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The following blog was written as a business education piece for a photographer to promote her new group training program.

Elopement Photographer Mindset: Unleash Your Inner CEO 

If you are reading this, you know in your heart that you are ready to unleash your inner CEO. The small voice inside is ready to roar and I am here to give you the outline on how to unleash the beast. My BOSS UP Coaching is all about forming life changing habits and a kickass business to get you on top. Elevate your business (and your soul, queen) with practical, research based tools that will put your business on the path to success. When you are ready, you can book a time to virtually meet with me for a free consultation and how YOU can unleash your inner CEO with our elopement photograph mindset. In the meantime, we break down our key philosophy for you: Habits, Mindset, Action.

Elopement Photographer Mindset: Habits of a BOSS

We hear over and over that your habits are the game changer, the problem is most people think habits have to be these BIG changes and that is the fastest way to give up on them. The real impact is the TINY changes that will make a HUGE difference.

The question is, how can we break free from the habits that are holding you back, get more rest in your schedule for higher productivity and you can use your own body to make better decisions?

Start these three good habits:

  1. Power morning routine. Write down 10 ideas a day and add to a gratitude journal. This should be about 3 pages total.
  2. 30 minutes of activity a day. This can be yoga, a walk, a bike ride, or even a round of pickleball. If it’s good enough for the Golden Bachelor, it’s good enough for us! It does not and should not be daunting. 
  3. Track your business. Take a look each day. You should always know where your money is going, when it’s coming in, and all the steps to take in between.

STOP these two bad habits:

  1. Constantly checking social media and e-mail on your phone. We are LESS productive when we multitask. When you set aside time to work on client communication, be intentional about it. Don’t check your phone and reply immediately. Your couples deserve your full attention, not a half thought when you’re also worried about burning dinner. 
  2. Negative self talk. This one is a biggie for me. If I believe in you, babe, you gotta believe in yourself! You need to be your own biggest fan, not your own doubter. 

I know these are easier said than done, so let’s break it down further. Atomic Habits author James Clear has four simple steps for understanding and retraining your habits.

For example how to stop checking your phone for social media / email.

The current situation:

If a behavior is insufficient in any of the four stages, it will not become a habit. Eliminate the cue and your habit will never start. Reduce the craving and you won’t experience enough motivation to act. Make the behavior difficult and you won’t be able to do it. And if the reward fails to satisfy your desire, then you’ll have no reason to do it again in the future.

If you’re blanking on habits to implement SLOWLY, check out our 30 habits to create a successful photography business.

Elopement Photographer Mindset: CEO Mentality

According to Forbes, 10.6% of Fortune 500 company CEOs are women. It’s 2024, what are we doing out here?? The problem is we don’t have enough examples of female CEOs. Most of these women have had to fit into the box of a male defined CEO. I am here to kick over the Barbie sized box. You don’t have to live there! You’ve created your beautiful business for a reason.

As an elopement photographer, I spend a good amount of time with clients assuring them that it’s OKAY TO ELOPE! Which is crazy! How many couples do I meet that feel obligated to have a big wedding? BUT, you can’t make it so big that you don’t spend time with your guests. Or you can go ahead and elope, but it has to be somewhere crazy, and you better make sure your momma comes. Couples have so many opinions coming from families, friends, coworkers, SOCIETY!!

Which is why we created the term Elopement Barbie, encompassing some of the different ways our brides can embrace eloping as they want. There are more options to eloping than just going to Vegas! The same is true for our elopement photographer mindset! We tell our brides they can be a bride however they damn well please and YOU can be a CEO any way you like! We aren’t here to bow to the man mold, hard pass. He’s just Ken. 

Mindset and CEO

We are going to get all wikipedia on you real quick. First, to embrace the elopement photographer mindset you have to know what a mindset is.

Definition: A mindset is a series of self-perceptions or beliefs people hold about themselves. These determine behavior, outlook and mental attitude.

Usage: It tends to focus on a specific set of beliefs or attitudes that shape an individual’s response to situations or challenges. Mindset is often used in the context of personal development and growth.

My CEO definition: Areas of JOY. You might be at a stage where you want to re-evaluate weddings. I stopped taking big weddings, intentionally saying no. That’s a CEO decision. Big weddings just didn’t bring me joy anymore. It’s okay for something that used to bring you joy to leave you unfilled now. Whatever it may be for you, I am giving you permission to change your mind and evolve in whatever direction sets your damn soul on file!

