Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Tried and True with the Dash of Woo, where we blend rock solid tips with a little bit of magic. I'm Renee Bowen, your host, life and business coach and professional photographer at your service. We are all about getting creative, diving into your business and playing with manifestation over here. So are you ready to get inspired and have some fun? Let's dive in. Hey, hey, welcome back to Tried and True with the Dash of Woo.

Speaker 1: 0:27

I am literally recording this episode from my bed. That is very, very warm, because I have just had a crazy few weeks and, honestly, this is the only time that I have to do it and I'm recording it on my phone. So let's hope the sound actually works really well and if it does, I think I might just do this all the time, because this is a great life hack Record your podcast from your bed. I mean, you got to do what you got to do and, hey, it works. So I hope you guys are having a really awesome end of the year and, leading up to your holidays, I hope that you are actually finding some time you know to enjoy yourself, because if you're a photographer, like I am, it's kind of a crazy time of year and we tend to work ourselves to death in fall, which I love to try and help photographers figure out a way to not do that, because, yes, I get it, this is when a lot of us make most of our money. I mean, it's when a lot of businesses do as well Q4, but I would love it if you planned a little bit better and maybe raised your prices so that you didn't have to squeeze in all of these low ticket mini sessions and things like that. Mini sessions actually can be profitable, by the way, but I find that a lot of photographers just don't do that. They tend to throw themselves under the bus and shoot for a really low amount and then by the time you get to this time of year, you're just exhausted and there's a better way. So if you are looking for support, I'd love to support you inside of Elevate. I've got two levels to it and I only enroll one level of it, the VIP level, twice a year, and enrollment is currently open for that. It is a small group. I'm only taking two to three more people, so if that interests you, you need to head over to reneebowencom slash elevate. You'll read all about it and then, when you scroll down for the pricing, you'll see that you can either pay in full or you can do a monthly payment and there's an application for the VIP level. So go ahead and do that if you're interested.

Speaker 1: 2:41

This is not for beginning photographers. This is definitely for more seasoned photographers, people who have been in business for a minute, but you still don't have to have all your ducks in a row, right Like. The whole reason that you would join is to figure that out. Like a lot of my members come to me needing to raise their prices, needing to make more money, you know, needing to market better. It's a lot of marketing and it's a lot of mindset and it's a lot of pricing. So you definitely don't need to have it all figured out. That's why you would want to join us so that you could get that support, and the support from me through coaching is super valuable. Obviously, you get some of my courses as well, but the support from the group is really awesome because most of these members have been with me for years and they are awesome. So I love this group and I'd love to support you there. If that feels aligned, so you can find that link in the show notes as well and if you have any questions, please hit me up over on Instagram at Renee Bowen. I'd love to chat with you. Okay, so today's episode you guys is very timely.

Speaker 1: 3:48

Obviously, I'm really excited to share all of this with you, because it's really a reflection that I think many of us creatives and photographers and entrepreneurs can deeply resonate with, as all of those things we're looking forward, right, we're constantly trying to set new goals, chasing the next new thing, building the dream, but how often are we stopping to reflect on how far we've come? And when we do that, we're often shocked by how much we've actually accomplished. So there's a trend right now. It started on TikTok, as everything does, and it's showing up on Instagram as everything does. But it started on TikTok and it is two photos, basically. The first photo something to the effect of thinking about 2024 and how I didn't really accomplish much, and then the next slide is the same photo with a different caption over it that says but here's all that I actually accomplished this year, and that's actually a really cool thing. So I wanted to take it a step further and make a whole podcast out of it. I am going to post my own version of that trend as well, and I think you should too.

Speaker 1: 5:00

I think it's a really great little exercise for us to do, but the reason is is because, like so many of us do not stop and notice the things that we're doing In my Elevate groups both levels, the foundation and VIP this whole month we're doing a worthiness challenge. It's a 30 day worthy challenge and that's a lot of what we're talking about is okay. Yes, we're reaching for more and there's a lot of different things we're doing as far as, like, that challenge goes, but a lot of the prompts and a lot of the exercises that I'm having them do relates to really noticing the things that you already have and that you're already doing, because that's a big part of your manifestation side note, but it's also so awesome for your unconscious mind. It's how you really wire in that neuroplasticity, how you create these new synapses and how you make changes. And I just want to remind you that, even when it doesn't feel like it, you've done so much more than you give yourself credit for I guarantee, because we are definitely our own worst critics. So today we're going to dive into why that's important to pause and reflect, and I'm going to share some of my own wins, the big ones and the small ones because, trust me, I have had my moments this year of feeling like I am not doing enough and spoiler alert, I was wrong. So I'm going to talk about the mindset shifts and some NLP techniques and some clarity practices that can help you start acknowledging your own wins and use that energy to propel yourself forward. Okay, so, first of all, raise your hand. If you've ever thought I should be further along by now, I know I do that as well. Trust me, it's like we're wired to focus on the gap between where we are and where we want to be, instead of celebrating how far we've already come.

