Today we’d like to introduce you to LeeAnn Stromyer.

Hi LeeAnn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

Cut back to 2016– I had just finished my third year of teaching art when I decided I was finally going to start my photography business.

I was in the thick of researching how to make it “official” when the unthinkable happened: my mother was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer – too advanced to treat she passed just six weeks from the first ER visit.

The worst part of all? Our relationship was estranged, and it had been for years.

Despite the complexity of our relationship, I grieved my mother’s death (as any daughter would). In fact, the loss was infinitely more challenging because we’d barely spoken for years prior–it was a double whammy of grief, knowing we’d lost our relationship while she was living and that I’d never have the opportunity to reconcile. It’s still something I grieve to this day.

The season that followed would challenge me again and again. I won’t beat around the bush–there were times it got really, really dark, but I clung to the little voice in my head like a life raft that said “There’s got to be more. I have to believe there is.”

I knew I had no other choice than to live my life to the fullest. This meant breaking away from the path I had started down and it meant I needed to heal to break free from generational trauma. To honor my mother’s life (and all that was to come in mine). That’s when I decided to go all in with my business.

May of 2018 marked my fifth and last year as an art teacher. Moving back to my home state I launched full-time into my business that Summer. This June marks year 6!!!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Heck no. Running a business is really hard and if I’m being honest had I known how hard it would be it might have scared me off.

A lot of well intentioned people start a business out of passion and a love for something they do which is totally awesome. BUT….your passion and love can only take you so far. The biggest thing people need to understand is that a business is a reciprocal relationship between you and your customer. Just because you have something you love and you want to share with the world doesn’t mean other people will love it as much as you do. And why should they?

As a business owner it’s our job to create trust and to attract the right people to our business. This means we have to stand behind what we do 100% and be able to shout it from the rooftops in an attractive way.

Learning how to do that has been one of the hardest parts of owning my business. It took a while for me to understand that the value I bring to my clients is more than the thing I sell. It’s equal parts tangible and intangible bits that make up the whole.

Being seen and valued for not just the service I provide but the experience I provide has proved to be a learning curve.

I’ll end on this one last note for fellow biz owners to noodle on. We all know the stat that it takes 3 years on average for a business to become profitable. This is not a joke and in fact it took me four years before I was able to comfortably pay myself. And if I’m totally honest I’m still not where my naive pre-business mind dreamt of.

You’ll hear a lot of business coaches or entrepreneurs touting the six-figure dream. It’s possible but in my own experience and witnessing many others it takes longer than you think to hit six-figures and some never make it to that number. So make sure that the thing you’re choosing to do connects to something deeper. That’s what will keep you motivated and inspired when you face challenges in your business.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I help small businesses create unique one-of-kind brands that are aligned with their core essence without feeling salesy or fake so that they can stand out as leaders in their industry, charge premium prices, and confidently market their business.

My speciality lies in helping my clients clarify the heart of their business using brand strategy and bringing it to life visually with photography.

What sets me apart from others is how heavily brand strategy focused my work is. When I first started as a “brand photographer” I focused too much on the person which was fine but misses the boat on creating photos that resonates with your ideal customer.

A pretty photo is great but if you don’t know how or why it supports your business….it’s just a pretty photo.

This is why brand strategy and photography lights me up so much. It’s equal parts creativity and strategy which is my zone of genius.

Bring in another strength of mine which is helping people feel safe to be seen in their authenticity. Being photographed is awkward enough add in that it’s for your business and it’s a whole extra layer of fear you have to move past.

With my process my clients and I have met and talked many times beforehand to overcome/ navigate fears and potential roadblocks so that during their photoshoot they feel so freaking pumped to show up and take center stage!!

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Obviously everyone is worried about AI taking over creative jobs like photography. And while I would be a fool to ignore possible implications I remind myself that there are still businesses that still have websites that look like they were built in the 90s and they’re doing fine.

If they’re still in business, we’ll be ok.

With that being said if photographers want to stay relevant it will be important to understand how AI is affecting our industry. I don’t think it will be enough to be a good photographer.

Building a brand will only continue to grow in importance as the younger generations enter the market place. Why? Because they’re considered digital natives meaning they are the first generations growing up in a world of technology. To deny how they interact and find businesses online is to bury your head in the sand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leeannkphotography.com/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/leeann_k_photography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeann-stromyer/

Image Credits
Photos of Me by Sami Saunders
Remaining photos by LeeAnn Stromyer