I recently received an email from a client that stated she was no longer going to be using my services, instead she found another photographer who was better suited for the type of work she needed done. At first I was DEVASTATED! Like OMG I lost a client. My ego was all over the place. Than I took a step back and thought about this, and this is what I came up with.
- Did this client represent a significant portion of my income?
- Was this Someone that I enjoyed working with?
- Was the type of work I was photographing work that I enjoyed shooting and would continue to do?
- Are there ways for me continue to nurture this business relationship?
As a creative it is in my nature to question every time someone doesn’t like my work. But I recall a quote from a business mentor who once told me that just because I can shoot it doesn’t mean that I should
Maybe the type of work I was providing was not my strongest, and by getting fired this client was not doing me a disservice but a HUGE FAVOR.
As creatives we tend to see any feedback as negative when in fact it can be a good thing. It should be seen, such as in this case as a growth process. I know I am a good photographer, aside from what my past clients have said to me, the fact that I am skilled in this field enough to know what I am doing I KNOW I AM GOOD. That is not being conceited, I am not standing here with a puffed out chest, I just know what I am doing and I know I am good enough. I ventured into a field of photography that is not my strongest. See as artists and business owners, this means we are called to be a Boss; we all need to recognize when we are in fields where we are not thriving. Doing work that may diminish the rest of our portfolio. Regardless of your field, Culinary Arts, Law, Photography, Professional Organization, we all have a specialty, a niche that we are just better in. Focus on that. Grow in that. SHOW THAT! Once you do this you show up in a big way.. You show up more powerful as a professional because you are able to be a leader in your industry. Now you may ask but I will be saying no to work. That may be, but saying yes to YOURSELF and work that you are best at will allow you to grow in you field and show you as a leader. And being a leader is always good.
