When Christopher “Click” Thompson told his friends in Virginia that he was leaving a secure Department of Defense job to photograph cowboys in Texas, the reaction was universal confusion.
“They were like, ‘I’m sorry, what? How are you going to do this?'” Thompson recalled on a recent episode of Y’all Street.
He didn’t have a definitive map, but he had a camera, a work ethic bordered on obsessive, and a fundamental refusal to be average. Today, Thompson is a 3-time PRCA Photographer of the Year. His journey from shooting theme-park tourists to dodging bulls at the National Finals Rodeo is a blueprint for any creative looking to turn a passion into a profitable enterprise.
The “Four-Job” Hustle
In the creator economy, the barrier to entry is low, but the barrier to success is brutally high. Thompson understood early on that his art required capital.
Before he was a recognized name in the Western industry, Thompson operated at an unsustainable pace just to fund his weekends in the dirt. He was traveling 75% of the time for the DOD, teaching college photography as an adjunct instructor, and completing a Master’s degree online through SCAD.
“For like four years, the plate was full,” Thompson admitted. “I’d leave early on a Tuesday to drive an hour and a half to teach… then fly to Illinois for the Army, come back Friday, and leave to go to a rodeo.”
This grueling schedule allowed him to purchase the high-end equipment he needed and gain the repetitions required to master the unpredictable motion of bucking livestock.
“My mom always raised me… you just can’t be average. There’s no logic in mediocrity.”
Click Thompson
Surviving the Pandemic Pivot
By 2018, Thompson had saved $10,000 and officially moved to Fort Worth, Texas, to scale his photography business. He earned his PRCA permit and was gaining major traction—until the pandemic hit in 2020, wiping his entire calendar clean.
Instead of retreating to a traditional day job, Thompson pivoted. He leaned into the hustle that built his career in the first place.
“I sold boots out of the back of my truck for gas money,” Thompson said. “I’d buy crappy hats, reshape them with a teapot, and sell them again.”
More importantly, he protected his brand equity. Knowing that visibility is the currency of the freelance world, he launched the “Corona Edits” on Instagram, re-editing old photos to showcase his evolving skills. This kept him top-of-mind for contractors so that when the world reopened, he was the first call.
The Creator as CEO
What separates Thompson from thousands of other talented photographers is his understanding of business structure. He recognized that as a freelancer, he was entirely responsible for his own corporate hierarchy.
“We’re the social media person, travel agent, administrative person, HR complaint department… and finance guy,” Thompson noted.
He didn’t just want to be an artist; he wanted to be a brand. He commissioned a custom logo—a subtle integration of his face and a bull—to ensure his work was instantly recognizable in a saturated market. He views his career through a “Batman and Bruce Wayne” dichotomy, balancing the quiet, technical craft of editing (Bruce) with the high-energy, arena-floor networking showmanship required (Batman).
The Bottom Line
Click Thompson’s rise to the top of the PRCA proves that talent is only one piece of the equation. To succeed as a creative entrepreneur, you have to be willing to out-work, out-market, and out-hustle the competition.
“There’s no logic in mediocrity,” Thompson said. “You’ve got the same amount of time in a day as everybody else. So why not use it to be great?”
Watch the full interview with Click Thompson on Episode 22 of Y’all Street.
