love. LIFE.

Hello Friends!

Over to the left you'll see all of the categories that you can check out.

If you're a photographer make sure to check out the For Photographers page.  I just launched the new Family GTKY kit and the NEW Insight Kits Blogsite!!!  Click here to see the new site!

    LOVE. LIFE. TIPS.  These posts will help anyone who is trying to keep or get back all of the things that they love in their life and/or business. The tips are packed with ways to manage a hectic life, kids, business, meaning, love...and more. Also, make sure you check out the new Women and Business series! (Click here)  Also, see how Day with Davina can come to you. (Click here)

My favorite pricing guide (that I wish I had when I started my business over 8 years ago).  You need this guide!

 

Easy as Pie.  Click here to visit Served Up Fresh. (affiliate link)

Thanks for stopping by...and don't forget to leave a comment...or two...I want to hear from YOU!

And make sure to TELL A FRIEND!

 

Entries from January 1, 2011 - January 31, 2011

Women and Business: Andrea of Pink Sugar Photography

Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 10:14AM by Registered CommenterDavina in | Comments10 Comments | References10 References

**all images in this post copyright: Andrea of Pink Sugar Photography. **
 

{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.com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as i do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

NEXT WEEK: Laura Siebert

You can check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

Andrea,   You were nominated as someone that should be part of Women and Business and I'm so glad!  I had not know of you or your work until I clicked the link that was included with your nomination.  And I have to say I'm in love.  I'm drawn into seeing the lovely and fun holiday decorating you do around your home as well as the photography work that you do.  You are talented and funny and your way of capturing couples and family is beautiful. Thank you so much for being on Women and Business.  Thank you!

 

How did you become a professional photographer?

I was actually hired (on my wedding day!) by my own wedding photographer. He was looking for a second shooter and although I didn't have any experience, he liked my creativity and took a chance on me. At the time I didn't know the first thing about using a DSLR, or to be honest, about photography in general but I'd always loved taking pictures so I was crazy excited. I spent a season working with him and spending all of my spare time either practicing or reading about photography. The following year I started up Pink Sugar and four years later, here we are!


Were you a professional photographer before Lila Claire was born?  If not, how did you make that transition?

We found out we were expecting Lila two weeks before I finished university and was finally going to be able to focus on Pink Sugar full time. I shot 24 weddings (would have been 25 had Li not arrived a month early…) that summer/fall and then took six months off to get to know my girl. After Lila was born, I knew I didn't want to be away from my family every weekend of the summer so I started limiting wedding bookings and just naturally transitioned into shooting more portraits.


What type of event do you shoot most?

I shoot lots of engagements, and also a lot of young families. My business seems to have paralleled my own life a little bit: as a newlywed I photographed primarily weddings; after Lila was born I began shooting more maternities and newborns; and now that Lila is a little older, I'm shooting a larger percentage of families with toddlers and young children.


How have you cultivated the portrait side of your business?

I've been lucky enough to work with many of my clients through their engagement and wedding, and then again as their families begin to grow. It's really nice to form relationships with people and get welcomed back into their families time after time.  

As well, (this one is pretty obvious but it didn’t click for me right away so I’m going to share anyways) be sure to share what you want to shoot! The moment I started blogging baby photos and family portraits, I began getting more inquiries for those types of sessions!


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

I think it is so important to keep in mind that every client is a unique individual and every session will be different; what works to make one person comfortable might do just the opposite for another. I try to make an effort to get to know each client on a personal level so that I can make those distinctions. I spend a lot of time chatting and asking questions, I laugh a lot, I give feedback, I really try to connect with whoever is in front of my camera on any given day. Once you make that connection, comfort [usually] follows naturally.


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

Be yourself. Try to find your own voice rather than  imitating somebody else's style. Shoot whatever makes YOUR heart happy and let your personality shine through. Chances are, what YOU love will be loved by other people as well, and those people are the ones you want as your clients.


What have you done to grow as a photographer?

I would say that most things I do on a day to day basis play a part in my growth. Some of the more obvious ways I've grown as a photographer are through workshops, reading, shooting all the time, and spending time with other photographers. Less obvious but perhaps more importantly, I find that challenging myself creatively in both photography and other mediums (crafting, sewing, designing) helps me to grow as an artist. Most recently I've started a personal daily(ish) photoblog that challenges me to pick up my camera, document life and create art every day.


