The COVID 19 situation is constantly evolving and changing, so I want to talk about what’s relevant for what you’re facing in your business right now.
I created this episode to share my 4 Ways to Create Your COVID-19 Comeback. These are things I’ve personally been doing in my birth photography business and working through, because giving up isn’t an option.
I totally understand you’re getting conflicting messages from all directions right now.
It’s easy for ANYONE to feel lost and overwhelmed in that sea of noise.
I know it can feel like you’re trying scramble to the surface for some air … just to get shoved down again. Sister, I want to reach my arm down and just pull you out of the water completely.
There is life on the other side of COVID 19!!
4 Ways to Create Your COVID-19 Comeback
Step 1: POWER UP
Your Thoughts Have Power
The successful entrepreneurs, the ones who will thrive through this, are the ones who are saying things like:
- “Quarantine/COVID-19 made my business better. Stronger.”
- “This made my business, my life, my gratitude, my relationships, STRONGER.”
Instead of:
- “Oh I can’t wait till this is over.”
- “Wahhhh, why is this happening?!”
Smart business owners and photographers make decisions based off of facts, not what someone said online or in a FB group.
I’ve never lived through anything like this in business or personally. I know you haven’t either. Honestly, no one has the answers. We don’t know exactly what is going to happen. But, I do know what I can do. I know what I can control. And I’m going to start and end there.
If you find yourself starting to spin down the panic path of “what if” – snatch your own attention! GRAB IT. You can do that. You can control your thoughts. It takes practice, but you don’t have to let your thoughts spin out of control. I hope you know, I love you guys. And I really mean that. Ask anyone close to me, I’m talking about my students all the time. So I’m going to give you some tough love … You have to learn the discipline of controlling your thoughts.
“Your thoughts become your words,
your words become your actions,
actions become your habits,
habits become your values,
values become your destiny.”
-Ghandi
So, where are your thoughts right now?
Once you identify and change your thoughts, this allows your mind the space to think creatively in the situation you’re in. Fear takes up room in your brain and prohibits you from thinking proactively and creatively.
You didn’t come this far in your business to throw up your hands and give up now. Are you going to let this take you down? Or are you going to find a way to fight through it? Fight for your business and fight for your dreams!
Step 2: COACH YOURSELF THROUGH THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
- Identify the fear. It usually starts with “What if…”
- Identify the feelings that statement gives you. Then ask yourself, what kind of actions will I take as a result of those feelings?
- What ultimate result will you get if you take those actions?
- Now, change the statement or action to something positive & truthful!
—> What is your fear?
“What if no one ever books me for birth because I can’t get into the hospital?”
—> How does that make you feel?
Paralyzed, desperate, terrified
—> What kind of action does that make you take? Paralyzed, desperate, terrified?
It makes me take no action because I’m scared.
Result: People definitely won’t book births if you’re taking no action, therefore it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. HELLO!
—> CHANGE THE THOUGHT to something positive.
“I am committed to over-delivering and serving my audience for the next 10 days.”
Step 3: CONTROL THE PROBLEMS.
When a problem arises, I’ll ask myself:
- What in this can I control?
- What are the actual facts?
What are the facts of the situation?
And let’s be honest, for a lot of us the facts vary, literally, from county to county and state to to state. Things are changing daily. So what are the facts of the situation TODAY and what can you control in the problem?
“If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.”
-Ernest Hemingway
For The Birth Photographers
Are hospitals going to keep refusing to let birth photographers in? How long will this go on?
Literally no one knows. No one. All we can do is operate from facts and what we can control.
Here is what I know:
- I will operate from facts. I will not make decisions based on fear and definitely not from someone’s opinion in a Facebook group.
- We have a voice. Moms have a voice. We want birth photography. Moms want birth photography. We can rally and make change.
- Things are changing literally on a daily basis. The way they are today might be different tomorrow.
My personal opinion, not a fact but an opinion, is that we will slowly start to get back to business as usual. I believe sooner than later, we will be allowed back into hospitals to photograph births.
Affirming facts for the birth photographers:
- There are lots of people still employed and spending money!
- Your potential client’s financial situation isn’t your financial situation.
- There is about to be a baby boom. Are you ready for it? Is your business ready for it?
- Despite the hospital situation, which I do believe will allow us back in sooner than later, women are still having home births and birth center births.
- Your services ARE VALUABLE and people still want them!
Simply Stated:
- Make a best case scenario plan (Plan A)
- Then make a plan B…
- And a plan C!
Stay away from people and pages and groups that make you feel fearful!
If you need ideas on how to make money right now as a photographer or ideas on how to show up online right now, go back and have a listen to episode #2 all about COVID-19 and birth photography.
Step 4: PINPOINT THE LESSONS
WHAT LESSONS ARE YOU LEARNING RIGHT NOW?
Have you stopped to ask yourself this? When things go back to whatever our new normal is going to look like – did you learn anything from this whole experience? Some examples might be:
- Contract wording changes
- How we communicate with our clients
- Setting up the plan A, the plan B then C.
- Maybe you should diversify your income streams! There is nothing wrong with doing that at all. Do you have a skill or talent that you could market, specifically online?
- Perhaps learning the importance of consistency! Stick with one thing and see it through.
- Gratitude for things you took for granted before
What’s your alternative?
What’s the alternative right now? What’s the opposite of saying, “Quarantine/COVID-19 made my business better. Stronger.” Let’s take a look at that..
- “Quarantine broke my business?”
- “COVID-19 shattered my dreams?”
I’m not interested in those outcomes. I’ve faced a lot bigger and a lot scarier and survived, maybe you have too. This thing isn’t going to take me down. I hope you’re ready and willing to fight too.
There is life on the other side of COVID 19. The successful entrepreneurs, the ones who will thrive through this, are the ones who are saying “Quarantine/COVID-19 made my business better. Stronger.”
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