23
Apr
2014
0

The one question everyone should ask to discover their life’s purpose.

What are your greatest strengths?  If you’ve been on a job interview you’ve probably heard this question.  It might sound cliche, but understanding your greatest strengths and working within a career that allows them to be fully expressed is one of the greatest factors in overall happiness.  Let’s face it, our careers take up most of our waking life.  Sharing our gifts with the world makes “work” not feel like work.

In the photography industry, I think many people have at least put their finger on the pulse of what they love (photography) and they are now trying to make a career out of doing it every day.  Unfortunately when it comes to the actual business side of things, photographers often grow uncomfortable.  Does being a good photographer mean that you are automatically cut out to be an entrepreneur?  

Many photographers feel overwhelmed with the numbers side of things.  When I started out, I was one of them!  Many photographers don’t know what to charge.  More importantly, deep down, they are afraid that they aren’t worth whatever numbers they come up with.  

These days, I am so passionate about the business end of things because I’ve realized something so significant about entrepreneurship.  Pricing your business appropriately is the foundation that allows you to provide your gifts to the world. 

I believe that anyone can be an entrepreneur if they learn to harness their greatest strengths and build a business that supports giving those gifts to the world.  Time and time again I’ve seen people frustrated because they have either found their passion but can not find a way to make their business work, or they have a great paycheck with a job that drains the life out of them.  We all possess natural abilities, talents, and preferences.  We were put on this earth to give them freely.  To make a difference.  Even if just in one person’s life.

Oprah once advised her audience that everyone should ask this question to the people that know them well:

“What are my 3 greatest strengths?”

When my girl Marie Forleo reminded me of this question, I decided to give it a go and ask my friends and family what they thought.  I asked everyone from childhood friends to my employees.  The answers I got surprised me!

Not one person said that photography was one of my 3 greatest strengths.  Hmmmmm.  Does that mean I am a bad photographer?  Maybe!  haha  All kidding aside, what I realized was profound for me.

My greatest strengths are outside of photography.  Photography is just an artistic medium that I use to communicate and connect with people.  I use it to give birth to my creative ideas and make them into something tangible.  I use it to help others realize their own beauty and potential.  I use it to inspire.  I also use painting to do that.  And teaching.  And writing.  

After 5 years of building a photography business it finally dawned on me that photography isn’t at the heart of my success.  Connecting with people and helping them realize their own great potential and beauty is what makes my heart sing.  It doesn’t matter if I’m doing that by speaking on a stage or creating portraits in my studio.

My photography business isn’t about taking the pictures as much as it is about sitting with a new mom and telling her she is doing an amazing job at the hardest job in the world.  It is about holding a newborn baby and feeling their unlimited potential and beauty.  It is getting to know a person’s soul without using words.  It is pouring out the contents of my heart to help or inspire others in some way.  The camera is just a tool that I use.

 

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What is your purpose?  What were you born to do?

Once you have identified your greatest strengths, you can build a business that allows you to express those strengths as much as possible.  And what if the business-end of things isn’t one of your strengths?  I would estimate that for many photographers it isn’t.  Does it mean we can just ignore it or let it go?

Unfortunately no.  The fact is, no matter how much you like or dislike crunching numbers, when you are an entrepreneur, your business is the framework through which you can give your gifts to the world. Most of us need a paycheck (if you don’t, will you adopt me?).  Pricing determines if you can remain profitable in your photography business or if you have to close your doors.  It is the backbone of your entire business.  Pricing your business in a way that is sustainable will allow you to continue doing what you love for the long run.  So, you see:

Pricing supports your purpose.

If you don’t know where to begin with pricing yourself properly, you have to check out my friend Joy Vertz.  I wish I had found her when I was starting my business.  It would have saved me years of headache.

A good teacher teaches you their answers.  A great teacher teaches you how to find the answers for yourself.  That is why I love Joy and her approach to pricing so much.  She teaches you how to price yourself for your business, no matter where you are in your photography journey or what your business model is.

Whether you need to create your pricing from scratch or rework your current offerings, Joy’s program will have it done in 3 weeks!

Joy has an awesome free ebook that you will want to grab up right away.  Click here!

ebook
 

But even better, she has a set of free videos to help get you started down the road to profitable pricing.  The videos are only available for a short time so you will want to watch them right away.  Click here!

freevideos

We know that you will be itching to learn even more and that is where her 3 Weeks to Pricing Perfection course comes in.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to have your pricing done right.  If you are constantly re-doing your pricing, if you feel overwhelmed with your workload, or if your customers are confused, you need this!  You will want take this class now.  Click here to register!

 

3 weeks to pricing perfection Joy Vertz


So go check out Joy’s program and then thank me when your business is rocking and you are doing what you love all summer long!  I believe in you!

Your friend,

Heidi

Do you know someone who needs help in the pricing department?  Pin it, share it, or send this link their way, they’ll thank you later!

Want to chat more about your biz?  Don’t forget to join us for the party this Friday in our FAQ Friday LIVE from the HHP studio!  Visit our Facebook Page or Google+  for all of the details.

 

Have you found your life’s purpose?  I want to hear from you below!

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