We recently connected with Anthony Simmons and have shared our conversation below.
Anthony, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
For photography, it was not really planned out. My friend and I have been arguing who is the better photographer between the two of us. This has been going on since tenth grade yearbook club. He does it full time now and I usually take photos every weekend but I am slowing trying to move to part-time. I have grown and gain a lot of skills through the successful phot session and through the mistakes made as well. This is my twelfth year doing this and clients always come back to me because they know I do whatever I can do make sure they have an exceptional experience.
The podcast I am a co-host for is called Shy With A Cup Of Coffee, which can be found on all major streaming platforms (Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, etc.). One of my friends wanted me to be a special guest on her first episode to talk about a topic but then asked if I would want to help her host the podcast and I said yes. We talk about several topics such as dating apps, healthy vs. toxic relationships, travel stories and tips, and so on. It has been an adventure for sure but if and when we start making money off the podcast, we want to use the money to give back to the community.
Anthony, 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?
Currently, I am a licensed EMT in the state of Florida. I work for Inspire Diagnostics as a contractor doing Covid-19 testing for the Disney Cruise Line out in Port Canaveral, FL. I graduated from The University of Florida with my Master of Science degree in microbiology and cell science with a concentration in medical microbiology and biochemistry this past May. Next, I will pursue medical school in hope of becoming an orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive spinal surgery and artificial disc replacement.
Although medicine/healthcare is #1 on my list, photography is still one of my top passions in life. I am proud of the work I have done in both fields, especially during this pandemic. I have been able to travel to different states to assist in the vaccination efforts while helping clients capture the memories they want to remember.
I would say I am known for my portraits. Every client has mention something about how vibrant with colors my photos are and I take great pride in compliments of that sort.
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
The cohost to our podcast, Shy With A Cup Of Coffee, is actually one of my coworkers and now a good friend of mine. She started working at my job almost two months after I started but she never said anything to me. As the months went by, we would converse here and there. One day, she asked if I could help her start a podcast and be a guest on the first episode. After we finished recording, she asked if I wanted to be a cohost and of course I said yes. It has definitely been a roller coaster but doing this podcast has been a great adventure.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been referrals and word of mouth. I’m not going to say that I am the perfect photographer but I do whatever I can to make sure the client has a great experience, both during the session and the editing process. Most of the time when I finish a shoot, I’ll give the client a discount on the next one if they can refer one person to me. This strategy has been working for me since I started doing freelance and contract work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anthonysimmonsphotos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonysimmonsphotos/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atony32
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-simmons-m-s-6803596b/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/anthony-simmons-photos-celebration
Image Credits
All photos are taken by me (Anthony Simmons).