How have you grown as a mother?

I feel like I'm growing as a mother every minute of every day. Lila teaches me new things about myself and the world all the time -- I am so lucky to be her momma.


Have you attended workshops?  What are your favorites?

I've been to a handful of workshops in the last five years but one stands out way above the rest for me. I attended a Bebbinar early on in my career and Jen and Steve provided me with a ton of tools and encouragement to ensure I was on the right track. I can't say enough about these two and I would highly recommend their workshop to anybody!


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

Crafting, sewing, decorating -- being creative makes me happy! I also have a bit of a weakness for shopping (particularly online) and I love spending quality time with my little family and my awesome girlfriends.


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

No secret formula for this one, I've just worked really hard to make my clients happy. When they're happy, they tell their friends, and then I work hard to make their friends happy too.


Do you travel often?  How do you make this easier on your children?  How do they feel about how often you travel?

I don't travel all that often for work, but when I do, I almost always bring Mark and Lila along. I think they like that :)


You have a fantastic blog following who consistently comment.  How have you grown your blog readership?

Thank you :) You know, I'm not really sure how that happened. When I was first starting out, long before I had a blog, I was quite active on Flickr and I think a lot of my blog followers have been following me since then. I also try really hard to blog regularly so there aren't any lulls in posts and I always encourage my clients to share their sessions with their friends when they are featured.  I love my blog readers!


Are you in a store front studio or a home studio?  What made you decide on the space you have? (please provide pictures)

I shoot all of my sessions on location either outdoors or in my client's homes, and spend the rest of my time working in a home office. At this point in time it just doesn't make much sense for me to have a studio.


What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Like most, I struggle with this a lot. Because I work from home, it's often hard to separate work and family and I kept finding that when I was working I felt guilty for neglecting my family, and when I was spending time with my family I felt guilty for neglecting my work. This past fall I put Lila into a childcare program a couple of days a week so I could have a few hours of uninterrupted work time and that has helped tremendously. And as a bonus, she totally loves it! I also make sure that I get out of the house and do lots of fun things every week :)


What three products or things help you stay organized?

Haha, honestly, I'm not in the position to give any advice regarding organization -- there's a reason there aren't any photos of my home office included here ;) That said, I definitely couldn't live without my iPhone. Having my email, calendar and Evernote (I’m a total list girl!) accessible to me at all times is super handy. (And if anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears!)

To see more of Andrea's work:

Blog

Wedding Site

Portrait Site

 

**all images in this post copyright: Andrea of Pink Sugar Photography. **

Move it Monday: The 'no motivation' answer

Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 10:38PM by Registered CommenterDavina in | Comments4 Comments

motivate me.

If you've said this to yourself...or maybe you've said, "I just wish I could get motivated to get out and exercise."  I have the answer for you.

This is her. Cocoa.

She'll make sure you get walking and burn all of those computer sitting hours off your hiney.

She requires at least two good long walks a day.  She wants to have the frisbee thrown to her at least 100 times in a row.  She may or may not bring it back to you.  She'll think about it.  You may have to walk down the hill to get it yourself.  She wants to go outside to go pee or maybe poop as often as you'll take her.  And then she'll consider relieving herself.  She may just want to walk around the cul de sac and see what's new. There might be a bird out there. Or she may just want to get scared to death by the trash truck.  And then she'll want to play catch-this-stick.  And she'll probably love the stick so much that she won't bring it back. But she'll want to chase you with it.  She can run much faster than you so you need to run fast.

Get moving.

So...if you are wanting to get in shape a dog will help to motivate you because she doesn't want a couch potato for an owner.  She'll whip you into shape faster than a drill sargent or one of those exercise boot camp intructors that yell at you.

And we're you're done with your exercise program she'll love you and kiss you and tell you what a great job you did and how thin you're looking.

Okay. Maybe she won't do that last bit but it will feel like she's telling you that.

Or maybe you can just keep your New Year's resolutions. Good on you! Pass some of that discipline my way, won't you?

motivated. LIFE.

