Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Miranda Kelton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Miranda, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
Business ownership is never a smooth road – you have to be willing to make so many personal sacrifices & to take a lot of risks in order to grow your business. Most freelancers start out their business as a side hustle… we spend so much time in the beginning balancing multiple days jobs at once, working long, exhausting hours, & cutting costs everywhere we can just to get our businesses off the ground.
The struggles aren’t just physical & financial, either. Most successful entrepreneurs have also experienced the loss of friends & partners, pressure from non-supportive family members, competitive & jealous behavior from peers, etc. If you’ve been through it, you know this can be very emotionally and physically taxing. We all have days where we’re completely burnt out & find ourselves experiencing doubt that what we’re working towards will ever come to fruition.
My advice to other women who are attempting to start their own business is to be patient, schedule yourself time to rest, & to do your best to always stand up for yourself in situations where someone is trying to take advantage of you & your time. It’s common in the beginning stages to not be taken seriously as a business person by those around you, & especially by those who are more established in your chosen career than you are yet to be. Finding trustworthy advisers & mentors is hard, near impossible. Be resourceful & discerning – learning how to say “no” is invaluable.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
The majority of my photography work at the moment consists of Personal Branding Sessions for small businesses & entrepreneurs. It’s become increasingly important in this day & age for companies & individuals to present a cohesive, authentic personal brand to the world in order to attract their ideal client in a market that is often oversaturated with competitors. No matter your career path, building trust with your clients is extremely important, & an effective way to do this is to ensure that your online presence & marketing imagery consists of high-quality photos of you, your work, & your process. A cohesive branding strategy is so powerful! People love to hear one another’s stories, & communicating the story of yourself & your business via imagery is the quickest way to catch the attention of your ideal customer.
I’m definitely proud of the fact that I’ve been given the opportunity to work with so many amazing individuals and small businesses – my clients are all so supportive of me & it’s the best feeling in the world to be able to meet their needs & to help their businesses thrive. I believe that the thing that sets me most apart from other photographers is my willingness to listen to my client’s ideas & opinions, my attention to every detail, & my ability to stay organized & efficient during the entire process of planning, executing, & delivering a shoot.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
No matter your career or skill set, we can all begin finding ways to support & encourage each other to communicate when we aren’t being heard or respected.
1. Spend time listening to the people around you, especially to those who are struggling with being heard by their communities. There are so many platforms that you can use to support each other & to educate your network – do it via social media, with your co-workers at your day job, with your children, with your family & friends, etc.
2. Learn how to communicate and speak up for yourself – if we women want to see change in our lives & communities, we have to educate ourselves, communicate effectively, & encourage those around us to do the same! Effective communication is an extremely valuable skill, & I believe it is an absolutely necessary one when it comes to orchestrating real change.
3. Organize your time well – the most effective business owners have a rock-solid schedule that allows them to accomplish everything they need to, schedule time for rest & social activities, etc. The busier you become, the more important it is to schedule time for yourself, your friends, & your family. This really helps to keep your relationships strong and will keep you from burning out!
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I personally have a business coach who has been very helpful as I continue to grow & develop my business. I found myself in a bit of a plateau last year, & she has helped me to go through my process with a fine tooth comb so that I can prioritize my time, price myself profitably, organize my client workflow, etc. Investing in a business coach is a big financial decision, but it has been 100% worth it for me!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mirandakelton.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mirandakeltonphoto
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirandakeltonphoto
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mirandakelton/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mirandakeltonphotography
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/miranda-kelton-photography-bend
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/mirandakeltonphoto
Image Credits
© Miranda Kelton Photography, LLC
