It’s scary to start a new venture and sometimes the fear gets in our way. Especially as sole entrepreneurs. Putting yourself out there, asking for the sale, being vulnerable as an artist, and not to mention the systems and running a business. Man, it sure isn’t for the faint of heart.

When I started, I felt I had to learn everything on my own and do it myself, pay my dues if you will. What a load of BS! Who the heck told me that or what made me think that?! It was very isolating, lonely and, sad to say, competitive when it should have been community.

If I could go back and tell myself one thing from the beginning, it would be build a community, learn from all the people, make friends with other photographers and entrepreneurs. They will guide you, teach you, support you and relate to you. It took me years to learn this (and I mean years) and it shifted everything.

I now have a community of like-minded sole entrepreneurs, mentors, coaches and photographers and together we help build each other up. It’s lonely being an entrepreneur and guess what? No one has all the answers and we are all just doing our best.

Once I built this community throughout my career, I found that I love giving back and helping the next entrepreneur grow or giving my fellow business owner tips on how to streamline something or that push that they need because fear is stopping them.

Instead of beating yourself up or getting down on yourself, reach out to that person that can shift your vibe and outlook. We all make mistakes and running a business has a crap ton of failure and bumps. I remember hearing from the photographers that I admire, build it and it will come or just keep going and believing. I wish I could say it’s that easy!

I don’t want to purely focus on the wins and success, but rather acknowledging some of the failures along the way. Because success comes from failure, so the next time you see someone who screams all the wins and success, remember they had 10x the failure before they got there. It’s not just you!

I’m gonna start sharing stories about how I have dealt with rejection, not performing in the way I expected, and how I began to overcome self-doubt and build confidence.  Along with that, I am also going to offer my skills, knowledge and support to those of you looking for mentorship. I’m here to share what I have learned, the failures that helped me grow, my insight, tips and tricks. Whether you are just starting out, want to learn more and get serious about your business, or maybe you need a hype girl to help inspire and encourage you – I’d love to help.

Some things I wish I had done since the beginning of my photography career:

– Find a mentor 

– Make friends with other photographers on your same level – a supportive friend that understands your struggles and can relate to where you are currently at. Also makes for great referrals. Community over competition. This one took me a long time to find, so be patient. Part of it was my mindset and part was building that friendship, security and partnership. 

– Coaches to help me see past my own beliefs and that believed in me and supported me. Especially when I couldn’t. 

– A group to connect with that will support you, encourage you, understand you and help you. For me this was/is Jaimi Brooks entrepreneurial women’s group. I joined that about 3 years ago and it has been life changing. The group has shifted a little, but I find it to be so helpful. She is actually starting a new one this month if you are interested. https://www.instagram.com/p/CYVBdEatfuD/ 

– I also wrote this little article that you may find helpful. https://kristamason.com/2022/01/set-yourself-up-for-success/, especially for tracking progress. One of the things I get caught up on is that I am not exactly where I want to be. But if I look back at where I was 3-5 years ago, I’m doing amazing, hit some goals and have many things to be proud of. 

– Keep learning, growing, expanding. Take courses to improve from creative abilities, to business to personal growth. Find the people you can relate to and connect with and keep them close. 

Looking for a mentor to help you in business? I’m here to share what I have learned, the failures that helped me grow, my insight, tips and tricks. Whether you are just starting out, want to learn more and get serious about your business, or maybe you need a hype girl to help inspire and encourage you – I’d love to help.