Jessica: I am here with Carrie Roseman, who has not been a client of mine. She is actually a peer we're in a mastermind group together, and I have always admired her passion and drive and creativity. She's a wonderful human being. So I'm excited to bring her to the Artist Success Interview Series.

She is a artist and photography mentor and has really been exploring what that means to her moving forward. And I know that she makes some gorgeous portraits, ya'll. So if you need a portrait, then Carrie might be your girl. 

Jessica: All right, Carrie, is there anything you wanted to say before we get started about yourself, about your business?

Carrie: First of all, thank you so much for having me. It is an honor and I love being interviewed and thank you for having me here of course, but yeah, I know we're going to get into all kinds of good stuff, so maybe we should do. Yeah.

Jessica: So I asked Carrie before this interview started, if she was comfortable with sharing her average monthly income, let's say maybe for the past three months or so.

And she said she wouldn't mind because it needs to be done more and I completely agree. So. Carrie. Would you share a little bit about that really quickly?

Carrie: Sure. A little segue into this as well, just to, can I give like a backstory? Okay. So I'm a portrait photographer based in Connecticut and generally working with boudoir, personal branding and beauty portraits.

And I've been a professional photographer for 17 years. For almost 10 years, I did weddings, but I, said sayonara to that about six years ago to go full-time portrait. And I have a whole experience in my studio. So that being said in the photography world, when you're doing like a one-to-one service, like a portrait session, there's different ways to sell.

And I do, what's called in-person sales. So that is essentially I hold my client's hand throughout the entire experience. And I guide them through picking out their portraits in their collections and their photo products after the shoot could be the same page high touch, high touch.

The other model it's there's three different, there's three different levels, but I'm I'm high touch. So it's less clients at a higher price point essentially is what I do. So my average portrait sale is $6,000, which is really great. And it has, it didn't just happen overnight, right?

Like it took me quite a while to get there. My monthly average though, like I just would rather focus on like the average portrait sale. Cause there's a lot. Yeah. There's a lot shifting in my business right now and getting into the online education arena and just organizing like a bunch of backend stuff.

So I've pulled back a little bit right now for the one-to-one service, like meaning portrait sessions over the last two months, but I'm ramping up. Like I already I have five booked for next month and generally I'm aiming for about two to three. But even when I have like lower sessions and things are selling and, and we're going good, like I've had $50,000 months so that's where we're getting to like the 50 to 100 K to hopefully above and beyond so that's what I'm doing right now. But yeah it's been really amazing. And people they spend all over the place, right? Like I have some clients who spend 10 K plus from one session. I have some clients who come in and spend three K, but it's been an average of six.

And I, I hope by talking about that, that really encourages people.

Jessica: Honestly, The reason why this whole series came into play is because I really wanted to show artists what is possible when you follow your passions and not just what people are saying that you have to do to make money, because I know you can make money, lots of different directions, but I want you to see that it's possible to make money doing what you love and what you really are excited about.

So thank you for sharing that very generous. Like I appreciate that. That was not supposed to be the first question, but that's okay.

What has been the biggest mindset shift you needed to make in order to get where you are now?

Jessica: So the first question is Carrie, what is the single biggest mindset shift that it took you over all of those years, to be able to go from, fledgling photographer to I'm confident in my shoes and I can charge this and people will pay it.

How did you do that?

Carrie: Everything in life in business, in love, in just functioning as a human being is based in self value. So the biggest mindset shift completely is around the self value piece and the self-worth piece, because it's, if you don't value what you bring to the table and what you're doing, then you can't confidently talk about money and asking for that and asking people to pay you because you tend to shrink back and people can smell fear a mile away, but this is very much a process for people, which I'm sure that you're we, when we were speaking previously, I know this is a big piece of what you work on with your clients.

And I've had mentors in my industry and, personal coaches as well. And this has always been the recurring theme and I've done so much consistent work on this over the past six years that now I'm just. You know, you get to the point where you're detached from the outcome. I'm so confident and unshakable in what I bring to the table.

