We’re ending Season 2 with the episode we wish we could have listened to when we first started our food photography businesses. Today, we’re getting brutally honest about the biggest mistakes we made. From messy pricing decisions to boundaries we didn’t set soon enough and all the burnout-inducing habits in between.
This isn’t about shame or regret. It’s about sharing the lessons we learned the hard way, so you don’t have to stumble through the same challenges. We talk through the moments that shaped us, the habits we’ve outgrown, and what we’d do differently if we were starting our photography careers again today.
If you’re in the early stages of building your creative business (or you’ve been doing this for years and just feel like you need some guiding tips) this episode will give you comforting honesty, mindset shifts and practical takeaways you can implement right away.
WHAT NOT TO DO, WHERE WE WENT WRONG AND WHAT WE LEARNED
In this conversation, we open up about:
- Underpricing ourselves and overdelivering
- Ignoring red flags because we “really needed the job”
- Letting work bleed into every hour of the day
- Feeling embarrassed to negotiate or raise rates
- Neglecting our networks and missing opportunities
- Taking on too many low-value projects and burning out
- Relying too much on referrals instead of marketing strategically
We break down how each mistake happened, what it cost us (emotionally and financially) and how making different decisions changed the trajectory of our businesses.
MORE ABOUT FOCUS & FLOURISH PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS TALK
Focus & Flourish, Photography Business Talk is where food photographers and creative entrepreneurs come to learn how to build sustainable, profitable, fulfilling businesses. Hosted by Marta and Linda, the show blends honest stories with practical tools for marketing, pricing, workflow, and career growth – helping you strengthen both your business strategy and your creative confidence.
