12 Things I’ve Learned in my 12 Years as a Small Business Owner.
Push Play turned 12 this week, and instead of sharing the cliche “Wow! Where did time go?!” post (but really, where did it go?!), I thought I’d share 12 lessons learned.
So, without further ado, here are the twelve things learned from starting my own business at a young age:
Commitment. 65% of businesses fail within the first 10 years. Starting (and growing) your own biz ain’t for the faint of heart. There are MANY sacrifices on this road, but they are so so worth the rewards.
Balance. This is a delicate one and hard lesson learned. TBH - I’m still working on this one each day. Growing my business at the same time as my family has been tough to say the least. Having four small kids is demanding, but it also puts things into perspective in a pretty profound way. I’m learning that I don’t need to email/edit 24/7 to be successful in business. The people I WANT to work with know that my family is my top priority and they WANT me to be able to have balance too.
Boundaries. Learning to say no is so stinkin’ hard. But every yes you say to one opportunity is a no to another. For example, cramming in 3 more sessions this week sounds like a fun yes; but it also means a lot more no to time away from the computer enjoying your family.
Social media is full of rules on how to do it right. Eff ‘em. It’s way more engaging and fun to be your real self than to try to beat an ever-changing algorithm.
Stay weird. The more you show your most authentic self, the more you’ll attract people you genuinely want to work with. Don’t be afraid to be quirky - even if it means they think (know) you’re crazy. They’ll love ya or leave ya.
Relationships. The people you meet are more than clients. They are friends that feel like family. When you start to share your real self, you’ll attract the kind of clients you WANT to work with - and pretty soon work doesn’t feel like work because you’re hanging with the best people.
Feedback. Don’t be too shy/afraid to ask for feedback. It’s how we grow. Plus, online reviews are priceless for search engine optimization.
Growth. Take time to do the things that fill your creative cup. Sure, it’s great to have back-to-back paying clients, but make sure to fuel your fire. Challenge your creative. Get back to the basics. And never (Ever) stop learning.
Family First. I “retired” from my main gig and became a FT photog in my first decade of business. I did this for many reasons - but mostly so I could allow my schedule to put my family first. I truly believe this to be most important and no longer allow myself to feel guilty for making my family a priority too.
Have Faith. In the Lord. In your Talents. In His timing. All of it.
Be fearless. Sure, change is scary; but don’t be afraid to pivot and to swing big. Have the audacity to go after whatever it is that’s on your heart. Because the worst you could do is “fail”, and that’s just another way we learn.
Gratitude. When I first opened my doors, I was told this “Push Play is a dumb name. No one will remember it. Name your business after yourself and call it ‘Chelsey Abler Photography’.” But I knew then what I preach now - and that is this:
This was never a one-woman show. Push Play would not have been able to be successful for twelve years without my villiage: my family, my assistants, my friends, and my incredible clients. You all fuel my passion and make me feel like my job is never work. I truly believe that I’ve been called to capture memories and I’m grateful for each and every person who has allowed me to do so over the past 12 years.
Thank you for believing in this small town girl with big dreams.
Whether you’re a Day 1 PPP fan or this is your first day on the Push Play page, I’m so so glad YOU are here.
Xo
-Chelsey
