We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joanna Goodman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joanna below.
Hi Joanna, thanks for joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in a creative career or as an entrepreneur is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
It came as a surprise to me. Not a jump-out-of-the-closet-pee-your-pants kind of surprise. More like a sneaky little problem that I didn’t expect to stall me. Of course, the whole business was unexpected, that came first. I had always enjoyed photography, from developing film in my high school dark room to my first DSLR back when they were the best thing since sliced bread. I was about to have my first child, and wanted to document it properly. We were all still texting on archaic little boxes whose camera abilities are laughable now (and then, perhaps). Document, I did, and for that I am thankful. I’d always wanted to be a mom, so then unfolded a sweet season with it’s own challenges, as every parent knows. My photography became snapshots at best, my artist self dormant in favor of midnight feedings and diaper changes and endless cuddles. I suppose you could say some of my creativity was redirected to motherhood, but still I had more to offer. Three more beautiful children later, with all the goodness and all the demands that entails, and I was still taking snapshots. When I felt like I could breathe for a minute, my youngest was almost two, and I very intentionally decided to lean into capturing more artistic images. I photographed my children on homeschool nature walks, at home, or on vacations. I photographed a birth for a friend, and that’s when everything changed. I was posting photos now, just on my personal Facebook page. After the birth, in particular, the business potential of photography gripped me. I felt like God handed me this business, at just the right time. At first I saw only a side project in order to purchase good equipment. That lasted one second, and soon I dove head first into branding myself as a family, maternity, and newborn photographer. I was ready, or so I thought.
Balancing children, homeschooling, and the million-things-you-never-imagined-were-part-of-running-a-business became its own puzzle. Every entrepreneur has different things to balance, and most creatives make another list for themselves on top of that. But here’s where the mindset of motherhood, and more specifically the identity question of which type of mother am I, caused unexpected pause for me. I found that I stalled out on some of the work or questioned its time value. Not because I couldn’t do the work, but because I didn’t yet recognize this version of me. This version of motherhood, and what it could look like. Mindset is everything, and mine needed an overhaul in what seemed an unlikely place.
We all have visions of what our life should look like. Things we always thought or were taught to think. The necessary identity work I found myself knee-deep in has lead to carving out my own brand of motherhood and business. I love being at home with my kids and the homeschool lifestyle. It’s not for everyone, but it IS for me. I also love connecting with others through photography. I love working, marketing, writing, and making money. I stumbled my way through connecting these two worlds, and the two types of moms I thought lived in each. It turns out that God was breaking judgements off of me, my creativity was given rebirth, and a grander version of myself as a mother and a human began to emerge.
I’m still chasing the elusive balance (as kids have interrupted me at least five — wait, six — times while I write this), and maybe my next lesson will be in embracing the beautiful chaos of a chosen life. As a multi-passionate creative, I thought that my wanting-it-all personality was flawed or impossible. Consistency, planning, and patience all help. Actually making the mindset shift to believe what can be possible is essential. Here’s to your own closer-than-you-realize dreams!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a Kansas City family, maternity, and newborn photographer. I help my families see how artsy beautiful they already are. I love providing easy guidance and have been told how comfortable I make people feel in front of the camera. That is what I’m after: giving families a safe space with easy flow for their story to unfold. I’m after peaceful, fun sessions with genuine connection. I see it time and time again, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences of my business. I recently started photography coaching, as I love seeing other creatives winning in their photography and marketing.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When I first started out, I put my head down and got to work. I learned, I floundered, I found things that worked or didn’t work. I had favorite podcasts (Hello, Amy Porterfield) and online courses with favorite industry leaders (Hello, Elena S. Blair). But one thing I wish I had done even sooner would be expanding my in-person professional network. As I’ve put more emphasis on this recently, my world keeps expanding and these types of relationships add joy, motivation, knowledge, and connection. I stayed away from collaborations for too long because I didn’t know how to go about forming them. There’s always something to do in business without worrying about a collaboration or another time investment. Now I see the importance of taking the time to keep connecting with other business owners. You get to encourage, shout the goodness of another small business, share audiences, and get creative. The key is to just start talking, offering value, and finding a connection point.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The day I started my business I thought I could use this lightly, a “side thing”, to buy camera equipment. Day two I knew I would use it to do one-on-one travel with my kids, and family travel. I since have, and it’s been completely empowering. This business was suddenly an avenue to do things that looked impossible to my mind before. We all have some mental roadblocks. As possibility opens up, your mind will keep running ahead and seeing more and more. Your why, your goals, and your mission will change. At the heart of mine right now are two things. First, making money as a tool for family experiences, my kids’ education and opportunities, and investment capital. We have incredible opportunity for this in today’s world. As I grow, so will this vision. Second, I love family and photographing people. The deep connection that families share when they come together for a photo is what I’m after. It’s all the hard days, all the beautiful days, and everything in between wrapped up in images of a family that choose each other year after year.
Contact Info:
- Website: joannagoodmanphotography.com
- Instagram: @joannagoodmanphotography
Image Credits
Joanna Goodman