Meet Lukas Martin

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lukas Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lukas, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

When I started Martin Photography, I ran the entire company on my own. I handled shoots, edits, scheduling, client messages, and billing while going to school full-time. I worked early mornings, long days, and late nights. My standards stayed high, but the workload kept growing. I hit a point where the stress pushed me toward burnout and I knew something had to change.

A big shift happened when I learned a lesson that Kenn Ricci talks about in his leadership book. You build stronger companies when you lead with trust. You grow faster when you stop trying to do everything yourself and start trusting the people around you. That idea changed how I worked and how I led.

I also accepted something every CEO learns. You never end the day with everything done. There will always be messages, edits, tasks, and improvements waiting. The goal is not to clear the entire list. The goal is to finish the most important things and move the company forward.

Here is what I changed.

• I wrote down everything I touched. Then I marked the tasks that only I should handle and delegated the rest.
• I hired people I trusted and gave them real ownership. That included photographers, editors, sales, and finally a Director of Operations.
• I stopped micromanaging. I focused on clear expectations and follow-through, the same approach Ricci talks about.
• I built systems for quality, deadlines, and communication. Good systems replace stress with stability.
• I invested in tools like our app to remove bottlenecks and give clients a smoother experience.

One habit helped me take control of my days. Every morning, I write the top three things I need to get done. Not five. Not ten. Three. It keeps the day focused. Completing those three things builds momentum and keeps me from feeling buried.

Learning to avoid burnout taught me something important. Strong companies come from strong leadership. Strong leadership comes from clear priorities, trust in your team, and the discipline to focus on what matters most. Since making these changes, I’m sharper, more productive, and more present for my team and our clients.

This approach helped me grow from one camera to a multi-person team, complete a major acquisition, and serve hundreds of realtors. The workload remains heavy, but the stress is manageable because I lead with trust and stay focused on the highest-value work each day.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I run Martin Photography Real-Estate Media. We help realtors market their listings with high-quality photos, videos, drone work, 3D tours, and social media content. What started with me and one camera now operates across Cleveland and Central Florida with a full team of photographers, editors, sales, and operations.

What excites me most is how fast the business is growing and how much better our systems get each year. We focus on quality, speed, and service. Realtors want media they trust, so we built a workflow that delivers fast and stays consistent. That includes our new Martin Photography app, where clients book shoots, download their files, and access their full library on the go.

Last summer, we acquired a competitor in Cleveland, which helped us bring in more clients and strengthen our team. Growth like this only works with strong people. My leadership approach is simple. Set clear expectations. Build trust. Communicate often. That keeps our team aligned and keeps the service strong.

Something people do not see is the level of planning behind the scenes. It is crazy to think about, but we are constantly planning two to three months ahead at all times. Shoots, staffing, travel, service launches, and workflow improvements all take coordination, and staying ahead keeps the business moving without stress.

Most recently, another important moment for us was launching the Martin Photography Entrepreneurship Scholarship for Mentor High School seniors, the same school I graduated from. I wanted to give back to the business program that helped me start my company and support students who want to build something of their own.

My goal is to raise the standard for real estate media. I want realtors to feel like they have a true partner, not a vendor. Everything we build, from our app to our editing team to our scheduling process, supports that mission.

We have more projects planned for 2026, including a new marketing service and continued growth in both states. The business keeps evolving, and so does our team.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three qualities that helped me the most are discipline, communication, and trust.

Discipline mattered early because I handled school and the business at the same time. I had to stay organized, keep my standards high, and show up even on days when I felt tired. Anyone starting out should focus on keeping promises to themselves. Small daily habits build momentum.

Communication became essential as the business grew. I needed clear expectations for my team, fast responses for clients, and simple systems everyone understood. Good communication removes stress for the entire company and keeps everyone aligned. If you are early in your journey, practice giving clear instructions and following up.

Trust changed everything for me. You can’t scale alone. You need people around you who take ownership and care about the work as much as you do. Once I started delegating and trusting my team, the company grew faster, and my workload became more manageable. For anyone starting out, hire people you trust, set expectations, and stay consistent. Trust speeds up the entire organization.

These three skills helped me grow Martin Photography across two states, acquire a competitor, and move into new markets. Anyone early in their journey should work on these areas because they make everything else easier.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

My biggest area of growth this past year has been shifting from doing everything myself to leading the company at a higher level. For a long time, I ran Martin Photography by handling every task. Shoots, edits, scheduling, clients, and planning were all on my plate. That worked early on, but it held the company back as we grew.

The past 12 months pushed me to grow fast. I hired stronger people, added more structure, improved our systems, and focused my time on planning instead of putting out fires. I learned to trust my team and delegate the work that used to drain most of my week. That gave me more time for leadership and long-term thinking.

Another big change for me was learning the value of working ahead on weekends. Most competitors are closed. If you use your weekends to gain two extra work days, that adds up fast. Two days a week times 52 weeks gives you over 100 extra days of progress per year. That advantage compounds and keeps the company ahead of schedule.

This year has made me a stronger leader and put the business in a better position for the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.martinphotography.pro/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinphotographyre/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martinphotographyohio/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/martin-photography-llc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYqKyGf0AVIxxjS32vZ1l8A?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits

Martin Photography LLC