How do you know when you’ve become successful with your business? In today’s episode, I’m replaying a conversation from Creative Income Cure with Val Duvick. Val and I are sharing our personal definitions of success, plus I’m uncovering the real numbers and growth in my business over the years.
The Shoot It Straight Podcast is brought to you by Sabrina Gebhardt, photographer and educator. Join us each week as we discuss what it’s like to be a female creative entrepreneur while balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood. If you’re trying to find balance in this exciting place you’re in, yet willing to talk about the hard stuff too, Shoot It Straight Podcast is here to share practical and tangible takeaways to help you shoot it straight.
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This episode is brought to you by The Round Table, a community built for female photographers who want to continue growing their business while forging industry friendships along the way! In this group, you will learn practical ways to move your business forward, while finding community and accountability with like-minded photographers. Come join us and get access to the content and private Facebook community!
Review the Show Notes:
Get to know Sabrina (2:38)
Mistakes made in defining success (3:53)
Success beyond the numbers (11:26)
Struggling to believe our own success (16:25)
Signs of the wrong kind of success (19:04)
Sabrina’s business journey in numbers (27:32)
Planning for higher profit margins (34:45)
Paying yourself strategically (36:12)
Understanding what success will take (38:14)
Defining success for your current season (41:44)
Connect with Val:
Podcast: https://valmarlene.com/podcast
Website: https://valmarlene.com/
Connect with Sabrina:
The Round Table: sabrinagebhardt.krtra.com/t/0xIncMJL8HXc
Instagram: instagram.com/sabrinagebhardtphotography
Review the Transcript:
Sabrina: In this episode of the shoot it straight podcast, I am bringing you another replay interview. And this one is from my friend Val Duvik of Val Marlene creative. We’re talking about why you don’t feel successful and, well, I don’t want to give too much away, but Val is a profit first. coach and a financial advisor.
She knows her stuff. She is a former photographer. She understands the brain of creative entrepreneurs and how we, you know, get scared about money and numbers and all of that. And this conversation goes into those things, but it also goes deeper than that.
Okay. So if you have never heard Val and I chat, Trust me.
This episode is super valuable and a spoiler alert. You’re going to get to hear
some real numbers from my business. Okay. So if you’ve ever been curious, what it’s really like on the inside of the business I’m running this episodes for you, let’s dive in. Welcome to the shoot it straight podcast. I’m your host, Sabrina Gephardt.
Here, I will share an honest take on what it’s like to be a female creative entrepreneur while balancing business, motherhood. Myself along with my guests will get vulnerable through honest conversations and relatable stories because we’re willing to go there. If you’re trying to find balance in this exciting place you’re in yet willing to talk about the hard stuff too, the shoot it straight podcast is here to share practical and tangible takeaways to help you shoot it straight.
Val: Okay, guys, I am so excited. So excited for today because we are going to talk about success and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this might actually be one of the most important lessons that you could ever learn as an entrepreneur. I know that’s a big statement, but I think our culture of goal setting and personal development and how social media gives us It’s an inside look at everybody’s life.
We have hundreds and thousands of people shouting from the rooftops about their goals, their revenue, their success, but we need to define success for ourselves. We need to be very intentional and specific about how we’re defining that because it’s going to have a huge impact on our business. And I have Sabrina here today because she Has been very intentional with her business and her version of success.
And she’s a photographer and a coach, and she helps people to, to think through these things and to really make their version of success a reality. So Sabrina, thank you for being here. Please give us just a quick introduction to who you are, what you do, and then we’ll talk a little bit about your success.
Sabrina: Hello, I’m Sabrina Gebhardt. I am a lifestyle photographer of 13 years in the Fort Worth, Texas area. And I’m also a business coach and I’ve been mentoring people for like seven years now, but I really leaned into the education space in late 2019, early 2020. And, um, I have just been falling more and more head over heels in love with it and just have really gone all in.
Um, and I. I always tell people I’m an open book. Like I’m the, I’m the person I’ll meet you at the grocery store and we can start talking about anything. And so this is going to be a really fun conversation. Cause I know we’re going to peel back some things and, uh, I’m just going to share the good, the bad, the ugly, and I can’t, I’m so happy to be here.
I can’t wait to chat.
Val: Amazing. Yeah, guys, Sabrina is actually going to tell us real numbers. Like, you know, I already told you what I pay myself in episode one. And this is, this is a part of the core of this podcast. I want you to see what success looks like in different people’s businesses in real numbers.
So that’s going to come. Okay. Sabrina, tell us a little bit about the mistakes that you’ve seen in your life or in clients lives when it comes to how you’ve defined success.
Sabrina: Yeah. So I think it’s super common for photographers specifically. When we start our business, because it’s a visual business, you know, we’re visual, we like to share videography photos, and we do that on social media.
