking.
Delegation: Investing in software, leveraging AI, or building a small team to handle non-core activities like accounting or editing.
Time Management: Focusing efforts on activities that drive growth and revenue, thereby maximizing productivity with less effort.

By streamlining operations, photographers can achieve more with less, leading to increased profitability and client satisfaction.

Conclusion

Annemie wraps up the episode by encouraging photographers to recognize and celebrate their progress, no matter where they are on their entrepreneurial journey. She emphasizes that forward momentum, even if incremental, signifies meaningful advancement.

Annemie Tonken [Timestamp MM:SS]: (Assuming timestamp from transcript, e.g., [40:00]) "Forward progress is in itself its own success."

She urges listeners to take a moment to reflect on their achievements, appreciate the terrain they've already conquered, and acknowledge the resilience they've built along the way. Annemie reinforces the message that while the climb may continue, recognizing one's progress is essential for sustained motivation and success.

Key Takeaways

Redefine Success: Shift focus from rapid growth to quality growth, ensuring sustainable and meaningful business expansion.
Embrace Rest Cycles: Integrate planned breaks and adaptability into business strategies to prevent burnout and maintain long-term productivity.
Enhance Efficiency: Streamline operations through systematization, delegation, and effective time management to maximize profitability with less effort.

Final Thoughts

This episode of "This Can't Be That Hard" serves as a reassuring guide for photographers navigating the complexities of running their own businesses. Through relatable metaphors and practical advice, Annemie Tonken highlights that progress may be more significant than it appears and that sustainable growth hinges on smart strategies, resilience, and efficient operations.

For more resources and insights, visit thiscan'tbethard.com and consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify to support the show.

Thank you for reading the summary of Episode 323. Stay tuned for more actionable strategies and inspiring discussions in upcoming episodes of "This Can't Be That Hard."

Transcript

Annemie Tonkin (0:00)

