We were lucky to catch up with Charissa H. Yong recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, let’s imagine that you were advising someone who wanted to start something similar to you and they asked you what you would do differently in the startup-process knowing what you know now. How would you respond?

This is a great question!

Being a solo business owner can be a very lonely journey. You make hundreds of decisions every single day and think of great ideas, but when you run into challenges, there’s no one to help. Talking to your family and friends is great, but they don’t fully understand what you are going through.

If I had to start over when building my photography business, I would invest in a group coaching program or a mastermind group.

When I invested in a mastermind group, it was the best decision I made for myself and my business. A mastermind group is different from a networking group or an association because I get to share all my struggles or challenges without being judged and it’s completely confidential.

My mastermind group peers have helped me gain clarity and growth, both personally and professionally. I also get to share my knowledge and expertise to help them with their challenges too.

Now, I’m in multiple paid organizations and a mastermind group, each has its unique benefits and vibes. I no longer feel alone in this journey and I feel empowered.
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If you are thinking of starting a new business, I highly recommend joining a paid networking group, association, chamber of commerce, mastermind group, or group coaching that fits your values and goals for your business. You will not regret it!⠀

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

My name is Charissa (pronounced “Karissa”) and I love what I do as a personal branding and portrait photographer.

After working 11 years in the corporate world as a software test engineer and the 3-hour daily commute, I was burned out. I knew I had to leave the job to find something that is more creative and meaningful. In 2018, I decided to start my photography business and it has been an amazing journey!

Photography has always been an important part of my life. When I was little, my mother would take hundreds of photographs and get them printed. I would spend hours looking through all of these photographs over and over again. It brings me a lot of joy and I knew, even at a young age, how important these photographs mean to me.

I see a photograph as a story unfolding; it brings out people’s personalities and emotions. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, whether it’s to develop their professional brand or to document special moments or milestones in their life.

I’m based in Westwood, New Jersey and I love to travel locally to my client’s offices or amazing locations to photograph them.

This business is so much more than taking amazing pictures for my clients. It’s all about helping and coaching my clients to feel confident so they can put themselves out in the online world and be seen by their ideal clients.

My passion is to educate and empower business owners and entrepreneurs to build their personal brands through eye-catching visuals that tell their stories. Let’s connect on Instagram (@charissahyongphotography)!

Do you wonder if the images on your website and social media are doing the job of promoting your business?

Sign up for my FREE Visual Branding Audit.
https://charissahyongphotography.com/free-visual-branding-audit

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

As an immigrant, I couldn’t have imagined that this would be my life right now. I was raised by my grandparents in Malaysia. I immigrated to the US when I was 12. It was really hard for me because I didn’t want to leave my grandparents and my life behind. I struggled in school because I didn’t speak English and wasn’t used to the culture. I was in ESL classes (English as a Second Language) until my first year of college.

I told myself when I started college that I would work for someone for the rest of my life because I wanted security and a stable life. I’ve never been a risk taker, I never learned how to run a business, and have always been too afraid to fail.

When I quit my full-time job and decided to start my own photography business, I was terrified. I had no knowledge of business or the photography industry, but I love photography and I was determined to learn everything I could because I wanted to have the freedom and flexibility to be there for my family and not have to worry about how I was going to make up the extra hours each week.

This journey has been a rollercoaster – a lot of doubts and a lot of limiting beliefs. Once I start focusing on having the right mindset and having the right people in my circle who are supportive and encouraging, things changed.

Now, I’m proud to say that I LOVE being a business owner and a personal branding photographer!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Oftentimes, people assume that the best part about being a photographer is having a blast photographing amazing clients.

While that’s true that I’m having so much fun at each client’s photoshoot, I’d have to say that my favorite thing is listening to my clients tell their entrepreneur journey stories – where they came from, why they started their business, the change/impact they wanted to make. It is so inspirational!

Of course, the bonus is hearing from my clients about how they are getting noticed and gaining clients when using their branding photos.

That’s my ultimate goal when working with each of my clients. I want to help them tell their stories with custom brand photos so they can grow their business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://charissahyongphotography.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/charissahyongphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charissahyongphotography
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charissahyong
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGbAT4l3wSpdcAbkcG3OYLw
• Other: Pinterest: https://pin.it/1vSCKXu

Image Credits
Image Credits: Clara Wang Photography and Charissa H. Yong Photography, LLC