We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christy Hunter a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

As I began my journey into entrepreneurship, I quickly learned how unprepared I was. In school, I was taught the very basics of budgeting, how to fill out a check (does anyone even do that anymore?), and that taxes were super important. But when it came to earning money for yourself, the standard was “get a regular corporate job.”

The career possibilities that we have nowadays have grown and changed exponentially. Standard corporate jobs aren’t going anywhere, but the world of entrepreneurship is expanding and becoming much more normalized.

I believe that the educational system should expand its teachings to reflect this new landscape. Students should be more prepared for not only the amount of work that it takes to start a business, but also how their responsibilities and expectations change accordingly.

Christy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In high school, I became very interested in photojournalism. I always thought of myself as a decent writer, but I was really drawn to the idea of creating art along with telling a story. As the first child in my family to go to college, I quickly learned how expensive it was. My sister is only one year younger than me, so I knew she’d be following right behind.

When I began looking into art schools for photography, I was stunned to find out that 1. The tuition was crazy high and 2. Most art schools didn’t accept standard financial aid. Rather than start off with thousands of dollars in debt right out of high school AND ask for my parents to take on part of that financial burden as well, I shifted gears and went to my local university to pursue another passion of mine: foreign languages.

Fast forward a little more than 5 years later, I was working a regular 9-5 in a customer service-based job. The benefits were good, the pay was ok, but the growth potential was almost zero. I was bored, unfulfilled, and craving something more. While scrolling on Facebook, I stumbled upon an ad for an online photography webinar. I signed up immediately.

That one webinar quickly led to me starting my own business as a wedding photographer. The learning curve as an entrepreneur was (and still is, at times) pretty steep. But running my own business provided me the challenge I was looking for while also allowing me to do something I’ve always loved– creating art and documenting moments through photos.

I create natural, bright, colorful wedding imagery for my couples while also providing them with exceptional care and service along the way. I truly work hard in not only consistently growing as a photographer, but also doing my best to make my clients’ lives better by going above and beyond to serve them well.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I honestly feel like I’ve been pivoting from the very beginning of my business! I started my photography business not too long after my [now] husband and I met. He’s in the military, so moving every few years comes with the territory. I knew that meant that I’d have to restart my business when we moved, but it’s way more difficult than I initially imagined!

The timing of our first move together was also very challenging. We moved from Tennessee to Arizona in the summer of 2019. That fall I toured multiple wedding venues, started networking with other wedding pros, and prepared for a bridal show coming up that January.

The show went really well! I got a few bookings and then, well, the pandemic hit. So as soon as I started to gain traction in my new area, the whole industry (and country) shut down. So it took much longer than expected to restart my business.

Now we’ve moved again, are located just outside of Seattle, and I’ve started the life + business pivoting process all over again!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has been my most effective marketing and growth strategy, hands-down. Since my husband is in the military and we’re moving every 3 years on average, I can’t rely on those long-standing word-of-mouth referral sources. While I enjoy social media for personal entertainment purposes (ummm, memes are the best!), I don’t love the platforms from a marketing perspective.

Once I discovered that there was actually a method behind the madness of showing up on Google, I was hooked! After relocating my business halfway across the country in 2019, SEO + Google is what brought me the majority of my business. No paid ads required.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://christyhunter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christyhunterphotos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyHunterPhotos

Image Credits
ME! – Christy Hunter Photography