Nicole Begley (00:00)
What do you think the bravest decision is that you can make in your photography business? Most people would say raising prices or running your first sales session or finally putting yourself out there in social media. But what if the bravest decision actually comes before all of that? In today's episode, Heather's chatting with Karley a pet and equine photographer who didn't come on the podcast to share ⁓ some big crazy win. Well, even though she's had quite a few of those, you'll hear more about that shortly.

But she came on to share the moment that she decided to stop hiding and simply show up. And that decision, well, it changed everything. Stay tuned.

Nicole Begley (00:35)
I'm Nicole Begley, a zoological animal trainer turned pet and family photographer. Back in 2010, I embarked on my own adventure in photography, transforming a bootstrapping startup into a thriving six-figure business by 2012. Since then, my mission has been to empower photographers like you, sharing the knowledge and strategies that have helped me help thousands of photographers build their own profitable businesses. I believe that achieving $2,000 $3,000 sales is your fastest route to six-figure businesses.

that any technically proficient photographer can consistently hit four figure sales. And no matter if you want photography to be your full-time passion or a part-time pursuit, profitability is possible. If you're a portrait photographer aspiring to craft a business that aligns perfectly with the life you envision, then you're in exactly the right place. With over 350,000 downloads, welcome to the Freedom Focus Photography Podcast.

Speaker 2 (01:34)
Thank you so much for being here with me today. Carly, can you tell everyone a little bit about yourself and what you do?

Speaker 1 (01:43)
Okay, I'm not sure all the details you want. ⁓ I am 51. I'm a pet and equine photographer who's just getting going. I've had a business for about three years, ⁓ but it wasn't until this year that I really wanted to get serious and make it profitable. ⁓ I am still in the red. I've spent a fair bit this year on education and training and ⁓ retreats and portfolio building and stuff.

Speaker 2 (02:13)
Could you just rephrase the term I spent a lot to I have invested in my growth?

Speaker 1 (02:21)
I have invested a lot in my growth. I've actually experienced a lot of growth. hasn't produced the income yet, but I'm on my way.

Speaker 2 (02:23)
significantly. Right.

Do

you believe that it will? Yes. Yeah. 100 % or you wouldn't do it. You know, so even when people say no to that question, I'm like, oh, there's a part of you that does believe that though, or you wouldn't have done it.

Speaker 1 (02:45)
I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe it. And I believe that as long as I don't quit, like I'll get there eventually. It will. do. Like there's part of me that wishes I started sooner so I'd be more ahead right now, but I am where I am.

Speaker 2 (02:58)
But you, you know, you and I were talking about that before we hit record and it's like, you just weren't ready. You know, I always say I'm growing a million dollar business and I must not be ready for it yet. Or I would be there. So that's okay. Because then what you're building, what I'm building is what needs to happen in order to get to that point.

Speaker 1 (03:17)
And it's happening. Now, once I really decided, well, my life before just, wouldn't have fit this kind of focused attention and dedication to this profession, just having small children and being super busy with other things. But once I decided, ⁓ stuff sort of happened really fast. I've made connections. took, I did a retreat with Shelley Paulson, Equine Photography's Excellent.

And that was, that changed my vision kind of of what was possible. And then through her, met Nicole again, at a awesome trip to Spain with dogs and horses. And I thought, okay, there'll be dogs too. You know, I was really there about the equine photography. after, you know, during that trip, was like, oh, I'm a dog photographer now. Like I want to do this, which is funny because

I'd already been volunteering for a couple of years at the local animal shelter to photograph their dog. They asked me to. ⁓ But once I got dogs in front of Spanish cathedrals and in front of really scenic stuff, like, this is amazing. I want to do this. ⁓ so my photography has grown, but I also was around so many excellent photographers who are

in various stages of their business, but you know, being around Nicole and Shelley who are very successful at what they do and so encouraging and so open and so sharing. It's like, I want to do that. I think maybe I can do that. It's really scary.

