Born With Talent vs Hard Work

3 years into doing photography, I started getting called talented.

I hated that.

No one called me talented when I first picked up a camera or even a year into taking photos. I sucked. I didn’t understand lighting or composition. It didn’t come naturally to me.

So I began to teach myself. I watched YouTube videos on how to get better at photography. Then I went out and practiced, came home, reviewed my photos, and learned. I repeated this process over and over again until the photos looked good.

Then people started telling me that I'm talented. How they wish they could just pick up a camera and create great photos. If only they had a creative eye like me, they’d pursue photography.

Then I would tell them my background is in chemistry. I didn’t pick up a camera until I was in my 20s. I taught myself everything.

The same thing happened when I started my business and started going on sales calls. I sucked at sales. I was the quiet kid in high school who didn’t talk to anyone. How was I supposed to be that loud sales guy you see on TV?

I studied sales. I prepped for my calls. I had terrible calls. And then I repeated this until I got good.

Eventually, I got good enough to convince people to pay me for my skills. I wasn’t a natural at sales. I failed my way to success.

I’m telling you this to encourage you. You don’t have to be naturally talented at anything. With consistency and practice, you can get good.

Are you nervous about going on sales calls? What’s more painful: sales calls or working a job you hate?

Once the pain of working that job becomes greater than going on sales calls, the sales calls will come easy. It’s up to you to decide where you draw that line.

If you find yourself discouraged because you look on social media and wish you were ‘naturally good', come back to this email.

Social media is a highlight reel. Behind each post is years of work that went into getting that good.

It takes time. It takes rep after rep after rep. Eventually, you’ll get to a point where you’re decent.