What is your success story?

The latest article in the photography news is about a one million dollar settlement between a wedding photographer and a couple. To make a long story short the couple felt that it was OK to bash on this photographer and destroy her business, all because they signed a contract that sounds like to me they did not bother to read. If you would like to read the story here is the link

So how does this relate to your success story? Well I bring it up because very rarely does a photographer actually win in court, or at least that is what the news would like to have us believe. I will be perfectly honest I am really not sure. I also bring it up because for the photography world it is a sucess story in a sense. Why? Well because the photographer won, and monetarily she was rewarded for following her contract and being a great photographer and business owner, however she also lost alot... Like her whole business and studio because of one couple. So for her this was a failure.

This case was a success for the industry, but a damaging experience over all for the photographer, yet I am sure she will tell you about all of her previous successes and what her proudest moments were.

When I read this article it made me think about a few things. Some of which I have already mentioned, but the main thing was, what is my success story? What does it look like? What do I want it to be? How do I KNOW that I have made it?

And the answer I came up with...... I DON'T KNOW. I realized that in not knowing this I was actually hurting my business, that I am just floating along and I have no solid purpose, no idea of what success looks like for me. Which explains why I have been feeling defeated and usesless when it comes to my photography. I have no idea what my success story is suppose to look like, which means I have no goals or idea as what I want to work towards. Crazy I know.

Once I discovered this I took some time and finally put together my success story. One that I can now focus my business on and start working towards.

My success story is to make this a profitable business, one that I can support my family, and use to travel. My success story is every smile and every client that falls in love with their images, and themselves at the same time. Not only is this about me, (which I know is selfish) but it also about the client. However I have also recently learned that in order to be successful in what you are doing you have to be selfish too.

What do I mean? For example everyone enters into a small business, and starts there own for what reasons? They don't want to work for someone, they don't want someone else setting their hours, they feel they can do it better, they want to show the world that they are someone and not dependent on others. In all of these examples it is for the person, and what they want. It is how they want their life to be, how they want to control it etc. There is nothing in any of these that benefits anyone but that person. So they are all for selfish reasons. Is there something wrong with that? No not all. In fact it can be a good thing. In being selfish it forces a person to focus on what they want and if to be a  business owner is one of them it is going to force them to move forward, because if they do not, they are not going to survive. They are not going to obtain the things they want and they are not going to satisfy the selfish side of themselves.

I am sure that now you are thinking that I am saying that you have to be a selfish person in order to be a great business owner, but I really am not. Remember what I said in my success story and what it would look like. There is more to it than just me. This is because I am a person that likes to please other people as well. With that in mind it drives me in more ways than one. I want to support my family and not have to work a nine to five job, but I also want my clients to feel amazing. For me this is a win win situation.

Lets talk about it. What are your selfish reasons for entering business? What is your success story? Or what do you want your success story to look like?

Leave your answers in the comments below, you never know what you may say may help another person.