I was talking to a friend of mine the other week, and she's a photographer who's been in business for, I think, seven years and by all appearances is doing great, right? She is booked, she charges real money, she's doing all the things. She's busy on Instagram. And as we were talking, she said something along the lines of, I figured once I hit, you know, year five, five years in business, I would finally feel like I made it. But instead, I just feel tired. Like, is this it? I feel like I'm working so hard for every little win. And we had a whole spinoff conversation about that because that is so relatable. It hit home for me. I have had that experience so many times in my business, and I figure if you've been around for a while, chances are you've heard me talk about how running a business can feel like climbing a mountain. Right? When we first get started, we have this vision of ourselves at the top of some soaring summit, right? A place where everything feels easy, settled, and all the hard work feels like it's behind us. And we often assume when we're starting that the journey to that summit is going to be reasonably short because we see people like my friend out there killing it, and they're a handful of years into their business, and we're like, great. I can put in the work for five years or seven years or whatever that magic number is in your mind, and then I will be at that place at that peak of the mountain where everything is effortless. But 15 years in, I'm pretty sure that that is not the way it goes down. Every time that I have rounded a corner in my own business, thinking that I'm just about to step up to the peak, there is inevitably another bend in the path. And for a long time, that felt exhausting and deflating, right? I felt behind, not just behind my peers, but kind of behind my own goals. And then at some point along the way, I realized that this mythological peak of the mountain doesn't really exist. Definitely, there is a hard climb for the first few years of your business, but then at some point at typically around that point where we think we're going to reach the peak, things do start to level out. And after that, there are ups and downs, and there are easy stretches, there are challenging parts. But if there is a big sign at the top of this photography mountain that you're supposed to pose beside for a photo, I certainly haven't found it yet. We see people ahead of us on the trail. We assume that they are at or just about at the peak. And but I think that if you were to actually ask them, they would then turn around and point to the people ahead of them on the trail as evidence that the peak is yet another bend away. Right. It's still a little bit further down the path. And the thing is that moving the goalpost on ourselves is a real thing and it can be a major contributor to burnout. We get to a place that, you know, a couple of years ago we would have been like, that looks so successful. But once we're there, we've moved the definition of success further away. But just because the climb continues doesn't mean that you're not making progress. So today I want to help you spot three subtle but powerful signs that you're actually further along the trail than you realize, because the view behind you is very much worth appreciating. Welcome to this Can't Be that Hard. My name is Annemie 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. When a journey is long, when we are building something big and meaningful, it can be easy to lose steam along the way, right? That is a pretty universal experience. Inevitably, what starts out with excitement and passion and this seemingly endless, boundless energy at some point starts to feel like, you know, work. It's not unlike a relationship which shifts over time from, you know, the early days of mere obsession to the calmer, deeper love of an established bond. New love gets all the attention in movies, but if you assume that's how it's always going to feel, then you're probably never going to have a successful long term relationship. What I have found is that one of the keys to being in business for yourself long term is becoming comfortable with and even beginning to appreciate those creative ebbs and flows and learning to celebrate wins that you probably didn't even consider when you were first starting your business. So let's look at these three signs that you're doing better than you might think. Sign number one is that you are focusing on the right kind of growth at the base of our proverbial mountain. It's all about momentum, right? Most of us take off running up the trail. We're scrambling to get going, get booked, get paid. Those early days tend to feel urgent and fast and Probably a little chaotic. Most of us, when we're new, are willing to say yes to almost anyone. We will shoot almost anything, right? We work all the time, we take whatever we're offered. And honestly, I am here for it. I believe that that is part of the learning curve. It helps you build your confidence. It helps you begin to understand what you like, what you don't like. You gain experience, you gain clarity, all of those things, right? So that's a valuable part of the journey. But eventually the climb shifts. You start to realize that it's not just about taking more steps. It really is a combination of making progress and protecting your ability to keep going. So, you know, if you have a rock in your shoe, you don't just ignore it. You take the time to fix that issue before it becomes a bigger one. The same is true in your business if you have gotten to a point where you no longer obsess over how many followers or inquiries or even clients you have, and instead you've started to think about the quality of those things. So, you know, what kinds of interactions are you getting with your emails and social media? Are people just hitting the like button or are they asking questions and considering next steps and actually reaching out to you? And then when it comes to inquiries, you know, how are they looking? Are they well matched to what you offer and what you charge? Or are you, you know, getting a bunch of inquiries that are way off base? They feel all over the place. And then finally, what about the clients who actually turn into booked paying clients, right? They go from inquiry to client. Are those people easy to work with? Do you enjoy working with them? Are they, you know, paying your rates and hopefully spending a little bit above that? Are they super happy with the images and the experience and maybe so much so that they are rebooking with you and referring you to their friends? If you can see progress in this direction on any of those fronts, that is a huge win, right? You are learning how to climb smarter, not just harder. And you're building a business that you actually want to run for the long term. You're focusing on that sustainability piece rather than just speed. There is strategy and big picture thinking at play when that is where you are. And in the end, those things will get you further than any amount of hustle ever could. The second sign that you're doing better than you might feel like you are is that you've started making peace with the cycles of rest and activity that naturally come with this kind of work. So think about Mount Everest, since we're Talking about mountains, right? Obviously, the people who are hiking Everest are not new hikers. They're not inexperienced. But not only do hikers on Everest anticipate rest, they very much plan for it. I mean, there are entire base camps built, established for helping these hikers get all the way to the top of Everest. Because even if they have all the energy and all the training and all the gear and all the things in the world, most of them are not going to be acclimated to that kind of elevation, right? They need to stop and let themselves get used to the elevation at those different places so that they're not sick. So regardless of any sort of external factors, hikers stop and stay at those base camps along the way. And they build that time into the time it takes them to hike the mountain. They pack food for that, they pack water for that, all the different things. And then when they're at those camps, or even in between when they're hiking, if the forecast turns bad, then they sometimes end up staying much longer or turning back at different points, and they have to go up the mountain prepared for that as well. Now, it's important to mention that giving up is a totally different thing from pausing, resting longer than anticipated, even turning back, right? And obviously, it's not about being lazy. It really is about understanding and respecting the conditions around them. Reading the weather, listening to their bodies, conserving energy for the challenges that lie ahead. And in business, planning for rest really is a sign of maturity. So sometimes rest is intentional, right? You set boundaries around your work hours, you block off white space in your calendar or recovery time after a busy season, and you even stake out a week here and there for vacation time. But other times, rest is going to show up uninvited, like a blizzard on the mountain. And those pauses, although hopefully not frequent, are basically inevitable. So not planning for them or trying to power through them is a rookie mistake. Forward momentum does not require constant motion. Sometimes rest really is the strategy. And if you've started to make peace with that concept, or even better, if you've started to put safeguards in place that allow you to outlast even the longest delays, that's a sign that you have become a master of the whole small business game. That resilience is one of the clearest signs that you're further up the mountain than you think. The last sign of progress that I want to point out is efficiency. At the beginning of a hike, your boots give you blisters, your pack isn't well balanced, and you know your footing is unsure. You're not really great at the whole hiking thing. Likewise, early on in your business, everything tends to feel hard. Not only do you have a lot of extra tasks when your business is new, building a website, figuring out what platform to put your website on, starting all the different accounts and things and connecting them and figuring out how to use them. It's a pretty steep learning curve. But not only do you have more of those things to do, but those tasks take longer. You're just not as good at them. I remember spending hours and hours editing every single family session. Even though we're only talking about, I don't know, 40 or 50 images, I used to write every single client email from scratch. And they were long and they were personal and they were, you know, trying to get it all communicated really, really well in just the perfect way. I was trying to do everything all by myself and then I was second guessing all of it because I didn't really have an overarching plan. Again, that learning curve, that beginning part, is not wrong, it's part of the process. But once you've been in the game a while, you start to find a rhythm, right? You organize, you systematize, and hopefully you stop wasting energy on things that don't move the needle. You also realize that you don't actually have to do it all yourself. You invest in software, you learn how to leverage AI. You might even put together a small team of people who can take care of the parts of your business that don't require you. Whether that's accounting or editing or client communication. People hire other people to do all kinds of things in their businesses. Becoming more efficient means that you can go farther, faster, you can make more money in less time, you can earn rave reviews with a whole lot less effort. And although in some ways that can feel like cheating, the truth is that it is key to a lasting, successful business. So if you are now in a place where you are editing faster or shooting smarter, booking people more easily, handling client communication in, let's say, a fraction of the time that it used to take you, that is efficiency and that's a huge win. So wherever you are on the trail, even if you are at the very beginning and only beginning to glimpse what the future holds, I want to remind you that forward progress is in itself its own success. And I want to encourage you to take a moment to turn around, look back, notice the terrain that you've already climbed, the obstacles that you've overcome, and the way that you've become more sure footed with every mile you may be. You may still be climbing. I am, too. But that doesn't mean that we haven't gotten somewhere meaningful. And the view from up here is worth celebrating. I'll see you next 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'tbethard.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.