What I Had to Release to Build the Business I Actually Wanted

I Used to Hold On to Clients, Processes, and Offerings That Drained Me — Until I Realized Letting Go Wasn't a Failure

It was finally just becoming who I was meant to be.

What the Data Told Me — and What My Gut Confirmed

Year on year, I try to really review data and see where I could improve or what I can let go of. There's always something to tweak. This year, it was definitely letting go of the studio. It was a hard decision, but my gut said it was time — and the data supported it.

Since the start, it was always straight down the middle — 50% of my sessions elsewhere, 50% in studio. Last year, because I knew I wanted to shift slowly towards working less, I was able to move it to 65-35. I thought that was just an incredible achievement, because it meant whatever I was doing was correct. I was on the right path.

The other thing was knowing who my ideal client is. When I first started, it was about discovering who I am and what I wanted to do. In that process, I'd get clients — the majority of whom I loved, and who have stayed with me since the start of Nostalgia, which I'm so grateful for. But then there'd be that 2% who would probably be a better match for another photographer. Last year, I don't think I had a single mismatch. Everyone who came my way felt like people I'd known forever. I'm happy my messaging and branding are on point.

How I Actually Make Business Decisions

I came from a corporate background, and my favorite mentor and friend drilled into me how important data is. Since the start of Nostalgia, I've always had a spreadsheet with all my data fields. I don't think any client management system is detailed enough for the analysis I want to do for each client — so I made my own. As soon as a client books, I fill it up. At the end of the year, I analyze it, do my statistics, and glean findings from the data.

Thank you, AI, for last year — it made my life easier. I could just copy-paste and let it do the aggregation. So yes, I do that. I don't make business decisions on a whim. Sometimes it's more gut, but a lot of it is really based on evidence. And I think that's how my business has flourished — because I really tune into actual client behavior.

But here's what I've also learned: you cannot always be 100% sure. You cannot be stuck in the planning stage forever. As an entrepreneur, sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith and try it. And if it fails, it's not actually the worst thing in the world — because it will inform you. It didn't work because of this and this. And you're a better entrepreneur because of that. You cross one ambiguous thing off your list and move on to the next. Maybe the next one will be so much better because you're more informed from that failed experience.

Letting Go of Perfectionism — and My Complicated Relationship With Money

Letting go of being a perfectionist is really something that has made me a better entrepreneur and person. I've been so scared of making mistakes, so scared of failure — whatever that definition of failure even is. Something can never be perfect at the first try. The more you do something, that's how you become better.

A lot of us female business owners are very hard on ourselves. Just trying to let that go, doing the work, and seeing where it lands — sometimes that's the most beneficial thing. Your fear of not hitting whatever targets you've set for yourself could actually hinder you from starting something amazing. Maybe the first launch hits 50% instead of the 80% you expected. But it doesn't mean you failed. It means there's something to improve. You do another round, maybe you get 70%. Then 90%. You won't know until you put yourself out there.

The other thing I'm still learning to let go of is my relationship with money. Whenever I spend something, I feel this pressure to earn it back immediately — and more. It leads to a lot of burnout, and I know it's a me thing. It's a very illogical, unfounded relationship with money, rooted in how I grew up — being taught to value hard work and to live way below your means. My mom has reminded my brother and me of that forever, and it's shaped how I spend and earn.

It's a very Asian Chinese mindset to have, and in some ways it's good — but I'm a very extreme person. I take it to a different level. So I'm trying to be gentler about it. Having a healthier relationship with money means reminding myself: if I have an expense this month, I don't need to make it back in a week. It could take three months, and that's fine, as long as the savings are okay.

I remember a healer I work with — hi Cindy, shout out to you — she always reminds me not to make decisions if I'm not in a neutral state. Whether I'm happy or panicking, I shouldn't make any decisions from that place. That's really sound advice, because I tend to be impulsive and extreme. But I'm also a planner, logical and practical. Two extremes, and sometimes they manifest at the same time — and it puts my brain in an erratic state. So I try to go back to neutral, wait for some calm, and then decide.

I can't say I'm 100% successful at this every single time. But I'm definitely better than I was a few years ago. And letting go of that — slowly, imperfectly — has made me such a better business owner.