"Seek and share knowledge with each other and always continue to learn" with
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Penny and Earl are a wife and husband wedding photography team out of Minnesota who use creative photojournalism to document playful couples.
Their method includes connecting with their clients while bringing an abundance of energy and inventive ideas to each event. This allows them to not only create epic portraits but most importantly, to showcase the authentic and candid moments throughout the wedding day. www.pennyphotographics.com
Can you tell our readers about your background?
My background is a collective between me and my husband so history is really about the two of us. We have been together for 19 years which is over half of our lives and we were living in Austin, TX working at BestBuy retail stores and earning our degree when I decided I wanted to make a career out of being a photographer. When Earl got a job offer for the BestBuy corporate offices in Minnesota, we decided we would take the opportunity to start over in the great north and that would be my opportunity to really launch my business. After 3 years of running the business by myself, I was somehow able to convince my husband Earl to quit his finance job in the corporate world and come be a small business owner with me and the dogs.
What inspired you to start your business?
I always enjoyed photography and the challenge of expressing an idea through images. While obtaining my degree in advertising, I realized that all I really wanted to do was to take photos of people and travel. I decided to start my own business because as someone who gets bored with one genre quickly, running a business includes a multitude of jobs, strategy, and problem-solving. While taking photos is in the job description, the behind the scenes juggling of job titles is never-ending.
Where is your business based? Our business is based out of Minnesota; however, we have another home base in Tx and travel throughout the US for events.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
Honestly, I probably googled “how to start a business” and fell down the rabbit hole of information when I was first contemplating the idea in Austin, TX. When we moved to Minnesota, I used the same process using the plethora of great information and useful guides on https://www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/start-a-business/
After filing all of the information and getting my tax ID and that sort of thing, I jumped into the local market by networking with local photography groups and going to wedding shows. Starting with a strong network of people was super helpful because they are the ones who helped me figure out what type of website platform to use and the answers to the other million questions I had.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Brand awareness has fluctuated over the growing years. First, we used wedding trade shows to get the word out. Now the best way we make people aware of us is by platforms such as The Knot, doing our best with keeping relevant with social media and through networking via vendors and past clients.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I think for me and for most creative entrepreneurs is the organization and structure of the business. For instance, this particular business ebbs and flows drastically with the wedding season. That means that sometimes you are super busy and the cash is rolling in; whereas the next few months, no one is booking anything so you are receiving no income and you have few jobs. It really requires discipline to control and understand your financial budget as well as your productivity levels throughout the year.
How do you stay focused?
I try my best to make list and schedules for myself and so does my partner Earl. When you work for yourself and only have each other to hold you accountable, making a daily and weekly schedule with clear goals and deadlines is the only way to keep me grounded.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
I believe that with our particular business, we are differentiated not only by our quality of work, but our personality and values. In a creative field such as ours, we know the value in connecting with our clients and understand that’s the only way to really succeed. So in order to differentiate ourselves, we try to showcase who we are as humans and how our style+process best fit out clients needs.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Honestly this question always gets me because it’s a team effort from SEO, networking, past clients, and paid marketing. The best strategy is that we stay on brand no matter what media or medium we are using.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Network! The small business world can be a lonely and confusing one so it’s really important to find your tribe. Seek and share knowledge with each other and always continue to learn.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
One of my favorite authors is Seth Godin- he writes a ton of great books that will inspire you such as, Purple Cow but the book I’m constantly encouraging people to read who are starting their business is called E-myth revisited. This book really breaks down the concept of small business and the different roles within it. It helps inspire questions to ask yourself about your business and how to answer and organize those questions.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
17 hats is our CRM platform we use and does a good job of helping us keep organized and manage contracts, work flows etc. Having a multitude of clients at different stages and constantly communicating with them can get overwhelming so having a system in place to help is the only way to say sane.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I’ve had a few business role models along the way- my biggest influencers are the Tw oMann Studios in Canada. I’ve attended their workshop and followed their progress throughout the photography community for years. I really enjoy their approach to the business and their unyielding energy. They are always striving to learn, to teach, to share and give back and I’m always inspired by their constant presence in the industry.
How do you balance work and life?
The wedding industry is seasonal and so are portraits; thus, we have a busy season from about May-November with an emphasis in September and October and slow season from November through February. So we use this information to plan our vacations and when to visit family. We also have created our weekly schedules to include an off day each week that we try hard to stick to. It also really helps that I’ve tricked my favorite person to work with me so I get to bother him all day long.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I’m a TV glutton for sure. I read, I exercise and do all those healthy things for sure but having my brain melt into a tv show is the best way for me to zone out and forget my stress.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
Well with the crazy year of 2020 and the covid-19 pandemic ramping back up, planning for the future is tricky. However, we are trying to ride the wave of uncertainty with everyone else and are still booking clients into 2021. Along with that we are wanting to start advertising family sessions especially for our past clients so that we can document the continuation of their journey.
How can our readers connect with you?