We recently connected with Ana Pineda-Ponce and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana , thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I always liked painting and drawing, growing up coming from an immigrant family, I had a vey humbling childhood. We did not get a computer or any electronics until I turned 16. So all we really had was crafts, and the TV. On TV I became obsessed with America’s Next Top Model, not because of the girls, but just how the photographers on set would shoot the girls and how they were able to edit them and make this set come to life. I soon started coloring and drawing some of the ideas I had if I was a photographer, but it was just a fun thing for me to pass time. Soon I got my hands on an Ipod and it had a camera, I soon began to shoot myself and my siblings with different curtains as a back drop. It was never something serious just fun to dress up and set a “backdrop” for fun. Fast forward to my senior year in high school I had finally saved enough money to get a real DSLR camera. I started taking my classmates senior photos for fun, I think I charged them like $20, and to me it was fun more than anything, getting paid was just a plus.
I never took photography seriously, until I went to college and one of my friends was debating on becoming a gentlemen stylist, and I told him if he needed content I would be happy to help him get some photos for his page. I kept doing that for my friend and shooting things for fun for my friends. Suddenly people would ask me how much I would charge, and I honestly had no idea, because I never really thought about it becoming a business, it was just genuinely something I truly enjoyed doing. It was a very weird, but cool feeling for me to have people pay me to do something I had lots of fun doing
I went home wondering what I was going to charge, I had no idea, so I talked it over with my partner at the time who was really good at numbers, and he quickly gave me ideas on a flat hourly rate. I was so scared to tell someone what to pay me, I was nervous at what they were going to say. I gave my first client the price and they were okay with it and paid me in full as soon as I had told them! After that, word kept spreading and I felt brave enough to make online flyers, and ads for people to book me and they did.
The rest is history!

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.

The service that “got me in the door”, is photography, aside from that I also offer website designing, marketing content creation, and brand and event design and consulting.

I want to say that my photography services are not just taking the pictures and you pay me and we go our separate ways… I like for your session to be a memorable experience. Most of my clients are first time photography clients, and I always go out of my way to make them feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera, reading their body language, while also keeping in mind my job is to make them smile. I think I am different because I also like to be accessible to anyone who is looking for professional photos, that is why I often offer mini sessions, because I want to give anyone the opportunity to get pro photos. I think nowadays some photographers charge insane amounts of money, and I like to be fair, where I feel valued but also ethically okay with my client.

Aside from photography, my digital work comes from my experience working for many events and creating an online presence for a lot of small businesses in San Diego and Minneapolis. Most of that work was unpaid, but I learned a lot, and I have applied that same pressure to my own business. As an entrepreneur you are faced to wear many hats, and aside from doing your services nowadays, you have to also create a buzz online to get people to hear what you have to say. Because of that I have became an expert on how to market any event or a business online. Today I help small business owners promote their events and products, and have designed and successfully launched fresh websites for small businesses in Minneapolis. I like to not only create my client’s flyers, websites, ads ect., but also consult them and give them my business/professional advice on how to take their ideas to the next level. I want to see all of my clients succeed, it is very satisfactory to me.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The cool thing about social media is that it’s not always “real”, meaning that not everything you see on there is what it really is. If you want to remember one thing about anything I said is, “if you believe it, the others will follow”. Social media is all about being confident and being your biggest fan, if you are your biggest fan, people will be your fan too.

I built my audience posting different style of sessions, but also being mindful of not posting the same type of photos often. Most photographers have one set style and tones, but I am versatile, I think every session deserves its own vibe. I am very colorful and I think that is what sets me apart. There was a time where I questioned if I should also have a set tone or style, but it just did not feel authentic to me. I stuck to being different and vibrant and that is why people like my work. I became my own fan and am passionate about everything I post! Being your own fan gets you far!

Post what you like and believe in it, and be consistent and your audience will find you.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

For me I think people like how I make them feel comfortable as if they are my own friends and that is what keeps people coming back. I am very professional and I like to read my client as soon as I meet them, I read their energy and am able to quickly identify what type of session it will be. Will I be yelling, “YES QUEEN” at every great shot, or will it be quiet and quick? I just make everyone feel calm and collected. Wether you’re running late, your dress ripped, or you spilled something on the way to our session, I will always try to make you feel your best at your session, and will help create a safe and calm space for you.

I think being humble and genuine has grown my clientele, because those are things you cannot fake.

I apply the same energy to my digital work, I advise with a genuine intention of them becoming their best.

Contact Info:

• Website: thearmedia.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thearmedia/
• Facebook: facebook.com/anarubymedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaruby/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/thearmediamarketing/

Image Credits
They are all owned by The AR Media LLC (mine)