Dropping the "mission" mindset was the best thing I ever did for my business
Confidence isn’t about having a grand business mission statement, it’s about owning what you do and doing it well. You don’t need to change the world to show up like a pro. You just need to back yourself. (This brand image above shows my client doing exactly that.)
And this realisation that’s lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.
Let me tell you a bit more about why it’s been such a turning point.
The pressure to have a mission
For years, I’ve felt like I needed a mission for my business. A big, hefty, NOBLE world-changing reason for why I do what I do. Because that’s what all the marketing gurus tell you, right? I believed this was the only way for so long! Because this is what I kept hearing:
- “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”
- “You need a cause bigger than yourself.”
- “Lead with purpose, not profit.”
So, I tried. Oh I blooming tried. My website, my messaging … it all revolved around empowering small business owners, women in particular, to be visible. And while that’s not untrue (I do hugely enjoy helping my clients feel more confident), something about it never felt quite right.
And now, I know why.
I would read all these big inspirational quotes on social media and think, “I need to articulate my reason on that level, so people see I’m serious.”
But the truth is, I’d get myself into a bit of a guddle, trying to sound like I had this grand purpose. I wanted people to think I was leading some massive revolution in my industry, because, let’s face it, that’s what we get told we have to do to stand out.
What if ... Loving your work is enough?
The truth is, I don’t do brand photography because I have a burning mission to change the world. I just do it because I love it. I love the creative challenge of it. The balance of strategy and aesthetics. The satisfaction of solving the puzzle of how to capture someone’s brand in a way that actually helps them grow their business, combined with artistic creativity.
Man, I love it! And you know what? That’s enough. I can’t begin to explain how freeing it was to come to this conclusion. For the longest time, I felt a need to tack on a grand “this is how I’m saving humanity” statement to my brand … but that never resonated deeply with me.
When I was younger, I dreamed that success had to look like saving the planet or rewriting the business rule book. Now I realise that small actions can be powerful, too, and perhaps my quiet love for photography and the impact it has on individual business owners is all the “mission” I need.
So, I don’t need to frame my work as a cause. I don’t need to pretend I’m on some grand crusade. I just need to be bloody good at what I do. That alone is incredibly liberating. If you’ve ever spent hours thinking, “Is my mission big enough? Does my ‘why’ sound epic enough?” trust me when I say this: it’s already perfectly fine to do the thing you do, simply because it lights you up and you enjoy it.
Loving your work and striving to become the very best you can be at it IS enough
You owe the world no grand mission – excellence in your craft is enough. Many believe that purpose must be some noble crusade, but I reckon if your nature is to create, to strategise, and to solve problems, like mine is, then that’s absolutely enough. Not everything has to be “heart-centred” (ugh) or tied to some higher calling. You can simply enjoy your craft, excel at it, and let the quality of your work be what makes an impact.
I’ve met so many talented people who quietly worry that their work doesn’t sound “noble” enough. They love writing code, or taking photos, or designing logos, but they’ve been told that unless they’re saving endangered species or revolutionising an entire industry, they’ll never stand out. In reality, your passion and expertise might be the most magnetising thing about you. When you pour real love and dedication into your craft, people can see that glow. It’s contagious. And in my experience, that’s what draws people in far more than a forced mission statement.
Owning my real why (and ditching the fluff)
So, I’ve updated my website “about” page. No more forced mission statement. No more pretending my “why” is anything other than the fact that I love what I do and I want to get better and better at it.
And honestly? I’ve never felt more aligned. (Sorry, wanky word but couldn’t think of anything better.)
This change didn’t happen overnight. There were countless late evenings where I’d type and re-type my “about” section, trying to make it sound impressive. I thought that if I didn’t state some larger-than-life mission, I’d look small-time. But then I realised people would resonate more with my honesty than any polished “this is how I’m saving the whales” rhetoric.
Once I stripped the fluff out, I felt the most natural sense of relief. I wasn’t hiding behind a contrived story anymore, and that’s made me more excited to share my business with the world.
Owning my real reason for doing this has also improved my client conversations. Now, when someone asks me, “Why did you choose brand photography?” I say, “Because it genuinely fascinates me how images can elevate a business, and I just love working with people to bring that to life.” It feels honest, it feels easy and – guess what – clients respond warmly. They appreciate the sincerity, and they don’t need me to tell them I’m on a mission to rescue humanity through photos.
What changed after dropping the “mission” mindset
People often ask, “But if you’re not aiming to transform the planet, doesn’t that undermine the importance of what you do?” Far from it. Let me share a few shifts that happened once I let go of needing a huge mission:
- I feel lighter - there’s no pressure to measure up to some impossible standard
- I’m more consistent - I'm finally at ease writing social media captions or updating my website because the words come straight from the heart, not from an over-engineered brand script.
- Folk trust me more - oddly enough (or not!), people pick up on authenticity. They see that I’m transparent about why I’m here, and it makes our interactions more genuine.
- I’m enthusiastic again - when I stopped obsessing over how to frame a massive mission statement, I had more headspace for actual photography ideas and better service delivery.
Embracing simplicity can be your biggest confidence boost
You don’t need the biggest mission in the room to be taken seriously. You just need conviction in what you do.
So I know beyond any shade of doubt that if you’re still hiding behind DIY photos or outdated branding because you think “it’s fine for now,” it’s not. Your brand visuals are either attracting the right clients or they’re losing them. (If you’re serious about showing up as the expert you are, let’s make it happen – book a call with me now.)
But even if you don’t call me, at least consider dropping that heavy sense of responsibility to fix every global issue in your marketing. Go back to basics. Why did you start your business? Did you pick something that genuinely fires you up? Then trust that energy. Lean on it.
Hone your skills, invest in your growth and do that thing with all your heart. That alone can attract exactly the right audience who’ll love working with you.
Have you ever felt pressure to make your work sound more ‘purpose-driven’ than it really is?
If you get what I'm talking about here, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop me an email, share your own experience of feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to have a huge mission. Let’s normalise the idea that it’s perfectly okay – more than okay – to do something you love simply because it lights you up and adds value to someone else’s day.
You don’t have to change the entire world. Sometimes it’s enough to change someone’s life or business in small but meaningful ways.
I’ve never been happier since I dropped the “mission” mindset. I can just show up as me, talk about the craft I’m passionate about, and focus on giving my clients beautiful, strategic photos that help them stand out. It’s simple, and it feels right.
I hope this encourages you to let go of any self-imposed pressure to create a mission statement that doesn’t resonate with your genuine reasons for being in business. Show up, do the work you love, and keep growing. That might just be all the purpose you need.
