In this episode, Michelle shares her honest experience after spending a full year in a networking group — including the time commitment, the revenue results, and what she learned along the way. We break down the real numbers, the expectations versus reality, and why what seems like a great visibility strategy isn't always the right fit.

• Visibility is not the same as being in the right room.
  Just because you're showing up doesn't mean the environment is aligned.

• Networking groups often favor transactional businesses.
  Industries like real estate, finance, and roofing naturally pass referrals — photography is a more emotional, less frequent purchase.

• Track your data, not just your feelings.
  When Michelle broke down the numbers, she could make a clear, objective decision.

• Everything you say yes to means saying no to something else.
  A four-hour weekly commitment carries real opportunity cost.

• Experiments aren't failures — they're clarity.
  The year wasn't wasted; it sharpened her messaging and helped her evaluate where her time is best spent.

• Environment matters.
  Effort alone cannot overcome a misaligned room.

This is an honest look at what happens when effort meets a misaligned room — and how to evaluate business experiments without making it mean something about you. If you've ever wondered whether networking groups are worth your time as a photographer, this conversation will give you clarity.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

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Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and longtime Elevate member, Marty Pearson of Critter Pics, for a powerful conversation about staying committed to your journey—even when it's unclear, nonlinear, and full of pivots. Marty shares her honest path through identity confusion, competing passions, and years of experimentation, and how staying in the room long enough ultimately led to clarity, alignment, and success. If you've ever felt torn between different versions of yourself or unsure what you really want, this episode will remind you that clarity is earned, not instant.

• Clarity is not instant—it's earned.
  It often comes after years of experimentation, questioning, and staying committed through uncertainty.

• You don't have to choose just one version of yourself.
  It's not either/or—you're allowed to integrate multiple passions and identities.

• Figuring out what you don't want can be just as powerful.
  Subtraction often leads to clarity faster than trying to add more.

• Staying the course matters, even when growth feels invisible.
  Just because progress isn't obvious doesn't mean it isn't happening.

• Alignment creates ease and focus.
  When your identity clicks into place, marketing, messaging, and decisions become simpler.

• You don't need permission to decide who you are.
  Sometimes clarity comes in the moment you finally choose yourself.

This episode is especially for you if you feel multi-passionate, unsure how all the pieces fit together, or worried that you're "behind." Sometimes growth doesn't look like momentum. Sometimes it looks like staying committed long enough for the answer to reveal itself.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

In this episode, I talk about what it really looks like to grow through the hard things in business—especially when money, emotions, and uncomfortable circumstances are involved. Using a real coaching conversation as an example, I share a powerful framework for navigating pain without letting it turn into unnecessary suffering. If you're facing a situation you don't want, don't like, or wish were different, this episode will help you understand how acceptance—not resistance—is the key to growth, wisdom, and peace.

• Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
  Pain combined with resistance creates suffering; pain combined with acceptance creates peace or wisdom.

• Resisting reality multiplies emotional stress.
  Arguing with what's happening adds friction and keeps you stuck.

• Acceptance doesn't mean approval.
  You don't have to like a situation to accept that it's happening.

• Clean pain leads to growth and wisdom.
  When you accept what is, pain becomes a teacher instead of a burden.

• Every challenge is shaping your capacity.
  Difficult moments build the emotional strength and wisdom required for higher levels of success.

• You can feel pain without letting it own you.
  Acceptance allows you to experience hard things without being consumed by them.

This episode is an invitation to stop arguing with reality and start growing through whatever is in front of you.

How to Support the Podcast:

• Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please like, share, and leave a review.

• If you like the content, please share with your friends by posting on social media so that we can reach and impact more people.

Join our next free coaching workshop: www.getcoachedbyheather.com

Connect:

Heather Lahtinen: Website, Facebook, Instagram