I’m currently an entrepreneur in middle of navigating my 20’s and lots of my clients ask how I’ve been running my business for so many years or had so much experience at my age. Well, firstly I started turning my hobby into a job at such a young age and grew up with my business slowly building beside me, juggling education around it all, and working late because I enjoyed what I was doing.
I’d spend weekends working on photoshoots and growing the very little business I had at that stage, getting my name out there, editing in the evenings and in the days getting experience anywhere and anyway I could because I loved photographing so much. This allowed me to go straight into freelance from college years ago – you may be surprised but there was no uni here!
Take a look at these photos from my early days as a Photographer back in 2015, and my first landscape focussed calendar in 2017!
I was determined to build a business I could run straight away once I was out of the education system, so that’s exactly I did. There are mixed opinions about university now, and personally, I think for creative subjects, whilst university has it’s perks for some, it’s not essential when you know exactly what you want to do or want to go into a creative field like I did.
I’ve learnt so many lessons and gained so much experience from just diving in to doing the whole business thing – more than anyone could ever teach me, I personally believe. So, this leads me to chat to you about 5 things I’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur in my 20’s.
Balance is key
Personally, I work anywhere between 3-9 hours a day on my business and every week is completely different. If you don’t create balance in the workload, it can get pretty tiring so I try to balance my work with things I enjoy – making time for wholesome time out, going for a surf, coffee dates and dog walks in the mix of shoots and admin, all after a lifestyle photoshoot in the morning on some days! It’s a lovely lifestyle I’ve created and I’m grateful I get to plan my weeks differently with variation, and getting to meet lots of lovely people and business owners along the way!
Moving on a couple years into the business, here’s some photos of me in 2017 and then 2019:
Get used to your own company
Mid week lunches, beach trips and outings are usually a solo thing. 99% of my friends work 9-5 jobs so catching up mid-week during the day isn’t often an option. So I’ve had to get used to enjoying solo coffees, beach walks and surf trips! It’s been lovely finding fellow creatives along my journey, who have a similar lifestyle and can be more flexible with how they work and live – this has recently made meeting up with people more easy during the working week, but this takes time to build when meeting like minded individuals. This is one of the reasons I’ve formed my client community – a way for all the businesses I’ve worked with over the years to connect in one virtual space.
Everyone will have opinions
Good or bad, doing something different gets people talking. And as an entrepreneur in my 20s I get a lot of expectations on what I could be doing instead (9-5 job, university degree, etc), why I started another side hustle at the beginning of this year, and whether the content I’m sharing is good enough. There’s always so much work and support that I get on with the day to day of running my business but building a personal brand (so people know who they’re working with) has its ups and downs.
Make time to work somewhere new
Working a lot of my time from my home studio, I need to make time to work somewhere different occasionally! I make a huge effort each month to force myself to work in a coffee shop or co-working space to switch it up! I end up being so much more productive, and it motivates me during the week to get out of the studio and try somewhere new! Let me know if you have any coffee shop recommendations here in the Southwest – I could write a book on the amount of coffee shops and cafes I’ve tried over the years. Some of my favourites are Harbour View House in St Ives, Sea Spray in Newquay, St Kew Farm Shop near Wadebridge, Hey Days and both Darts Farm near Exeter.
And now for some photos of me now, in 2024 with a business I’ve built from the ground up, and is still continuing to grow!
Build a community & connect with fellow freelancers
This year I’ve met so many wonderful freelancers or business owners through the tiny platform of Instagram, some for a coffee and chat, some for collaborations and it’s so important to connect with likeminded people. I make a huge effort to do this with fellow creatives and entrepreneurs and have built a supportive community as a result, as well as making lifelong friends! Make the effort and network with your local community.
I hope this sheds a bit of light on those chasing the entrepreneur journey. It’s not for everyone and some months take so much determination and work but it’s oh so worth it! I feel so lucky to say this is the equivalent to my 9-5, doing something I love and getting to capture a whole host of awesome business owners across the UK and worldwide.
Thank you for continuing to support my business, as without my loyal clients and word of mouth, I wouldn’t have the business and lifestyle I’ve built today.
