141 | How to Keep Your Business Thriving During a Slow Season

If you want more tips and individual coaching on how you can create a thriving business during the slow seasons, join me for my next free workshop. I’ll be diving into more ways for you to create momentum & visibility inside your business – AND if you attend live, you’ll have the ability to get real-time coaching for your specific business. This workshop is for you whether you’re a FT photographer, or growing your business on the side. Head over to heykristamarie.com/workshop to save your seat.

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Summary:
We’ve all experienced slow seasons in our photography business – in fact, there’s a chance you might be in the middle of one right now. As business owners, it can be tough to be in the middle of a slow season when we see other photographers booking out their sessions. In today’s episode, I’m going to share some tried and true strategies that you can implement today to help you grow in the midst of the slow season – AND the best news? You’ll leave this episode feeling empowered and more in control of how to continue booking clients in the middle of a slow season.  

Here’s some things for you to think about before we dive in:
What if the slower seasons were actually the most CREATIVE and IMPACTFUL seasons inside your business? How would that change the way you think about them? It’s often inside the slower seasons that you have the MOST creative control in your business, we just have to shift a few thoughts and focus on a few key things…

…  Ready? Let's dive in!

If you're ready to create more momentum and visibility inside your business (meaning: more inquiries and more booked clients) -- you'll want to join me for my next free workshop.  This workshop will be interactive meaning you get real-time coaching & strategies to grow your business. Head over to heykristamarie.com/workshop to save your seat.

Ways we can work together:

• <<Coaching>> Photographers, are you ready to create a sustainable business strategy?
• <<Brand Photos>> Is it time to elevate your business and get updated , gorgeous brand photos?

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello, friend and welcome. You're listening to the she Calls Her Shots podcast, the show that empowers photographers like you to take inspired action and earn more money as a full-time photographer and business owner. And let me just start off by saying that we have all experienced slow seasons in our photography business, myself included, and there's a chance that you might even be in the middle of a slower season right now. As business owners, it can sometimes feel really tough when we are experiencing a slow season, but then we see other photographers around us constantly booking out their sessions, and in today's episode, I want to share some tried and true strategies that will help you to not only feel more empowered during this slow season, but tactical things that you can actually implement to help you still continue to grow, to grow your creativity, to grow your client base, to also potentially grow your income, even if you're in the middle of a slow season. And here's something I want you to think about before we dive into this episode is what if these slower seasons were actually the most creative and impactful and abundant seasons that you experienced inside your business? How would that change the way that you think about the slow seasons? Because oftentimes, it's in these slower seasons, that you have the most creative control within your business. We just have to shift a few thoughts and focus on a few key things, and that's exactly what we're going to talk about in this episode. So I'm excited because by the end of this quick podcast, you're going to have the ability to be able to feel empowered and feel more in control of how you grow your business, no matter what type of season you're in, but especially during the slower ones, and if you're looking for ways to book clients more consistently, to really have a solid foundation on how you can thrive during the slower seasons. At the end of the episode, I'm actually going to share information about a free workshop that I'm hosting. This is a brand new free workshop, and inside the workshop, I'm going to be giving you even more tips and strategies than I can give in this episode today. So you're going to get even more and we're going to dive into how you can grow when the inquiries aren't consistently coming in, and during the free workshop, I'm also going to be offering one-to-one personalized coaching for everyone who attends. So just by signing up for the free workshop and joining, you not only get the tips and the strategies, but you also get eyes in your business and direct coaching from me so that you can create a strategy that works for you. So I'll be sharing more about how you can join me at the workshop at the end of the episode, but for now, let's go ahead and dive right into today's topic.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Oftentimes, as humans, as business owners, we're constantly jumping to whatever we are lacking right. We're very hyper aware of the things that we wish we had more of in our life, in our business, and what usually happens with that is we see that there's a lack of inquiries, we feel that there's a lack of bookings, and all of a sudden we start telling ourselves these stories about why we're not booking, why clients aren't coming in right, and we start to. Our brain starts to try to come up with solutions to this problem. Right, like we are very problem-solving type people. So our brain naturally gets to work into trying to figure out how we can fix the problem. So our brain naturally gets to work into trying to figure out how we can fix the problem. But before we jump into those solutions, we first want to change our mindset. Because here's the thing there might not actually be anything wrong with the way that you're running your business. It could just be like the smallest, simplest tweak. But if your brain is problem solving and saying, well, it's my pricing, or it's this or it's that, you might start trying to fix things that aren't actually broken and you might miss the thing that actually just needs to get tweaked or fixed. So the first thing I want us to think about is, instead of asking you know what's wrong with my business, let's shift it to what is in my control right now, because a lot of the times with photographers, we start to spiral when bookings aren't coming in or we're not getting as many clients as we want to get.

