Capturing Timeless Photos - Steph Powell Creative

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephanie Powell, Founder of Steph Powell Creative, located in Savannah, GA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a creative website designer and wedding photographer based out of Savannah, Georgia.

On the website design side of things, I love working with small business owners within the wellness, fitness, influencer/blogging, creative services, and wedding industries. They usually value organization and a clean, modern design.

On the photography side, couples are my jam! There's nothing I love more than working with my couples and watching their love unfold right in front of my lens. This goes for the regular ole couple shoot, or my all-time favorite, wedding days! I also work with college grads and small business owners for branding photos!

Tell us about yourself

I first started my business back in college, working with friends on campus for grad photos! I began to get emails asking where people could book with me and I knew that I could potentially make something out of this. I bootstrapped my website on WIX - which I guess is where my love for website design started-and started sharing my work a little more publicly! I continued to shoot through college. After my senior year, I took a corporate job with a women's boutique, running their website.

My first project on the job was to redesign and re-platform their entire e-commerce site. It was a challenge, but I loved every second of it. I worked there for over a year and a half (while still taking on my photo clients) until my creative juices overflowed. I decided to take a more creative role at a branding agency here in Savannah.

While I was at the agency, I was working on a website, taking photos, and managing social media for clients while also working on growing my biz. As my business grew, I knew I could finally leap into full-time entrepreneurship with my photography and website design business. I've always been a wearer of many hats, which helped me as a business owner.

What gets me out of bed each day is knowing that I get to work with people on both sides of my business, to make their dreams a reality. Whether it's a website design for a biz owner or a wedding gallery for a newly married bride and groom, I'm lucky enough to make people's dreams a real tangible thing. It's seriously the most incredible job ever.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a small business owner is simply the fact that I leaped. It was scary deciding to go full-fledged full-time, especially in the middle of the pandemic. Still, I knew that if I didn't start then, I would keep prolonging the process.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is, without a doubt, balancing work and life! I make my hours, which is the biggest plus. Still, I think there's this idea in people's heads that entrepreneurs work less than the average person in a corporate position.

I find the opposite because, as a business owner, I am fully responsible for all aspects of my business. The website, the marketing, the end product, potential hires - it's all-consuming and takes a lot of time out of my day. Balancing all of the above and much more can make it difficult to properly "turn off" and create a social life or life outside of work.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

When you jump, jump with a parachute or two. By that, I mean when you leap into entrepreneurship, do it intentionally, gracefully, and thoughtfully. Save money as a cushion for those first few months if your inquiries are too slow to roll in. Plan and have content to share with your ideal clients.
Cultivate community. I am a firm believer in community over competition. No one person will run their business, design a website, or edit photos as I will, and vice-versa. We could all have the same education, resources, and equipment, but it still would not be the same. And that is a GOOD thing. Why would we not share our knowledge and gain a little something from someone else in our industry? I believe that the more we are willing to share, learn, and grow with others in our fields, the more we can all gain. More connections equals more resources and more knowledge.
Never stop learning. Continuing to know about your field or your craft is critical. Keeping up with industry trends, software updates, and techniques will set you apart from others in your industry. Most industries are ever-changing, so there will ALWAYS be something new to learn. I make it a point to schedule at least one hour of my day toward education. Sometimes it's an hour of a course, some days. It’s reading articles or blog posts written by industry leaders. And others, it's listening to podcast episodes about something I want to learn. I am always learning, which keeps my ideas fresh and my wheels turning regarding my business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.stephpowellcreative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephpowellcreative
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephpowellcreative/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stephpowellcreative/

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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