Speaker 1: 6:58

It's that little voice that says you're not doing enough or you're falling behind, and while that voice may think it's motivating you, it's actually keeping you stuck. It's that inner saboteur, basically, and it's really your unconscious mind just pulling you back to safety. Truly, that's really all that is, and you guys hear me talk about that a lot, but that's what it is. Okay. So some of us just have louder ones than others. But if you're constantly telling yourself that you're not is okay. So some of us just have louder ones than others, but if you're constantly telling yourself that you're not enough.

Speaker 1: 7:28

Guess what your brain is going to believe that and act accordingly, because you are going to find proof of whatever you're looking for. But the flip side is that when you start recognizing your own wins, you're not just boosting your own confidence, you're rewiring your brain to focus on abundance, or anything else that you actually want in life, and abundance creates momentum. So that's why reflection isn't just a nice thing to do. I really believe it's essential. You have to start looking for the things you want, as opposed to the things you don't want, because, whether you know it or not, consciously you are sending out a signal to the universe which is just going to mirror it right back to you. So I want you to be intentional with what you are sending out.

Speaker 1: 8:19

All right, so I want to talk to you guys for a minute about what 2024 actually looked like for me, because there was a lot of ups and downs. I'm not going to lie, this was a really challenging year for me, like really challenging in a lot of different ways, but mainly because I had to work a whole lot harder than I wanted to. A lot of you guys know that I am married to an actor and a writer and that whole entertainment industry has just not been great since the pandemic. But last year, specifically, was pretty gnarly because of the strikes and Andrew's a member of both unions, so there was a long period of time of not working for him and it still hasn't come back the way that it needs to. So, thankfully, I have two businesses that both do really well, but I've had to cut back on a lot of my expenses to run those businesses this year.

Speaker 1: 9:24

So, while both businesses still did really well and I'm so grateful that they have, I'm so, so grateful for the work that has come in this year on both sides of that business but I've had to cut back on the expenses, meaning like a lot of the help, a lot of the tools, a lot of the people that I need to help these businesses run. So I've had to work harder, basically because I just needed to cut some corners to make things work on the personal side. You're really not supposed to do that, you're not supposed to really take from the business to fund your personal life, but I've had to this year and luckily, because of the way I have my businesses structured, I can do that. It just means that I am working a little harder than I'd like to, and that is definitely going to change in 2025. So it's like I said it's good that I was able to do it, but it's not a long-term solution.

Speaker 1: 10:24

So if you find yourself wearing all the hats 24-7 and you're running yourself into the ground long-term, that's not sustainable. It's just not. I've done it for a full year and I'm exhausted and I'm a very productive person. Look, I get a lot done. I love both sides of my business. I'm a human design generator, which means when I'm doing what I love, I'm just lit up, but I'm also really tired, right, I mean, I'm not a spring chicken anymore either. So something has to give and if you are in that boat, I feel you, I get it. There's definitely a path forward and I am in the process of finalizing my path forward. I've been working on that for a while now. So if you need help with that, just reach out.

Speaker 1: 11:08

But I'm just here to like remind you that you're not alone in this, okay, and because you're so busy and you know working in the business too much, it's very easy to look back on the year and be like oh, you know, I didn't really. I don't feel like I really accomplished as much as I wanted to, but that's just because you're freaking tired, so let's go through my list because it's kind of ridiculous. So I served over 50 coaching students this year, in both groups and one-on-one. That's 50 lives impacted, businesses transformed, transformed and dreams brought closer to reality. At least that is my hope and wish, and I love, love, love, love my coaching business. I love my group coaching. I love working one-on-one. It's just super fulfilling for me to see people thrive, make more money, be more efficient and live happier lives.

Speaker 1: 12:13

I also produced another full year of this podcast by myself. Yes, I had to let go of all the help that was helping me produce this podcast. So ChatGPT, just as a side note, has basically become my BFF, my assistant. I mean my ride or die, basically. At this point, chatgpt is saving my butt this year. So if you're not using ChatGPT to its fullest extent, I highly recommend spending that 20 bucks on the plus version because it makes such a huge difference.