And so it’s really, really easy to know what everybody around you is doing and to see what they’re offering and how they’re editing and how they’re styling and what their prices are and when they’re offering promotions. And it’s really easy to fall into the trap of, if I’m going to start my business.
And these are my competitors. I need to do the same things that they are. And that is the most common mistake. I did the same thing too. And that really does set you up for failure right off the get go because Nobody, like you may not like the same things. You may not be inspired by the same things, right?
Gone are the days where a photographer is a photographer is a photographer, right? 30 years ago, you were Jack of all trades. If you had, if you were a quote unquote photographer, which that was back in like, The bro world where it was all men. Um, you did everything. You had a studio space, you did families, you did weddings, you did school sports, you did all of the things.
Anybody could call you to do anything and you would do it because you were a quote unquote photographer. It’s not that way anymore, which is amazing. And we get to pick and choose what we do and what our path is. And you can have. As tiny of a niche as pet photography, right? And be successful and doing what you love.
And so that’s the most common mistake. That’s the mistake I made is trying to shape your business like your competitors, because you think if they’re doing well, I have to do the same thing.
Val: Yeah. I also did the same thing. And even a big part of my story from transitioning to coaching is because I realized I was, I was looking.
Caitlin James was the person for me. She was the one that I, I just wanted to be her. I felt like I just wanted her life. And what I ended up realizing was that I wanted the impact. I wanted to be able to speak into people’s lives the way that she does as an educator, but I didn’t actually want to be a photographer long term.
And that was like a big realization I had. And I could have just kept hustling hard and thinking that, I needed to just book more and, you know, all the more, more, more to get to that point. But I realized that I could, I could do that. I could speak into people’s lives and be a coach without having this massively successful photography business.
And that was, So relieving. Do you feel like you had like a relief moment?
Sabrina: Oh, yeah Um, I remember I went to my I was three three and a half years into my business and I finally invested in education Because I knew I knew I loved being a photographer and I loved making people happy and capturing memories And I loved the financial income and getting to contribute to my family and the time freedom Um But I wasn’t like loving where I had landed.
And overall I was like, something’s just not quite, quite there. And so I decided, okay, I’m going to go all in and invest in all the education. No more Google, no more YouTube, no more blogs. Like. It’s time to double down if I really want to do this. And so I actually invested in three pretty significant pieces of education in one year.
And that’s the year I tell people there’s a before and after line. There is a very clear before in not only my work and what it looked like, but also what I was charging and also what my business looked like. And it’s the dividing line. And I remember going to that very first experience and it was a retreat weekend This woman who I admired who had this incredibly unique business, um, and she was a fun personality and she was wildly successful and getting to learn from her and have her say, no, no, no, no, you don’t have to do what they’re doing.
You can do what you want to do. And I’m going to help you. Like, we’re going to figure this out. And, um, Kind of having the confidence to say, yeah, that’s what I want to do. I don’t want to do this stuff anymore and intentionally start to like repel certain clients and attract other clients and double my prices and having a coach gave me that confidence.
To step into my own as a business owner, and I’ve literally never looked back
Val: that’s amazing And I think it’s so interesting to how we kind of expect ourselves to know and even I see this when I talk to college Students like we think we should know right away Where we’re going to end up. And so even one of the things that I tell people is that your definition of success is going to change and it should.
There’s very few people that start their business. And from that first day, no, this is my niche. This is exactly, you know, where I’m going to go with this. And sometimes you have to experience honestly, failure in certain things in order to realize that’s not the thing. For you. And, and it doesn’t mean that you are a failure in business overall.
I think sometimes we equate something not working in business as meaning that’s a reflection of our ability to be a business owner, you know? So. I think for a long time I was really insecure about the fact that I never had, I mean, I never hit six figures as a photographer and I never had like a crazy big booking list as a photographer, but I actually think a part of that, it was kind of a protection.
Like that’s not really what I wanted. Yeah. And so when we’re moving down a path, striving for someone else’s version of success, we’re never going to actually be happy and we may not actually. Be able to hit that quote unquote success because it’s not what’s meant for us.
Sabrina: Exactly. I’m such a huge believer in whatever you want to call the greater power.
If it’s God, if it’s the universe, if it’s whatever, what you desire is out there for you. And part of it is being able to acknowledge what it is that you want, but part of it is being brave enough to take a step toward that. Because oftentimes it means saying no to other things that are good opportunities and, and seen as good by other people and seen as successful by other people.
But being willing to say no to this other thing, to allow space for what you really want. That’s when things start to really take off because the universe and God shows up and they’re like, okay, she’s ready. Let’s do this. And it’s like, you know, the doors open.
Val: And I think it’s also interesting that we often are defining success as either like numbers, like number of clients or revenue goals or things that are so specific to like results in our business.
