**all images in this post copyright Lisa Maksoudian**

NEXT WEEK: TBA

Lisa, thank you so much for being on the Women and Business series! I haven't actually met you and was introduced to you by someone on a forum. I went to your website and just loved your work and branding. I'm thrilled you've been so generous with this interview. I certainly hope we meet in person someday soon!

You’ve been in business full-time for [a relatively short time]. What has been the hardest thing about getting started?

well, i've been in business for about 4 years. however, what i consider to be my 'launch'--with a cohesive vision, branding, etc.--was just a year and a half ago. before that, i was only working about 20 hours a week as my children were small.

for me, the hardest part about getting started was reallydiscovering where i wanted to go! you know, that whole ' establishing your vision' thing. for someone who has a Business Degree & who's spent 7 years marketing albums and artists in the music & publishing industry you'd think i'd be more on top of my game. but, creating a business of my own has been a COMPLETELY different experience.

i was carried along by the current--random work that fell at my feet--for several years before i put my oars in the water. it didn't dawn on me that i could (and should) DECIDE where i wanted to go. i started out taking jobs. and then jobs started taking over my life! i needed a business plan, a solid vision and some policies in order to create a business with longevity. once i pulled it together, it really was a turning point for my business.

You’re obviously doing very well for being in business for such a short time. What 5 things do you think you’ve done right this year?

--hired a housekeeper and a gardener--takes extra work off my plate so i can spend more time with my kiddos

--partnering with a local children's boutique--their clothes + cute models + my pictures all over the store = great exposure!

--committed to blogging--even tonight, my bride-to-be said 'the first thing i do EVERY DAY is check out your blog'. and that just makes me smile!

--upgraded my computers...faster is ALWAYS better!

--gotten involved with local charities and fund raisers--not only offering auction items, but also services to the charities themselves

You have 2 boys, right? What does a typical day look like for you?

a typical day...haha! that's entirely dependent upon having a 'typical night' & 8 hours of sleep!

my boys go to school (Kindergarten & Preschool), sothe day starts between 6:30-7:00....unless i have a sunrise shoot. my amazing husband often lets me sleep a little extra if the boys are up early...otherwise, we're off to school around 8:30.

i try to do as many sessions as i can on weekdays. in addition to children, i also do commercial work & architecture so most days there's some kind of shoot. when i'm not shooting, i'm working with a framer, processing, answer emails, and processing orders. usually i spend 3+ hours in the studio each day. and i try to end the day by 6:30. there are come nights, however, that i kiss my boys in bed and head back to work until the project is done.

in all of this, i have to mention that i'm so blessed to have a nanny who has been with us for nearly 6 years. i wouldn't be where i am today without Miss Sara and my husband.

last but not least....one day a week i take off completely (this is new in 2009)...so i can just be a mommy, a wife, a person.

What do you think are the most important things you do as a mom and every day?

delight in my kids. i want my kids to know that not only do i adore them and love them passionately, but that i also ENJOY them! that my best times are with my boys (hubby included). it's way to easy to tune out the extra noise and miss the cute little sayings and expressions....but those are the little magic moments of life.

i find time to play with them....like i play with my clients. (it was a sad day when i realized i was much more playful & forgiving with my little clients than with my own little guys). i listen to their musings, their theories, their stories and their crazy jokes....that always happen to be about poop.

and i volunteer in their classrooms so i can be with them, get to know their friends & teachers, and evaluate what we need to work on a bit more at home.

(note...cooking is not on my list. i have many other skills and Trader Joes is, for me, anacceptablesubstitute for everyday dinners. :)

Your branding and packaging and marketing materials are just wonderful! It’s difficult in a field that, in the past has been dominated by men, to find fun and funky and colorful boxes and things. Women want something that looks beautiful. How did you come up with your colors? Where did you find those awesome chartreuse boxes and your other pieces? How did you make everything look so beautiful and simple and feminine at the same time? Did you hire a designer? Do tell all! Lol J

absolutely, i hired a designer! that said, i completely drew out (traced is more like it) what i wanted. i'm sure designers HATE that! but i knew exactly the shape and the layout, as well as the colors. i think it's important to look polished, and not 'crafty'/homemade...that's where a professional graphic designer comes in.

while i have many male clients (grooms, fathers, husbands), my 'look' is targeted at women and i have to look hard to find packaging that is contemporary and fresh. i think women want to be seen with something that looks beautiful, fresh, and or funky. even a shopping bag is an accessory. soi'm always checking out newboxes, ribbons, etc. online. (nashville wraps, ribbons and bows oh my, clearbags.com, DHL) as for colors, i find inspiration in magazines and catalogs: Domino, Potterybarn, Boden. and i love the color selection at PaperSource i use their little 5x7 boxes (the only size available).