Speaker 1: 12:51

And if you're having trouble knowing how to use ChatGPT or prompt it, I have something for you called Content Fuel. I'll link it in the show notes. It's basically over 250 and growing prompts so that you can start using it super efficiently, like I am and, honestly, because I can't have someone helping me with the podcast I needed ChatGPT to do a lot of the heavy lifting for me, and it really has. So I have a master prompt that I use that helps me do all the things from blog to social posts, captions, everything with respect to the podcast, and it's just been amazing. It also helps me come up with content, ideas, scripts, all the things. So, anyway, just a little side note for you. But, yes, I produced another year of this podcast and I absolutely love doing this podcast for you guys, so I'd love to hear from you too. I mean, I definitely have some amazing ideas coming for you guys, but I would love to know what you guys would love to hear from you too. I mean, I definitely have some amazing ideas coming for you guys, but I would love to know what you guys would like to hear about too. So let me know over on Instagram.

Speaker 1: 13:56

Another accomplishment for me this year is in terms of revenue. I pulled in over $220,000 in revenue between both my coaching and my photography businesses. Both are full-time. My coaching and my photography businesses both are full time, and that's basically what I make normally, so that's right on target for me. I had hopes of making more than that this year, but I am just grateful that it stayed the same and that I had all the work that I had Again, super, super grateful. This was a year that I actually really needed both sides of the business to do that. So that's obviously not counting expenses and things like that, that's straight revenue. But I purposely cut back on some of my photography over the last couple of years to make more room for coaching.

Speaker 1: 14:47

And last year I was really on target to have the coaching pull forward and then the strikes happened and then I had to readjust my sales. But that's the beauty of running your own business you can readjust, but you really need to be paying attention to your numbers in order to do that. So I mean, I can't tell you how many potential coaching clients I get on the phone with to talk about whether they're a good fit for coaching, and a lot of you guys do not know your numbers. I'll ask you what did you make last month? What did you make last year? What are you projected to make this year? And a lot of you guys do not know at all. You think you might make this, or? I mean, I understand that it's a range, but, like you need to know, you need to know those hard numbers. Numbers don't lie. So in order to be able to adjust and readjust on a dime, you got to know. So if you haven't done that, please go look at your numbers for 2024.

Speaker 1: 15:46

I ended up photographing over 45 sessions and you know that's basically a combination that's mostly seniors, some headshots, some branding, things like that. I also created monthly content, obviously for my elevate groups, content that's helping other photographers grow and thrive in a myriad of ways. I also made an extra $17,000 in affiliate sales, which is really, really awesome. I love affiliates, I love working with brands. That's been super fun. So that's a combination of all kinds of different stuff, between TikTok shop affiliate to working with brands, to selling other people's courses, even all kinds of stuff, yeah, so really really cool.

Speaker 1: 16:36

And all of that really means that I was able to keep my family afloat, like I said, as the breadwinner, which is a win that words can't even capture for me. If you would have told the 2005 version of me that I would one day be able to consistently bring in this amount of money every year and support my family like this. I would have like dropped to my knees Like, oh my God, yes. So if you are struggling and you can't even seem to fathom making that amount, I'm here to tell you that it is 100% a possibility. 100% you can do anything you put your mind to, as long as you've got a plan and you've got the right mindset and you've got the support. One of my coaching students I just had her one-on-one the other day. She's an Elevate VIP and she hit 80K this year for the first time ever. So she's on target to make six figures next year and it's just so exciting to see this happen in real time.

Speaker 1: 17:38

I also created and delivered a 90 minute keynote on clarity and that felt like such a milestone for me as a coach and as a speaker, because you know I talked to you guys a lot here. I do a lot of Zooms, but speaking in person is a whole different thing, and speaking for 90 minutes with a structured presentation is another thing. Entirely right To a room of fellow photographers, I was just at the TCPPA up in Minnesota and they had me come out and speak to their members at their Christmas party. I also did a YouTube with my lab partner, white House Custom Color. I had a really good conversation with Matt, all about mindset, clarity, abundance, sales. I actually added the video that we did to my blog post for this podcast so that you can just watch it there. I will put the link to that in the show notes for you. But I really think that, especially if you're a photographer, you will get a lot out of that. But speaking at the TCPPA was really amazing and I created a whole workbook that we had printed for them. It's a big deal. It was a really big deal for me, so I'm proud of myself for getting that done. I also ran an incredible retreat earlier this year for my Elevate VIP group and we had such a great time. I got to see a few of them when I was up in Minnesota. But I am planning another retreat, hopefully in like May-ish of next year, in 2025. And I want this one to be really, really focused on mainly business mindset marketing, not necessarily shooting. I feel like we need some more of the other stuff, but we'll see how this develops and if you guys are interested in joining us, just shoot me a DM and let me know.

