A thank you letter to my supporters

Hey you! How's it going this week?

You may not realize the impact you've had on me, my business, my life as a whole, but right now seems a good time to share this with you.

I remember when I started Creative Sports Photography back in the summer of 2021. All the excitement percolated.

But there was a fog of apprehension that tempered the newfound enthusiasm.

The idea of creating an athlete-focused portrait business seemed like a good one; a great one, even.

The idea was not the problem. I had a niche, I had a vision, I knew how to make elite-level portraits in just about any location.

It was me I was worried about.

I tried to create a photography business once before, years ago, giving a go at weddings and family portraits and high school seniors and on and on.

I did good work. Maybe even great work. But as a business owner, the performance was, let's just say, less than stellar.

Going into my second try at starting a portrait photography business, I had some hard questions to ask myself while looking in the mirror.

Did I learn enough from my previous stumbles to make CSP into a sustainable, successful, client-focused, in-demand service?

Or would history just repeat itself?

I think about that time now, four years ago, as I wrap up a busy Spring sports season.

These days, once a team picture day is finished, I like to walk over to parents and thank them.

Like I'm thank you in this letter.

Without them and without you, the wild success of Creative Sports Photography has experienced since 2021 would never have been possible.

You all provide me with trust and a privilege - to create portraits of the competitors in your families that reflect what these playing days mean to them ... and to you.

Once these playing days are gone, for both our children and teens as well as for parents, there's no getting them back. So I consider every portrait session I have to be nothing less than a privilege, never to be taken for granted.

Forbes reports numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows that half of all small businesses fail within their first five years.

And here I am, one year away from that milestone. I've seen Creative Sports Photography grow in ways I never imagined four years ago, back in those early days full of eagerness and apprehension.

That's because of you and your support.

Thank you. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for the laughs and the memories. Thank you too for the times when you've held me accountable. Thank you for helping me improve this athlete portrait business.

Thank you for this life I get to live.

Sincerely,

Dave

Owner | Chief Image Maker

Creative Sports Photography