But I think we’re really missing the mark on that because success is so much more than financial goals. It’s so much more than numbers. And yes, those numbers are important. They’re very helpful in measuring, but it’s what those numbers represent that really matters. So I would love to hear like, what are some ways that like your personal definition of success is different from maybe what our industry seems to call success and what goes beyond the numbers?
Sabrina: Just like you said, it’s changed so much over the years. I mean, when you think back over 13 years of business, my family looks totally different than it did. You know, I was still, I had littles and was still having babies. And now I have one that’s a couple of years away from college. And you know, I have a driver and a middle schooler and an elementary schooler, and it’s just, it’s crazy.
And so I’m in a completely different season of life. Now, when I started my definition of success was I, Let me, let me put an asterisk next to this. I am an Enneagram three. Okay. So we like to be quote unquote successful. We like to be the winners, the best, the sought after that kind of thing. When I started my business, that truly was a goal.
It was to become like the well known photographer in Fort Worth. And. Please don’t think that I’m cocky to say this, but I, I met, I, I achieved that. And I got to a point where I would go out to restaurants and people would come up to me and they would say, you’re Sabrina Gephardt. You’re the, the photographer that’s done all of my friends.
And I’m like, yes, I am. Um, which is hilarious. Right. But that’s what I wanted. I wanted to be able to, Contribute to my family, but I also wanted something that was for me because I, this is kind of a side tangent. I really struggled with being a stay at home mom. Um, I made that choice and I left a career that I absolutely loved, but it was hard for me because I felt like I didn’t have anything that was mine.
And so starting a business Part of gaining my identity back and gaining something that was just for me. And because I’m an Enneagram three, I want to be the best at everything. Okay. So, but within the first few years I met that goal and then realized, yeah, this is not the goal. Like this is not the, this is not the version of success that I actually want because I was working way too much.
I wasn’t making nearly enough money for the amount of time I was pouring into my business. Um, I was still saying yes to things that I didn’t like. I was away from my little kids way too much. And it’s like I had swung from one extreme to the other, and then it was time to pull the reins back a little bit and figure out what I actually wanted.
And that’s when I invested in coaching and really found the niche that I’m in now. And I started turning people away. I doubled my rates. I limited my availability. And I started to kind of call the shots, if you will, Because I did want the best of both worlds. I wanted to be able to take my toddlers to the zoo, but also work several times a week and bring in some significant income to our family.
Because at the time, my husband, who is an attorney, he worked for the government at the time. So he made absolutely nothing, you know? And so the goal at that point was just to make us a little bit more comfortable. To have something that felt like mine that I was good at, but to also be able to be with my kids.
Okay. And so I made that pivot and then things started to shift again, right? It’s constantly shifting. So when my oldest went to kindergarten, I have, I don’t think it’s out there on the internet anymore because I’ve changed websites so many times, but I wrote a blog post that got all this attention. And it was basically like, My firstborn is about to go to school.
She’s about to be in charge. Other people are going to be in charge of her more time than she’s at home with me. I am no longer available to work nights and weekends, period. End of story. I hit publish on that and I was like, this is it. I’m burning it down. Like all of my clients are gone, you know? But what actually happened was the insane amount of positive feedback from my clients saying Bravo.
I applaud you. I support you. We will absolutely pull our kids out of school to have our photos done. And so for a few years, that was the priority. I’ll work as much as I want during the week and that’s it. And then things shifted again. And now that I have teenagers. Who are at school all day and then they’re at sports and then they have all these things going on I don’t mind working a saturday morning or a sunday morning because they’re normally not home anyways, or still asleep You know what?
I mean? Yes, so things are constantly shifting but in the past few years what’s changed for me as far as my definition of success is As I mentioned earlier, I’m falling in love with coaching women and educating and this, this arm of my business that I absolutely love. And I have put all of my effort and energy into growing that because it’s fulfilling me in a way that I never knew possible.
And I am still doing photography, but I’m not pushing that. And so I am shooting way less than I’ve ever, And I’m totally fine with it because I have this other piece that’s fulfilling me. And so I’ve been in a, in a real growth pattern in the education part of my business.
Val: I’m so curious, with all of the shifts, and I think this is naturally going to happen for everyone.
We’re all going to go through a lot of shifts, I think, especially as moms and women. So did you feel like, did you have moments of struggling to believe you were successful when you were making those shifts? Like, cause I think sometimes when we’re in the middle of needing a change, we tend to equate that with failure.
So how did that feel for you?
Sabrina: I don’t know that I would say that I equated things with failure, but it’s uncomfortable. Like, it’s really uncomfortable to go from my business is working and things look good on paper and I am sought after and people are paying me to say, but I actually want to make a change and I don’t know if it’s going to work or not, but here goes nothing.
