Follow the Leader

We all need mentors. Whether you are self-taught (like me!), or have been through years of school, you need someone to lean on. Someone to chat with. Someone who will answer your super "dumb" questions. Or, in this digital age, someone to stalk study on the web. I happen to have SEVERAL of these in my business circle (yes, I'm a very lucky lady and I am fully aware). Since I have plenty of photographers whom I follow religiously on Facebook and blogs, I have decided to share the wealth with you guys.

First up: Rachel Vanoven Photography. This woman is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I actually found her through another one of my favorites (to be mentioned in a moment). Rachel is a newborn and family lifestyle photographer and mentor in Indianapolis. She started out just like I did... as a mom with a camera. What I love the most about this woman is that she has built a HUGE following for her business. As in, her business is so big now that she doesn't take new clients, unless they are newborns. Also on my list of loves about Rachel is the fact that she is totally herself when it comes to her business. Her Facebook posts are often very personal, she includes her family on her page quite a bit, and I kind of feel like she's just someone I've always known (Creepy? Oh well. It's the internet.).

Second on my list of "Follow them now"s would be Oh So Posh Photography. YOU GUYS. The colors. Oh.The.Colors. Massive inspiration here. Not only is this woman a mother and a photographer, but she is also a breast cancer survivor. You should seriously click that link there and read her story. Lidia is full of passion, and in the dog-eat-dog world of photography, this is incredibly refreshing to me. Another little funky part of Lidia is that she's from Romania, so all of her posts are written in this gorgeous broken-English dialect. It's beautiful, really. Elegantly beautiful.

This blog was one of my very first to actually follow and stick with in the beginning: Natalie Norton Photography. She is based in Hawaii and everything about her work speaks to me. It's so very raw, natural, and true to life. She uses very few editing techniques and was the first photographer to introduce me to the world of lifestyle photography. I found Natalie through the Digital Photography School (this is a GREAT place to find tutorials and get answers to questions). Just like Lidia's story, Natalie's just spoke to me. Heartbreaking and powerful. And real.

Are you recognizing a trend here? All mothers. All photographers. All very real people. My kind of people.

  While I have a Facebook news feed FULL of awesome photography sites I follow, those three up there are on the top of my list. I have learned SO much from each of them. Not just about photography, but about life in general. Life as a mom. Life as a business woman. Life as a photographer.

Are you on Instagram??? Follow me! This awesome image of my city was snapped while driving. Please don't tell my mom.

Small Business Tips and Tricks

When beginning my own small business, I had NO CLUE what I was doing. My father owns his own business, so I felt I had a little bit of support in that area. But he doesn't own an art business. I was starting an art business. Come to find out, his business and my business? Nothing alike. Nothing. But he's an excellent sound board for my rambling brain (Thanks, Dad!). My brother came in next. He's an accountant (jealous?!). He was able to advise on the business taxes (PAY YOUR TAXES, PEOPLE), and banking topics (Thanks, Bro!).

MHP Blog Readers, meet Dad.

                               

                        

MHP Blog Readers, meet Bro (J-town Baby 1979)

 
But when it came right down to it, I was left with me, myself, and Google. And from there, I grew (and am still growing), a successful small business (YIPEE!). Here's what you need to know to get going:

FOCUS: Pick one subject and drive it home. If you have a talent, craft, or skill, USE IT. Don't try to start up a business doing something you know nothing about. This is an automatic fail. If you think you just want to do it because it "looks easy", DON'T DO IT. If it's not something you love and feel passionate about and think you could spend the rest of your life doing, DON'T DO IT. Take your talent and create based upon that.

EDUCATION: While you may have a special skill, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Don't settle. I learn something new EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. about photography and the business. I strive to know more and do better. There is only room for growth in my art, and in order to grow successfully, I have to continue my education.

MARKETING: Although marketing was a topic I was highly interested in during high school, I never pursued it until I began my business. *this also falls into that category above*. I research (and still do), the best marketing strategies for my type of business. Not only did I research it, but I tested it. I once handed out 100 business cards in 3 days (I booked one session off of it and ended up breaking even on the cost of the business cards...This was a success though!). I discovered this thing called FACEBOOK! Who would have known what a success this idea was? It was PERFECT! And free (my favorite kind of marketing)! But the best marketing strategy ever? WORD OF MOUTH. By far, I have booked more successful, returning clients by simply making someone else happy. If you have a happy client, it is guaranteed they will tell someone else.

SUPPORT: This should actually be at the top of the list. I know it sounds kind of cheesy and all, but I would not be where I am today without my support system (all 48 of them!). My family has backed me 100% of the way. And that dude down there? Well, he is the one behind the scenes fixing my computer issues, raising our babies, doing the laundry, cleaning the toilet, and holding my hand through all of this. He's my rock.

                                                         

MHP Blog Readers, meet Burr.

These are definitely not the only four things it takes to run a business. And, to be perfectly honest, I find lots of new tips and tricks to implement every day. It's all in the trial and error. But if you are patient, consistent, and honest, you can grow into something pretty freakin' amazing.

“Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” - Chris Grosser