... celebrating 5 (!) years in biz & 5 things I learned.

I quit my steady job on April Fool's Day 2019 and it was not a joke.

This week I’m celebrating 5 years of my photography business, LCS Studio. Time freaking flies. April 2nd is the official anniversary date. My brand/business is the longest committed relationship I’ve had in 8 years. I actually started LCS Studio back in 2016, but 2019 was the year I turned it into an established LLC which made it too legit to quit.

If you’re new here, let me give you a little bit of background about me. I worked in creative marketing for the fashion and beauty industry for 8 years mainly in Boston and for 2 years in Charleston. On Sunday, March 31, 2019, I struggled with my very first panic attack and found myself curled up in a ball on the cold tile of my bathroom floor. The reason for the anxiety? Well, I was planning on quitting the full-time corporate job that provided me with a stable paycheck, health insurance, PTO, and free beauty products. Gasp. Why would I do that? Free beauty products?! At the end of the day, those pros didn’t outweigh the cons I was experiencing in a work environment that wasn’t fueling my mental health but instead depleting it. So on Monday, April 1, 2019 I walked into my job and quit without two weeks’ notice, something I had never done before in my professional career.

I woke up the next day feeling relieved and that lasted for about 24 hours before the hustling commenced. Did I have 6-months of savings in my account like every freelancer friend recommended? Nope. Did I have enough work lined up to pay the bills for up to 3-months? Just one gig. Did I have a 5-year plan? Honestly, no. I just knew that in 5 years I wanted to be in business as a photographer with my head above water. Am I doing just that 5 years later? Hell yes.

Now 5 years into it, I still don’t make 5 year plans. I hate those. Freelancing for me has involved more of a day-by-day month-by-month kind of planning. Since it is about making my own schedule and doing business as myself, I have reclaimed my time to make things that I genuinely enjoy like creating photos (personally and professionally), moments, connections, collaborations, time for loved ones, time to travel, and creating peace with myself by focusing more on my mental health.

I freelance for the freedom to travel more, which is why travel photography is one of my few focuses. I didn’t want to be limited to scattered 2-day weekend trips or 10 days of PTO a year. I wanted more freedom to see the world while I was/am still young and capable. Not all of my traveling was grand or adventurous, but it was always meaningful. Some of it was taking time away from Charleston to care for my parents when they each underwent open heart surgeries two years apart; visiting friends in different cities for quality time and inspiration; and going on midday creative walks with a friend(s) when I’m mentally or emotionally stuck.

In these 5 years, I have experienced so many moments of doubt (completely normal), but never any moments of regret and that has been the biggest win for me. I certainly don’t have it all figured out and still wince when people call me a “professional” photographer (hello, imposter syndrome), but I also know in my heart that I’m doing exactly what I was put on this earth to do in this season of life. Every day is something different, so some days my time management is stellar and other days I’m a complete couch potato with a scatterbrain. Nobody’s perfect! And it’s also unfair of me to expect myself to have it together every minute of every day. We like to be realistic around here.

I want to share 5 things I’ve learned so far as a photographer:

1. In the first 2 years of business, I agree you should try to say “yes” to any opportunities to get your name out there, but eventually, you should start understanding what feels right to say “yes” to and what you’re OK with declining. I was saying “yes” to a lot in the first three years until I discovered exactly what burnout feels like. I was doing a lot of event photography which is in high demand around Charleston and that means income is a sure thing - amazing! But ultimately, is it what I wanted to be known for? No. So if I was stretching myself thin doing something I didn’t want to be doing, how would I have the energy or mental capacity to attract the dream client work? I told myself I would say “no” to event photography moving forward. Because saying “no” to one (or many) things will only create space for what is meant for me, for the projects that thrill me. It did mean I’d lose out on a lot of easy income which was scary, but from that point on I really started to work smarter, not harder. Let me tell you, since making that decision saying “no” has paid off in more than just monetary ways!

2. Your business, your rules. Don’t be afraid to not run your business like everyone else runs theirs. There is room for compromise, but there’s also always room to do something different.

3. You are never done with learning. So watch the video tutorials, sign up for those lighting workshops (SUM+ Studios changed my life and photography), play around with a new editing style, do things that make you nervous, and invest in yourself (you can write it off).

4. Understanding myHumanDesign profile has helped me feel less guilty. (This one may sound very woo-woo to most, but there’s no holding back here. If you don’t know your Human Design profile, you can find your chart here) Your Human Design chart and profile are very specific to you and your unique gifts and traits. It is essentially a road map explaining your “why” and your purpose here on earth. It’s a little extra insight into who you are at your core helping you understand yourself fully and guiding you towards living your life in full alignment.

   I booked a deep dive reading into my chart with my friend, Elizabeth Walters (highly recommend you book one if you’re interested). I’m a Projector 2/4. Without getting into too much detail about my chart and what it all means, the best fact I learned about myself is that projectors are more efficient than most. For example, a project/task that may take the average person 8 hours to complete may only take me 4 hours, yet I am expending the same amount of 8 hour energy in that shorter amount of time. Discovering this fact (it is so spot on & also why I procrastinate often) gave me permission to not feel guilty for a 4-hour work day and to absolutely take the midday nap to reset. It helped me let go of the concept of a 40-hour work week defining my success.

5. At the end of the day, if I can go to bed feeling proud of myself for whatever it is I chose to invest my time and energy into each day, then I consider myself successful. Whether it was a full-day photoshoot, 6 straight hours of editing, cleaning my house so my mind is at peace, or choosing to lay on the couch with a show all day, I still feel proud of myself because I am listening to what my body needs from me then. Because it is about finding balance and knowing when not to feel guilty for doing what my mind and body need to rest, reset, and move forward.

6. Extra tip: I no longer subscribe to hustle culture. It’s not sustainable, boo.

I’ll leave you with some of my favorite Projector facts and quotes by Jenna Zoe, the creator of myHumanDesign.