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Are you wearing a million different hats in your photography business—and wondering why you feel constantly overwhelmed, and stuck at the same income level no matter how hard you work?
If you’re trying to grow a business that’s profitable, sustainable, and aligned with your lifestyle goals, there’s one shift you must make: Stop doing it all yourself!
Systems and outsourcing aren’t just time-savers, they’re growth strategies. Whether you’re an established photographer looking to scale or still in the messy middle of growing your business, this is the mindset shift that will help you elevate into the CEO role your business needs.
Wearing All the Hats Is Keeping You Small
Let’s start with the obvious: most photographers are running their businesses solo. That means you’re likely filling the roles of:
- Photographer
- Editor
- Bookkeeper
- Graphic designer
- Web designer + developer
- Copywriter
- Blogger
- Social media manager
- Content producer
- Marketing
- Sales
- Customer support
- Researcher
- Travel agent
- Personal assistant
- …and CEO (don’t forget that one!)
That’s 16+ roles. Sixteen! It’s no wonder you feel drained.
But here’s the truth: it’s not humanly possible for one person to do all of that at a high level. You might be doing some of it well, but trying to keep up with it all is coming at the cost of your energy, your creativity, your time—and likely, your profit too.
Why Hustling Harder Isn’t the Answer
If your business isn’t growing the way you want it to, or if your to-do list feels never-ending despite working all the hours, the solution isn’t to get more done.
It’s to do less of the wrong things—and more of the right things.
Enter: The 80/20 Rule (also called the Pareto Principle)
This principle says that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts.
So the million-dollar question becomes: What’s your 20%? What’s actually generating enquiries, bookings, revenue and profit?
Most photographers spend far too much time on tasks that feel productive but don’t actually grow their business—like endlessly editing galleries, refreshing their website, or answering emails.
These tasks might feel urgent, and while they are necessary they aren’t the ones that move the needle.
How to Find Your 20% (The Profit-Driving Work)
Your numbers will guide you—if you let them.
Start by tracking and noticing results across four key areas:
- Revenue: Which packages or services bring in the most income?
- Marketing: Where are your best enquiries coming from?
- Bookings: What sales method is converting best?
- Delivery: Which aspects of your workflow run smoothly (and which don’t)?
Even a simple spreadsheet that tracks these simple numbers can reveal where your business is thriving—and where you’re wasting time. Knowing this allows you to double down on what works and delegate what doesn’t directly grow the business, yet still needs to get done.
Focus on What Only You Can Do
Once you identify your 20%, the next step is asking: Which of these tasks actually require me?
For instance you are the only one who can:
- Show up on camera and build a personal brand
- Lead client communication and create trust
- Build authentic relationships with vendors, venues, and planners
- Direct your creative vision and shoot sessions
- Scout locations
- Review the numbers
- Do quarterly and annual planning
- Dream up and strategise new revenue streams
You are not the only one who can:
- Cull and edit galleries
- Schedule social media posts
- Respond to admin emails
- Create wedding timelines
- Update your website
- Design lead magnets
- Design photo albums
- Do bookkeeping
- Track key metrics
- Blog
- …the list goes on!
The key is to let go of control over low-leverage tasks—without sacrificing quality. You can still review gallery edits, maintain your signature style, and ensure everything aligns with your brand.
Guard Your Time and Attention
We hear a lot about time being our most valuable resource—but attention is just as important.
“Control of consciousness determines the quality of your life.”– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
What you give your attention to each day is shaping the results of your business (not to mention your life). In the attention economy, distractions are everywhere—DMs, emails, notifications, scrolling…
It’s nearly impossible to be creative or strategic when your brain is in survival mode, reacting to everything. This is where systems come in:
- Time-blocking
- The Pomodoro Technique
- Batch working
- Weekly CEO days
- Quarterly planning days
- Annual planning days
- Workflow systems
These structures help you reclaim your creative focus and get back in control of how you spend your energy. It’s not just about productivity—it’s about protecting your long-term vision.
Why Outsourcing Is the Smartest Growth Strategy
You don’t have to hire a full team to start outsourcing and begin implementing systems. Begin with one time-consuming task, like editing or blogging, and see how much energy it frees up.
And remember: what feels expensive now may be costing you more in lost opportunities.
Instead of spending 10 hours editing a gallery, imagine using those hours to:
- Pitch yourself to new venues or planners
- Add a print and album upsell offer to your client experience workflow
- Develop a social media strategy that attracts ideal clients rather than posting on the fly
- Create valuable content that attracts ideal clients
- Enhance your sales skills and increase your booking rate
The value of what you could be doing is often far greater than the hourly rate you’d pay someone else for a lower leveraged task.
Ask Yourself These Questions to Help You Step Into CEO Mode
- What am I doing that drains my energy but doesn’t grow my business?
- What am I holding onto that someone else could do better or faster?
- What tasks can I automate, simplify, or let go of entirely?
- What would it look like to free up 5 hours this week?
- What decisions would the future version of me delegate?
Final Thoughts
Scaling your business isn’t about working more. It’s about working better.
By finding your 20%, protecting your attention, outsourcing what you can and putting systems in place, you create more space for the work that actually grows your business and your wealth.
So the next time you feel like your calendar is running your life, take a step back and ask: Is this the best use of my time—or is it time to level up my systems and support?