How did photography find you? And why did you decide to go into business?

so, in my first life as a Marketing Director i worked around the clock. nearing a burnout a the ripe old age of 25, i made a bold move and took a 3 month leave to attend a small school in Europe. a bit of R&R turned into a 2 year adventure. i bought a backpack and walked/eurailed through 13 countries with my point and shoot Yashika & Canon AE1 cameras. i'd never taken a class in photography and just started firing away. when i returned to the States, i pulled together a portfolio from my pictures and applied to the Art & Design school at a University. i was so surprised to be accepted and soon began a second degree in Fine Art Photography.

i was a Canon/Hasselblad shooter for my first few weddings...and shortly thereafter made the change to digital. i don't remember a point where i 'decided' to go into business. things just fell into place. deciding where to take the business, now that's another matter. it's easy to take jobs as they present themselves. but being a mother and a wife i have to weigh the opportunities with the costs.

Are you married? If so, what do you do to keep your love fresh and fun?

yes, i'm blissfully married! my husband is my greatest champion and my best friend. that said, we both own business, entirely different from eachother. admittedly, it's so easy for us to be caught up in the ins and outs of keeping our respective businesses going. to always talk shop and to never play together.

to keep things fresh and fun we have to turn off our busy minds and play! our most favorite times are with the kids and our dog at the beach. the kids dig. the dog runs. we cuddle up like we're in some little movie of our own! cheesy, but oh so wonderful! usually our date night is Monday....but i'm not going to lie: we've gone months (during the busy christmas season) where we are ships passing in the night.

It looks like you are very busy…and it’s happened very quickly. What are you finding about how to manage a growing business and family life? What specific things are you doing to make sure both get your time?

yes, life is busy. last year it got TOO busy and it forced the question: am i working to live or am i living to work. i'd like to be able say that i am working to live...so i've made changes in my business plan to become more balanced.

--i don't answer the phone or emails on weekends...of course there are some exceptions...but 90 % of the time i deal with inquiries and questions during 'normal business hours'. weekends are family times (i only shoot once or twice a month on a sat or sunday)

--family trips, birthday parties, etc. are put on the calendar several months in advance, then i fill in client work on the remaining days.

the balancing act is really about flexibility and i don't ever expect that i'll get it down perfectly. but i hope to gracefully keep my family first while serving my clients with the best images and service possible.

also, i met a gal at DWF/WPPI three years ago. we live about 3 hours apart and met in the middle after the convention. three years later and there's not a day that goes by, sometimes not even a 6 hour stretch, that we are not chatting, conferring over marketing ideas, proof reading a brochure, problem solving, and generally encouraging eachother. we call eachother 'BPFF' (best photographer friend forever), and cheesy as it sounds she has meant the world to me on so many levels. it's like having a business partner. we even do 'work-weekends' in our busy season....with the 4 Seasons Spa trip followed by a 24 hour editting marathon.

(the last time we were both nerve-wracked as we proofed our un-related celebrity clients!)

**all images in this post copyright Lisa Maksoudian**

To see more of Lisa's work go to:

www.lisamaksoudian.com

http://blog.lisamaksoudian.com/

**All images in this post are copyright Rebekah Westover.**

NEXT WEEK: Lisa Maksoudian

Rebekah, it's so wonderful to have you on my blog and part of the Women and Business series. I've adored you since I first met you and have always loved your easy going attitude. You've developed such a beautiful style and business and at the same time you manage to make time for things the other things that are important to you. I'm excited you are willing to share some of that with us!

You seem completely smitten with your husband, how do you keep that so alive when you are so busy?

Even when I'm busy there is always time for a movie night, a bubble

bath, or a date night. Sometimes I feel like I'm busy 24-7, but when

I really think about it I'm NOT! There is always time for making

relationships stronger. Bottom line is I have to MAKE time. I like

to try to get my work done on the computer by 5:30, put my daughter to

bed by 8:30, and then spend the evening alone with my husband. It's

so good for our relationship. In my busy season (the summer and fall)

this isn't always possible as I'm shooting most evenings. But even a

foot rub at bedtime, or just laying in bed at night talking keeps the

love strong in our relationship. I can honestly say that I look at my

husband everyday and think "I love this man." Apart from doing

things to keep the love alive, I truly feel that my husband is my soul

mate so being smitten with him really comes naturally.

What do you do outside of being a mother and photographer/business owner to have fun?

Always a girls night once a month, and a monthly lunch gathering with

a few fellow photographers. I love reading books and People magazine

in a hot bath. It is such an escape. Skiing, traveling, taking

pictures of my daughter, going for walks, eating good food, going to

the movies....oh the list goes on.

What is life like for you on a daily basis?

It really depends on the season. In the summer I'm at work on the

computer by 9 a.m. until 5:30. I will grab a quick bite and then head

out for an on-location shoot. I usually get home around 8 or 8:30.

I'd like to say I take it easy at this point but I don't. I usually

eat dinner, put my daughter to bed, and then hop back on the computer

to edit, design albums, fulfill orders, answer emails, etc. etc. I

finally go to bed around 1 or 2 a.m. It's a lot to handle at times,

but really it's only like this about 6 months out of the year. In the

winter and spring things are much more manageable and I have tons more

time to spend with my family. It's a good balance for me because I'm

not insanely busy the entire year.

