That title may sound crazy, but hear me out.

Sometimes, as a business owner…especially a rather new one..I feel like I have to say “yes” to everything.  In some ways, I want to because I want to soak everything up!  I want to be a part of every opportunity or take as many pictures as I possibly can.  Or even help other new photographers whenever they ask!  This is not always the right decision, though, so I am learning to say “no”, as gently as possible!

I think that this concept applies to everyone, just as a human being.  We have to learn that “no” is not a bad word!  Saying “yes” to every situation or opportunity can lead to great new things, or it can lead to exhaustion and potential hurt your business & clients.

I am going to give you a few of my reasons for having to say “no” lately and why it is okay!

1. I am more than a photographer.  This should not come as a shock to you, obviously!  I do have a life outside of photography, just like you have a life outside of being a nurse, or teacher, or lawyer, or secretary, or hair stylist, etc.  You may be a wife, husband, mom, dad, sister, brother, best friend…the list goes on!  Just like you, I have other responsibilities.  I have had potential clients ask me if I have a specific date open and, when I say I don’t, sometimes they are angry!  It could be for business reasons or personal reasons – it doesn’t matter.  Either way, I have the right to say no to anything.  I could be booked or I could also just need time with my family & friends.  You NEED to set aside time for the people you love and things you love – outside of work – because it is good for you  & for your loved ones!
   
2. Whatever it is asking for your time, may not be a good fit for you.  I have had to say “no” to certain events simply because I didn’t think it was right for me then.  I have also had to say “no” to potential clients because I knew I wasn’t the right fit for them, and vice versa.  This gets tricky, so please hear me out.  I am not the right photographer for everyone.  Whether that be because of my style or my personality, sometimes I have to gently say “no” to people because I know it wouldn’t work well.  That is not selfish, because I want my clients to have the best experience possible!  If I knew we wouldn’t work well together, I would be doing them a disservice by allowing them to hire me anyway!  I want them to use something who could serve BEST and someone other than me may serve them better than I would.
   
3. I don’t want to be over-worked or stretched too thin.  This pulls together the top two reasons.  If am saying yes to everything, even though I have lots of other commitments…and I am saying yes, even though situations aren’t right for me…I am going to be so exhausted!! Physically & mentally!  Which means I can’t give 100% to what I am doing or give my best work.  My business would suffer and my relationships would suffer.  I would not be able to run my business the way I truly need to if I am saying yes to everything.  Exhaustion would take over!  I have to say “no” in order to keep my mind and body capable of doing the work I need to do.
   

I know you want to yes to as much as possible, especially in the beginning of owning a new business.  You want to get your name out there, you want to get as much experience as possible, and you just want to be a part of everything!  I get it!  I am there!  But I also want to see my husband & my kids.  I want to go to family dinners and birthday parties.  I want nights out with my girls and trips to Busch Gardens.  That may mean I can’t take every wedding or every family session.  That definitely means that I am not going to be busy every single weekend taking pictures, just so I can say I am busy!  Or just so I can “have content to post”.  My life and my family will come first – always.

 I will say YES as much as I can, but not because I feel like I have to.  I say YES because I love my job and I love my clients!

So, I hope this was encouraging to you, especially if you are struggling with this right now.  You don’t always have to be the “yes” person, but you don’t have the be the “no” person either.  Find that balance and be sure you love what you are doing!

XOXO – Caiti