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

Alright, Autumn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The “worst” investment I ever made regarding my business was starting a brick and mortar studio in the heart of Grand Rapids (city center) the month before COVID 19 locked the world down. It was nearly 2020 and I was very excited to invest my hard earned savings in a lease and furniture to have a studio space I could rent out to the public (as well as shoot in). I was thrilled when I got the keys to a brightly lit expanse of space that provided me with brick walls, hard wood floors, a break room space, bathroom, and an office. I began setting things up as the world shut down. I kept pushing along despite worrying how long lock down would be active because I believed I could force my way through and recover. A year later and I was still shut to the public, having lost $20,000 and a bit of my stamina. It was shocking and disappointing to come so close, yet so far from such a wonderful goal. I had to walk away at the end of it and scale back my business for a time. I was pretty devastated, but have since learned to be more kind to myself about it. No one knew what was coming, and I haven’t given up the hope of trying again some day.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have come such a long way in life, as I mentioned in my previous interview. From extreme poverty, hunger, and true suffering at times to an average normal life of entrepreneurship may not seem like very much to some, but for me it was a defiance of statistics that pressed down on me from birth. I am very proud of myself for making it to where I am and have no intentions of stopping or being satisfied, though I am thankful. I got into photography because while living relatively homeless in the city, I applied three times (and was rejected until that third try) at a startup business where I had to shoot product photography with painstakingly detailed accuracy. Developing the website, building the products into the site (and across on amazon and Etsy), sending bulk emails, running social media, creating the custom designs, designing the new lines of products, customer service, and 360 animated photography and editing were all relying on me at the tender age of 21 years old. I put in a lot of hard work and learned so much about cameras, lighting, editing, and the entire adobe suite. It was around this time that I was asked to shoot a friend’s wedding last minute for free because their photographer dropped out. After I did this I realized I had a passion for shooting people and places just as much as I adored studying and writing about them. I try to tap into the ideas of what people want to see in themselves and the images they hire me to take, and I do my very best to bring that out of them. I have found that a lot of my clients feel uncomfortable on camera, so I use my personality and 10 years experience on both sides of the camera to put them at ease. I am proud that I have always satisfied my clients, and even surprised them. I love reflecting in others what I wish we could all see in ourselves. I also have an incredible return rate, providing images much faster then they are used to, yet with a great deal of skill and precision. I pride myself on my accessibility as well. Since I love what I do, I work with budgets for any shoot needed in a way that benefits both me and the client. Everyone should have access to images that make them feel wonderful, no matter their budget.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I built an audience on social media one post at a time, and connecting with individuals. As I maneuver in life, I consider every touch point I make with people a potential sale. It has benefited me greatly over time, and a lot of my clients revisit me whenever they need images. For someone just beginning, I would say to start now! Make every connection count in and off the internet, and be consistent with your posts online.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I have often had people comment negatively or express doubt on my job as a photographer and my desire to turn my passion for people into a career as an author. I have heard (even from the people closest to me) that “photography is not a “real” job” and “writing a book doesn’t guarantee money, so I need a backup plan”. What we all need to understand and internalize as creatives is that just because some may see what we do as less valuable does not mean it is. As humans we often reflect our fears and project our view onto others. It goes both ways. Keep going and do not give up doing what you love! Life is for living and blessing. Art is valuable. Different perspectives are valuable. It is possible to do what you love, and to be great at it while making enough money to have a quality of life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @zeitgeistyou

Image Credits

Autumn Elizabeth Leffew