We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Veronika Gant a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Veronika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new venture – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?
I am humbled and excited to share my story with you guys. I started earning money for photography when I lived in my home country, Slovakia. The opportunity came about in an exciting way. I worked for a radio station, and after my hours, I made money as a make-up artist. At that time, mobile devices were not a reliable option for taking great pictures. So, I bought a simple camera with a 50mm lens to photograph my make-up work. I was posting these images on social media, and one day, the management of Gosh Cosmetics in Slovakia contacted me to shoot a campaign for them. Although I was amazed, I honestly knew I was not ready to shoot a BIG project for a big brand. Naturally, I was worried I would not do a good job and ultimately fail. I spoke with my friend, who is also a photographer- Peter Frolo, about this opportunity. He pushed me to believe in myself and accept the project. Today, as I think back on his advice, I am thankful for his help. From this situation, I learned that if an opportunity arises giving you the opportunity to do what you love, you should jump on it.
If someone is offering you a project, it’s safe to assume they already like the work you have created before. So, do not worry about whether or not you are not ready because, in reality, you are ready. (smile)
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am originally from Slovakia, a beautiful small country in central Europe. My country has a strong culture and many castles. Slovakia is one of the countries with the most castles per person. In the past, 180 kingdoms were in Slovakia. Today, you can still visit 120 of them, either ruins or in good condition. (smiles)
I came to the USA at the end of the year 2013. I am married to a fantastic man, and I am a mom of three beautiful children. I was excited to continue with fashion and beauty photography when I moved to the USA. But, I realized that San Antonio is not decisive for the high-end fashion and beauty industry. This city is more family-oriented, so to start somewhere, I had to change the type of photography services I was offering. I started focusing on newborn babies, pregnant moms, and toddlers. I fell in love instantly because I love kids, and I found maternity portraits fascinating to photograph because I could pose these mommies and make them look like stars who are shooting for a high-end magazine.
Besides photographing kids, and pregnant moms, I photograph families and personal portraits. I also want to mention that I still photograph commercial beauty photography, which I really enjoy.
About my work discipline? I strongly focus on things that I want to be done. I get excited about new ideas I create and bring them to life no matter what.
What sets me apart from others? Well, it’s hard to compare other photographers and me. Rather, I focus on what my clients value about my services. What they say about me in the reviews they post would be your best option for finding out what I do best or differently. I enjoy what I do and like to make each client happy.
What are you most proud of? I can say I am proud of myself because I am facing my fears pretty well and kicking *ss being an immigrant and having a successful business 5,772 miles away from my home country.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
First, you must have patience; if you have a business, do not expect you to become a millionaire within a week. It took me about a year and a half to grow the clientele. I started from zero because I was in a new state, a new city, and also, I had a language barrier. So for those who start a business in their hometown, things can be more accessible.
I focused on social media a lot, and I was photographing for free to build my portfolio from the beginning; later, I set my first prices and started booking my clients, but it was a little.
But little by little, people started noticing me. Then I invested in social media ads, and my business exploded.
I am keeping my social media life and trying to be consistent with my posts. I am still learning about this topic. You can’t become complacent with one successful strategy. You have to market your business in as many places as possible. You have to learn how to think like your client. What do they do? What do they buy? Where do they go? It’s good to build a relationship with vendors where your clients shop and spend their leisure time.
There are many possibilities for marketing yourself; you must keep trying all options to discover what works best for you.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I started little by little. I was saving money I earned working my previous job at the radio station and my freelance job. My first investment was a DSLR camera. I was using natural lighting, and later I bought continuous lighting. Then I married a photographer. (smile) This saved me lots of money (laughing), but honestly, I wanted my own equipment because he was using it as well. I bought my first strobe light, and then I bought more and more equipment during that time when my business grew.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://veronikagant.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veronikagant/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VeronikaGantPhotography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/VeronikaGant
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@veronikagantphotography
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/veronika-gant-photography-san-antonio