Speaker 1: 4:14

We start to feel really out of control of when people book. And I know you know this feeling right. And I know you know it because I know it so well, because I've also experienced the slow seasons and the doubt and questioning like what is it about my business? Why am I not booking clients? And that feeling of feeling out of control is really scary, because what that means is that we start to feel like we have no control over when clients book. We have no control over when people send inquiries. We have no control over when clients book. We have no control over when people send inquiries. We have no control over when we make money. And while, yes, to an extent that is true, what usually ends up happening is when we feel that out of control, it's easy to spiral and to not take any action.

Speaker 1: 5:01

And when I'm coaching clients, one thing we often think of, right, when I, when I help them, think about this, is when you have these thoughts right, so, for example, I can't control when people book in my business, what feelings are usually attached to that? Well, usually it's feelings of fear, worry, you know, like, is it always going to be this way? And then what do those actions? Um, what? What actions do we take from those feelings? Right? So, like, what do we do? Or what do we like stop doing when we have those feelings?

Speaker 1: 5:35

And a lot of times, for photographers, when they start to have those feelings of fear and worry, it usually leads to inaction, right it? It usually leads to us pulling back, like trying to think about problems, of what's wrong, what do I need to fix, but it usually is not coming from a place of inspired action. It's not like, oh, I'm not getting bookings. What are some ways that I can be empowered and invite people into my business. Usually, what happens when we have those thoughts and feelings? That fear and that worry kind of starts to take over and all of a sudden, now we're pulling back in our business because we're telling ourselves these stories of why people don't want to work with us and why clients aren't booking. And so that's why the first thing I want us to talk about is this mindset piece because, honestly, this one shift could drastically change how your slow seasons look in your business. So, thinking about that right, we talked about creative, inspired action.

Speaker 1: 6:34

So when you start to feel those feelings or have those thoughts of clients aren't booking this is a slow season, I don't have anyone on my calendar Become very aware of the feelings that come after that. And if and when you start to feel those feelings of fear and worry and doubt and concern, just start to notice when those feelings come up, don't judge them right. Like we're all human, we're all going to feel these feelings and it's okay if these feelings are the first feelings that come up. But what we do have control over is how long we entertain those feelings for right. How long do we let those feelings sit inside of our bodies and eventually turn into beliefs that we have. Right, like that's. What we don't want to do is let those feelings that we have turn into beliefs and stories about why we have a slow season and why business is slow right now.

Speaker 1: 7:30

And so notice, when you start to have those more negative feelings and ask yourself are there more empowered feelings that I could feel? Right Is this? Are these feelings directly serving me? No, and so, okay, what feelings would serve me more? Right, and that's where this question comes in what can I control right now in my business? What feels really good and aligned for me in my business? What can I turn my attention and focus on? That will both light me up creatively internally and that will then allow me to take inspired action to eventually book more clients.

Speaker 1: 8:08

And so, during this time, I want you to think right, like, are there some things that you can do that would create that or spark that creativity inside you? So this could be things that could be in your control during that time that would light you up. It might mean creating a dream-inspired shoot right? So maybe you've had it on your bucket list to do an adventure engagement session. So for me, for example, I'm only a couple hours from Yosemite, there's Carmel, there's Big Sur, right.

Speaker 1: 8:42

So, thinking about, is there something that's been on my bucket list, that has just been a dream session, that I would love to shoot? And can you create that during this time, now that you have a little bit more time, some extra hours to be able to devote to planning something like this? That's just for you and just for fun, and there's so many ways that you can get clients right for this. I mean you could go to your friends, you could do a model call for your Instagram community. I mean there's a million different ways that you can source the people that you will take photos of.

Speaker 1: 9:17

But really, just thinking about what is something that's been a bucket list item for me that I would love to shoot that will help inspire me right now, that I can create just for myself, so that I can feel lit up and fulfilled and also create content that will attract these dream clients that I want to book more of. So that's one thing that I think is a great use of your thoughts and energy during the slower seasons that also creates content that you want to book more clients, like when we can really pull back and look at the content that we're sharing and ask ourselves if I were a dream client of mine, would this content light me up right? Would this content inspire me? So, coming back to that, you know, planning that dream session for yourself if you've been wanting to shoot somewhere really pretty or a certain type of client or a certain type of thing, when you have that content and you can share that online, you have the ability to speak to and to create the desire for your future clients. Because here's the thing some clients just might not be thinking about doing a dream adventure engagement session right, like your dream clients might not necessarily think of that firsthand when they think of booking you for a session, but if you show them what you want to be booking more of, you inspire them to think about how they might be able to have a session like the ones that you're sharing. And so we really have time during this slower season to be able to get super clear about what type of content am I sharing and is it going to resonate with the clients that I want to be booking more of?

