***All images in this post are copyright Jenn Bebb.***

NEXT WEEK: Jesse of Our Labor of Love

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--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 }

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Jenn,  you have had some really fantastic and exciting last few years within the industry.  You have learned a great deal over that course of time about what's important in your life and business.  You've made conscious decisions about being a wife, mother, and business woman.  I can't say enough about how much what you've said here resonates with me.  You've given me pointed reminders and also had me nodding my head in agreement.  You are doing so many things that make sense and you make it sound doable for other women. Your life and business are an inspiration.  Thanks for being on Women and Business!

In 2007 you were named one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World.  How did that change your life and business?

At first, it didn’t really change anything.  Well, we got a lot more blog hits, and a lot more people were talking about us, but it took a while for us to start to really feel the effects of that honour.  One thing that being named Top 10 did was force us to sit down together and really take a look at what our priorities were - what were the things we wanted to focus on, knowing that 2007 was a 45+ wedding season and the beginning of the education side of our business, and that we had two children at home needing their parents.  

In a sense, 2007 was the year everything changed - we made our family our first priority and re-structured our business to reflect our desire to spend real time with our kids (not simply being at home, but in front of the computer), and have spent the past 2 years refining that.  We gave ourselves strict business hours, a strict weekly workflow, and permission to say no to jobs that didn’t match our core values.

By the end of 2007, beginning of 2008 we were starting to really see the effects of being named to the list, both in terms of bookings for weddings and requests to teach.  Fortunately, we had a system in place to help us deal with that and work those things around our family.

What had you done up to that point to become one of the top wedding photographers in the world?

The simple answer is that we worked really hard to master our craft and exceed our clients‘ expectations.

That’s not meant to sound flip or trite - we were so busy working at home (50+ weddings a year) that we had no idea anyone outside of Vancouver knew who we were.  We did not petition for the position (we didn’t even know about the list until American Photo told us we were on it), nor did we really “socialize” online via our blog.  This was before facebook took off, before twitter existed...we were noticed, I think, because we had spent 7 years focussing on our craft and our business.

Were you always in a retail space?  What made you decide to have a retail space?

We’ve always had a space outside our home, occasionally storefront retail, occasionally not.  We have done street level twice - once in 2002-2003 and again 2007-2008.  We’re now back in a private studio (it is retail, but not conventional retail - we have a live/work space with retail frontage for our gallery).  

The first retail space we took on was in a very high profile, trendy area of town.  We did it solely to promote the wedding side of our business and even today we still get inquires that come from that space.  We took on storefront space in 2007 for two reasons - first it was closer to home (just 6 minutes by car) and second, because we wanted to pursue the portrait market more aggressively.  Our goal had been purchase the building, but the landlord refused to sell, so when our lease came up, we purchased the space we are now in.

We have the space outside our home for a lot of reasons, many of which have changed over time.  At first, it was simply a meeting space - I worked from home until 2008 when our youngest son went into full day school.  Now our space is designed both as a gallery/meeting space, but also a working space so that our business is almost completely out of our home now.

What does your workflow look like?  Do you outsource or keep everything in house?

We still do everything in house. Our workflow is simple and streamlined, and a wedding will typically take us a day, two at most, to complete.  As such, it doesn’t make sense for us to outsource that aspect of our business.  So we outsource things like our accounting, which neither one of us is good at.

One of the first things we did, more out of necessity than design, was divide the tasks each of us is responsible for, to capitalize on our strengths.  I, for example, take care of all the email, blogging, etc while Steve handles phone calls and in-person meetings.  This started because I was home with Logan when he was a baby and I could handle email, etc without compromising his care.  Steve was able to get out of the house and go to the office where he could meet with clients or chat on the phone without interruption.  We have continued to divide everything up as our jobs have become more complicated, ensuring that we rarely overlap and trusting each other to take care of their responsibilities.

Our workflow with regards to our wedding images is really simple:  I download, back up and cull the master files using Photo Mechanic.  Steve edits the selections in LR and PS.  I choose blog images and do the blog entry, pre-design the album, and put together their Premiere and/or Fusion piece.  Steve meets with the clients to share their images and start chatting about Art Books and Style Collision Pieces.  I continue to work with the clients on their album and Steve handles print/Style Collision orders.  

What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?

We are simply ourselves - goofy, self effacing, funny, etc.  We compliment our clients and make their comfort a priority.  We work for them, and we never forget that, and I think that our clients feel that in our interactions with them.

What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

Sit down and really think about what you want.  It is easy to start your business by taking photos for friends and then start getting paid, etc.  But the challenges really start to come when your business starts to become more than a fun way to make money and starts to consume your time.  No one should be working 15 - 18 hours a day for very little money.  