And what the value is that if somebody says, no, that's okay. It might just mean not right now. It might mean you're not my client and that is fine. It doesn't shake my confidence and be like, oh, I had this call and they didn't book move on. Like it's okay. Exactly. And like you said, it, it definitely is a process.

Jessica: And my favorite thing about business, I think you and I also discussed this is that personal growth aspect that no matter what you are trying to do in that. It probably is trying to stretch and grow beyond where you are. And that means you have to step up your own personal growth to meet that.

And I think that is the coolest most it feels good. It's, it's just exciting because not only does your business grow, but everything in your life around you also improves as you improve on yourself and your self-worth and your beliefs. And the other thing I wanted to mention really quickly is Carrie said that when she is taking people's pictures, the thing that she is aiming to capture is that celebration of that self-growth.

So we are totally in sync with all of that. That's great.

Carrie: Personal growth is my highest value. So I did mention this previously, like I worked a lot on my ideal client avatar last year. I up-leveled them. So I'm speaking to I'm calling in, I'm attracting people who are also on a personal growth journey because that lights me up.

And I can't convince somebody that they're worth it if they don't believe it, because we operate at the, at the level of our own belief. And it's I can show beautiful pictures of people all day, but if they don't see it, there's nothing I can do about that. So I'm working with the people who are ready to step into that or who are already there.

And it's so satisfying for me as an artist to be working with that level of clientele. It's really amazing.

Jessica: And I just want to say, I love that you have claimed that because a lot of this is off topic a little bit. You get to choose who your client is. You don't have to say, well, anyone who will like my art, please buy it.

It comes back to that self worth piece. If you believe that you are worth it, you believe that you can attract someone who is going to pay a higher amount. If that's the business model that you're looking for. And also the one that I love the most and want teach. Yes. So it's a journey, but believing in yourself.

Carrie: Yeah, the confidence piece and the self value piece and the, personal growth journey, it is like peeling an onion. There is lots of usually. And now I, I've never heard of somebody like making a 180 switch, like within a 24 hour period. I'm not saying that can't happen. It certainly can.

That isn't what my journey was. It took me much longer and several different steps. And, consistent work and consistent self-awareness and breaking through blocks and trying to work through traumas so that I'm no longer triggered and, and things like that. It's all works together in getting there.

And then a point that I wanted to make as well when people are starting out and they're starting to step into their self-value piece. Sometimes artists especially get into the mode of well, I wouldn't pay that. Well, guess what? You might not be your client at first. And that is okay. Usually you do step into that, like previous to last year, or probably I probably wasn't my client, but I very much am now.

And I have had the experience of paying several thousands of dollars for photos who's for myself, for my brand, for my personal legacy and all of the things. So. Stepping into walking the walk and stepping into the value of what you offer so much that you're willing to pay the same price for it from somebody else.

That makes sense.

Jessica: No, it makes perfect sense. Because to sometimes to get to the confidence, you have to start taking the action steps that will build the confidence. It doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It takes a little bit of like in my last interview, Helen was saying, it's just that 10 minutes of courage.

You just have to do it. And that will help you grow into that confidence.

Carrie: Yeah. There's no, it's like getting comfortable being uncomfortable. There is no growth in the comfort zone it just is what it is.

Jessica: Which is good and bad. I mean, it's something that if it was easy, everyone would do it. So it's almost like if you're willing to put in that time and effort to.

Believe in yourself, you are going to be ahead of the pack consistently. Yup. All right.

What one practical step have you taken that has gotten you the furthest?

Jessica: Second question. What is the single biggest action step that you take or took maybe it was one big thing or something you do consistently that has allowed you to grow to where you are at now?

Carrie: The biggest step is taking the step it's consistently showing up.

And it seems obvious sometimes, like when you step back and look at it, but it's just there. It's like shifting people's mindset around failure. There is no failure. You either win or you learn. And it's not a big deal. Like when something doesn't work out the way you want it to the first time you try it, it's the first time you're trying it, give yourself some grace.