What do you think are the most important things you do as a mom every day?

I like to give undivided attention to my daughter everyday. Usually

this happens at bedtime when it's just me and her reading stories,

snuggling, and singing songs. This is such an important time for me

and my daughter. I also really like to cook for my family, have sit

down dinners at home, and keep a clean and organized house. I feel

more at peace when I'm serving my family and have a clean home. It

truly makes me happy.

What do you think are the top three things you must do as a business woman every day?

1- Setting goals. I think it's so important to have goals for your

business. To have something to reach for. And then when you achieve

those goals, it feels so good! I always like to make goals for

myself. It lets me know how far I've come, and how far I want to go.

2- Be confident! I don't really know how to elaborate on this. I

just know from experience that if you are confident, then people trust

you and are confident in you as a person, a photographer, etc.

3- Make relationships. I think it's important to make meaningful

relationships in business. Not just "networking" and trite social

relationships. But REAL relationships. I can honestly say that I have

clients that I adore and truly care about. And some of the

photographer's that I've become friends with are amazing friends that

I truly lean on at times. I think it's important to have REAL friends

in business.

You have a wonderful sense of fun, playfulness, and humor. How do you keep that up when you're feeling stressed out? Or do you just not get stressed out?

The key for me not to get overly stressed is to stay organized. I

keep an ongoing "to do" list by my computer. I take the entire list

and then break it into "days." For example "I will edit this wedding

on Monday, on Tuesday I will fulfill print orders, on Wednesday I will

edit this portrait shoot" etc. It keeps things manageable for me. If

I look at the entire list I become too overwhelmed and don't even know

where to start. So breaking it up, and being organized is key.

I DO get stressed at times, and sometimes taking a walk with my

family, or taking the day off work helps relieve that more than

sitting in front of the computer working. I remember several times

this summer when I said "screw work, I'm going to the swimming pool

with my daughter." And I went swimming, and it felt really good!

Also, when I'm stressed I have to remind myself that I make a living

making pretty pictures. And then I feel immensely grateful and tell

myself STOP STRESSING AND BE GRATEFUL!!

What 5 tips do you have for women to help them maintain a balance in their lives between everything they have to do?

I don't really have any tips. I just remember something that Dr.

Laura said that I really liked. She said something to the effect that

there is no such thing as balance. Balance implies that you can have

it all. And you CAN'T have it all. If you choose one thing, then the

other thing loses out. So instead of "balance" think of choices. For

me I try to make good choices. Choices that allow me to be with my

family as much as possible. If this means turning away potential

clients, I will do it. And I CHOOSE to do it, because at the end of

the day, and at the end of my life I want to say that I chose family

over anything else in the world.

What brought you to photography?

I mildly worshipped my older brother when I was younger (okay, I still

do:) When I was in Jr. High, he was taking a photography class. He'd

show me the pictures he made and I was so amazed. So of course I

wanted to be like him. I started taking photography classes in jr.

high, got my first SLR for high school graduation, got a medium format

camera after college graduation and stuck with it ever since.

Is there anything you wish you would have done differently over the years as a mom/business woman? If so, what? And how would you do it if you had another chance at it?

I can't say there is anything I would have done differently.

Everything I've done in the past has brought me to where I am now. And

I really like where I am now.

To see more of Rebekah's work check out her website and blog.

**All images in this post are copyright Rebekah Westover.

***all images in this post copyright Stephanie Roberts.***

Next Week:  Rebekah Westover

Welcome, Stephanie.  Thank you so much for being part of the Women and Business series.  I've been so inspired by your 366 days project and so many of your other projects.  I'm so happy to have you here to share some of your beautiful insights.

You are incredibly creative. I love your 366 days idea. I've been inspired to do my own version of it. Will you tell me more about it? How did you come up with it?

Thank you so much. I just recently completed Project 366 on January 1 – a yearlong photography project that pushed me to capture at least one image each day. A flickr friend of mine, Danisoul, had started her project and I was so inspired by the concept and her commitment to it. Seeing her images sent me to the Project 365 flickr group where I found thousands of other creative individuals pushing themselves in the same way. I felt that I needed the creative discipline that this project could bring, and I hoped that I would become a better photographer in the process. I committed to the project on January 2, 2008.

At first, I found it easy to create images. I'd wake up in the morning and start thinking about what I'd like to shoot. I found that shooting in the morning worked well for me. The natural light was great and I'd feel good about checking that box. After a few weeks, shooting every day became a habit and I'd routinely spend time in the Project 365 flickr group to follow the progress of others. I traded by purse for a small backpack and took my camera with me everywhere.

What did you do on days that you didn't feel creative?

