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

Maria, appreciate you joining us today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

As a small business owner, I think we’ve all run into a situation where family or friends free or discount services from you. It’s okay to say “no” if you’re not in a position right now (or at all) to offer free or discounted services. It’s important to set those boundaries and expectations early. Educate them about the importance of supporting your business and communicate the value of your work. At the beginning of my photographer journey, I offered free and heavily discounted sessions. Now, I offer a family and friends discount to a small group of people and full price services to everyone else. This is how I have set clear boundaries for myself and my business. This is helped me run my business smoothly and efficiently.

Maria, 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?

I got into photography funny enough after starting a spam/fake page for my iPhone photos. I wasn’t taking it very seriously at the time until “Vans” the shoe company shared some of my work on their Instagram. After that my ego, I mean my interest was peeked. I invested in my first camera and of course.. the “I picked up my camera and haven’t put it down since” cliche moment came to life. There started my photography journey and since then it’s been my outlet for anything going on in my life. I’m most proud that I haven’t given up this small dream of mine. I see the potential in myself and drive through pain, grief, and fear the last 3 years. After losing my boyfriend unexpectedly, I have poured my heart into my brand. I want to document those small moments we tend to take for granted and everything beyond that. I take pride in capturing love, laughs, and joy for people to reminisce on for generations :)

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a time that I had to take a break from photography for half a year. I was enduring terrible loss after loss in a short amount of time. I couldn’t fathom continuing my passion anymore. I had no drive or any interest for it anymore. However after half a year, I was at the point that I needed something in my life to look forward to. Photography was waiting for me. I decided to give it another chance and it has been my rock since then. I always tell people to find a hobby, job or activity they LOVE. Something you can pour yourself into without thinking about anything else.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Starting from the ground up isn’t easy. You sometimes have to ask for a lot of favors and get a lot of “no’s” in return. I started to slowly fund my business by investing in myself. I created a list of goals I had for the year that were achievable and not crazy. Start small. I started asking friends and family to model for my photography in exchange for photos. Once I practiced enough, I started to charge a very small amount. Slowly but surely I got to the point where I could charge a fair amount for photos. I put that money away to invest into content retreats and educational courses with other photographers I admire. Once I was able to get myself a brand for myself, I was able to begin an official business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.intertwinedsoulsphotography.com/
• Instagram: Intertwinedsoulsphotography
• Facebook: Intertwined Souls Photography

Image Credits

Intertwined Souls Photography (myself)