We recently connected with Grant Rettig and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Grant thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
Most business owners or entrepreneurs do not think being nice and having a relationship with clients is important. I think this is false. I think customer service has taken a big backseat since before the start of COVID. Unfortunately people are still looking for the type of customer service they received in the past. We treat every client/customer/friend like they are the most important person to us, because they are! We build last relationships with our clients that lead to lifelong friendships and partnerships. If you can find a way to break the mold and treat people with respect and kindness while giving them the product or service they are looking for, you will have a lifelong client.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Rettig Co. Photos and Films brings style, creativity, and happiness to people we work with. We provide both photo and video to help tell everyone’s story. We document your day or event in a way that brings out the best in you and everyone involved. We build relationships with our clients to keep them at ease and relaxed throughout our time together. We include all the best photos and footage from the day or event. We are most proud that our clients return to work with us through other major life events. Having kids, growing up, active in sports and hobbies. We grow with our clients and build lasting friendships.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
Since the time I was very young, I always had a camera in my hand. My parents ran a photography studio and they both photographed weddings. I was interested in wildlife and I always was “borrowing” cameras and lenses to take pictures of birds and nature. In 2016 after meeting my future wife Brittany, I caught the Entrepreneur bug and wanted to start my own business. After throwing around several ideas including purchasing several gum-ball machines, I was able to take a loan from my 401K to buy a Canon R6 and a Canon 70-200 lens. I was able to leverage friends, family, and neighbors to take headshots, family photos, and any other jobs to slowly grow a following. By late 2018 I started second shooting weddings with my mentor Kathy Jennings and Brittany would assist me, while learning herself. I saw a huge opportunity in video at weddings. I loved the creativity that video allowed and there didn’t seem to be as many videographers. While it took multiple conversations with facts and numbers, I was able to convince her that we should pursue video and her come on as the main photographer. This was a fantastic decision and helped propel our business into the growth it needed. After adding video officially in 2019, the business name changed to Rettig Co. Photo & Films. Brittany and I set to work together offering both photo and video as a packaged deal with both of us working together. Offering both combined caused our yearly weddings to grow each year. Just 4 weeks prior to writing this article, I was able to take Rettig Co. Photo & Films full time after working in the corporate world for the last 15 years. Here’s to the future and the dreams of us all!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I originally started Grant Rettig Photography, it was meant as a side-hustle to generate more income and use it as a creative outlet. I enjoyed working with people and helping them bring the best out in themselves. I loved using Photoshop to create new and innovative ideas that made people ooh and ahh. I saw video as an extension of all the creative things I was able to do with photos but to a much larger extent. I thought video was the future of the industry and I wanted to not only learn the techniques, I wanted to corner the market as I saw fewer competitors. The business added videography services, changed the name to Rettig Co. Photo & Films and added Brittany as a partner. Because video was only available to most wedding couples by a few larger companies, we were able to secure a huge portion of the market. In the years that we have shifted to offering video, it has become much more popular and we are still one of the top companies in the area to book for these services.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rettigco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rettigco/ & https://www.instagram.com/grantrettig/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rettigcophotoandfilms & https://www.facebook.com/grant.rettig
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rettigcophotoandfilms & https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-rettig-6626ab71/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rettig_co & https://twitter.com/grantrettig
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNoRiG-iOr4h9oYGMADhdlA & https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPZ-hCEZwN6Z1NB3qo42j1A
- Other: VERO @rettigco @grantrettig