***All images in this post are copyright Love Life Images***

NEXT WEEK: Tanja Lippert

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

Jennifer and Mary, I'm so interested in what you have to say in this interview because you are the first studio on the series that has joined two separate studios into one studio. You are also both photojournalists and come from a newspaper background. You've both put so much time and effort into this interview, I really appreciate it and I know that other women will as well. Thank you so much for being here!

**Please note that Jenn's answers are in black, Mary's answers are in blue, and when they both answer it's in orange.

What 5 things have you learned as a mother and business woman over the past

year?

Jenn’s Answer:

1. If you focus energy and effort toward something, you will see the return on it. (This applies both to children and business)

2. I cannot be everything for my children. I have to rely on others to help me raise them, including my husband, their teachers and their grandparents. It’s better for my children and me.

3. You have to work out early in the morning or else you won’t make it to the gym.

4. Having employees is oddly similar to being a parent.

5. Facebook is an amazing marketing tool.

Mary’s answer:

1.There are not enough hours in the day. Make every hour count as best you can.

2. Guilt will get you no where. As a mother I have felt plenty of that when I miss an activity because of work, or am not home to put my little one to bed. But, I’m a business owner and I have obligations both as an artist and as someone whose photography helps sustain jobs within our company. I know that my children (especially my daughter) will appreciate what I do. They still have smiles on their faces.

3. You can’t do it alone. Don’t be an island. There is a wealth of knowledge out there for mom’s and business owners. Embrace it. Teach it. Share it. Thank goodness for my amazing husband David, my friends, and my incredible business partner, Jennifer Domenick. The accomplishments we have done together in the past year could have not been done if I were alone.

4. Be strong in the face of fear. Live the way you want to teach your children. I want my children to be strong and understand they can be anything they want if they put their minds & energy to it. I can’t believe how blessed I am to have a career that is considered an art form. But, I realize that it’s taken a strong will, hard work, sacrifices and shear obsession.

5.Never settle. Keep an open mind. Always look for the next possibility. You never know what might happen. Motherhood has definitely taught me that and I carry it over in my business practices. In the past year, Jennifer & I, have grown the business three-fold. We have a full-service photography studio with 3 employees, we offer documentary-style videography services, our portrait business has doubled, we’ve started Photo Nights for Charity lecture series, and we’ve partnered with Momenta Workshops to offer a unique blend of workshops geared towards photojournalists. Our first workshop, Wedded Bliss 2009 will be held June 4-7. And this is just the beginning! We are not afraid to grow, even in the face of a struggling economy.

What do you think sets you apart from other photographers and business people?

Mary:

Many wedding & portrait photography businesses are run by a single person or by a couple. It’s rare to find two people from two separate businesses merge together to form something completely different. While merging was a very difficult transition, we still had the drive to keep moving forward and grow. We tell everyone we are “married” now, because, well, we are in so many ways. The beauty is that we have a very similar approach to our business style & the customer experience. We have the drive to grow and expand. Yet, we both bring different strengths and, yes, weaknesses to the businesses. We play off those strengths & weaknesses. And it works! I really love and admire Jennifer. Not only is she incredibly talented, she has this incredible drive to get things done, to try new things. She has very little fear and a ton of energy. She keeps me motivated.

Jenn:

OK,ok, so now I have to love and admire Mary. I would not have been able to survive these years without the soft side of Mary. She listens to me vent and then takes my frustration and turns it into sanity for me. I’m so thankful to have her to share this business with me. She gives me confidence that I was not able to find on my own.

Do you have a set schedule/routine? If so, what is like?

Mary:

I have the early morning shift at home. My husband leaves by 5:30 am, so I get the kids off to school in the morning, get a coffee at my favorite coffee shop in Baltimore, then head to work. I’m always the first one in.

Jenn:

A schedule in my working life and my home life is essential. I don’t know how to function without it. The kids all have to be at school by 9ish, so my husband and I share morning duties. I work late on Monday and Wednesday, so my father-in-law does dinner and bedtime routines. I’m home on tues, thursday and friday nights. friday nights are movie nights.

Both:

Mondays are our editing days & meeting day. We’ll sit over lunch with the whole staff and go over our agendas. Then, sit until the wee hours editing. We offer evening client meetings, as well. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays are a mixture of Editing, marketing, business lunches & shoots. We make ourselves available Wednesday evenings for client meetings.Thursdays: Jenn & I are off. But, are we really ever “off” ? Saturdays: Shoot, shoot, shoot. Sundays: Family time.

What has changed the most in the last year?

