Module 7
Growing Beyond Yourself
Hiring, training, delegating and the move from shooting everything yourself to running a company.
12 lessons · 35 minutes
These lessons were recorded in 2023 and reviewed in 2026. The method holds up; specific gear, prices and software menus have moved on since. Where a lesson names a camera body or a price, treat it as an example rather than a current recommendation.
- Introduction — Growing Beyond YourselfAn overview of what it takes to scale beyond being a solo photographer.1 min
Read the transcript
Transcript of the recorded lesson. Recorded 2023, reviewed 2026.
In this section of the Ultimate Photographer formula, we're going to talk about how to grow your business beyond yourself. I will say that growing your business beyond yourself is definitely not for everyone. Some people may be perfectly happy being a solo real estate photographer without having to worry about any other people or you may just be a part-time real estate photographer looking to make some extra cash. That being said, there may be some of you guys that have started to grow your real estate business and are starting to feel overwhelmed and are ready to bring on additional help to lighten your load. In this section of the course we're going to go over many things that you will want to consider when growing your business beyond yourself.
We'll go over some of the issues you can expect as you grow, some numbers you'll need to know, the hiring process, onboarding and training and more. I'm excited to share how to grow your real estate photography business beyond yourself. Let's get started.
- Should You Grow Beyond Yourself?When and how to make the decision to scale beyond solo shooting.4 min
- Issues to Expect as You GrowCommon growing pains when scaling your photography business and how to handle them.5 min
- Surround Yourself with the Right PeopleFinding a mentor and surrounding yourself with people who will help you grow.3 min
- The Hiring ProcessOur step-by-step hiring process for photographers and editors.5 min
- Onboarding & TrainingHow to onboard and train new team members effectively so they meet your standards.3 min
- Delegation — A Major Key to SuccessLearning to delegate and let go so your business can grow beyond you.3 min
- Numbers to KnowKey financial metrics and KPIs for running a profitable photography business.3 min
- Leveraging Your StrengthsBuilding your business around your unique strengths and skills.2 min
Read the transcript
Transcript of the recorded lesson. Recorded 2023, reviewed 2026.
In this video I'm going to talk about leveraging your strengths. When you first start your business there's likely a lot of activities and tasks that you may have to do that you're not particularly good at or you don't enjoy. Just know as your business grows and you bring on additional help, you can delegate those activities and tasks to others. It's important to know what your strengths are and to hire others that are strong in the areas that you aren't. You don't want to hire a bunch of clones of yourself. I think it's really important to have a diverse team with different strengths, skills, and expertise.
If you're operating by yourself and you don't plan on growing, there may be a product or service that you offer that you don't enjoy, don't feel like you have to offer it. You can certainly find success by offering the services you're passionate about. When I started Lister Pros we offered lockbox and sign installation services in addition to media services. As time went by I was not passionate about the inventory management business so ultimately we got out of that business even though we lost 15% of our customer base due to the change. This change helped us achieve greater long term success because we weren't dealing with
the portion of the business that we didn't enjoy and the headaches that came along with it. So leverage your strengths and delegate the rest. I think this will help you find more success long term as you focus on the things that you're passionate about and that you enjoy. Alright guys that's going to do it for this video. Reach out if you have any questions. We'll see you guys on the next one.
- Investing in YourselfContinuing education and personal development as a business owner.2 min
Read the transcript
Transcript of the recorded lesson. Recorded 2023, reviewed 2026.
In this video I want to talk about investing in yourself. Now I'm not intending this video to be a motivational video, I just want to touch on the topic of investing in yourself and I think this is one of the best investments you can ever make. One thing that has helped me throughout this business journey is investing in my mind through the content that I consume. Specifically what works for me is audiobooks. I went through some difficult challenges when I first started Lister Pros. It was very hard and I came from corporate America and I could have easily gone back. What helped me get through the tough times for the books that I listened to as I drove around.
Now depending on where you're at in your professional career you may need motivational books or you may need business books. That first book for me when I started Lister Pros was Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk. I think I listened to it 15 or more times back then but that is what I needed at the time. I can honestly say listening to audiobooks has made me a better leader and a better businessman. In the bonus section of this course I made a list of the books that have helped me on this business journey if you're interested. Investing in your body is also really important. The kind of foods that you eat, the exercise that you do have all had a significant impact
on how much energy I have each and every day. I found that avoiding certain foods has definitely helped me stay more productive. Running also has helped me get going mentally and physically every day. I run at least two miles a day. It really just sets the tone and puts me in a productive mindset. I believe investing in yourself is one of the best investments you can ever make and it will pay off throughout your life. These are just a couple of things that have helped me and they may help you as well. That's why I share them. Anyways, that's going to do it for this video. Reach out if you have any questions. We'll see you guys on the next one.
- Staying Connected with Your CustomersMaintaining strong customer relationships as you scale — staying only a phone call away.3 min
- Summary — Growing Beyond YourselfKey takeaways from the growth module and final thoughts on building a team.1 min
Read the transcript
Transcript of the recorded lesson. Recorded 2023, reviewed 2026.
Guys so in this section we went over how to grow your real estate photography business beyond yourself. Now your homework for this section is to check out the PDF that we've included. On that PDF you'll find some things that you'll want to consider when growing beyond yourself. It will also help you identify some of the gaps that you may need to close in order to be in the position to grow beyond yourself or to bring on additional people. That's going to do it for this section of the course. Reach out if you have any questions. We'll see you guys on the next one.