Capturing The Beauty & Emotion - Lisa Stone Photography
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lisa Stone, Founder of Lisa Stone Photography, located in Fairfield, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Lisa Stone Photography is a photography business specializing in weddings, portraits, and events. My customers are people or businesses looking for photography.
Tell us about yourself
If you had known me growing up, you would have been surprised if I didn't become a photographer! I fell in love with photography after spending countless hours in the darkroom. Every wedding, event, and job I do as a photographer is different, which keeps me motivated because I'm not doing the same thing every day. I love being thrown into different environments, taking what I have to work with, and coming up with ways to make creative photographs.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I started my business in 2008, but I didn't transition to doing photography full-time until 2014. I was nervous about leaving a well-paying job that I went to college for to do photography full-time. The wedding photography industry is very competitive, especially in the Bay Area, so my biggest accomplishment would be creating and maintaining a successful business in a very challenging industry.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part for me is time management and maintaining a good work-life balance. Running a photography business requires me to work a lot during the weekends, and wedding season (which is typically May - November for me), can be very busy.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- The first tip I would give someone looking to start, run, and grow a business is to make sure you are doing the work you love. Running a business is a lot of work, but if you enjoy what you do, it can be very rewarding.
- The second tip would be to make sure you are working with clients that are a good fit for you. My clients are typically very excited about the photography for their weddings or event, which makes me get excited to create images for them. Occasionally I will be hired by a family member or feel like a checklist item at a wedding, but the couple really doesn't care about the photography. Knowing that I can only shoot so many weddings per year, I have realized that making sure I work with clients that appreciate photography is very important.
- The third tip would be to learn how to say no and be firm on pricing. After COVID shut down the wedding industry, weddings basically got put on hold. When weddings started back up again, I ended up getting burnt out from working too much in one year. Learning to turn away business to keep your sanity may be one of the hardest things to do, but one of the most important.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lisastone.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaStonePhotography/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisastonephoto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisastonephoto
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisastonephotography/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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