Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashlee Bergeron. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashlee, appreciate you joining us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Success is indeed not overnight. Success takes tunnel vision. 16-20 hours days. Work ethic and a dreamer. Don’t forget the dreamer. Success is defined differently by each individual. Success also changes as the individual grows, learns and evolves.
Success in my story has come in many different forms.
At 16 success for me was playing college softball.
At 26 it was graduating with a Master’s Degree.
At 36 it is a 6 figure business and 40 under 40.
At 46 who knows what success will look like, but for me I think it will be freedom. The freedom to travel and live life like I am now, to the fullest.

I started out as most photographers do, a hobbyist. I took photography in college, and fell in love with the art. I came very close to changing my major and thought to myself, “nah, there is no money in art.” I was in school to become an educator. So looking back that is laughable.

I finished that degree and used it for 6 years. Year 6 I was laid off and decided to try my hand at business.
I was already a part-time business owner, studying and absorbing all the business information I could get my hands, eyes, and ears on.

I began charging a livable wage for my work. An amount most people laughed at or left me on read for. I knew in my heart I was giving my clients an experience like nobody else, I just needed to find my 1%. My ideal client.

I had no idea how to market, brand myself or even get rid of the voice in the back of my head that said, “you’re crazy”. I shoved that voice so deep down inside that I smothered it. I replaced it with faith, hope, gratitude and hard work. Rewiring my brain, one day at a time.

I knew if other photographers in other states could make a livable wage and more, so could I. It took 2 clients to pay me my asking pricing and I held onto that hope for years.

I held on to a $2000 check for 2 years, my motivation for more. I knew in my heart if she saw my worth, there were others who would too. While I worked on patience. I increased my skills, my knowledge and worked on self-growth.

$2000 may not seem like a lot of money to some but to a teacher who worked her butt off to make that in a month, it meant a whole lot. The hope I carried around in that check would be the magnitude for my future success.

Passion was alive, creativity was flowing and I felt appreciated. I also eventually found my voice. Niching down to building up fellow females. Young, middle aged, and older. I am able to coach and build up the female entrepreneur in front of my camera and be their biggest cheerleader as they take on the business world. I get to share success with the bravest women in business. I have coached and supported beginner business owners. Listened to their struggles and saw them grow through our experiences. Success for me is that circle of support and shared ideas, struggles, victories.

Success takes support.I have had the most unexpected supporters. Support did not come from those closest to me. Support came from strangers, other female business owners and the oddest but most beautiful of places. People will not tell you about the struggle of finding support. Those closest to you will never understand because it is not their vision. It is why today, I will always encourage others and never tell someone they are crazy for dreaming. I personally believe if you are willing to dream it up and put it into action with enough hard work and some luck you will succeed.

Success is often portrayed as a glitz, glam and grind mentality. Success is hard work and perseverance. It is changing the plan, knocking on doors and rejection. Success is sometimes never what we imagined but always what we needed.

It is staying true to your vision, finding your voice and giving back to others.

I always asked God to allow me the means to give back. Give back to the less fortunate, my community, and anyone else that needs me. He has allowed this and more. And to me that is success. As you can see success by definition is truly colorful for all.

With all of this being said success is up to you: Give back, support others where you want to be supported, have a thick skin, do not be afraid of rejection or failure and always always be grateful.

Grateful for the small victories. .I remember celebrating receiving more than 1 booking in a day. Celebrating even the smallest victories and having a grateful heart will lead to bigger and better opportunities.

I want all small business owners to know you may feel alone. But you are not alone. We all struggle. We all win. Stick to your heart, your passion and build those around you up. You won’t fail because you have already made the world a better place. Shining your light for all to see.

Success is yours to have.

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

My name is Ashlee Bergeron I am the owner and photographer of Studio C323 LLC. Born and raised in South Louisiana. I have a beautiful family, I love to travel the world in wander chasing sunrises and sunsets and new experiences.
I am revitalized by change. never staying too long in the exact same place but also loving the stability of home.

Originally, I was a high school softball coach. I coached youth ball since I was 14 and then played college softball. It was a life I thought I would never leave.
In college I took a film class, I fell in love with the dark room and post editing my pictures. It was my therapy. I thought about changing my major and did not. I had not the first clue how to make money through art.

Nearly 10 years after that inital thought I decided to open my photography business. Buying a camera first to take pictures of my kids, then action and sports photography, then portraits. I then decided to start a business.
“This is fun, I want to see where it takes me.” So like most, I started a part-time business.

I quickly started to study the business side of photography and learned very quickly that to charge a livable wage for a luxury industry was well very much out of my comfort zone but I hired coaches, and listened to podcast and read books. I took in as much business information as I could. I even joined an friendly but challenging round table full of entrepreneurs that helped my mindset go from education to business.

