If you’ve ever wondered how to grow a multi-passionate business without burning out or confusing your audience, you’re in the right place. In my recent conversation on Quianna Marie Weekly, we explored what it looks like to run a photography studio, offer education, and build Airbnbs—and still feel grounded and intentional. This blog is your recap of that “Pivots, Photography, and Airbnbs with Mycah Bain” episode, with extra takeaways you can apply right away.

Why Pivots Are the Secret to How to Grow a Multi-Passionate Business

One of the first things Quianna and I talked about was how many creatives feel guilty for wanting change. We’re told to pick a niche, stay in our lane, and follow one straight path. But real life—and any honest version of how to grow a multi-passionate business—looks much more like twists, turns, and new chapters.

Over the last 13+ years I’ve:

• started as a wedding photographer,
• added families, seniors, and newborns,
• launched Be Lovely & Free (my empowering portrait / boudoir experience),
• expanded into brand photography and business storytelling,
• built a team of photographers,
• and invested in Airbnbs and real estate.

None of that happened in a straight line. It came from:

• listening to what lit me up,
• responding to life changes,
• and giving myself permission to evolve.

If you want to know how to grow a multi-passionate business, start by normalizing pivots instead of treating them as proof you “can’t stick with anything.”

How to Grow a Multi-Passionate Business Without Burning It All Down

Sometimes a pivot comes from excitement. Other times it comes from burnout and those “burn it all down” days. On the podcast, we talked about how tempting it can be to scrap everything and start over.

Instead, here’s a gentler way:

1. Pause before you pivot. Take intentional time away—whether it’s a morning walk, a weekend off, or a longer sabbatical. Your best ideas for how to grow a multi-passionate business usually arrive when your nervous system is calm.
2. Ask what still feels aligned. Maybe you’re done with double-header weddings but still love families. Maybe you’re over editing but still love shooting. Keep the aligned pieces and adjust the rest.
3. Make one small, strategic shift. Raise your prices for the work you want more of. Remove an offer. Start a waitlist. You don’t have to blow up the whole house to rearrange the rooms.

When I’ve allowed myself to slow down, travel, run without headphones, or simply sit in quiet, the next right move almost always becomes clear.

Why Variety Can Work: Photography, Boudoir, Brands, and Beyond

Another big theme was the pressure to niche down forever. In the photography world, it’s common to hear: “You have to pick JUST weddings. Or JUST brands. Or JUST families.”

And yet…

My business currently includes:

• Weddings & elopements
• Families, newborns, and seniors
• Be Lovely & Free (my intimate, empowering portrait experience)
• Brand and business photography including headshots, products, and team photos
• Education for photographers and creative entrepreneurs
• A growing portfolio of Airbnbs in Minneapolis

Here’s why this can still be clear and profitable:

• My team photographs most weddings, families, and seniors.
• I personally focus on brands and Be Lovely & Free sessions.
• The website and messaging lead with the experience: inclusive, joyful, intentional, story-driven.
• My offers are different doors into the same house.

If you’re asking how to grow a multi-passionate business, the key is not to do “everything for everyone,” but to create multiple pathways that all align with the same core values and client experience.

How to Grow a Multi-Passionate Business with a Team

Quianna and I also dug into building a team of amazing talents and what that actually looks like behind the scenes.

Here’s the high-level journey:

• Interns first. For years, I brought on interns because I love teaching and wanted to give newer photographers hands-on experience.
• Support from necessity. During a personal crisis, I hired someone to manage my Instagram because I simply couldn’t be online. That was my first taste of real support.
• Adding admin + associates. I slowly brought in a part-time admin, then photographers to shoot weddings under my brand while I handled the client experience.
• A full-time assistant changed everything. Once I hired a full-time assistant, my brain finally had space to focus on vision, strategy, and creative new offers.

Right now, our model looks like:

• I (and my assistant) handle inquiries, emails, education around the experience, and timelines.
• Couples booking team weddings know upfront they’re working with our team and meet their photographer at the engagement session.
• Photographers get to show up, shoot, and serve deeply—without worrying about inboxes, contracts, and logistics.

If you’re wondering how to grow a multi-passionate business, a team is often the bridge. Start with one role—whatever will free up the most energy and mental space—and grow from there.

Adding Airbnbs: Expanding Beyond Photography

Part of our conversation was about moving into real estate and Airbnbs—specifically my funky, feminine spaces like The Baddies Stay.

Real estate entered the picture because:

• I love design and creating experiential spaces.
• I wanted additional income streams not tied to my shooting calendar.
• Hosting allows me to extend my hospitality and storytelling into physical environments.

This is an important lesson in how to grow a multi-passionate business: it doesn’t all have to stay inside your original industry. Your creativity can spill into interiors, hospitality, education, strategy, or something completely different.

You’re allowed to be a photographer and an Airbnb host. A coach and a real estate investor. A creator and a strategist.

Practical Steps for How to Grow a Multi-Passionate Business

To bring it all together, here are a few practical steps you can take today:

1. Define Your Core Mission

Ask: What do all my favorite offers have in common?

Maybe it’s storytelling, empowerment, playfulness, or legacy.

Let that be your through line as you grow a multi-passionate business.

2. Choose Two Focus Areas for This Season

You don’t have to push every idea at once.

Pick two main focuses—maybe weddings + brands, or brands + education, or photography + rentals—and pour your intentional energy there for the next 6–12 months.

3. Map Your Client Journey

Think about how someone might move through your world over time:

• Engagement photos
• Wedding
• Newborns & families
• Brand photos for their business
• A stay at your Airbnb

When you design with that journey in mind, “many offers” begins to feel like one beautiful ecosystem.

4. Ask Yourself: What Can I Stop Doing?

Sometimes the most powerful move in how to grow a multi-passionate business is subtraction, not addition. Drop what drains you so you can build what lights you up.

Ready to Grow Your Own Multi-Passionate Business? Let’s Build It Together.

If this conversation lit a spark in you—if you’re craving more freedom, more aligned income streams, or the confidence to expand into your next chapter—I’d love to support you.

✨ Book a 1:1 Business Coaching Call to get clarity on your next pivot
✨ Explore Brand Photography to elevate your visuals as you grow
✨ Or join my world on Instagram @mycahbainphoto for more behind-the-scenes goodness

You don’t have to build your dream business alone. You get to grow boldly, creatively, and in a way that feels true to who you are.

Let’s create your multi-passionate future—together.