Feature Friday: #CommunityOverCompetition

A few days ago, I posted about how I don't think there can be an over-saturated photography market. Most of the focus was on the client, but I talked a little bit about community as well. Today I want to focus in more on that community aspect and talk about why we don't need to be afraid of our so-called "competition".

I think that you can't foster community if you believe you live in an over-saturated market. That's why I talked about it first. If you think there is scarcity, then you view everyone else as competition and you can't be friends with your competition, right?

What if community actually helped your business? What if connections made us all better business owners? What if our community made us better able to serve the people who live around us and come to us for our services?

Encouragement is a small thing but so powerful. One of my goals is to be an encourager, especially on social media, but in real life too. Build people up. Let them know they are doing a great job. Tell them specific things you love about their work. We all crave encouragement and approval from our peers. It shouldn't define us, but it is nice and really gives us a boost. I can't tell you what it means to me when another photographer who I look up comments and tells me that my work is lovely or that I'm doing a good job. Here is someone ahead of me affirming what I'm doing. It's priceless!!!

Just recently, I had a women send me a message on Instagram. Here is what she said: "Hey Sarah! Just wanted to say that your work looks like it is really improving! Looks like you are great with the little kids too! Keep up the good work."

That MADE MY DAY!!!! I took a screenshot so I can save it. It's such a little thing, took her a minute to do, but it means the world to me.

I want to foster community around me and to that end, I took a step to set up a gathering. Nothing fancy, but I contacted as many local photographers as I could find and sent them a note saying I was planning a little meet up. Here's the date, time, and place. Hope you can come!

Really simple. A lot of people were busy, but they loved the idea and said the would be interested in future events. It didn't take me a ton of time and it cost zero dollars to set up. It's simply taking the initiative to set up the time and place; to provide the means for community to form.

Be an encourager. Foster community over competition. There is plenty of room for all of us :)

*If you are a photographer or entrepreneur/small business owner in the Metro Detroit area and would like to build community with us, send me an email or connect with me on Instagram. We'd love to have you!*