Speaker 1: 11:04

The other thing is that here's something really magical that I feel like happens when we learn to detach from the need of getting inquiries right. And I know you know this feeling when you're checking your inbox manically every day because you're asking yourself, like, do I have any new inquiries? Did anyone inquire? Like, are people interested in booking a session? Right, that feeling that we get the need that we get of needing to get inquiries, when we can detach ourselves from that and focus instead our time and energy on doing the things that inspire us and light us up. So, for example, like those dream shoots or things that we'll talk about a little bit later when we refocus the time and energy that we would normally be attaching to needing to book, when we instead shift that energy into just doing things that light us up, creating beautiful art, doing things that inspire us and help us grow in our craft and our skills, the energy that we put out not just the content that we put out, but the energy that we put out is going to allow clients to be more naturally drawn to you. Because here's the thing it's not about marketing smarter or harder, it's not about getting the words exactly right in this post that you're going to be sharing. It's about being so lit up and on fire because you're doing the things that you love doing Content just starts feeling easier, right, writing things out, writing the posts, writing the blogs, like being able to talk about the client experience.

Speaker 1: 12:38

All of this becomes easier because you're literally living it. All of this becomes easier because you're literally living it. You're living in your art, you're living in the creative part of your business, and so everything in the way that you show up just magnetically shifts. It just changes and that energy allows you to shine and it allows you to show up more fully, which is just going to. Naturally, people are going to feel it. They're not going to be able to know why, they're not going to know what shifted, they won't be able to put their finger on it, but they will be able to see a difference in how you're showing up. And another thing that I think is so underrated and I want to kind of reframe the way you might already be doing this. But I want to kind of reframe the way you might already be doing this, but I want to reframe the way you're thinking about it is during a slow season.

Speaker 1: 13:25

It's a great time to create deeper, more intentional relationships with your dream vendors and your potential clients, and oftentimes, when I've worked with wedding photographers. When I talk to them about creating deeper relationships with dream vendors, their go-to method that they tell me that they're already doing is offering free headshots for dream vendors. Their go-to method that they tell me that they're already doing is offering free headshots for dream vendors. And while there's nothing wrong with that, inherently, it can be a great starting point and it can be a great way of building a relationship with a dream vendor. But unless you're wanting to do more brand photography, that might not be the most value add strategy, right? Because what you're ultimately saying, right? If you're a wedding photographer, you want to book more weddings, but you're going to a wedding planner and offering to book more headshots for them, they're going to think of the experience working with you from a headshot level, right? So then, when they hear of someone else who needs headshots, you're going to be the first person that they think of. But, for example, if you're a wedding photographer, I want you to ask yourself how can I strengthen my relationship with this other vendor that will both add value to them but also feel more aligned to what I want to be doing more of? How can you offer something to them that is in the realm of wedding photography and I talk about a ton of strategies like this.

Speaker 1: 15:42

Inside of my group coaching program, amplify, I have an entire three-hour training that is packed full with tips on what to focus on in order to create more visibility and momentum to book more clients. But I specifically talk about what to focus on in these dream create more visibility and momentum to book more clients. But I specifically talk about what to focus on in these dream connections right, like when you are connecting with dream vendors, the things that are actually aligned so that you book more of the types of shoots you want. I don't have three hours today to talk through all of that, but a few ideas to think about as just kind of a starting point is if you're a wedding photographer, what are ways that you can partner with wedding planners to create the perfect photo package that fits their clients needs Right? So really thinking about how can I connect and network and give value to this person on a level that is actually aligned with wedding photography?

Speaker 1: 16:36

As a family photographer, what boutiques or local clothing stores can you partner with and create stronger relationships to serve their clients? If this is where your dream clients are already hanging out, if this is where they're shopping. How can you collaborate with them to create a stronger partnership? As a brand photographer, what are some local networking events that you can partner with and become more involved inside, right? So this is just again. It's ways for you to use your gifts and your talents and your skills to offer things that you want to be doing, more of building connections and relationships with people that will help you book the ideal dream clients that you want to be working with, and one of the most important shifts that we can make during this slow season.

Speaker 1: 17:21

So we talked about the mindset shift. We talked about partnering more deeply with dream vendors and clients and people that we would want to work with, but one of the other things is shifting the way that we think about our goals and our expectations during the slower season. We live in a world with so much instant gratification on so many levels right the Amazon Prime culture, right. It's no wonder that this mindset has started to seep into the way that we do business, and sometimes we just get caught up in the mindset that each strategy that we try or each event that we work or each new relationship that we build has to immediately equal a new booked client in order for it to be worth it. Right, like how often are expectations going into some sort of strategy? I don't care what type of marketing strategy it is.