Mary:

My confidence. For the better.

Jenn:

The workload at home. The twins are 4 and they can finally dress themselves. My husband and I are starting to feel a bit more human and finding time to spend with each other.

What has stayed the same in the last year?

Mary:

My drive to grow as an artist/person.

Jenn:

The radio stations that are dialed in to memory on my car radio. Seriously, I can’t think of much that hasn’t changed.

What does a day in your life look like?

http://lovelifeimages.net/2008/09/our-life.html

These slideshows are part of an annual “Day in the Life of” that we do as a studio. It is such a great way to know our employees better and to expose our lives to our clients in a way that they have done for us. We not only photograph our entire day, but we also open it to our clients to take a picture of their life onthat same day and submit it to us. We then post a few chosen images on theblog and let the internet loose on them to vote on the best. We give away portraitsessions to the winners just in time for the holiday portrait season. I look forward to it every year as a reminder of how much my life has changed.

What are the most important things you do in your business every day?

* Market, market, market. Communicate. Stay focused. Be creative.

What do you see women in business doing that you wish they would stop doing?

Jenn:

Having “mother guilt,” or feeling guilty for having to work and not be with your children. Having a career you love does not take away from being a mother, it’s being a role model for your children.

Mary:

Luckily, the women I’m surrounded by are strong-willed, talented, and smart and have very successful businesses. I’ve come across a handful of women who have isolated themselves. So not necessary. Share the knowledge, everyone wins.

What tips do you have for moms when they need to travel and have to be away from their family?

Both:

Make the most of your time away from them. Stop feeling guilty about it. It is much harder on you than it is on them when you are away. Separation is a natural part of the parent/child relationship. You miss them and they miss you, but it’s not damaging them when you go away. You will come back and they know it.

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?

Mary:

Mom: There is always something I could do differently. Lots of guilt. Too much, at times.

Business Woman: I went about starting my business the hard way. I did NOT do enough research. I should have spent more time researching and talking to others in the business. Lesson well learned.

Jenn:

As a mom and a photographer, I wish I had hired a photographer to help me document the first year of the twins. It was a difficult and crazy time for me and there are some things I have already forgotten. I have a lot of “nice” photos fromthat time, but it would have been great to get a more documentary view.

As a business woman, I wish I had left my job at The Washington Post sooner. I was scared at the time to leave because the Post meant stability, but it was like a prison for me. I was never meant to work for someone else. I just didn’t do well with a regular schedule and very boring repetitive work. I love being my own boss and will never go back to working for someone else.

What 5 things do suggest to a woman who is trying to get her studio up and running?

1.Don’t re-invent the wheel. If someone has already done something you don’t know how to do, learn from them. I’m not saying copy them, but if you know someone who really rocks on Lightroom for example, then ask to spend time with them learning how they do what they do.

2. Find someone who can mentor you LOCALLY! There are a lot of online forums to get advice and help, but you really need to have someone nearby that you can talk to and relate to. Find this person by looking online at photographer’s work and asking ones you really love for lunch.

3.Learn that some of the business has to be separated from emotion. Every time a client wants to negotiate on price, you can’t take it personally. It’s just business.

4.Go to workshops!! There are so many amazing workshops out there now that teach everything you need to know in this business. Talk to other photographers (again, locally)to find out which ones are really great for what you need. It’s also a great way to network.

5.Listen! Listen Listen!!! If someone is giving you advice that has more experience, then it is likely they are telling you something because they learned the lesson the hard way. This is your ticket out of learning something the hard way. Take it!!!

Jennifer and Mary, you both had separate studios, what made you decide to join forces?

Mary:

We re-united after several years and we had lunch one day. Jennifer was already well established in the Wedding industry for a couple of years and I was a newbie. So, I came to her studio space for lunch to chat. We hit it off. She needed help with a second shooter and I wanted to learn as much as I could. I still had my business and so did she. Then, I rented out her space to meet clients. Then, I started spending more time there. I just could not run a business in my house while simultaneously looking at dust bunnies in the corners and feeling anxious about all the laundry that needed to be done. Next thing you know this gorgeous, natural light space opened up and we looked at each other and basically said let’s go for it. Our intention was to maintain our separate businesses within the space. Soon after we realized that we were putting ourselves in a competitive situation, we were spending too much money advertising, and too much time at our desks processing instead of marketing. We both had a very similar business approach. We realized

we could do more working towards a common goal together, then we could separately. It took many tedious, stressful months to get to that place. We both had fear about losing our identities, we had to gain trust and confidence in each other, we each had to be 150% committed. We did this all while running our own businesses and running a household. The outcome of all that hard work these past two years has been fabulous. I love Love Life Images and everything we’ve made of it so far.

