Evolution of RMP Part 4: Beyond Just Me

Who is ready for the final part of the evolution of RMP?! I would recommend going back and reading part 1, part 2, and part 3 before diving into this post.

This blog, my friends, is going to be a little bit different. We are talking about things that haven’t even happened yet. Yep, we are talking about what the future holds for RMP. Or at least the vision I have for this business’ future. Also, there are a lot of pictures of my face in this post.

If you follow me on Instagram, you see how many times I have given a shout out to the amazing goal planner I started using in 2019. Powersheets. They are not kidding when they use the word power in their title. These goal planners take you on a journey they call ‘prep work.’ 59 pages filled with thought provoking questions. Pages with clean, organized space for you to uncover, and then declare, your goals. Tony Robbins is quoted as saying,

‘If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.’

Powersheets has a way of forcing you down new avenues. It allows you the margin to push forward into novel territory. It helps in getting you to do new things, so that you achieve things you’ve never experienced! By the end of the prep work, Powersheets guides you to create mini goals. These mini goals are at the heart of the process. Each small step towards the finish line is one step farther from where you started. Sometimes that step is setting your alarm 1 minute earlier this week. And two minutes next week. Until eventually, you are a person who wakes up at 5:00am. The step could be putting gym clothes in a bag the night before work. Asking for a recommendation from a trusted friend. Reading a 2 minute daily devotional. Choosing your client’s experience over anything and everything else.

Last year? By using the power of the Powersheets, I…

• Created a morning gratitude ritual that I have maintained since 1-1-19!
• Invested in a fitness community that I have been part of since July. I go hang out with my Burn sisters 4+ days a week.
• Fed my hunger to learn by finding inspirational, uplifting, and instructive podcasts that I listen to on my work commute. Every day.
• Joined a bible study group and have grown my relationship with Jesus to a place it has never been before.

And drumroll…

• Increased RMP’s profit by 162%! What the what! (my original goal was just increasing by 30%!)

With all these accomplishments I was blessed to review over the past year, I have made even BIGGER goals for myself this 2020. There is always a level of discomfort when you reach for the next level. Imposter syndrome. Second guessing. But I knew at the end of 2019, that I needed a strong and stable foundation so I could focus more energy on building relationships with my clients. After all, my number one goal will always be, how can I best serve you? What did I need as the business owner to help me focus the energy needed to serve you best?

And so, I began my research.

I asked fellow photographers for advice. What would be the next best thing for my clients? How could I expand the RMP client experience? I received a lot of feedback. Attend a business conference (if anyone wants to go-fund me a ticket to Rise Conference, I wouldn’t turn that down). Set up styled shoots. Get into weddings. Learn all about flat-lays. Invest in Facebook ads. So many options. I took around a month of thinking and praying for my best options to be revealed.

I finally narrowed it down to three ideas. All three were big financial investments. The biggest since the initial educational courses I took two years earlier. One option was the pretty, shiny, ‘photographyland’ idea. The second option was dramatically upgrading my equipment. And my last idea was a foundational, behind the scenes option.

Let me preface. As a small business owner, you feel the weight of every decision made. Because its just you. You make the decision. For good or bad. And then you are the one who lives through it. When I was faced with the three ideas I had to start off 2020, I reeeeeeally wanted to do the pretty, shiny option. It would be the most fun. And it would require the least amount of invested time. And it would be shiny AND pretty!

But.

I gave myself the space to look at RMP from a mountain-top view. I expanded my vision to not just 2020, but 5-10-15 years down the road. It was with this reflection that I made another decision. Because I had far exceeded my 30% growth goal for 2019, I was blessed with the opportunity to invest in not one but TWO of my ideas! I never would have dreamed it probable, but I was not going with the shiny and pretty. I had decided to upgrade my camera to a full-frame and I invested in a customer relationship management (CRM) software called Dubsado.

Let me just tell you.

Looking back, I wouldn’t have changed the initial investments I made in this business. The photography education alone is and will always be the biggest recommendation I can give to anyone starting out on a new adventure. It condensed a lot of time, heart ache, and missteps very early in my career. With that being said, Dubsado and my new full frame camera have been game changers for my business!

For my loyal RMP clients who have been with me from the early check-writing, to the eventual different platforms of scheduling, invoicing, questionnaires, & contract management, the Dubsado experience will be a breath of fresh air. My favorite feature? I curate a Client Portal within Dubsado all for you! It is one location that houses all of our email communications, invoices, questionnaires, contracts, license agreements, and Style Guides. Just the one! No more having to bookmark 4 different websites. No more having to create logins. Just one and done! It is also really exciting for repeat clients too, because your Client Portal will continue to build over the years. It may be a fun way to reminisce when expecting your second newbie, to read through your questionnaire from when you scheduled your engagement session! I am so excited to serve you better by streamlining the Welcome Packet process for you all!

And straight up. Nearly every single photo I took of the first session with my new camera was bomb. Tack sharp images. Beautiful skin tones. True to life coloring. I was giddy with excitement! I couldn’t stop giggling when I was culling through the session. I don’t think there is any better way to serve you best than by providing the highest quality photos from your sessions!

So with these two big changes entering into RMP over the past few months, I am looking forward to the future. I cannot wait to get more experience with my new camera with you on the other side. I can’t wait to see how much you all enjoy Dubsado’s design and experience. By always keeping the question of ‘how can I best serve you’ at the front of my business, I know I am heading in the right direction. You might be thinking, but what does that look like? And the answer is Ikigai.

‘The essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.’
– Hector Garcia Puigcerver, Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

So far, I have found something to do. I use my camera to capture engagements, couples before they become a family of three, dog moms, nieces and nephews, friends, family and everything in between.

I have found something to love. I LOVE making you laugh during your session. When I get a real giggle (even if it is because I am acting like a total FOOL), it sets my soul on fire. True laughter, captured on camera, is the truest form of art (in my humble opinion).

The one thing I hope for in the midst of all the things? That I have, on some small level, impacted your life in a positive way. I think that is all that any of us can hope for. Forging our path and leaving joy and beauty behind. If this crazy photographer can help create a happy memory during your session, or remind you to slow down enough to be connected with your partner, or finally get documentation of your two year old’s REAL smile, then that will be enough. That will make me the happiest entrepreneur you have ever met. Oh, and don’t forget the coffee.

All my love,
Rach