Take the time to write down what you want, what your priorities are, and what you are willing to do (or not do) to make that happen.

You have recently written a book which has been a dream come true for you.  What is your book about?  What was the process you went through to get published?  When and where will we be able to purchase your book?

The book is about Photo Fusion, which is the mixing of photos with audio and video.  It’s a concept we’ve been exploring, and advocating, since Dec 2008, not without our share of controversy.  

The publishers, Wiley, actually approached me with the idea which I jumped on, of course.  It has been a fairly straightforward process and I have an incredible group of people that I’m working with.  It’s a really exciting time for me, and hopefully this will be the first of many books that I get to be part of.

The book is available on Amazon right now (http://www.amazon.com/Photo-Fusion-Wedding-Photographers-Photography/dp/0470597763/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265657069&sr=8-1) for a great introductory rate.  As soon as it is ready to ship, I’m not sure what is going to happen to the price on Amazon, but I think it will go up.  The book should also be available in most book major book stores.

Your blog post:  “2009-A year of growth and change” sounds like you’ve had a year that had some definitive highs and lows.  What are the 3 things you’ve learned about business this year?  What are three things you’ve learned about life this year?  What have you learned about the industry, as a whole, in relation to your business?

2008 and 2009 were tough years for us, both personally and professionally.  Let me see if I can break it down for you:

The four lessons about business:

1. Because this is our business, we can run it on our terms.
2. Our business exists to provide a life for our family, it does not define who we are, merely what we do.
3. Keeping regular business hours and a regular schedule is key to staying fresh and inspired.
4. Business is as much about creativity as photography is.  Ignore one, and the other will falter.

Four lessons about life:

1. Life is fleeting and every moment counts (cliched, but so very, very true)
2. We can choose to live life of our terms or someone else’s terms.  I choose to live my life on my terms.
3. I will do nothing more important than raising my boys to be good and kind citizens of the world, instilling strong values in them along the way.  And my job will never be done.
4. Living a good life, with integrity, is more important than popularity.  

What I’ve learned about the industry in relation to my business:

Because we essentially have two businesses  - one for our clients and one for other photographers, I’ve had to learn to separate them.  The business we have for our photography clients has very little to do with the photography industry in general.  We focus on making our clients the happiest people we can, and have them advocating for us. 

The education side of our business is, however, impacted in part by the industry.  When our Fusion DVD came out and we stuck our necks out as Fusion advocates, we knew that we would face some backlash, but we were so sure that the concept of Fusion was a positive thing that we were unprepared for exactly how much criticism we faced.  There was one forum, in particular, where our characters were assassinated, and that was shocking, and hurtful to me.  

Interestingly, Fusion is now not only accepted, but has become a hot area for education.  We get email every day from people with questions, requests to do Fusion workshops and more.  And as much as there is a part of me that wants to stand tall and shout “I told you so” to every nay-sayer and hater out there, I won’t.  Because they have to look at themselves each day and be good with their choices - I don’t.

So I’ve learned a couple of important lessons this year:  you can choose to keep your head down and work in isolation, escaping ridicule and criticism, or you can hold your head high, embrace something new and ride the wave of contempt that comes your way with dignity and humility.  Both are valid and valuable ways to live - I choose to embrace the new, attempt to share that information, and ride the wave with dignity.  Eventually, the animosity fades and the reality of what you are offering comes into play - and you watch as the loudest nay-sayers slowly come to terms with the very thing they hated so intensely.

Without risk there is no reward, and despite the backlash, I am intensely grateful to have had the experience and to continue to take risks.

What do you do for fun…that has nothing to do with photography?

I hang out with my kids and husband:  we go mountain biking, we walk the dog, and more.  I spend time with friends, either over a bottle of wine or a meal.  I snuggle on the couch at night.  I read books.  I workout.

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

That my children are able to see me (and their dad) follow my dreams and live life on my terms.  I think that everything we do gives our children the knowledge that if you work hard, stay true to your values, and treat people the way you would like to be treated, good things will come to you.

What do you do to keep your marriage fun? 

We are together all the time, literally, and so keeping our marriage fresh is actually something we need to work harder at.  It’s something you can never, ever, take for granted and give up on, or it will fail.  We do simple things - we go to the kids sports games together and drink coffee in the stands;  we sit together at night and just chat;  we talk, all the time, about everything - we never run out of things to say to each other.  We rarely do the big things, but we have found that it is the little things that make all the difference to our happiness.

What are the top three things you did when you were first getting started in business to bring in clients?

We put our name everywhere - bridal shows, magazines, etc. And we talked to people.  We probably brought in the bulk of our first year of business from the sheer force of our personalities and drive.  After that it was a little easier - we showed the kind of work we wanted to shoot and it was something that resonated with people.

