In this episode Oh Shoot! podcast, Cassidy Lynne talks about the fear of being self employed and so much more!
Listen to the full podcast on Spotify or watch the episode on YouTube!
In this episode, Cassidy Lynne talks about creative hobbies, and why you should implement hobbies into your business priorities.
Before we start with the podcast, I have some exciting updates!
- Something new & exciting happening for the podcast in the next couple of weeks!!!
- In the time that I batched all these episodes, I had my 26th birthday which is actually so crazy! I think I started this podcast when I was 22 -23 and now, I am 26!!
- Also, I launched my matcha powder on my birthday! You guys know I love my matcha! It’s not available anymore since it was a limited drop. But I might relaunch some of it again around Black Friday.
- Shot 2 weddings
- Booked one destination wedding which is sooo exciting!
- My weekender package is becoming very popular; I only do this package for destination weddings.
- I’m in a DIY mood
- Getting a washer & dryer upstairs in our house
- I’M GOING TO NEW YORK FASHION WEEK!!!!! I am shooting 2 shows!
Fear of Being Self Employed
this is a very personal episode for me. Specifically, this is how I have been feeling over the past couple of weeks. I just wanted to put it out there. Kind of verbalized it all so like I said I batched a lot of stuff just so I could have you know a good amount of time off in July and also for August. I actually intentionally tried not to book a lot in August so I could just have chill time. So, I haven’t had a lot to edit, and haven’t had anything to shoot. I batched and scheduled all my content. And after doing all of that I am sitting here, and I don’t have any brand work right now. For me personally brand work comes at the beginning of the year and the end of the year. The middle of the year is kind of a little dead not going to lie. During that time, I have just felt like I need to work for my business to stay afloat. This is not the case at all. But it’s like this guilt of if I don’t work my business is not going to succeed. But for some reason that’s how my brain thinks and then I spiral into a little bit of this anxiety over is my job sustainable. Can continue to do it for 5, 10, or 15 years, am I going to be able to retire?
Fear of Being Self Employed
Being self employed comes with all of these fears. One of them not having a job in the future. I’m sure a lot of you feel like this as well even if you’re not doing photography full-time. If you’re doing photography part-time or maybe you’re not even a photographer. You’re just listening to this there’s just like this fear and anxiety of not having a job in the future when you are the one who has created your job. I think part of it has to do with the fact that there’s not as much stability. Let’s be real, when you work for yourself it’s not like you’re in this position for this 200-year-old company that’s been around forever. They’ve had that position forever and you know they’ve budgeted it out for that position. And it’s basically like you just have to meet the performance standards in order to stay in that job. So, like if you perform well that job will always be yours. Like I don’t know let’s say you aren’t good at marketing. You’re great at your job but you’re not good at marketing maybe photography dwindles for you like do you guys know what I mean? There’s just this fear of not having a job in the future. I also have this anxiety about not doing my TX taxes properly or running my business properly.
Fear of Being Self Employed
Another thing that I worry about is saving for retirement or making good Investments. Because I’m just a 26-year-old girl running a business. I’m literally just a girl! How do I know how much to save for retirement? And you know a good solution for this is having a financial advisor. Someone that you know makes these good decisions. someone who can help you guide you and tell you what to invest in. When I got this step figured out in my business a huge weight got lifted off of my shoulders. And I don’t know exactly how it works but if you do contribute to a retirement fund it actually helps you tax-wise as well. That’s something that is just a little side note. I also worry about my demand going down and ultimately no one wanting me as their photographer. This is real, I know it sounds so stupid but it’s so real. And I know like everyone says oh there’s like a client for everyone. But for some reason my brain tells me like there’s a client for everyone except you.
Fear of Being Self Employed
I also worry have anxiety about social media becoming irrelevant. Because that is like one of my main sources of marketing. That’s a huge thing that I worry about, not being good enough basically having imposter syndrome. Like other people being better than me having better prices. And ultimately like no one booking with me or you know other influencers being better than me. Then Brands don’t work with me anymore because there are other better influencers out there. And you know that’s impostor syndrome at its core! And I think that’s like a huge thing I was facing these past couple of weeks is that imposter syndrome. Of I’m not really working that much. I’m scared that if I don’t work as much, I’m not going to be good enough. And you know no one’s going to want to work with me again. I worry about like eventually not making enough money for my business to pay my bills. Money is not really something that I talk about a ton on the podcast. I’m not like showcasing all of like my ins and outs of my bills. But I think like right now that’s not something that I have to worry about at all. And I’m so grateful. But I worry that in the future it is something I’m going to have to worry about. And I think because of that I am a chronic saver I’m a chronic saver with the spending habit lol. So I do save a lot like I am always saving saving saving but then like I go through these sprees of just like spending a lot.
Fear of Being Self Employed
One of the things that I want to talk about is how to create your own stability! Number one is to increase your income streams. I know it is easier to say it than actually do it. But if you can increase your income streams and you know diversify. That is going to allow you to maintain income for the most part. Now you know obviously things can happen where all your income streams can crash. But if you have passive income, if you also shoot if you also do some side work for a few Brands. If you are also, I don’t know work for a coffee shop or if you also sell prints. You do mini sessions like diversify where your money comes from. At the end of the day this will bring you stability.
Fear of Being Self Employed
Helpful things to remember:
- you can always get a job if you need to
- you’re not tied down to one profession…. YOUR JOB CAN CHANGE
- people change jobs ALLLLLL THE TIME!!!!
- think of your career in 2–3 year chunks of time
- anything longer than that…you’re just worrying for nothing
- being adaptable is key to maintaining your job
- you can always hire professionals in areas you don’t feel equips (aka taxes)
Show Notes:
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