Podcast Ep 333 - The Power of Commitment: Elevate Your Photography Business

In this episode of the Flourish Academy podcast, Heather Lahtinen reflects on the importance of commitment in growing your photography business. Drawing inspiration from her recent Elevate Live Retreat, Heather shares how photographers can overcome indecision and procrastination to unlock their full potential.

This episode dives into the mindset needed to push through challenges, learn from failures, and develop a successful photography business—one small action at a time.

Show Notes:

• The Power of Commitment: Heather discusses how photographers often hold themselves back through indecision and how making a clear commitment to success is the first step to victory.
• Inch by Inch Progress: Heather shares how success comes from small, consistent actions, even when progress feels imperceptible. It’s about fighting for those inches, day by day.
• Embrace Struggles: One of the key takeaways is the idea that growth comes through failure and challenges. Heather encourages listeners to seek out these struggles as opportunities for learning.
  
  

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Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

TRANSCRIPT

You're listening to the Flourish Academy podcast and today I hope to inspire you in

your photography business. My name is Heather Lawton and I'm a photographer, educator

and entrepreneur and I founded the Flourish Academy as a resource for photographers

of all levels. We want to help you pursue your passion on your terms because we

believe there is room for everyone. In this podcast we focus on creating those with

your mindset to discover the things that are really holding you back in business and

life. In this episode, I'm sharing my opening statement to our recent Elevate Live

Retreat. Twice a year, my photographer friends and I get together for an entire day

of learning and inspiration on Zoom to kickstart any areas where we might be

struggling. And I have to tell you, I think one major way photographers hold

themselves back is due to a lack of commitment. If they would just decide that they

were going to make this work and then proceed forward from that place, they would

not fail. They would win every single time because it starts with that commitment.

These live retreats are incredibly powerful and typically only available inside of our

Elevate program. But I have an idea for a Black Friday bundle that I know you will

love. So keep an eye on your email leading up to the week of Thanksgiving for more

of those details. Actually I'm putting together five days of deals,

a different deal every day of that week and you definitely don't want to miss these

offers because they are typically not available. I hope this brief opening will

encourage you to pursue your photography business with 100 % commitment because I

believe the world needs the photos that only you can provide. Welcome,

welcome to our live retreat. It is one of my absolutely favorite. It is a good

time. It is my favorite day of the year is what I'm trying to say. I'm so

excited. I don't want to make any assumptions, but the fact that you're here tells

me you want to grow your business. You want to make more money, I would assume.

And maybe you've identified what you need to improve and maybe you haven't,

but I do notice there's a common theme. Everybody wants the one thing, the one

strategy. Just Heather, just tell me the how and I will do it. But I think that

you recognize that it's really a hundred different things that add up over time,

small things. Every small decision you make, life and business are improved inch by

inch, action by action. You have to be willing to work through any and all of the

challenges and you have to be willing to fight for what you want to create. I

can't do it for you. I'm just too darn old. Are you willing to work to fight for

what you want to build? Are you willing to commit to the journey? If you decide

nothing else today, but that you're just going to commit to making this work,

then I know you would figure it out. It is just that one thing. It is commitment.

Being willing to take action even when it doesn't feel like you are moving forward,

because you recognize that you are moving forward. It's just inch by inch.

And sometimes it's imperceptible. You also need to accept and even embrace that you

only learn when you lose and when you struggle. You have to learn to not avoid the

pain but actually seek it out. Like I sure hope that when I post these mini

sessions or make this offer no one takes me up on it. I sure hope nobody hires me

because then I'll have some really good data because if people hire you and book

you every single time you make an offer you are in trouble because you won't

develop any troubleshooting skills But if nothing works, then you will amass a ton

of knowledge. One of my favorite mentors, Jim Rohn, always said, don't wish it were

easier. Wish you had more skills.

You only learn when you lose and when you struggle. And business is a game of

inches. And in this group, in my presence, with our combined energy,

we fight for these inches, because we know it's worth it, and we know that we are

going to figure it out. We know that when we add up the inches, it is going to

lead us to success, period done. Challenge, struggle, defeat, up, down. One day I'm

thrilled, everything's working, I'm a genius, and the next day I am a complete

idiot. And I have never felt more alive, because I know that these inches are

adding up. I I know that I'm going to win and I know that you are as well. So

what are you gonna do? Are you gonna commit to the journey, to the pain, to the

challenges, and ultimately the unbelievable feeling of accomplishment when you conquer

yourself and your mind? And I am looking for actually a real answer in the chat.

I'm asking you, what are you going to do? Are you going to commit to the journey?

I want you to decide today. Today is the day. And maybe you haven't thought about

this previously and that's fine. But today is the day you're just going to dig in

your heels and you are going to commit to the journey. Like there is no more, you

know, like the swishy washy energy indecisiveness. Well, I'm not sure I could always

go back to my job. I don't know. Maybe this will work. No, no, no, no, no. No,

you just decide you are going to commit to this journey for sure.

And there's just no other option. Therefore, are you willing to commit to seeking

out the struggle, the failure, the pain, and feeling like a loser, you know, most

of the time? Are you willing to feel that? I'm not saying you're going to. I'm

just saying, are you willing to? Then let's Go, let's go, let's go.

There's nothing stopping you, except you know what's stopping you, right? The only

thing that's stopping you is you. So maybe you should just get out of your own way

and just decide to commit today. You are a photographer, you have a business which

makes you a professional photographer and this is what we are going to do.

I hope that you are feeling inspired to commit to your journey. We obviously went

on to work together the rest of the day and it was so fantastic. If I were you,

I would ask my brain this question. I'd be like, "Hey, brain, tell me what's

getting in the way of just committing to this?" And then I would wait.

I would listen to see what your brain has to offer you, I might even write that

thought down and then I would explore it. There is a thought somewhere in your mind

that is preventing you from fully committing or going all in. Typically it's some

version of, well, I don't know if this is going to work. If this is possible for

me, can I really do this, et cetera. But it's worth exploring. I hope that you

found this useful. I'll see you in the next episode.