Month in Review: January 2022
I’m doing something a little different this year and giving you a peak in what it looks like running a product photography business with a 6 figure goal (and without burnout). To make sure I cover more than just how much money I made (which honestly doesn’t always provide a full picture), I’ve decided to break down the review into categories: Business, Personal, Miscellaneous (Because some things just cannot fit into a category). We’ll see if I’ll keep it like this but for now, this will provide me with some structure.
Since last year, I’ve been slowly planning my mini escape from Instagram (we’ll discuss that in the review) and I’ve decided to invest in other platforms/avenues to market Darden Creative. One thing I’ve decided to do is return to blogging, but my way. I decided to commit to at least 12 blog posts this year. The main priority was to build & strengthen SEO for the photography business. But now I think I just want to challenge myself and do month in review posts. Depending on the activity of that month I may combine months (realistically will happen in the Summer/late Winter). It’s a long read, so thank you in advance for reading!!!
Let’s get to it:
Business
Gross Revenue for January: $17,000, across 2 clients
Net Revenue (less assistant payouts & fixed expenses + $3,890 studio rental +$3,500 new studio deposit!): approx. $5,500
In Summary: Life is good and I don’t have to work much in order to bring in large sums of income. But also, life comes at you fast...Even when it’s all good things! As you can see there were a few big purchases. It’s time to get back to work! I’d just come off of an unplanned 2 month break and while financially I was in a good spot, I was honestly ready to get back to work. During the first week of January, while I did have discovery calls scheduled, most inquiries were for later in Q1/early Q2. Both of my clients this month were repeat clients, making marketing a lighter lift. The first project was a repeat client I’ve been working with since August 2020 and the second client I’ve been working with since June 2020. It amazes me that I’ve been working with them both for almost 2 years. Having repeat clients gives me a lot of peace of mind and honestly when it comes to marketing it makes the load lighter. It’s also just easier to get into a rhythm and flow with them. Repeat Clients are The PLUG. In terms of work, Jan/Feb are generally slower. It’s been this way for years. Instead of being anxious about it, I’ve planned my budget & expectations accordingly. I also tend not to look at my monthly revenue goal as much as I look at my Overall Quarter Revenue Goal (Q1 2022 is $68k).
Speaking of marketing, I received new inquiries from 2 new platforms I started investing time & energy into: Pinterest & LinkedIn. In the middle of last year, I began to entertain the idea of promoting Darden Creative on other platforms. I’ll be honest, while I could thrive on TikTok, the mental manpower and energy it would require to make videos was just not something I was ready to invest my time & energy into. The next best thing was Pinterest. I was already on Pinterest, but it wasn’t optimized for the business. In July I invested in The Art of Pinning by Wedding Photographer Carolina Guzik. I had low expectations, not in her course but in my immediate results. Below is a quick snapshot of Pinterest growth from before, right after and today.
Having an inquiry from Pinterest, confirmed my decision to begin investing in other platforms other than Instagram. As one friend calls it, “Instagram is like the swap meat at this point.” It’s true! Instead of focusing on client experience, their main priority is how much money and labor they can get out of their users. I mean that entire sentence sounds like addiction on steroids. And I get it, a business has it’s own ethos and code by which it stands by. Unfortunately, me and IG are not standing on the same code of ethics . LinkedIn was a platform that a small batch of photographers mentioned for getting jobs, but again I feel like it’s a mixed bag. But I was surprised when an inquiry popped up… too bad the prospect was not a good fit.
While this is my review, out of respect for the prospect, I will not say their name. I often speak a lot about trusting your gut. Sometimes it’s very easy to cast aside your red flags in hopes that a client can change or that you’re just being overly dramatic. I can say definitively, that’s never the case. This prospect not only ignored my correspondence in regards to payment (my first red flag) but once I finally put my foot down and put the project on hold (now cancelled), they admitted what I felt to be true… they didn’t have any money. Pause for Reaction I share this because, even though I had a 5 figure month and I’m working with really great, repeat clients and marketing strategies are working… I still deal with some bullshit. BULLSHIT honey, OKAY?! No one is immune. The biggest takeaway from this is, I’m so happy I was steadfast with my instincts and didn’t allow opinions to sway my actions. I believe it truly saved me a future headache that could have been worse. Also for more context, this was a $12,000 project. This isn’t play money and or chump change. Can you imagine if I kept going with this project, the blood (figuratively) that would have been shed? I dodged a big bullet, even though it was a lot of money, that didn’t exist!
**January 21st: I lost a job based on my location. They opted to shoot the project in New York and of course, I shot my shot and offered to travel to New York for the job. I started playing with the idea of traveling between Washington, DC and New York late last year. I know I want to continue doing more commercial work and the hubs are: Los Angelos, New York and now Atlanta. I anticipated that this would happen and losing this job was the push I needed to start outreach to these cities. I wouldn’t be surprised if by Q2, you’ll see me traveling more to these cities for work. We’re claiming it now!
