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

Ali, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your business and how did you resolve those issues?

As a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I have faced many challenges in making all of the pieces of my puzzle fit together. From wedding photographer, to brand photographer, to brand developer, to short-term rental host, to wedding venue owner, to digital marketer, to course creator, to podcast host…my head spins sometimes trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

One thing I have found is that it’s really helpful to re-frame what you see as a “failure.” Instead, look at everything as an experiment that gleans data to inform your decisions moving forward. Often times, we have a lot of decisions to make in an arena that we aren’t familiar with. Making those decisions with confidence with the information you have readily available at the time is not a failure even if it doesn’t result in the outcome you wished for.

This wasn’t related to my brand development business, but when we started a wedding venue, we faced a ton of issues with the local zoning board and our neighbors. They were staunchly opposed to the concept, so although we did our due diligence prior to purchasing the property, the script was flipped and we suffered the financial consequences of that. Despite that, we have overcome and made lemonade out of lemons, using the property as a short-term rental to offset the loss of income from the property.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In 2017, I started a photography business after leaving my high school English classroom. I jumped the education ship without knowledge in photography OR in business.

Initially, I photographed anything that came my way. When we moved with the military in the fall of 2018, I decided to niche down to wedding photography. I really hit my stride at the end of 2019, just in time for COVID to hit and bring all events to a screeching halt. From there, I pivoted my business to brand photography, helping other small business owners create on-brand visuals to market their products and services. This is when I realized how much I loved working with small business owners. That love of entrepreneurship, as well as the strategy I brought into each and every session, led me to creating more comprehensive branding and marketing offers, which is the current iteration of my business as a brand developer and fractional CMO.

Branding is the blood that runs throughout your business; it touches every major organ–sales, marketing, hiring & employees, operations, client experience. So having a consistent brand is going to make your business feel authentically you and attract the people you want to work with.

With this in mind, I take where my clients are and look at it alongside where they want to be. Together, we create a plan to achieve those goals of where they want to do by creating a solid brand that’s consistent across all client touch points, both online and in-person.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivots have characterized my entire business. In fact, I think if you *aren’t* willing to pivot, you’re likely not going to be in business for very long.

I mentioned earlier that I had pivoted the wedding venue into an Airbnb or short-term rental. I have pivoted my wedding photography business into a branding photography business during COVID. I have pivoted my branding photography business into a brand development business.

Pivoting as a solopreneur is the name of the game! Don’t be afraid to make your business fit your life.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Prior English teacher here – books are my love language!

Number one book for any entrepreneur: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
It’s nothing ground-breaking or earth-shattering, but for a woman who has labeled herself as “not a numbers person,” this book breaks down finances into bite-sized pieces that are not intimidating and are easy to execute.

For a business owner looking to refine marketing strategy, my most recent favorite is “Oversubscribed” by Daniel Priestley. He explores the 7-11-4 rule, which is what inspired me to start a podcast and suggests a regimented campaign schedule that, again, feels manageable as a solopreneur.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aliraehaney.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliraehaney/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliraehaney/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-haney/
• Other: Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ali-rae-haney-show/id1722329421

Image Credits
Katie Gallagher Photography