Be the CEO: Managing Your Photography Business on Your Terms with Dorie Howell

As photographers and entrepreneurs, we have the gift of flexibility and being able to adjust and manage our business in whatever way works best for us. We can either be just another employee in our business, stuck to the whims of wherever the business takes us on any given day, or we can take control and start stepping into the CEO mindset as a business owner and use that flexibility to our advantage.

Dorie Howell is on the podcast this week to remind all of us to do just that: approach our business from the standpoint of a CEO. She’s a photographer herself, and one of her passions is helping other photographers envision the future they want for their lives, and then plan their business in a way that will support that vision.

In today’s episode, Dorie tells us all about her passion for creating businesses that support her life and the lives of her students in their own unique situations. She takes us through her own health journey, and explains how it’s made her a better business owner. And she encourages us to keep stepping out of our comfort zone, making big decisions, and thinking like a CEO so we can protect our time and energy to keep doing what we love.

What’s in this episode:

[02:19] Dorie’s history with photography and how she’s pivoted her business

[07:22] How Dorie’s phase of life means that she’s extra focused on creating a business that works for her life, not the other way around

[09:22] How Dorie helps her students envision the life they want for themselves in the future, and then figure out how their business can support that

[13:47] Why change is uncomfortable but necessary for positive change in your life

[16:24] Why raising prices is such a multifaceted issue and how to soften the process for photographers

[21:07] How the process of Dorie’s health improvement allowed her to become a better business owner too

[27:39] How identifying which parts of photography you love – and which ones you don’t (and can outsource) – can help photographers protect their time and avoid burnout

[30:40] Why you should be handling your business as a CEO instead of “just a photographer” 

[40:47] Why Dorie gets so much joy from teaching other photographers

If you’re ready to develop a CEO mindset and craft a business that supports the future you want for your life, tune in to this episode.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://themilkyway.ca/be-the-ceo-managing-your-photography-business-on-your-terms-with-dorie-howell/

Reserve your spot for the 2022 Online Business Retreat: https://themilkyway.ca/2022-business-retreat/