A lesson on photographer self-worth by author and millionaire T. Harv Eker

T. Harv Eker is an entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. His bestselling book is Secrets of the Millionaire Mind was published back in 2015. This book isn’t a lot of fluff. He definitely speaks directly but a lot of the lessons ring quite true of the differences between the habits of the wealthy versus the not wealthy.

I’m constantly reading (or now, listening on Audible - so great - the car, on dog walks etc) and of course, I’m always seeing where the principles from the books I read are relevant to the photography industry.

Low self-worth: the current pandemic burning through photographers

His comments on unworthiness caught my eye as a topic of this blog, because of how many posts I see on self-worth in social media groups. Low self-worth I think is the number one element that is the downfall of most photography businesses, because it weaves its way into the foundation of your work. It’s like building a house on top of a dormant volcano - shaky and risky ground. At any moment or even at ALL moments, the low-self worth volcano can erupt and says you can’t make it, you don’t know what you’re doing, your photos are crap, you’re an imposter! Sound familiar? How on earth could anyone build a business on that kind of ground? It’s like in the movies where you see new military recruits being screamed at by their sergeant, like an inch from their face, that they’re a failure and they’ll never amount to anything. The thing is, there isn’t an actual sergeant, the sergeant is you belittling yourself at all times. Who wants to live like that?

Any business actions with this foundation are tainted by low self-worth. Pricing is hard, and you keep it low because you don’t think you’re worthy of a higher price. Marketing is hard because you don’t feel your work is sellable or good. Selling is hard because you feel that your clients will think you’re overselling them out of greed. Even motivating yourself to keep going is hard, because of constant doubts that you’re cut out for this.

So what does T. Harv Eker say about this and the difference between the wealthy and the non-wealthy based on his research?

He says that the wealthy “work hard and believe it’s perfectly appropriate to be well rewarded for their efforts and the value they provide for others.”

He goes on to compare the non wealthy: they “work hard, but due to their feelings of unworthiness, they believe that it is inappropriate for them to be well rewarded for their efforts and the value they provide.”

So let’s unpack this.

I’ve recently had some aha’s about this myself. Not necessarily of self-worth, but of mixed beliefs about things. If T. Harv Eker researched and came up with these 2 attitudes, then they do exist in our reality at least to some degree. So the question becomes:

If there are 2 ways of thinking about something, why on earth would we choose the one that hurt us?

Curious, isn’t it? What if we as a people decided that unworthiness is a useless trait and that all the world leaders decided that it’s ok to believe you should be well rewarded for your work and put it into official, planetary-wide law? Would you be able to shuck the unworthiness mindset then?

We don’t truly need any world leaders or anyone else to actually do this, in order for us to decide to shift our mindset. Many of us get stuck in HOW to change a mindset but the answer is in my previous sentence. Trying to change a mindset can be hard. But deciding it no longer serves you is the magic. When we decide, it’s an action. It’s concrete, it’s tangible. It puts something into motion.

The Ice Cream store decision

You’re at the ice cream store and there’s a gazillion flavours. What are you in the mood for? What is tasty? The amount of choice makes things hard for us. We bounce between choices. But then you decide, and you tell the server your order. That’s it. It’s done. You’ve decided and now your decision is set into motion, and a cone is headed your way.

Our beliefs are very much like this. They can be nebulous and slippery, and it’s hard to feel in control when these thoughts pop into your head: I’m not good enough, what do you think you’re doing, you’re not going to succeed. Decide you no longer want these thoughts taking up space in your brain. The decision sets a whole other process in motion - the equivalent of the server moving to fill your ice-cream order.

Working in traditional employment

When we’re left to our own devices being a business of one, our mind really can sabotage us. Imagine seeking a job. You’ve gone to school for training in a particular field, and you apply for a position. The manager interviews you and says you’re qualified, great news we’ll hire you! We’ll offer you 100k. What will happen?

I bet you’ll race out of there like a bat out of hell. Calling your mom, your husband, your kids! You’ll be on cloud nine, knowing that your studies paid off and now you will be duly rewarded for those efforts. You’ll happily take that paycheque and while maybe there is some healthy anxiety about proving yourself to your employer, it’s doubtful that you will refuse the job or ask for a paycut, saying you aren’t worthy of the salary. Am I right?

So why is that we can’t feel like we can be rewarded when working for ourselves? What’s changed? Nothing - you’re exchanging work for money. The difference is where the decision is coming from. An employer can see your value, but you can’t. But you are also choosing not to share the viewpoint of the employer who believes in you. Wouldn’t you want to emulate that employer when you become your own employer?

Comes back down to that decision. Decide that just like any other worker on the planet, it is appropriate in a society where the currency is money, to be paid in money at an appropriate level to the transaction. Some photographers make less than minimum wage when they reconcile their finances - the equivalent of a youth getting their first job at a fast food place. They are providing a burger. You are providing something with meaning. Photographs have history, longevity, love, connection, legacy. Can you charge more than a burger for them? It is appropriate to do so.

My article on creating separation between you and your business could help you shift from these unhealthy and harmful beliefs that somehow you shouldn’t be compensated for the work you do, at an appropriate level. Notice that I didn’t say at any level - too low and you really tie your own hands to give a great experience, and not so much that you’re depriving the family of sending their kids to university! Appropriate means a balanced exchange and that means running your numbers on your time and your products and charging a fair wage for your business to continue running and for you to be able to live your life how you wish to.

What do you think of T. Harv Eker’s assumptions? And is it possible to decide to shift your mindset if yours isn’t serving you?