We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Annie Caplan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Annie below.
Annie, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I have ever made is in myself.
In 2021, I took the risk of giving up my corporate job, left my home in Canada, and moved to California to follow my dream creatively directing intimate imagery for individuals and brands that support art as a healing tool and promote body diversity online. I leveraged my education and background in business development, relationship building, and project management to start, but I don’t think anything could have ever prepared me for the true challenge of striking out on my own, especially in a new market. You can be wildly talented and have all the right technical tools, but if you don’t have the right mindset, consistency, or skill set, you limit your success. It can be hard to invest in resources and education when you are just starting out. It is financially overwhelming, but the adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is a lesson that all entrepreneurs learn the hard way on the road to success. It is not about spending a fortune, it is about investing your time and resources wisely, and upgrading as you grow. If you want others to invest in you, you need to invest in yourself.
It can be daunting as a creative to be responsible for every aspect of your business. We are service providers as well the marketing, accounting, and HR departments among other roles in our businesses. When it comes to being successful, it is important to either invest in learning new skills outside of your zone of genius or outsource. It is necessary to know your worth, build confidence and set boundaries that benefit you and your business, which are also skills and behaviours that require an investment of time and energy to develop.
I am a huge advocate for the benefits of personal investment in every aspect of life and have invested in coaches and mentorships with some of the top creative entrepreneurs in the country as well as having attended workshops all over North America focused on both technical photography and business skills. I have also invested both time and money in endless podcasts, books, and therapy to work through internal blockages around money and self-confidence. Not only has this allowed me to gain numerous publications and an international award in diversity and inclusion, but it has allowed me to offer an elevated product and experience to my aligned clients while building structures in my business that represent my worth. It has allowed me to get to a place where I have an abundance of knowledge that I can now offer to other entrepreneurs and creatives providing support, coaching, and workshops that focus on marketing, business development and creating art from a female perspective which supports my dream and amplifies my message of diversity and inclusion in the media.
Annie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a California based, creative director, multi-published, award-winning fine art brand and boudoir photographer focused on diversity and inclusion, and educator for creative entrepreneurs.
As an artist, I create imagery rooted in the divine feminine, aspiring to help each individual in my frame to feel good in their skin as well as creating compelling works of art for editorial publications and lifestyle brands. Having lived with chronic illness most of my life and feeling the impact it had on my body and self esteem, my goal is to empower others to feel safe and beautiful in their bodies, tell their stories, and increase visibility for diverse bodies online.
In addition to my creative work, I am a certified nutritional therapist, project manager, and marketing specialist with over ten years of corporate experience in sales and business development. My professional background and skill set gives me the passion and unique perspective needed to develop and create visually aligned content for brands, imagery that strategically drives growth while cultivating a sense of connection and intimacy.
When it comes to coaching entrepreneurs, I host workshops that help other photographers create art from the female perspective and incorporate diversity and inclusion in their work, as well as providing individual entrepreneurs with innovative business processes and marketing strategies that help them grow. I provide them with the tools, support, and a clear roadmap to achieve their goals.
I am one of Modern Luxury San Diego Magazine’s September 2022 Dynamic Women, female voices impacting the community and one of three 2021 winners of the Shutterstock “Through Their Eyes” Create Fund grant, awarded to female artists who are changing the world and promoting diversity and inclusion through their work.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Having grown up in an environment where individual differences were not accepted, I was always searching for my place in the world. At 24, I was diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness drastically affecting my physical abilities, physical appearance, and my overall feelings of self-worth. I was committed to healing, and was doing everything right in terms of diet, supplementation, and exercise, but my condition did not start to improve until I discovered that the root cause came internally from how I felt about myself. I dove deep into spirituality and developing my creative skills in photography as creating beauty in the world has always been my true passion. I found self love to be the greatest healer spiritually and physically and was inspired to create experiences for women that celebrate differences and inspire personal growth and connection to their bodies and feminine energy. My mission is to empower all women to cultivate self-love, acceptance, and success in their lives.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Here in California, the beach town where I live is in direct cultural opposition to the corporate, financially driven east coast environment that I moved from. I have done substantial work to rid myself of the pressures and ideals of hustle culture – working to the point of burn out and wearing it as a badge of honor – but I have noticed that even in the most luxurious of establishments in my new environment, customer service and accountability are severely lacking. I believe in enjoying and living in a way that aligns with my dream life, but that also requires balance and that I am ensuring I show up with consistency, integrity, and accountability. I am extremely communicative and responsive with my clients and deeply value creating a safe space for them. Intimate portraiture is a vulnerable act and I take the trust my clients have in me very seriously. I am passionate about the experience and product that I provide, creatively directing every detail with intention based on the vision and energy of my clients. Every step I take in my business and in my work is intentional and detail oriented and that consistency shows and radiates while I also maintain the boundaries I need to show up in my personal life. A word that is regularly used to describe my work is ‘elevated.’ With my core value being constant personal growth and development, I am committed to showing up with excellence and empowering all individuals and brands to elevate.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Tim King, Annie Caplan Photography