Speaker 2 (04:54)
I was going to ask you what if you could find the thought that compelled you to move forward because you just joined Elevate. You've been with us for about a month and there's like, I always say there's like the thoughts before Elevate and then you have these thoughts that compel you to join Elevate. Was that the thought?

Speaker 1 (05:14)
Which?

Speaker 2 (05:14)
That you could do this. I can make this work.

Speaker 1 (05:18)
That's not the one that, no, I wouldn't say that actually. ⁓ Cause I'd already, like I joined the Hair of the Dog Academy and Freedom Focus Formula. Like after Spain, I was like, okay, I need help. Cause there's just like so many things that I don't know how to do. I, you know, I need support. ⁓ But I got connected with ⁓ Elevate and sat in on some of the free calls and I really, I just could listen to you all day.

Like every time I get off a call, I'm like, I am unstoppable. Like I am almighty. So powerful. and I was thinking, you know, partly for budget reasons that I would start in the new year, you know, and when it's feeling a little bit slower, but then you threw the visibility workshop up and being a world-class hider, like what am I doing here on a podcast? ⁓

Speaker 2 (05:51)
Yes, you are.

Speaker 1 (06:16)
I thought that is scary and that is exactly what I need help with. Cause I hate being visible. Like I don't, shrink from that. I'm, I tell myself that it's like too hard and I hate social media and like stuff. so, ⁓ so when the visibility workshop came up, I know myself well enough to know that like the live calls are important to me because they're appointments that I have to make. so it's unlike

catching a replay later, this, I am more disciplined about catching live calls. And so I was like, I'm doing it now. Like there's no time later that I'm gonna have more time, but it's gonna fit better. And so I'm already in the red, might as well just go out to your room.

Speaker 2 (06:58)
Go all in.

Speaker 1 (06:59)
Just

go for it. And so, but I just I've had such a positive experience and I've already experienced changes in my thinking and how I feel about things just from sitting in on a couple of the free calls of public calls. And so that's been that was that's what convinced me. It's just like I'm already feeling the difference. I want more of that. I want it more often and dang, I need help with visibility. So seems like the right time.

Speaker 2 (07:26)
Okay, I want to come back to that. But before we go any further, you and I had talked privately about you coming on the podcast. So can you share what our thoughts are around that specifically?

Speaker 1 (07:34)
No.

We

didn't... I should have started with this at the top. Do we have a safe word? Is there a safe word?

Speaker 2 (07:45)
No, there's not a safe word, which means you just have to you just have to share it.

Speaker 1 (07:50)
⁓ This is the commitment thing we were talking about. So sorry, I was being smart. What was the question? ⁓

Speaker 2 (07:59)
You so you had reached out to me. You and I have talked a lot since you joined, but you reached out to me and you you sent me a very inspirational email and you said you were excited and you're ready to go and you I'm going to summarize, but essentially you said, watch me because I'm going to be like the biggest success story.

Speaker 1 (08:21)
Yeah, I think I said, look, this is where I'm starting right now. Yes. And these are, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a beginner in the way, in business. Um, I feel great about my photography, but it's just like, you know, I'm not as young as I used to be. I'm not making any money yet. And, but I was having a moment after talking to you of feeling like very bold and positive about the future. I was just like, I'm going to go from this to like,

something amazing and I think I said something like you're gonna have me like on a podcast one day you know and I was thinking like you know to talk about my big transformation and and I was thinking like this will be in a couple of years maybe and then you said well let's do it now and I was like I haven't done anything yet what okay

Speaker 2 (09:13)
say you said like, watch me, I'm going to do this. Yeah, I did. Yeah. And I'm going to be, I'm going to be the biggest transformation or success story. You did not use the word podcast. You just said we're going to talk and I'm going to think I did. Did you? Yeah, I think I did. I didn't catch it.

Speaker 1 (09:17)
in the first demon.