It doesn't take much to inspire me. I shot ceilings, new buds, my girl's toes, crumpled leaves, cow tail hair, reflections in a rubber bucket. More often than not, I'd walk outside and just wait for images to present themselves to me. I made it a point to vary the subject matter, my lenses, the lighting, and my perspective as a means of pushing myself throughout the project. Most days were easy. Some days were hard. On a few occasions, I scrambled for an image at 11:45pm.

Completing this project was a great accomplishment for me. It taught me to slow down and practice the art of seeing. And it gave me the confidence I needed to step out and pursue photography in a professional space.

What is life like for you on a daily basis?

Weekdays are crazy, as I'm sure they are for you. I work as a consultant two days each week for Elemental Interactive, a firm I helped start with a business partner twelve years ago. Those days are pretty intense and I spend most of the day managing web projects, brainstorming new ideas for our clients, and writing proposals. On the days I work from home, I pick up my two children from school and my 76-year old nanny, Imogene. She is my right hand. Imogene is the laundry-master, button-sewer, supper-cooker, dishwasher-unloader, and the eyes and ears for my children while I'm tucked away upstairs. She's been a member of our family since my son was born eight years ago, and I'm truly grateful for her. During the other three days of the week, I'm building my own business, LittlePurpleCow Productions and forcing myself to develop an affection for QuickBooks.

Early evening hours are spent at basketball courts, baseball fields, or at gymnastics practice. We hem and haw through homework, study for tests, read, brush teeth and say our prayers. My husband is a great support and we trade tasks to keep life in motion. Thankfully, he knows how to fend for himself in the kitchen, and tolerates things like my messy closet and a cluttered kitchen table.

After we put the kids to bed, I lure myself up on my Stairmaster with a good book or an audio podcast a few nights each week, then I work my way back to my computer to focus on personal creative pursuits such as my photo blog. I let my mind run free, explore online, and catch up on my Shutter Sisters. I crave these late night hours and can often be spotted creeping into bed around 2:00am.

What do you think are the most important things you do as a mom every day?

Share my love. Ask questions. Listen. Encourage kindness and respect for others. Expect a best effort and good manners. Praise creativity, good ideas and hard work. Pray for guidance.

What do you think are the most important things you do as a business woman every day?

Give my best effort. Seek knowledge and new ideas. Ask questions. Listen. Be open. Take chances. Solve problems. Show kindness and respect for others. Praise creativity. Pray for guidance.

You have a wonderful project that you are working on with Imogene. How did that come about? What is the process you are going through to make the project have a heartfelt connection?

Thank you. I'm really excited about my documentary project with Imogene. Imogene is a strong, 76-year old African American woman and the part-time keeper of my home. Many years ago, she took care of my husband each week in a church nursery and developed a friendship with my husband's family. Though she never had children of her own, she's always loved children, animals (especially strays), and caring for families and their homes. Eight years ago, after my son was born, I was uneasy about returning to my career and knew that I needed the right woman to come into our home to care for my son. My mother-in-law suggested I meet Imogene and that's where our story began.

Our working relationship has evolved over the years into a friendship. She's stubborn and strong-willed, but kind and trustworthy. She's known to dish out a little too much ice-cream and syrup on pancakes, but her hymns and streams of laughter flow just as freely. She doesn't drive and she doesn't put clothes away in the proper drawers, but she whips up fried green tomatoes and irons like no other. As time has passed, she's shared stories with me about her life as a child and a young woman. I'm amazed by her strength and often amused by her perspective. We're different in so many ways.

I've felt a push to capture images of Imogene because she is a rare gift in my life. Having lost my mother to cancer, I know that life is precious and fleeting. So, I asked Imogene if I could create a series of images of her over the course of six months to a year, and she agreed. I've recently decided to expand this project beyond photographic images, and intend to capture audio and potentially video to give the viewer a deeper appreciation for this woman and her past. I think she enjoys having her picture made, and I have to say… she is quite photogenic.

What 5 tips do you have for women to help them maintain a balance in their lives between everything they have to do?

I am a work in progress on this front (evidenced by my lack of sleep), but here are five tips that help keep me balanced.

1. Let some things go. Who says you have to make the bed? Just close the door.
2. Find a kind person who can help you in your home. You have special talents. It's okay to spend your time using these talents and to share your responsibilities with someone who was blessed with other special talents.
3. Buy the cupcakes. I lack the baking chromosome and I've struggled with burnt muffins and cookies at 12:00am too many times to count. Just because you're a mom doesn't mean you have to make the cupcakes (and sew buttons for that matter).
4. Commit to a personal project. Find something that fulfills you personally – kick off an art project, attend a creative writing class, start a study group, write a really bad first draft, read the classics you skipped in high school, etc. Assign a start and end date to the project or add it to your calendar as a recurring event. If you give 50% of your time to your career and 50% of your time to your family, there is nothing left for you.
5. Sit down and enjoy the sound of silence. Turn the radio off while you're driving in the car. Go to the library. Use this time to dream, to seek guidance, to unravel, to be thankful for all you have, to create, to think good thoughts for someone else... to find yourself.