Women and Business: Jackie Rueda

Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2011 at 08:00AM by Registered CommenterDavina in | Comments5 Comments | References8 References

**all images in this post copyright: Jackie Rueda. **
 

{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.com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as i do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

NEXT WEEK:  Andrea @ Pink Sugar Photography

You can check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

Jackie, I first met you because of a kindness you showed me, you sent me a gift, and I'm still so grateful for that.  It seems that this is the way you are with everyone. I immediately went to check out your work and was drawn into your beautiful, emotional perspective on the world.  Since then I've so wanted to learn from you and have been so tempted to learn Spanish as my second language just so I can read your blog and take your online courses.  I think you are the only person I know of that has decided that preteen/early teen girls are your target market.  They way you bring out their innocence and beauty is wonderful.  I'm so excited to have you here on Women and Business.  Thank you!

 

You have become very popular in the last year or two among the Latin community for your Spanish photography online courses. How did that come about?
When I left Caracas I waved my career goodbye due to the change of language (I am a journalist and a TV writer). So I was new in beautiful Montreal with no idea of what to do with my life. At the same time I was going through a kind of personal storm and I felt like I was drowning. I started writing in Spanish on a blog to have a creative outlet. To my surprise the blog became very popular, partly because of the stories and partly because of the pictures. I was working simultaneously since the summer of 2008 with my Flickr group La Vuelta al Mundo (A Trip Around the World), where I encourage people to go out and re-discover their cities to capture in pictures a new theme for each month (happiness, rainbows, sun flare…). From the group discussions, from my previous experience in photography and from my work with children in creative workshops during my college years, emerged in a natural way the need to design this e-course. I make my class the less intimidating as possible- I call it The game of learning how to see. People learn about photography in a very relaxed way, and they are recued from their problems and routines by their cameras. I had never before seen anything like that on the internet, so I had no references to create it. I spent months puzzling over it until I came up with the perfect formula. Then, when my e-course was ready, the satisfaction was infinite because it was like no other. It’s welcoming, easy, fun and friendly. 75 % of my students are from Spain and 25% are from other Hispanic countries.

I love that you've chosen such a specific target market, pre-teen/early teenage girls.  You've taken this awkward time of life and brought out so much beauty, It's really lovely.  How did you hone in on that particular demographic?
It was an accident. I have two teenage daughters, and when their friends saw their photos they wanted a photo shoot too. Then they showed the pictures to their friends, sisters and cousins so my portfolio kept growing.

What do you do to help your particular age group of clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?
I think the answer is that I am relaxed, I laugh a lot (mostly at myself) and I remember perfectly when I was that age, so I can empathize. I have had stunning girls who don’t want to laugh because they think that their smile is ugly, and others that think that they have one eye bigger than the other.  At that age appearance is a matter of life or death, and I take their worries seriously. I don’t pressure them into something that makes them uncomfortable. I really listen to them. Empathizing is the key when in contact with clients, and I think it’s the reason that my daughters and I are so close. The girls are comfortable with me, they don’t see me so adult-ish, and they relax. I’m not sure if this is something I should be proud of, but it works like magic!

What are the ages of your girls?  How have they been inspired by your work?
Marianne is 16 years old and Valeria is 13. Both have developed a certain artistic sensibility. They take turns to assist me in sessions, they accompany me on my urban photographic expeditions and they help me choose between two pictures for some project. They are my best friends, my most honest critics and they help me understand what people their age like, what is cool and what’s not. They took my Atelier Teens last summer and their pictures were amazing. That’s when I realized that they have definitely caught the photography bug. Valeria wants to be a wildlife photographer and Marianne wants to start doing sessions with her friends.

Are you in a storefront or home studio space?  What made you decide on the space you have?
I work primarily on location with natural light (Montreal is the prettiest backdrop, seasons here are like a fairytale), but I also have a small home studio flooded by gorgeous light. It's my favorite place in the world. It's surrounded by trees and it's accessible from my house, or from outside through turquoise stairs that I often use in my still-life photos. When I saw this house for the first time, I knew at once that this nice solarium had to be “my place”. It is not big, but it is inspiring and enough for now. At some point it won’t be anymore, since my plans for the future include having workshops in my own studio, but before thinking about renting a space, I think I’d rather expand my house...I love working here close to my family and my cats.


What are you most proud of as a business woman?
I am proud of having reinvented myself professionally. With no budget, no advice, not speaking good English or French, no incurring in debts, not marketing strategy, not contacts and not much experience, I could create something that not only generates an income, but makes me go out of bed happy everyday. I get positive feedback frequently from my students and clients and that nurtures me. I love so much what I do, I have so many plans and there are so many aspects of photography I want to explore, that the only thing I ask is to have longer days.

