We recently connected with Erin Blackwell and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Erin, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Pretty much every decision I have made in my business has been a risk. Deciding to start a photography business when I had no experience at all, deciding to move states after building a successful clientele, and most recently deciding to move into my dream studio.
I started my business 13 years ago with three kids 5 and under and no experience using a digital camera. But I thought to myself “I can start a photography business!” My naiveté really paid off though. I was very broke at the time so I used my tax refund to buy a used camera and taught myself everything I could through Youtube and Google.
I built a super successful business via word of bought and about 4 years in we decided to move states. This was SUPER scary for me because I knew no one in our new state and I had to build from scratch. I slowly got the word out and began building my business even bigger than before.
Things were going so well and then Covid came onto the scene. My business took a real hit. I pivoted and created an online digital guide to help entrepreneurs take better photos of themselves and this got me through. When things opened back up, I was definitely hesitant to sign the lease on my current space. It was bigger than anything before and came with a price tag to match. But it has been absolutely amazing and has allowed me the freedom to shoot whatever I want and rent it out to other photographers.
I wouldn’t have done any of these things if I hadn’t felt the fear in those moments and decided to take the risk anyway. This has become my life motto and now I embrace risk and find it challenging and rewarding!
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?
I’m an internationally award winning branding and portrait photographer. I started my business 13 years ago when my then husband lost his job and we had 3 kids ages 5 and under. I couldn’t take my kids to daycare but I needed to help out with the family income. I had never used a digital camera, but a girl from my high school was a successful wedding photographer so I reach out to her and asked if she thought I could do it. She very kindly gave me tons of advice on what to buy, what to learn and even let me come second shoot a wedding with her. Years 1-3 I shot only boudoir out of a small office in my parent’s house. Then I moved into a home studio and added beauty portraits. Right as my business had really taken off, we moved states and I had to start all over. I was told no one charged my prices in my new state and that I’d have to lower them. Instead, I added headshots and branding to my business and continued charging what I always did. I show out of a tiny room in my house for two years, then rented a studio from another photographer as needed, then got a shared space, and now I am in my dream space.
My real talent is my ability to make my clients feel at ease and have fun in front of the camera. And I do that by being 100% myself online, in the studio and at home. I am who I am. I am goofy and I like to have fun and my clients can sense that. I also have a huge love of branding and marketing and that has allowed me to understand what my clients need photo-wise, sometimes even before they do.
I also LOVE educating- entrepreneurs and photographers! I created a guide to help entrepreneurs take better photos of themselves because I know we have an ongoing need for content these days and not everyone can afford having a professional do it. I also created a posing guide for branding photographers to help them get the most out of each shoot and provide their clients with massive value!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I was on Instagram early but I used it mostly to post family photos of my kids. I remember back in like 2014 I had 1200 followers and I took a course on how to grow on IG. I knew in my head that this was it- the platform for me.
I am ALWAYS real on social media. I am in real life who I am online. I am goofy, I like puns, I love movies, books, I love sharing behind the scenes of my shoot and my life. I got divorced last year and I shared a lot of my healing process. I think people resonate with me because I am REAL, but I also don’t overshare. There is a line. I try to keep everything upbeat, and if I am talking about something heavy, there is always a lesson at the end.
People want to see the good an the bad. They don’t just want the highlight reel.
I also HAVE FUN with social. Sure I learn about algorithms and best practices but in the end, if it isn’t fun or I don’t feel like it, I’m not doing it.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Covid was a HUGE blow to me and my business. 2019 had been my biggest year yet. I was bringing in $30k a month. And then BAM- nothing. I had to shut my studio down for months.
As scary and difficult as that was, it forced me to create my Get the Shot Guide, which teaches entrepreneurs how to take better photos for their social and how to batch create content.
It took me one solid week to create, another week to build my sales page and platform to house it all, and I was only able to do that because I wasn’t shooting or editing.
That guide has brought in over $100,000 which allowed me to get through Covid and a divorce and still provide for my 4 kids. xc 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ebpersonalbranding.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamerinblackwell
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamerinblackwell
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinblackwellstudio/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/erinblackwellstudio
Image Credits
Headshot of me by my Lead Shooter Isabel Wright for Erin Blackwell Studio All other images by me, Erin Blackwell