And then if something doesn't feel aligned, you want to check in with your gut, mind, heart connection gut. Also, what is your instinct telling you? Does it feel right? Does it feel good? Doesn't feel good. Pivot the end.

Jessica: And you also have to learn to tell the difference between is it, it doesn't feel good or is it, it feels uncomfortable because uncomfortable is different than gut telling you not to do it.

And that sometimes can be tricky.

Carrie: Yes. Good distinction and absolutely something that comes with learning yourself more and being more in tune. Pretty much everything's uncomfortable all the time. And most people don't know what they're doing. So it is just about showing up. You get knocked down, you get back up.

I feel like I'm about to start singing about all star.

It's true. Now I don't want to scare your listeners, but it's true. It's just showing up and being in action. The key is just do it be an action. Messy action progress over perfection, that's just what it is. That's the key.

Jessica: I just ordered a sticker chart for myself that one of my clients in my mastermind gave me this idea.

I just wanted to kiss her through the screen, but it's called a rejection chart. And so every time you get rejected, you get a sticker and you fill it up, you get something really cool. I haven't decided what my thing is going to be yet. But the more times you get nose means the more times you're going to get yeses, which I just think is such a cool concept to reward yourself for the nos, instead of letting them, you know, discourage and bring you down.

So feel free to steal it. Thank you for that idea.

Carrie: I love that. I had a coach once assigned me a project of get a hundred notes and I was just like, what do you mean? Like at the time, this is like years ago now. It was like before where I'm at now, I. Every no gets you closer to the yes. And then point is you're practicing talking about yourself and your art and your pitch and gaining confidence but I love that that even next level of rewarding yourself, like along the way, because it's about being present in the journey and celebrating where you are.

I think a lot of us get so caught up in oh, but I'm not to the goal yet, but it's but two years ago you would be so proud of where you are right now. Like just take a step back and appreciate and be in gratitude for where you are. Cause that's also going to raise your vibration and attract more of what you want.

Jessica: Okay. And you probably are at the goal that two year old or two year older person wanted. So take a minute to go. I did it. That's another way that you can build in that confidence and that self value and that self-worth,

Carrie: It's like proof of growth, to take back and assess where you're at.

But anyway yes.

Jessica: I also, I keep, I have these moleskin journals. My clients know them all too well, but I write everything in them and I keep them. So I have years and years, and I can always go back and go, oh, look, I, I wanted this and I stopped that a year ago. I'm good. Okay. Next it's a really nice booster.

What advice do you have for someone who isn't sure they have what it takes to get to the next level?

Jessica: Next question, last question. Do you have any advice for people who are not quite sure that they can reach their next level? Whatever that next level is, maybe they want to make $1,500 a month. Maybe $10,000 a month, but they're stretching and they're not quite comfortable with the idea that they can get there.

What do you, what do you say to them?

Carrie: It's just keep going. It's keep going. And. Just take the next step. That's really the way, honestly, I know we've heard like the different ways to say it over, different channels and things like that. But you can't eat an elephant all in one bite.

You can't climb the ladder without going one rung at a time. Like it's true. It's just keep going. And I know that people get frustrated when they're not seeing results, like as fast as they want to. There's an impatience factor. I myself possess a pretty big impatience as well, but. If you are consistent and you keep showing up and you keep going, you will be rewarded for that.

There's no, like there's no, you walking a mile and not being in a different place. There will be a reward. Sometimes it just takes longer than we think. And I think our sense of time tends to be a little warped anyway. So of course but yeah that's what I would say. That really is the key being in action. Just start. Start where you are. Keep going, keep going, push through the discomfort, push through the frustration. Don't let the frustration overtake your mindset because that's a crap place to be as well. It's just recognize it. Feel it keep going.

Jessica: Yes. And I'm going to, I'm going to ask you a follow-up question.