And

I saw it's like then you came back and you're like, about we do you know? Let's start from now and you know watch your journey and I was like that's the podcast thing manifested a lot faster than I really thought

Speaker 2 (09:42)
Well,

in what's now I'm scared. Well, right. Of course. But you're doing it anyway, because, the goal is not comfort, right? That's not the goal. Right. But also, I thought, well, let me back up so many things. One is things manifest can manifest instantly when you decide, right, which is what happened there. You manifested it instantly. And I said, well, let's have a conversation on the podcast to

talk about where you're at. And then in three to six months, we'll have another conversation. And then three to six months, whatever it takes, we'll have a series of conversations, say over the next year, and just watch that. Like we're going to bring everyone along in your transformation, which helps you with your visibility issues. You have to do it.

Speaker 1 (10:28)
now yeah that's not what i thought i know is gonna be

Speaker 2 (10:34)
And you're really funny. I've really enjoyed talking to you on these calls. And I thought, man, everybody could benefit just from your thoughts because people can relate to where you're at. Obviously, there are people out there listening that are even starting out, you know, more so than you, where they haven't been in it as long or they haven't taken the workshops. And they're scared. Everyone is scared. There's a fear. You know, what if this doesn't work for me or what if I can't make this happen? But somehow you went from some

thought like that, whatever yours was to know, I think I can do this. I think I'm going to this happen. Right.

Speaker 1 (11:10)
Yeah,

yeah, yeah. And talking to you makes me feel very powerful.

Speaker 2 (11:16)
Well, because you are, yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:18)
It's

like I can do it and I think part of it is the comfort you foster with messing up, being embarrassed, failing, taking a long time if necessary and everybody goes through this. And so that's part of the great thing in the community is just like when I'm...

something out there and it's like, I don't know about this. It's like, yeah, that's it'll be fine. Like yeah, your first in-person sales session might be clunky, but like so was mine and I still sold something and it's just right having that kind of support and getting comfortable being uncomfortable ⁓ is a game changer.

Speaker 2 (12:03)
Normalizing

the fear, normalizing all of the emotions, negative and positive about what you're going through. That's one thing I like to do. Thank you for noticing that. And also this idea that there's a right or wrong way to do it. I literally, Carly, I do not care how you do it. I just want you doing something so that you can figure out the way that works for you because IPS might work. It might not work. ⁓ You know,

High ticket sales might be your thing. might be maybe you like digital. It really doesn't matter to me as long as you're profitable and pushing yourself a little bit outside of your comfort zone. But I don't want anyone to feel like wildly uncomfortable. You know, like I want you to feel enough discomfort that you're you have to grow. Right. You have to expand. That's what I'm about. That expansion and figuring out.

who you are as this new in this new season as being an entrepreneur. What are your thoughts on that? Because you said you're pretty solid with your photography. What about business owner?

Speaker 1 (13:09)
Yeah, I am still not comfortable with the term entrepreneur. It sounds very like avant-garde innovation, know, sort of oriented, like inventing, I don't know, not just like business owner, something different about the term. But I'm comfortable being a business owner, but yeah, entrepreneur sounds more active. It sounds like, yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:34)
okay.

I do something. ⁓

Speaker 1 (13:38)
out

there doing it, making things happen. And so I'm still getting more comfortable with that. just the, um, like the first call I was on when you're like, all right, it's this, it's, you know, it's three steps, right? Meet people, tell them what you do, make an offer without making an offer was I really got hung up on that. I'm like, what am I supposed to say? But, um, but that's already yielded fruit in places where I don't, you know, I wouldn't necessarily

say something that I'm a photographer, but like I'm making sure that when I meet people, especially people with dogs or horses, I tell them, but like I had a conversation with a woman about a dog and I was thinking, okay, I should tell her I'm like a pet photographer. But I was like, no, I'm going to tell her I'm a pet and equine photographer. ⁓ so I did. And she's like, ⁓ I have this horse. And that I've been looking for a photographer. And I was like, that's, and so there it is.

Speaker 2 (14:37)
It's that simple.

Speaker 1 (14:39)
like,

okay, so I just have to say it. Because you never know who's gonna, who's been looking for me. What if it's been looking for me? Yes. You know, and I could have just not said it. I could have said I'm a pet photographer or I could said nothing. And then

Speaker 2 (14:46)
that easy.