So what does being a CEO look like to you? Not what you have been told, what is YOUR vision? What brings YOU JOY? The elopement photographer mindset starts with you being able to put words to what you want and making it fucking happen. Literally write it down. Look at it every day. Manifest and WORK!

Elopement Photographer Mindset Exercise 

What is the truest, most beautiful story about your life that you can imagine? You got the idea? Okay, walk through the vision with these steps:

STEP 1: Honor the Discontentment

You may be feeling discontent about the business element of your life. I encourage you not to throw away that feeling. Discontentment comes from a place of imagination, of goals, of dreams, of inspiration. You are imagining a better way, a better life. Honor that discontent. Do not dismiss it, bury it, deflect it, deny it, blame it on someone else, or tell yourself to shut up and be grateful. You need to share that little whisper in your head. Dream up what it would look like to have your specific version of beauty come to life.

STEP 2: Kick “Good Enough” to the Curb

Looking at your dreams all clean and sparkly might get you a little scared. You might think, “maybe my life is good enough.” Good enough is what makes people become someone they are not, snark too much, become bitter and live in anxiety until they lie on their deathbed and think “what kind of life could I have had if I was braver?” 

STEP 3: Do the Damn Thing

Your dreams deserve so much more than just living inside your head. The next step is implementing the new life you want for yourself. And yes, it can feel daunting, and big, and like you’re not cut out for this. It might not all be sunshine and roses. Staying with integrity takes work and you have to hold yourself accountable for that too. But at some point, you have to jump babe. You have to start, and you have to keep walking, and let me tell you, you’ll be in amazing places because you dared to dream and TAKE ACTION.

3 Levels of behavior change to adopt the elopement photographer mindset

LEVEL ONE: Programmed Beliefs 

Which of your beliefs did you create and which have been programmed into you? 

Many people sleepwalk through these norms attached to their identity such as:

That’s why we’re always editing our beliefs/identity just like we edit our photos! I’m here to challenge YOU, to challenge your beliefs about yourself. Are you terrible with directions? Or did you get that reputation after making a few wrong turns ten years ago? Maybe you are good with directions, you just stopped trying, you let Siri take over and put your mind on autopilot instead of challenging yourself to get there on your own.

LEVEL TWO: Imposter Syndrome 

Along the way, you’ll have doubts and feel Imposter Syndrome, a psychological occurrence in which people doubt their skills, talents, or accomplishments.

Where it’s rooted: when you’re trying to be something for someone else, not yourself. We fear failure so we engineer a way to “succeed” through someone else’s skin. Oprah Winfrey said, “A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”

I spent YEARS pleasing what I thought society wanted. And. For. WHAT?! In our Trailhead Group Coaching, one area we tackle is how we heal imposter syndrome. Sign up for a consult call and we can defeat your inner imposter and embrace the elopement photographer mindset in 2024!

LEVEL THREE: Change Metric for Success

You are not going to be good at everything. But you can build a business that is good at everything. The secret – you SHOULD NOT do everything yourself. Not because you can’t but because it’s not the smartest way to do it. As a small biz owner, you wear many hats, but think of it as THE HAT => BOSS UP.

Are you the visionary brain or the operations? Bring in the support for which side you’re not. You don’t need to outsource everything at once, but take a moment to identify at least one area that you can. 

You also need to be anticipating your fears. It’s okay to be afraid! It’s not okay to let that stop you. Identify your fear AND your solution. You need a tax person, but you don’t know where to find them. Guess what – most people don’t! Start researching, reach out to your network, you can’t solve the problem by willing it, you have to get out of your comfort zone and make it happen!!

Elopement Photograph Mindset: Goal Getter

These aren’t pipe dreams. They’re marching orders. Stay accountable and consistent. Create a business schedule and work it. Check in weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually. The elopement photographer mindset of unleashing your inner CEO is actually BEING a CEO. You are not the employee waiting around for someone to tell you what to do. Lace up your boss babe boots and be in CHARGE of your business! Make shit happen.

Join BOSS UP

Our BOSS UP group coaching is a structured four week program. BOSS UP is a conscious climb to building habits and a kick ass business to get you on top. Elevate your business and your SOUL, queen with practical research based tools that will put your business on the path to success!

This is a practical program to help you build good business habits while also fostering relationships that are based on trust and a shared experience. I have been part of group coaching sessions and the knowledge and legit FRIENDSHIPS that have come out of it still bring the best out of me and my work today. This beautiful group of human beings (and meee!) are here to help you. To support you and hear your wins. To hear your fuckin ROARS!

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