We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashlee Feinauer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashlee below.

Ashlee , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My parents gave me the space to learn from my mistakes. That meant to struggle and sometimes …fail. They gave me great advice while letting me make my own (sometimes foolish) choices.

This gave me the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. If things didn’t go my way, I would just try again.

After my first year of living in the dorms at Wayne State University, I decided to move back to Detroit on my own.

I secured a basement apartment with 2 weeks worth of rent and had my cousins tiny red Saturn loaded down with all of my important things (including my cat). Shortly thereafter, my dad brought my bike for me because I didn’t have a vehicle.

As soon as I arrived, I started looking for a job to fund my new adventure. I found it within walking distance. I started working long shifts as a waitress at an Italian restaurant and within 2 months I had earned enough money to purchase my first vehicle. I was elated! This was a big step for me! Then 6 months later, I got into a car accident in a winter storm. This is just one of many examples of plans not going perfect but I kept moving forward to achieve the life I wanted.

My comfort with trying until I succeed transfers into my business because I am okay with the possibility of plans not working out and with learning as I go. I’m not afraid of knowing that as hard I try, sometimes the world takes you down a different path. I still have the confidence to continue.

When you start a new business it can be scary, wondering if you have what it takes to “make it”. Will clients like my style? Will they like me as a person? Is this business profitable and sustainable? These questions can fill you with fear and stop you from ever starting.

I’m thankful my parents let me learn from my own mistakes and find the value in working for things on my own. I find it more rewarding when I reach a goal, it also hurts more when I fail because it is my hard work on the table and no one else’s.

This quote by Theodore Roosevelt really resonates with me, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

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.

Ashlee Feinauer Photography started after feeling completely uninspired. As all creative people know, when we feel ordinary and unimaginative, we feel lost. My role as a full time Stay at Home Mom was new. I had two kids under the age of 3 and I recently moved to a new town where I didn’t have any friends. I was exhausted, not just physically, but mentally.
Being an artist and not having an outlet or time to participate in one felt daunting. I knew I had to make a change and do it for myself. After all, my cup was empty. How was I supposed to keep filling the cups of my energetic children? They wanted to experience a vibrant, happy Mama and I wanted to feel that way too.

I purchased my first camera and got started. My brother Zach gifted me a Wix Website domain, he is a business owner in South Korea and gives great business related advice. After that, becoming a photographer felt natural with my long history of being an artist and indulging in all things creative.
My style has taken form along the way and my clients have becomes my friends. Bay City, Michigan has a great sense of community. Along my journey I have met other small business owners with similar mindsets, often times we work together to create a one of a kind experience for our clients.

For example I held my Pumpkin Patch Photo Session at Shomaker Farms in Saginaw during their, “all you can carry pumpkin event.” In this session, I featured a Fall inspired Pumpkin bouquet created by Flowers from the Heart in Auburn, MI. As a special way to thank my clients, I provided them with fresh cinnamon donuts & cider made by The Farm @ Apple Acres in Bay City. I do many Mini Sessions like this throughout the year and join up with other local companies. This is an awesome way to collaborate because more people in the community become acquainted with other local businesses. This is one of my favorite things about my brand Ashlee Feinauer Photography! It’s part of my mission to help other small businesses thrive and gain exposure in a world dominated by cookie-cutter companies.

Ashlee Feinauer Photography is a family friendly brand that focuses on making you feel comfortable. This way, I can easily guide you through your photography session and create exceptional memories!
I love finding beauty in the ordinary! Most of my sessions are set outdoors and use natural lighting. You are able to select a location you prefer or use one of mine that resonates with you. Curating your session to your style really helps set the vibe! We always end up with a beautiful gallery!

Another aspect I focus on is capturing interactions and enhancing your natural beauty. I avoid any extensive editing that feed into toxic beauty culture standards. Such as removing wrinkles or reshaping body features, these are all the things that make us human and I prefer to celebrate that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Our society is so focused on working until the point of burnout, quotes like, “Rise & Grind,” ” Let them sleep while you grind,” and “Got dreams worth more than sleep,” are filling our feeds and flooding our minds. This concept is unhealthy. It perpetuates the notion in business and life that if you take time to rest & recover you will fall behind or someone will take your place. Caffeine and courage can only take you so far.

Im a firm believer that in life there are seasons, just like in nature. In the spring things are new and blooming while in the winter things slow down and die off a bit, but it all comes back around. As a photographer these seasons are definitely real, we have busy seasons and slow seasons. In my other role as a Stay at Home Mom, the seasons of my life also vary to certain degrees.
Currently, I am pregnant with my third son and I also have two other young boys at home. In this season, my focus is mainly on my family. I’m constantly working to find a balance between relationships, my business, babies and maintaining a home.
I find it comforting and also sad that this season won’t last forever. My boys won’t be babies forever and my business won’t be in its early stages forever. It’s all for a season and finding the time to slow down and appreciate where I am is just as important as getting a raise, a promotion or making any other type of gain.

I’ve had to learn to fully be present in this stage of life, not to always be wishing for the weekend or wondering where I would be from a business aspect if I had more time to pour into it.

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

There are so many amazing photographers out there. How do you choose one? Each and everyone of them has different artistic style and personality. In order to build a reputation within my market, I partnered with trusted small businesses in order to connect with a trusted source. A lot of my clientele are recurring, I connect with them multiple times a year and most of them become my friends. I treat my clients how I would like to be treated. I make their galleries and interactions highly personalized so they know they are special and not just “another family”. When photographing and creating content I think about the people I have met. I choose the location, colors, music or overall style based on you. This creates a one of a kind photography session.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ashleefeinauerphotography.com
• Instagram: ashlee.feinauer.photography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleefeinauerphotos

Image Credits
Credit Ashlee Feinauer for all photography Credit Jake Borowski for Brand Photos of Ashlee Feinauer | YouTube : @JakeBorowski15 | Facebook.com/jakeborowski15