Top Four Pieces of Business Advice I’d Give My Younger Self

You know that question you sometimes hear during an interview that goes something like: “What advice would you give your younger self if you could go back in time to when you first started?”

I was asked this once or twice and it has been a fun conversation topic to have with new and long-standing business owners alike!

Today I’m sharing the top four pieces of advice that I would give myself if I could go back to 2009–the year I launched my very first, all-black website with the longest domain in history. I was a nineteen-year-old art school student and was looking for anyone who would possibly let her shoot their wedding, even for free! I have come so far since then, but my humble beginnings will never be forgotten and fuel my desire to help others rise to their wildest dreams as well.

So here they are. My top four pieces of advice for the younger version of me…

1. Find A Mentor

I started out with a mentor. In fact, she may be one of the biggest reasons I am where I am today. However, once she got married and moved out of state, I went off to art school and we lost touch.

I thought that art school was the way to go. I thought that if I just completed all of the courses I’d end up with a great career at the end of it all. What I didn’t know was that it just wasn’t true. An art degree alone will not always equal a successful business. Learning from those who have achieved what you hope to, however, is an incredible component to success, especially in the creative industry.

It’s hard to find someone who is busy and successful that is willing to invest in you. It was even harder in 2008 when community over competition didn’t exist and people I carried bags for looked at me and said,

“Why would I train my competition? Oh wait, you’re not even in my market.”

But I’d tell that nineteen-year-old girl to keep looking, send more emails, and find ways to invest in potential mentors before asking them to invest in her, like carrying bags or sending handwritten note cards with a gift card for coffee.

Because the pride I had that I could get to where I wanted to be all on my own kept me back for too many years.

2. Stay Humble, Keep Growing

As a new artist, few things feel greater than people affirming you in your work and telling you that “you’re amazing!” My love language is words of affirmation and being praised is all the motivation I need to keep going.

However, I wish I could tell myself to stay humble and never, ever stop seeking growth.

I was young.
Oh so young.

I also let the compliments go to my head. I wish I would have used those only for fuel to keep going while staying extremely humble and seeking out more knowledge. Had I done that sooner, who knows how much further I would be by now!

3. Invest In Education

Any business owner can get caught up in buying all of the gadgets or tech to do their job well. As a photographer, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the best lenses, light modifiers, and cute camera bags!

While I was never too crazy into gear, I did spend my money on things I thought I needed that I didn’t. If I had invested money into photography and business education first, I could have gone further in my career and purchased just what I needed to achieve my goals.

4. Put Your All Into Community

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. I have so many words that this could be a whole blog series. I can say I saved the best for last.

The thing about community is that it transcends everything within this post. From community stems every business tip you could hope for, every course that might be best for you, and every ounce of emotional support that you’ll need to get you through the hard days and to celebrate the good ones.

It was when I got plugged into community that my knowledge grew exponentially, my business succeeded beyond my wildest dreams, and my soul came alive amongst those people who were just like me.

It is within community that we can find mentors, we can learn where to best invest our money, and we can stay up to date on current trends and best practices.

It is through community that we can get a dose of reality when we need it, lean on others when we’re not strong enough to stand alone, and celebrate when we have our greatest wins.

As soon as I found my tribe, everything changed.

So there they are. My top four pieces of advice for nineteen-year-old Jenna.

Do I have any regrets? Am I stuck wishing I had done things differently? Not one bit. I needed to go through all I did to learn what I have learned! Now I’m happy to share those learning experiences with those who just might be able to benefit from them!

Do you have any questions? Wondering what steps to take next to start on the advice I gave my younger self? Drop your question in a comment below! If you’d like to set-up a 1:1 business session, send me an email to contact(at)jennaphoto(dot)com and I’ll add you to the list to be the first to know when I release the next set of sessions!

 

A few special credits to the creatives who made the images used in this post possible:

Planning + Design: Kelsey Rae Designs
Wedding Venue: Temecula Creek Inn – The Stone House
Floral Design: Carla Kayes
Calligrapher: Something Lettered
Linen: BBJ Linen
Wedding Gown: Mon Amie Bridal Salon

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