***all images in this post are copyright Stephanie Roberts***

**all images and video in this post are copyright SarahQ**

Next Week: Stephanie Roberts

Welcome, Sarah Q. I'm so excited to have you Women and Business series! Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. 

(So many people are reading this post!  Please let SarahQ know that you appreciate her time and her sharing so openly by leaving her a note in the comments!  Thanks!)

What 5 things you do that have helped you the keep your sanity while being a mom, photographer and business woman?

That's a funny question since most of the time I feel like my sanity is nowhere to be found :) Trying to balance family time, work time and me time is so much harder than I ever thought it would be. There are a few things I've learned and done that have made things easier, though ...

1. Renting a studio space! As hard as it is to be away from the kids, it's so so so much easier to focus and get my work done in a clean, quiet environment. When I first started my business I thought working from home would be so perfect. I'd wake up, have breakfast with the kids, sit and get a little work done, take a break for playtime, watch Dr. Phil, work a little more and then spend a nice evening relaxing with my hubby. HA!! The reality was me at the computer with one toddler crying and hanging on my legs wanting to sit in my lap and the other one asking every five minutes how much longer I was going to have to work. I'd have to get up every couple of minutes to clean up spilled juice boxes, find missing shoes, kiss bumped knees and make snacks. All the distractions made it hard to get anything done so I was at the computer longer and longer every day, trying to catch up. It turned into an awful cycle - me working more hours meant the kids were even more restless, leaving me frustrated and exhausted, making all those hours of work less and less efficient. I finally broke down and said "THIS ISN'T WORKING!!!!" and found a studio space that I share with a photographer friend of mine. Since moving in, getting my work done has been so much easier! Even though it's tough saying goodbye to the kids for a few hours every day, it's been better for all of us. I feel more organized and more focused and get my work done in a fraction of the time it used to take. It's really nice to be able to come home and actually BE home, too. When I'm at the studio, I'm a businessperson. When I'm home, I'm a mom. Being a "supermom" doesn't mean you have to juggle everything at once. Sometimes it means having split personalities :)

2. Not saying yes to every single job. I have a hard time saying no sometimes. Okay, I have a hard time saying no ALL the time. I'm a people person and absolutely LOVE the shooting part of my job. Being at a wedding or a portrait session is so much fun for me that sometimes it's hard for me to turn work down. I'm a naturally positive person, so all I think about is how much fun it would be. I tend to forget about all the extra work that goes along with every single session. Drive time, planning time, shoot time, editing time, backup time, time, time, time, time, time! The first year I was in business I spent sooooo much time working that I got seriously overwhelmed and beyond frustrated, making life less than fun. Now I've learned how much I can handle and only book shoots when I have time for everything that goes along with them.

3. Charging more. #3 has a lot to do with #2. Another reason I felt I had to take every single job when I first started out was because we really needed the money. Even when I was exhausted and overwhelmed, when someone was ready to book, with checkbook in hand, it was hard to turn them away. I started shooting weddings just three years ago. My first year in business I shot more than 40 weddings! That sounds awesome and exciting, but in reality, it was insanity! I was actually LOSING money by giving away prints and albums and CDs and not charging nearly what I should have been. At the end of that first year, I was broke and tired and ready for a change. I doubled my pricing. A few months later, I doubled it again. By the end of my second year I had raised my rates enough and booked enough jobs to let my husband quit his regular full time job and start staying home with the kids. Deciding to never sell myself short has made the ABSOLUTE biggest difference in my life and business. All women should read this book : "Secrets of Six Figure Women" by Barbara Stanney. It's not a book about money as much as it's a book about our relationship with money and how women naturally shy away from their full potential to earn what they're worth. I highly recommend it!

4. Going with the flow and embracing organized chaos :) If you've ever seen Super Nanny you know she's a big believer in sheddjuells (that's british for schedules - ha!) She whips out her magic markers and sections off every hour of the day for each family she works with. I've always wanted to do that for our family but every time I've tried, it just doesn't work. Every day is different here at the Q house! My husband is a freelance artist and I'm a photographer so our work schedules change constantly depending on my shooting schedule and his art show schedules. For a while I was really frustrated that I couldn't work out a schedule that we could stick to. Now I know schedules just aren't for us! When we're busy, we trade off kid time and work time. When we're not so busy, we fill our days with fun stuff. It's definitely chaotic sometimes, but I wouldn't trade our crazy lives for anything else!

5. Outsourcing. The biggest thing I've learned since starting my own business is that trying to do everything myself is just disaster waiting to happen. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. For a while I thought I could juggle everything. Then I read a GREAT book - "The E-Myth Revisited" - and realized that in order to take my business to the next level, I HAD to have help. I started outsourcing all of my wedding album design and some of my editing. This year I plan to outsource a few more things to free up more of my time. And instead of filling all of my newly freed time with more work, I plan to work on myself, my health and my family.

What is life like for you on a daily basis?