It kind of feels like magic, doesn't it? It's like magic, but it's really simple. So it's not magic, but it kind of is.

Speaker 1 (15:03)
It's

a little spooky and I'm still in a place where I'm not sure I totally trust it, but like I'm willing to keep trying it. Right. Because I'm like, well, that worked. So.

Speaker 2 (15:14)
You've had about where else will it correct? Where else will it work? You've had about 15 things like that happen in the last four weeks. If you look for them, I mean, that's one example. The others, the email exchange you and I had.

Speaker 1 (15:16)
work.

was

like, when I got that email, was like, okay, what did just do?

Speaker 2 (15:32)
did this to myself.

Speaker 1 (15:34)
But I did it! Like I put it out there and holy crap.

Speaker 2 (15:39)
And okay. And are you up for just like a minute of ⁓ so let's take like a sidestep here. Just a minute of coaching. Okay. When we had my and you had said you've said this multiple times, you know, you're a world class hider, which cracks me up, like as if you win an award for it, you know, you probably have but

Speaker 1 (15:48)
Yeah.

Well, if they knew who I was, they'd give me an award, but they don't.

Speaker 2 (16:05)
Okay,

that is fantastic. They can't know who you are because you're hiding. Nobody knows. Okay. So actually, I witnessed some evidence of that straight out of the gate because I was following you on Instagram, except I sort of kind of didn't know it was you, but because it had your business name, but it didn't have your first name. And I was like, wait, is that Carly? Wait. And I actually had to go back. I don't know where.

It must have been in my email somewhere to connect your name to that account. Yeah. So the first thing I said was, Hey, put your name on your account and maybe some point your face. Did you put your face there? Yeah.

Speaker 1 (16:47)
You know, it's funny because I went and ⁓ I was, was, we have a new dog and I was shooting photos of the dog ⁓ and I did, I was doing some like behind the scenes video because I was going do my first reel and I, but this is how good I was at it. I like, didn't, I wasn't in frame at all. so, and so, but the best, the best like run, she was run and the best run was like, ⁓

Speaker 2 (17:07)
my word.

Speaker 1 (17:14)
I wasn't in the frame and so I just made a joke about it in the real. like, turns out I have a really good off-camera presence. You know, like baby steps. Yeah. I real.

Speaker 2 (17:26)
But listen, I want to, I just want to demonstrate for you a little cognitive dissonance I'm having around this because you told me and I noticed it. And yet I have noticed that on the public facing calls, which there could be hundreds of photographers on those and in our elevate calls, you have been showing up. You are very visible. You talk, we have conversations, you are open to coaching, you're honest, you're vulnerable. So what's that about?

Speaker 1 (17:57)
⁓ I get, well, I'm in process. I'm shifting, I'm changing. it'd be, and I think early it was like super easy. Like I'll just listen, but it's like, Hey, I have this resource. I've watched you work with other people and it's like, I got stuff. I got stuff to work through. So why not? Like, why not? mean, I hadn't joined Elevate. I'm like, this is free. She seems awesome. Maybe I'll actually get some help and

I know I have photographer friends who like, I never want to get on there. I don't want to, you know, I don't want to take the time with my little problems. like, well, I might've thought that too about, you know, maybe my problem's not relevant to anyone else. But the feedback that I've gotten from friends on the side, but also just like even in the chats, like, thank you so much for speaking up. have the same problem. And I was like, I'm here and talking to you directly about my specific issues gets me the

best results, the most value, like it's like super helpful. So ⁓ I'm just sort of trusting you to say like, Carly, you've had enough turns. Like, let someone else go. So I'm like, hey, she's in charge. She'll tell me if it's like, no, she'll call on someone else. That's fine. But yeah, if I've got something, I need the help. And I guess it's part of just deciding that like, ⁓ I made this commitment and I'm going to get everything I can out of it.

Speaker 2 (19:21)
decision.

Speaker 1 (19:21)
So

specific individualized help is the best.

