How Was My Summer? Honestly… It Was Rough.
Have you ever felt completely discouraged as a business owner? Because did you know that being a business owner is NOT as fun as social media makes it look? 😂 There is so much work behind it. There’s the actual work, of course, but then there’s the mentality that comes with it. The financial pressure. The effort. The consistency. And then there’s regular LIFE happening around you while you’re trying to build something.
I have two businesses. I have my photography business, Janet Garcia Photography, which I started in 2018, and I also have my Mary Kay business, which I’ve been building for a little over a year. At this point, especially with photography, I feel like I know what I’m doing. I know how to attract leads. I know how to create engagement. I know how to put myself out there. But knowing what to do and seeing the financial results from it are two completely different things.
I Had Big Plans for Summer 2026
Going into this summer, I had financial goals. One of them was to pay off $1,000 worth of debt over the summer, on top of covering my normal everyday living expenses. It wasn’t everything I owed or some huge financial finish line. It was simply the goal I had set for myself: make $1,000 worth of progress and enter the fall in a better financial position than where I started.
I didn’t accomplish it.
Actually, if we’re being VERY transparent here, there were moments when my bank account went into the negative. 🙈
Summer was rough for me.
And what’s interesting is that it wasn’t necessarily because nothing was happening. With photography, I was getting leads. People were calling me. I had photo sessions. I photographed quinceañeras. I had galleries to edit and clients whose beautiful images I was working on.
With Mary Kay, I was putting myself out there too. I’ve been talking about my business on social media, doing facials, presenting products, collaborating, partnering with other people and trying different things. There was engagement. There were conversations. There were leads.
But there weren’t enough sales. There wasn’t enough income coming in, and there weren’t enough new paying clients. And that broke my heart a little bit.
Phoenix Summers Are Rough… But This Felt Different
If you live in Phoenix, you already know summer is ROUGH. It’s hot. Nobody wants to leave their house. 😂 Things slow down. Obviously, some industries thrive during our summers, but photography isn’t exactly one of those businesses where everyone is thinking, Yes! Let’s go take pictures outside when it’s 110 degrees!
So logically, I understand that. Emotionally? This summer still hit me hard.
I’m currently closing out galleries, and I’m going to be transparent about something else that isn’t necessarily easy for me to admit. Right now, I don’t have all the money I need to cover the cost of delivering some of the albums and wall portraits that I need to order.
I’m trying very hard not to immediately turn to my credit cards because I’m working toward becoming more intentional with my finances and getting OUT of debt—not creating more of it.
Credit cards are one portion of the debt I’m working through. Some of that came from investing in my businesses and my own growth without always making the smartest financial decisions along the way. Some came from personal decisions I’ve made. I’m not going to give you my entire financial breakdown here 😂, but it’s something I’m actively working on.
That’s actually one of the reasons I started Mary Kay. I wanted to create an additional source of income that I could use to make progress financially instead of continuing to rely on credit.
It’s a learning curve. I’m learning.
And while this summer didn’t look anything like I had planned financially, I’m also trying to look at it for what it was instead of beating myself up over what it wasn’t.
And Then August Happened
By August, I think I just… stopped. Not completely. I was still working, but I stopped pushing. I focused on finishing galleries and editing, and that was pretty much it.
And I kind of ghosted some of my clients. 😬 I KNOW. That’s probably not something you’re supposed to admit on your business website. But this entire blog is about transparency, so there it is.
To my summer 2026 clients: I’m sorry if I ever made you feel ghosted or like I wasn’t communicating with you enough. It’s something I’m working on.
I’m also learning how to give myself grace. I’m human. I’ve gone through depression before, and I know what it’s like to have to keep moving even when your mind isn’t necessarily cooperating with you. I’m learning that giving myself grace doesn’t mean ignoring the areas where I need to grow. It means acknowledging them without destroying myself over them.
And I definitely have areas where I need to grow.
Something God Taught Me This Summer
I don’t want this blog to sound depressing, and I definitely don’t want it to sound like poor me. That’s not why I’m writing it. I’m writing it because this season made me reflect on a lot of things—including my relationship with God.
I’m a Christian. I’m a woman of God. And one of the biggest things I’ve learned this summer is that God provides. He doesn’t abandon us.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the manna in Exodus and how God provided what His people needed. Enough. And when I look at my own life, that’s something I’ve experienced too.
I’ve been frustrated because for the past couple of years I haven’t been able to save the way I want to. I’ve been frustrated because I’m not where I want to be financially. But somehow, there has been enough. My rent gets paid. My bills get paid. I make little baby-step payments toward my credit cards. I’m not where I WANT to be, but God has continued to provide what I need.
I’m not drowning. But I also don’t want to stay stuck.
And I think that’s the difference.
I Know What I’m Good At. I Also Know What I’m Lacking.
One thing I can proudly say about myself is that I show up. No matter what’s happening, no matter how I feel, no matter what life looks like, I show up. And I’m proud of that.
I’ve also been doing photography long enough to know that my work is good. I know that when you hire me as your photographer, we’re going to have a great time together. I know you’re going to love your photographs. I know that years from now, when you look back at those images, they’re going to mean something to you. My clients have cried looking at their photographs. I KNOW I can do this.
But knowing that also means being honest about where I’m falling short. And right now? Consistency.
That’s one of my biggest struggles. Keeping the momentum going. Communicating with my clients with a greater sense of urgency. Being consistent when business is slow instead of allowing discouragement to stop the momentum I’ve already created.
And when it comes to finances, there’s something there too. I’m intentional—or at least I’m trying very hard to be—but there’s another piece I’m missing that I haven’t quite figured out yet. Maybe I’ll have an answer for that in another blog.
I’m also working on my pride. That’s a whole other journey. 😂
So… How Was My Summer?
It was rough. Not because nothing happened. A LOT happened.
I worked. I photographed. I edited. I built relationships. I collaborated. I showed up. I learned. I prayed. I got discouraged. I pulled back. And now I’m trying again.
Maybe that’s why I wanted to write this. I’ve followed photography mentors over the years who were willing to talk about the parts of business that aren’t pretty. You have to put in the work. You have to earn it. You have to be intentional. You have to show up. And eventually, you have to learn how to stay consistent even when you’re not immediately seeing the results of all that work.
So that’s where I am right now. Showing up again. Trying to rebuild the momentum. Trying to be more consistent. Trying to become wiser with my finances. Trying to grow as a business owner and as a person. And trusting God through all of it.
If you’re a business owner and you’ve ever gone through a season like this, I would genuinely love to hear about it.
And if you actually made it ALL the way to the bottom of this very long and very transparent blog… 😂 Come find me on Instagram, TikTok or Facebook and message me. Seriously. Maybe we’ll go grab coffee. I’m a coffee person. ☕️
And if you’re going through your own difficult season right now, I’ll leave you with what I’m reminding myself:
Trust the process.
Show up.
Be consistent.
Keep the momentum going.
And most importantly, trust God. God is our provider. He doesn’t abandon us, and He keeps His promises.
Keep going. I’m going to keep going too.
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