We were lucky to catch up with Rayann Marie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Rayann, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
My first year being full-time as a photographer was overwhelming to say the least. I hadn’t put systems in place to help with workflow, I was accepting almost every inquiry, and shooting 4-5 weddings a month. I had the perfect storm for burnout and inevitably I gave into it, took a break, and entered the realm of marketing. I had been so burnt out that I genuinely thought I hated photography for a minute and wanted to give it up as a career. Fast forward and I found myself continuously looking for opportunities to use my camera, naturally falling back into my role as a photographer. Then it came time for me to decide whether I wanted to continue the path of marketing in a corporate environment or take the leap and go back to doing photography for myself.
I sat down and wrote down everything I loved and hated about working as a solo photographer. Decided I hated anything and everything administrative- all I wanted to do was meet amazing people and document them. It took several strategy meetings with fellow entrepreneur friends for me to find the confidence in the foundation I set on the administrative side of my business to dive back into things. I needed a system that would allow me to spend the most time doing what I loved and less of the things I didn’t. That foundation looked like an automated response system to inquiries, an editing assistant, and multiple associate shooters, increasing my rates and elevating my client experience, taking fewer clients, only accepting work I was obsessed with, and scheduling creative shoots every other month.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
You can call me Ray! I am a photographer local to Arizona but take me anywhere. I am a huge hopeless romantic and total empath. It’s by far my greatest tool when photographing others. I’m usually dancing, singing loudly, tripping over stuff, or editing. I live with the belief that life is too short to be taken too seriously. I started my business over 10 years ago and I still cry happy tears that I get to do what I love with people who feel like family. My goal is to be intentional in all that I do, including my work.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three most important areas of knowledge for my journey as a photographer would be: knowing how to build my support system, maintaining mental health, and recognizing my value.
It’s imperative that new photographers or business owners in general know how to build a strong support system. They need people around them that are like-minded and understand the stressors they face each day. Without my support system, I would have quit time and time again.
Mental health is everything for a photographer. I have seen so many interviews where photographers are asked how they are handling busy season and the response is always that they are barely hanging on. We all laugh but it’s the truth for so many of us. It’s so important to set aside time for mental wellness and self-care routines. I personally schedule a day a day each month to focus on myself and do something I love away from technology.
Recognizing value is the most powerful piece of knowledge to have as an entrepreneur. You are selling an experience, the value of what you offer, and yourself not just a product. Once I started selling my value instead of just my work I began booking consistently and winning over my dream clients.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for people to collaborate with! I have a personal challenge where I will be doing a shoot a day during my next break and need volunteers to participate/ model. The intention behind this challenge is to push myself to document things in new ways. I will be doing everything from portraits to elopements for this and welcome any volunteers- no experience necessary.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rayannmarie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayannmariephotography?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rayannmariephotography
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/rayann-marie-908949101
Image Credits
Rayann Marie Photography