What is the best thing you've done to make your business successful?
I think I have known how to relate with people in an honest and direct way. There is something in my way of talking online that makes people feel close to me and want to take my class or hire me. I know that it's odd that a photographer says this instead of something related to her photos, but in this business, the emotional component is really important and I am a very emotive person and I don't mind being transparent.

What are the top three things you did when you were first getting started in business to bring in clients?
1. Talking about my new business on my blog. At that time I had spent 4 years building week by week a solid community of followers, and 2 years with a warm and participative Flickr group, so my potential clients and students where already there. Those people know me and are familiar with my photos and my way to express my ideas. Both the blog and the Flickr group were born for very different reasons, but at the moment of launching my business all that work paid off. I’ve never had to invest in advertising, my workshops are sold out 4 months in advance and everything works by word of mouth.
2. Networking (in a kind and polite way) is crucial. Facebook, Flickr, Twitter are very important.
3. A nice website to showcase my work, and another one just for my online workshops. It might sound very basic, but a clean, fresh and inviting site can make a big difference. Now I’m working on revamping my blog.

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?
To be honest, I feel overwhelmed all the time!  For me, the most difficult thing is handling my emails. My inbox is always over flooding and I still haven’t found a way to make this work in an efficient way. I just launched my newsletter to control the demand of information. It seems to be working; I’ve got my finger crossed!

What do you do for fun...that has nothing to do with photography?
I absolutely love road trips: music, honey roasted peanuts, my husband driving and some dreamy landscape. I’m a big fan also of our family movie night on weekends.

I so wish that I could read your blog but alas...I do not speak (or read) Spanish. Is there any chance you'll be offering classes in English?  You are so inspiring I would love to learn about how your creative mind works.
I would love it! Teaching in English would notably expand my horizons, but I'm afraid that my domain of the language isn't enough to teach online. Maybe if you hear me talk, I'll make a mistake, we'll laugh together and it'll maybe work out. But in an online class, I have to write a lot and express myself correctly, and I don't feel capable of doing that. In my class I comment the work of my students picture by picture in a very personalized way. That requires many hours of grammatically correct typing!

To see more of Jackie's work:

Website

Blog (spanish)

Blog (english)

Facebook

**all images in this post copyright: Jackie Rueda. **

Move it Monday: Peaceful Warrior.

Posted on Monday, January 10, 2011 at 05:10PM by Registered CommenterDavina in | Comments3 Comments

new yoga pose.


If you find yourself among those falling off the New Year's Resolution commitments don't worry, you are not alone.  I recently read an article that says 4 out of 5 of us bail on our New Year's resolutions.  The good news is you don't need a new year upon you to commit to a healthier you.  Start today, start right now.  In yoga we get through the struggle of a challenging posture by focusing on breath and breathing slowly, one breath at a time. 

Big changes begin with one small shift.  You can shake up your own health and wellness routine with one small step.  Don't get bogged down by thinking that you have to exercise for 30 minutes or 60 minutes straight.  If you can, great.  But if you don't have that much free time do 10 minutes of exercise here and then another 10 minutes there and then another 10 your body and your mind will feel the benefits.

Try this pose today: Peaceful Warrior.  Find Warrior 1 on the right side, move into Warrior 2 and then lift up your front arm, straight out of your waist and reach it over your head and back while your other hand slides down the back of your straight leg.  While you hold the posture for 5 deep breaths commit to making exercise a daily part of your routine.  Switch sides and hold Peaceful Warrior on the left side for 5 deep breaths.  This time find gratitude for the ability to move your body.  You are sure to  feel more energized and a bit more peaceful.

 

Lisa Brownstead is a former TV news anchor who believes in the transformational power of yoga and helping young and old alike find more balance, self esteem and joy in their lives through yoga. She also believes that yoga (and a little bit of humor) leads to a significant decrease in stress and keeps those practicing looking and feeling young! As a mom of three kids who love yoga, Lisa has followed her passion teaching yoga to both kids and adults. Lisa is the founder of Pretty Postures.  For more information on private in-home instruction, classes, and yoga parties check out www.prettypostures.com.

friend Lisa on facebook

new. LIFE.


Women and Business: Jane Johnson

Posted on Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 07:24AM by Registered CommenterDavina in | Comments4 Comments

**all images in this post copyright: Jane Johnson. **
 

{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.com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as i do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...

