Yeah, I would like to place an order for one customer, please
As I continue to hone my photography skills, I've come to a point where I'm confident enough to share my work with the world. I'm proud of the high-quality images that I produce, and I'm dedicated to growing my business. I'm constantly working with my mentor to improve my craft, and I'm now ready to take on new projects for clients.
However, finding clients is proving to be a challenge. I feel like I'm stuck in analysis paralysis, unsure of where to start. Should I reach out to realtors for quick and easy work, even though it's not necessarily the type of work I'm passionate about? Or should I spend time creating customized portfolios for ad agencies? Perhaps researching local production companies would be a better option. I'm left feeling uncertain about the best next steps to take.
Despite feeling stuck, I know that I have the drive to succeed. I'm determined to make a name for myself as an aerial photographer, but I need direction. I'm open to exploring different avenues to attract clients, but I'm not quite sure which approach to take first. I would greatly appreciate any guidance or suggestions on moving forward and building my client base.
Creating a process
While I love flying and photography, passion alone won't get me anywhere without consistency. Consistency, in turn, requires a process that I enjoy. Therefore, I have integrated my photo processing and some business administration into my FPV Twitch stream. I get excited to discuss my work, and streaming creates an extra layer of accountability for me. When I tell my viewers what I'm planning, it drives me to follow through.
For those who don't know me well, I am a very busy person. I have a four-year-old daughter who goes to preschool, gymnastics, and dance, and a one-year-old son at home. It's easy to prioritize my family's needs over my own, but when I commit to my stream, I treat it as a commitment to a client. So far, every stream has been productive and enjoyable. I look forward to the growth that's to come.
A week with Turtle
This week did not go as planned. I intended to DoorDash every day, but I was unable to get scheduled because I haven't completed 200 deliveries yet. Once I reach that milestone, I can work whenever I want. Why does this matter? DoorDashing is how I'm raising capital for Turtle Drone Solutions. It's a way for me to raise funds without going into debt. One thing college taught me is that it's a struggle to owe money when you're trying to get ahead.
Since there was no demand for DoorDashing, I took the opportunity to go out and shoot some photos! I visited a couple of industrial sites I'd driven by before and checked out a river that had flooded over. The photos I took really showed how much the water had risen. There was a dairy farm that had essentially turned into its own little island!
On Friday morning, I spent some time going through old photos on stream, looking for social media posts. I can't believe the progress I've made in just six months. The work I was proud of then is now something I'd cull. I have Steve Carty to thank for that. If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and check out his YouTube channel. The man is on a mission to elevate the next generation of photographers, and I want to help him however I can.
#6 - How do I Business?
thanks for the mention Josh. http://youtube.com/stevecarty for those that are wanting to join the community.