Are you thinking about photography business coaching to bring your business to the next level? You’ve found yourself on the right blog post!
As your photography business grows, sometimes it can feel like you become stagnant. There’s only so much information that you can find out on your own or through experience, and that’s where a photographer mentor can come in. With experiences of their own and a way of looking at your business that you can’t because you’re so close to it, a photography biz mentor can really help you start to fill in the gaps that your business may have.
I know what you’re thinking – how do you know this? Well, as a mentor for photographers myself, I know exactly what goes into it. So, keep reading to learn all about the power of photography business coaching, from the benefits to how to find the perfect mentor for you.
Benefits of Photography Business Coaching
Avoid common mistakes
One of the best benefits of investing in a photographer mentor is that you can avoid common mistakes. Odds are that a mentor will have already made those mistakes and experienced exactly where you are in your business.
This means that you can learn from mistakes before you even have the opportunity to make them because you’ll know what to look out for.
Learn from other’s experiences
As we all know, running a photography business is so much more than just knowing how to take photos… even though that is a HUGE part of it. When it comes to everything else, like editing, backend systems, client experience, etc., it can be helpful to chat with someone who has already experienced exactly what you are going through.
It’s always helpful to hire a mentor who is in a position that you would love to be in. In other words, find a mentor who is a year or two down the road from where you are now so that you can hear about their experiences, what they’ve been through, etc., because they’re going to have all the information to help get you there.
Customize your learning path
While courses are fantastic (I love a good course now and then!), there’s only so much that you can get from asynchronous learning like that. You don’t normally have that much support from the instructor or even others who are taking the course with you.
However, having a mentor means that you can truly customize your learning path. If you know that your customer experience is lacking, for instance, then a photographer mentor can help to create a session or two to focus solely on that part of your business.
No matter what it is that you need help with, a mentor will be able to customize any learning sessions with you to make sure that you are able to reach the goals you want to achieve.
Get constructive feedback (with solutions)
Sometimes, constructive feedback can be hard to hear, but it’s necessary. As a business owner, you are so close to your own business that it can be helpful to get an outsider’s perspective.
A mentor acts as an outsider, in this case, helping you fix things in your business that you may not even see. They’re there to help you also make those difficult decisions that you may not have been able to make otherwise.
Mentors “get” it
Whether it’s a sticky client situation or overwhelm by overbooking yourself during wedding season, your mentor will get it. They’ve been through it before; they’ve been in your shoes.
Having a mentor means having someone in your corner who truly understands everything that you’ve been through. They can offer advice in difficult situations that may arise, no matter how big or small.
Extra tip: I recommend keeping a running list of any questions/scenarios you have encountered/thought about so you have this information handy when meeting with your mentor or searching for the ideal coaching. This will help you to find an even better fit.
How to Find a Mentor as a Photographer
Now that you know what the benefits of photography business coaching are, let’s talk about some of my best tips for finding a mentor.
Ask your photographer friends and community
A simple way to find a mentor is to ask your community or other friends who are also photographers. See if they have ever mentored with anyone and get their feedback. You may be able to find a great, trusted mentor this way!
There are also many Facebook groups and communities that you can join and ask in. You may already be part of a group or two like this. Use them! Another option is to post on your Instagram story that you’re looking for a mentor and see if anyone else responds to let you know about their experience.
Find a photographer you already look up to
If there’s already a photographer that you look up to, consider checking out their website to see if they offer mentorship sessions. Many photographers who are at least a year in business offer some type of mentorship, whether it’s 1:1 or group, to help other photographers navigate running their own business.
Search online
Lastly, you can always search online. The great thing about running our own businesses as photographers means that our mentors don’t always have to be local. Zoom calls and mentoring work just as great!
Ways to Work with a Photography Mentor
Luckily, there are so many ways to work with a photographer mentor. Here are some of the most common ways to work with one.
In-Person
When you traditionally think of hiring a mentor, you probably think of hiring 1:1 in person. Working with another photographer in your area means that you might get some added benefits, like the potential to shadow, which can be great for hands-on learning.
Depending on how you like to learn, this might be best for you and your learning style. If that’s the case, try to ask around locally or even use Google to find other mentors in cities/towns near you!
Online
If you aren’t local to your dream mentor, or if meeting online is more convenient for your schedule, many mentors offer individual 1:1 calls focused on any topics that you, as a mentee, may want to discuss.
Group Coaching
Group coaching is another option that you may find while doing mentorship research. This often occurs mostly live, usually online, with a select group of individuals on a weekly or monthly basis to cover educational content together.
One of the added benefits of group coaching is that you can also grow accountability between the other mentees and yourself. You may even find a friend or two at the same level as you!
Courses
Lastly is courses! Courses are usually self-paced, making them a great option if you are a self-starter who is eager to get the ball rolling. However, you must be able to motivate yourself to implement what you learned in the course.
My best piece of advice if you’re thinking about buying a course? Read reviews from others! You can also DM others that you know were in the said course. Many people are happy to share their honest opinions.
Working with Me as a Mentor
Now that you know everything there is to know about photography business coaching, you may be wondering what’s next. Well, I offer a few different mentorship packages, and if you think we’d be a good fit, you can read a bit more about them here.
Option One
The first option is a 60-minute 1:1 call together. You will receive a recording of our call together as well as any notes that I take throughout our session. I’ll create an action plan for you, which highlights your next steps in order to move in the direction of your goals.
Option Two
The second option also includes everything in option one, plus a branding session. The branding session is for you and your business! With this branding session, you’ll receive a 60-minute custom photography session with 45 ready-to-download photos delivered straight to your inbox.
This is a great option if you also want to work on creating your website and building your presence on social media. Let’s be honest; there are only so many self-portrait poses we can take ourselves!
Option Three
Lastly is option three, which includes everything in option two plus we will photograph a session together. I will schedule and plan the entire session to attract your ideal client and to help you build your portfolio. This 60-minute couples session can also be great practice for you!
If you want to learn more about any of these packages or want to reach out, click here to learn more!
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