NEXT WEEK:  Merry Christmas!

You can check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!

Jane, You have so much going on and everything you do is a great quality.  I have no idea how you keep everything straight...which makes me especially excited about your interview today...I get to find out how you're making it all happen.  You have a design business and photography business...in two different states! Thanks for being here on Women and Business.

How did you become a professional photographer AND a graphic designer?
It's kind of funny how this all worked out.  I was originally planning to major in graphic design in college, but when it came time for the portfolio review process to apply to the upper level courses, I failed.  Twice.  I was heartbroken and took a term off to figure out what I was going to do in life.  During that time, I was half a world away on a two-week mission trip in Rio de Janeiro, talking about this very thing with a friend on a street corner as our group waited for a bus.  With my camera bag on my shoulder, and about 20 rolls of film inside, he told me what has become my life verse: "The lamp of the body is the eye.  If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light." (Matthew 6:22).  "Maybe you should do photography,"  he said - an obvious answer to everyone else around me.  The lightbulb went off, and I went home and officially changed my major.  I graduated from college in 2003, and have since worked odd jobs at everything from a makeup counter to advertising design at our local newspaper.  I sort of stumbled upon the design side of my business after the overwhelming response I received from designing my own blog in 2008, and it's been a snowball effect ever since.  Everything I've done is entirely self-taught, and I'm thankful to have two very creative aspects of my business.  I never get tired of doing any one thing.

Are you in a retail space or home studio?  What made you decide on the space you have?  (please provide pictures)
I just recently converted our bonus room into a home studio.  I've gone back and forth for the last year with desperately wanting a retail space, but at the same time living in a town where the photography industry is definitely over-saturated.  To date, the only thing I put on the credit card for my business was my first Canon Digital Rebel SLR purchased in 2007.  My husband and I haven't taken out any business loans, and I've paid cash for everything.  I had an adorable space all picked out already, and was ready to sign the dotted line but after talking more, we decided that it makes more sense to maintain zero overhead and no business debt as long as I can.  Plus, we had an empty bonus room that is the perfect size for meeting with clients and shooting newborns.  So, while I was shooting in Scottsdale a few months ago, my husband was busy tearing up the carpet and laying hardwood floors to surprise me when I got home and get the ball rolling.

The studio space is nearly complete, and features all of my favorite things: favorite photographs, beaded pillows that my grandmother gave me, a beautifully feminine chandelier, and gifts from close friends including a handmade wreath using pages from Wuthering Heights.  Here's a peek at the (almost) finished product:




The far nook where the chandelier is hanging will be my packaging station.  I'm still using up my old chocolate brown boxes, but will soon have shelves on the wall that will hold all of my brand new white packaging materials with steel gray tissue paper.  The canvas collection by the door is one of three wall collections I'll be offering for 2011.


The couch faces an 80" projection screen for client viewing appointments.  The cabinet beneath the screen will fill over time with various quilts, blankets, newborn props, and backdrops as I need to purchase them and have extra cash for.


The coffee table in front of the couch features a display Cowgirl Magazine issues I've shot to date, including cover photographs and inside fashion spreads. (http://www.cowgirlmagazine.com)  The shelf below holds my sample albums and image boxes.  The wall to the right of the couch is holding a 30x40 canvas, dwarfed on the large empty wall.  I'll eventually order two more canvases to flank it, but for now it helps clients to visualize the true size of a large canvas that otherwise sounds too large for their home.




What does your workflow look like?  How do you manage and keep track of two business and in two locations? Do you outsource or keep everything in house?
At the moment, I keep everything in-house, although I've been feeling the urge to bring on an assistant to ease some of the burden.  Currently, the only thing I'm outsourcing is the coding for my custom blog and splash page design projects.  I'm a very type-A personality, and if I knew how to do coding myself, I would.  However, it does open up a lot of time for me do spend on designing.  As for the workflow, I break everything up by day, and it changes each week depending on what projects I have in the queue.  For example, today I will work on custom blog revisions and logo designs and make a run to the hospital to drop off some 30x30 canvases for a NICU display.  Tomorrow I will edit the two NICU shoots that are still sitting on my camera from three weeks ago, and get my 2011 photography marketing materials ordered.  I generally compartmentalize according to the side of the business, and will spend a full day working only on photography, and the next working only on design.  Shooting in both Central Oregon and Scottsdale is easy because my design business is portable.  My twin sister lives in Phoenix, so I just set up shop at her house for the time I'm there - sometimes up to two weeks.  Good thing she loves having me around!