Speaker 2 (19:25)
Yeah, you made the decision and you were committed. I want to offer you in terms of the hiding and the visibility. I just want to plant this seed. What if what you were thinking about yourself? What if you were wrong? What if that wasn't true?

Speaker 1 (19:39)
About being a hider?

Speaker 2 (19:40)
Yeah. What if that, Hey, just stay with me. What if you were wrong? Now let me back this up. I have this story about myself that I, when it comes to like building a million dollar business or whatever, that I'm slow and I never, wasn't saying it in a negative way about myself. was just like, ⁓ I'm methodical. I take my time, but yes, that equals slow things take me longer. And it, mean, maybe it did have a slight negative bent to it, but I was like,

Okay with that. Well, one time I told my business coach and she looked at me kind of funny and sort of like turned her head and she's like, wait, didn't you go from a hundred thousand in revenue to 220 to 340 in three years? And I said, yeah. And she said, that's interesting because that doesn't feel slow to me. That doesn't sound slow to me. And I said,

Speaker 1 (20:31)
Not to me either.

Speaker 2 (20:35)
I had, I know this seems ridiculous now that I'm saying it out loud, Carly, but really I had an epiphany of like, what if I'm wrong? What if I'm not slow? What if that was a story I was telling myself that was actually keeping me slow?

But I built two businesses to multiple six figures over the course of 22 years. But like, what? That's amazing. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:06)
So if I'm wrong, then what is holding me up? on social media, online, like putting my face out there and my name. So if I'm wrong, then there's something else holding me back. Because in person, I'm not like, I'm not a wallflower.

Speaker 2 (21:20)
correct.

Speaker 1 (21:27)
Shushed I get shushed. Yeah, come out. No one says that to me ⁓

Speaker 2 (21:33)
Right. That was my point is like when I talk to you, you don't seem afraid of visibility at all. Zero percent because you show up, you turn on your camera, you talk to me. That one call had over 500 photographers on it. You talk to me. I don't know if you knew that. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (21:51)
I did not know that. I'm glad I Just in case it would have changed something.

Speaker 2 (21:53)
Amazing.

⁓

but you know, maybe it would have, but now that you know it, it's like, whoa, what if that's not my actual problem? Because here's the thing. I know I've taught you about this, but if I'm solving the equation, the problem of I'm slow and that's not the problem, then I'm solving the wrong problem. And it's never going, I'm never going to find the solution. So if I say, wait a minute, I could be wrong about that, or I am wrong about them, then

Okay, then that that like shifts me to maybe a different equation, a different problem that I then uncover that I then is more solvable because I can see it. I like, could you be solving the wrong equation? For sure.

Speaker 1 (22:40)
And

we talked about this and I wish I had my notes up from that call because I can't remember where we ended up at the moment. But I was talking about it being like a privacy issue and you're like, I don't think that's what it is. I don't think it's a privacy issue. And I'm like, I don't know what it is. So I'm not, yeah, I'm not sure what's at the bottom of it. I don't know. I don't think it's the seven billion people out there. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (22:52)
That was so good.

Speaker 1 (23:10)
500 people on that call, ⁓

Speaker 2 (23:12)
Yeah, I would, if I were you, would recommend really like putting my brain on that. Like what if that's not the issue? I'm so curious what else it could be. And then the next thing that's super important is you are not permitted to tell yourself you don't know or just blocks all wisdom. If, here's why it's just like the equation thing. If I say, I don't know, then that's the end of the conversation. It's like, well, then what can I do? So you have to say,

Okay, maybe I haven't uncovered it yet, but I actually believe I do know. I asked someone recently, this is like in my personal life. She was telling me she wasn't sure about something. She didn't know it was something pretty serious. And I leaned forward to her and I like pointed at her heart and I said, I believe in you and I believe you do know. And she paused for a second. She was like, you're right.

I do know, and these weren't her words, but essentially it was, I'm afraid to admit it, or I'm afraid to look at it. So, that may or may not be the case. might be, just, ⁓ I uncovered something that I didn't know and now I do, or it could be like the next underlying fear. Either way, bringing it to the light is empowering.

