Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brittany Gidley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Brittany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
One of our favorite ways to give back- is by donating our time and talents to families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Being a registered nurse in the NICU for 8 years before starting the photography business, I saw firsthand how much of ‘normal newborn’ life was sacrificed when you have a baby with special needs.
Our goal with providing these little loves with images started as a way for families to remember the blur-of-life in the NICU that was their beginning. But it really grew into a way to showcase the strength of these babies & the miracles that God performs daily in that very special piece of the hospital.
Brittany, 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 Brittany! I’m a woman who loves my people (and pets!) really BIG, an overuser of emojis, a lover of live music- and perhaps most importantly- a baby whisperer. So, when my business, Brittany Gidley Photography was founded in 2012… it was completely on accident. I went to college at Kent State University and got a degree, not in photography, but in nursing. Soon after, I landed my dream job working with premature and surgical needs babies in the Cleveland Clinic Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Pretty cool, right? I thought so too!
I had always loved photography and would have a blast creating adorable photo ops to share with the families for my tiniest preemies. It wasn’t long before my love for babies and talent behind the camera came together outside the doors of the NICU. And that’s when ‘BGP’ was born!
Yeah, you’re reading that right. No business school, no formal training. Just a girl with a unique way of seeing and loving the world’s littlest- and her camera.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media isn’t just one of my many loves- it’s also where we shine! More than a place to show off our most recent show stopping images, but it’s also a place to show how the behind the scenes slips & bloopers too!
My audience organically grew from families tagging me with photo credit on their posted images, but I like to think they stay for the crazy, hysterical, beautiful pieces that encompass being a business owner focused on kids!
My number one piece of advice for those just starting to build their social media presence is- be you. For a long time, I thought my followers were here for the pretty polished memories. But the more I showed up, just being myself, the more I attracted followers-turned-BGP-family that I get to love and adore right back!
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
We don’t have clients. We have family.
Our BGP family is made up of the people who choose us to capture their memories, and the experts who help us build the dreamiest sets our minds can imagine, and the families that we get to serve in our volunteer work as well. We have this BIG beautiful family who are all connected through this business- amazing right?
For us, the best way to watch these little ones grow up- and to interact with them- is social media. As I share bits and pieces of my life, they can see what’s happening in my little corner of the world. And since I follow them back, I get to do the same. And do those online interactions sometimes turn into real life dim sum dates? Well, of course!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brittanygidleyphotography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanygidley
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrittanyGidleyPhotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanygidley/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/brittanygidley
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTcEYlpvz2G6VP5SgY-49eQ
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealbrittanygidley