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I don't know what to do?

User Profile: charmingMap7687
charmingMap7687 September 26th, 2020

I found you looking while looking for some help with my current situation. I'm a self employed photographer, who has been self employed for the past 35 years. During my career, I have had good times, when I made good money, and bad times when it was tough going. My wife and I have been married for just over 20 years. Over the past 8 years the photography industry is become more difficult and more difficult. The past five has been really tough. My wife and I have saved money, we over $300,000 sitting in our business account. It's not like I have not had any work, it's the amount of work had dropped. In addition, my wife helps with my photography business, sort of. Maybe, I shouldn't say helps. She takes in the money, mouths, off to people in know in the industry, who then stop referring me. Seriously, a very high-end wedding planner referred me and another photographer, because she couldn't refer only one. The client met with the other photographer first, and hired them on the spot. My wife bitched out the planner, until she finally said, ok, I'll stop giving your name out. This sort of thing has happened with other industry people as well. When I create a photography package for a potential client, she looks at the package and tells me, I need to quote them more. I almost always give in and we never hear from that person again. Needless to say, its been tough. I'm sure there is plenty that I also do wrong. I think I could always do better, or work harder. 3 years ago I decided I need to shift to something different. I had no idea what, after lots of soul searching, and research, I decided to become a digital marketing provider, specifically SEO. I got certified in SEO and I've been learning as much as possible. I have also been working on my own website, after a year of SEO work on my photography site I have hit page one with may potential client related search terms, However there are now no jobs. All the event venues have stopped booking weddings and events, Due to Covid, We lost some corporate jobs, pushed almost all weddings back over a year. Honestly, I glad they postponed and did not cancel. I landed my first digital marketing client and I have been doing very well with their account. I took the from, not being on Google at all, to page one with some search terms. They are thrilled. It has not been easy, however, I feel like I could make a SEO client happy, now I need more. I have started work on the creation a digital marketing website. While I've been working on this venture, my wife has been telling me, it won't work. We will be broke, and basically everything I do is not going to result in anything. Earlier this week I get my SEO client a write up in a high ranking website. I told my wife, I get the, this article and it's really going to help my client in a huge way, She just said, that doesn't bring in any money. It's been very upsetting. We took a cruise 2 years ago, her parents were supposed to join us. It was a very expensive cruise, before the cruise her mother broke her foot, and couldnt go. Before the broken foot, my wife invited 3 other families to join us. With the other people going we could not cancel. She was in a state of depression during the entire cruise, not so much because her mother could not go, she was depressed because she claimed we are loosing so much money we will be broke, and we can't afford anything. One of the women on the cruise was our accountant. She kept telling my wife; you are far from broke, She said, in a very upset manner, I"M YOUR ACCOUNTANT AND YOU ARE NOT BROKE! Just stop and try to enjoy the cruise, She was in such a poor state, there were huge fights with everyone who she invited, including our accountant, who flat out said, I came on this boat to be with you, and you have made this so horrible, I'm beyond pissed. She said, I did not need to pay for this. There were fights with the other family as well. Everything they did upset her. If they purchased a drink at the bar, she got pissed and said, we can't afford that, how dare they buy a drink in front of me. I was ready to jump off the boat. Now, I'm beside myself. Last Sunday, while sitting by our pool, my mother in law, told me. You know you are broke? At the rate you are going, you will loose all your money in five years. What are you going to do about this? Since Corona most of our business has stopped, I have been doing some work, and I actually booked 2 weddings over the past 2 weeks. We took in $3500.00 in deposits over the last 48 hours. Still not much money is coming in. Then my mother in law, said to me, if you don't find a job, making at least $50,000 per year in the next two months, my daughter would divorce you. She sort of said this with a grin. I was blown away, before this out burst she always seemed to like me. She kept following it up with, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO! YOU HAVE TWO MONTHS!! YOU BETTER FIGURE IT OUT! I told her I don't think we are broke, we have over $300,000.00 in the bank, and once the industry re-starts business should pick up, plus I'm working on my digital marketing business. She just got more upset and said, WELL YOU BETTER GET THE BUSINESS STARTED DAM FAST. I have really mixed feelings about this. We have a 16 year old son, we are going to divorce, and tell him its because I don't make enough money? By the way, my wife doesn't work, and she says it's because she can't get a job after attending a very expensive university and getting a BA in art at a school that cost over $90,000.00 per year. Could I get a job driving Uber? I guess. I don't want to divorce, but I also feel like, I'm getting pushed around, with this nonsense. Maybe it's for the best. I'm sorry but I can't get on my knees and cry to my wife and her mother, Ill do anything, Fast food, Uber, The local supermarket. Today, I sat down with my wife and looked at our bank account, $175,000.00 in the business account, a CD with another, $150,000.00 and $90,000 in our savings account. Is that broke? I really have no idea what to do.

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User Profile: Jem7Cups
Jem7Cups September 26th, 2020

@charmingMap7687 it sounds like there's a lot of controlling behaviour going on here. I see this is posted in the anxiety forum. What sort of anxiety are you experiencing in relation to this situation?

User Profile: FineFrog15
FineFrog15 September 26th, 2020

@charmingMap7687

I have to agree with @Jem7Cups. Sometimes figuring out the problem isn't searching through the branches, it can be finding it in the roots. The problem sounds as if you are being overly controlled, and to the point that it is ruining your livelihood, by someone that needs to be fed and watered by you. Have you ever wondered if they are overly interjecting themselves with your clients, your decisions, your networking with others that work in similar industries that have the power to bring up your name or to not, to pass your business card along. In my silly speak, this is called "burning bridges". I imagine you are in an industry that does best with close relationships, networking and business referrals. Reputation in that sort of industry is crucial and even more so now with the Covid crisis and things are looking "lean".

I can understand the need completely to even do more at that this crucial time, if it's spending a little extra time and reaching out and doing something that your significant other would consider to be pro bono work. If it's a client that is going to pay you, well maybe now is the time to rise to the occasion to just do what needs to be done and help them out in an effort to get the business. Word of mouth is the best marketing plan you could ever do. It's cheap, efficient, it shows your worth and it gets people to work on your behalf after a job well done. There is so very much to be said for relationship building.

For me, it would be hard to sit in the middle, with someone that is destroying my client base, not allowing me to earn money, rejecting jobs based on their thought process, destroying my contacts and relationships with in the community, but all the while threatening me and then have their mother in law to threaten me as well, because there is no money. Sounds like you have always done a fine job of dragging down that cash and maintaining a wonderful lifestyle for your significant other as well as your extended family members.

Maybe you do know best. Maybe you do know this industry better than they do. And it sounds like you have your head on straight on how to continue to earn money even in this hard time. People know people. A job that will pay, is a job that will pay. Better than sitting around with no income coming in. And it really is interesting how small this world is. Cheap job working for nickels, keeps you busy and who knows what type of person will be there at that wedding that see's and respects your hard work. Networking is key, even networking with catering managers at local hotels that have potential brides coming in for venue rental, well, it's golden. Treat those people well and your name and business card could be passed along most quickly. Just thoughts, just ideas, but the biggest and best idea might be once again what @Jem7Cups mentioned.

I hope this works out for you! You truly sound like an amazing person that is only trying to do your personal best in the face of adversity!

2 replies
User Profile: charmingMap7687
charmingMap7687 OP September 27th, 2020

When people get married, is the marrige dependent on how much the husband makes. Maybe our bank account is dropping, but we are not broke. Don't things happen in life,cancer, accidents. If you spouse has a problem and money comming in is limited as a result, do you dump him. If my wife got cancer, I don't believe I would threaten to leave her, if the cancer didn't go away. While, I have some control over some things, other things I don't have control over. Should I make my self crazy, based on what could happen in five years?

1 reply
User Profile: FineFrog15
FineFrog15 September 27th, 2020

@charmingMap7687

Well, I see things just as you do. Of course no one deposited the truth scrolls with me though. I am just built a certain way and have my own belief system of what is right and what is wrong. I think you brought up amazing points! I believe in team work, supporting one another, getting the job done! The thought of we are all in this together. Even the best of relationships require hard work and negotiating from time to time.

If a commitment is made then it seems foolish to not keep a commitment based on monetary issues. Was the relationship one of a transactional nature to begin with? It doesn't sound like you thought it was going to work that way and not what you agreed to. If someone is sick, terminally ill, wheel chair bound, bed ridden, what ever it may be, I wouldn't turn my back on them. I would rise to the occasion and keep my commitments even if it was somehow "inconvenient" for me.

Seems to me that in this life some days fortunes are made and fortunes can be lost. A great team mate is essential to help rebuild the little empire and suffer right along side you. Don't ever fall in love with the money even if someone is wealthy. It can be lost in a blink of an eye. I think it's okay to respect someones drive, dedication and brilliance though. You can lose all of your material possessions, but as long as you still have your drive and dedication you will rebuild again.

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