You know, it’s really uncomfortable. And. It rarely takes off right from the get go. So there is a transition period where you’re like, did I do the right thing? Am I doing the right thing? This doesn’t seem to be working, you know? Um, and, and that’s where having faith and trust and perseverance, all of that comes into play, just kind of trusting the process.
And, and continually, I love to say over and over again, I am right where I’m supposed to be. You know, and just trusting your gut instinct. Yeah.
Val: Yeah. Yeah, totally. And I think it’s just, it’s just good for people to hear that it’s going to keep changing and that’s good. It’s not wrong. It doesn’t mean you’ve been doing things wrong.
It’s just time to do something a little bit different. And I think we’re so hard on ourselves. And I mean, speaking for myself, I am, you know, just classic female, hard on myself about everything. Well, I’m an Enneagram one. So I guess that’s where that comes in for me, but it’s, it’s just a natural part of life.
And I think that we, Culturally, especially with all of the self help and, you know, all of the great resources out there. It’s like, we’re striving for this non existent point where we don’t have to like try hard anymore. Or it’s like, we don’t have to work hard or thinking that someday things are just going to be smooth sailing, but a part of owning a business.
Is there’s always going to be changed. Things are always going to be evolving in your culture and in your industry. And I would say a part of success that we should all be defining as our success is adapting, that we’re adapting to those changes. And that’s just a natural part of. So I really would love to hear, you know, as you’ve gone through these different phases, what do you think we really can look at as some signs that we are chasing the wrong definition of success or that we’re using someone else’s version of success for us?
Sabrina: Yeah, I think the biggest indicator is when things look good on paper, but you feel unsettled. Right when things look good on paper and you’re like I’m getting the inquiries on my bank account looks good Things are rocking and rolling I’ve done all the foundational work and things feel like you said easy right like you’re not having to push anymore It’s just kind of if the snowballs going you have the momentum, but there’s a there’s something that’s not settled There’s a little bit of unrest your gut.
You’re not fulfilled You are not excited to work You The people you’re working with aren’t are, are frustrating you more than they’re inspiring you. All of those things are signs that something’s not quite right. And it’s hard because in a world that loves numbers and data, none of that stuff is quantifiable.
It’s all instinct and, and in your mind and in your heart and in your gut. And, and that’s why a huge part of what I coach on is like trusting that and learning to listen to it and follow it. And which is hard for people, but I think that’s where most of it comes from. You know, things can look great on paper, but that does not mean that your business is where it’s supposed to be, or you’re in the right spot or you’re striving for the right things.
Val: And I think we just don’t even slow down enough to listen to ourselves and to, to even think through these questions. And so part of, part of what I do with my clients is make them go through this worksheet at the beginning. And I know you do something similar with, you know, kind of vision casting, but. I hear over and over again, this, this is a worksheet that guys, I’m going to give you guys for free.
It’ll be a free download. You can get in the show notes, but these questions are deep. Like the first question is when you’re 80 and you look back on your life, what do you want to have seen? And I just hear over and over people say, I was not expecting this to be helpful. I was kind of dreading this. I felt like it was just boring.
Busy work, not going to do anything. But I was having light bulb moments left and right because I’ve just not taken the time to ask these questions. Nobody’s asked me these and I haven’t asked myself. It’s, it’s just so easy to just keep running hard and. And looking at specific goals and just saying, how do I get this goal instead of, is this the right goal?
Sabrina: Right. So the story that I tell all the time that goes with this, and it’s so common, especially in photographers, we run so hard and then we hit the end of the year and like half of us or more go straight into burnout and we want to shut our business down and we’re absolutely miserable because that’s when we’re slow and that’s when we’re able to realize that things don’t feel good.
That’s the truth. And so I do a similar exercise with my coaching clients. And what I tell them is we have forgotten what we want. We have forgotten what we like. And it’s exactly like Julia Roberts in the runaway bride. If you have not seen this movie, go watch this movie. It’s very old. But, um, in this movie, she has been engaged, I don’t know, a whole bunch of times.
And she’s run away at the altar a whole bunch of times. And it gets to a point at the movie where she realizes she doesn’t know who she is anymore because she’s always morphed herself to be what her then partner wants to be. And she goes through a day where she cooks eggs, Every different way possible and lays them all out on a kitchen counter and goes around tasting them So she can figure out what kind of eggs that she really likes because she doesn’t even know and it’s the same thing We spend so much time Making ourselves what we think we should be or what our competitors are that we forget who we are what we want and what really?
matters
Val: That is incredible. I love that movie and I had kind of forgotten about that. That is such a great visual and a great connection. Like sit down, make all the different versions of eggs, whatever that is in business, like the, the way that connects and yeah, really, what? What actually lights you up?
What brings you energy instead of saps it? That was actually a part of my story with realizing photography wasn’t it. I was feeling so sapped and like things weren’t actually bringing me energy and when I had my very first coaching call I Left away like hyped and I was like, oh Maybe that’s what like it’s supposed to feel like And you don’t always know in the moment that you don’t have it , but you know, we have to, we have to be asking ourselves the questions.