What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?
It depends on what I'm shooting.  If I'm shooting children, I play with them.  It's so important to get down on a child's level and interact with them.  I was working with a model at a NAPCP event last year that was extremely shy, and wasn't interested in giving me the time of day.  Luckily we had about 15-20 minutes before shooting, so I had some warm-up time.  As we walked to the shooting location, I started stepping on her shadow.  And she started stomping on mine.  Of course, I howled and pretended that it hurt, which got the giggles going.  By the time we began shooting, she wouldn't leave my side.

If I'm shooting couples, I use a trick I learned from a friend of mine who was doing a five year anniversary shoot for my husband and I.  She told Josh to whisper in my ear, and talk dirty if he had to.  Of course he did, and of course I laughed.  It produced my favorite shot from our entire session.

What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?
1.  Don't rush into a business loan.  Take your time developing your craft and finding your style without the pressure of paying off debt right away.
2.  Take a year to try everything first - even if you don't think you'll like it.  Then decide on your niche and specialize in that one particular area.  Photographers that say "specializing in maternity, newborns, children, families, seniors, senior citizens, engagements, weddings, and photos of your great uncle's dog" really aren't specializing in anything.
3.  Find a friend you can talk shop with that you don't feel any competition with.  My go-to friend is a commercial photographer, which helps since our businesses never really cross over.

What do you think is most important for a client to do who is a graphic design client that is working with you?
Inspiration boards!!  Design clients that come to me and don't really know what they want are much harder to work with.  The client that collects samples of logos they love, brands they're inspired by, patterns they swoon over, and colors that make them drool are my dream.  I recently had a client that included this inspiration board with her logo design questionnaire:

From the amount of visual information she included, we were able to come up this logo:



and created a unique, cohesive brand that we applied to marketing materials throughout her business:




(You can view her blogsite at http://www.danielleaquilinephotography.com)

What do you do for fun...that has nothing to do with photography?
I love, love, love to read.  My husband works on the weekends, and most of the time I don't want to work but end up working anyway.  So I will force myself to sit and read instead.  When I've done this most recently, I end up sitting for six or seven hours, and devour a full book in one sitting.  There's something about taking my mind somewhere else that really forces me to not think about the projects and emails waiting for me.

What are you most proud of as a business woman?
I'm especially proud of the fact that I'm now in my fourth year of business, and still am 100% debt-free.  If I can't pay cash for it, I don't need it.  I'm also proud to say that everything I've done with the design side of my business (and really, also in photography) is self-taught.  I majored in photography in college, but the classes were all film and darkroom.  All of the digital workflow and editing I've learned is good old-fashioned sweat in photoshop.

What do you do to keep your marriage fun?
We love to travel.  My husband won't always get the time off if given the option, so I've gotten into the habit of purchasing flights and forcing him to take the time off.  Last year, we flew to Phoenix, met up with my sister and brother-in-law, drove to the beach in Mexico for 24 hours, drove back, and flew home.  Kind of crazy, and definitely spontaneous, but it makes for a fun story to tell.

What are the top three things you did when you were first getting started in business to bring in clients, both photography and graphic design?
1.  Work for friends.  I did (and still do) trades where I can, and did a lot of complimentary photo shoots to build my portfolio.  I don't necessarily recommend doing this for long (or even at all).  Once I was in that, it was definitely hard to learn to say now. Instead of giving everything away for free, maybe do a complimentary session fee and provide two free prints, or give a complimentary session fee as a birthday or shower gift.  Once you get in the "free friend" zone, they'll milk you dry!
2.  Social networking is huge!  That's really where the design side of my business exploded: putting links on facebook and posting recent logo designs or newly launched sites.  When you photograph friends, tag them on facbeook!  The average facebook user has 130 friends, which means free exposure to nearly 300 people per client (assuming it's a married couple)!
3.  Take advantage of connections!  I'm terrible with networking.  It's actually ironic that I'm in the business that I'm in because a photographer needs to have a certain level of extroversion, and I'd much rather be the wallflower at home with my husband.  I'm not the best networker in the world, and to help with that, I introduced a referral program early on that rewards the client for talking about your business.  My referral program gives clients a $50 print credit on a future session for every booking client they send my way.  I had one client last year that earned $350 in portrait credits in seven months for sending so many clients my way.  I'm happy, and the client is happy!

