Why Hobbyists don’t invest

When I started my photography ‘business’ I remember talking to my work colleagues about my new ‘hobby’. I remember how they talked to me with almost a sense of pity. Pity that I had decided to try something, spend money on new kit and that it was going to be tough. 

I had a sudden influx of offers from people for me to ‘try out my new camera’. And whilst that was actually really great practice, I hated the idea that there was an air of people thinking it was a fad, a phase, a little hobby that I would have until the next thing came along.

I was actually quite confused why some people didn’t take me seriously. I was in it for the long run… OK I had no experience of starting a business but I knew deep inside that this was going to work and I knew I would do anything to make it happen. I started to get frustrated with people who weren’t taking me seriously.

But then it dawned on me… it wasn’t that they didn’t believe in ME they were just not used to being around people who one day wake up and decide to start a business. Ten years ago it wasn’t the norm for a women in her early twenties to do this and there was certainly an air of fear about the process.

But at the time I wasn’t scared – I was determined, I was passionate and I was ready. But their doubt was rubbing off on me and I started to question everything.

• I would look at every little investment I was making in my new business as a RISK.
• I would look at every win as LUCK.
• I would look at every opportunity as a GAMBLE.

My mindset was all over the place and it was because I was listening to the doubts of the people around me. Even though the truth about the opportunity had not changed at all, suddenly the fear that other people were experiencing was rubbing off on me.

I started talking about my new business as a ‘hobby’ and I stopped investing in myself. And almost overnight my business came to a standstill.

Hobbyists don’t pour their heart and soul into their ‘hobby’.
Hobbyists don’t invest big money into their ‘hobby’.
Hobbyists don’t get to leave their jobs to work on their ‘hobby’.

I had well and truly adopted everyone else’s belief systems and I was incredibly close to actually believing them.

And then one day an email landed in my inbox. It was the opportunity I had been waiting for. It was just the thing I needed to take my business to the next level and would give me everything I needed to turn my hobby into a business.

But… 

There was a scary price tag
There was a risk that it wouldn’t work for me
There was a requirement for me to go all-in
There was the need for me to fully and completely commit
There was a chance my colleagues would judge me

The mind monkeys went to town on this one….

But…

There was the chance it would change everything, and I was READY.

So in that moment I went from hobbyist to business owner. I decided that I was ready, I was good enough, I would give everything I needed to make this a success.

So, why don’t hobbyists invest? Because they are in the mindset that their business is a hobby. The moment you switch this up and treat it like a business – everything changes.

So how about you start treating your hobby like a business? Maybe it’ll start feeling like one?

with love, faye x

I’m delighted to see so many new people joining my Facebook group – The School of Happiness. Such an amazing, diverse and wonderful group of people and if you haven’t already, I would love to invite YOU to join too.

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