Chaotic, but fun! I have a 3 year old and a 4 year old so every moment is filled with some kind of noise, some kind of drama and some kind of happiness. It's hard to even say what an average day is like in our house because every day really is different. Pretty much the only things I know every morning is that at some point 1) I'll have to get some work done, 2) The kids will make some sort of mess 3) My hubby will tell me that the kids are driving him crazy 4) One of the kids will need a bandaid 5) Whatever I'm wearing will end up with dirt, snot, pee, poop, puke or chocolate milk on it.

What do you think are the most important things you do as a mom and wife every day?

Every day I spend one-on-one time with each of the kids, even if it's just for 5 minutes each. My three year old is such a mama's boy. Sometimes I think he would crawl back into my womb if I'd let him. He loves to cuddle and be close and tells me I'm his best friend every day. Lately he's been wanting to do "Eskimo" stuff with me all the time. He'll crawl into my lap and say "Eskimo noses!" and we'll rub our noses together. Then he'll say "Eskimo cheeks!" and we'll rub our cheeks. After Eskimo eyes, ears, hair, chins and sometimes even teeth (ha!) he jumps down and runs off back into his room to play. Those two or three minutes we spent just being silly and close mean the world to me and I know they mean the world to him, too. I think all our kids need to know to be happy is that we're there for them and that we love them. All they really want from us is a tiny bit of attention. Those few minutes of love are more important than all the other hours spent cleaning up the house or washing their clothes. The same goes for being a good wife. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful, sweet, supportive and loving husband who tells me every single day how much he loves me. The few minutes we spend every day just talking one-on-one and being close to each other make all the hectic and frustrating parts of life more bearable.

What do you think are the top three things you must do as a business woman every day?

1. Stay on top of emails! I'm actually terrible at this and it's on my list of things to improve upon in '09. I think good communication with new and current clients is one of the most important things you can do to maintain good relationships. In the past, I've gotten so busy that I've taken days to respond to even the simplest questions from clients. I know it was frustrating for them and made them worry, so I'm making a conscious effort this year to respond to emails quicker and not leave people hanging.

2. Work a little bit on bigger projects. I used to be bad about putting off bigger projects (like editing entire weddings) until I had time to do the entire job at once. Now I try to do bigger jobs in smaller chunks. An hour of editing every night for a week is so much easier than finding 5 or 6 hours to sit and do everything at once. I'm working right now on a new kids photography website. In the past I would have stayed up three or four nights in a row, tweaking and playing with it until it was just right. Then I would have been grouchy and tired and behind on my other work because of all the time I put into that one big project. This time I'm working on it a little bit every day.

3. Tell people about your business! Advertising is expensive, but word of mouth is free! Every chance I get, I tell people I'm a wedding and family photographer. I don't do it in a pushy, annoying, salesperson kinda way - just in a casual conversation kinda way. That way the next time they need photos, they think of me. Even if they end up not hiring me, they might visit my site and show it to a friend who will.


Your branding is wonderful. I love it (and wish I would have thought of it!). What process did you go through to get something so perfect for your personality?

Thanks!!! I'm a naturally happy, easy going person. I've always been very positive and upbeat and silly. When I first started shooting weddings, I did what most newbies do and bought a template website to fill with photos. It was nice and clean and did an okay job, but it had absolutely NONE of my personality. I wanted something fun and cute and colorful that would weed out all the people looking for more traditional, old school style photographers. When ShowItSites launched, I was SO excited! Since I have a graphic design background it was easy for me to customize a site that was EXACTLY me. My slogan "Photography for Happy People" was such a no-brainer. I knew I only wanted to work with happy, fun, silly, quirky people like me so I decided to include the word "happy" in my logo. It's worked out exactly like I hoped ... nearly every inquiry I get says "I love your site! It's so much fun!" How cool is that!?


Is there anything you wish you would have done differently over the years as a mom/business woman? If so, what? and how would you do it if you had another chance at it?

I think if I could change anything I'd have not taken on so much work right from the beginning. I never expected business to boom as quickly as it did and the excitement of people really loving my work was intoxicating. It felt great to be in such high demand! I was seriously overworked, though, and didn't spend nearly as much quality time with my family as I should have. My baby boy had just been born when I started shooting weddings and now when I think back to him being a baby, all I remember is how busy I was all the time. I wish I had taken things a little slower and balanced life and work better. Then again, living is learning and if I hadn't messed up at first I might not be where I am now.

To see more of SarahQ's work, go to:

http://www.sarah-q.com
http://www.sarah-q-photo.blogspot.com

**all images and video in this post are copyright SarahQ**

The DeYoung Family from SarahQ on Vimeo.

The Nichols Family! from SarahQ on Vimeo.

Next Week: Sarah Q

Davina: I need to say that I'm overwhelmed and thrilled that all of these women have so quickly and generously given their time to this series. What I know from these women (some personally, some just from their blogs) I have been inspired by...and now, to have them be so open and real has been such a gift.

