Hey Reader,
It’s been a while since my last weekly newsletter.
And to be honest, behind the scenes the last six months have been a bit all over the place.
For the first time in a long time, I lost consistency across pretty much everything.
Not because I didn’t enjoy what I was doing.
But because I tried to do too much.
My coaching programs, workshops, photoshoots, travel, content, editing backlog.
All while still being a one-man operation.
At some point, something had to give.
And the newsletter was one of those things.
But here’s what I’ve been figuring out behind the scenes.
When you leave a 9-5 job like I did, no one really talks about this part:
There's no rulebook on how to adapt after being stuck in the corporate world.
And no roadmap that works for everyone.
My brain was wired to operate one way for years, and then suddenly it’s all completely different.
That’s been the biggest learning curve for me over the last couple of years (and I still haven't nailed it).
What I realised during the last few months is this:
There is no “right way” to run your business or live your life.
I’ve spent a lot of time looking at what others are doing.
How they structure their days
How they grow their businesses.
But at some point, I had to ask:
What do I actually want MY life to feel like?
Because if your day-to-day feels overwhelming and exhausting.
Even hitting your biggest goals won’t fix that.
One thing I keep coming back to now is:
Life is made up of individual days.
That’s it.
So why not make each day somewhere you actually want to live?
Instead of constantly chasing the next milestone.
What I’m doing differently now:
I’m keeping things simple.
- Doing more of what I actually enjoy (photoshoots, travel, time with people I care about, playing video games without guilt, and playing my guitar)
- Creating content because I love it, not just to promote the next thing I'm doing
- Saying no to things more often to protect my peace
- Focusing on what actually moves things forward
- Letting things be slower, more sustainable, and more fun. That might mean achieving my goals might take longer, but I'm ok with that.
I keep reminding myself:
This is supposed to be fun.
Otherwise, what’s the point?
If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or inconsistent:
This is what’s helped me reset:
Set aside 1 hour.
Grab a pen and paper.
Write down everything that’s weighing on you.
All of it.
Then:
Start building a simple plan forward.
Not a perfect plan, just small, repeatable actions you can stick to.
Because once momentum starts building again:
Things get clearer.
Progress feels easier.
And that weight starts to lift.
I’m still figuring things out.
And I won’t pretend I’ll show up perfectly every single week from here.
But I’m back.
And I’m excited to keep sharing what I’m learning along the way.
If you read this far, I really appreciate you taking the time to do so 🫶
Talk soon,
Ben
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Thanks so much for spending some of your time with me & reading Filling The Gaps.
Talk soon,
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P.S. If you’re currently feeling stuck with your editing or unsure how to actually improve your photos, I put together something to help with exactly that.
My LTO Signature Preset Collection: Volume 1 is designed to give you both the tools and the practice you need to level up your editing.
You’ll get:
• 25 presets for mobile and desktop
• 175 RAW images to practice on
• Step-by-step video lessons
• Plus a mobile preset pack for everyday content
It’s not about shortcuts.
It’s about building skill, confidence, and speed.
You can check it out here if you're interested.
