S3 Bonus 03: Managing First Successes

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[00:00:00] Welcome to the Genius Womxn podcast. I'm your host, Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel photographer and writer with work in some incredible publications like National Geographic farm magazine and more. And this year you see my name in places like Conde Nast Traveler. I'm on a mission to help other women who wants to grow their trouble, storytelling, careers, go after their dreams while feeling supported, worthy, and bold. If you're ready to ditch your fear and doubts to the side, step into your brilliance and take action on your dreams. You're in the right place. Let's go.

[00:00:39] Hey everyone. All throughout September, we're sharing bonus episodes with you. As we're taking a little break here in preparation for season four of our. In this bonus episode, I'm sharing with you a conversation we had in the circle with our circle members, Vanessa Doosan, and Ashley Brooks. Both of them have been published since starting with us in the circle.

[00:01:02] And in this episode, we discuss managing our expectations and working through imposter syndrome. As we build our portfolios. Enrollments of the circle is currently closed. As we're getting ready for a one year anniversary this October. If you want to know, when we opened the doors back up, visit geniuswomxn.co/circlewaitlist to get on the list.

[00:01:26] That's geniuswomxn.co/circlewaitlist. Okay. Let's dive in into our conversation with Vanessa and Ashley. 

[00:01:36] I feel a little bit nervous about what comes next. Like maybe like, although, like what if I'm one and done?

[00:01:41] And so, I would say, yeah, I was feeling that over the weekend a little bit. A little bit nervous about that. , but I was pumped that I got, the pitch done to gossamer kind of under the wire and that's kind of a cool publication, something different. And I liked how they had themes and one really kind of stuck out to me.

[00:01:59] And so, yeah. Yeah. And I think I was also excited too, that I came home on Friday and I was like, oh my gosh, I don't really have time. Then I sat down and just pumped it out. Up until this point, I feel like I've kind of belabored every word of every pitch I've sent and that I just kind of fire it away.

[00:02:14] And so that felt good. So, yeah, that was good.

[00:02:17] Awesome. And let me offer you some perspective on the one and done the only way you're going to be one and done is if you pitched Huffington post. You got that story out and you stopped pitching and you stopped coming up with an idea. And I don't see any of that happening with you.

[00:02:33] You keep pitching you, your ideas farmhouse. Actually, you you keep sharing ideas with us and I'm always like, where did she end up from you know? So basically Ashley, it's, up to you. If you're going to be one and done or not. And. You know, I say this all the time. If you keep going, if you keep reaching out, you keep sharing your ideas with publications more will come more, will follow.

[00:02:57] It might take longer than, than you'd like, you know, you might need to go through this. Like, uh, I don't know what's happening, but it's gonna. No, you're not alone one and done trust me. But again, it depends on you, right? depends on what you do with it. If you stop pitching, you stop sharing ideas, then yeah.

[00:03:13] It's going to be one and done because you stop. That's the main thing for you is to keep going, keep sharing, keep reaching out to publications. You're You're on the right path. You're doing everything that you're supposed to be, so. Thank you. Got this. You've got this. 

[00:03:28] And Vanessa, congrats on your,wait, which piece was it? Oh, I forgot the 

[00:03:33] Toronto star was the latest one that I got. Yeah. So I, I don't know why this one, it just makes me feel maybe cause it, you know, it's a big newspaper, so it just feels more. Like this is journalism. And like, do I really, I don't know.

[00:03:47] Like, I, I feel more doubtful of my skills with this one. And even though it's the travel section and in that, and I sent something in, Like two days after I signed the contract and the deadline was this week, like on the 12th. So I was really early. So I haven't heard back yet from the editor. So I'm, you know, I'm sort of like, oh, you know, that the things that go through my head and like, oh, she'll get back to me and, oh, I'll have to change everything.

[00:04:12] Or then. But I, I hope it's good, but I also see it as a learning experience. Like we all have to start somewhere and if I get feedback and change it, like it'll just help me down the road every time I I write or, and patch the middle. yeah. You know, those little negative thoughts, just keep creeping in and I hate them.

[00:04:32] So I was trying to like, yeah, it was that what's the worst that can happen. Like even if they, I signed a contract, I'd like to yeah. Ideas. So, I have to kind of have some faith that. I can string a few words together and write a story. 

[00:04:44] Yes, you've got this. You absolutely got this.

[00:04:47] And you know, again, like, trust me. I know it's a process and you're probably not there yet, but you're going to get there. I was like this too. Like every single time an editor would send me back some feedback. I always took it as, oh, that means I'm horrible. It means I have no scale.

[00:05:05] It's like all of those things, eventually I got to a point where like, no, they're genuinely trying to make this piece better. And they're genuinely just trying to make this work as strong as it can be. And I appreciate it. Actually, I won that. Right. You won that critical eye. 

[00:05:21] You want as many different perspectives on your work as possible, because that's going to make your work stronger. honestly, I don't know what the trick is to stop internalizing that feedback as reflection on the judgment of, on you. I think it's just practice, honestly, like, just keep reminding yourself that it's not a reflection on you and your value as a human and you know, your world.

