Growing a Thicker Skin – Part Two

Intro by Skip Cohen

Sarah Petty and her team never slow down in hitting topics to help you build not only a more substantial, more profitable business but a better YOU!

Over the last year, probably more than ever in our lives, we’ve all had moments when our skin just wasn’t thick enough. Hunkered down, we’ve often been dealing with a level of isolation and the challenge of interpreting what somebody’s saying without the benefit of eye contact, facial expressions, or even their tone.

So, we assume the worst, and as Sarah calls it, we build “head trash.” We’ve become hyper-sensitive and hang on to that trash until it starts to hurt our creativity and quite simply love for the profession we’re in.

I love Sarah’s point five and the importance of putting yourself out there. It’s your vulnerability that makes you unique, and as long as you’re doing your very best, that’s all that matters.

My old buddy, Dean Collins, had a great line that brought everyone’s opinion of his images into perspective,

Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder!

It’s the relationship you build with your clients that matters. I’ve seen so many photographers allow themselves to be crushed by their peers in threads on Facebook, for example. It’s time to grow that thicker skin Sarah’s referring to, and in the months ahead – simply do your best and to her point, don’t lose sight of who you are and that you ARE a good person!

By Sarah Petty 

#4 Realize This Starts At Home

Teach yourself not to indulge in the drama of your personal life. Once you do this, it starts to go away.If you have people in your life who pull you down instead of lifting you up, lean the other way.

Life is too short to keep yourself close to them.

Growing a Thicker Skin – Part 2

#5 Get Over Yourself

In order to succeed in business, you have to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. You might have to publicly make a mistake and apologize. If you do your best to fix things out of love, people will understand.

We’re all human and can only do our best. This is hard, but the more you put yourself out there, the better your life will get.

The best way to get better is to do it, mess up, and learn how to fix it.

That’s how we grow.

#6 Remember You’re a Good Person 

At the end of the day, you’re a good person.

You’re doing your best to create a business that thrills people, and if someone doesn’t love your prices or your photography, that’s okay. Let it go. You have to keep going.

Don’t let negative comments give you head trash about how you’re a bad person, you’re not. This is just part of life.

Dealing with worry is one of the hardest things about being in business. Some people just look to plant seeds of fear and doubts in others. You can’t control what people say, but you can control your reaction to it.

If you’ve done something wrong, do your best to make it right and then move on. If someone thinks you have the worst business in the world, that’s their opinion.

Let it go.

Remember, it’s not always about you.

I want you to remind yourself that you are doing the work to become a better person, lift others up, and create beautiful artwork that gives people goosebumps.

You are worth what you’re charging. I believe that the more you believe in yourself, the better things will go for you. I will believe in you until you can believe in yourself.