Speaker 1 (24:33)
Yeah, now I'm thinking, but I know that me sitting here thinking doesn't make for audio.

Speaker 2 (24:40)
I had this thought for you. I don't know if it was earlier this week or late last week. You and I were, it must've been last week because it must've been on a strategy call and you had said something and I was like, no, was on that elevate call earlier Monday. It was on Monday. And I was like, I don't think visibility is her issue because if it were truly the issue,

you wouldn't be on all of these calls showing up. I know you made the decision to show up like that was a commitment, but if visibility were truly your issue, you wouldn't have been able to get past that, but you were. So that made me think that there might possibly be something else here. I don't know what it is.

Speaker 1 (25:25)
Maybe,

I mean, it could be, I don't know why I don't want to like put my face up there. But I know that from the beginnings when I was first like made a commitment to like learning photography and improving at it, and I did like a 365 day project. So was like, I was taking photos every day, like on a different theme. And man, I was secretive about that. I didn't put that out anywhere. I think there were like eight people in my family that could see it because I was

I was like, I know that I'm a beginner and I know some of this is going to be garbage because I have to do it every day, whether it's good or not. But it was, I still had a little bit of accountability because I had people like tuning in, but not everybody or anybody. ⁓ and I think, I think my discomfort, you know, my insecurity about my skill in the early days, especially was like, I don't want to share. Like people want to see, but I'm like, I don't, I don't want to share because I'm not sure about it yet. I have one for that.

Speaker 2 (26:24)
What's the fear there? If I do share, what?

Speaker 1 (26:27)
Um, well, it's partially judgment, but, it's, it's partially like, know I'm going to get better. And so I don't want the junk out there. I don't want people to think of me as like this level of photographer when I'm going to be this level of photographer.

Speaker 2 (26:40)
Right.

you don't want them to see your beginnings. You just want them to see the end.

Speaker 1 (26:51)
Yeah, yeah, or no, or at least a certain level, right? Accomplishment proof, you know competence, right?

Speaker 2 (26:58)
Right.

But yet you're doing you're pushing yourself here in this moment to be a beginner. ⁓ yeah. Talking about this. The huge staff, like I just don't want you to miss this. I had said to you previously, like, that ain't nothing. You know, that's something to be willing to talk on a podcast. mean, probably my mom and my aunt Nancy will listen, probably.

Speaker 1 (27:22)
What's up?

Speaker 2 (27:26)
Maybe five more people. know, I mean, it's funny. It's like the point to that is nobody cares. Nobody's watching you that closely to say, you know, I mean, what do think they're going to say? she's just a beginner and her photos are terrible. They might say that. And so what?

My first podcast episodes, but not even that because I was trying to be polished as I could be. But my first videos, my first Facebook lives. my gosh. So cringey and horrible. I watch them now and I'm like, ⁓ my gosh. But I had to be willing to do that to get better. You have to be willing to be seen as a beginner in order to become an expert.

Speaker 1 (28:15)
So I guess in my mind it was I have to be a beginner in order to be an expert, but it's the scene part. The scene is the beginner.

Speaker 2 (28:23)
as which is all judgment. A fear of judgment. If somebody sees me as a beginner, I have a friend who is a very accomplished, many decades wedding photographer. I think one of the best. And she decided a year or two ago to take on studio work and specifically like newborns, maternity families, right? She was so bent out of shape. I said,

I said, girl, what is the problem? Like you are an expert. And she said, I hate to be seen as a beginner. I don't want to be a beginner. And I said, why? And she said, because I am an expert. feel like an expert. And this is very like wildly uncomfortable. And I'm like, yeah, but you have to be willing. You felt that way once you can feel that way again. And she's like, well, what it boiled down to is just very humbling to feel like a beginner. No, like, but.

Everybody has to feel that you just have to be willing to sit with that discomfort, knowing, knowing that it's a very brief season and my thoughts. And I think you could agree with this is like, knew that your first set of photos were going to be terrible. So you wanted to hurry up and get that out of the way so you could get better. Same with me in the videos every day, every day.

