The one that started it all – Gather to Grow 2022
June 15, 2023
We’ve been a part of the photography world for quite a while now (over 13 years, to be precise), and we’ve seen some things!
The industry we love so much has grown rapidly, as has the education world. However, here we were, five of us in a hot tub having a break from business, so what were we talking about.. business of course! It was clear that honest, transparent communication about running a successful portrait photography business was desperately needed!
We knew if we were feeling this way, there were bound to be hundreds of other photographers who felt the same way as well. So, like boss bitches, we decided if it doesn’t exist, then we’d create it ourselves.
So Gather to Grow was born—a female lead business community for portrait photographers within the UK.
We know how all-consuming running a photography business is and how notoriously bad we women are at giving ourselves a well-deserved break.
The Experience
We wanted to ensure that the Gather to Grow experience was as good as the business content; we wanted you to have a place to find friends, have fun and feel refreshed. We decided early on that we would look after you so well from the moment you arrive, and a big part of that is through food; we are feeders; what can we say?
There were no basic sandwiches here, no way; we enlisted some incredible local vendors to make sure we were well-fed.
As well as collaborating with the incredible speakers and vendors listed above, we were also supported by our lovely sponsors. Gather to Grow 2022 was our first-ever event. However, these businesses saw our vision and potential as a brand. We would love to thank them all individually for attending the event, providing discounts and support to our attendees and being incredible all-around sponsors!
Gather to Grow 2022
On the 9th of October 2022 we all assembled at The Barn at Avington and hosted the event of our dreams. After a year of working hard to create this event and learning as we went, it was here—two days of a jam-packed itinerary with so much content.
Speakers, Sponsors & Food
On day one, our founders Yasmin Anne, Becky Hart, Melanie Grace, Sarah Kate & Suzi Bird took to the stage covering everything you need to know when it comes to building a successful photography business, From where to start in your business, pricing for sustainability, building a brand and creating a client journey that wow’s. Ending the day with a Q&A panel before the Prosecco started flowing and the pizza arrived!
On day 2, Lauren Grey Yoga helped us start the day right with a meditation session, getting our energy levels high ready for more amazingness. And it did not disappoint. Charlotte Lodey and Lindsey Garvey blew everyone away with their knowledge and experience. Covering self-worth & Mindset and Admin & Workflow. And then it was time for our keynote speaker, the amazing Kristina Mac of Tiny Posers, the ultimate OG in newborn photography in the UK, who delivered a powerful talk on the importance of believing in yourself and what makes you unique, finding and owning that authenticity, and focusing on creating, not re-creating.
“I know who I am and my clients connect with me. To be successful in this business, you need to find you” – Kristina Mac
Again we rounded up the talks with a Q&A panel with the day’s speakers and we were so happy to witness such beautiful, openhearted and honest conversations and advice. It was such a pinch me moment and such an emotional ending to a perfect experience together.
Gather to Grow was hand on heart so incredible our attendees left with actionable steps to take away and implement in their businesses as well as inspiration, friendships and full tummies! It was more than we could have imagined. We can’t wait to do it all again.
Just Take A Look
See what our Speakers have to say
Becky Hart
“There’s a space for you within this industry, there are so many clients out there, and there is a client for everyone, but everyone is not your client.”
“No one will really tell you the work you need to put into the back end of your business. All those hours spent at your desk away from your family. Your time is so valuable; you need to value it from the start.”
Suzi Bird
“What you can do differently to other photographers is to create an amazing experience for your clients. This business is 70% about the experience and 30% about the photos.”
“You expect to pay more, depending on where you shop. If you position yourself as a luxury business, your clients will also expect to pay more for your service.”
“People want to live like they are rich, give them a chance to experience luxury, and they will be more likely to refer you to their friends and help you grow your business.”
“Go above and beyond for your clients, answer their questions before they’ve even asked them, put them at ease and create connections with them…That is how you position yourself as a luxury business”
Sarah
“Branding isn’t just about having a good logo or packaging that matches….branding is everything! It is your beliefs, values, style and tone. It is how your customers recognise and experience your whole business”
“However strong a brand is, it’s more then just a logo. It’s reflected in everything from customer service, style, social media, marketing materials and advertising”
“Value begins with emotion, money comes later”
“In this day and age where people want disposable content or a quick fix, the only way to truly connect with people is through an emotional connection”
“What’s the shortest way you can convey what your brand does? That becomes your tagline”
Melanie Grace
“Social media can create a false sense of success, we think people are doing better than us but actually, we don’t have any idea”
“Please like me” pricing is undercharging and undervaluing yourself in the hopes that it makes people like you.”
“Finding friends in this industry is game changing. We all go through the same things, we can inspire each other, problem solve with each other and help each other strive for more”
“We assume the problem is price, but actually, we might not be communicating our value”
“Nobody’s pricing should dictate what you earn, their number might not be your number and that’s ok”
“If you don’t believe you are worth your pricing, no one else will”
“You can choose a different life if you want to. You can choose to value yourself, your work and your time”
“The more I’ve raised my prices, the better my clients have become because it’s a reflection of how much you value yourself. If you respect your time and yourself, your clients will respect you too”
“Don’t wait until your circumstances change, make the change now, it starts with you”
“You can make a small change in your pricing and that can have a really big impact on your profits”
Yasmin Anne
“MY business changed for me when I started to pay for childcare. You cannot nurture a business at the same time as raising a child.”
Charlotte
“You are worth looking after yourself, the journey to self worth is there for everyone”
“Sometime we have to figure out what’s getting in our way, in order to take the next step”
“Let go of stuff that doesn’t serve you anymore, so you finally have space for what does”
“Perfectionism is just another form of control. It either has to be this exact way, or nothing. That way of living is completely unsustainable”
“When we hear that negative voice in our heads we must ask ourselves, am I keeping myself safe? Or am I keeping myself stuck?”
“You were not born for everyone to like you. You’ve got to remember it’s not your responsibility to control how other people resonate with you. If they don’t like the true you, they are not your people”
“True confidence is trusting your own ability to try, regardless of the outcome”
“Failing in your life, does not make you a failure. It just gives you a really important lesson in what not to do next time”
“You have to do something, to feel something different. Mood follows the action. Confidence happens after you’ve done the thing you were nervous about”
Lindsey
“There is always more stuff to do the next day, the to do list always gets bigger. The key is to control what goes on the list before it becomes overwhelming”
“When you are accountable for yourself, it’s so hard to form new habits”
“Ask yourself if this task is worth the time your spending on it, is it moving the needle forward in your business? Or is it costing you to do it yourself”
Kristina
“I know who I am and my clients connect with me. To be successful in this business, you need to find you”
“The day you sow the seed, is not the day you eat the fruit”
“If you become like everyone else, the only reason someone will come to you is because you are cheaper”
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