Speaker 1: 19:31

In some non-related business accomplishments. I am still prioritizing my health and I have kept the weight off that I lost in 2023. And I'm doing great and I feel great, so that's a huge win for me. I prioritize my nervous system regulation, which is a really big reason why I'm able to keep that weight off, and it's the only reason I haven't lost my shit this year like that. I'm not in a loony bin because this was a lot for anybody, but I have created some really awesome habits and exercises for myself and some non-negotiables, and it's paying off.

Speaker 1: 20:09

I also was able to visit my family in Louisiana and I helped two of my kids move. Neither of those were easy moves, but it was so great to be able to do that for my kids One of them, you know I flew across the country to do so another reason why running your own business is awesome. I'm able to pad that in and make it happen. I survived having $13,000 worth of gear stolen as well. That was a really rough moment. Having $13,000 worth of gear stolen as well, that was a really rough moment, but hey, thankfully for PPA, I have insurance and all is well on that front, so I was able to replace my gear and I booked a commercial this year, which was not on my bingo card, but it was really fun. So I don't know, maybe I'll do some more. I'm sure there's other things that I missed, but those are the main things that came up when I was thinking about what I actually did this year.

Speaker 1: 21:04

So let's talk about how you can start reflecting and celebrating your own wins. Here's a practice that I use with my coaching students and obviously I do as well. Start with gratitude. Okay, take five minutes. Write down three things that you're really grateful for in your business or your creative journey in general. Gratitude shifts your brain into a state of abundance, almost like immediately. Make a did it list. Okay, instead of a to-do list, write down all the things you've already accomplished this year, big or small, it all counts.

Speaker 1: 21:36

What helps me is opening my calendar. Okay, especially if you are organized and you use a CRM, which I hope you do. I'm able to look at my CRM and go month by month and just looking at the jobs I had, the things that I had on the calendar that month, really helps me go. Oh, yes, that's right, I did this. It helps bring me back to the awareness of what I actually was doing, you know, months and months ago. It feels like a lifetime.

Speaker 1: 22:05

Another thing you can do is identify your patterns. What did your wins tell you about your strengths? What can you build on for next year? Because, again, we're going to be projecting. It's not just about reflecting, but you want to project as well. And then you want to really anchor these in. Like you can use a technique that I use in NLP, like visualization anchoring. Close your eyes and really picture your biggest win from this year, like what you consider the most amazing thing that happened, and now amplify that feeling and imagine carrying it with you into the next goal. Like, really take it in, allow it to integrate into your nervous system, really feel the feelings on how amazing it is to have accomplished that, so that you can get more of it.

Speaker 1: 22:55

And then, really, you need to just be celebrating it Seriously. Take some time to celebrate it. You need to just be celebrating it Seriously. Take some time to celebrate it, all your wins, really, whether it's treating yourself to something special or simply saying to yourself like I'm so proud of myself in the mirror, looking at yourself in the mirror and saying it, those things really matter, but you really need to set aside some time to celebrate what you accomplished. You deserve it. You're worthy of that, really, you are All right.

Speaker 1: 23:23

So I'm going to wrap this episode up because I am getting really sleepy, because it's nice and cozy and warm in my bed, so I'm going to continue prioritizing my nervous system and allow myself to rest, but I hope that you got some value from this. I hope that you really are able to sit down and reflect on your own wins, your own accomplishments, so that you can project forward. This is a lot of what I'm doing with my groups right now, on our calls. This week, with Elevate, I'm walking them through a really specific exercise focused on abundance as well as projection into 2025, so that we can start to truly integrate these feelings in a deeper way. Imagine having somebody in your corner who helps you see the wins you're too close to notice, who helps you reprogram those limiting beliefs and who guides you to create a business that you love, one that's profitable and sustainable. That's what coaching with me looks like.

Speaker 1: 24:21

So, if you're ready to go deeper, to reflect on your wins and build on them in ways that you never imagined, I'd love to work with you, whether it's joining me inside of either of my Elevate programs VIP or foundation or working with me one-on-one. There's space for you to thrive. So here's your challenge Take 10 minutes today to reflect on your wins. It really shouldn't take you that long. And here's your challenge Take 10 minutes today to reflect on your wins. It really shouldn't take you that long, and I know you have 10 minutes. Write them down, say them out loud, celebrate them, hit me up on Instagram and let me know you did it. If you need accountability, and when you're ready to take this work deeper, let's connect Until next time, and remember you're doing better than you think. Keep shining, keep creating and keep celebrating you. Okay, talk to you guys soon. Love you, bye.