Speaker 1 (29:35)
every

day and man I learned so much in that year and no one was like I had no teacher I had no feedback really except for from family and they never said anything critical not you know not super helpful except for in booing my spirits but ⁓ but yeah I learned a ton like I learned a ton of what works what doesn't work what I like what I don't like definitely not gonna be this kind of photographer that I of thought so I shot everything I just tried everything

And so that helped me not only hone my craft, but just like kind of focus in on what I was really interested in photographing. And so it was hugely helpful for me and my skill, my skill improved, but also just like, okay, kind of a vision for where I wanna go.

Speaker 2 (30:22)
So are you telling me that because of that, faster you did it, the more focused you became, the more you learn, the better you got. Like you recognize that I have to do this and this is the only way I'm going to learn it is to jump in and do it very quickly as fast as I can to get to the point where I know all of these things. Like you have to put in the reps.

Speaker 1 (30:44)
Yeah, it's like what I was saying the other day about basketball. It's like you don't get to be a good shooter without you just have to shoot and you have to miss a lot. have to miss a lot. Shooters miss a lot. Yes, shooters miss a lot. But yeah, and so it's funny. We're talking about this and I'm like, okay, I need to like refocus on the visibility calendar because I've been doing stuff but like I did call it good. Like when I said yes to doing this, I was like that was my thing for like the week.

Speaker 2 (30:51)
A A lot, and it is great.

the year. That's the rest of the year. ⁓

Speaker 1 (31:15)
Okay, I'm done. That's all I

have to do this week. I'm like I said yes to that. Holy moly. What did I just do? was like um, but no, this is a good reminder that I was I was practicing regularly and sometimes I was just like pulling something out at 11 30. Yeah, I have to do it today and I did something and it's awful but like I did it I picked up my camera and I did it and I need to like pick up my

know, visibility exercise and just do it. Like I just need to do something. And so it's a good reminder at how fast the change can happen when I do a little bit repeated.

Speaker 2 (31:54)
Yeah. Draw the parallel. How can I parallel this to business? I also, I also say all the time, like, you know, you love photography, you picked up a camera because you love it. What if it were possible to love visibility?

Speaker 1 (32:09)
Yeah, that'd be amazing.

Speaker 2 (32:11)
And that's definitely a possibility.

I mean, for most photographers, like I'm creative. I'm the artist. I love all of that. But I hate, you know, the numbers and I hate the business side and I hate the marketing. And that's fair in the beginning because you've not done it. So maybe maybe you don't hate it. Maybe it's just new and unfamiliar. But then could you get to a place or how? How could you get to a place where you love it? I love marketing. Carly, I can't even tell you how deep my love for businesses.

I love it so much that I decided to dedicate my life to teaching it.

Speaker 1 (32:52)
Well, I can't, I'm like, I'm starting to pick that up, like, and just like absorb it, which is what I need. That's a big reason I'm here. It's just like, okay, I'm not gonna, yeah, I'm not gonna love it. All by sitting by my lonesome, not doing anything, hiding.

Speaker 2 (32:59)
Yeah.

Yeah, through osmosis.

No, you can share my belief. have enough belief and confidence for both of us. And I really do believe, because this is true for me with my business coach, is being in the proximity of that kind of passion and belief is contagious. And you start to pick up on it and do things that you wouldn't have done before. And then you're like, whoa, who am I? This is amazing. And I didn't die. Like you're here. We're about to wrap up this episode.

And you are in fact alive and breathing and well, you're doing well. You didn't get a tick. That's our Carly and I have this inside joke, but it's like, you're not going to get a tick. Okay. So you will be fine. Okay. So this is episode one of however many, whatever it takes. I want obviously you and I are working together. So I will know, but we'll just have to touch base on when it's appropriate to record.

Speaker 1 (33:43)
I didn't get a tick.

Speaker 2 (34:06)
the next shift that you have and what that looks like for you. So I just want you to be aware of your thoughts, what you're thinking and how they shift so we can share with everyone. I just want to share your journey at least over the next year so we can see how it goes.

