Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sara Plett. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I love this question, but it is too broad for me to cover in a few paragraphs. To keep this brief, I’ll specifically be addressing my opinion on being successful in business.

What do I think it takes to be successful? Remembering your “why”.

Most businesses “fail” within 3-5 years and often times it comes from something called “burnout”. Burnout is when one is physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted and can result from many factors such as lack of boundaries, overworking oneself, and finally, forgetting why one set out to do this in the first place.

Successful business owners feel this exhaustion just as non-successful business owners do. In my opinion, what revitalizes them is remembering their mission—remembering *why* they set out to create their business.

To provide a personal example: my mission is to create timeless photographs for my clients. I am passionate about preserving memories that might otherwise be lost through photos. I want people to look at the photos we took together and be transported back to some of the most special moments of their lives.

Whenever I feel that exhaustion I do a few things. First, I consider my boundaries. I’ve learned that when I say “yes” to everything, I am actually saying “no” to something else, and that is usually for my personal happiness. I remind myself that success looks different to me than it does to others. Finally, I remind myself of my mission. I remind myself of why I set out to do this in the first place.

If you are feeling burnt out and not sure if you can continue in your business, I encourage you to 1. create boundaries that protect your wellbeing, 2. Create your personal definition of success and stop measuring yourself by others’ definition, 3. Remind yourself of your “why”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Your life is made up of thousands of beautiful moments. Each day, you make new memories, and each day, some memories slip away. I am passionate about the preservation of these moments and I feel that one of my callings is to memorize them for you through photography.

My name is Sara, and I am a wedding and portrait photographer based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I’ve loved photography since I was 12 years old. At first, my entry into the profession was simply out of love for the creative aspect. But as I learned more about the impact photos have, I became passionate about creating photos people can look back on in the decades to come and remember the beautiful times they had.

I want people to remember their day as it was and because of this, my brand centers around “timeless and true” as a concept. I edit my photos true-to-life and incorporate natural posing as well as documentary-style photography. I want to create photos with you that you will look back on in 20 years and you feel transported back to that day.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to stop using other people’s ideas of success to measure my worth.

When I started photography, I wanted to photograph a large number of weddings every year. At the time, having an overly packed schedule seemed to be the mark of a successful business owner. I quickly realized that not only was this exhausting but that it was not sustainable for me. Sooner or later, I would crash.

I also had to unlearn “hustle culture” and learn how to value myself outside of what I could produce. My worth is not dictated by the capital I create.

Once I learned this, I took on fewer bookings. I stopped worrying so much about posting on social media. I created boundaries around my time.

I am SO much happier now. I feel like I can focus more on creating good relationships with my clients and truly take my time with their gallery. My health is better, my personal relationships are stronger, and my love for life is back.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Resources – I knew about them, but I didn’t utilize them. I wish I had attended more community events earlier in my journey because my community is a huge part of what keeps me going! If you have a community event in the future, I highly encourage you to attend.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://saraplettphotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraplettphoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saraplettphoto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-plett-395331142/

Image Credits
Sara Plett Photography