Photography education, especially in the wedding industry, used to focus on the way to be “successful”. People want to go from A to Z immediately instead of trusting the process. This “ideal” would be photographing 30-40 weddings a year and making a full-time income from it. While it’s a fine goal, that version of success doesn’t quite always match with a person’s individual hopes and dreams for their life and business.
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In this episode of The Bearded Tog Podcast, I talk with photography Educators Amy and Jordan Demos. They are passionate about helping their students be better photographers and business owners, no matter what stage of the photography journey they are in. Amy and Jordan share about the beginnings of their business, why they still photograph weddings even after transitioning to education, and how to go about trusting the process.
THE TAKEAWAYS ON TRUSTING THE PROCESS:
In industry education, it used to be taught that you were only successful if you were a full-time photographer working 34-40 weddings per year. In today’s education, success is now defined as doing what’s best for you and achieving the goal that you want.
If we’re not careful, our passion for photography turns into striving to be “successful”. We lose the spark that makes us love what we do.
Success will look different for a couple in their mid-20s wanting to build a long-term business than it will for a person in their 50s wanting to start a retirement career. It will also look different for for a mom that wants to make additional income to provide extras for her family.
Every person will have a different goal in learning photography or starting a business, and all dreams and goals are equally valuable.
Photographers are eager to rush through the process. However, Amy and Jordan encourage them to take the steps needed to be successful in their goal. It’s even more important to trust in the process and set a good foundation in the first two years of your business if you want this to be a long-term career.
You might feel like you’ve dug a hole too big for yourself to get out of, and are ready to throw in the towel and call it quits. That feeling is okay and normal. Many small businesses go through struggles in their journey.
For Amy and Jordan, the years of hard work to make their business a success were totally worth it.
MORE NOTES FROM THE DEMOS’
Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. Make sure you are doing things well.
Although the main focus of their business is now education, Amy and Jordan still photograph weddings because they want to keep growing and learning in their craft. They want to be able to teach students relevant information
As educators, Amy and Jordan want to give students what they wish they would have had both when they started and the points they felt stuck..
They believe teachers are held to a higher standard. If you want to become an educator, first spend time giving your information away for free. You can do this through email, and one on ones, and networking meetings. Learn if what you are teaching actually works, and if your audience can understand it before charging for it.
You have to love the process because if you don’t enjoy it, you will reach your goal and find you don’t enjoy it like you thought you did. You will continually be doing the process over and over in business. Enjoy the journey.