It just really comes back to that. And, and you would say, do you have your clients do that on a regular basis?
Sabrina: Um, it depends on, you know, how many times they’re in the program, or different opportunities. But I do it at the start of every program I have. So all the way down to like my low, my inexpensive courses to my high level mastermind, to my me monthly membership.
Like we do it all the time because I do want them to constantly. Be revisiting it. But I will say that in my experience, the first time you have somebody do this is generally the most eyeopening because they’ve never done it before. They’ve never stopped, but once they start to think that way and trust their intuition, they pick up on stuff easier in the future, if that makes sense.
Val: Oh yeah, totally. And I think it’s helpful even to revisit just in terms of looking at what you wrote. And saying, okay, am I still aiming toward that? Like is what I’m actually doing functionally now really pushing me in that direction? And, and I’ve had people go back to this worksheet and say, Oh, you know, I think actually this is a little bit different now and here’s why.
And, and it’s just really helpful to like realign, like that’s real line to what our goals actually are. And, and to remind ourselves. Oh, this is actually what matters because we will continue to veer off course. It’s just a part of human nature. We need to be reminded of what matters most to us and, and keep realigning what we’re doing day to day to that.
Sabrina: Today’s episode is brought to you by the round table, a community built for female photographers who want to continue growing their business while forging industry friendships along the way. In this group, you will learn practical ways to move your business forward while finding community and accountability with like minded photographers.
The round table consists of three main parts, new live trainings that drop every month, a growing vault of all of the past trainings, and of course the community. Are you curious how it works? Every month, you will get access to three new pieces of content over a broad variety of topics like pricing, editing, goal setting, website reviews, social media, and videos of me behind the scenes at Real Sessions.
Members also have the opportunity to learn from incredible guest speakers and industry leaders on a huge variety of topics. I pride myself in giving you just enough education every month to keep you growing and moving forward while not overwhelming you with content. The membership vault is such a valuable resource that is honestly more than worth the cost of enrollment on its own.
As of today, it has close to a hundred trainings and only continues to grow. It literally holds every training from the very beginning of the membership and not to name drop, but the guest experts that come teach inside this group are industry leaders, like Amanda Warfield of Chasing Simple, Maddie Pichon, Coley James.
Jade Boyd and Don Richardson of Tech Savvy Creative, just to name a few. So yeah, the education is great, but you can’t ignore the community. It is an absolutely incredible group of women just like you. In fact, I’m pretty sure that anyone in the group will tell you that the community is the best part.
Consider it your space to ask all the things, get all the support and make real life business besties. If you’re ready to join us, you can head over to sabrinagabhart. com backslash membership and enroll today. Now back to the episode.
Val: So I would love to transition a little bit here into kind of what your journey has looked like specifically with the numbers.
So I know you’ve, I mean, it’s been a lot of years of business. And so just kind of give us a summary of, of how that has evolved. And I would love to hear some of like your numbers right now. And I know you had a big change year last year. So yeah, give us, give us the lowdown.
Sabrina: Yeah. So, uh, within the first three years, um, of my business, I was, I was the story where I’m charging like 75.
You know what I mean? It’s absolutely hilarious. Val, I will see like the, the Facebook memories pop up and I’m like, Oh my gosh. Yes. Yes. Right. So I was, I was, I thought I was doing great. And honestly, it’s funny because. When I first first first started my business like within the first two months of photographing people and it was like 50 bucks I was pumped every time somebody paid me 50 bucks.
I was like, somebody paid me 50 bucks to take photos Like this is awesome, right? Um, and then you quickly realize that like you’re not profitable and that’s not gonna work out for you So the first few years of my business I was not making a very much at all Obviously. But the year that I said is the black and white year where I doubled my pricing and niche down and invested in coaching and all that, that is the first year.
So that was your four in business. That’s the first year that I matched my husband’s government salary. And I thought I was so big time. I thought I was so big time. And so I think that was around 50, 000 at the time. So that felt really, really exciting. And for the next three to four years, I slowly climbed every year because I was good about price increases and whatnot.
And, um, I did hit. six figures. I hit a hundred thousand dollars at like the six, seven year mark in my business. And I hovered between one and one 20, um, until like 2020, 2020 was actually because even though it was like the, the year for everybody, I still had a really solid photography year. I still think I pulled in like 88.
I think it was like a little bit of a dip, but not a ton. But what shifted from that point on is I started putting all of my effort and energy into growing the education side of my business and letting the photography side hold steady, if you will. You know, by the time you’ve been in business that long, your expenses and your photography side aren’t really changing.