So when you are feeling frustrated and when you are like, I need to take action, what do you do? What is your. What is generally your next step when I'm having an off moment?

Carrie: I, I do. I like step back. I breathe. Sometimes I take my shoes off and I feel the ground. I try to ground myself. I breathe, I let myself feel whatever it is.

I'm a verbal processor. So I usually like with my studio manager and like, blah, blah, blah. I can't believe this thing happened. I'm so annoyed. And she's just like, okay, so we're going to do this, or you can do this and I don't necessarily need her direction cause I'm, I can self-direct but I just, I don't dismiss the way I'm feeling.

I it and I process it and then I move on and sometimes it does feel like it ruins a day for me and that's okay. But I don't let it ruin a second day, but the more I've dI've it. On this personal growth journey, my recycle time around being able to process whatever feelings, if I'm angry, if I'm frustrated, if people aren't performing around me and it's holding me back, if there's any kind of things that are going on that are different from the 95% of the time that I'm like super excited and happy and energetic, like I just, my recycle time on processing through that is so much faster now.

And that's part of the personal growth journey too. It's like stuff like that would frustrate me three years ago would take me out for two weeks. And it would be hard for me to pick myself back up and keep going. But I just had to remind myself, you can repeat things to yourself too. Kind of like talking to yourself in the mirror or just like in your head when these things come up, it's like, this is a process.

Keep going. I'm going to take the next step. Like just repeating positive. But I want to make the distinction of dismissing the way you're feeling to just move on, but actually confronting it and processing through it to get to the next place. Because when we push stuff down, then that erupts later, and that's never good and just keeps coming back and it just keeps coming back.

You know, these different tests that we do for like personalities and some things like that. Like I need to verbally process it out. So it was, I get the feeling out, even if nobody's around, I can talk to myself while I'm walking around the room or whatever, or it goes, if I'm really frustrated, I can go and sit in my car and scream.

And that actually is a release. You're releasing that energy. So I think maybe that's the point is like how to figure out how to release that energy out of your body. So it doesn't keep cycling through this way. It actually moves away, I would say and everybody will probably be different, but you are a verbal processor.

Jessica: I like to write that works for me. And some actually sometimes I will do movement exercise type of deal. If I'm really frustrated the other night we're buying a house. I was like, I'm going to kill everyone around me. So I just went and did like three workouts in a row, which is not normal for me, but it helped me move through that.

And I slept like a baby. It was great. So finding your thing is essentially going to be very, very helpful to help you process those negative emotions, but the emotions that are keeping you from moving forward, taking those next steps.

Carrie: Yes, this is also a mentor in my industry had suggested it for breaking through blocks as well.

I know we're talking about processing emotion, but for breaking through blocks, you're feeling stuff around that too, right? So it's like, when you feel that fear pop-up, it comes to knocking you open the door and you greet it and you say not today. And then you, so you're acknowledging it saying you don't get to be in charge today.

I am changing the neural pathway in my brain to take charge so I can be unshakeable.

Jessica: Carrie, thank you so much for sharing. Your. At your, everything, your, what is important to you?

Some vulnerable numbers, what has helped you grow so much? And I know that people are going to get so much out of this, so thanks for coming.

Carrie: Okay. Thank you so much.

Yeah. Any of these little nuggets are going to land with people, usually we need to hear messaging

from different, channel on things. So I hope that this lands for at least one person,

Jessica: it will, it definitely will. And if you want to find more of Carrie, you can find her at Carrie Roseman, R O S E M a n.com. What's your favorite? Is it Instagram or Facebook that you spend the most time on?

Carrie: Both but really been concentrating on Instagram lately.

So, but Instagram and Facebook are the same handle. So it's at Carrie Roseman studios and Carrie is spelled C A R R I E.

Jessica: Thank you for doing that.

Okay. So go find Carrie, follow her, look at her beautiful pictures and watch what happens. Thank you so much.

Carrie: You're welcome.

Jessica: Thank you, Carrie.

(https://carrieroseman.com/)