From Photography to Online Marketing: My Story
When I first got called a serial side hustler, I was a little taken aback. Owning my own business seems like such a natural way of life right now (it’s been over 4 years since I’ve done anything else!) that I hardly think of it as anything different. And yet, this life I lead was started by a side hustle, a dream that many can relate to, whether you’re working hard to build a retail business, selling oils, or hustling hard online to create a life that you love.
It was with this concept in mind that I talk to Josie from the Josieology Podcast a short time ago, as I relived my experience of growing and launching into both my first and second side hustles - because not too long ago (a year this month!) I finally decided to transition from wedding photography to online marketing as my main focus. What a year it has been!
The story behind this transition is years in the making, contrary to what many people saw on the outside. While I love photography and will always use the camera to express my creative side, I have a natural bent towards always wondering what’s next. I imagined I would probably switch from wedding photographer to something else at some point, and for years I didn’t know the what or the when…and I was perfectly content with that. After all, I had built a business doing something I loved, and in 2016 I left a job that had burned me badly to work for myself. What a gift.
What most people don’t know is that during my years of photography, I had several marketing clients on the side. My first was Chick-fil-A at Coliseum Drive, who I’ve had the pleasure of working with since 2014, which is hard to believe! Over the years I began to accumulate more clients through word-of-mouth referrals and nothing else, since I never advertised what I did. I added Tidewater & Tulle, Island Time Films, and the list continued to grow.
Finally, last summer, it all clicked. I was already running an online marketing business on the side without ever advertising for it. I wondered what would happen if I started talking more about the work I was doing outside of photography. Last August I decided to pivot my business, and almost immediately I added more clients who allowed me to switch all my branding over to ‘online marketing expert’ from ‘wedding photographer.’
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year - depending on the day, last August can feel like ten days or ten years ago (no thanks to 2020 for that). And it’s even harder to believe that what started as a side hustle has, once again, turned into my full-time gig.
For now, I’m not wondering what comes next. I love what I do, I got to add a team member this year, and for the time being I can’t imagine doing anything else. If (well, apparently, when) I start another side hustle, I’ll let life take its course and lead me to the right place. Until then, cheers to all of you working and hustling and dreaming of a life you love. You can do it. I believe in you as much as I have ever believed in myself.