Like you’re kind of running a really clean operation. You’ve got what you need. It’s very streamlined. I do outsource my photo editing. So I do have a little bit more of an expense on that side. And I am so happy to pay somebody to do that. But I started pouring money into courses and coaching and softwares and all of the things needed to do coaching really, really well.
Guys, if you don’t realize all of that stuff’s really expensive, it’s really, really expensive. Let’s see. So 2020 I had a little bit of a dip. I was just under a hundred and then 2021 and 2022 I climbed back over a hundred. So 2022 I was at one 18. And so my photography side of things at that point was like 75 80.
So it had gone down a little bit, but education was filling the gap and 2021 and 2022 were like, I was getting my, I was getting situated, like I was testing out different offers and trying different things and figuring out where I fit and what people wanted for me. And so I was investing in things and I was doing a lot of things and I had a lot of non quantifiable.
Growth things happening, but the numbers weren’t there, right? It was like, well, I mean, okay, I hit 118. That’s great. But like, that’s not what I’m dreaming of. So last year, uh, 2023, I invested a ton more in all kinds of things, um, that were supporting my growth at that point. I knew what I loved. I knew what my audience wanted from me.
I knew where I shined in coaching. Um, I had some offers that were regularly doing really, really well. And so I kind of put my foot on the gas if you’ll, so to speak. And so 2023, I hit 183, which is like a 55 percent increase over the year before, which is really exciting. And it was, I had set a stretch goal of 185.
And so the fact that I like came 2, 000 short of that felt absolutely incredible. I was so excited. Now, my expenses last year were 80, 000. So like. You know, I had some
Val: really high expenses. And we, just for, for clarity’s sake, that was, what did we say? Around 44%? 43, 44? Yeah. Percent? Yeah. Yeah. So just for like, thinking in terms of profit first, and to this point, everything you’ve said has been revenue, like top line revenue.
Top line revenue. Right? Yes.
Sabrina: Yes. Yes.
Val: Okay. And so
Sabrina: when you talk about my salary, so it’s interesting because people are like, Oh my gosh, you had such an incredible growth year last year. You must be paying yourself a ton. No, I’m not. I’m not paying myself a ton. And I actually did not even take a pay increase over 2022, even though I had such a huge increase in my revenue.
I have a very clear plan, like a five year plan, and I am still doubling down on investments in my business. And so last year, yes, I had a huge increase in revenue, but I also had a huge increase in expenses intentionally to support where I’m going. And so it was a little bit of a, it was a little bit.
Riskier, you know, we said before we started recording that I Love to invest in expenses that are going to support my growth before I necessarily Need them or can afford them. And so I’m taking the risk and I’m hiring these people and doing these things before I see it, but I know that I’m going to see it on the back end.
Right. So it’s, I’m doing things a little bit differently, a little bit on the riskier side.
Val: Yeah. And something that I think is helpful. For us all to think through when we’re defining success and trying to make these decisions is what is my risk tolerance and what kind of, what kind of person am I going to be when it comes to making investments?
Because I don’t think there’s a right answer. So Sabrina and I are actually different on this. I tend to go a little more safe with this is how much money I have. This is what I feel like is realistic for me to book. And so this is what I. feel like I can do. So I do make some investments that are okay.
If I do this, like, I have to like reach this goal. That might be a little bit of a stretch, but I think that I think both ways can totally be done well. And I love that, that it’s not, you’re not doing it blindly. You understand what it’s going to take for you to cover those expenses and now you have a plan moving forward.
So tell us a little bit about how last year and this coming year are going to look different and why you’re doing it that way.
Sabrina: Yeah. So last year was very exciting, um, hitting these revenue goal goals, but a lot of that revenue increase came from an offer I have that has a very high expense attached to it.
And so, yes, the revenue increase, but my expenses did with it. So 2024 is all about. I do have another huge revenue goal, um, which is. kind of scary, but kind of exciting. Um, but we are leaning into things that have higher profit so that we can increase my profit margin so that I can take a pay, um, increase, um, so that I’m seeing just a little bit of that more passive, uh, profit filled growth and none of my offers.
The existing offers I have are not changing. I’m still obsessed with them and doing them and all of that. But I’m adding in these other things to see a little bit more of the profitability go up because I feel like My team is complete now I’m thrilled with the coaching experiences i’ve had i’m not foreseeing any other Expenses on the horizon that i’m like really geeking out I like have to have this person or do this thing or whatever i’m i’m pretty i’m pretty set on expenses And so now it’s time to sit with the expenses we have and just really increase that revenue
Val: Yeah, that’s amazing.
So tell us what paying yourself has looked like. I know you said like you didn’t, haven’t increased for the last year. three years. Is that right?
Sabrina: Yeah. So I, um, I pay myself. It’s about 45, 000 a year. So it’s like 3, 500 a month ish. And I pay myself every other Friday. And, um, I have for almost three years now.
