I STARTED MY PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS WHEN I WAS 15 YEARS OLD. I WAS AN AWKWARD, LANKY, GOT-BY-AT-SCHOOL TEENAGER. I HAD MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS THAN I CAN COUNT. MY PARENTS WERE MY BIGGEST FANS.
I looked and looked for resources and a community of people that were like me, young and trying to start up a creative business. I had a few photographer friends who also blogged, but there wasn't anything else available for people my age. A lot of my peers, BRILLIANT people, have since paved the way for young people now to start creative businesses without the side-eye we once got.
WHEN STARTING UP MY LAST ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVENTURE, UNFOLDING PASSIONS, I BECAME OVERWHELMED WITH ALL OF THE BUSINESS ADVICE THAT WAS FLOATING OUT THERE. I SUBSCRIBED TO TOO MANY EMAIL LISTS, I FOLLOWED TOO MANY BUSINESS BLOGGERS, AND I TRIED IT ALL TO MAKE UNFOLDING PASSIONS WORK.
Turns out, I wanted to run a business my way and listening to a bunch of (successful! wonderful!) people was too overwhelming for me.
So I scrapped it all.
I began looking for resources directed towards my demographic, and I couldn't find any. How was I supposed to budget for groceries and rent on a self-employed salary? I didn't go to college, so how could I learn about running a business? Where were all of the business bloggers for young people? *crickets*
My hope is that I can, from my own experience and education, provide resources and inspiration for young people, aged 16-22, who want to start creative businesses. Think of it as a lifestyle/business brand meets cheerleader. Also, I believe that real life can be beautiful so get ready for some aesthetically pleasing things to meet your eyeballs.