What do you recommend to women who are considering having a studio together?

Both:

Sharing a business is a lot like being married (except without the perks). You have to choose the right person. Study the other person’s personality to see how the two of you will manage working together. Communicate clearly your expectations from the very beginning. Prepare to expose yourself. Be brutally honest even if the truth hurts.

Like marriage, it is wise to be up front with your business partner about your plans. Your personal life will affect your business life, so you have to know your business partner’s life plan, too. Treat each other with respect and be prepared to make tough decisions together (which can be harder than making them alone...there will always be some difference of opinion that you have to work out). If you make it through this incredibly tedious time, you’re halfway there. The rest is opening your minds to new ideas and implementing them.

How do you manage the logistics of your studio to keep stress to a minimum?

This is always a work in progress. When it gets crazy, divide and conquer.

How do you keep from becoming overwhelmed?

Jenn:

I don’t. It’s a big job, being a mom and a business owner. I get overwhelmed a lot, but I’m not alone. I have help from Mary and other friends to get me back on track when I am not seeing clearly. I have to remind myself that there will be a day when my kids are all grown and I’m not as busy as I am now, so I try to relish the chaos.

Mary:

1.My husband keeps the sanity to minimum at home. I’m so lucky that he’s so organized and loves being a family man.

2.I make lists. Lots of them. There’s nothing better than crossing something off your list.

3.Talk about it. Another perspective is always helpful. Jennifer is awesome when it comes to this. She keeps me in line.

4.Hiking & exercise when I can. I can honestly say that I lack in this department. This should be something I do religiously. But, I’m getting better.

What are some things that can be difficult when running a studio with women? And how have you worked through those types of issues?

Both:

We really see ourselves as business owners. It doesn’t really matter about the gender.

Jenn:

We try to keep it professional in the office. Mary and I argue sometimes, just like any close couple, but we’ve had enough life experience to get over it quickly. We are lucky to have two rooms, one is for shooting and one is the working office.

This way, we always have a getaway, so if anyone needs a moment, they can take it into the other room. For the most part, there is very little drama in theoffice.

Mary:

One difficulty I’ve had to face is that I’ve never liked to make waves. I like to keep the peace, be soft. I’m not so sure that is a “woman” thing. It’s a personality thing, which can have both negative and positive attributes. Sometimes in business you have to make tough decisions that may directly effect another person. That’s hard to do, but necessary. I have to rise above that soft demeanor and make a decision keeps the business going. Jennifer & I have become great sounding boards. We really listen to each other’s thoughts before making a final decision, however tough it may be.

What are some of your favorite things about being a woman in the photography industry?

Jenn:

What I like most about this industry, unlike many others, we are free to express ourselves. Our voices, along with our emotions, are welcomed and applauded in our work.

With three kids, my husband (well, maybe not so much him) and I are DONE having children. But I miss having babies around, so it’s always great when one comes in to the studio for a session.

I also get the BEST hair, make-up and fashion tips from all the girls in the getting ready rooms and the hair and make-up people. I’m just saying, it’s a perk.

Mary:

I love being with other women in the photography industry. There is definitely a little bit of a “sisterhood” society. Now, I’m going out on a limb here by saying that women are inherently more intuitive and sensitive. As a photographer, especially a photojournalist, this completely works in our favor. Much of what I do is “feel” my way through a portrait session or a wedding and the end result are real moments with emotion & truth. It’s such an amazing experience to hold a newborn, see new parents dote, capture the essence of a feisty 2 year-old, observe a gaggle of girls prepare for their best friend to walk down the aisle, watch a dad tear up after seeing his daughter all dressed up. I’ve almost lost it many times at a wedding. I’m on a constant quest to capture the true essence of life (including my own) and all it’s craziness..

What are you most proud of as a woman and as a business woman?

Mary:

My generation of women have certainly found their place in business, in the arts and, yes, in the home. While there will always be a struggle to find the balance, I believe if there wasn’t that struggle we would sit stationary with no desire to grow or discover. We are unique, strong, and beautiful in so many ways. And, more importantly, a necessity to keep this world of ours functioning.

Jenn:

As a woman and as a business woman, I am most proud of how far I have come and the person I am becoming. I am a woman who is raising three sons and trying to show them that a beautiful, strong woman is not something you can see from the outside. That even though my waistline does not match those they seeon television, I am a still a super-model.

***All images in this post are copyright Love Life Images***