One of the things I have seen time and time again in this industry is people always wanting the "magic wand" or "silver bullet." It doesn't exist. No one thing is going to make your business better: no one magazine or blog feature, no one workshop, no one blogsite design, no one "big name celebrity" client. If anyone promises you that you can build your business by being lazy or without having to work hard, they are flat out lying.
I don't know about you, but I can't afford for my business not to earn a profit. I'm not married so I have no one to share expenses with, I don't have an outside job and I don't have a trust fund. Having a non-revenue generating business is simply not an option for me. It's amazing what you can do when those are the cards you're dealt.
My friend Ali Phillips always jokes that she is going to start a workshop called "How to Make Money the Old Fashioned Way: By Working Your Ass Off." If there are any secrets to success in business, that one is it. Take advantage of opportunities when they come your way. Check your pride at the door. Things may not get easier, but you'll find that you suddenly have a lot more "luck."
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8 comments:
Thank you for always writing such thoughtful and thought-provoking entries. I'm adding this to the many posts of yours that I've already bookmarked! You inspire me every day to be a better business owner and truly create my own success. Thank you.
Good one Liene! Yep, Ali nailed that one right in the head. All these workshops about a lot of fluff. Hard work is what gets you to the top.
Great post Liene. Being in this business for 9 years and sustaining a recession it has been all about hard work! Thanks for including me in your post!
I love this topic and I think the workshop name/idea is fantastic! I've spent the last year hitting the pavement, having coffee dates and really hustling and it's starting to pay off.
Yet another great post Liene! Thank you. I am glad someone's come out & said it. Lately there seems to be a sense of entitlement without the work to back it up. Success doesn't happen overnight and if it does it will likely end as fast as it got started.
The wedding photography world has been mined hard for years for newbies looking for the 'magic workshop' that will put them on the road to riches untold - and I've seen the same trend happening lately in the planning realm. Hard work, creativity, listening and providing what your clients want (and more!) and watching your expenses is the 'magic' recipe. Thanks for calling a spade a spade. Like Ali, I too am 9 years and going stronger than ever thanks to working my tooshie off.
Thanks, Liene! This is a post that I believe we(business owners) should all read often, as a reminder that nothing comes easy and hard work is the only road to success.
Liene, your posts are always so insightful and inspiring to so many of us, this one included. Thank you for always sharing so openly.
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