Do you struggle comparing yourself with local competitor’s in the photography industry? Are you ready to confidently stay in your lane and stop the comparison? Today’s episode is for you!

In today’s episode on the Book More Clients Photography Podcast, we’re diving into the truth behind your perception of other photographers’ success and yours. You’ll learn how to stay in your lane and stop the comparison.

How to Stay In Your Lane and Stop The Comparison

Brooke: I just hopped off of a hot seat call with my students from The Blueprint. A hot seat call is a coaching call where we focus in on one or two photographers and tackle what they are currently struggling with. On this hot seat call, the photographer was having difficulty converting clients at her current package prices.

Naturally, as we all would, she started diving into her local competitor’s rates to see where she fell in the market. I think that’s totally fine to do. However, she quickly fell into imposter syndrome and felt like she was good enough in comparison.

She started thinking, “There must be something better about these other photographers because they are obviously booking at these prices listed on her website.” This photographer felt like she wasn’t seeing that amount of bookings on her end at her price level. It’s important to mention that her prices were not far off from her competitor’s. It wasn’t as if she was coming in as the top dog or even the cheapest photographer and not getting bookings.

We of course walked through pricing at packages that would convert for her. But there is something I want to challenge you with today. It may be triggering for some of you but I think it will also make some of you feel more confident in what you’re offering.

The Mindset You Need When You Start Comparing Yourself

When you’re looking around at what everyone else is doing, all you’re doing is seeing what they are putting out there. If you are looking at a photographer’s website’s listed prices, all you see is their listed price. When you’re looking at them showing sessions they did, all you’re seeing is the work they photographed and edited.

How do you know their clients paid that? How do you know how much money they’re making in their business? Do you know that those sessions weren’t model calls? How do you know they didn’t work for free?

Unless you’re looking at their bank account or reading their messages or seeing the transaction come through, all you have is what you see. It is so easy for us to get caught up in what we think is going on.

“How does this person have 12 sessions on their books?” Do you know if they’re re-editing old sessions? How do you know that they didn’t just increase their prices on their website and then what you’re seeing was discounted?

I hope that you’re feeling some type of way. All you are responsible for is staying in your own lane. It’s charging what you need to charge in order to reach your profit goal and then serving your clients to the best of your ability. It is coming up with your processes, experiences and packages that feel good to you and serve your clients. Stop focusing on what everybody else is doing.

My Own Experience

I gave my Blueprint students this example of my own experience. Back when I was shooting weddings a few years ago, I looked into the most popular photographers in our area who shared a similar ideal client as me. I wanted to find out what was intriguing about their offers.

I came across a photographer whose website claimed that she charged $4,000. One of my bride’s bridesmaid had worked with this photographer. Come to find out, she priced a custom package for them which was half of the listed price. It confirms what I’m saying to you.

How do you know if the listed price is what someone is actually making? You don’t. The best news? It’s none of your business anyway. If “Suzie” down the road want to charge $100 less than me, if that’s how she wants to serve her clients and eventually reach burnout, that’s on her. Same for you.

We need to stop looking at everyone else. Do you notice when you fix your eyes on someone else’s business, marriage or motherhood, that all you feel is negative feelings about yours? We have got to start focusing and fixing our eyes on Jesus. We’ve got to do the work to show up in our marriages, motherhood and photography businesses.

Commit to Stay In Your Lane and Stop The Comparison

I want this to encourage you. I want you to say, “You know what? It’s not my business. The only thing I’m comparing myself to is the highlight reel. I have no idea what is going on over there. I’m okay with staying in my lane. I’m okay with what I’m charging, the business I’m building and the way I’m serving my clients.”

I want you to commit right now that you are going to be head down, focusing on you and your business and then stop worrying about what she’s doing. Fix your eyes on Jesus, work on yourself and make your business what you want to make it.

If you need more tough love like this on a regular basis, join From Broke to Booked Blueprint Program. This is where all the coaching goes down and you’ll receive my curriculum that teaches you how to make a profit and create the client experience you want for your business.

Want to dive more in depth of how to stay in your lane and stop the comparison? Tune into the Book More Clients Photography Podcast and subscribe today!