In 2015 I met my first business coach who changed my life. I had the pleasure of meeting my business coach at a dinner the week I quit my corporate job. I was shocked to meet someone who taught you how to create a business, and was grateful for her help and guidance as I launched my business. Over the course of my business, I’ve hired nearly 5 different people to be my coach to ideate with me, to hold me accountable and to push me out of my comfort zone and to poke holes in the business I was creating. 

After figuring out the classic “American Dream” no longer worked for her, Vanja Markovic decided to go on a journey of self-discovery. She realized photography was her calling. After mastering the technical aspects, Vanja discovered her second passion of storytelling through brand photography. Now, she helps entrepreneurs with brand recognition by telling their visual stories. Read more to find out what advice Vanja has to offer for photographers and entrepreneurs. 

How do you convince someone to buy what you’re selling? As a business coach, I hear my incredibly ambitious clients cower at the idea of self promotion and selling their product. I’ve heard “who would pay that for what I’m selling?” or “my clients do n’t have that money”. Any and every objection under the sun, I’ve heard it said before. I’ve also heard them come back to me and say “you were right”

There is nothing more satisfying than growing brand awareness and getting in front of a new audience. While typically brand collaborations are unpaid, there are huge advantages with partnering with like minded brands to create brand awareness, client acquisition and buzz for your brand. Some historic brand collaborations have happened between Doritos and Taco Bell in the creation of the Doritos Loco Taco or Spotify and Starbucks. Coming up with the right brand collaboration is a fun creative process that reaps a lot of benefits. 

In true entrepreneurial fashion, Stephanie Trzaska noticed an opportunity when her Instagram following continued to reach out and ask for help to start their own businesses. So, she stepped up to the plate and pivoted from her original idea. From a Montessori consultant to launching Little Scraps of Magic, she now guides moms to balance their businesses with their family lives, starting with finding their why.

I hate that I kept my emotions at work so private and wish I had embraced them with more openness and honesty. Here are my 4 reasons why I think it's important to embrace your emotions at work.