I don’t know who answered my question here but I just wanted to say thank you. When I submitted my question I didn’t realize that I could rewrite my story. After your response, I did just that. You don’t have to post it. But I just wanted to share it and again say thank you. This has freed me up quite a bit.

OLD STORY
Years ago, I had a photography business. I was really young when I started it and had it for a number of years. It did well, business wise, despite me not having any education in business. However, my Father and step Mother were very critical. They had a lot of opinions on what they thought I should do. They thought I should have a different career.

Then when I kept going, they compared my business to other successful businesses they saw elsewhere and kept pointing out how I wasn’t successful enough because I wasn’t doing what they were doing and when I had failures and didn’t make as much money as they thought I should to pay for my life they told me I failed because I didn’t listen to them and did my own thing. My step Mother even went as far as hiring me for her granddaughter’s Communion. After the event, I uploaded the images to a website to view and order (like I would any client). A few days later my Father called. She was outraged I would charge that much. They expected I would tell them it was for free. I thought they hired me because they finally believed in me. I eventually stepped away from that business as finances dried up and I was getting no more clients.

Years later, I feel called to step forward again as a photographer with new work. However, their voices are still in the back of my mind. I find myself feeling VERY apprehensive and I’m hiding what I’m doing. That feeling is translating into me getting out there and marketing, talking freely about what I do around my family and even out in the community. With social media, I posted for a little bit then stopped and haven’t shared again. I have gotten no clients yet. People have been very interested. But they haven’t booked. Any help to get past this would greatly help and be most appreciated. Thank you.

NEW STORY
Years ago, I had a photography business. I was really young when I started it and had it for a number of years. It did well, business wise, despite me not having any education in business. I remember my Father and step Mother being very critical. They had a lot of opinions on what they thought I should do. They thought I should have a different career. I disagreed and stood firm. I kept learning and trying new things and, as a result, I grew as a person and as a business owner. As I kept going, they would often compare my business to other successful businesses they saw elsewhere. They would often point out how I wasn’t successful enough because I wasn’t doing what those other photographers were doing. As I had failures and didn’t make as much money as they thought I should to pay for my life they told me I failed because I didn’t listen to them and did my own thing. That just grew my inner resolve. It was in those moments that I chose to stand firm in the belief that I knew my own mind and knew the best course of action for my business even if it didn’t match up with theirs and that following my own direction wasn’t a bad thing. I was willing to fail following my own wants for my business then succeed following the model of someone else. That grew my tenacity.

One day, my step Mother hired me for her granddaughter’s Communion. I was very excited that she asked me and I took it very seriously. After the event, I uploaded the images to a website to view and order. A few days later my Father called to tell me she was outraged I would charge that much. I was stunned. I let him speak and then calmly told him that that was how much I charged clients. He told me that they expected it for free. I apologized for that misunderstanding like I would any client. Stepping forward I made a decision about how I would handle that situation next time and how I would handle working with family in the future. I eventually stepped away from that business and began focusing on other areas of my life which allowed me to discover new parts of myself and new areas of interest.

Years later, I feel called to step forward again as a photographer with new work. Their voices are no longer in the back of my mind as I can now see those experiences were a part of the Journey that led me here and the new work I am bringing into the world. I look forward to putting myself out there more, sharing what I have to offer and no longer hiding what I have to say. I know this feeling is going to translate into my marketing, how I talk about what I do around my family and even out in the community. I even feel excited to start posting on social media again. I haven’t gotten new clients, yet. But I know it’s only a matter of time. People have been very interested and that’s been very fun to watch.