Speaker 1: 18:14

So often when I work with clients, when you ask them like, well, what is the measure of success in trying out this strategy, the measure of success is almost always I book a new client, and while that is a very worthy goal, we sometimes forget all of this takes time. New strategies takes time, and here's the thing is, it takes time for everyone. This isn't just a thing where Susie tried it and immediately it worked for her and it's repeatable and sustainable and that's how she's built her whole business. Now it doesn't mean that you might not try something out. It might immediately take off. That's amazing, but the majority of the time that's not how this works right. New strategies take time. Relationship building takes time, and every seemingly overnight success story that you hear, it's often filled with tons of action and missteps that they had along the way to finding the thing that really worked for them.

Speaker 1: 19:14

But when we can take action consistently right, when we can commit to showing up for ourselves to these strategies and when we can gauge our success based on how we feel while doing the things right. So, instead of thinking about how many clients do I book from this or what other metrics, you look at, instead asking yourself how do I feel when I do this thing? How do I feel when I connect with this planner and spend time building this relationship? How do I feel when I take on these dream shoots for these ideal clients? How do I actually feel during this taking action of the strategy? Because, again, this is going to be the more important metric that we track and it's also the only metric we can control. Again, coming back to that thought, what can I control? You can't control the outcome, but you can absolutely control how you feel, and the whole goal is to grow a business that feels good. That's what I want for you. I want you to feel good as you're implementing these strategies, and so, as you are implementing strategies that feel good, it allows you to feel energized, it allows you to feel excited to try these new things, and it reminds you that the purpose of building these deeper connections and relationships and going out of your way to build this meaningful network of people is because we are relationship businesses.

Speaker 1: 20:46

We are not photographers just because we, you know, like booking high amounts of clients For every single person I've spoken to and if you're listening to this podcast, I know this is true of you we deeply care about those that we photograph. We deeply care about those that we have relationships with. We're capturing moments for real, heart-centered humans, and when we allow ourselves to focus on the feelings rather than just the results of our actions, we give ourselves permission to live in alignment with our deeper values. So I want you to remember, during the slow seasons, focus on what you can control right, take big, inspired action and have attainable, reasonable goals for the results that you want to see. And here's the thing you never know when that effort, all of the love and care and the effort that you're putting into growing your business, will pay off exponentially right. There will be a time when you've put in the reps, you've put in the hard work, you've let yourself stay inspired long enough to grow in a sustainable way that all of your hard work pays off. We never know when that's going to happen, but we have to think about our growth in that sustainable way so that we can keep showing up Even when things feel slow, even when we feel like we're not growing, even if we're feeling a little uninspired and I want you to remember, you are growing in the slow months.

Speaker 1: 22:14

You're becoming a better problem solver. You're growing your creativity. You're learning how to love and trust yourself as a photographer problem solver. You're growing your creativity. You're learning how to love and trust yourself as a photographer, a creative and a business owner. And let me just tell you that type of growth is worth way more in the long run than any quick wins or quick client wins that you're going to experience.

Speaker 1: 22:33

So, as a quick wrap up, I want you to just think about how can you create opportunities during this season that really allows you to shine as a creative. What types of shoots can you put together that will ignite that inner spark and allow you to show up in your most creative power? And when you find yourself in a moment of needing inquiries, asking yourself how can I release this need for bookings and instead, what can I focus my time and my attention on? That's in my control, how can I approach my business strategy in a way that lets me lead the way and not solely rely on people coming to me? What types of relationships can you focus on right now that will help you book more of the things that you want to be booking, and how can you add value in an aligned way to those other vendors and potential dream clients? And then, of course, how can you let yourself explore marketing and collaboration opportunities with newfound goals and a perspective shift right? How can you look at marketing and relationship building opportunities in a way that encourages you to do them on a regular basis? Can you gauge the success of each opportunity based on how you feel doing it, rather than the metrics and the results that you immediately see?

Speaker 1: 23:48

And I promise this, so I want to share if you thought that this was helpful.

Speaker 1: 23:52

If you're like Krista, I need more of this and I need you to look into my specific business to give me more tailored advice.

Speaker 1: 23:59

I would love to have you join me for my next free workshop.

Speaker 1: 24:03

You'll find the link in the show notes below and inside the workshop I'll be diving into more ways for you to create momentum and visibility inside of your business.

Speaker 1: 24:11

But again, if you're attending live, you're going to get that real time coaching for your specific business and we can talk through what strategies you're trying right now and which ones might be helpful for you, and this workshop is for you, whether you're a full-time photographer or you're growing your business on the side. Either way, this is going to be helpful for you to think about how to grow, whether it's a slow season, or whether you're just wanting to grow and jumpstart your business even if it's not a slow season, or whether you're just wanting to grow and jumpstart your business even if it's not a slow season. So the link can be found in the show notes below or you can head to heychristamariecom forward slash workshop to join, and I just want to remind you that you have what it takes, friend. You have what it takes to create that thriving photography business, whether it's already your full-time job or going full-time is something that you're dreaming of, and I just can't wait to continue supporting you along this journey and to help you create that life and business of your dreams.