We recently connected with Natalie Werness and have shared our conversation below.

Natalie, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being happy as a business owner can be a bit of a roller coaster ride – the lows are lower and the highs are higher! The thrill of experiencing success, having ecstatic clients, moving through challenges and providing for your family while making your own schedule – is incredible. On the other hand, the pressure to perform, the lack of boundaries between your business and personal life, the fear that arises when things are slow, needing to learn how to wear every single hat of an entrepreneur WELL – can be all consuming when all of the responsibility is on your shoulders.

Sometimes I consider going back to a regular job – it would be much simpler to have a social life, when I would have weekends off instead of photographing weddings and sessions. In the age of social media it’s hard to have boundaries between “work” mode and personal life – and some days it would feel like less pressure to just clock into a more anonymous regular job. When I do struggle with overwhelm as a business owner, I think back to my last job before this. The way I would resent having to work on projects or goals that I didn’t really care about, having to clock in at a certain time, not being able to control my income very much. The challenges AND the potential for success are so much greater when you are steering your own ship. The risk is greater – but so is your potential success.

When I first went full time with my business just over 7 years ago, my uncle made a comment that has always stuck with me. He had just retired from a successful teaching career, and was living comfortably in retirement. As I told him about my plans to leave corporate America to work as a solopreneur, he remarked “I could never do that”. Although I know he meant it as a well-intentioned caution to my choice to depart from the traditional career path, I distinctly remember feeling a sense of (maybe a little naively cocky) confidence – that yes, this was a risk. But I also knew that I wasn’t just betting on my specific skill of photography – I was betting on myself. To change course if needed, to develop new skills, to pursue new opportunities if the road got rocky. Once you become an entrepreneur, you realize that the main skill you need is teachability – to always be pursuing your own growth. If a certain business venture doesn’t pan out – we will pivot. We grind. We will find OUR way.

I have been working for myself full time for 7 years now… and I hope to soon learn how to trust the ebbs and flows of business, in order to enjoy the ride and not stress out so much. That, I think is the key to being happy as a business owner.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a wedding and family photographer. I have been full-time with my business, Bauer Creative, since 2017. When I first went out on my own, I had more of a hybrid business – I also offered graphic design and admin services to clients to help meet my income needs! After a few years of growing the photography side of my business, I decided to niche down and only offer photography. I really think this helped me become better at my craft – it’s really hard to be excellent at two different creative ventures (at least for me it was)! Now, I have found this amazing community of people – past and present clients, many of whom start out as wedding clients and then become family clients as they become parents and celebrate new milestones. The heart of my photography is to capture connection – to really serve my clients in a way that makes them feel comfortable, natural and connect with the people they love during their photo session. I love delivering photos that show people just how loved they are.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Community. Finding others (ideally locally) that you can learn from, bounce ideas off of and have that “coworker” relationship with even though you have separate businesses. It can feel vulnerable at first to meet new people, but it’s so worth it! I would not be where I am today without finding my little network here in Minneapolis!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The symbiotic relationship between me and my clients. Getting to spend my time creating work that I love and am proud of, and clients being thrilled with the result. Getting to connect with a lot of different people at exciting times of their lives, and documenting the joy and love for them to look back on for years to come!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bauer-creative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHMbZAfScBh/