Success

Personal

July 9, 2013

Maybe a month or so ago I read a post written by Christy Tyler, a photographer I follow and admire. (You should read her post here…it was amazing!) She wrote about her own personal definition of success and what exactly that word meant to her. The more I thought about her words, the more I realized how skewed some of my perspectives had become after following so many other photographers. It’s easy to get caught up in going after what you think you should be doing rather than what you WANT to do or what’s right for you and your business. Sometimes I start to compare myself to others that I look up to and think to myself…okay, I need to do this, this, and this to truly be a success. Some of the things are totally arbitrary and really have no bearing on success when you think about it…they’re just trappings of what looks like success from the outside because someone else said it was so. There are quite a few “rock stars” in the photography industry and you’re almost lead to believe that if you’re not doing what they’re doing, you’re not a success. If you don’t want those things? Then you must be crazy! Instead of checking things off of a list, or trying desperately to climb every rung of someone else’s ladder, I want to dream my OWN dreams, and be content following my own path. I could never be a rock star…I’m way more content to play in a little folk band that writes its own songs and is true to itself.

My personal definition of success:

– Working with amazing clients. Especially those who love and value photography.
– Being proud of my work.
– Growing each time I pick up my camera
– Having financial stability. Being able to support our family from my business and save for our future.
– Being able to separate my business from my life
– Clients who are happy enough to refer me to friends and family
– Having balance between business and real life
– Being true to myself
– Making my mom proud

I do have a ton of goals for my business and there are a lot of things I’d love to do…(I’d love to be featured in print, or shoot a wedding in Europe. I’d love to mentor other photographers and sell tons of products) but those things aren’t what I really want to measure my success by. They aren’t things I’m desperately trying to do to prove something to myself or the outside world. There will always be another “thing” I think I need to do to be successful because someone else did it first and it’s what I’m “supposed” to do. What really makes me successful is being true to myself and what MY values are. The things that are important to me and what make me really happy aren’t physical and outward signs of success that other people can see…they’re things like knowing that I did the best I could on each and every wedding, or that I’m continuing to grow and learn and be humble in all of my interactions. Success isn’t blog comments or Facebook likes. It isn’t shooting weddings with magazine worthy details every weekend (although, no lie, I wouldn’t say no to any of that). True success is so much more!  At least for me it is:)

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Leave a Comment

  1. Brea says:

    Amen, sista! Seriously, what a great post, and I agree with you on so many of these points! As much as a beautiful wedding with amazing details is fun to photograph, making our clients happy and giving them memories they’ll cherish forever, and be happy to recommend our work is what it’s really all about. I love all of your personal definitions of success too. I think it’s important to define it for yourself and see where you fall 🙂

  2. Natalie says:

    YES! I couldn’t love this post more! 🙂

  3. Erin says:

    Wonderful post Katie. You have a lot to be proud of!

  4. Annamarie says:

    Love this Katie!! You’re a rock star in my book though 🙂

  5. Amen! What I think is most interesting though is that even though EVERYONE feels this way, somehow the industry doesn’t change. Ins’t that crazy? That we ALL feel this pressure to measure to some crazy ideal of success, but that somehow the industry doesn’t turn… I don’t know the answer on how to make it, but I think rallying together and seeking out success on your own terms is definitely the way to start!

  6. Dani says:

    Love this post! And couldn’t agree more with it really doesn’t matter how many people like my work, I always want my mom to love it the most.

  7. Tina Tabibi says:

    This is a fantastic post doll! I agree with everything you mentioned including having mom be our biggest supporter! 🙂
    xo

  8. katie says:

    this is beautiful katie! 🙂 so so true, and you wrote it so eloquently! you go girl!

  9. Erin Wheeler says:

    I couldn’t agree more! Love this post!!!

  10. You know I love this Katie!!! And I love your definition of success as well. I’m right on board with being a little indie folk band playing by the beat of my own drum too… 😉

  11. Becca says:

    Amen!! I absolutely agree with everything that you’ve said.
    I can’t wait to be sitting around looking at your photos in a magazine and then look up and see your blog post of a wedding in Europe! lol.

  12. Abby Grace says:

    This is such a healthy reminder. I get SO caught up in the material side of things- wanting to shoot internationally, wanting to have my work recognized in magazines, throwing hissy fits when I see other people doing the things I want to be doing. But at the end of the day, I’d rather have the love of my husband and clients I adore than all the markers of “success” without the joy that comes from being truly satisfied and content.

  13. Janelle C says:

    OMG!!! Katie!!! This post is what has been on my mind lately!! I follow both you and Christy and I couldn’t agree more with your posts!!! I struggle with admiring other photographers work and focusing on what they are doing and accomplishing instead of my own. I am reevaluating myself and my business and I am happy with the clients that book me for ME! Thank you for this daily reminder!

  14. Krista says:

    I love this post Katie! It’s so easy to get caught up in the small stuff and compare ourselves to the photographers around us, but we really do need to create our own definition of success. Thank you SO much for the reminder!

  15. lily says:

    i stubled upon your blog i think via katelyn James andh ave been following for few months and i love this post. so true and authentic even outside of photography and just life in general.

    thanks for sharing!

  16. ashley link says:

    keep it real, girl! 🙂

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