Fake It ‘Till You Make It
The saying “fake it ‘till you make it” is so overused that it’s hollowed out and empty. Professional photographer, Christopher Zebo, says that “faking it” is part of the process of starting something new. As a business owner, there’s always more to learn and the start of something new is always around the corner.
So, as a business owner, you’re never really going to “make it”.
In fact, Zebo says he’d never want to. For Zebo, it's more about the journey than the destination.
Zebo has been getting paid to take photos for years, but he only recently started referring to himself as a “professional photographer”. Using that title made him feel like he’d “made it” or reached the destination. And he says, “That’s boring to me.”
Zebo is a professional landscape and portrait photographer. About four years ago, Zebo launched The Austin Photo Truck, a portrait studio on wheels.
Take it from someone who built an entire business around taking professional headshots, and didn’t even know how to take a headshot: being a business owner isn’t easy. But a lot of people make it look easy.
In reality, most entrepreneurs are just “faking it”.
Most people have never hired someone to work for them, opened up a physical location, or built a professional website. Most people don’t know how to be their own boss, run a business, or build lasting relationships with clients.
But there’s nothing you can’t learn.
Take chances, be bold, and fake it.
Fake it ‘till you learn it. Then, find the next thing you need to learn.
“I love not knowing what I’m doing.”
Christopher Zebo became a photographer accidentally. He says he never called himself a “professional photographer” until he had to. Until he had a business to run and he needed the title to represent him.
Zebo was an editor of an arts and entertainment publication in College Station, TX for five years. “Like all print publications,” he says, “we were broke.”
When the publication couldn’t afford a photographer on staff, Zebo took 10 grand out of savings to purchase all the camera gear needed to supply the missing photos himself. I don’t know many people who would take a risk like that. But Zebo says he loves not knowing what he’s doing!
A month later, Zebo parted ways with the publication with a life-changing decision to make. He could try to sell all the camera gear and get some money back or…
See what he could really do behind a camera.
“I didn’t know anything about taking photos,” Zebo remembers with a laugh. “But, I figured I could learn it. I’m good at learning anything on YouTube.”
Zebo spent the next few months driving across Texas taking photos that he says were “surprisingly OK”. His work started being noticed on social media and a friend with an art gallery asked Zebo if he wanted to do a one-man show.
After figuring out what the heck a one-man show was, Zebo hit the road again and he gave himself three months to fill the art gallery. “My first show was a sold-out show… and I had no idea what I was doing the entire time,” he says.
Some might call this beginner's luck. Others might see the blood, sweat, and tears that made this opportunity possible. Others might see the frustration, the discovery, and the hard work. Or the amount of YouTube videos watched, replayed, and saved.
And that’s when the tourism bureau approached Zebo and asked him to help advertise Texas to the world.
“I say yes to everything. I just say yes even if I have no idea what I’m doing.”
This was Zebo’s big break. His work was being noticed and people thought it was more than just “surprisingly OK”.
“This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever come up with.”
When asked how he came up with the idea of a portrait studio in a converted RV, Zebo remarks that it was the “dumbest idea” he’s ever had. He says he just wanted to create a studio that didn’t feel like a dingy dentist’s office.
And thus, the photo truck was born.
However, the photo truck was born a mere three months before the COVID lockdown. Like every new business owner in 2020, Zebo had a moment of despair, accepting the reality that he might be eating ramen for a long while. The cheap 50¢ kinda ramen.
Zebo used this downtime as an opportunity to elevate his photography skills and learn how to take professional headshots. He took his time with the few clients he had until he started to find his stride.
Many people lost their jobs that year. And many people, as it turns out, suddenly needed a professional headshot for their LinkedIn profile. When people started flocking to The Austin Photo Truck, Zebo knew he wouldn’t have to survive off of ramen anymore.
Despite all the hardships, Zebo says being a business owner is the best career he’s ever had. He gets to do what he loves best every day! He says he hangs out in the RV parked in his driveway meeting and talking to new people.
Zebo is extremely happy doing what he’s doing and his beautiful photos are a testament to that.
“Your ego diminishes and you become fully present in nature.”
Although he captures more portraits than landscapes these days, Zebo will always have a great appreciation for the outdoors. He explains that when you photograph a person, you know how you can make them look with the lights you have available and the camera you have in your hand. But, he says, “When you’re out in nature, you have no idea how whether you call it God or the universe is going to light the scene.”
And that’s always been a huge part of the enjoyment of landscape photography for Zebo. You never know what to expect as a nature photographer.
Outside is the only place you can truly let everything else go, even your own self-awareness, and be fully present.