**January 26th: Ya’ll I did it… I put down a deposit for a new studio space. I found the location in Dec 2021. But I wasn’t ready to commit. Deciding to invest in a physical space is no small feat, especially during a panini. I knew that I would eventually out grow my home space. Naturally, there is fear in such an undertaking. I’ll be discussing more about the studio in February. But just know, I’m equally nervous & excited. The studio could bring about bankruptcy (worst case scenario…which unless I completely exit stage left, I’d never allow to happen) or serve as an excellent stream of revenue. I decided to believe in the former. Follow the journey of The Salon Studios on Instagram.
Lastly, this month I onboarded a Marketing Coordinator. This person was actually my photo assistant last year. When I reviewed the business’ needs, what I was ready to outsource and her capabilities, I recognized Marketing was a better fit for her. Just from our onboarding call, I knew it was going to be a good fit. Sometimes you have the right people, but they are just not in the right roles. Let me say, I’ve been really really lucky when it comes to people I’ve hired. No one past or present has been vindictive or stolen from me (I can’t say the same about coaching students 🥴). At first I attributed it to having good counsel and recommendations but I also think it’s just really good karma. I’m really blessed to have really good people always in my corner. Hopefully I’m not jinxing myself.
The last thing I want to say is that, although things are well, I still have this looming dread. I think this is just normal that entrepreneurs experience from time to time. January is a time where we should be hopeful, but honestly I can’t help but be optimistically cautious. It’s hard to plan when things can literally change at the drop of a dime. Currently, I only plan 1 year out. It’s as far as my anxious little heart can take. Quite frankly, it’s a day by day kinda situation. Will I fail? Will I get the dream clients? Will I be forgotten this year? These are all thoughts I tend to have at the beginning of the year. They usually dissipate once March rolls around but that’s where I am mentally during January…
Personal
I had a few health scares at the very beginning of the year. I had a terrible allergic reaction and had hives all over my body that caused me to head to urgent care when my throat started to close. No Joke. I much better now, but the beginning of the year was a doozy. Let’s quickly cover some personal wins:
I’m still going strong with my weight loss journey. Currently, I’m focused on intuitive eating and reaching for what feels good/healthy. I give myself grace and yes, I do occasionally order from my favorite Chinese restaurant but I make sure I eat more veggies. I’m exhibiting better eating habits and they’re paying off. I started Weight Watchers in late December and I’ve lost 10 pounds! My overall goal is to get back to my pre-panini weight (160). I’m really proud of myself for sticking with it and slowly losing the weight vs working out 4 days/week which for me right now is not sustainable.
One of my college girlfriends is having a baby and I’m happy I was able to gift her items from her baby registry. This is a small win but a major win nevertheless. Gifting is one of my ways I express love. It feels good to be able to gift friends and not feel like I have to choose between paying bills and doing something I love to do. I’m happy to have been able to support her in this way, especially when I cannot visit her.
I decided to start taking swim lessons. Y’all, I love bodies of water and I cannot swim. That is going to change this year. It’s a life skill that everyone should know how to do and I’m looking forward to stepping out and learning how to swim, for real.
I started French Lessons! No reason, except just to learn and let me tell you… It’s hard. 😂😂😂. I’m really excited about the next 8 weeks but whew! If anyone wants to speak with me to practice, let me know in the comments! It’s challenging and I’m enjoying it.
I started my retirement account (s). My goal was to open accounts by the end of the year. I technically already had a Roth IRA, but I was not intentional about adding money consistently. I also am in the process of moving my Life Insurance Policy to another company. Since I realized I’m more likely to hit 65 first before the world really implodes, it made since to actually be more intentional about saving for retirement. I highly recommend seeking a financial advisor. Here is mine. When we did the math, based on my age if I wanted to have $1 million for retirement, I’d need to put in a minimum of $800/month. The younger you are, the better!
When I think about most of my goals/aspirations around 2022, they are predominantly personal. Sure I want to make more money (we have conservative + stretch goals) but the biggest business goal is to have a healthier profit margin.
Personally, I want to rebuild my savings account, commit to begin saving for retirement, begin my journey to getting in a healthy romantic relationship and continue traveling.
Random aside: I’ve been having this feeling of wanting to get away. Not like escaping something (or maybe) but just wanting to drop everything and GO. I’ve honestly been feeling like this for months. And I’ve been trying to process it on my own… which I shouldn’t. I should be talking to my therapist about this. But I like to see if I can process something first before sharing with others. Even though that’s my therapist’s job!!! Look, I’m a Taurus with a Virgo moon placement and an enneagram 3. Let me just work through this on my own, until I pass out from exhaustion. 😂😂😂
I’ve been having the Taurus urge to book a flight and get the freak out of here. But I’m trying to be responsible and book the trips that are planned out. Let’s see how that goes...
**January 22 I booked a February Trip to Puerto Rico, so there’s that LOL
Overall, I’m happy, truly. I have security, freedom and ease… but I’m wondering if I’m being complacent and considering adding some fire (or unnecessary drama???) in my life. It’s the human expression in written form… Welcome!
Miscellaneous
Nothing to report except America is quite the ghetto. Black Americans deserve better.
See You Next Month!
P.S. What I’d love from you, if you’re cool with it…
If you’ve finished reading, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what you enjoyed or what resonated with you the most. You can simply take a screenshot of this article and tag me on Instagram @tamera.darden. I love talking to people via DMs and I see every single one.