Podcast Ep 403 - What You Don’t See Behind Big Success Stories

What Taylor Swift Can Teach You About Building a Business

What if the biggest lessons for your photography business weren’t hiding in a marketing course… but in the way someone else handles pressure, disappointment, and success?

We’re used to looking for business advice in obvious places—strategy sessions, pricing guides, funnels, templates. But sometimes the most powerful lessons show up somewhere unexpected.

In this episode, Heather and Nicole unpack the unexpected business and life lessons from the Taylor Swift Eras Tour—and the parallels are hard to ignore.

Because whether you love her music or not, you cannot deny this: the level of discipline, resilience, and long-term vision required to pull off something like that is extraordinary.

And if you’re building a photography business, you need those same qualities.

One of the biggest reminders?
Everybody’s jealous of what you’ve built. No one’s jealous of what it took to build it.

People see the fully booked calendar.
The high sales session.
The confident brand presence.

They don’t see the years of experimentation.
The awkward pricing conversations.
The failed launches.
The moments you wanted to quit.

Success always looks cleaner from the outside.

Another powerful thread in this conversation is service. The Eras Tour wasn’t built around “good enough.” It was built around over-serving the audience. More songs. Longer show. Bigger production. Deeper experience.

And that question lands hard for photographers:

Are you just delivering a session…
or are you creating an experience?

The photographers who build sustainable, profitable businesses don’t compete on price.
They compete on care. On intention. On surprise and delight.

But perhaps the most freeing lesson of all is this:

Something can be about you and still be none of your business.

Other people’s opinions about your pricing.
Your niche.
Your growth pace.
Your ambition.

None of your business.

Protecting your energy is not selfish—it’s strategic.
When you treat your focus like a luxury item, you stop handing it out to anyone who hasn’t earned access.

And then there’s disappointment.

The truth is, every business owner faces setbacks. Things that feel unfair.
Things that feel personal. Things that make you question whether you should keep going.

But what if those moments aren’t happening to you…
What if they’re happening for you?

What if the failed experiment gave you clarity?
What if the rejection sharpened your positioning?
What if the “no” redirected you toward something better aligned?

Building a business is not about avoiding failure.
It’s about responding to it creatively.

That’s what this episode is really about.
Work ethic. Service. Humility. Protecting your energy. Long-term commitment.
And choosing to see obstacles as opportunities.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, discouraged, or unsure of your next move, this conversation might shift something for you.

Because sometimes the most valuable business lessons don’t come from a strategy.
They come from watching how someone shows up—again and again—no matter what.