4 Lessons I've Learned while Building my Brand
Growing Pains are real, and your business is facing them. If you are not experiencing them, either your business is perfect, or you have not begun working.
Have you been experiencing growing pains?
Here are some lessons I have learned that you may can use to alleviate your stresses!
Growing pains are not typically physical.
Growing pains are mental stresses and challenges that arise through operations. Although not every situation are end of the world, others can be pretty devastating. Hopefully, these four lessons will take the stress off of your shoulders as a freelancer/contractor.
Learning how to overcome the following situations, you will be well on your way to creating your growth.
Below are four tips you can use to help build your brand, without the pain!
Do not fear saying “no”, or being told “No”. I know you may be in a bind for money, but taking on, or accepting the WRONG client will absorb your time and mental health. Having the wrong client will greatly diminish your ability to perform your services.
Planning your content is beneficial. Whether you are contracting services, or providing a product, planning your content is key. It gives you a guide to what kind of content to produce, and reduce analysis paralysis! It saves you time, and allows you to not feel overwhelmed when searching for ways to be productive.
Understand your role as a contractor; If you’re like me, you may be willing to go above and beyond to help others out! I recently offered to pass out flyers for a gentleman before an event I offered to take photos of, and was quickly duped. I was bombarded with over 3 THOUSAND flyers, and realized I was the ONLY person passing them out. So yes, you can help, but know where and when to shine! Do not over exert yourself, and if you are, confirm you will be paid adequately for your time!
Finally, something that has been growing my brand has been getting involved with the community. I research local events, plan, and then network and interact with fellow patrons. As a photographer, I may not always book a gig everyday, but carrying my camera increases the likely hood that someone will ask for my services! Being seen, and able to be face to face helps your brand! People want to be sure they know who they are giving their money to!
One thing to mention, which is important in business and life, is understanding attention & intention. Some businesses are a result of attention & others from intention. By me placing more intention into my craft, I have experienced a huge shift in dynamic.
Placing intention to grow, and build yourself accompanied with correct action will lead to your growth. I intend to grow the attention of my brand, and become synonymous with creative direction and specially with photography.
Keep in mind, I am still growing, and developing the strength and visibility of my brand, but these are lessons I have learned in my experiences. I want to see everyone achieve their goals, and develop into the best business and individual they can become!
Photo of Tobe Nwigwe at his Dallas Show recently. I used this photo because Tobe is a great example of building your brand organically and generating a specific audience.
