Entrepreneurship is filled with busy days and SO. MUCH. HUSTLE. Welcome to burnout-ville, am I right? In this episode, I interviewed the one and only Perry Vaile, an extraordinary photographer, but an even better mother and wife. With the help of boundaries and workflows, she has been able to carve out more time for herself and her family, while still running a highly successful wedding photography business. Listen to hear all her secrets for showing up for her family AND her clients – both in a remarkable way.

Key Takeaways:

• Achievement can be an addiction and you have to fight that, because often what comes from always seeking achievement is burnout.
• “80% of your results should come from 20% of your effort.”
• Setting boundaries and allowing yourself to rest, also allows you to be better at your job.

Boundaries you can put into place to give yourself less hustle and more rest:

• Taking one day off a week
• Don’t respond to emails on the weekends (except maybe inquiries)
• Having an automated response (not robotic sounding) for inquiries that includes some information they may be looking for is a great way to satisfy potential clients during your time off work
  • Include a link to some galleries, your starting or average price for your packages, and a link to book a call
  • This also helps eliminate the need to spend time creating proposals or hopping on a call with people who aren’t a great fit and don’t respond to that email.
• Don’t stress about people who ghost you. Those are never serious inquiries and are not the right fit for your business.
• Having social “chunks” (coffee dates, etc.) set aside in days instead of randomly throughout your week or month allows you to stay focused.
• Put your phone down away from your bed at a certain time every night so you’re not seeing emails or texts at weird hours and you feel inclined to respond
• It’s important to set boundaries in regards to creativity. The more time you spend on your phone, the more likely you will be to be inspired by a competitor’s work.
• Creativity can be garnered with other avenues than social media. Experiencing other things that are not your same medium is a great way to cultivate inspiration for your work.

Other great advice Perry had for wedding professionals:

• Dealing with difficult client situations can be tough, but ultimately you are there to serve them, and saying that to them allows them to let their guard down and they’re more likely to trust your expertise. It helps to set expectations up front and educate them.
• Investing in relationships with your clients and giving them an experience they can’t stop thinking about is a great way to grow referrals.
• Pour yourself into every relationship and don’t just make connections to grow your business.

Check It Out:

• Perry Vaile on Instagram
• Perry Vaile’s Website
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Movie