Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Nichols

Hi Zach, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

My photography and entrepreneur journey started when I dropped out of college almost 8 years ago. I was studying chemical engineering and made it all the way to my senior year when I came to the realization that I didn’t want to become one. Dropping out and moving on with my life was one of the hardest things I have ever done as it was ingrained in me that to be successful you need to have a degree.

After dropping out, I picked up photography as a hobby because my girlfriend at the time (who is now my wife) had a camera that took way better photos than my smartphone and I wanted to be able to capture the landscapes and memories along the way when I travelled with friends.

Fast forward about a year and a photographer out of a nearby town saw my work and asked if I would want to “second shoot” for him for weddings. I said yes because I honestly needed the money and it opened up a whole new world to me. Before this, my parents (specifically my father) had told me I could never make money with photos; and this professional seemed to defy what he claimed. After shadowing the professional for a summer, I decided to build my own website and start up my own photography business. That first year, I booked 21 weddings and then never looked back.

Fast forward to today, I now shoot 35-40 weddings a year and also do every kind of photography you could imaging. I also am an SEO expert and bring in quite a lot of revenue through social media and affiliate links on my blog. Every year I try something new in my business and explore new avenues. My lifestyle is incredibly relaxed after years of learning to outsource and automate my workflow to where I now typically work an average of 10-15 hours a week throughout the year. The flexibility I have and time I get to spend with my wife and kids is incredible and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. And as far as income goes, I am currently earning at least double what I would have as a Chemical engineer of my age while working 1/4 of the time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

I would definitely say I have been very fortunate in my business. I learned very early on that I do not need to try and forge my own path and learn from my own mistakes; but that much can be learned from others and that connections are everything. I was able to avoid many of the pitfalls of my career due to simply learning from others and asking for help when it was necessary. Furthermore, I love to learn and I have constantly taught myself skills that set me apart and help to make my life infinitely more simple and automated. That is not to say that I have not had my fair share of difficulties but overall, it has been incredibly smooth sailing.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Because I originally bought a camera for landscapes and my travels in the outdoors, my speciality lies in capturing people among beautiful landscapes. Most of my clients hire me for this reason.

I edit true to color in my work and do not over-style things. In the photography market today, there is an over-saturation of photographers; and most of them edit in a very stylistic manner. Over the years I have seen styles come and go and instead of pick a style that may go out of date, I chose to edit in a timeless and natural manner that does not have a particular “filter” or style but is true to how it was. While 80% of the clients out there ARE looking for a stylistic edited image, 20% of the clients are looking for what I do and there is only one other photographer in my area who even edits remotely similar to the way I do. In that regard, there is very little competition for me and a much larger share of clients looking for someone with my style as opposed to the 100+ stylistic photographers in my area.

Beyond photographing people, I also do Airbnb photography and marketing which allows me to travel with my family for free while also making really good money also. Airbnb photography when done right is not what people assume it is at face value. Airbnb photography is not the same as real estate photography. When I capture photos for my clients, not only do I capture the real estate side, but I also create an inviting listing by including people in the spaces and capturing moments of people having fun using their amenities that creates an inviting look and results in more bookings at a much higher price.

Most recently I have also got in to marketing for many E-bike companies which has also been very lucrative and a ton of fun at the same time. I create imagery and video for these companies to sell their bikes, and in trade, I get to keep their bikes for myself or to sell when my work is complete. Most of the time I also get paid on top of the trade of the bike.

Lastly, one of the things I am probably most proud of is my expertise in SEO. I have used this skill to rank me and my wife on the first page of Google in my area for all the types of photography we offer. What I am most proud of though is how I have been able to write blog posts that have affiliate links that rank on the first spot and first page of Google for many photography related items and tropics. Most of the time I am beating out companies that have multi-million dollar revenue and a whole team committed to SEO. I make a good amount of money from this; all of which is passive, which is the best.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

I think the biggest thing to finding a mentor is being humble. Way too many people go to a mentor and try to prove to them they they have it all and that they are the best; but what has worked for me the most is to be humble and willing to do anything to work with them to learn. When I approached my mentor 8 years ago, I told him I knew how to capture photos but was not a professional by any means. I told him I would do anything to work for him and would be timely and reliable. Needless to say, it worked and he was certainly the catalyst to my success.

Pricing:

• Average wedding price: $4,500
• Average Airbnb listing price: $1,000 + 4 nights of stay
• Hourly general rate for photography: $750/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zachnicholz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachnicholz/