276: Pete Coco: Advice for Launching Your Photography Business

Sep 24, 2024

In this episode, I have an awesome chat with the super-talented Pete Coco, a successful headshot and portrait photographer. We dive into the nitty-gritty of starting your photography business, and yeah, it can be overwhelming. But Pete’s advice? Don’t worry—just start!

Pete specializes in headshots and portraits and is based in Garden City, New York, providing high-quality photography services to individuals from various industries, including business professionals, realtors, lawyers, doctors, actors, and models. 

He also is a mentor and has a YouTube channel with 30,000 subscribers, where he talks about photography, gear reviews, and all sorts of things.

Pete shares so much valuable wisdom, including:

• The importance of finding a mentor who truly understands your vision.

• Staying passionate about the type of photography you want to do every day and creating work you love and want to be paid for.

• Embracing failure as a learning tool, instead of fearing it.

Pete also introduced us to his “CoCo Trio”—the perfect blend of work, business, and mindset. Mastering all three is essential for success. Plus, he drops some book recommendations like The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, and the Tao Te Ching for extra inspiration.

His final gem? It’s never too late to start, and your photography doesn’t have to be the best in the world—it just needs to get started. You can catch Pete live at the Imaging Expo in Texas through Professional Photographers of America.

Bonus: Download any of Pete’s free videos, and he’ll share five of his all-time favorite portrait tips!

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