So the day came, that I received a letter saying I would be laid off from my teaching position. I was fearful, faithful but fearful. I went home, told my husband and he encouraged me to take the leap of full time small business owner.
And I haven’t looked back. I am always so thankful for that moment, his belief in me was the foundation of where I am today.

My mornings start promptly at 4am. I begin each day with prayer/meditation and journaling. Also caffeine. Journaling has been so very important for reflection. I can go back and feel the emotions of my beginning. I can remember the thoughts of fear or doubt and see that I have overcame all obstacles. I jot down ideas for my future self, goals, and manifestations.

Taking time for self love and time is also so very important. Whatever that looks like. Some days it is unplugging and some days it is nature, traveling. Taking time for you in any form is vital in this life and business.

Discipline is a must. Waking up, finishing projects, knowing your worth. This does not just happen. To have a future, long term mindset, is knowing what I do today will matter a year and ten years down the road. So many people forget this and that is why businesses don’t make it past the 1-3 year mark. Those are the years to push through and then you find success.

My craft, photography fuels me, it gives me a fire. The same fire I had when I played sports. But what keeps me coming back is business. The challenges. The adversity. The journey to win and the risk to win really big. It is studying your opponent, yourself, and always building for better. That is the challenge that keeps me coming back for more. The blood, sweat, tears and the reward. The self-fulfilling worth. In business, it’s just you. It’s the decisions you make. The risk you take.
I love knowing if I win it’s on me, if I fail it’s on me. No one else can determine the outcome.

I am a customer based business and love people. Right now my largest stream of income is business branding clients. I specialize in helping female entrepreneurs feel good about themselves. I consult with them about their vision for their future. Their growth. It is so much more than photographing their beautiful faces. Our sessions are part of their soul. We dig deep and ask the hard questions. I always tell them, “I will crawl inside your brain” and figure out your quirks, feel your energy and portray that through images. The common goal being that their clients get to know, like and trust them. It all adds up to being truly who you are.

My goal is always to bring out who my clients are. Because their light benefits the world. I truly love the clients I attract. We have become friends and I get to cheer them on, support them and help them grow.

I am me. I am unapologetically myself. It took me 34 years to be myself, to find my voice. I grow and learn with each passing day but I am proud of who I have become. I look at our generation as a whole and I see us healing. I believe there is so much good in the world and I am so very proud to spread that light, I am on a journey like most to heal my trauma and I am winning.
I want my brand to stand for good, for love and for peace. Building up not only female business owners but all business owners. My space is full of love and joy. I want each of my clients to feel unique and beautiful when they are with me. Attracting the energy I put out into the world is my number one goal.

Working within my world, my goal will always be to spread love. Love through kindness, love through understanding and love through images. Capturing your spirit, your energy. That is who I am. That is my brand.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience. There was a time, I sat in front a client. Told them my prices and they laughed. They laughed. Belly laughed.
There were times where I had my prices questioned. “Well do you even have a degree in this?” “I know people who have been in business 15 years and don’t charge that amount”

Times where I went months without a client because I couldn’t find my market to marvel at the experience I offered.
There were times, where family did not even ask me to take their pictures because “I am too expensive”.

I can agree that all these issues were bumps in the road with my marketing. My message. My delivery. I was not relaying well enough what I bring to the table, the value at which I held.

However, the power of those moments are unexplainable. I knew what I had to offer was worth every penny because in the moments of joy takers there were joy givers.

I would become validated by clients. “You are worth every penny.” “I priced around and what you offer is just too easy, you take care of everything”
“I loved working with you, you made me feel so comfortable and beautiful”

Resiliency was not an option for my success it was necessary. Having those who questioned my worth, validated my journey. I had to learn and push myself to newer heights, find my voice, and share my worth.

The messages are much more positive now that I have confidence when I say my prices, my voice does not shake anymore and I can deliver my value.

This is growth. This is overcoming the nay sayers, the doubters and learning that you have something very special to offer the world. Knowing you can not give up until you have reached your definition of success.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients; I have 2 strategies. Very simple.

Networking. Networking. Networking. Establishing relationships with your target market, being vulnerable with others and creating trust. Shopping with other small business owners. Supporting the crowd I wanted support from. Truly being yourself and attracting the energy you want to attract. To put it simply making friends. It is the oldest and greatest tip in the book.

Good old fashioned meeting new people.

Number 2: Giving back.. a giving heart is a servants heart. I give back anytime I am called to give.
Schools, Church’s, Youth sports.
Senior Sessions for those who do not have the means.
I love giving back.. I have had times where I had $100 in my account and someone called me up needing a $50 sponsorship. I had bills due. I was called to give so out it went… Give with an open heart. Money will always come back.
My largest request from God is please give me the means to give back. It is that simple.
You take care of others you are taken care of.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.studio-c323.com
• Instagram: studioc323businessbranding
• Facebook: Studio C323 Photography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlee-bergeron/
• Other: TikTok: StudioC323

Image Credits
My Family Image Credit: Taylor Lejeune Media