How do you keep your marriage safe from the stresses of your business?

Our business is like a well oiled machine and we don’t have a lot of conflict there.  The biggest thing we have to watch is that our work loads are balanced.  I will invariably take on more and more until I feel about ready to burst.  Steve has become very good at seeing the warning signs of that and works to take things off my hands for me.  

It works both ways - we have had challenges in our marriage that we had to work hard to keep out of the business.  So it’s a double edged sword in many ways.

We always say that if the business threatens our marriage, we will get rid of the business.  And I really believe that we would.  That being said, we have been together too long and know and love each other too well to stay in a place that is difficult for too long.

What is the best thing you’ve done to make your business successful?

Been ourselves.  We unknowingly at first and then deliberately, infused our business with our personalities, creating something larger than simply photography.  I think that in a business like this, your photography needs to be good to attract clients initially, but your personality and business skills is what will set you apart and compel clients to choose you.

You are a mom, how old are your children?  What do you do to help them feel part of your business life? 

The boys are now 10 and 7.  They are not a part of our business life.  At all.  We try and keep them out of the business as much as we can - we rarely blog about them, they don’t travel with us very often, and people in the industry rarely get to meet them.  We wanted to give them the choice to get involved when, and if, they choose to.

As they have gotten older, I’ve let down my guard a little bit, but you have to look pretty hard to find photographs of them or references to them.  I want them to be kids, away from the craziness of what we do.  

If you think about it, it’s rare for a banker or accountant, for example, to have their children take any part in their business.  We’ve sort of approached it that way - business is business, and our personal life is just that - personal.

What do you do to keep your family strong?

We compartmentalize.  When we are home, we are home - when we are at work, we are at work.  This allows us to really focus on the time we have with our kids, and not get distracted by the craziness of our business.  We keep very regular business hours - 9am to 2:30pm during the week, and we don’t work on weekends at all unless we have a wedding.  

We are there - whether they are downstairs with their friends or playing outside, we are there.  And I think just being there, available when/if they need us, really makes a difference.  We have dinner together, as a family, 6 nights a week.  We run errands together, do chores together, etc.  We are involved in their school activities and do homework with them every night.  And we never forget that what we do is our job - they are our life.

You travel quite a bit.  How do you make this easier on your children?  How do they feel about how often you travel?

The kids, fortunately, have always lived with the fact that we travel, although we travel a little more now than we used to.  We try to limit our travel to once a month - we’re not always successful with that, but we try.  We also try to keep their routines as stable as possible.  We are fortunate to have family close by so my parents take the kids on the weekends and Steve’s parents move into our house when we are gone during the week.  In truth, I think the kids rarely notice that we’re gone anymore, they have so much fun with their grandparents.

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

I try really hard not to take too much on, so I say no to things now.  It’s hard to do that, saying no to things, but I’m getting better at it.  I used to do a lot of mentoring and speaking for free and I’ve learned that I need to make it worth the time away from the business and the kids, so now I’m pretty particular about what I take on.  We still do the things that we feel are important like mentoring, etc, but we are more discerning about what we do and when we do it.

I also learned to cut anything negative and yucky from my life.  I know there are things that I have to do, that I might not love, but I just get those done and move onto the good stuff.  

The biggest thing I do is leave the studio each day with a task completed.  There is ongoing work, of course, but I try to finish something each day and take that sense of accomplishment home with me.  If I don’t do that, I will find myself lying awake at 2 am pondering my to-do list.

I also take time for myself - I workout three mornings a week with a trainer, and one afternoon a week on my own.  I make myself a priority, which is something women (and moms in particular) often forget to do.

What three products or things help you stay organized?

1. ShootQ
2. Things
3. A notebook (I write everything down)

 What is something that you think women in the industry should not do?

 Try to be someone else.  

What is something that you think women in the industry should do?

Respect themselves and the choices that are important to them.  Say sorry when they make a mistake - then fix it.

What five suggestions do you have for women who are trying to have a more whole, content, and blissful life?

1. forgive yourself - you will make mistakes and that is alright.  As a mom, you will always feel that you can do more, be better.  And as a business person you feel the same way.  Forgive yourself when you don’t get it all done, when you make a mistake, when you just can’t do anymore.  
2. make yourself a priority - if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else
3. laugh more.
4. fail.  and then learn from those failures.  failure helps define success
5. acknowledge your gratitudes (I do this every night).  When you go to bed at night (or anytime you are feeling overwhelmed) start listing what you are grateful for...you will fall asleep with a smile on your face.

LINKS:

www.bebbstudios.com

www.fusionisnow.com

www.bebbinars.showitsite.com

www.stylecollision.com

 ***All images in this post are copyright Jenn Bebb.***