**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/