defining success

“Success is not a profit margin, a vendor list, a venue, or even a six-figure income. It’s all about the couple and your art. Period. End-of-story.” — Jeff Youngren, photographer

Jeff wrote this yesterday in a blog post entitled “On Success and ‘Making It’.” A friend retweeted a link to the post with something like “What it means to make it as a photographer…” I clicked on the link, fully expecting to read some version of the American Dream— you know, the “success means not being limited by normal office hours, so you can make money and play with your kids whenever you like,” or “success means being true to yourself, about finding clients who want you, and let you be whoever you want to be,” or “success is all about connections, so network, baby! get your name out there!”

I’m not saying these are all bad things— someday, if I have kids, I want to be able to play with them without stressing out about work in the back of my head; I want clients who want me to shoot their wedding; and I’m all for networking, for helping others succeed and building relationships within my industry. But there’s a heck of a lot more to a successful wedding photography business than the ever-illusive and deceptive “American Dream,” and frankly, I get tired of reading about it and “how to get there.”

But I clicked that link, anyway… and halfway through the post found myself screaming “yes!!! yes!!! yes!!!” after every single sentence. It’s as if Jeff crawled inside my head and wrote what I’ve thought about and intended to write for months.

“Success is not a profit margin, a vendor list, a venue, or even a six-figure income. It’s all about the couple and your art. Period. End-of-story.” — Jeff Youngren, photographer

I believe this with my all my heart. I’ve built my business around this, and do my best to keep this at the forefront of my mind every day when I work. That’s why my Business Plan opens with a vision statement that says, “As Ampersand Photography’s owner, I (Sarah Danaher), am committed to genuinely loving people.” That’s why I sat down three months ago and wrote out a list that defines what success looks like for me, so that I can filter business decisions through that grid and keep myself on track. That’s why I have that list taped to my office window, so whenever I try to peek at the trees, I’m distracted by that sheet of paper.

Not everyone will agree with me on this point, but I really do believe that it’s possible to build a successful business around loving people well. I know I fail at this (often), and it certainly makes things more challenging, and I confess that I’m often at a loss as to how to do this. I also know that this “business model” isn’t right for everyone, and that’s totally okay. But I still believe it’s possible, and I still believe that it’s right for me.

How I define success:

• Loving God well— allowing His Word and ways to define my life. This means I pay attention to what the Bible says about life, and I do my best to live in accordance with it. The Bible says that loving God is the most important thing about I can and should do, and that what He says about me is the most important thing about me. This also means that I’m committed to living well as a Christian— that I’m an active, committed member of my local Church.
• Loving people well— self-sacrificially, giving time and energy to build into others’ lives. Intentionally contributing to other peoples’ success in life, business, and relationships.
• Having a clear mission statement— to keep in mind the reason that I work, and the way that I should work. Let me know if you want to read this… I’m happy to share it!
  
• Caring well for my clients— this means taking time to get to know each client well before they appear in front of my camera. I recognize the trust that my clients place in me, and I want to honor that trust. I want them to feel they are hiring, not just another photographer, but a friend.
• Earning sufficient income— so that I’m not a burden on those around me, so that I can give generously, and so that I can care well for those God gives me.
• Not allowing my work to consume or define me— my work, as much as I love it, is merely an occupation, not an identity. I must be careful to keep proper perspective on life, and not find my identity in my job. This also means having set work hours and clearly defined expectations for myself and those I work with, so I can work faithfully on a daily basis. (this is hard for me, but an area where I can see consistent growth)
• Working well, and continually striving to work better— I am keenly aware of the fact that I’m far from perfect in all of this, and that there are many, many people much smarter and better than I am. I want to keep an attitude of openness & humility, and glean all that I can from those who know more than me. Frankly, that’s a very long list, and I’m grateful for that.

To my fellow photographers:

• Define success for yourself. If you haven’t already, take some time in the next week or so and think long and hard about what makes you tick, what makes your business yours, and how you know if it’s successful or not. How do you define success? How do you measure it? What are the most important things to you? Write them down.
• Set some achievable goals to help you get there. Once you’ve defined success, how will you make it happen? How are you going to get from “here’s what I want” to “here’s what I am”?
• Keep your Success List somewhere close. Write out your list on paper, and then post it somewhere near your workspace, so you don’t forget about the important things.
• Involve someone else in your life. Share your “Success” list with a close friend, family member, spouse, etc. so that when they see you making decisions that take you away from success, they can help you get back on track.
• Be okay with being different. You’re different than I am, and I’m different than the Youngrens, and we’re all different from Jasmine Star and José Villa and Zach & Jody. My definition of success probably looks vastly different than yours, or theirs… and that’s as it should be. God created every person in a unique way, with unique strengths and giftings. Rejoice in those differences, maximize on your strengths, and stop comparing your definition of success to someone else’s.

To the readers out there who are thinking, “wow, this totally doesn’t apply to me at all“:

• This is really important for brides, too!!! Since wedding photographers are all about weddings, and weddings involve people, this post is actually very important for you. Why? Because the way a wedding photographer defines success will influence the way they go about shooting weddings and interacting with their clients. My goal is to love my clients well and to ensure they get the very best wedding pictures possible… which might mean pointing them in the direction of a different photographer. Since my definition of success is all about how well I love people, not how many weddings I shoot, then I have the freedom to find the best photographer for every client I interact with— even if that photographer isn’t me.
• This this is really important for engaged couples, too!!! Have you taken time to think through what will make your wedding a success or a disaster? What are the most important things, and how are you keeping them most important? What’s the point of it all? Remember that the marriage is more important than the wedding… so as you work through seating charts, favors, flower choices, and even honeymoon plans, make sure you’re taking time to invest in each other, not just in the wedding plans.
• This is really important for other small business owners, too!!! Every business has it’s own measure of success. Heck, every person has their own measure of success. Have you thought about what makes you successful? Have you thought about how to achieve that? Take some time to (you guessed it) make a list!
• This is really important for moms, too!!! What makes you a successful mother? Is it a clean house, folded laundry, and a gourmet meal every night? Or is it the time you take to invest in your child, to love your husband, to fashion place of nurture and a sense of security in your home? Take some time to think through success for you, and (you guessed it!) write it down!!
• This is really important for everyone!!! Our culture’s definition of success is skewed. We know that, we agree with that… so what are we going to do about that? What determines whether or not you are successful? Maybe success means being a faithful employee in a kinda sucky job, because that job provides well for you and your family, and gives you time to invest in other people. Maybe success means saying no to going back to work after maternity leave, because that would mean your baby would grow up knowing a nanny more than she knows you. Maybe success means being intentional about the way we think about work, life, people, money, possessions, and time.
• Ask: what does it mean to love people well? And maybe that will help you define success.