Editor’s Note: Please Welcome Army spouse Nadia Hurtt to Salute to Spouses! The self-made photographer is building a business she started while her family was stationed in Hawaii. Now, while her husband attends college fulltime, she is supporting her family and growing her business, learning all about success and setback along the way. Check in every month to follow Nadia and learn more about the art of being a small business owner

Being a business owner is great, exciting and awesome.

And then, some days, it’s not everything it’s cracked up to be. 

Everyone loves the idea of being their own boss. Everyone dreams of doing something they love every day instead of slaving away at work for someone else. It’s pretty much the American dream to make it big with something you built with your own hands. 

At least that’s what I thought when I first started this journey five years ago. 

I worked for the government in some way, shape or form over the last 10 years while my husband was in the Army, but, always had a love for photography.

I dabbled in it here and there and my friends knew I enjoyed taking pictures. While my husband was on a 12-month deployment, my friend asked me to take some maternity pictures of her. Of course I said yes but never realized this would be the first stepping stone in launching my business.

She posted the images on Facebook and within days, my message box was full of people requesting sessions of their own, some even willing to hand me $20 for it. 

Wow! So this is how photographers are made, I thought.

Except, it’s not. 

I quickly realized that photography, like any other business you choose to run, requires you to have a solid head on your shoulders and some tough skin if you want to make it work. No one ever told me about taxes, the cost of goods calculations, the cost of doing business analysis, projected sales, marketing plans and all the other menial, difficult tasks you do after you do the fun part you love! 

Being your own boss and running a business is stressful. It’s an 80-hour work week, dealing with unhappy clients, making sure you are operating correctly in the eyes of the law, and not really knowing when your next paycheck will come.

But, it is also one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. You can make time for your family and loved ones, you can run a business the way you see fit and change what you don't like about it. You can choose who you want to do business with.

But the biggest perk, owning your own business gives you an immense sense of accomplishment. 

My business went from making a few hundred dollars a year allowing us some family extras like a nice dinner out to now supporting my family of three while my husband attends college fulltime after serving in the military.

It’s amazing to know that my heart, sweat & tears has allowed my family to live a pretty nice life after the military. 

It can be done. It can provide you with the job you have always wanted to do, whether its photography or opening up your own clothing boutique or selling your handmade creations online. Building a business properly from the ground up can lead you to success.