Most of our lives are filled with too much pressure.

Financial pressure, expectations, emails, messages and… time pressure. When you have your own business, time pressure and the constant feeling of being about to drown because you simply don’t have time to it all can easily bring you to the point of breakdown.

Shooting, organising studio and props, editing, ordering, answering emails and messages from clients, and on top of all this… MARKETING.

Social media.

Blogs, welcome guides, reels, ads, websites.

No wonder time, or the lack of it, is something we need to address so often during our coaching call on the Marketing Mastermind for Newborn Photographers.

But since all of these activities are essential to our business… is there even a solution to the problem?

After all, being too busy – literally to the point of burnout – is not only seen as normal but often celebrated. 

WHY “TOO BUSY” IS NOT OK

Truth is, being “too busy” does not only make us sick in the long term, it can also have catastrophic consequences for our business. Being too busy, and too tired, often means things don’t happen fast enough because you are always trying to catch up with what needs to be done.

This also means your energy, creativity and brainpower are not being used much for “high level” decisions and planning.

We are so busy working on the daily maintenance of our “car” that we lose sight of what matters the most: our destination, and how to get there.

STEP 1: WHERE TO START

Ever noticed how, when you feel overwhelmed, even the tiniest request or annoyance can push you over the edge?

That I just can’t do this feeling.

So here is the first recommendation: write a list of all the activities you are responsible for in your business.

Important: I am NOT asking you for a to-do list.

Your list should resemble something like:

  • Handling enquiries and bookings
  • Shooting
  • Editing
  • Accounting
  • Buying props
  • Cleaning the studio
  • Social Media (list platforms)
  • Blog posts
  • Google My Business
  • Updating the website
  • Advertising

Write down as much as you can.
Then keep this list with you and keep adding to it.

STEP TWO: DO I NEED THIS?

Look at the activities you have marked and answer the following questions:

  1. How is this going to affect my business?
  2. Is it really necessary?
  3. Is it urgent?

Something necessary and urgent should, indeed, be addressed first.

Urgent but not necessary… should only be done when you have extra time, or outsourced when you have extra money.

Eliminate everything that is not necessary and write it on a separate list.

“I REALLY DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!”

In the early days of my career, I remember spending Saturday evenings trying to learn how to do things I didn’t know how to do, fully aware that it wasn’t “my job” and that it was taking me much longer than it should have.

At the beginning that sometimes wasn’t even a choice, I just didn’t have the money to pay someone to do it.

But then, as time passed and the business kept growing, that habit did not leave me.

I got busier and busier, but I was still doing everything. 

One part of me still felt like I needed to save money for “more important things”, another part of me didn’t think others would do as good as a job.

After all, I was a perfectionist.

Until, one day, the reality of what I was doing started to sink in.

1 – The more time I was spending time doing things that “weren’t my job” (for example, building a website) the less time I had for those activities that could help me get more clients.

And you know what? That’s how you make money.

Money that you can in part invest to free more of your time, get more clients and live a more sustainable life.

2 – In most situations, I didn’t need my “suppliers” to do a perfect job.

If they were good enough to take the job from 0% to 90%, I could take it to 100%, get a great final product in 1/10 of the time.

Starting to outsource also gave me a chance to test suppliers, build a relationship with them and give them a chance to learn more about my business. Some of them have now been working with me for years and my “final touches” take minutes, not hours.

3 – Time and freedom have simply no price.

Our time is limited, for real. 

So how much is an hour of your time worth it? And should you really spend it doing something you should not be doing in the first place?

For me, the answer is not and let me tell you one thing: the sense of relief I felt the first time I paid someone $80 that gave me a free evening to do what I wanted was inebriating.

Back to your list, chances are sometimes you feel the way I described at the beginning of this section.

That “I could use this money for something else” and “I know I would not be happy, I am a perfectionist”.

I want you to mark all activities that make you feel like that.

A few that I think might be on your list: website (especially building it), blog posts, admin, accounting.

One part of me still felt like I needed to save money for “more important things”, another part of me didn’t think others would do as good as a job.

After all, I was a perfectionist.

STEP FOUR: EVALUATE OPTIONS

Now you should have a list of activities that are necessary to your business and that you should not be doing.

Some of them will be urgent, some won’t.

Start from the urgent ones and evaluate options for outsourcing.

Ask in your favourite Facebook groups, ask other local businesses, and have a look at platforms like Fiverr.

When it comes to platforms like Fiverr please be extra careful with gigs that are way too cheap. There is always a reason.

Also, contact the seller before placing an order. Ask if they have worked with anyone in your industry before and, if that is the case, ask if you can see a sample of their work.

If not, ask for other samples.

And then just do it.

Outsourcing most of your activities won’t be a huge investment, so don’t waste weeks making a decision!

Part of your job as a business owner is to evaluate risks and make small decisions quickly, so your business can keep moving forward and your time and energy can be spent on what really matters.


Hi, I am Giulia (weird, uh? It sounds like Julia – but it’s written with a “Gi”) and I am the founder of Grow Your Photography Studio.

I am known for my no-BS, hands-on approach to helping newborn photographers get more clients and grow a business they actually enjoy running. I believe marketing should not be a “necessary evil” and that taking action is the first and most fundamental step toward success.

Feeling on the brink of burnout? Read our guide “Photographers on the brink of burnout

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first

If you ever opened a Facebook group dedicated to newborn photography and wondered why you don’t have it all figured out while (almost) every other photographer has, I have 3 reminders for you:

1 – You are not alone

What you see on social is only a glimpse of other people’s reality. Of course, not everybody around you is lying about their business (and life) – but we all feel compelled to share our best, especially in spaces like (Facebook groups) where we fear other people’s judgement.

Even those photographers who’ve been successful for years don’t have it ALL figure out. You grow and face new challenges, new unknowns and new fears.

2 – Uncertainty is inevitable…

… and “being busy” is not a cure for it.

To say it with Brené Brown “Uncertainty is a necessary part of getting where you want to go” (I also recommend reading this article on How to live with uncertainty written by Dr Brené Brown)

Leaning into uncertainty and being able to face our fears often results in breakthroughs and creativity which are essential for growing a business in this day and age.

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.”

Joseph Campbell

3 – Sometimes it’s good to… look back

A few weeks ago, looking for an old landing page, I had a look at the first Grow Your Photography Studio’s website and that got me thinking about the first few months in business.

No matter the training and experience I had when I started this journey, the amount of things I have figured out is still incredible. And you know what? I am proud of it.

And so should you.

Especially looking at the last two years, you should be incredibly proud that you were able to navigate your business through lockdowns, restrictions and months without work.

None of us had a roadmap for this, but you made it through it.


Feeling on the brink of burnout? Read our guide “Photographers on the brink of burnout

Thinking about our Marketing Mentoring programme? Read this first