[00:05:42] just keep practicing that thought, honestly, like it happened for me, that switch has happened somehow. I When editors send me feedback, I love it. You know, I'm like, oh, great. Let me make it stronger. I don't view it as any doubt on my work or my abilities.

[00:05:57] Yeah. And I, I think as, as I get to know these different editors and, you know, I think that will help confidence too, and sort of develop these relationships. But right now it's sort of, yeah, it's still, I still kind of have them up on this pedestal and like, you're trying to please. And, yeah, so I know 

[00:06:16] that's Shakespeare.

[00:06:18] Yeah, they're humans just like us, you know, and they're doing their job,

[00:06:22] but it was really nice. Cause it had been a while. Like I got those three it's in a row and then like nothing and I kept pitching over the weeks. So it was nice to finally okay. But yeah, you really have to keep going or yeah, it's trying to find the, the momentum and and yeah, so I, and I still.

[00:06:42] Last week. And I I finally heard back from him. Not geo traveler. I posted it in the pitch review, which was really helpful, I think is a lot of good information. And I noticed your story is, one of the examples in the list. Oh yeah. There's, there's a link to like, in pics stories that they've published and yours is one of them.

[00:07:04] Oh yeah. So, so I shared it because there's those links. Yeah. You know, and then he encouraged me to submit to, they had like the, big pic and one shot. There's links to examples of those that they've published. So that's all good for, and I thought anyone else who wants to try their hand at pitching Nat geo traveler on the photography side.

[00:07:26] but that would be helpful. yeah, so it was a nice response. but, yeah, it was basically, I think it was there wasn't enough. In the fishermen story. Like, even though, like you said, bringing it to market and I had some shots of where they, the stalls where they sell, but, yeah, probably just not, not enough.

[00:07:43] Definitely.

[00:07:43] Men look for a breadth. Okay. Images representing the destination. Like, yeah. So 

[00:07:49] if I did maybe more Sri Lanka in general and have that as part of it, it might've, I didn't grab 

[00:07:55] it and not in an embolic, Sri Lanka in general, but more about like in this particular story, they're looking for more depth.

[00:08:01] Yeah. More variety of different shots, because that was my experience with them even, because when I submitted my initial,You know, submission to them for my Jerden story, there wasn't enough there. So I actually had to go back to the jury. Well, I was already going back to Jordan on a trip and I had to shoot more images to support a story because yeah, we determined that there wasn't enough.

[00:08:22] So I know for them specifically, they are looking for that breadth breadth of, um, yeah. 

[00:08:28] You know, but I think it's good to know that way in the future when I'm traveling or I can I'll know kind of more, but it's also good to try out for those other cars. I think. One is a single page vertical, and the other is a two page spread.

[00:08:44] So if I've got any. Really good shots that I think would, would work for that. I can, 

[00:08:49] I can pitch that. Yeah. And definitely do definitely follow up, you know, definitely pitch something. Yeah. 

[00:08:55] Yeah. My, so I've got my wheels turning it's like, okay, which, what do I have in my image bank that I think would work?

[00:09:00] And it hasn't really been. Done before. So I have a few things that I think I might send, but, uh, 

[00:09:06] and door, you know, those smaller, like a author or whatever, those are really good foot in the door. It lets them sort of start getting to know your work, developing the relationship. So, and all these a delight to work with.

[00:09:19] He's just very wonderful. 

[00:09:21] Seemed really nice in that workshop. I think being one of the participant or not participant, but like viewers, I guess, of the workshop, the masterclass just gave, yeah, it just seemed very authentic and genuine and not scary at all. It's like, okay, I can do this.

[00:09:37] I can pitch to this publication. And, Yeah. So. I might look and see what else I have that could fit with this and maybe pitch it somewhere else. and then just try something different for just one of the, a single shot for, there, the net to you. So.

[00:09:51] Awesome. No, very, very good. Very good. I'm proud of all of you for all of the work that you're doing.

[00:09:56] I'm proud of you for not giving up and, you know, keep pitching. Cause again guys, like I can stress that and on this, the most important part, right? That you keep going, keep pitching, keep reaching out, be persistent, ride those valleys when they come. Climb out of them though. Try to climb out of them sooner rather than later.

[00:10:17] And I mean, that's, that's just, it that's just life, you know, it's gonna continue, but that's how we, that's how we keep going.

[00:10:24] Thanks again for listening to our bonus episode today, I hope you found the ideas we'll discuss here relevant and inspiring. If you're looking for support opportunities and community in the travel media space, consider joining us in the circle. Enrollments of the circle is currently closed. As we're getting ready for a one year anniversary.

[00:10:45] This acts sober. If you want to know, when we opened the doors back up, visit geniuswomxn.co/circlewaitlist to get on the list. That's geniuswomxn.co/circlewaitlist that's one word. Thanks again for listening and stay tuned for another bonus episode coming your way on Wednesday in which we'll be lifting the view on pitching.