Managing It All & Staying Sane

As a freelancer/creative entrepreneur, you’re going to go through some busy periods. Just like there are slow seasons, there are stretches that you’re going to have to work hard. You’re going to have multiple projects to juggle, clients emailing you non-stop, and all the other daily/weekly tasks you still have to do.

I’m deep in one of these right now. The rest of this month is going to be nonstop and I’m ready for it. Over the next 10 days, I need to deliver 100s of photos and a few videos for clients. I need to record a YouTube video and post consistently on my socials. What’s my plan?

Some of you might say it’s time to scale and hire a photographer to work for me. Solid plan, but I’m not ready for that. I’ve got a team of 5 that help with various things, but none can replace me yet. Here’s my plan.

First, I recognize that I’m so fortunate to get to do what I do every day. I wake up and get to play with fancy cameras and take awesome photos for clients. I’m the one that built this business and I’m responsible for the duties that have come up. I'm so grateful to be able to do this.

Second, I recognize now is not a good time to get new clients. I stop all my cold messaging and stop taking sales calls for this 2 week stretch. There’s no new business coming in because I need to make sure I fulfill on my promises to my clients. A great customer experience will make them repeat clients.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to work. I’ve got a photo editor and video editor that work for me that are both going to take a significant workload off my shoulders. I’ve been saying this for months now, but if you’re a photographer making any money, you need to get an editor. It frees up your time to focus on those high value tasks (like actually taking the photos for clients).

Next, we need to get organized. Know what types of photos you are shooting for what client. Put together a comprehensive shot list. I use Notion to organize shot lists, mood boards, and onboarding forms from clients. I have everything all in one place that has been reviewed and approved by the client.

Everything is organized, the team is put together, and now it’s time to actually do the work. Put on your photographer hat and do the job you’re good at. You may have to work late nights but recognize it’s all part of the game. You got into this because you love this.

I recognize this is the hardest part. Do you get distracted easily? Put on do not disturb mode and put your phone in the other room. Are you constantly checking email? Download freedom.to and block your email app for a few hours each day. Identify what takes you away from your work and fix that issue.

After you’re done with this stretch of work, reward yourself. You delivered all you said you would. Take yourself out to a fancy dinner, buy that thing you’ve been eyeing, you’ve earned it.

Finally, learn from this experience. What can you do better next time so you’re not as overwhelmed? Are you going to turn down clients? Are you going to increase your prices? Maybe it’s time to make that first hire…

You got this. I believe in you.