We were lucky to catch up with Jenna Ridenhour recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jenna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

There are a lot of cheap photo booths on the market that push everyday people into purchasing them as a side hustle. The market then becomes over-saturated with people who are just trying to make a quick buck and not really focusing on quality services. They undercut the legitimate businesses out there who’s primary focus is to provide quality services to our clients. We just have to continue to put our best foot forward and not compare ourselves to those individuals, but this is the primary challenge to profitability in the photo booth industry.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Regal Reflections was founded in February of 2020. I was on the phone with my best friend Amaris Taylor, an event planner who owns Simply Chic Soirees and fellow United States Army Veteran (shameless plug for my best friend and mentor!), after we were both laid off from our corporate jobs. I was telling her how proud I was of her for going full time with her business and how successful she is. I told her I wished that I could own my own business. I wanted a legacy to pass on to my children.

I started thinking about franchising. I had heard about owning your own photo booth kiosk on the radio some years earlier. I started researching photo booth kiosks when I came across the Mirror X from Fotomaster. It was actually marketing for on location photo booth services for weddings and corporate events. I was sold! My best friend is an event coordinator and I was excited about the possibilities! Two weeks after that phone conversation with Amaris, Regal Reflections was born.

I encountered a lot of bumps along the way. Covid hit the US one month after establishing my LLC. And the economy shut down one day after I received my first photo booth. I spent the entire year in 2020 building the foundation of my business. I was networking with industry professionals, learning my equipment, marketing, and establishing brand recognition. I had zero paid events. But by 2021, bookings slowly started to come in and I finished the year with 15 bookings.

In 2022, business started booming! I expanded with two additional photo booths in April, and a fourth booth in September. I added wedding arch rentals as well as neon signs. I also started doing digital asset sales for other photo booth companies. We did 25 paid events, and two charitable donations. By pivoting and adding other services to the business, it was a very successful year.

After a rocky start, my business was voted Best of Savannah in 2022 in Connect Savannah Magazine, and Best of Georgia 2022 in Georgia Business Journal. The nomination period is currently open for the 2023 Best of Savannah competition with voting starting on February 6th. While I have certainly had my share of roadblocks, Regal Reflections will always strive to give clients the royal treatment and remain Savannah’s Best Photo Booth Company.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I started my journey in this industry by networking with other event professionals and establishing creative partnerships. Before establishing a great client review base, I established a great co-creator review base. Once I started doing events for clients, I ensured my services met the standards of excellence that my vision and my mission were promoting. My mission is to create elegant and entertaining memories, one picture at a time. My vision is to give every client the royal experience by providing regal services. After establishing myself within the community locally, I started to branch out and make myself known among the photo booth community by helping other entrepreneurs with their business growth and development. Being able to become a leading voice in the photo booth industry across the globe has been a game changer for my local audience!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal and my mission is to leave a lasting legacy behind for my children, and any grandchildren to come. I would like to create a means for generational wealth for my future lineage. Not only financially, but I want to create a name for future generations.

Contact Info:

• Website: regal-reflections.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/regal_reflections
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RegalReflectionsLLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/regalreflectionsllc