Each and every winter I fall prey to it.
It could be that tax season it upon me. It could be that I am shooting less and doing more book work. It could be that the winter has me down and wishing for more days outside. Or I just might be plain tired. Whatever it is, I am ready to quit this entrepreneurial life and just head to the corporate world to punch the 9-5 clock and head home. For the past 15 years I have worked hard to get to where I want to be, but with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Some days I think that working for corporate, and throwing in the towel would be easier than what I am doing now.
As a small business owner, only 20% of my job is photographing, the part of the job I absolutely love and went to school for. The other 80% is business. Networking, marketing, bookwork, blogging, web-site upkeep, design, hiring people, customer service, e-mails, phone calls, coding, managing social media, are just some of the other responsibilities that I have. At times it overwhelms me, and I feel done.
Like I’m ready to quit. And sit on the couch eating chips and salsa while watching Gilmore Girls for the up-teenth time.
But this is a letter to my future self and maybe to you who are struggling to keep going.
Today might be one of those, I-really-hate-woking-for-myself, I’m-tired-of-eating-lunch-again-by-myself, I-don’t-want-to-implement-anymore-receipts-into-quickbooks (or learn anything more about quickbooks!), I’m tired of the cold, I want to be around people, walking around downtown kind of days.
It may be a day where you feel like your business isn’t going anywhere no matter how hard you try, or a day where you feel lost in the shuffle of Instagram, Facebook,and Twitter. You may feel invisible and that your job really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. You many not want to Snap another snap or story of how “awesome” your life really is, because you just aren’t feeling it.
Trust me, I get it, and have said all these things to myself probably thousands of times. Owning and running a business is HARD. It is WORK, and it is GRUELING and honestly sometimes LONELY.
But….
It is also rewarding and wonderful. So on the day when you (or I ) am down and feel like quitting, don’t.
Remember that this was your dream. This is why you went to school for photography. This is why you quit the corporate world. This is why only you rule your schedule. Deep down, you really love the thrill of being able to determine your own schedule, determining the amount of clients you want, the jobs you get to do and being able to take your kids to school and be there when they come home. You have so much more flexibility than many 9-5ers, and once you entered that world, you would go crazy. Because you weren’t made to sit at a desk all day long.
If you need to see people, seek them out. Plan lunch dates, get a babysitter so you can get your nails done. Schedule that massage in the middle of the day. Meet with others that own their own businesses and gain perspective from them. Plan shoots that excite you. Work hard, but play hard. Turn off the computer, phone, tablet at the end of the day and BE done. There will always be work to do, but remember, these people.
They are the WHY of why you chose to run your own business. So keep going. Don’t quit, spring is only a few months away….
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Be thankful and re-read this when you need it, that’s why you wrote it!
(Photo Credit to my wonderful and kind friend, Kate Wenzel)
Truth, every word, absolute truth!