Podcast Ep 411 - $100,000 in One Week?!

$100,000 in One Week?!

What would you think if someone told you they made $100,000 in one week?

Would you feel inspired… or would a small part of you immediately think, “That could never be me”?

Because if we’re being honest, in the photography world—and really in any creative business—it’s so easy to see numbers like that and feel a mix of curiosity, excitement… and comparison. You start wondering if you’re behind, if you’re missing something, if everyone else has figured it out except you.

But here’s what most people don’t stop to consider: you’re only seeing the result—not the journey that led to it.

When you hear something like “$100,000 in one week,” your brain jumps straight to the outcome. It skips over the years of learning, the failed attempts, the refining of offers, the mindset shifts, the consistency, and all the decisions that made that result possible. It takes someone else’s milestone and turns it into pressure. And suddenly, instead of feeling motivated, you feel small.

But what if that number wasn’t meant to intimidate you? What if it was meant to expand what you believe is possible?

Because the truth is, results like that don’t come from doing one thing right for one week. They come from showing up over and over again, solving problems, improving your skills, and continuing—even when it feels slow. Especially when it feels slow.

As a photographer, you already know this. You didn’t become better overnight. You didn’t master your craft in a week or build your portfolio instantly. It happened gradually, quietly, step by step. And yet, when it comes to business, it’s easy to forget that same principle.

We see someone else’s success and assume we should be there too. We compare our beginning to someone else’s middle—or even their peak—and then make it mean something about us. That we’re not doing enough, that we’re not good enough, that we’re falling behind.

But none of that is actually true.

Your timeline isn’t wrong—it’s just yours. And the work you’re doing right now isn’t wasted. It’s building something, even if you can’t fully see it yet. Every inquiry you respond to, every shoot you complete, every post you share, every lesson you learn the hard way—it all counts.

The photographers who reach big milestones aren’t the ones who rushed to get there. They’re the ones who stayed. The ones who kept going when it wasn’t glamorous, who kept showing up when results weren’t immediate, who trusted that what they were building would compound over time.

So instead of asking, “Why am I not there yet?”… what if you asked, “What am I building right now?”

That shift changes everything. It takes you out of comparison and brings you back to ownership.

You don’t need to rush your growth. You don’t need to force results or match someone else’s timeline. You just need to keep going.

Because one day, someone will look at your journey—your results, your growth—and wonder how you did it. And they won’t see the slow days, the doubts, or the moments you questioned yourself. They’ll only see the outcome.

So here’s the truth to hold onto: big results aren’t created in one week. They’re revealed in one week—after everything you’ve done leading up to it.

And maybe the better question isn’t whether you’re capable of something big… but whether you’re willing to keep showing up long enough to become the person who can hold it.