Pro photographer and mom with small children: what I wish someone had told me before I started

I didn't take out any business loans, which is great.

I didn't go to school for anything, art, graphic design related, and I can still make a living doing things here, and there…

I would definitely though if you're thinking about doing professional photography, as your full-time hustle, if you're a mom with kids, just know that it's a lot of nights and weekends. It's a lot of travel.

It's a lot of getting asked to fly to these different places.

Just be aware of that. If you're a mom with kids, - the the biggest source of consistent income has been graphic design, social media marketing and handling people stuff- blogging, ghost writing for people- Administration, virtual assisting for people.

That's been my biggest consistent source of income over the last 12 years overall.

The photo stuff over all the 55-plus, weddings that I've done over all the travel that I’ve been asked to do all the Magazine's, 70 plus features We've had- graphic design and marketing- that's what's been paying the bills.

And consistent subscription basis of managing people social media and just doing stuff on canva when I'm hanging out with my kids. I'm at the zoo, whatever I can just virtually work, that's been working for my schedule.

Everybody's different.

There's no right or wrong way. there's no one-size-fits-all-that's just my personal advice from someone who's done this and struggled and a lot of crying, a lot of tears.

But if you're going to be a pro photographer or Pro videographer, just know there's a lot of equipment.

I've probably spent twenty thousand on equipment over the last, you know, 12 years- all the knowledge, all the software, the subscriptions, the Adobe, upgraded gear. My gear has to be upgraded every couple years.

So I just know like you know this year I'm saving up for a computer which is like 3000 $4000 -a custom gaming video Computer gear has to be redone every couple of years because it gets outdated.

And so I have to drop two three, four, five thousand every year, just on gear, knowing that, that's really high overhead. Where a graphic design- social media Management. And managing people stuff is just my phone- so little to no overhead. So just Pro tips from somebody who's been there.