And that at, when we first started doing profit first and paying myself consistently, um, that felt so good because I was getting a paycheck every other week and I knew it was there and It just felt so comfortable and I tell people all the time it is amazing for a creative What unlocks in your brain when you’re not worried about getting paid it is?
Amazing. It is amazing the capacity you have to create and to do things and the clarity you have to push yourself To try new things. I mean, it’s just incredible. So if you’re not doing Profit First yet, what, like, what are you doing? Please start doing that. , um, . But so for me, again, I’ve been paying myself the same consistently and I’ve been completely happy with that because it’s the number that my family needs to contribute and, um, my husband has had some growth and his career and.
He’s doesn’t work for the government anymore. He works for himself and, and he’s had some changes and so his income has increased. So as far as our family’s concerned, our cost of living has gone up because our, I mean, we’re doing great. We’re doing great. I haven’t felt the need to increase my paycheck because I’m so pumped about where my business is going, that I’m.
Doubling down and I’m, I have my eyes fixed on a bigger goal in the future. My paycheck will go up. It’s going to go up a whole lot and it’s going to contribute to all kinds of big dreams we have financially, but right now we are in the build, build, build phase and I’m totally okay with that.
Val: Yeah. And I love that you said that that increase in pay is connected to some dreams you have, because I think that is really where this all ties together.
This definition of success, the definition you create for yourself has to be tied to what you actually want to do with your life. And that has to be connected to the numbers. We need to understand the implications of those dreams. And I think that’s really why a lot of times it takes so long, or we just don’t reach these goals and dreams because we don’t know what it’s actually going to take and that’s why.
And so I think it’s really important for us as we’re like, as you all are going through the worksheet and really trying to figure out what success looks like to you, bring that to the numbers. And if you do all of the questions on the worksheet, I’m going to ask you to do that anyway. We really need to say, okay, if I want to, if I wanna make more in my salary, well what is that for?
What are we gonna pay for with that money? It’s ’cause more for the sake of more is not compelling. That is not going to keep you going . But if that more equals being able to go to Disney or being able to pay for a housekeeper. Or, you know, whatever those things are thinking about what it would actually take for you to live this life and your version of balance, what are the expenses associated with that?
And that can help push us to increase what we’re going to pay ourselves. And there’s, there’s purpose to it. And it’s something we can emotionally get behind too, you know, it’s not just, cause I don’t think that we are created to just care about money for money’s sake. And so it’s just never, like I said before, it’s just not going to be compelling in the long run, but those, those specific things about our life and how we think that we were designed to live it, that is what’s gonna, you know, Get you kind of out of bed in the morning.
Sabrina: And I, I don’t know if this is going to resonate with anybody and I don’t know maybe if this resonates with you Val, but for me for a long time, when I would think about like, what do I want my business to do financially and why I always thought of like the. The smaller things, like you said, like a vacation or a housekeeper or pay a car payment or whatever.
And just in the past three years, I’ve started to allow myself to think like astronomically bigger. And at first it felt almost like frivolous or like, who am I to say that my little business is going to do this crazy thing. But once you let it like, once you’re willing to say, but this is in my heart. So I’m just gonna say it out loud and I’m gonna write it on a piece of paper and I’m going to Admit that yeah, it is actually a dream of mine for us.
Like we want to buy a second home in colorado I also want to create generational wealth for my family, which those are two Huge things And again, they feel kind of frivolous because maybe somebody hears that and thinks it’s selfish or, you know, over the top. But for me, I’m like, but that’s what I want.
That’s what I want. And my business is going to contribute to those things. And we have a timeline for things and we’ve started to like, actually put pen to paper and, and it’s really exciting, you know, cause that’s the stuff, like you said, that lights the fire of like, Oh my gosh, you know?
Val: Right. Yeah. Like this, this is worth the hard work.
It gives it purpose. The thing I want to end with today is, It’s really just this concept of defining success for your current season. So something that I feel like we don’t really hear a lot about is how when we’re constantly striving for the next goal or this ultimate version of success, it’s easy to just feel constantly like you’re not ever successful.
Right now. Right. And so something that I really want to push us all to consider is what is a definition of success that you are already achieving or that is achievable right now? So I try to tell people like, yes, we want to push ourselves a little bit, but I want us to acknowledge that what we’ve done to this point is successful.
It may not be our ultimate goal, but we need to look at what we’ve done and be, be proud of that. Be excited about that. You know, like creatives, we classically don’t celebrate the wins. So is there a way that you have found It helpful to, to really celebrate the success you’ve already had. Do you have any, any structure built into your business or how do you celebrate?
Sabrina: Yeah. So a couple of things, first of all, and this is the smallest, but biggest practice is. Literally just having a gratitude practice. It will open your eyes to how awesome you are and the things that you are present for. And if you want to put a spin on it, it can be like your business gratitude practice, like write three things that went right in your business this week, right?