Please welcome them warmly, say hello in the comments, or leave a question if you'd like.

Sheye, welcome to the Women and Business series. I'm so grateful that you've taken the time to share.

Davina: What brought you to photography?

Sheye: I'd always loved photography but for some years it was just a hobby that I dabbled in, and not particularly well. I did a few short courses to try and understand "the technicals" as I loved film but found it confusing and expensive, never getting consistent results.

Like so many of you here, having my own children really inspired me to want to take great photos of them and luckily digital photography and the internet came about at the same time. I got to shoot every day, research whatever I didn't understand online and share what I created for feedback. I also got the opportunity to second shoot a wedding long before I was qualified to do so but decided to go with the smoke and mirrors approach and see if I actually could pull it off. Luckily, I did and gained so much from the experience!

I never imagined I'd move into my own photography business but I now see anyone can do just that with practice, determination and confidence.

You definitely have a gift for writing. Will you share a little of that process?

Thankyou so much :) I'm a very open person by nature, I really do just speak from the heart.

I have always felt passionate about the "mother myth" - where modern society demands that we need to be the perfect mother, wife, friend, daughter, employee and so on but the reality is very difficult to pull off well every single day, made harder by the fact that women often feel "less than" for supposedly not measuring up. I started my blog with the intention of sharing the good and not so good days of parenting and that is still my goal, regardless of the unexpected journey we now find ourselves on.

The challenges of motherhood and grief are two topics that are not discussed openly enough and I like to think that the sharing of my experiences might help another reader not feel so alone on their harder days.

Your blog is touching, real, poignant, and funny. I start reading one post and it's never enough. I can't stop reading. What are your 5 best tips for having a great blog?

It's a surprising thing to me, that I can continue to be "real" and that clients still book via my blog - almost all of my business is built on blog readers now. I initially wondered whether having such a personal element in my writing would deter potential clients from wanting to book me but, luckily, it seems to be just the opposite :) Having said all this, I think my own situation is a little unique so I'll give general tips about what I believe are important elements of all good photoblogs and what I perceive has helped build my own blog traffic.

1. Brand yourself. There are thousands of photography blogs out there so you need to offer something a little different to keep readers coming back. Write about the things that you're passionate about, share links to sites you love and give your blog a stamp of your personality. If you're not sure where to start, write a list of your favorite things, see what's stored in your online favorites, ask friends how they'd describe you. All of these things can help you create a sense of who you are via your blog. I don't believe it's enough to just share your latest client photos, unless they're consistently amazing images and even then readers want a sense of the person behind the camera. Sharing a photo of yourself gives a more personal element and helps readers connect with you.

2. Discover your niche. Be selective with your content. Decide who you're writing for and ensure your posts are regularly appealing to that audience. If you're just writing for close family, it's fine to describe your childrens school concert but on the whole, that won't be appealing to the masses - unless you present it with (a few) great images or a funny anecdote. Think about what you would love to read if you didn't know you and be strict about it. Aspire to have every post fresh, interesting and creative. You may not always pull it off but aim for it.

3. Presentation is key. A creative banner is enough to give your blog some style but if you can afford it, have a custom blog designed. Some are not that expensive and it will give instant appeal and individuality to your site. Again, this is an opportunity to share your own style and personality and build your brand so think carefully about what you want to convey. Don't be influenced by the masses of similar looking photoblogs out there - the aim is to have yours stand out so if anything, try for something totally different to the norm. When I did my blog redesign last year, I pulled together so many different elements from everywhere - not just the design but the navigation and functionality. In the months beforehand, as I browsed other sites, I bookmarked anything that had an appealing element to it and eventually got to incorporate much of it into my own site design. Be confident enough to do something unexpected.

4. Be honest but professional. While I encourage incorporating personality and warmth into your blog, you still need to keep professional in content, layout and writing skills. Present your thoughts in a way that is not offensive to any particular group, keep subject matter uplifting or inspiring and be gracious. Make sure your grammar and spelling is correct and avoid slang. Re-read your post as if you were presenting it out loud to an audience to make sure it flows well - people read as if they can hear your voice so to type "ha ha" or "LOL" doesn't work so well. If you're not good at writing, keep it brief and let your images do to the talking until you feel more comfortable with your writing style and your target audience.

5. Blog often. If growing blog traffic is the goal, it's a surefire way to help. People will only keep coming back for a short while without new content so even if you only blog once a week, do it consistently. If you really don't have anything to share, find some great links, post some pictures sets that have inspired you (credit of course), give a mini lesson in Photoshop or tips for taking good photos..You need to offer something to your readers each and every time whether it be inspiration, food for thought or a little insight into what makes up you. There is always something to blog :)

What are 5 best tips on how to manage being a mom, photographer, business woman, and writer/blogger?

