BALANCING IT ALL - Success Looks Different for Everyone

You can build a successful business without giving up your life to do it.

I think one of the hardest parts of being a small business owner is learning that balance doesn't always come naturally.

There is always something else you could be doing. ALWAYS!

Another session you could book.

Another gallery you could edit.

Another email you could answer.

Another social media post you could make.

Another client you could take on.

And when you own your own business, it can be really easy to convince yourself that saying yes to more means you're becoming more successful.

But I'm learning that isn't necessarily true.

For me, balancing my photography business with my family and my life isn't optional. It's necessary.

I'm a photographer, but I'm also a wife. I'm a mom. I have kids who need me. I have a husband who works long shifts and isn't always home at the times other husbands might be. Our family has sports, school, appointments, activities, and all of the everyday things that come with raising a family.

And our life doesn't always fit neatly around my business. Sometimes my family needs me more. Sometimes my business needs me more. And sometimes I have to put my camera down, close my computer, and simply be present at home.

And that's okay.

I'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS NO BALANCE

Over the years, I've talked with a lot of photographers about their businesses, their struggles, and what life really looks like behind the scenes.

And I've heard some things that have really stuck with me.

I've talked to photographers who became so overwhelmed by the workload that they eventually needed to see a therapist because they simply couldn't handle everything anymore. I've talked to photographers that just quit because they couldn't handle it all. And I am seeing this more and more.

I've talked to photographers who couldn't say no—to clients, to sessions, to opportunities—and eventually paid the price for constantly putting more and more on their plate.

I've talked to photographers who have missed their kids' activities and important moments because they were always working.

And I've talked to photographers who have openly said, "My life is a total wreck."

Not because they aren't talented. Not because they don't love photography. Not because their businesses aren't successful. But because somewhere along the way, the business became everything.

And I understand that more than I wish I did.

I've been there too.

I've experienced what it feels like when the business starts taking up too much space. When you're constantly thinking about what needs edited, what needs answered, what needs posted, what session is next, and what you should be doing to grow.

And when you're trying to be a good mom, a good wife, a good business owner, and everything else at the same time, eventually something has to give.

That's why I've been intentionally and slowly working on getting the balance back.

Not overnight. Not perfectly. And definitely not without guilt. But intentionally.

I've had to learn that protecting my time isn't selfish. Saying no doesn't mean I'm failing, it means I am learning to balance. Still learning, not quite there just yet, but I am getting there.

And having space in my calendar doesn't mean my business isn't successful.

EVERYONE'S SEASON OF LIFE LOOKS DIFFERENT

I also think it's really important to remember that every photographer is in a different season of life.

There is no one-size-fits-all version of balance.

Some photographers are young, single, and don't have any kids. Their schedules may have a lot more flexibility. Some are married with young children and are right in the thick of raising a family. Some have older kids who are more independent. Some have kids who aren't involved in sports or activities, while others—like me—can feel like we're at a different sporting event every day of the week. And some photographers have raised their kids, their children have moved out, and they suddenly have an incredible amount of freedom and time to pour into their businesses.

None of those seasons is wrong.

And none of them should be compared to one another.

What works for one photographer may be completely unrealistic for another.

Our businesses don't have to look the same because our lives don't look the same.

I don't need to look at another photographer's schedule and wonder why mine doesn't look like theirs. Who cares?!

I don't need to feel behind because someone else can photograph more sessions than I can. And I don't need to apologize for the season of life I'm currently in.

I just need to build a business that works for me and my family right now.

And that might change. Five years from now, my life may look completely different. My kids will be older. Our schedules will change. My husband's work schedule may look different. And what balance looks like for me may change right along with it.

That's okay too.

YOU CAN'T RUN ON EMPTY

One thing I've realized is that you can't give your best to everything when you're completely running on empty.

You can't be the best photographer you can be if you're exhausted, overwhelmed, and constantly rushing from one thing to the next.

And you can't be the mom, wife, or person you want to be if you're constantly thinking about your next session, your next gallery, your next post, or how much more you should be doing for your business.

Something eventually suffers.

I've watched photographers fill every available space on their calendars with session after session, and while their businesses may look incredibly successful from the outside, I often wonder what that pace costs them behind the scenes.

Because being busy isn't the same thing as being successful.

Having a completely full calendar isn't necessarily the goal.

And being the photographer who is booked every single night of the week isn't my definition of success. Sorry, it's not.

I'M NOT RACING ANYONE

Photography can sometimes feel like a race.

Who is the busiest? Who has the most clients? Who has the most sessions? Who is posting the most? Who is completely booked? Who is growing the fastest?

But I've decided I don't want to play that game. I stay in my own lane and go at my own pace.

I don't want to build a business that requires me to sacrifice everything else that matters to me just so I can say I'm booked solid.

I don't want to be the busiest photographer.

I want to be the best photographer I can be.

I want to have a schedule that allows me to give my clients an incredible experience without feeling like I'm constantly trying to squeeze one more session into my calendar.

I want to have the time to plan. The time to create. The time to edit carefully. The time to communicate with my clients. The time to actually get excited about their sessions.

And most importantly, I want to have enough left in me at the end of the day to be present for my family. BALANCE.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

There is a big difference between being busy and being intentional.

I would rather photograph a smaller number of clients and pour everything I have into their experience than photograph so many people that I barely have time to breathe.

My clients deserve more than just a spot on my calendar.

They deserve my creativity. My attention. My energy. My experience.

They deserve to feel like their session matters. And I want to be able to give them that.

That's why I'm okay with my business looking different from someone else's.

Maybe I don't photograph as many sessions as another photographer. Maybe my calendar has days that aren't completely full. Maybe I turn down dates. Maybe I take time off. Maybe I choose my family over a session sometimes.

That doesn't mean my business is failing.

It means I'm building a business that fits my life instead of building a life around my business.

SUCCESS LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR EVERYONE

I don't think there is one right way to run a photography business.

For some photographers, photographing five sessions a week might be exactly what they want.

For someone else, it might be ten.

For me, success looks like finding the number that allows me to do both well.

To show up for my family. To be there for the important moments. To support my husband through his long work shifts. To be present for my kids. To take care of myself. And still have the energy and creativity to give my photography clients the experience they deserve.

Because at the end of the day, I don't want to look back and realize I built an amazing business but missed my life while I was building it.

I want both. I want the business. And I want the life.

And I truly believe it is possible to have both when you're intentional about what success means to you.

So no, I don't want to be the photographer who is booked every minute of every day.

I want to be the photographer who is present.

Present with my clients. Present with my family. Present in my own life.

And when I look at my calendar, I want to feel proud—not because every single space is filled, but because the schedule I've created allows me to give my very best to the people who matter most.

That's balance. And for me, that's success.

-April

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