We recently connected with Lida Bunting and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lida thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

I worked for a general contracting company when I first graduated college. I was young and “green” as some would say. But, I was also eager and ambitious, so I worked long hours, asked a lot of questions and made sure to absorb everything that I was being taught. I worked with a ton of men. Most had been in the industry for 10-20 years, and were much more senior than me. Whether it was the architect on the job, the engineer, or the superintendents; for them, having a young female project manager running their job sites was new. And I felt like I was constantly needing to prove myself.

As luck would have it, one of the projects that I had bid out had a pretty big gap in it. I had missed some of the scope that had been on the drawings and we were now behind schedule because the items weren’t bought, and, we were likely going to go over our budget. I was mortified. Total rooky mistake, and I was taking it very hard.

When the project architect found out, he pulled me aside and I was convinced I was going to get an earful about how careless I was and what a disappointment this was. Instead, he said, “Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how you handle those mistakes that will set you apart from the rest.” It was brilliant and completely changed my approach to the situation, as well as future situations.

I was always striving for perfection, but then realized it was ok to be imperfect. It was ok to falter. And it was ok to not have all the answers. But, I had to own up to it. I had to take care of it. And, I had to make it right. Which I did. And, I have followed that advice through all my jobs in Corporate America, non-profit, and now with my own business.

I’ll admit, it’s not easy admitting a mistake to a client, especially one that impacts them financially, but I have found that clients appreciate the honesty and are willing to work with me even if the job isn’t perfect.

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?

It was a late December night and I was frantically trying to wrap up an annual project that I did for my family as a Christmas gift. My kids were super young and still in that need-mom-all-the-time mode. I was also working part-time at a non-profit, so I was really burning the candle at both ends. I was exhausted, but that’s when I had my ‘AHA’ moment.

The project I was wrapping up was our family’s annual Year in Review Photo Book. I had started doing them every year after the birth of my first daughter. My goal was to have the book completed as much as possible before Christmas and then the day after New Year’s, add in the remaining pictures and then place the order so that the book would come sometime in mid-January. The girls loved getting these books every year and the minute we received it, we’d tear open the packaging to relive the previous year through our memories in photos.

So, that late December night when I was exhausted and stressed, I thought, “I can’t possibly be the only working mom sitting here at the 11th hour trying to get a photo project done in time for Christmas. I really do enjoy doing these, and I can do them for others. I can help those busy moms get these projects done and help them get their photos into keepsake books.”

I was so energized by my idea that I told my husband right away. Being the practical guy that he is, he started in on all the quantifiable questions, like: “How much are you going to charge? How many books are you going to make every week or month? Where are you going to find clients?” … on and on he went.

I didn’t have all the answers, but I did have drive and desire. So, I resigned from my job that February and started pursuing this new venture. My company, Znimka Creations, llc. became official in March of 2016 and is a boutique firm in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. We offer luxury photo books design and production and digital photo organizing services for clients throughout the Chicagoland area, across the country and overseas.

I learned quickly after launching my business that people are overwhelmed by the number of digital photos they have in their lives. Whether in their Apple, Shutterfly, Google, or Amazon accounts or on outside devices like cd’s, thumb drives, sd cards, external hard drives and old computers, the photos are scattered, and the fear of losing them is terrifying. A lot of the people I had been talking to had been collecting digital photos since the mid 90’s, but didn’t have any set way of keeping them organized. I bring them peace of mind by consolidating their photos into a centralized HUB, finding and removing duplicates, adding keywords, fixing dates, creating an organized album system, and providing an easy opportunity to create photo projects.

Launching a new service offering was scary, and about a year into my business ownership, I learned of an organization called The Association of Personal Photo Organizers (now called The Photo Managers). This organization gave me the validity that what I was doing is needed and has purpose. They provide trainings, a certification program, and camaraderie – a must for any solo-preneur. I immediately started engaging with the community and have made life-long friends and “co-workers”.

My goal when I launched my business was for every household to have their photos displayed in books. I consider myself old school and I love being able to pick up a coffee table book and flipping through it. Yes, our digital images are convenient, but the story lies in the book. But, I’ve learned that I cannot provide this service for everyone, and because of that, and because I do still want everyone to have coffee table books even if I’m not the one designing them, I am now developing a course to help those who want to do it themselves, but need help. Our kids, our siblings, our pets, and our friends need to get out of our phones and into print. Books are magical and tell a story. I truly love making that magic happen.

When did your job pivot from being something you did on the side into a full-time job? Please tell us the story of how it scaled up to where it is today.

When I first had kids and was working in Corporate America, my priorities shifted from building my career to being present as a mom. It was a sacrifice that I was willing to make and one that impacts a lot of parents the minute their children are born. In making this silent commitment, I was hugely involved in all sorts of activities that involved them like volunteering at their school, coaching their running program, being a trustee for our school district’s non-profit, helping out in the classroom, being a mystery reader, etc. When I launched my own business, I made my own schedule and I had all the time in the world to dedicate to my kids. Or, so I thought.

Two years after launching my business, it still wasn’t really growing. I thought I was doing just fine. But then my husband got laid off from his job. The job that paid our mortgage. The job that bought our groceries. The job that carried our insurance. The job we heavily relied on for income. “Uh-oh,” I thought. “I better step it up and make something happen with Znimka Creations!” And so I did!

I started taking myself and my company seriously. I stopped volunteering everywhere. I realized that I had been dedicating upwards of 15-20 hours per week in volunteering efforts, which meant I was taking that time away from my business. So, I shifted my energy and put all that time into growing the business, serving my clients, being efficient and impactful with my time, and expanding my business offerings.

It’s unfortunate that we had to go through something as stressful as a spouse losing his job for me to get a kick in the ____, but, it worked. I have had steady growth and have been profitable since 2018 and am continuously looking to expand my services and level up my business.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Exceptional customer service has been at the forefront of my business. Personally, I would rather purchase an item from a retailer where the salesperson is willing to help me and go out of their way vs. getting a good deal, so I put a lot of effort into going out of my way to help my clients.

Since I am in a relatively new service industry, we rely on client feedback and referrals to get new work. Running an ad for a “Photo Manager” will not make the same impact as a client gushing about this amazing experience they had with a photo manager who transformed their life by getting their Photos Library organized and cleaned up. I strive to exceed my clients expectations with each of my service offerings and leave them speechless.

I’ve also committed to constantly learning and being open to pivoting when necessary. As this business is evolving, I want to make sure that the advice I provide to my clients is in line with industry standards and follows best practices. This is not a one-size-fits-all scenario and by listening to my clients and understanding their needs, I feel I have been able to develop a good reputation in this market.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.znimkacreations.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/znimkacreations/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/znimkacreations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lida-bunting/

Image Credits
Lisa Kay Photography