Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Veronica Knotts. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Veronica, appreciate you joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

This thought sneaks up on me at random times. I love being a business owner for many reasons. However, no matter what job you have, you’re very likely to think about what you don’t have.

The thought of having a “regular” job crosses my mind when I think about being able to clock in and clock out of work. What people call, “a 9-5 job” sometimes sounds nice because you have such a solid schedule and can excuse your mindset from work to-do’s once you clock out. Being a business owner on the other hand, includes a very random schedule. I also don’t necessarily “clock out.” I do most of my work from home, so being a mom and business owner requires a lot of “chipping away at work” the entire day. I will have days when I get absolutely no work done because I’m busy taking care of kids and running the household chores. Days like that sometimes make me believe that if I had a “normal 9-5,” it would allow me to leave the house, get my job duties done, then return to the house for motherhood duties and household chores. Many times, I’m answering emails or making calls late into the evening because that is when my clients are available to chat. I’m also very often communicating with clients on weekends and holidays for the same reason. So the idea of “9-5’s” having a clock in and clock out schedule sometimes intrigues me.

However, I’m very happy doing what I do. I get to document very special moments in people’s lives. The work that I do becomes little treasures that my clients get to hold on to for the rest of their lives. They get to share these images and fun memories with other people, as well as, cherish visual memories of past loved ones.

Veronica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! I’m Veronica! And I am a Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer based out of North East Ohio. I am located only about 35 minutes from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

When I was in my teen years, I had a love for taking photographs. It started with nature and landscaping. Outside of school, soccer and friends, I would wonder anywhere I could outdoors, photographing the flowers, trees, sunset, and any animals I saw. Once in collage, I took a photography course each semester that really educated me on what a camera can do, along with broadening my creativity. I also studied integrated media with a minor in entrepreneurship. Many of the classes I took helped me develop an understanding of the business world.

While in my first year of college, I photographed my younger brother’s senior pictures. This led to photographing all of friends’ senior pictures. While still in my first year of collage, a hometown friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I soon realized how special it was to document people and their life milestones and celebrations. My photography passion was spread word of mouth. I also started sharing my work online. Before too long, I was filling my schedule outside of college and soccer, with photography bookings.

I have been a photographer for around ten years now, and I am still filled with joy as I get to meet so many wonderful people and deliver images to them that they can cherish for lifetimes. I’m so grateful that God has given me the opportunity to cross paths with so many individuals. My clients are so important to me. Building a sense of trust and excitement with them before and during our time together allows them to feel relaxed and enjoy their time. Getting your pictures taken is not always the most comfortable situation for many people. So developing this safe space together is something I strive for. Truly getting to know them and laugh with them is the best feeling. I love the new friendships I make with this job.

At the end of the day, the images I provide to my clients contain so much of my love and attention. I like the images to look beautiful, timeless, and natural. I want the images to show how they felt in those moments. When my clients express the joy the images make them feel, it reminds me over and over why I love this job.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In my experience, the most effective strategy for growing my clientele includes two ways: personal deliverance and social media output. Each wedding or session I photograph, I make sure my clients know that I am serving them. I am not there for my own agenda, or to merely increase my portfolio. I am there to document their special time…their life. I am there to capture moments that they can’t get back, but can look back on for years. I’m also there to make their time a bit easier…especially on their wedding day. I strive to be helpful in all situations, not just photographing. I want to be their friend, because if they hired me to photograph this time in their life, it’s probably an important time for them. So I want to avoid any unnecessary stresses that would hinder them from enjoying their time. This is the kind of personal deliverance I want them to remember when they think of or talk about their time with their photographer. Another strategy for growing clientele is through social media. Displaying a variety of images on my platform can help keep my work interesting. If it is interesting, then it might get “liked” or “shared.” This would help it be seen and noticed. Sharing the different locations I have worked is sometimes intriguing for those looking for a photographer specifically in those same areas. If I can keep up with social media deliverance, it definitely has a positive impact on my clientele growth.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building your audience can be hard in a business. You start from scratch, and you also want to make sure you understand what audience you’re going for. Once I realized I wanted to photograph people, I did a lot of free work. I offered to do a lot of seniors and family sessions for free. I also advertised some free couples sessions. This was all to strengthen my creativity, build my portfolio, and to allow those people to share their photos with others. It took patience to do work with no pay, but it truly paid off when I started receiving more and more interest in my work.

Social media presence also takes a lot of work. Keeping up with what is trending is important, as well as being active on social media so you don’t get lost in the algorithm. Staying consistent with posts and videos keeps the audience entertained.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veronicalynnphotography.com
• Instagram: veronicalynnphotography
• Facebook: Veronica Lynn Photography

Image Credits
Veronica Lynn Photography