As I've mentioned, I do think it's an incredibly difficult job to manage everything well - especially if you're anything like me and not particularly organized by nature. It's taken some time to find balance with everything and I still fall short some days. These would be the things I've found to be imporant:

1. Don't overcommit. When starting out, I was so honored and excited to be asked to take some-ones photos, I would fit in clients where-ever possible. It took some time to work out just how many shoots a month I could manage without impacting too greatly on the family. Now that I'm doing the workshops, I have had to limit my time spent shooting further again which means saying no much more than yes lately but is the only way to keep on top of work and family. I have learnt that it's far better to bring less income into a happy relaxed home.

2. Find routine. This is not my strong point but I do know how important it is. My days flow so much better if I have a set time for proofing, blogging and time with family. If the kids know that I will be off the computer at a planned time, they are much more patient..If I know I have 2 hours to work, I feel more focused than if I have no end time set in place.

3. Family come first. This is easy to say but I really have discovered that if I put family on hold for photography, I don't feel good about life. While I adore photography and get so much from blogging, ultimately I started this journey because of my family..they are who inspire me and the intention was to capture what they do each day. It wouldn't make sense for the capturing to be more important than the doing and I try hard to remember this when I have to choose one over the other on any given day. Our personal situation is such that I know that time with our kids is such a gift, even the grumpy stressful days are blessings and I don't ever want to look back and think that I, or they, missed out because something else was more important.

If clients are waiting on orders, I split my day so that I can still meet deadlines but also have time with the kids. It's all about balance and it's a constant challenge to find it and keep it. We still need to be women with passions and interests as well as Mums though so I do my best to incorporate all of my loves in a way that everyone is happy with.

4. Design your business in a way that works for you and your family. Going back ten years, if you wanted to run your own business, this is exactly what you would do but now days, we research so much online and see first hand how everyone else does it, often forming our own model from there. Not only does it mean you'll end up offering the same thing as a dozen photographers in your area, what works for other people will often not be the best approach for you so try it out but if it's not working, change it without second guessing.

5. Ultimately, remember what really matters. It's so easy to stress out trying to juggle it all but one thing is true: There is always enough time for the important things.

What are a couple of the biggest things you've learned over the past couple of years?

Professionally:
Step outside the square. In the early days I was both inspired and disheartened by other photographers work..Over time I've developed my own style and found the confidence to believe in what I do..to not compare with others and to see that we all have something different to offer. There will always be other people doing amazing things but don't let their journey impact on your own. Take what you need in the form of inspiration but always come back to what's true to you and work on doing it the very best way you can.

Personally:
Life is not always fair. I don't mean that to sound tragic or dramatic but I don't believe we're raised to know this. I think we believe it's our right in life to have happiness ever after - that we are somehow entitled to only good things. Life can be wonderful, rewarding and beauty full but it can also be unexpected, tragic and extraordinarily challenging at times. I had an incredibly blessed life before losing Ava so it was a terrible shock to find out that bad things don't only happen to other people. I now know to expect the unexpected and to be grateful for what is in place today, just in case it changes tomorrow. This knowledge has been freeing in some ways.

The absolute non-importance of material things. Prior to losing Ava, I placed too much emphasis on external things - a beautiful home, the right handbag and everything in-between. We all do, as a society. I still love nice things of course but I'm under no illusion that happiness is tied to material items in any way. I love that I can take pleasure from shopping and browsing magazines but I also know that what truly makes my heart sing cannot be bought.

That I can survive just about anything. Of course, losing a child was our very worst fear realized so to be the other side of that and still be able to laugh and celebrate and look forward is such a blessing. Two years ago I really believed I would never smile again, that our family would never see another truly happy day. I do smile and we are happy and I have a new sense of what I can withstand. It makes the small stuff even smaller and the joys much richer.

What does a day in your life look like?

Oh no, can I make this up?? :p

We're not a "grocery store on Wednesdays" type of family. We kind of make it up as we go so there isn't a very typical day. I'm almost always the first one up each day, no matter how late I go to bed I can't sleep in. I use this time to answer email that's come in overnight until the chaos begins and then it's just getting the kids fed and ready for school - like every other crazy household at that time of day! My husband works from home too so on a school day, we'll drop the kids off and often go for a coffee before heading home to start our working day. We feel very lucky to be able to have this time together. We're back to sharing an office at the moment, I couldn't get to my office away from home often enough so let it go.. I like that we sit side by side and chat about our own projects and give each other input. Often we'll pick the boys up from school together and go out for a milkshake afterwards before Ivy gets in from daycare. She goes three days a week. My father in law makes the dinner for the children (lucky, I know!) so we manage to get them to bed reasonably early most nights. I'm not a fan of television so I'm often working at night and aim for bed before midnight..I call it my Cinderella rule :)

Thanks so much, Sheye.

To see more of Sheye's work, blogs, sites, and workshops go to:

www.sheyerosemeyer.com

www.sheyerosemeyer.com/blog

www.avarosemeyer.com

www.eyecandyworkshops.com

All images in this post are Copyright by Sheye Rosemeyer.