Speaker 1 (34:23)
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to having something meaningful shipped in just the next few months. It's like, man, let's do it. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:32)
If you believe that that's happening and you're looking for it, it's inevitable.

Speaker 1 (34:38)
Well, I love the idea that it's possible and that I have agency. So.

Speaker 2 (34:45)
Yes.

Okay, lastly, you're gonna love this one. Where can people find you or find out more about you? ⁓

Speaker 1 (34:58)
She throws down. ⁓ Okay, my website is 5MW.com. It's F-I-V-E, 5MW. ⁓ And my social is the same. It's at 5MW on Instagram and it's 5MW photography on Facebook.

Speaker 2 (35:17)
Okay, I'm going to link all of that in the show notes. Do you mind sharing what's behind the name? Do you have like something that means something to you?

Speaker 1 (35:25)
I do. It's just an obscure movie reference. That's all I want to say.

Speaker 2 (35:34)
Okay, that's fine. I love obscure movie references.

Speaker 1 (35:37)
It really wasn't like, this hat, you know, I didn't sit down and think what should my business name be? Because obviously it wasn't going to be my name when I was doing that. ⁓ But I'd had that like as an email address in the past. it was just like, it was just a thing with me personally. was like, that sounds good. You know, it's high power. I love action and high power photography. And so it's just like, if it

So everyone's gonna be Googling that now. Okay.

Speaker 2 (36:07)
Yes. And listen, you don't have to say what movie it is. I would never, I would never make you do that. But I will say, just remember if you say the name of the movie, then you just made a connection with someone who knows that movie and is like, ⁓ yes. You get, just like you said, and equine to that lady. You could have just said pets. You could have just said photography. You said pets and equine. And she said, I have a horse.

Speaker 1 (36:14)
We'll give people a puzzle.

That's true.

Speaker 2 (36:39)
If you say five megawatts and it's just my personal obscure movie reference. ⁓

Speaker 1 (36:44)
Okay,

all right, it's real genius. Okay. The laser.

Speaker 2 (36:47)
Perfect.

All right. And somebody's going to hear this and say, I feel like I watched that, I need to revisit. somebody's going hear that.

Speaker 1 (36:58)
It's a cloak. Have you seen it, Heather?

Speaker 2 (37:00)
feel like I had it's older, right? Yeah. I love Val Kilmer. I'm sorry about that. You know, ⁓ that was really interesting how they how they managed to he was in Top Gun two, how they did that, you know, was like really neat. But ⁓ you're so somebody who's just heard that is going to be like, ⁓

Speaker 1 (37:02)
I'll kill her.

⁓ Love that movie. Love that Follow her. Those are my people. Right?

Speaker 2 (37:24)
I love Carly. I'm gonna go f-

You have to give P part of his ability is giving people a way to connect with you. And they cannot connect if there are no words.

Speaker 1 (37:40)
I believe you. I see that it is true. I still feel a little uncomfortable right now. Fair, that's fair. Thanks saying that.

Speaker 2 (37:46)
Good thing comfort is not the goal. Okay. Thank you so much for being here. Yeah, it is a big deal. No, no, no, no. You should be very proud of what you've managed to accomplish and how you worked through your mind, you know, mind management. You're getting really good at that. Adapt with it you should be proud of that for sure.

Speaker 1 (37:52)
For me, that's a big step for me.

Mom and Nancy, I'll see you out there on social.

Speaker 2 (38:11)
Aunt Nancy. Thank you. Thanks, Heather. I'll talk to you soon. This is exactly why I created Elevate to help photographers like Carly make powerful mindset shifts, take more action and stop building their business in isolation. Carly is already showing up, getting coaching and stepping way outside of her comfort zone. And as you heard, she's not doing it alone. She's doing it.

with support in a community that has her back. If you want that kind of support, the kind that challenges you and cheers for you, then I'd love for you to join us inside of Elevate. That link is always in the show notes. I hope that you enjoyed this conversation.