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

Alright, Alyssa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Running a business is incredibly tough and a 25/8 job. I also work by myself so when I’m having a bad day, my whole business is having a bad day. Right now I’m not outsourcing anything so I’m the owner, photographer, editor, social media manager, IT support, etc. It makes it hard to balance my work life and social life. That’s probably the toughest for me. If I’m not actively working, I’m not making money. It makes it harder to have office hours and put my computer away so that I’m present for my own life.

When I’m really going through a tough season, I think of getting a “normal” job that won’t follow me home after business hours are over. Every time I think about that though, I get a big job or something lines up which leads me to think that I’m doing the hard work and it will pay off sooner rather than later. I love my business as if it were my first child, but it’s not a newborn anymore. It’s ok to have time to yourself and put your never ending to do list to the side. Everything will be fine – I promise!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My business originally started in San Francisco, where I moved after graduating with my BFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. I was working with a nonprofit in San Francisco that unfortunately went under. While I was figuring out what was next, I had started photographing families and events. I realized that what I love most is working with kids and that’s when I started Alyssa Hunter Photography. That was about 6 years ago.

Fast forward to a move back to Southern California where you can mainly find me photographing birthdays of all ages, a variety of events, and family/maternity sessions.

Speaking of that move, it was in July of 2019. After a lot of back and forth from LA to SF, I officially relocated my business in 2020, and it was a challenge for so many reasons. After a lot of struggle, I’ve met some wonderful people, photographed some pretty luxurious parties and events, and am happy to say I still have a thriving business!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

My top 4 favorite resources that I use in my business daily are Honeybook, Flodesk, Pixieset, and Squarespace. Honeybook is my client management system and how I keep all of my clients organized. Flodesk is what I use to manage my email list and send out newsletters that look beauitful. Pixieset is where I host my client galleries. Squarespace is what I built my website on. All are so helpful, keep me extremely organized, and make my life so much easier.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Southern California has no shortage of photographers. That was what I was most afraid of when I moved to LA. There are so many photographers, how will I even find any work? The most important piece of advice is to always be kind and genuine.

I am such a hype girl behind the camera, but I also love doing it everyday in my personal and business life. I want to see my friends succeed. I love sharing their work and referring them to my own clients. In turn, a lot of my clients come from referrals. My vendor friends I call friendors because they’re way more than just a balloon artist or planner. We do such much better together when we all support each other and raise each other up.

Instagram is so helpful because you have access to future clients as well as photographers you admire and more often than not they’re happy to talk with you. Specifically within Southern California, there are so many events happening daily! There are so many people here that need a photographer so never think of it as someone taking away your potential clients. Keep sharing your own work, updating your website, reaching out to people you want to work with, and your time will come!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alyssahunter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssahunterphoto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-hunter-25b6608a/
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alyssahunterphotography/

Image Credits
Photo of me: Kaysha Weiner https://www.brandingbykaysha.com/ All other photos: Alyssa Hunter Photography https://www.alyssahunter.com/