The Power of Consistency: How Chris Pieta Built a Successful Creative Business

In this enlightening episode of The Nathan Newberry Show, photography entrepreneur Chris Pieta shares his journey from chemistry graduate to successful creative business owner and coach. His story reveals powerful insights about consistency, business systems, and the path to high performance in creative industries.

Introduction

The path to entrepreneurial success is rarely straightforward, especially in creative fields where talent alone isn't enough to build a thriving business. Chris Pieta's journey from chemistry graduate to six-figure photography business owner demonstrates that consistent action, proper systems, and a willingness to invest in education are the true keys to success.

As Chris puts it: "It's all like the boring advice that no one really wants to hear. You have to be consistent for years and months on end without even seeing results from it. You just commit to the process, and then the rest will follow."

This article unpacks the valuable lessons from Chris's experience that any creative entrepreneur can apply to their own journey.

From Chemistry to Creativity: An Unconventional Path

Chris's background isn't what you'd expect from a successful creative entrepreneur. With a degree in chemistry and a scientific mindset, he approached photography and business with a methodical perspective that ultimately gave him an edge.

"My background is in chemistry... I kind of think with the scientific method," Chris explains. This analytical approach helped him see patterns and develop systems where other creatives might have relied solely on talent.

His journey began in 2017 when he purchased his first camera for a trip to Japan. While working a 9-to-5 job he didn't enjoy, Chris dedicated weekends to practicing photography, waking up early to capture sunrises and gradually building his skills.

But the turning point came when Chris challenged himself to complete an Ironman triathlon—not because it was related to photography, but because he wanted to prove to himself that he could do something extraordinarily difficult.

"The rationale in my head was: I want to prove to myself that I could do something really hard first... training for this race was the hard part. It was pretty much six days a week, showing up, doing a two to five hour workout depending on the day, and just doing that non-stop for about nine months."

After completing the Ironman in September 2019, Chris had the confidence to start his photography business. "I've proved to myself that I can do hard things, I can be consistent... let's figure out how to start a business."

The Consistency Compound: Building Success Through Daily Habits

The most powerful insight from Chris's story is how consistency compounds over time, creating success that might seem impossible when viewed from the starting point.

"The hard part is showing up consistently when you don't see results for weeks or months or years," Chris emphasizes. "That's what most people aren't able to really do."

Chris attributes his success to his ability to maintain consistency with key business activities, even when results weren't immediately visible. This includes:

1. Daily cold outreach: For months, Chris sent cold emails to potential clients every single day, focusing on e-commerce brands during the pandemic when direct-to-consumer businesses were thriving.
2. Trusting proven systems: "If you're on a proven path that other people have done as well, then there's no reason why you can't achieve success as well," Chris explains. By following established blueprints and making minor adjustments, he avoided reinventing the wheel.
3. Setting clear boundaries: To maintain his energy and prevent burnout, Chris established consistent routines, including a 10:00 PM bedtime, clean eating habits, and a daily 45-minute workout.

His approach paid off dramatically. By July 2020, Chris landed his first significant client from cold outreach—a $500 deal that gave him the confidence to quit his day job. By the first quarter of 2022, he had earned over $50,000—more than his previous annual salary—and hit six figures within six months.

"I was on my balcony with my girlfriend, just kind of in awe when I was running those numbers," Chris recalls of that milestone.

Investing in Education: The Turning Point for Business Growth

Perhaps the most important decision in Chris's entrepreneurial journey was investing in education. After struggling to make progress with generic advice from YouTube and blogs, he took a significant step in January 2020 by investing in a photography business course.

"It was a big investment for me," Chris admits. "But it seemed like a good investment because it was about the cost of buying a new camera... I can spend this on another camera or whatever, but that's not really going to help me. If I spend this money on investing in myself through this education, well, that could have a way bigger upside."

This investment proved crucial because it taught Chris crucial business skills that most creative professionals never learn:

• Client acquisition strategies
• Sales techniques
• Lead generation methods
• Business systems

As Chris explains: "I didn't really learn business from creatives. I learned business from business people and then kind of applied it to the creative industry, which I think has allowed me to have some outsized returns compared to other people in the space."

This perspective shift—focusing on business fundamentals rather than just creative skills—became the foundation for his success and eventually led to his transition into coaching other creative professionals.

Systemizing Creativity: How Structure Creates Freedom

One of the most counterintuitive insights from Chris's story is how systemization actually enhances creativity rather than restricting it. Many creative professionals resist systems because they fear it will limit their artistic expression, but Chris argues the opposite is true.

"If you systemize the things that are redundant or that happen over and over again, well, then you save yourself a ton of energy that you can devote to actually being creative," he explains.

This approach applies to various aspects of a creative business:

• Client onboarding processes
• Shoot preparation and setup
• Marketing and outreach systems
• Sales pipelines

By creating repeatable systems for these operational elements, Chris freed up mental energy to focus on the creative aspects of his work. "The more systemized you are, the more freedom it gives you to be more creative with what you truly want to be doing," he emphasizes.

This insight led Chris to transition into coaching, where he helps other photographers and videographers implement similar systems in their businesses. His mission has become "to build the best company for photographers and videographers to learn the business behind actually running a successful business."

Conclusion: The Blueprint for Creative Business Success

Chris Pieta's journey offers a powerful blueprint for any creative entrepreneur looking to build a sustainable, successful business. By embracing consistency, investing in education, and implementing systems, he transformed from a hobbyist photographer to a six-figure business owner in less than three years.

The most important lesson is that success doesn't come from sporadic bursts of inspiration or raw talent alone. Instead, it's built through:

1. Unwavering consistency in key business activities
2. Strategic education in business fundamentals
3. Systematic approaches to operations and marketing
4. Healthy boundaries to prevent burnout
5. Clear goals broken down into daily actions

As Chris summarizes: "If I can just show up and do the required work on a daily basis, and I've seen someone else accomplish this, then I feel like there's no reason why I can't."

This mindset—combining the discipline to show up consistently with the willingness to follow proven paths—provides a roadmap that any creative professional can follow to build their own successful business.

What consistency habits are you implementing in your business? Share your thoughts in the comments below!