There are things. There are things that are going right. Um, and then another thing that I coach my students through, the ones that struggle with perfection, or I’m not good enough, those, those kinds of mindset issues, is to think back through their business on all of the wins they have had, because it, it teaches our brains that we are actually doing well.
We are actually doing big things. And so, it could be as simple as, I learned how to take photos in manual mode. I’m sorry, we think it’s easy now. That is not easy. That’s why everybody can’t do it. Okay. Um, learning the science behind manual mode and doing it on the fly on your camera is hard and you are doing it.
So you’re already doing better and, and being successful at something that a lot of people can’t being brave enough to start your business. That is also freaking hard and scary. And that’s why so much of the world does. They’re not entrepreneurs because they don’t have that ability to go out on a limb and do that.
That’s also really hard and you’re successful, you know? And so when you think through it on that elementary level, it’s very easy to see that we are successful and we are doing really great things, you know? And then as far as celebrating, I have to like force myself to celebrate. I’m just like you, I have to force myself to realize I reached a goal or I did a thing and how am I going to celebrate?
And so in my planner, I actually like when I’m working through my goals, when I achieve this goal, this is what I’m going to do. And you know, maybe it’s by the pair of shoes I want, or go for a spa day or buy a membership to the sauna that I enjoy going to whatever, just to allow my brain to realize that like, I’m freaking killing it out there.
I should get to, you know, I should get to, um, get to celebrate myself. And it is hard for us because we do entre, creative entrepreneurs, like specifically, we go straight onto the next thing. We check off the goal, like it’s a to do list and we immediately go down to the next thing, which is part of what makes us great and unique, but also we need to take a pause and appreciate.
The hard work, the effort, the fact that we did it, you know,
Val: and what I love so much about profit first is it builds in the ability to celebrate. So the profit payouts, the quarterly profit bonuses are so influential on your just perspective and your mindset. And the fact that a part of the rule is you have to do one thing for fun.
Like, yeah, yes, you can pay down debt if you want to do responsible things. But. You need to do at least one thing that is fun. And I think that it’s just a powerful routine to build into your business, to, to allow you to celebrate, even if it’s small, like I have some clients who are like less than 10, 000 in revenue.
Cause they’re at the very beginning and like, or they have very little time. And so even if that is a venti Starbucks coffee, like. Whatever level that is, it’s the act of celebrating and benefiting above and beyond from your business and rewarding all of the risk that you’ve taken and the success, no matter how big or small it is, it’s, it’s valuable.
Exactly.
Sabrina: It is, it is really fun. I love to, when I’m doing my allocations, I love to see that pile grow. And I start, I have a list, I have a running list of like ideas for whenever I have my, my quarterly payouts, depending on how big it is. And. I started off, obviously it started off small with smaller things, you know, a pedicure or whatever.
But now when your business grows, your profit grows, and then you can start to like think bigger and you’re like, Oh my gosh, that thing that I’ve always wanted that’s expensive and I could never like justify buying it. Like that’s on my list and I’m going to get it, you know? Um, and it’s pretty, it’s pretty fun.
It’s pretty exciting.
Val: That’s amazing. All right. Well, This has been so fun. I feel like we could just keep talking forever, but can you give us a quick rundown of what your offerings are and where we can find you?
Sabrina: Yeah, you can definitely find me on Instagram. It’s my favorite. I’m, I love it. It’s my little, my little girlfriend.
Um, and that’s at today. Sabrina get part photography and if you DM me, I will totally voice DM you back because I love to act like we’re actually talking, um, and offers. So right now, um, I have a monthly membership for female photographers. It’s the best place on the internet. Please come hang out, hang out with us.
Um, and then I’ve also got a course that is called the aligned photographer and it’s a business course. So if you are feeling like your business is not aligned, um, I’m going to help you through that. And that’s what that course is. And then I have a mastermind called root to rise. It’s a four, four month program.
You can do an online only seat, but most people choose to do the full participation, which is where we get to go to a retreat together and learn online for four months. And that program’s premise is bettering your life. So you can better your business. So it’s self help and business development. Uh, put together and it’s an absolutely incredible program.
Val: Amazing. Yeah. The testimonials that I see and it’s just incredible. You guys definitely want to be a part of that. All right. Well, thank you so, so much for being here, for being vulnerable with us and sharing numbers. I think that’s going to be so helpful for people. And. Yeah. It’s just, it’s been a joy to, to see what success really looks like for you.
Thanks for having me, Val.
Sabrina: Thanks so much for listening to the shoot it straight podcast. You can find all the full show notes and details from today’s episode at SabrinaGebhardt. com backslash podcast. Come find me and connect over on the gram at Sabrina Gebhardt photography. If you’re loving the podcast, I’d be honored if you hit that subscribe button and leave me a review until next time.
My friends. Shoot it straight.
