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

Bethany, appreciate you joining us today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

It’s easy to look at an ending and label it as a failure. Maybe it is because the timing wasn’t what was expected, or possibly because it ended poorly. For me, I left my full time corporate job in May of 2023 without a backup plan. I found myself with the opportunity to risk familiarity and venture on to running my own business. To be brutally honest, I didn’t plan for any of it and that is what scared me. I never let myself plan for something like this, because deep down I did not think I had it in me to run my own business. I desperately did not feel ready and quickly learned, not many do. I am so grateful for the jobs I had before, because they taught me everything I now put into practice. Just like parenting, I take the good, learn from the blindspots, and make it my own. I quickly realized that many great leaders started out this way. They took risks, they were resilient to the dream, and they kept on pushing. I now have to take my years of experience in supporting others dreams, and channel it all into my own.

Bethany, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I first picked up a camera when I was 15 years old. My friends and I growing up loved making home videos of us choreographing dances or skits we came up with that day. I finally saved up and purchased my first digital camera just in time for a trip to Honduras. I found myself able to be present and also introvert while observing the beauty around me. It also gave me the gift of re-living sacred moments, years after they’d passed. I slowly ventured into better equipment and finding joy in capturing people through my unique perspective. It was later in high school, when I joined the yearbook staff and developed a love for design and storytelling. I eventually went to college for a Communications Degree, and was forced to learn the technicalities and softwares. My college years were filled with me volunteering my services often, so I could grow in my craft. I found myself offering Portraits to students I met while mentoring and my business began to take off. Slowly but surely, I kept building relationships in my city that led to my job at a Communications Design Company based in Midtown Jackson for several years. During this job, I gained more experience in photography, design, project management, and the many styles of story telling. I know own my own business that specializes in photography, design, and social media management.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

For me, I had to first identify who my ideal market was. I long ago decided that I can take on a lot if my “why” and “for who” is clear. I have chosen to pursue small businesses, women owned companies, organizations that magnify minority voices, and faith based organizations. From there, I focus on developing and sewing into healthy client relationships. I take the time to learn what it is they most need, and how I can be of service or connect them in the right direction. I am a big believer that “it takes a village”, which means I need to be connected to the village I am surrounded by. With moving to a new city, my village expanded by the thousands. Instead of staying overwhelmed, I leaned into social media a bit more and made sure to always tag my work with the city I now live in. The key to social media is to not just post a bunch all the time, but socialize. Share other creators work and follow other creatives in your area or field. This does not mean you have to be active on social media everyday, but it does mean that the days you show up – you’re seen, you’re heard, you’re there.

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

I have had to unlearn the belief that pursuing my own business as a woman is not foolish or out of reach. I think I subconsciously believed that women business owners were a once in a lifetime success thing, and I didn’t have the means to make that my story. I unfortunately have had a history with working in a toxic work environment, along with studying under many toxic male professors in college. Those experiences had a heavy hand in the way I operated in my professional and personal life.

I found myself only able to visualize my life in the shadow of successful men. I believed I could be an asset to your team but never actually lead your team. What’s ironic is that it hasn’t stopped me from leading teams or being a leader, but it always came at a high price that only I had to pay for. It took many conversations with secure men and women who are doing it successfully, that eventually led me to thinking I could, to now living it.

Our minds are a powerful thing and it only takes a thought or idea that “maybe I could..” to change our trajectory.

Contact Info:

• Website: brosestudio.squarespace.com
• Instagram: b_rose_studio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-moore-843624162?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits
All taken by me (Bethany Moore)