How do you keep your marriage safe from the stresses of your business?
Our biggest rule: Josh's days off are my days off.  The temptation to work all the time when you work from home is definitely there, so a lot of times we'll run errands, or go to a movie to physically get me out of the house.  Otherwise I'll sneak upstairs for a few minutes that easily turns into a few hours.  Also, church is a priority, and we have a small group we go to once a month.  We also have dinner with friends at least a few times a week.  When he's off, I'm off.  ...usually.  ;)

What is the best thing you've done to make your business successful?
Hands down, social networking.  Particularly with graphic design.  Consistently posting new projects and links to new blogs has really pushed the amount of exposure and number of inquiries and booking clients I receive.

Do you have children?  If so, how old are your children?  What do you do to help them feel part of your business life?

No children yet.  We'll celebrate seven years of marriage in February, and are starting to think about adoption, but at this point, we're in a really good place.

Are you preparing to move from Oregon to Phoenix?  If so, how are you preparing for that?
We've actually talked about that a few times.  The beauty of splitting my time between Central Oregon and Scottsdale is the ability to work year round.  When it's eight months of cold and snow in Bend, it's perfect shooting conditions in Scottsdale.  Then, when the summers are unbearable in Arizona, it's perfect shooting conditions in Oregon.  Eventually, years down the road, we'd like to have a second home in Arizona.  But I don't mind splitting my time.  It gets the travel itch out of my system, and I get my fill of both sun and snow.

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed especial with running 2 businesses?
My husband certainly helps with that.  If I feel particularly overwhelmed, and tell him what I'm stressed about, he breaks it down and helps me to realize it's really not important enough to demand so much of my thoughts.  I didn't get that email out, and it's 10:00 at night?  The client can wait a few more hours.  It's not the end of the world  He's really good at balancing me out and helping me to think rationally when I get overwhelmed.  I also have a quiet time every single morning with my coffee, my Bible, and my prayer journal.  Sometimes it's 30 minutes, sometimes it's 90.  I know without a doubt that God has gifted me creatively, and has specifically entrusted me with a multi-faceted business that I never could have dreamed up.  My design business, especially, was so unexpected.  When I'm particularly overwhelmed, I spend some extra time in the morning praying that I would have the ability and productivity to handle that day's projects.  I know He doesn't give His Spirit without measure (John 3:34), and He won't call me to something that I'm unable to accomplish.  (Where God guides, He provides!) So I break down the priorities, pray for an extra boost of creativity, make some more coffee, and tackle it one project at a time.  Over and over, my prayer for my business is Psalm 90:17: "Let the beauty of the Lord my God be upon me, and establish the work of my hands for me.  Yes, establish the work of my hands."  (I will note here, that in addition to the two businesses, I also host and teach a women's retreat for photographers that is specifically geared towards this type of discussion.  It's called Be Thou My Vision, and isn't a photography workshop by any means.  It's more a throw-back to the typical women's retreats you'll find at any local church.  The attendees just all happen to be photographers.  You can find more information at http://www.bemyvision.org)

What three products or things help you stay organized?
1.  A good old-fashioned notebook.  I'm still an old-school list-maker.  The online tools don't help me.  Writing things out helps me remember.
2.  Hitask.com is a really good resource that I use with my coders.  I can assign various projects to different contractors with a deadline, and I'm notified once it's complete.
3.  A google calendar that I can access from any computer.  It shows my client waiting lists, projected project start dates, projected project end dates, traveling, photo shoots, and viewing appointments, all color-coded as necessary.

What is something that you think women in the industry should not do?
Gossip.  It's so destructive.

What is something that you think women in the industry should do?
Define your own style instead of adopting someone else's.  We are each created uniquely.  Nobody else thinks or sees things the way you do.  Translate that into your photography.

What five suggestions do you have for women who are trying to have a more whole, content, and blissful life?
1.  Stay out of debt.
2.  Realize that you aren't gifted creatively just to make lots of money.
3.  Give back as much as you can, as often as you can.
4.  Seek God's heart daily.
5.  Choose to love your husband when you don't feel it.  And pray for those butterflies to come back.  They will.

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**all images in this post copyright: Jane Johnson. **