We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anora O’Connor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anora below.

Anora, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m the owner of a13 Creative. I specialize in portraits, branding and boudoir but also love photographing a handful of weddings each year. I’ve worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, managing wedding venues along with running my business. a13 Creative has been my baby since 2010 and it started because my boyfriend at the time (now my hubby) bought me my first digital SLR, I had always used a film SLR prior to that. And really, the rest is history. I am so grateful to be at the point in my life where I get to focus on doing the things I love. I feel most fulfilled when I get to help other people see how amazing they are. My motto has become “BE YOU” because that’s what I want to capture in any of the sessions I am hired for, I want you to just be yourself and allow me to showcase that through photography.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

At the risk of sounding cliche, the mission driving my creative journey is my children and being an inspiration to others. This is true in life for me in general, my purpose is to empower and inspire others by showing up authentically and loving unconditionally. Knowing that I have been able to make a difference in other people’s lives by showing them how amazing they are through my eyes has been a huge driving force. Also, as I first mentioned, my children drive me to succeed. I want them to chase their dreams and I can only show them that by leading by example.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I opened a13 Creative in 2010 while working full-time at a wedding venue where I ultimately became the General Manager. I was running two businesses and growing my photography business for 13 years. Finally, in 2023, I made the difficult decision to focus on a13 Creative as my full-time venture; although I did choose to take on a part-time job, my main focus is a13 Creative. It has totally changed everything in my life. Prior to 2023 I was working 60-80 hours a week if not more, time with my family was elusive and I missed a lot of big life events. Now, I feel like I’m finally at a much healthier work/life balance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.a13creative.com
• Instagram: a13creative
• Facebook: a13creative
• Linkedin: Anora O’Connor
• TikTok: a13creative