What Happens When the Business You Built Isn't the Life You Wanted?

As photographers, we're often taught that success looks like more.

More clients.

More revenue.

More employees.

More locations.

More offers.

More growth.

But what happens when you finally achieve those things and realize you're not actually happy?

That was one of the most powerful conversations I had recently on The One Behind the Lens with New York City pet photographer and educator Jen Hillenga.

Jen's photography journey has taken her through portrait studios, education, product creation, business ownership, creative direction, and eventually building a thriving pet photography business in New York City. But what struck me most wasn't her success story—it was her honesty about what happened after the success arrived.

At one point, Jen was running a large studio with employees, a business partner, and a company generating over a million dollars in sales.

From the outside, it looked like everything a photographer could want.

From the inside?

Not so much.

As Jen shared on the podcast:

"I had spent my entire late twenties and thirties making a business, but I hadn't made a life."

That sentence stopped me in my tracks.

Because I think many photographers have felt some version of that.

Maybe not at the million-dollar level.

But perhaps you've found yourself spending more time managing than creating.

More time answering emails than photographing.

More time working in your business than enjoying the life you started it to create.

Bigger Isn't Always Better

One of the things I loved most about this conversation is that Jen wasn't speaking from theory.

She had already lived the "grow bigger" story.

And while growth itself isn't bad, she discovered something important:

More revenue doesn't automatically create more freedom.

Sometimes it creates more responsibility.

More overhead.

More pressure.

More stress.

At one point, she admitted she was actually hoping for rain so she could cancel sessions.

If you've ever secretly wished for a client to reschedule because you were exhausted, you probably understand exactly what she meant.

You're Allowed to Change Your Mind

One of the recurring themes on this season of The One Behind the Lens has been reinvention.

Not starting over completely.

Not throwing everything away.

But allowing yourself to evolve.

Jen eventually sold her business, moved to New York City, became a creative director, and years later started a pet photography business during the pandemic.

And this time she made a promise to herself.

"I swore to myself that if I did this again, I was going to do it differently."

That line really resonated with me.

Because photographers often feel trapped by previous versions of themselves.

We think because we once wanted something, we have to keep wanting it forever.

But what if success at 25 looks different than success at 45?

What if the goals that motivated you ten years ago aren't the goals that motivate you now?

What if that's okay?

Redefining Success

Perhaps my favorite takeaway from the conversation was this:

"My ideas about what success looks like have changed."

I think that's one of the healthiest realizations an entrepreneur can have.

Success doesn't have to mean building an empire.

Sometimes success means creating enough.

Enough income.

Enough freedom.

Enough creativity.

Enough flexibility.

Enough joy.

For Jen, success now includes balance, contentment, and the ability to enjoy the life she's built.

And honestly?

I think more photographers need permission to define success that way.

The Question Worth Asking

As I reflected on this conversation after we stopped recording, one question kept coming to mind:

Are you building the business you actually want?

Or are you building the business you think you're supposed to want?

Those are two very different things.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or stuck in a version of your business that no longer feels aligned, maybe it's time to revisit what success means to you.

Not what Instagram says.

Not what the industry says.

Not what other photographers are doing.

What does success look like for you?

Because as Jen's story reminds us, you're allowed to evolve.

And sometimes the most successful thing you can do is build a business that supports your life—not one that consumes it.

Want to hear the full conversation?

Listen to this episode of The One Behind the Lens: The One About Building a Photography Business Without Burnout with Jen Hillenga.